chainsaw or arborist forums

[Denny Tudor]

I heat my house with an outdoor water stove that circulates hot water in floor. Very large house 5200sf ( all needed for wife's stuff). I cut and split 9 cords each year. I have a Maruyama 50 cc 18 inch and have no trouble with hickory and oak up to 18 inches. The saw is made in Germany by Dolmar and as far as I know is Maruyama is the only company that guarentees all its products for 5 years. Husky and Stihl are only 3.

I also rip cut with it using a a regular chain I sharpened to 10 degrees. certainly not as good as a real skip tooth rip chain but lots cheaper and fine for me. But making lumber - just small Jess than 4-5 feet long no wider than 15 inches for small projects.


What ever you buy the best other investment you can make is an air compressor to keep your saw cleaned on regular basis. I blow it out every time I come in.

[Jeramie Johnson]

As mentioned, two main camps, both good saws. There are others out there also, but local service can be handy when in a bind.
For me, the two are serviced by my local stores. I have two Husky XP models.

Whatever you choose, keep em clean, well oiled, keep the blades sharp, keep the blades out of the dirt and bark whenever possible, and they will treat you well.

[hu lowery]

Sawhawgs and arborist.com can give you more information than you will ever need and both are fairly willing to get away from the big two. There are usually three lines of saws. Big box store homeowner saws, plastic cases, essentially throwaways. Then the pro saws, Dolmar/Makita is right up there with Stihl and Husqvarna in performance, lacks dealer support. There is a Husky brand, probably started just to mislead people, junk as far as I know.

Anyway, the third line of saws is of interest to wood turners. Classified farm/ranch saws, they vary by model. Some are detuned pro saws, some are upgraded plastic toy saws. choosing the right ones of these can save some money and give a turner excellent service. Was the route I was headed down until I fluked into a steal on a Makita 6401. It's a beast after a few mod's and putting quality chain on it. My little plastic saw that came with a shop I bought out actually runs pretty well too, when it runs. Harder to keep running than my bigger saw so I always grab the big one even for light work. Electric saws are worth having one of just for in the shop and trim work near the house. I like the harbor fright unit with a two year warranty. Catch it on sale for about $75 including extended warranty and you are guaranteed a shop chainsaw for two years.

The real deal is quality chain. Can buy other stuff but Bailey's sells Stihl chain at a good price and it is tough or impossible to beat. I see little safety advantage to safety chain but to each his own. You need good safety gear regardless and some solid equipment between your ears. Chainsaws may be the most dangerous tool you can hold in your hands, certainly nothing can kill you faster. They have safe(r) zones just like lathes, handy to know. Good cutting saws are a lot safer than those you have to fight so good sharp chain on a quality saw are genuine safety benefits.

Buy a Granberg or similar sharpener so you can file your own chains as needed. I bought a tachometer also. Finding that my saw was detuned almost four thousand RPM and putting pro chain on it woke it up and turned it into a saw! Bar length has as much to do with how much chain you can oil as how much you have the horsepower to pull. I think I ended up with a 32" bar on my saw rated for a 28" maximum bar but since that is mostly to save me from reaching down bucking or delimbing it works fine. Noodling wet wood I haven't had issues either. Using a wide drive tooth helped with oiling.

Choose carefully and buy all of the saw you can afford in the size you want. The new electronically controlled saws have brains about like your car and like your car seem to work great in the Stihl and Husqvarna lines. I don't know which other lines have brains now or how good they are. For easy starting and self tuning to your gas and weather I would definitely get a smart saw if money allows. I have an itch for a big smart saw now but I don't have the scratch and the truth is I don't really need it. Kinda like an American Beauty, it would sure look good in my shop!

Saws like premium gas and synthetic oil. Makes life easier to feed them what they like. An additive makes 10% ethanol OK but I prefer nonethanol gas.

Short course on saws. You will hear more of the same on arborist.com and sawhawgs. The members are a little rough around the edges but generally very good people both places. The combined knowledge on saws and sawing is awesome.

Hu

[Hilel Salomon]

As with most tools, I have a slew of chainsaws. I wonder what you mean by "big" If, as some above have recommended, you want to cut for two hours, then very big will become a very heavy burden on your back, arms and even legs. I have a total of 15 saws, consisting of Stihls, Husqvarnas, Echos and one Solo. The last one is ok, but I wouldn't recommend it. The one thing that I would advise is to buy whatever you choose from an actual dealer and buy quality. That pretty much eliminates Ryobi, Homelight, Poulan, McCullough and Sears(which is made by Ryobi) and buying from Lowes or HD. The cheaper Stihls and Husqvarnas are, IMO, not worth getting. Echo at the middle level and higher makes excellent saws with great warranties. They are extremely easy to start. For work that requires hours of continuous operation, though, I would suggest the higher end Stihls and Huskies. One additional note: In the old days, we were told to empty our saws and other gas/oil tools. That is no longer a good idea. If you are going to go a long time without using the tool, put a high octane non-gasohol and oil mix and fill it up. When you start it, after a lengthy period, run it for a short while and then empty the tank and put in a fresh mix. There is a ready mix which-although expensive- is good to have for the first fill-up. Gasohol, besides being a boon for corn growers, plays havoc on motors that have carburetors. Good luck

