Chainsaw

[GlockRock]

Another vote for Stihl. I have an 18 inch ms250 and love it. It's a great all around saw.

 

[jbrooks19]

I work for Stihl USA, our promotion on the saw to double the warranty is a awesome deal.. Basically you buy a 6-pack of the Stihl Ultra Synthetic ($15.34 after tax) and it doubles the warranty. Something that would probably fit your needs as a good all around saw would be the MS271 w/20" bar, runs $419..

One nice thing about Stihl is we are one of the few companies that are actually built in America and then exported to other countries..Not imported to us.

My personal favorite is the MS251CBE (its the replacement for the MS250) this model also has the Easy2start and quick chain adjust system..

 

[Hammer]

I work for Stihl USA, our promotion on the saw to double the warranty is a awesome deal.. Basically you buy a 6-pack of the Stihl Ultra Synthetic ($15.34 after tax) and it doubles the warranty. Something that would probably fit your needs as a good all around saw would be the MS271 w/20" bar, runs $419..

One nice thing about Stihl is we are one of the few companies that are actually built in America and then exported to other countries..Not imported to us.

My personal favorite is the MS251CBE (its the replacement for the MS250) this model also has the Easy2start and quick chain adjust system..

If you have any connections, let them know arborists want the MS200 back. Not many are liking the 201, unless their name is Mark Chisolm.

 

[jbell_64]

I run both stihl and husqvarna at work. I'd say they are equal on quality. They are kinda like guns. Try to get your hands on a couple and see how they feel to you. I much prefer the way a stihl cuts. Not sure if it is true or not, but it feels to me like stihl runs more torque and husqvarna runs higher rpm. I really like the stihl 044 / ms440 for felling and the good ole 026 for limbing and light bucking.

 

[rosejm]

I am living proof of this. Got my dads 028OHV and it runs like a champ. Just had to get new oil and fuel line seals. Not bad for a saw old enough that it says "made in west Germany".

Oh oh and it ALWAYS starts on the first or second pull.

I've just inherited an 015 of similar age. Works the same way too.

 

[RangerRider]

I'm on my second sthil great saws for the money, plus they make a kick a** weed eater too mine has the pole saw and brush blade.

 

[IndyGunworks]

On a further note, can we discuss the changes coming down the pipe with stihl? Might help the OP to jump on a stihl sooner than later if needed.

When i called to inquire about chainsaws, i specifically wanted the farm boss, smith implements in greenfield said they had two left in the bloomington store and to hurry up and jump on it before they sold because that would be the last of them. Some new EPA standard on emissions was forcing still to change their entire line. I did jump as i was ready to buy anyways, but it has me nervous about any other saws. In my experience the more environmentally friendly things get the worse they work, the more complicated they are, the easier they break, and the harder they are to fix.

Does anybody know about these "changes"?

 

[Zoub]

On a further note, can we discuss the changes coming down the pipe with stihl? Might help the OP to jump on a stihl sooner than later if needed.

When i called to inquire about chainsaws, i specifically wanted the farm boss, smith implements in greenfield said they had two left in the bloomington store and to hurry up and jump on it before they sold because that would be the last of them. Some new EPA standard on emissions was forcing still to change their entire line. I did jump as i was ready to buy anyways, but it has me nervous about any other saws. In my experience the more environmentally friendly things get the worse they work, the more complicated they are, the easier they break, and the harder they are to fix.

Does anybody know about these "changes"?

I will ask my Bro. He is active with the EPA on whatever national council/group has industry representatives in it. I know Stihl has borrowed his Dynos to do tests last year and I think it had to do with the new EPA regs.

Overall I would not sweat those changes as much as running ethanol in your equipment. I had a very reliable engine go down fast on that ****, so whenever I drove in the direction of the nearest station that had ethanol free I would get 15 gallons. Now I live in a "free" zone and I get ethanol free all I want. IMHO its worth the extra 50 cents per gallon. Hell I can even get leaded gas.

As for Stihl equipment, I went 100% with Stihl on all new purchases starting back about 10 years ago. In that time I have also moved 4 times and I can always find a local Stihl dealer which I feel is critical because if it has an engine in it I wont buy it from a big box store, period. Husqvarna is good and we have an ongoing pissing contest over which is best but the three of us use each others saws and they all run fine.

