Let's talk chainsaws.....

[Airman312]

Hey everybody, I am fixing to buy myself a stihl chainsaw and was wondering how many of you have stihls?? Do they hold up well and which model would be best for let's say...an occasional user??? Have heard nothing but good about these, but I wanted to check with all the pros. Thanks to all

[DocMort]

We used to use the farmboss I think but all my dad runs is Stihl's or John Deeres

[Tominator]

I've got a Poulan, no complaints except, why is this in the bowhunting room?

[Hunt or be Hunted]

I've got a Poulan, no complaints except, why is this in the bowhunting room?

Because you use a chainsaw to cut limbs out of a tree that you put your tree stand in.

And you use a tree stand to bow hunt out of. So its in the bowhunting room. :D

Sorry that's the best i could come up with

[camoman1]

Not sure how well they shoot arrows...but I know lots of guys who cut trees with stihl saws:D LOL

I dont think you can go wrong with a stihl, they can be pricey but worth it from what Ive heard.

[buckee]

Most of the loggers around here relay on the stihl's saw. It's a good reliable product.

[buckee]

Most of the loggers around here relay on the stihl or the husqvarna chainsaws. They are both good reliable products.

[Swamphunter]

I have a Stihl 026 model with a 16" bar. I have had it since about 1997 and have never had a problem, or a use for one any larger. The one time I had a tree that needed to come down that was too larger for my bar (tree was leaning and too close to house), I let the pros do it. Dont get a giant of a saw as an extension of your manhood... get something you can handle. with a bar that is only slightly larger than what you will ever need it for. This is a safety thing......Remember that as a just around the house type homeowner, you would rarely need a bar larger than 16". Anything larger is probably just for showing off unless your a pro. :yes:

Edited December 13, 2009 by Swamphunter

[bloodtrails]

:bang:What? is chainsaws a new bow maker or something??............l:cool2:ol,just kidding good choice

[redkneck]

I've had a 028 wood boss for a long time, it's been good but now needs to be put in the shop. Can't go wrong with a Stihl, but you can get some other great saws for less $. Nothing wrong with a Poulan, lots of loggers use them here.

[Ravin R10 man]

Stihl does have a lifetime ignition warauntee(sp)? A bit spendy saw too.

I use Jonseruds, with 20" bars..swampy says that makes me a pro!..LOL Lets put it this way...I aint killed myself...yet.

[Strut10]

Stihl's professional saws (BIG timber models) from what I hear are great saws.

I wouldn't trade my Husqvarna for a whole pickup load of the smaller farm/residential/firewood model Stihls. No way. My dad had an 026 Stihl for a good many years before sticking it in the back of the garage and buying a 445 Husky. IMO, the Husky has more a** when cutting. But the biggest beef I have with the smaller Stihls is their mounting..............miserable, vibrating junk. If I'd run Dad's Stihl for an hour and walk away, my hands felt like they were still running the saw for the rest of the day. Run my Husky 55 for an hour and walk away and you're hands are done running a chainsaw.

[TBow]

I've been contemplating getting a new chainsaw myself, like you, and have been asking a lot of questions to friends who cut wood as a sideline business and friends who just use them for home maintenance use.

The guys who cut wood as a sideline, tell me that Stihl, Husqvarna or Jonsered are all pretty much in the same ball park with regards to quality and usage. It's imperative though to choose a saw (size wise) that meets your requirements.

If you burn wood at home, or have a small woodlot where you'll be cutting more than a few times a year, then you'll want something in the 50 cc range. Stihl makes the MS290 in 56.5 cc and can use a 16" to 20" bar. Husqvarna makes the Rancher 455 in the same class. I've seen the Husqvarna 455 with a 20" bar at Lowes in the US for $419 US. I live in Canada and priced the Stihl MS290 for $480 cdn with a 16" bar. I figure the two are quite compatible. The mid 40 cc saws will run about $300 to $400. 30 cc ranged saws are too small in my opinion, but will save you money as they are typically under $300. Commercial/professional saws will run anywhere from $600 and up and are usually 60 cc and larger with 20" plus bars and chains.

Too small a chainsaw will over burden the engine if you do a lot of cutting and will wear it out in no time. I had a Stihl at work and was in the mid 40 cc range. It was a good saw, but then again it only saw use a few times a year (Like when I borrowed it to go bowhunting for moose - see, bowhunting theme). We had a Poulan before that, and in my personal opinion, it was a piece of junk, but then again it was a small unit being used beyond it's capabilities I guess.

