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I need to buy a chainsaw and was just wondering if anyone has any particular brand that they would recommend. I am relatively new to mowers, chainsaws and such. Any help would be appreciated.

Do you have a small job to do , with just medium and large limbs to cut? OR is it going to be a lot of large trees and a lot of fire wood you are prepping to cut?
These things will point you into different saws. KennyV

The advice I've seen here is usually very good - I would ALSO look for a reputable dealer close to you and ask for their advice with the type of work you expect to be doing with the saw. I've had great luck with Stihl.

Stihl is the best. Size depends on job. They have a medium one called the Farm Boss that would likely do whatever job you have.

I forgot to mention - most brands have both homeowner and professional models in most sizes. The Pro models are built better and will last longer. Box Stores will usually have the homeowner or "occasional use" models - personally, I'd stay away from them.

BKBrown said:

I forgot to mention - most brands have both homeowner and professional models in most sizes. The Pro models are built better and will last longer. Box Stores will usually have the homeowner or "occasional use" models - personally, I'd stay away from them.

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The advice BK has given is very good ... Professional grade last so much longer and with less problems. I try to follow that guidence in the tools I buy.

I've been replacing all of my 2-cycle tools (leaf blower, string trimmer, chainsaw, etc) through attrition.
All are now Stihl and I'm happy with all of them. I used to have a mish-mash of 2-cycle mix requirements - 16:1 , 32:1 and 50:1. All are now 50:1. Life is good!
Rich

I think folks are right that you can't go wrong with Stihl, but if you are a homeowner taking down the occasional tree (18" diameter or less), I don't think you need to spend the money on a professional-grade chainsaw. I have an old Craftsman 18" that I "inherited" from the previous homeowner, and it has served me well for over 5 years now - starts first time everytime. I'm pretty rough on it, but keep it properly lubed and replace the chain occasionally. I've used it to cut down ~20 trees/bushes, countless branches and even many treated 6x8 timbers.

rmancini said:

I used to have a mish-mash of 2-cycle mix requirements - 16:1 , 32:1 and 50:1. All are now 50:1. Life is good!
Rich

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This is an important point. All my 2-cycle equipment was 40:1, and I recently replaced my blower with a 50:1 machine - not thinking about the logistics. I now have to maintain multiple gas cans, clearly marked. PITA.

rekees said:

Stihl is the best. Size depends on job. They have a medium one called the Farm Boss that would likely do whatever job you have.

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i agree- just put one to rest after 27 years-[stihl 041] which cut about 10 cords of firewood a year plus whatever else needed cut- can no longer get parts for it so bought a new lighter Huskavarna with an 18 " bar------lot easier to use then the old heavy stihl --we'll see how it holds up-------:thumbsup:

JimmyWeb said:

I need to buy a chainsaw and was just wondering if anyone has any particular brand that they would recommend. I am relatively new to mowers, chainsaws and such. Any help would be appreciated.

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So much depends on the use of the saw...I have owned four Craftsman brand (all made by Poulan) since '88. My first was a 2.3 ci with a 16 inch bar. IT STILL WORKS GREAT. The newest is a 2.8 ci with an 18 inch bar. I have never needed anything bigger than a 16 or 18 inch bar but all the cutting I do is to remove trees, not for actual firewood purposes. If I used a saw a lot I'd buy a Stihl, period.

An 18 inch bar is a great starter size, if required, you can always downsize to a 16 or 14 inch bar and chain when the OEM units need replacing. Since you are buying your first saw, get the one that "feels" the most comfortable to you, using a saw you have to wrestle around is dangerous when you are alert, and suicide if you are tired. Is the on/off switch easy to access? Is the chain easy to adjust? How hard is it to refill the chain oil, to remove the chain cover and clean out debris, to replace the spark plug?

It should be obvious you want to buy a starter saw with the most safety feautures, a low kickback chain is a must, and I would love to have a chain brake, but none of mine have that feature. An advantage to buying a Stihl or other brand from a power equipment dealership and not a big box store, is that a good dealer will help you determine your needs, and hopefully give you instructions on how to use the saw safely from the beginning.

And whatever you finally buy, be frigging careful, please. A chain saw is the most dangerous power tool ever devised. After 24 years of using my saws, I'm still afraid of them, which makes me respect the damage they can do in a fraction of a second. WORK SAFE.

Been cutting 12-15 face cord a year for 7 years with my Echo, would'nt trade it for any other model.