Periodically Flip your bar and upgrade your chain the day you buy it. F those safety chains that come on the saws, make that your third chain, I run three chains. I rarely use three in a day but I also sharpen them in the field or that night and start the day with three sharp chains. In crap weather I don't want to stand at the tailgate and sharpen a chain, I just swap and go.

 

[BigBoxaJunk]

On a further note, can we discuss the changes coming down the pipe with stihl? Might help the OP to jump on a stihl sooner than later if needed.

When i called to inquire about chainsaws, i specifically wanted the farm boss, smith implements in greenfield said they had two left in the bloomington store and to hurry up and jump on it before they sold because that would be the last of them. Some new EPA standard on emissions was forcing still to change their entire line. I did jump as i was ready to buy anyways, but it has me nervous about any other saws. In my experience the more environmentally friendly things get the worse they work, the more complicated they are, the easier they break, and the harder they are to fix.

Does anybody know about these "changes"?

I heard the same thing. I also heard that Stihl was making the newer models more "homeowner" friendly, ie: lighter weight and without manually adjustable carbs.

That's why I went ahead and got a Farmboss a couple of months ago.

 

[BigBoxaJunk]

Ethanol-free gas stations in the U.S. and Canada

Awesome, thanks a lot.

 

[IndyGunworks]

That's why I went ahead and got a Farmboss a couple of months ago.

same reasoning here... either we are suckers, or smart, only time will tell.

 

[Pete]

I second (or third) use pure gas ONLY. Ethanol gasoline goes bad quickly.

Whatever saw you get, don't get the longest bar the model is made for. Get the middle length bar. The saw will not be run as hard & will last longer if it is not maxed out. Stihl is very good. Be careful, some models have needle bearings only on one side of the crankshaft. I have had very good performance out of Echo also.

Don't buy minimum size, run good fuel, keep the blade sharp & keep it in good repair.

 

[Hammer]

Indy, that is why I posed the statement about the difference in the MS200 vs the MS 201

The MS200 was a power house of a trim saw, lots of blade speed (for the size) and plenty of torque, the "new" 201 is much lower power stock. Heard others talk about being computer controlled (no first hand info on that). But these changes affect every manufacturer, not only Stihl.

 

[Tactical Dave]

Stihl...... Period.

 

[CountryBoy19]

Do you have a Home Depot that rents tools nearby? If so go see if they have any Makita 6401 saws that they're going to sell. You can get your name on a waiting list and they'll call you when one comes up. They're a Dolmar and it was the best $250 deal (2 years ago) on a 64 cc saw. Mine sounds like a dirt bike and rips through the wood. Just take off the safety chain junk and put on a full comp stihl chain. I have 2 Huskies that are pretty nice too.

This^^^ Dolmar is a top quality saw as well. The only reason you don't hear much about them is they don't have a huge deal of brick & mortar support. But for the price of the used 6401 saws from HD it's worth it. When I bought mine it was $214 and came with a brand new, standard (not safety) chain. Best bang for your buck pro saw you can get.

Well if the SHTF truly and gas supplies are shut down. What are you gonna run the chainsaw on? Obviously its better than nothing until the gas runs out but I think alot of people dont fully realize that if the SHTF truly and lasted years that there will be no gasoline, natural gas, Cel phone service, cable, electric service, LP, ATM's and hell there wont even be any going to the grocery store!

Use a good sharp chain, and keep a small supply of gas around... pretty easy... I can cut a 1+ year supply of wood on a single 2 gallon can of gas mix. The key is to keep your chains sharp and use the right chains so they make quick cuts (ie. don't spend tens minutes burning through a single cut with a dull chain).


IMHO, Stihl is the best brand to get because they have the best dealer support in most areas, especially Indiana. Husky follows closely behind, and Dolmar/Makita trails far behind (but parts are readily available online unlike Stihl parts). You have to weigh out how much dealer support means to you vs. cost and figure up what is the best bang for the buck. For most it will be Stihl because of the dealer support. But for some people that are very mechanically inclined and can do their own tear-downs/repairs/trouble-shooting that may not be as important.