If you're just one of those weekend loggers in the back yard, then I'd recommend something around 38 cc to 48 cc engine size. A 16" bar is certainly easier to handle and will ease the load on the engine.

I'm just a weekend logging warrior, but my son burns wood and I figure he'll be borrowing it occassionally. I also use it, like I said on my bowhunting excursions into moose territory in northern Ontario. So I'm going to opt for a 56 cc ranged chainsaw with an 18" blade. It'll either be the Stihl MS290 or the Husqvarna Rancher 455.

Here's a couple other things to bear in mind when picking out a saw. Will your wife or teenagers be using it? You may want to look at some of the "easy start" units that start with a couple of soft pulls, unlike the "throw and pull" method for larger saws. Make sure to get a spare chain as well. Ain't nothing worse than a dull chain in the middle of a job. Some saws come in a kit form with a carrying case, tool kit, extra 2cycle oil, face guard, spare chain, etc. Keep in mind service. If you buy one particular brand from a large retailer, but there's no local service shop, then you might want to opt for another brand that can be warrantied and serviced at a local shop.

And if you or yours have absolutely NO experience with a chain saw, and if there's a local training center offering a course in chainsaw operation, it's well worth the time and the few dollars to take it. Might even save a few fingers, toes, gashes to the legs, eye injuries and countless broken bones, not to mention even worse outcomes.

Happy bowhunting with your chainsaw!

TBow

[The Kid]

yup me and my dad own three and we cut wood all the time

[okiedog]

Keep in mind service. If you buy one particular brand from a large retailer, but there's no local service shop, then you might want to opt for another brand that can be warrantied and serviced at a local shop.

And if you or yours have absolutely NO experience with a chain saw, and if there's a local training center offering a course in chainsaw operation, it's well worth the time and the few dollars to take it. Might even save a few fingers, toes, gashes to the legs, eye injuries and countless broken bones, not to mention even worse outcomes.

Happy bowhunting with your chainsaw!

TBow

That is one plus on the Stihls, is the sevice. A retailer is not allowed to sell thier product unless they have a service shop and a Stihl certified tech on site. If you buy it there you can get your warranty and service work there as well. When you buy a Stihl, it is fueled and started before it leaves. You will not buy a Stihl chainsaw in a box. Also the service guy is supposed to go over the safety features and use of the saw as well.

Edited December 14, 2009 by okiedog

[Mooresville Rocket]

Without getting into a peeing contest with other forum members, I will add my two cents.

Our family owned a 108 acre camp in the middle of a wilderness in Pennsylvania. I also worked at one time for Brookville Wood Products, so I have a more then adequate knowledge of chainsaws.

My first chainsaw was a very old David Bradley with a 3/8ths inch chain. You didn't have to rock the saw to cut timber - because the saw was so heavy that it did all the work for you. It was not a good choice for anything other then cutting firewood or timber.

My second chainsaw was a McCulloch Pro MAC 10-10, it was a very fine saw for it's time and did a lot of wood cutting.

I moved up to a Poulan Pro and it was not half the saw the McCulloch was..

When I went professional, I bought a very expensive Jonsered. It was probably nicer and cost more then the car I was driving at the time. But it had a heated handlebar and you could run it and carry it all day and it would not wear you out. It would run upside down and almost out of fuel better then most chainsaws would run right side up and full of fuel. http://www.tilton.usa.jonsered.com/node246.aspx

I currently own a Husqvarna Rancher and it is ok, but if you leave it sit too long with fuel in it, you will have a hard time getting it to start. It is probably 6 or 7 years old and the newer models all have a fuel bulb to prime the carb.

Stihl is owned by the same manufacturing group as Husqvarna and is just a more professional version of the same saw. The guards and parts are a little heavier in terms of quality and it will last a very long time if you take good care of it.

The larger the bore and stroke of the engine, the longer a bar you can use. The longer the bar is - the less you have to bend when you do delimbing. Most big time operations are going to feller bunchers and only the most primitive operations or the ones in the hardest to reach places still does large scale manual labor for harvesting tree's.

Delimbing trees is done with a very small saw - because most limbs are 12 inches or less in diameter and you do not want to be man handling a saw up in a tree. If the limb is more then 12 inches thick, I suppose you should look for a different tree or climb to a different height.

I would look for a saw with the best performance - such as easiest to start and durability and price.

http://www.husqvarna.com/us/landowner/products/chainsaws/t435/

http://www.husqvarna.com/us/landowner/products/chainsaws/338-xp-t/

[okiedog]

Stihl is owned by the same manufacturing group as Husqvarna and is just a more professional version of the same saw. The guards and parts are a little heavier in terms of quality and it will last a very long time if you take good care of it.

