Chainsaw recommendations

[northtownship]

I have a couple old school McCulloch, 2 Husqvarna saws, a Poulan (it's my loaner saw if someone needs one) but the one I like the best is my Makita.
It's a Sachs Dolmar they paint blue and slap on Makita stickers. It's a 6401 I picked up used from the Home Depot rental department.
After they rent them so many times they sell them off for around $200.
That thing sounds like a dirt bike and rips through the wood. You can get on their list to buy one and they will call you when it's available.
I just put on a full chisel and ditched the junk safety chain. She's a little heavy but fast. With the 28" bar and skip tooth chain it's pretty balanced.

 

[Limpy88]

I have husqvarna. And a older macollugh.

Husqvarna and stihl have 2 different series home and professional. If u have more than 1 tree to limb and cut down down a year. Or heat with wood. The professional versions are worth the extra. They can be rebuilt. The home version get thrown away when the motor fails.

Echo has good saws the are better than stuff from lowes, bit not on the same level as the stihl and husqvarna professional stuff. But close

If you watch the logging shows on tv. The have stihl or husqvarna.

I rarely buy new stuff. I can get things from craigslist or ebay alot cheaper with the new just knocked off of them.

But if you cut alot and want new. Go to the dealer you like the best. Service and parts makes a difference. I buy parts localy.

If you are like me and need one once a month or so. Research the ones for sale on craiglist so see if they are good saws or not.

Also the johnseeds at tractor supply are rebadged husqvarnas. There are few other professional brands. But with no dealer support localy I wouldn't get them.

My husqvarna's and echo's equipment will start cold with one pull. Some times my 450 rancher does need a second pull. But only if i didnt prime it right. But it is summer so they are a little warm to begin with. Let's see when I use the echo to sweep up some snow how long it takes.

 

[HamsterStyle]

Well, I had the chance to run a Stihl Farm Boss with the 18" bar tonight on the middle section of the big tree and it cut like a champ. I really liked it. It was a little heavy though. I now feel that I have a decent baseline e to at least start looking at and knowing what will work for me.

 

[IndyDave1776]

I still use the Stihl 032 my grandpa bought when I was in fourth grade.

 

[Brandon]

Stihl.
/thread

We had a husqavarna and it was JUNK. They used a plastic adjusting gizmo that kept the tension on the chain/bar. This stripped out in no time (after one use). Trying to find the part around here was a PITA.

On top of that nonsense it was hard to start.

We bought the stihl and have not had a single issue with it, easy to start - WORKS as it should.

 

[BoilerMakerME]

Stihl...have Stihl leaf blower, weed eater, pole saw, chain saw....if they made a lawn mower i'd buy it...or a car....they start every time. The newer one's with the valved 2-stroke, that call it a 4mix or something, they are power houses.

 

[Brandon]

Stihl...have Stihl leaf blower, weed eater, pole saw, chain saw....if they made a lawn mower i'd buy it...or a car....they start every time. The newer one's with the valved 2-stroke, that call it a 4mix or something, they are power houses.

Prepare to buy, and we want pictures.
Lawn Mower with Battery-Powered Innovation - Learn More | STIHL USA Mobile

 

[nate1865]

Get a Stihl, particularly if you want it to start when you need it to or cut a lot of wood.

Had some loggers out to take down some trees on some timberland I own. They got their husqvarna stuck in a large tree. A pretty big one. Couldn't get it out.

My neighbor came by with his tiny little Stihl to rescue them.

It's all I'll own.

 

[PUalum04]

I run a 30 year old Stihl 028 Super. With a 16" bar it is one of the most well balanced saws i have ever ran. I love running it.

 

[Cameramonkey]

I can honestly say i have never had a Stihl saw start cold with two pulls or a blower or a weedwacker start on the second pull. Never
all of mine start just like the manual states how to start.

on a cold saw,
Pull throttle and lock choke on and pull starter until the the saw farts and try's to start maybe 3 to 6 pulls
flip choke off and saw will start with the next pull.

a warm or hot saw, sure 1 or 2 pulls.

Its not my fault you dont have an 80's vintage German made saw. Two to three pulls every time if its fresh gas and I remember to do all the steps perfectly. Anything other than perfect, mid season gas, etc and its 3 or 4.

 

[Cameramonkey]

Prepare to buy, and we want pictures.
Lawn Mower with Battery-Powered Innovation - Learn More | STIHL USA Mobile

my mom looked into their battery powered saws... holy hell. I could buy one and a half gas saws for what they wanted. And the runtime wasnt that great! (she was trying to replace one of those little 10" bar B&D 18v trimming saws that used the same batteries as the other power tools.)

 

[IndyDave1776]

Get a Stihl, particularly if you want it to start when you need it to or cut a lot of wood.

