chainsaw

[kennebunksawmill]

I'm in the market for a new chainsaw. I cut 5-10 or cord of red oak,maple & ash a yr. I only got 2 yrs out of my last saw...it is a Home Depot special...a Poulan Pro 20". I looked @ Sears/Home Depot/Lowes & Tractor Supply today..I can't afford a $500 saw, but, I want to get more than 2 yrs out of a saw....any advice? BTW, my old saw still runs, but, the guards are broken, the muffler rusted off & when it's hot it's a MF to re-start....thanks

 

[Anonymous-0]

stihl, my friend, I have a farm boss and its good,worth the 340.00 i paid.

 

[Ken-Pa]

Well , I was always told that I'd get just what I paid for . Most of those chain stores sell what's called Box Saws . They are actually seconds which go to these stores you mentioned . The plan is when you buy a Box saw , you wanna keep the box it came in . You may need it to put the saw in for the garbage truck . I haven't heard anything good about such saws . Check with a reputible saw shop & get a good one this time . My saws have cut alot of wood thru the years & have yet broken a cover or handle . Plus rust is something controllable by cleaning the saw each usage & wipe any water offf .I have & use old Homelites, an Alpina , & Pioneer successfully .Bought new in the 70s & 80s . Good luck & God bless America

 

[G. Fields]

i guess you want to hit the mega millions, and not pay taxes on it too. if you wanna dance you got to pay the fiddler. i got fed ud up with dads ancient johnsered one day, went to town got a stihl 046 magnum and a couple chains. yeah it was pricey(800)but when i need a saw ive got one. whats your time/sanity worth

 

[Anonymous-0]

I brought a echo at a big auction 4 or5 year ago they had like 10 driffen saws that day, I got there early and just walked round looked at them,fired them up seen whice ones had the best compresson worryed it down to 3 saws and got the echo for 50 bucks left it out in the rain one time by mistake had to buy a new coil but thats all Ive done to it.

 

[redtom]

This is a loaded question that you ask. I'm a Stihl man. Most Husqvarna's if you take off the plastic are Poulan's. After all, there's a reason you can buy them in any big box store. I'm also of the "you get what you pay for". Thats not to say a cheapy might last, just sayin.

 

[JDseller]

I would rather spend a few hundred dollars on a good used name brand saw than a cheap new saw. I have bought several good Stihl chains saws for less than three hundred dollars. I just kept an eye on the local dealers and Craig"s list. I would go with a Stihl or Husky.

 

[PJH]

My two Stihls have been trouble free, and I've heated exclusively with wood since 1976.

Had a Homelite XL12?? for about 20 years. Good reliable saw, but a slow cutter compared to the Stihls.

What kind of dealer do you have close by? That should factor into your decision.

Good luck with your choice.
Paul

 

[VaTom]

Fewer than 20 cords and it's gone?

I'd look for a slightly used Stihl. Mine's gone through a lot more than that, worn out at least 20 chains, hand-filed to the nubs. Slow to start if it's been awhile, but one pull when it's warm. Never been adjusted, but I did replace the plug once. Unlike the muffler, original.

We've got a 1/2 mile driveway with 80' trees, occasionally have to cut one out of the driveway. Only one Stihl saw lives here, all I need. But I will get a larger one next time.

 

[Pitch]

I don't know how many cords of wood it has cut, but I have a poulan pro,(yellow) that has lasted maybe ten years,(probably last forever now since I no longer heat with wood). Only problem I ever had was the chain oiler quit,paid 11.00 for a new oil pump and was good to go. No way is the thing professional grade,but for a low price consumer grade saw, I couldn't ask for anything more.

 

[JDemaris]

There are plenty of good and bad saws on the market. The brand name means little anymore, since even Sithl and Husky make good and bad saws. Seems everybody wants to make some bucks in the "el-cheapo" homeowner market.

Poulan Pro used to be a pretty good bargain saw when it was based on the old Partner platform. It's now owned by the same company that owns Husky and Jonsereds and they've gotten pretty bad.
Worst part of the saw is the "tooless" adjuster that won't hold a chain tight. Only has one bar nut, is a joke, and has zero product support.

If you really want a quality saw for a low price, search around for a discontinued John Deere CS56. I bought three this year, brand new for $250 each from a Deere dealer in Georgia. For that price, it's a truly incredible professional quality saw. Made in Italy by Efco. Full ball-bearing supported main bearings, compression realease, and all-metal crankcase and bar cover.
An equivalent from Stihl or Husky would cost over $500. I'm taling metal saws, not the cheap crap they sell with plastic crankcases.

Second to that when it comes to price versus quality is the Dolmar saw. Technically, Dolmar has been around a bit longer then Stihl, but never tried very hard to sell in the USA - until recently. They now sell in the USA under the Makita brand-name. If you can find a Makita DCS510 for a low price, you'll never regret it.

And, before Stihl loyalists start screaming, of course Stihl still makes some good saws, and they are all overpriced. I was a Stihl mechanic going back to when they first had an official presence in the USA via Virginia Beach, so I've got some awareness of their quality - and sometimes poor parts support. I've got some 40 year old Stihl saws that still run great.

 

[TGIN]

A $500-$600 saw that last 10 or more yrs. is cheaper than 3 $250 saws that might last that long !! Most $250 saws in life cost more in the long run !!