You sure about that?

[Strut10]

You sure about that?

Wondering the same thing.

Jonsered's and Husqvarna are built in the same building. But I believe Stihl is its own dog (pun intended).

[wtnhunt]

Have heard the husqvarnas are good saws. I have a stihl 024, it has been a good saw.

[RangerClay]

Stihl's professional saws (BIG timber models) from what I hear are great saws.

I wouldn't trade my Husqvarna for a whole pickup load of the smaller farm/residential/firewood model Stihls. No way. My dad had an 026 Stihl for a good many years before sticking it in the back of the garage and buying a 445 Husky. IMO, the Husky has more a** when cutting. But the biggest beef I have with the smaller Stihls is their mounting..............miserable, vibrating junk. If I'd run Dad's Stihl for an hour and walk away, my hands felt like they were still running the saw for the rest of the day. Run my Husky 55 for an hour and walk away and you're hands are done running a chainsaw.

I also have a Husky 55 with a 20" bar and I love it.

[RangerClay]

Wondering the same thing.

Jonsered's and Husqvarna are built in the same building. But I believe Stihl is its own dog (pun intended).

YES SIR Mr. Strut!!!!

One of the members of my hunting camp is a Stihl dealer in Gouverneur NY. I wish he was a member here because he would tell you how wrong you are Mr. Rocket.

[Mooresville Rocket]

Sorry Buddy, but in the corporate world, more then one company is connected at times by the same corporation.

All 3 manufacturers comes under the same umbrella of owners.

At times, one manufacturer - division might separate from the others, and since i do not spend my time looking at company prospectives - I cannot tell you the names of the companies involved, but I can tell you that at one time they were all the same company.

Stihl is a Commercial / Industrial saw and Husky is a homeowners type saw that is designed for casual use only.

Not that you couldn't use a Husky out in the woods or that the Stihl will last any longer. Just that they make larger models of saws for commercial use and usually they have heavier components in the Stihl saws.

My buddy had a Stihl that was two years old that already needed a new jug and the replacement cylinder was almost as much money as a new saw and they just part's it out.

The saw it replaced was 20 years old and still ran when they bought the new one. That pretty much tells me that the new stuff on the market today is mostly junk.

The David Bradley saw I had when I was a kid would probably be 50 years old by now and would still be running, had my dad not lent it out to my cousin who used it and then gave it away to his neighbor - probably for beer money.

[okiedog]

YES SIR Mr. Strut!!!!

One of the members of my hunting camp is a Stihl dealer in Gouverneur NY. I wish he was a member here because he would tell you how wrong you are Mr. Rocket.

I am a Stihl dealer of several years as well. We are in the middle of inventory but i will be back to this thread. May be tomorrow though.

[TBow]

Well I picked up a chainsaw today for our moose hunting excursions (Hey got'ta keep the hunting theme! Right?).

After looking at what was available and reading online about chainsaws and their applications, I finally opted for a Stihl MS270 in 50 cc with a 16 inch bar. Canadian it ran me $500 cdn plus tax. By picking up a 6-pack of 2-cycle Stihl oil, I got an additional year of warranty making it 2 years in total. It included a carrying case, spare chain, tool kit and a Stihl hat. The hat was the clincher! Just kiddin'!

I was thinking originally about the MS290 as it was 56.5 cc and had a bit more power for wood cutting. The MS290 was however, almost another 1-1/2 lbs heavier than the MS270. I figured if you were working all day long with it, that might make a heap of difference. The MS270 also had a decompressor for easier staring in cold weather.

I was also originally thinking about an 18" bar, but after looking at the 16" bar on the saw, I syphered it was plenty for what we wanted. Any more than that would make it harder for handling all day. Even the bars have some options to pick from. Some had a grease hole near the sprocket at the end of the blade. I talked to a couple of guys who'd taken a local chainsaw course about that. The instructor emphasized that that grease access hole could allow sand and dirt near the sprocket bushing and wear it out prematurely. I chose a blade with an oil line fed from the chain oil reservoir.

Anyhow, now all we got'ta do is wait for next year's moose hunt.....and my son's growing pile of fire wood!

TBow "Bunyon", 4th cousin twice removed from "Paul".

[AaronS]

I've had a Stihl 025 with a 16" bar for about 10 years. I've used it clear trees and brush in my yard and where I hunt. Literally hundreds of trees 12" and under. It is definitely easier to handle than my dad's 041 Farm Boss, but also doesn't have the power that his does. There have been times that it has seemed underpowered, but if you keep it clean and keep the chain sharp it does well.