Stihl, Husqvarna, or Echo Chainsaw?

[MannyGlocks]

I'm looking at buying a new chainsaw and want at least an 18" maybe 20" bar.

I'm at looking $350/$400 for a new one.

Which brand/model would you get?

I don't cut up cord after cord, but I will soon be faced with a lot of 10"/12" oak tree limbs resulting from pruning, plus this winter I'll be cutting up a 27' X 20' wooden deck.

My old Husky chainsaw still works like a champ, but man oh man, like me, it's old...and could die at any moment, also like me...

Read More

 

[Kruel J]

Stihl. Best saw I ever had.

 

[slimmer13]

Stihl MS 390

 

[Kruel J]

Stihl MS 390

Perfect.

 

[MannyGlocks]

Krukel/Slimmer,

Thanks, I'll look at that brand.

 

[v0lcom13sn0w]

stihl ms260 or 026

i have an 026 with a 20" bar and full skip chain. man it cuts nice.

i suggest amsoil saber and non ethanol for mix. i run 80:1 even though saber is rated for 100:1

 

[v0lcom13sn0w]

Stihl MS 390

390 is a great saw!

 

[slimmer13]

390 is a great saw!

Yeah a little over budget but I bet you could find a gently used one for $400. All the saw most people could ever need though.

 

[MannyGlocks]

Slimmer,

My days of buying 'used' anything are, I'm happy to say, long gone.

A bit over budget doesn't faze me.

Consensus for the 390 I see is building.

I have a Stihl dealer fairly close by. It's where I bought my zero turn mower and they're good people.

In an earlier thread it was suggested to buy locally even if it costs a bit more. Heck, the mower cost in the thousands and thousands, so...I ain't skeered.

I want my dealer to stay in business.

 

[bbbass]

I've never used a Husky, but I had Craftsman 18" and Stihl. The Craftsman, not in your list, was just ok. But the Stihl was bulletproof. Available at my local Ace Hardware store. IMO the 18" is a very handy size. Easy to carry and operate, yet can still cut some pretty good rounds with it!!

Note: In the early days of synthetic two-cycle chainsaw oil, I burned up a really nice Pioneer saw with a 28" bar running it 100/1... too lean for that particular saw.

 

[MannyGlocks]

Because my sawing is infrequent, I use pre-mixed oil and gas with a shelf life of 2 years before opening.

It's pricey, but works without the muss or fuss of mixing my own with ethanol gas.

Funny, I'm the only guy in my neck of the woods who wears safety chaps, a loggers helmet with ear muffs, visor and gloves.

My neighbors don't even wear ear pro - dumb, but I say nothing as they didn't ask for my advice and never complain when I shoot in my back yard.

 

[Belial]

Had a handful of homeowner saws over the years. Broke down and bought a Stihl 026 Pro a few years ago and I will say I should done this 20 years earlier.

It has been great for smaller trees yet still light enough to sling around the yard of the house. I am running a 20" bar and a skip chain. Drivetrain is all stock and it has plenty of power to turn the wheels. About the same HP as the medium duty MS290 but lighter. Glad I spent the extra money after slinging around both saws helping out a buddy clean up some trees.

 

[v0lcom13sn0w]

i believe the ms390 has a magnesium body too correct? ms390 will have all the power you'll need for a 20" bar and more!!

my 026 has the magnesium housing as its a "professional saw". i prefer the "professional line" over the "home owner" line. to me its worth the little bit extra coin.

my 026 was made in 2000-2001 never had to be rebuilt. has great compression and runs like a champ. combined with a few simple mods it handles a 20" bar just fine.

my brother spent $150 on a brand new ms170 on sale and its good for small projects or limbing around the house. just doesnt have a lot of power to cut through some 12-16" timber quickly.

 

[v0lcom13sn0w]

Because my sawing is infrequent, I use pre-mixed oil and gas with a shelf life of 2 years before opening.

It's pricey, but works without the muss or fuss of mixing my own with ethanol gas.

Funny, I'm the only guy in my neck of the woods who wears safety chaps, a loggers helmet with ear muffs, visor and gloves.

My neighbors don't even wear ear pro - dumb, but I say nothing as they didn't ask for my advice and never complain when I shoot in my back yard.

it is critical to wear chaps.GOOD chaps. not cheap amazon ones. i have a scar on my leg from the time that i didnt.i was being complacent, negligent and just blipped the trigger. learned my lesson. i was 60 miles from the nearest hospital. luckily, it just tore through my jeans and took a small chunk of flesh and didnt even bleed much. i was able to treat it back at camp. guess who wears saw chaps now.

 

[MannyGlocks]

vOl,

Absolutely!

I researched the ones I wear.

They'll stop a chain before they eat my thigh.

 

[v0lcom13sn0w]

vOl,

Absolutely!

I researched the ones I wear.

They'll stop a chain before they eat my thigh.

totally worth being hot for a few hours rather than sawing a limb off...lol

 

[DB is Here]

Another vote for Stihl. If not used frequently the home owner versions will serve you well.

 

[bbbass]

Because my sawing is infrequent, I use pre-mixed oil and gas with a shelf life of 2 years before opening.

It's pricey, but works without the muss or fuss of mixing my own with ethanol gas.

Funny, I'm the only guy in my neck of the woods who wears safety chaps, a loggers helmet with ear muffs, visor and gloves.

My neighbors don't even wear ear pro - dumb, but I say nothing as they didn't ask for my advice and never complain when I shoot in my back yard.

Yep, I'd fit in with your neighbors... no earmuffs, no chaps, no gloves, not even safety glasses. Real men don't wear all that sissy boy stuff!!!

it is critical to wear chaps.GOOD chaps. not cheap amazon ones. i have a scar on my leg from the time that i didnt.i was being complacent, negligent and just blipped the trigger. learned my lesson. i was 60 miles from the nearest hospital. luckily, it just tore through my jeans and took a small chunk of flesh and didnt even bleed much. i was able to treat it back at camp. guess who wears saw chaps now.

Back when I had that Pioneer with the 28" bar, I was cutting at least 10 cords of Tamarack or Red Fir each year. With a bit of Lodgepole to get the fire going. Anyway, towards the end of the day, I'd get tired and not hold the saw high while stepping over limbs while bucking the tree limbs (can't run along the top of the log like a real logger). As the saw sagged towards my knee as I lifted my leg, I would get alarmed. Then one day I knicked my knee by lifting it into the running saw... not cool. How'd I fix that... no not chaps, I changed to a lighter saw with a shorter bar!!

 

[MannyGlocks]

DBW,

Thanks, but I did just read that parts for Stihls can only be bought at the dealer, no online purchases.

That's a bit of a downer as I keep spares for my Husky bought over the internet not for savings, but convenience.

Upcoming, knowing I would be using it quite a bit, I just changed out the spark plug, air filter, and fuel filter, all obtained from HL supply. Very convenient.

While my dealer is only 10 miles away, I have to travel through some p.i.a. traffic to get there and the counter is always, always busy. Yeah, I know, cry me a river, yes, I'm spoiled by buying at times per inter web.

Convenience is becoming ever more important as I turn into a fossil...

 

[v0lcom13sn0w]

i like goin to the saw shop!!