As far as safety goes. Steel Toe Boots (chainsaws make quick work of cutting through composite toe boots) and kevlar chaps are must haves. $200 (boots + chaps) of safety equipment can save you permanent, life-altering injury. Eye & ear protection are must haves too.

On gas. Co-op/Harvestland/etc their 91+ octane product is 100% petroleum based fuel and can be had at some of their filling stations and most of their farm fuel centers. It's not only 100% gas, but it is all from the Illinois Basin crude deposit (SW Indiana, SE Illinois, and N Kentucky) and 100% refined at an Indiana refinery in Mt. Vernon, IN. I say support your fellow hoosiers and but their gas.

As far as what saws I run:
I have a Dolmar/Makita 6401 (ex-rental saw from Home Depot). That is my "big guy". The Dolmar 64 cc, 73 cc, and 79 cc saws all use the same base saw they just have a different piston/cylinder so if I ever want more power I can keep the same saw and add a new piston and cylinder. There is also an aftermarket 84cc big-bore kit that supposedly when ported just a little bit will make this thing out-cut Stihl 880 Magnums... I have no need for that so I haven't tried it.

My favorite saw though is a Stihl MS170. This is the smallest, cheapest of Stihl's rear-handle saws and is often smocked at. But with a little bit of work and some pretty heavy modification it can be made to run like a mean little machine. I have ported it, carb modded it, and muffler modded it and it will keep up with larger Stihls like the MS361 in smaller wood because it is light and nimble. One advantage of a small saw is they run at higher rpm but lack torque. If you can give them a boost in the torque category it helps a lot. That is what porting, and muffler modding do. Carb modding gives you the ability to fully tune the engine for max power without burning it up. This is my go-to saw and it gets 80% of the use cutting firewood because it's so light and I don't fatigue as bad when running it. I can run it all day and cut just as much wood as a big saw but I'll go home much less sore at the end of the day. The big saw only comes out when I need it for the added bar length.

 

[jefalatho]

I pefer the Stihl pro series saws. I've found though, over the years, that a lesser saw can do pretty well if the chain is maintained properly. I can't tell you how many times people have brought me chains that they've been using for a year or two and just can't understand why their saw doesn't cut like it used too. Some folks use a hand file but I've yet to find any of these folks who ever set the depth gauges on the chain. Every chain has it's own specification but I've found 0.025" works well on my equipment. I always have a little safety talk with folks about kickback before I hand their saw back to them.

One of the earlier posts spoke to gas availability in a SHTF situation. I heat with an outside wood boiler. That thing goes through wood like it's going out of style. I put up 12-16 cords of wood each year. I start the year with fresh mix in a 2.5 gallon can. I usually end up having mix left over that I pour into the lawnmower the following spring. It doesn't take much gas to keep your saws running.

 

[Cozy439]

Stihl - all day long. And get the extra chains. I am on my second Stihl; would still be on 1st but a well meaning relative filled it with UNmixed/straight fuel and .... well, you know the rest.

 

[Icarry2]

Just my thoughts.. I am not getting into to which brand is best. Personally I have used many different brands but currently only own Stihl
.

name brand saw
A storage case
spare bars
spare chains
spare files
spare air cleaners
spare spark plugs
spare pull ropes and handles
spare recoil springs
spare clutch bell
spare clutch springs and shoes

plenty of bar and chain oil
plenty of fuel oil

SAFETY GEAR.. Eye protection, Face sheild, hearing protection, gloves, saw chaps, steel toed boots, etc..

Clean and inspect the saw before putting it away
Sharpen chains before putting away
Always carry at least one spare of each key item and tools to change it with you to the woods.
Keeping each saws specific parts in a small plastic tool box with all the hand tools needed to work on that saw is a good idea. Put items which can not get wet in plastic bags. A printed copy of the manual and exploded diagrams in a plastic bag is also a good idea.

 

[Wesley929]

I haven't seen poulan mentioned once. Maybe they're junk or defunct now I don't know.
I have my grandfathers old 1973 Poulan 245a and rips through anything I've ever put it front of it.
As an added bonus I can say "I have the same saw they used in Texas Chainsaw Massacre Movie".

 

[Brandon]

I'm not a fan of the new Poulans (Past 10-15 years or so just stink)