Now for something totally different! (chainsaws)

[Keith Hankins]

Ok, I'm acquiring 4.5 acres of land to build my retirement home back in VA. I've eyed some trees that got to come down and they will be milled. It's been years since I needed one. I want a good Chainsaw and willing to pay for it. Just curious if anybody out there is still in the game and can comment. Is STIHL saws still cock of the walk?

[Jim Becker]

Yea, you want a Stihl or Husqi for both longevity and ease of use. (including easy starting in any weather)

I had to pull out my saw (a Stihl FarmBoss) a week and a half ago after a big ash tree got toppled by the wind over the driveway. It hadn't been run in months...since the warm fall weather...but started in about five pulls.

I will also mention that I wish I would have bought this saw the first time...it would have cost less.

BTW, please be really careful felling big trees yourself. If need be, hire out the felling and leave the cutting up for yourself. Much safer that way.

[Bob Michaels]

I'm satisfied with mine, but then I don't fell trees. I just had a bunch of large trees taken down and stihl is all these guys use and they do this stuff for a living. At 71 I let the "young and foolish" do that kind of thing. i have a Stihl Farm Boss model for cutting bowl blanks up to about 20" diameter and a small Stihl electric for in-shop use. Husqvarna is another good choice but I have no experience with the brand. Better yet, if this is a retirement home then you may consider paying one of those "young and foolish" people to do this for you. Probably none of my business...just something you may wish to consider. Save yourself for the fun stuff. This kind of thing gets old fast. Enjoy your pending retirement.

[mark kosse]

You probably opened a can of worms here but here goes. I don't think you can beat the echo 590 for power and price. It'll be a homeowner saw for life. The compression release is handy on it too. I work 100+ acres of heavily drought damaged land and it's all I've needed. I haven't had to use the 5 year homeowner warranty so I can't comment on it.

[Warren Wilson]

Up here in the woods of northern BC, Husqui and Stihl are both used. A choice of brands probably similar to the photographers' choice of Nikon or Canon.

My thought would be to drop into a local saw shop that services both and ask some advice of the techs. Seldom have I found folks reluctant to share an opinion -- and even if one is not better than the other, you'll know which one is likely to suit your repairman.

Using this technique, I found myself buying an Echo for my modest needs: the tech had a great pile of monstrous Stihls and Huskys on and around his workbench and said he seldom saw Echos, even from the pros. (The 18" Echo rides along nicely on my quad while my ancient Stihl 051 with the 34" bar just sits in the back shed).

[Tom M King]

What are the largest trees you need to drop, and what is the average size? How strong, and in how good physical shape are you? One thing my family has done for generations is raise trees. Stihl for me. With 4-1/2 acres, you don't have to worry about wearing one out, but Stihl's are really easy to work on, and you can even get decent aftermarket parts for them pretty cheap. I currently have a MS180, MS290, 036, and ported 066. The 036, and 066 are older models of the current 360, and 660, or whatever the numbers are now that are close to that.

The 180 is a little saw good for climbing and small limbing, but probably not big enough for what you need. The 290 was given to me, and it's not very strong for its weight. My guys nor me really like this saw much. The 036 is lighter than the 290, I think, and has a lot more power. I let the guys that work for me cut firewood with the 036. It's something over 15 years old, and has its third cylinder and piston on it, but still runs like new. We keep a 42" bar on the 066, and every time we bring it out, someone says, "That's a Man's saw". They're right. The 066 is only used for stumping, and bucking big trees.

If you answer my first questions, I can make a reasonable recommendation.

[Mike Heidrick]

MS260 Pro Stihl here. I love the pressure relief valve.

[Justin Ludwig]

I bought my MS290 used for $220. Love it.

My Dad has had the same Stihl for 30 years. I don't remember the model, but he put a 20" bar on it. It has fell and cut up hundreds upon hundreds of trees. In the 30 years, we've replaced the coil, the starter (I/O) switch, and a few carb kits.

I'd look at the pawn shops for a Stihl or Husq. I'd only buy a new one if I were a logger. That's my $.02

[Jared Sankovich]

Well I'll be the first one to suggest Dolmar/Makita. Great power to weight, some nice features and even though they they are pro saws they can be found for good prices. The 7900 is the saw to have in the dolmar line, but may be more than you need/want.

[Steven Satur]

I also have a Stihl Farmboss that is about 20 yrs. old. Always starts with 4-5 pulls. Never had a problem with it.

[cody michael]

I have a Jonsered, 20 inch bar I think the cs2255 model, its been a great saw, I have had it about 6-7 years, starts on 1st few pulls even after sitting for a year or more. the are very similar to husqi they say there built in same factory.

no affiliation to this site, but here are 2 husqvarna saws for decent prices
http://slickdeals.net/f/7591088-hous...-free-shipping

[roger wiegand]

Husqi 445 with an 18" blade here. Great little saw, lightweight with plenty of power for occasional use on trees up to two feet in diameter. I'm pretty sure I would have been just as happy with the equivalent Stihl. After growing up wielding a 40 lb Pioneer saw with a 36" blade all of these little saws are a delight to use!

[Duane Meadows]

My thought would be to drop into a local saw shop that services both and ask some advice of the techs. Seldom have I found folks reluctant to share an opinion -- and even if one is not better than the other, you'll know which one is likely to suit your repairman.

Using this technique, I found myself buying an Echo for my modest needs: the tech had a great pile of monstrous Stihls and Huskys on and around his workbench and said he seldom saw Echos, even from the pros. .

Either means the Echo is more reliable... OR... the Stihls and Huskys outsell it by a wide margin! That single data point doesn't really tell you anything.

If I rated TV's that way I'd have thought Samsung to be junk compared to, oh lets say Sony. Truth was they outsold Sony by like 12 to 1, so of course I seen more of them!

Truth is a repairmen only sees the ones that break... tends to skew opinions somewhat. Also it isn't good for a repairman to bad mouth the product they make a living from.

[Marc Seguin]

At work we have two Husky 465's and a Husky 345. They are about 5 or 6 years old now and we use them hard. Probably about 24 cords of firewood cut per year, as well as clearing downed trees. They all still start in 3 pulls from cold. One of the 465's is on its second bar and the 345 is due for a replacement as well.

I guess all of that is to say that the Husqvarna's will give you lots of good service if you keep up on the regular chainsaw maintenance.

[Ole Anderson]

I have a Stihl 018 and a 290 along with a free Poulin Pro. The 018 is my go to saw. 290 only if I have something bigger. I am a little disappointed with the 290, not enough power for me, but not willing to spend the big bucks on the next size up pro saw either (362), probably twice the price.