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Were in the market for a new chainsaw, our old one died this spring. We cut our own firewood so what type would you recommend?

Stihl has been reliable for me -- part of it depends on what dealers are available in your area -- I haven't needed the dealer for anything except purchase, chains, filters, etc. I have an 026 Pro 20" and an 009 16"

I do try to run them dry before storage and use Sta-Bil with the gas/oil mix.

We only own Stihl's here at my place. We have numerous ones and they are all different sizes. We haven't had too many problems with them at all. I would stick with the Stihl line.

ditto -- Stihl is the best selling chainsaw in the world and there's a reason for that. The MS 290 Farm Boss would be a good choice.

I've had my Echo's for years, would'nt swap them for any other brand.

It's orange all the way.... Husqvarna... first one i bought was in 1976, a 162. worked it in the woods for several years cutting red and white pines. bought a second 162 ran it for several years and still have this one. upgraded to a 480 for felling and bucking, heavy but LOTS of power, still have this one also. then got a 262 and ran it LOTS, still have this one too. Retired 15 years ago from heavy logging but bought a 354XP for the fire wood pile. We still have an old 922 Homelite for those city people who think that anyone can cut fire wood all day and still walk straight after..LOL . have had a Partner ,Stihl, Pioneer, McCulloch (i think it's still in that beaver pond) and Jonsered (just a husqvarna painted red) still have a few of these in the shop and most still run .... Jim

I'm not a professional chainsaw user, but I live in pulpwood cutting territory. I see many more Stihl saws on the back of trucks than any other brand.

That's why I own 2 of them.

Whatever you buy...be sure to buy a saw big enough to meet your needs or you're going to be working twice as hard.

Rip

Hello,,Ive had a Husqvarna for 20 years and it still starts up like new.
When I'm done with it I also run the fuel out....:thumbsup:

Stihl has been the best saw I've owned.always starts and cuts good.I just bought the FS 90 weed trimmer with the handle bar option.great machine so far. russ

We had a Stihl but it died last fall, something about the place where you crank it to get it going is messed up and we can get it fixed but were told it was probably cheaper to buy a new one than fix the old one.

monica123 said:

We had a Stihl but it died last fall, something about the place where you crank it to get it going is messed up and we can get it fixed but were told it was probably cheaper to buy a new one than fix the old one.

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I'd try another dealer for service - sounds like they just want to sell a new saw ! Usually cheaper to fix than buy new unless it was run without oil in the gas or was crushed by a tree !

monica123 said:

...were told it was probably cheaper to buy a new one than fix the old one.

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I own a Husqvarna and my brother-in-law owns a Stihl. His saw will cut circles around my saw (pun intended :smile, overall a much better product.

So why did I buy a Husqvarna? Well initial cost is much less and for the amount of cutting I do it fits my need. Plus when my BIL took his saw in for full service and a repair, it cost the same as my saw did new. He can justify the expense because he uses his saw regularly as part of his job, I don't.

Both are excellant saws and you can't go wrong with either.

I agree that you can not go wrong with either one. I happen to have a Husqvarna. Your best bet is to shop the dealer. Find a dealer that has a good reputation and sells one of those two brands. If you use it a lot you will have to take it in for something down the line. Thats where having a good dealer will save you time and piece of mind.

I have two Stihl 029 Farm Boss with 18 bars. One I bought new 11 years ago and the other I bought used 6 years ago. I cut 12 or 13 cords each year with them. Never have had any problems with ether of these saws . . . they just keep going strong!

Hand2plow... if you are going to put saws against each other then you must have a level playing field, LOL....
Monica123..... either saw manufacture is a great investment but you must spec the saw that will do what you want but not be too much, the 162 we had was a great saw for limbing and topping but was under powered for dropping large trees, it was OK in the fire wood pile as long as it was sharp, the 922 Homelite was great for felling large trees but was WAY to heavy for limbing, it was a bear in the wood pile but your arms were 3 inches longer at the end of the day, where as the 357XP has lots of power/light enough for all day work and good on fuel, the best thing is to talk to a good saw shop ,tell them what you want to do and DON'T get a cheapo off shore POS.... buy a quality saw and treat it right, keep the chain sharp and enjoy it for years.... Jim :thumbsup:

Thank you for all your replies. I am certainly new to the world of chainsaws so any and all help would be appreciated. Thank you again.

I'll probably get booed for this, but I've had excellent luck with Poulan. I've had the 16" one for about 10 years now. Change the bar and chain every now and then and it has been a champ.

I probably don't use it as frequently as others on here do, but for what I use it for, limbs & cutting down the occasional tree, it has been a great piece of equipment.