Had some loggers out to take down some trees on some timberland I own. They got their husqvarna stuck in a large tree. A pretty big one. Couldn't get it out.

My neighbor came by with his tiny little Stihl to rescue them.

It's all I'll own.

At least part of the reason for this is that the Husky has its power on the top end where the Stihl has more torque on the bottom. Of course, you already at this point know what I use!

 

[Roland of Gilead]

I have a Poulan and I stripped the bar tensioner, had to rig it to keep the chain taught. Received a small Stihl for my birthday and I like it. I have yet to break it and it works when I need it.

I buy the expensive premixed fuel cans.

Is the premixed fuel really better for the engine and does it stay stable longer than gas from the pump and mix added?

 

[BehindBlueI's]

Stihl Farm Boss is a great all around chainsaw. Not too big, not too little, durable, and starts easy.

 

[Cameramonkey]

I have a Poulan and I stripped the bar tensioner, had to rig it to keep the chain taught. Received a small Stihl for my birthday and I like it. I have yet to break it and it works when I need it.

I buy the expensive premixed fuel cans.

Is the premixed fuel really better for the engine and does it stay stable longer than gas from the pump and mix added?

I too have to figure that out. I bought my first can of the stuff yesterday because I'm on my second 1 gallon can of stale/wasted gas that I gotta figure out how to dispose of because a single trimmer doesnt burn enough gas on 1/4 acre.

At least with a stale can of raw gas I could mix it into my 16 gallon fuel tank without thinking about it. Not sure what that 2 cycle oil would do to a catalytic...

On a related note, would a little* 2 cycle oil do any harm to a non catalytic engine like a garden tractor?

*we're talking mixing 3/4 gal or less of 40:1 into a 5 gallon can of fresh gas.

 

[IndyDave1776]

I too have to figure that out. I bought my first can of the stuff yesterday because I'm on my second 1 gallon can of stale/wasted gas that I gotta figure out how to dispose of because a single trimmer doesnt burn enough gas on 1/4 acre.

At least with a stale can of raw gas I could mix it into my 16 gallon fuel tank without thinking about it. Not sure what that 2 cycle oil would do to a catalytic...

On a related note, would a little* 2 cycle oil do any harm to a non catalytic engine like a garden tractor?

*we're talking mixing 3/4 gal or less of 40:1 into a 5 gallon can of fresh gas.

That shouldn't create a problem. You will most likely get some visible smoke, but that shouldn't foul the plug(s). I have even seen people dump straight 2 cycle down the carburetor of a stalled car, start it, and drive off (the example in memory was a car which couldn't pull fuel going up a hill but resumed sucking vapors off the tank after leveling off achieved with the straight 2 cycle to get to the top of the hill).

 

[Brandon]

I must be doing something wrong, everyone keeps talking about stale gas. I guess I need to knock on wood or something because the gas I am using for all my small engines are from the cans will filled last year. I don't mix anything in the cans, just place them in the garage and use them in the rotation.

 

[tmschuller]

I must be doing something wrong, everyone keeps talking about stale gas. I guess I need to knock on wood or something because the gas I am using for all my small engines are from the cans will filled last year. I don't mix anything in the cans, just place them in the garage and use them in the rotation.

You can add a enzme based treatment called startron. Blue bottle for gas or diesel. Better than stabil and just works. Autozone had it on sale recently. 1 big bottle does 100 gallons. I've put in lawn tractors that were not running well and noticed a difference in the first tank.. I put it in my 2 stroke gas ,no issues. And you put the 2cycle gas in your lawn mower. Just top the tank off it won't hurt it.

 

[calcot7]

I am going to have to say either a Stihl or a Huskvarna for a saw that will get a moderate amount of work. I have had Poulans that ran great and cut good but they don't last as long as the ones mentioned. Homelite used to be a darned good saw until they were bought out. I still have a little Super II that works well for small to medium size logs. My dad ran Homelites for years and he cut wood as a hobby and a lot of it. When a big Maple, hung up in another large tree came down the wrong way and smashed his Homelite 66, that he had owned for 30 years to pieces, he bought a Sthil and never looked back.

 

[bocefus78]

I'll comment on the fuel comments.

Is the premix fuel in cans worth it? Not at all. It is ethanol free fuel mixed with oil. That's it. No secret recipie. You are essentially paying $40 per gallon or more for that stuff.
If you use a quality oil mix, it will have fuel stabilizers in it which help prolong it's life. Stihl, echo, jonesred, etc.

Ethanol free fuel can be bought at marinas, coop's, airports, and race tracks. Use it. It's well worth the extra $ or few miles out of your way to go get it.

You can dump old 2 cycle fuel in your lawnmowers with no ill effects provided it's not years old. The fuel will eventually turn to varnish at that point. Your nose should tell you the difference if you have a can of fresh fuel to compare it with.