Chainsaws...help me

[Christian Fox]

I love power tools, but after seeing my dad cut off my brother's pinkie (accidentally) as a kid, I always avoided chainsaws. Well, due to Irene and our recent lovely October blizzard, my yard has a veritable forest on the ground. I can't wait around for a price-gouging tree guy, so it's time for me to get a chainsaw. What should I get? brand? size? This will be for cutting up limbs and such, not heavy forestry. Thank you, woodsmen!

[steve garro]

Stihl or Husqavarna. No need for anything over a 24" bar.
- Garro.

[sonnybiker]

Stihl or Husqavarna. No need for anything over a 24" bar.
- Garro.

yup. the ford and chevy of the chainsaw world.

chaps, leather boots, and a helmet/face screen/ear protection are all 100% necessary. i'd recommend some training too so you don't inadvertently end up like your brother.

this is coming from someone who used to run chainsaws for a living for the forest service and private environmental non-profits.

just go to your local power equipment store and tell them what you want, what you'll use it for. buying a saw from homedepot or whatever is like buying a bike from walmart. the bigbox chainsaws are crap- rivets instead of bolts, non adjustable engine components, no spare parts. with the type of use you'll use it for and regular maintenance, a quality saw can last decades.

[bigbill]

I've got a Husqavarna chainsaw that has seen four winters and several chains. It starts everytime. All my yard stuff is Husky so I only have to keep one gas/oil mix can around. Keep the chain out of the dirt and it will stay sharp for a long time.

[Too Tall]

Recently got a souped up Dolmar. OMG.

If I did not get that I'd have purchased a Stihl becuase it has local repair shops.

[dhoff]

Dolmar is awesome, Makita is great, be careful what you get from Stihl and Husky as they both have big homeowner lines that are not high quality. Go to aplace that sells to pros and talk to them. You want a good shop near you. If you use a machine from a good company that a pro shop would maintain for you, you will not go wrong. Just stay away from the big hardware stores versions of otherwise good brands. Husky and Stihl have no shame they will sell crap to people who dont know any better.

[steve garro]

Just stay away from the big hardware stores versions of otherwise good brands. Husky and Stihl have no shame they will sell crap to people who dont know any better.

Sound advice! If you get something with a plug-in cord we will never let you live it down.
- Garro.

[Christian Fox]

thanks all for the good advice!

[mainemike]

chainsaws are very dangerous, even the cheap small ones. its no like buying a drill. pay a professional or some semblance thereof. everyone thinks they are a tree guy, until they get hurt.

[mainemike]

chainsaws are very dangerous, even the cheap small ones. its no like buying a drill. pay a professional or some semblance thereof. everyone thinks they are a tree guy, until they get hurt.

i mean to say: its not like buying a drill.

[Tom]

What they said about getting a good one. We'd cut 25-30 cord of firewood a year and I was always very pleased with my dad's Husqvarna, but the thing has to be at least 20 years old so who knows how good they are now.

This is one case were locking out your elbow is a good thing, the arm that isn't operating the trigger needs to be straight so when it kicks back it goes over your head and not into it. Also, don't do like our idiot neighbor and grab an idling saw by the bar.

[sonny]

Stihl or Husqavarna. No need for anything over a 24" bar.
- Garro.

all ya need ta kno

stihl_calendar_march_1993.jpg

[TACSTS]

After having some large trees fall in some spring wind storms this year I got a couple Stihl saws at a local saw shop. I think the smaller one I got for limbing would probably meet your needs. It's a MS180 (without the weird easy start thing). Had them put on a 16" bar and go up a size on the chain. Avoid the tiny little micro chain- wears way too fast in dirty wood. The saw is plenty powerful for limbs and small hardwoods up to 10-12". Tool-free chain tension adjustment come in handy too and actually doesn't slip like I was afraid it would.

Check Stihl's website - I'd bet you have a dealer pretty close by that will have several models you can pick up and look at in person. Tell them what you're gonna need it for and they should steer you in the right direction.

[PJN]

If it's for limbing/cleaning up after storms/etc, at the house get a 14" bar ELECTRIC one. Way way less hassle and maintenance issues than a huge ass gas powered one.

Remember - it will be for yard work not lumber-jacking so keep it realistic.

[Peter Polack]

I own a Stihl based on a recommendation from a friend, and his brothers, who've used nothing but Stihls for decades.

My 026 Pro is a professional saw. It's a little overkill for the homeowner; you could probably go down one size and be fine.

I'd definitely go with TACSTS's suggestion of the MS180 and see if you could swap up to a 16" bar. I just borrowed a stock MS180 today and even with the shorter bar and micro chain, it cut very well. The owner did have a couple problems with it though; they had to replace the carburetor under warranty, and the saw wouldn't shut off for some reason he doesn't care to fix.

Tips: Become skilled at sharpening your chain. Always drain the gas tank and run the saw dry after every use to preserve the life of the carburetor.

[WayneJ]

I own three saws:

Husqvarna 55 Rancher
Husqvarna 41
Stihl 031

All are great saws. The Stihl is heavy, but it's an older one and made with lots of cast metal instead of the more common plastic in use today.

I think a Husqvarna in the $200 range with a 14-inch bar is all most people need.

As Peter said, get some files and learn how to sharpen the chain. I've gone all day on one sharpening and then there are days when I need to sharpen every 1/2 hour.

[Dorman]

A: flip the bar once in a while.
B: a 16 inch bar is probably the ideal size for nearly everything.
C: get a Stihl because dealers are everywhere.
D: get a pro model for the quality build.
E: piss off, 'cause I'm bringin' it back.
F: didn't we do saws about a year ago?

[caleb]

F: didn't we do saws about a year ago?

http://www.velocipedesalon.com/forum...aws-20278.html

[SteveP]

im the bad voice here
15 years ago i bought a 16" craftsman for 130 and it has worked perfectly with me doing basicly nothing ever to it.
new chain once in awhile... ill cut stuff up to maybe 10-12" in diameter.. bigger than that i pay someone cause i dont wanna screw with it
the saw has been flawless though... starts exactly the same every time.. no matter when i used it last.
hadda use it last week for a few big limbs... 8" diameter stuff. i have had years when i ddnt start it at all.
worked great. i never drain it, i never do anything to it...except fire it up.
im very happy with it actually.
im going to go down and cut up a few limbs now for the fun of it.