Help choose a chainsaw

[SergioKurba]

I've got an older model Craftsman 16" chainsaw that has probably got a couple of hundred hours on it. I think it was manufactured for Sears by Husqvarna and it's been a good investment. However, last summer I had some problems starting it. This spring I needed to cut down a few maple trees and trim some limbs and I wanted to do it before the leaves came out. I thought I'd check out some new chain saws on- line and figured I'd hold off on troubleshooting the Craftsman until later. Not only that, I always like to have a back-up. Anyway, I wound up buying an Oregon CS 1500 corded electric 16" chain saw from Home Depot. It worked great. For $129. and free shipping I thought it was a good deal just for occasional use around the yard.

Chainsaw Poulan P3314, which I want to buy, much cheaper. Here it is worth $ 87! :thumbsup: Only my model has a 14-Inch, unlike your

 

[SergioKurba]

You will have to post a picture of the adjustment screws (on side of carburetor) once you get the saw. I will give you a link to an adjusting tool for your carb.

Ok, I'll do that, thank you for your advice:smile:

 

[bertsmobile1]

Yes, I need a chainsaw for use from time to time. :biggrin: I'm not a professional, so I do not want to buy an expensive chainsaw. Husquarna is much more expensive than the Poulan, and it scares me. :ashamed::ashamed:There does not appear chainsaw brand Stihl, so I can not talk about its price. It is more expensive than Husquarna?

Serg,

While not meaning to sound offensive it goes like this.
I have a 1992 Stihl which is currently on loan to a customer while I chase up parts for his saws.
It cost me over $ 400 and in those days wages were around $ 300/ week . It has probably cut 100 ton of firewood, always from fallen trees and has never missed a beat.
The man who has it wants to buy it because he thinks it is a great saw, and he is right,
However he keeps comparing it to saws that are currently $ 400 and can not understand that it is equivalnet to a modern $ 1200 saw ( again a weeks wages ).
This saw has cost me about $30 / year to date which is the cost of a bag of kindeling.
To get some one in to clean up a few fallen trees or cut off a few dangerious branches would have cost a lot more than that.
So to put it simply the "expensive" saw has saved me about 200 times what I paid for it and will most likely be passed on to the grandkids when I am gone.

OTOH the customer with my saw has 4 saws which no longer work ( I am repairing them ) but he does not want to pay any more than $ 100 / saw because he can buy a new one for $ 200.
He has spent just under $ 1000 total on these saws , the oldest is 8 years old and the youngest is a 3 year old McCulloch.

So if you want a saw that over time will cost you nothing, open your wallet and get something that sells for around 1 to 2 weeks wages.
If you want a 18" bar then buy a saw that comes with a 20" bar as standard and ask the dealer to swap it for the smaller one.
Slightly over powereing goes a long way to longevity and is a lot more forgiving to the occasional user .
The quality saw makers are all offering good deals , delayed repayments and good finance on their better saws so take advantage of it.
Buy 2 or 3 spare chains and swap them over every second tank of fuel and turn the bar over every tank of fuel to even out the wear on the bar.
In the past 23 years I have gone through 12 chains but am still running the original sprocket nosed bar.

 

[SergioKurba]

Serg,

While not meaning to sound offensive it goes like this.
I have a 1992 Stihl which is currently on loan to a customer while I chase up parts for his saws.
It cost me over $ 400 and in those days wages were around $ 300/ week . It has probably cut 100 ton of firewood, always from fallen trees and has never missed a beat.
The man who has it wants to buy it because he thinks it is a great saw, and he is right,
However he keeps comparing it to saws that are currently $ 400 and can not understand that it is equivalnet to a modern $ 1200 saw ( again a weeks wages ).
This saw has cost me about $30 / year to date which is the cost of a bag of kindeling.
To get some one in to clean up a few fallen trees or cut off a few dangerious branches would have cost a lot more than that.
So to put it simply the "expensive" saw has saved me about 200 times what I paid for it and will most likely be passed on to the grandkids when I am gone.

OTOH the customer with my saw has 4 saws which no longer work ( I am repairing them ) but he does not want to pay any more than $ 100 / saw because he can buy a new one for $ 200.
He has spent just under $ 1000 total on these saws , the oldest is 8 years old and the youngest is a 3 year old McCulloch.

So if you want a saw that over time will cost you nothing, open your wallet and get something that sells for around 1 to 2 weeks wages.
If you want a 18" bar then buy a saw that comes with a 20" bar as standard and ask the dealer to swap it for the smaller one.
Slightly over powereing goes a long way to longevity and is a lot more forgiving to the occasional user .
The quality saw makers are all offering good deals , delayed repayments and good finance on their better saws so take advantage of it.
Buy 2 or 3 spare chains and swap them over every second tank of fuel and turn the bar over every tank of fuel to even out the wear on the bar.
In the past 23 years I have gone through 12 chains but am still running the original sprocket nosed bar.

Oh, thank you very much. I'm sure to think about your advice. I did not know that there are such services and so it is possible to do.:wink:

 

[Pent-R lawn]

Stihl MS170. It comes with a 14" bar. I think you can get it with the Easy-to-start system (which is really nice) too. But you can also put a 16" bar on it like i did but slows it a little bit. Its light weight and powerful. Ive had mine for yeeears and it still cranks up and runs like a top. Used it just a few weeks ago to cut up about an 18-24" tree in the pasture. I like it cause its easy to throw in a truck or somethin. I in fact made a sweet holster to mount on my 4wheeler to carry it. See mine here.

So handy and so reliable.