[Dale Bonertz]

Something to watch for Allen is the location of the chain tensioning screw. I have Huskies and when you get into the larger models the tensioning screw is located in the front of the saw between the bar and exhaust. Kinda of a pain to see and get to. The last size in the bigger ranges is the 390XP (I think). I have the 394XP and the screw is in the front. A friend bought the 390XP and his is on the side. The rest of my saws all have them on the side which is much more convenient. Just some nuances for you to consider. Not sure about other brands but I would look for a side tensioning screw in whatever you choose.

[Roger Chandler]

Something to watch for Allen is the location of the chain tensioning screw. I have Huskies and when you get into the larger models the tensioning screw is located in the front of the saw between the bar and exhaust. Kinda of a pain to see and get to. The last size in the bigger ranges is the 390XP (I think). I have the 394XP and the screw is in the front. A friend bought the 390XP and his is on the side. The rest of my saws all have them on the side which is much more convenient. Just some nuances for you to consider. Not sure about other brands but I would look for a side tensioning screw in whatever you choose.

Dale....you are correct that the tension mechanism is on the side on the Husqvaena 390XP. I have the 28" bar on mine, but it will easily handle a 32" bar. My dealer and I discussed the selection of saws available in both their Stihl and Husqvarna lineup. I wanted a larger, reliable yet manageable saw......he told me that the 390XP is a saw that a number of professionals use daily, both loggers and tree arborists. He said they almost never get one back for repairs, and they are a workhorse of a saw....I took his advice....they had done other work for me on mowers and snow throwers, and know their stuff. I have been VERY pleased with the power and performance.

[Dale Bonertz]

Roger,

Your 390XP will handle a bar up to around 42". My buddy has one for his that he uses on really big logs. On my 394XP I have a 32", 36", 42" and 46" bar and it handles them all just fine. I would imagine using a 28" and 32" on your 390XP that it just screams through material.

Some have mentioned the weight of the saw which is a concern but not that big of a concern in my opinion. I have two 372XP saws with 24" bars that work well. However on really big logs that max out the bar or a little bigger I can get through them but it takes longer. I think it is easier on me to grab the little heavier 394XP which cuts through these logs quicker thus less wear and tear on my body.

I don't know the size of logs you intend to cut Allen but if I had to work with only one saw I would own the 390XP or equivalent in another brand and have like Roger does a 28" and 32" bar. Big enough saw if you want to add a larger bar later if needed. Small enough with a side screw tensioning for the bar for convenience.

Allen you have my number so if you want to try these saws give me a call or email me and we can go over and cut some blanks. I get some free labor and you get to try different size saws. I do need to get both of my 372XP saws serviced but they are working.

[Hilel Salomon]

Some good advice above. I belong to several forums dealing with chainsaws. The problem with them is that they offer an even more exaggerated version of the "mine are better than yours" opinions. If you follow our turning forum, you will run into the fans of Sorby, Hamlet, Crown, Thompson and others, as well as advocates of Oneway or Vicmarc. The vast majority of turners are-at least- polite about their preferences. Chainsaw devotees tend to be a little more like the politicians running for the presidency.
You can't go wrong with the higher end of Stihl, Husqvarna or Echo, and I've heard great things about Jonserud as well. The important thing, IMO, is to buy from outfits that service their brands.

[Hayes Rutherford]

Hilel, well put. The winner is usually that one with the sharper chain.

[Olaf Vogel]

You can't go wrong with the higher end of Stihl, Husqvarna or Echo, and I've heard great things about Jonserud as well. The important thing, IMO, is to buy from outfits that service their brands.

Depending on where you are locateed: city or country, might a difference in servicing. I have only Stihl saws and the local Stihl dealers were not great in the servicing. Then I was at my cottage, asked the local farmers who does small engine repair. Eventually I found a retired guy who does small engine repair on the side and is AWESOME. In short order is got everything running perfectly again.

If you do cut big stuff, a big saw is really nice. It will slice big logs cuts quickly, where a smaller saw may choke.
But, may be a bear to wrestle for delicate cuts.

One thought is to consider if you want gas or electric.
its cold around here, so being to use the electric inside the shop in the winter, is a great benefit.

So i keep a small Stihl w 16" bar, and 088 with a 36" bar for big stuff and an electric with 18" for inside.
All used, older and great saws.

Olaf