advice please?

[Brent Grooms]

While this isn't a turning tool necessarily, turners experience / advice is what I need so...

I am looking for a new chainsaw as my poulan is finally biting the dust (I am doing a happy dance on the inside) and I have decided to go with a Stihl. Now... when I was discussing what I wanted/used it for(processing logs for turning and some yard cleanup on a 5 acre wooded lot), the dealer was recommending a MS391/20in. bar.

Is this going to be "too much" saw?

In searching the forum, when I found posts that noted the saws used/purchased, typically the saws were smaller than what I am looking at. So, I am a little un-decided. The budget is already approved as the wife was watching when I was working over a piece of walnut last weekend.


Thanks!

[Prashun Patel]

Oh my gosh. I am contemplating the same thing. I am torn between the ms250be and a reconditioned husqvarna

[Michelle Rich]

How big is the wood you will normally tackle.??. I have used 16 inch saws for years to build a house from logs, and get firewood etc. Remember the longer that bar, the farther it is from your eyes and you forget where the tip is, and that can be trouble.

[Dennis Ford]

"Too much saw" depends on your strength and budget. You will enjoy the power of that saw unless you have to climb with it.

[Doug Herzberg]

Brent, I just picked up my MS 290/24" yesterday. Haven't even started it yet. For years, I have been getting by with a MS180c, which is one of their homeowner limb and trim saws. I bought that saw when I was scheduled for back surgery. At the time, I thought it was about all the weight I could handle. Even though it is not one of their commercial saws, it was a great investment. I am still using it and have been very happy, but it just doesn't have enough oomph (or bar length) for prepping blanks.

This time around, I decided Stihl has too many models. Maybe I'm just getting old, but I don't want to learn every minute difference between each model. I found a dealer I trusted, explained the situation with my back (much improved, but can't overdo) and took his advice. My part of the decision was to pick up the saw and decide that I can use it for the time I need to without hurting my back. His part was to advise that the saw has enough power for the bar when ripping hardwood. The only other one he recommended was a commercial model (4something) for about double the cost, but given that I plan to only use the saw occasionally, he thought I didn't need to spend the money.

The dealer did say that there are three lines of Stihls: homeowner, medium duty and commercial. He may have been oversimplifying, sensing that I wasn't all that interested. The major factor him in giving advice was how much use the saw would get.

For yard cleanup, you may want to also get a smaller saw, just for the fatigue factor. The only reason I would think you're getting "too much" saw would be if it's physically too big for you to handle comfortably and safely. I don't think you'll regret too much power or too much quality. Good luck.

[Brent Grooms]

My poulan is/was an 18in bar, and I have been cutting wood in the 18" range but I am working to get a deal with a tree service to get access bigger logs. I am on a kick of bigger turnings lately. If I can re-build the poulan myself cheaply,(bench charge at a shop is more than I paid for the saw new) I will put a 14in bar on it and use it for brush work.

I know I can cut from both sides so 2in of bar length equates to $10 on purchase price plus slightly more $$ per chain. I expect my biggest complaint with my old saw would have been lack of power. Climbing with it? Ain't gonna happen... I have the jitters climbing on the roof of the house.

[Fred Belknap]

Brent I have exactly the same saw for about a year now and I really like it. It has plenty of power, starts easy and the 20" blade does 95%of what I need. Sometimes I think about putting a 24" bar on it and may do someday. I have a farm and use it to clean up fallen trees and to make turning blanks. I just make sure that I cut my blocks a little less than 20" so I can split them. My lathe is 18" so it is ok, if I had a 24" lathe I might need a larger blade. I feel the saw has plenty of power for a 24" blade. One thing I don't like is it leaks chain lube oil, has from day one.

[Joe Bradshaw]

I don't know about the bigger Stihls or newer models. I have two 034's and an 044, plus an M170. They work for me. Fred, sometimes on a Sthil, if you loosen the bar oil cap, it will stop leaking. Only do this after you are finished for the day and remember to tighten it up before use(DAMHIK).

[Donny Lawson]

I have the Sthil MS290 and it does everything I need with the 20" bar.

[Roger Chandler]

I think your dealer has recommended a good saw. It has 64 cc engine and that with a 20" bar will do a lot. I have a Husqvarna 359 with a 60 cc engine and 20" bar.......it has been superb for several years........I did also get a new Husqvarna 390 xp.......90 cc motor and 28" bar because I have been getting requests for cutting larger trees........it is a true professional timber saw.........man........if you can handle a big one safely........it is so sweet, but takes real safety awareness and some strength to manage it for long cutting periods.......I have ripped [with the grain] a 48" walnut crotch with that thing..........super smooth cut and now I just have to figure out how to use this the best way.

Chainsaws are usually better the bigger they are......only if you have the strength and experience to use them safely!

[Steve Kubien]

Prior to the MS391, they called it an MS390. I have a 390 with an 18" bar and while it is a tad heavier than others, it sure packs a bundle of power. Next on my shopping list is a 24" bar for the occasional time I need it. I think you'll be plenty happy with the 391 and a 20" bar.

[Bernie Weishapl]

I have a Stihl 390 with a 18" bar and it cuts anything I need for my 16" lathe.

[Tim Boger]

While this isn't a turning tool necessarily, turners experience / advice is what I need so...

I am looking for a new chainsaw as my poulan is finally biting the dust (I am doing a happy dance on the inside) and I have decided to go with a Stihl. Now... when I was discussing what I wanted/used it for(processing logs for turning and some yard cleanup on a 5 acre wooded lot), the dealer was recommending a MS391/20in. bar.

Is this going to be "too much" saw?

In searching the forum, when I found posts that noted the saws used/purchased, typically the saws were smaller than what I am looking at. So, I am a little un-decided. The budget is already approved as the wife was watching when I was working over a piece of walnut last weekend.


Thanks!

Here is the site where I purchased my refurbished Husky Rancher, the saw I received could not be identified as used .... except for the blade being a little dull. A phone call to them and I got a $35.00 dollar instant refund.

All told I paid about 1/2 of what it sold for at local retail home improvement locations.

Tim

Couldn't be happier.

[Mike Cruz]

Brent, I have to say that a chainsaw is very much like everything else you buy... Get the biggest and best that you can afford. Now, saying that, the difference between a chainsaw and a lathe is that you have to HOLD, CARRY, and WIELD a chainsaw. So, keep that in mind.

I have a farmboss, 290 I believe, with a 20" bar. It handles everything I throw at it. Now, that doesn't mean I didn't wish that I had bigger chainsaw! Not only do I wish I had one with more power (I always want more power...with everything), but a longer bar, too. I have an 18" lathe and a 28" lathe. Cutting blanks in the 18-20" range is tough enough with a 20" saw...28" isn't any fun at all (though it can be done).

So, will that saw you are looking at be enough? Probably. But you have to weigh what you are going to use it for (do you need an 18", 20", or 24" bar?), how often will you be using it, for how long will you be using it each occurance (15 minutes, and hour, all day?), and how long do you expect it to last (5 years, 10 years, lifetime?)? Obviously, a bigger motor ought to last longer than a smaller one assuming the two are doing the same workload. But the bigger motor will be heavier and tax your body more. But the bigger motor will likely cut faster, and make quicker work out of a project than a smaller motor. A longer bar can handle bigger projects, but is silly (and sometimes dangerous) on really small stuff like limbing (so you don't want a 36" bar for limbing).

Hope that helps...

[John King]

Stihl is the only way to go. Buy biggest - horespower and bar length - you can afford. You can never have too much horsepower. - John