VRman said:

I'll probably get booed for this, but I've had excellent luck with Poulan. I've had the 16" one for about 10 years now. Change the bar and chain every now and then and it has been a champ.

I probably don't use it as frequently as others on here do, but for what I use it for, limbs & cutting down the occasional tree, it has been a great piece of equipment.

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Just thinking that the Poulan you got 10 years ago is probably made better than what they sell today in the box stores now ??????

BKBrown said:

probably made better than what they sell today ??????

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Bruce...
Unfortunately that is becoming true with about everything :frown:... KennyV

KennyV said:

Bruce...
Unfortunately that is becoming true with about everything :frown:... KennyV

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AGREED ! :frown: It is HARD to find anything that isn't "made in china" ! :thumbdown:

http://www.howtobuyamerican.com/bamw/index.shtml

BK ,I believe Sthil is German made. russ

173abn said:

BK ,I believe Sthil is German made. russ

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The founder was German, but according to the Stihl Web Site they are manufactured in Virginia Beach, VA - USA

www.stihl.de

...sorry but itｴs still german

http://www.stihlusa.com/corporate/history-company.html

but some weedeaters and saws are made in USA (same as Mercedes M-Class or BMW Z and X)

About the Poulan: Ok..they belong to E-Lux (Husky, Jonsereds, a part of the McCulloch Co, too) but from my opinion and in Germany they only have been sold at boxstores. they have been the best choice in their range, if it comes to price and quality.

Unfortunately there are some Poulan clones on the market

http://www.cn-chaoyue.com/big-e.php?pid=1080

which are completly junk. I canｴt believe, that E-Lux is building them in China. But as they chinese are cloning it, there must be a reason for doing so. Casue they are cloning Husqvarna, Stihl and Zenoah, too.

Be sure to purchase a pair of chain saw chaps to protect your legs from accidents!

One thing I haven't read yet is the type of chain on the saw. Most of the ones that come from the factory are the reduced kick-back blades, mainly to reduce liability for the company. You can still get a more aggressive blade which will cut faster. Either way, I'd rather have a sharp blade on any saw than a great saw with a dull blade.

That said, I've owned two Husky ranchers and been very happy with them. They have a forced air across the air filter which keeps it from getting dirty for just about forever. I've never had a problem starting either, although my new one has a pressure relief on the cylinder which makes it that much better.

My stepdad swore by Stihl and I've used his numerous times with great satisfaction. I haven't bought one because....well I'm as stubborn as him and he never bought a Husky. I used to drive past the Stihl plant in Va Beach, but not sure what they actually made there.

Lastly, why in the heck do they make a camo pattern chainsaw?? I have enough trouble finding an orange one half the time!



My Earth Day Celebration

We were in the firewood business for a good many years, had lots of different brands and stuck with one. Stihl, I have 3 in current use and will never change. Run in all temps from -40 degrees to above 100 degrees, never any problems, always ready for work. The 2 big saws have seen about 10,000 cord each and the small saw I just purchased. ( sorry no pictures nor saw numbers)
We needed professional saws for the job at hand. Not everybody needs this type of saw. Remember, keep your chain tight, chain, sharp and gas clean. Know your souroundings and Last but not least. . . wear a hard hat because the life you save just might be your own!:thumbsup:

"YOU CAN TAKE MY STIHL WHEN YOU CAN PRY MY COLD STIFF HANDS FROM IT ! "

Monica , As a Canadian I take issue with you not repairing the recoil on that old Stihl lmao , just love old Threads !

I have two Stihl's, I cut a lot of fire wood so I bought the PRO series, they are very good saws.
I also run pure gas with no ethanol, really makes a difference on two strokes.

173abn said:

BK ,I believe Sthil is German made. russ

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The last letter in the serial number is the country of origin.
Stihl have plants in Germany, Spain, Italy, Brazil, China & USA ( probably more ).
The pro stuff comes from Europe the cheap stuff comes from one of the cheapie countries.
However all of the factories are owned or run by Stihl so they work under Stihl's quality control
Unlike a lot of other big name brands that just buy or commission junk and market it under their brand.

Hi,

The answer depends on what type of chain saw you are actually looking for and for what is the main purpose of it.

1. Gas or electric? Or Cordless?
2. Heavy duty? Are you a professional or a home user for occasional use?

Then the question comes of choosing the brand and model.

Thank you.

BKBrown said:

AGREED ! :frown: It is HARD to find anything that isn't "made in china" ! :thumbdown:

http://www.howtobuyamerican.com/bamw/index.shtml

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ha ha ha!!!:laughing:

Husqvarna for me. I own two of them, a Stihl, and a couple others. The Stihl is a very pricey one but I find it hard to start. The Husqvarnas are just easier to start.

After seven years I hope Monica is not still waiting to buy her a saw.