 

[camju]

I bought a brand new still 2 years ago.It was one of the smaller ones but not the very small.I cut for 1 week 2 loads a day(1/4 ton)at wich point it would stall at idle.Took it back and they said needed minor cleaning new air filter.Went home cut 3 more loads same thing.Took of air filter and it was full of sawdust in the carb.The small saws filter doesn't seal properly.Upgraded to next larger saw,better filter.Total cost now is over $500.this larger saw still hasn't cut enough for me to heat 1 full year.Been back to fix 3 times and has cost me an extra $300+. I would never and will never buy a $500+ saw again.Like you I was buying a cheap poulen every couple years.If your going to buy a expencive saw buy the big comercial and not the home owners like I did.I can't hold the big saws that's why I got the smaller sthil, thinking it was as good as there larger ones WRONG.

 

[Lou from Wi.]

V.A. Tom has the right idea,IMO. why not buy a used stihl saw?You can Look on Craigslist, for a saw that someone has for sale.People sometimes sell them for reasons that they either quit burning wood or they get older and can't handle it anymore.If I couldn't get a stihl,the next bet would be a 455 husky or bigger, been using quite a few saws from Jonsered, echo,Poulan(pullin&pullin)at least thats my take on that saw.Found out for my $$ bigger is better,Now have a Stihl 044,best saw I have had since Jonsered started with cheap plastic rewind cases,we had a Jonsered 52 E still runs,but can't find any electronic ignition parts,can convert them to points,but good luck getting parts.Sometimes small dealer take saws in on trade,so you could look there also.Just a few thoughts,don't mean to tell you what to do,just a few ideas.
Victor

 

[Ken Macfarlane]

I've had excellent luck with my Stihl, the first filter that came on it was a fabric one that didn't work in snow, would freeze over but once that was replaced its perfect.

Felled and limbed maybe 25 cord of softwood each year the first couple of years,
Felled, limbed and bucked 5-7 cord of firewood each year after
Cleared 2-3 acres of dense brush (alders) ruining untold numbers of chains on rocks. Should have used a thining saw.

Clean fresh gas, I always use mix within a month, and keep air filter and spark arrester clean. I clean the plug couple of times a year but it doesn't usually need it except if doing lots of brush clearing.

The only problem it has is the auto oiler leaks oil if you leave it with a full tank.

 

[Bret4207]

On Dolmar- pretty close, Sachs Dolmar became Makita. Dolmar has it's own brand now of pro saws. I'm not sure if the Makitas are made in Germany of Japan, but they're a good saw. Dolmar is an excellent saw too.

 

[Bret4207]

Lou, go over to the Arboristsite, just google that. There are guys there that can help with your Jonsered parts.

 

[JDemaris]

Dolmar is Dolmar, period. All made in Germany for now. I bought one new this spring and it's made in West Germany. Makita bought Sachs-Dolmar in 1991, but the German factory is still making the saws. If they ever did shift production to Japan, the saws would probably be better, if anything. If they shifted though, it would probably be to China, just as Stihl did with some of its saws.

One example is the Dolmar 510. The Makita-version is the DCS510. Same saw with a different color.

Dolmar sold saws slightly before Stihl did. Lerps and Stihl worked as salesmen together before each started his own saw company. Lerps named his company for Mount Dolmar. Stihl names his company after himself.

 

[bc]

I tried and tried to get my poulan pro to cut. Finally took it to a shop and he pulled on the rope. I had to ask him what that noise was. After that I could cut.

I tried using my pullin pro on Sat. Cut one tree. Shut it off and moved to the next. Then it wouldn't start anymore. With my bad shoulders, I can't take that constant Pullin and Pullin that goes with the Pullin Pro chainsaw.

 

[JML755]

bc,
:lol: got a good laugh out of your post. I too have a Poulan Pro (Home Depot buy) that worked fine for awhile. But I had to be real careful on cuts so it wouldn't stall out. As time went on, seems like I spent more time fiddling with it, adjusting it, etc. to get it to start. Last year bought a Stihl MS361 ($500+). Wow, what a difference. That's a REAL saw. Only thing about the Stihl is that it's like your wife, you've got to know how to handle her. :wink: Neighbor tried to start it last week (the saw, not the wife) and couldn't (flooded it). Also don't like the on/off/choke switch. On the Poulan, you push down with your thumb to shut it off, real natural motion, especially in an emergency. On the Stihl, you flick your thumb UP to shut it down. Harder on the thumb joint when you're doing a lot of cutting.

 

[bc]

JML, you must know my wife. She can be a handfull but then I use kid gloves. The what's that noise joke is a 50 year old polock joke. The pullin one came from Guido recently.

I got that Poulan pro used from a shop who took it as a trade in for a cheap price after my Crapsman, which was a poulan pro clone, scored a piston. The same chains fit so now I have about 4 of them. I can guess why the original owner traded it in to the shop for a Dolmar. I sharpen the chains all the time cause I also cut down into the middle of stumps a bunch of times to chop them up. Then I usually miss and hit the dirt.

On Saturday when I cut that tree, I noticed the handle getting loose in my hands. Had to hold it by the chain brake. Shut it down thinking the two bolts holding the bar were loose but they were tight. The two screws holding the handle on had fallen out and the only thing holding it was the springs.

I'm really getting bummed out on poulan and my ryobi weed wacker that is just a finicky. Same for my homelite xl little chain saw. Had them all in the shop this spring. I try to use fresh gas and put in stabil. Old gas I just dump in my pickup or the tractor.

 

[JML755]

(quoted from post at 10:48:38 09/09/10) JML, you must know my wife. She can be a handfull but then I use kid gloves... .

Your comment reminded me of the time I was using my Poulan to trim a Bradford pear tree that was right next to our deck. A large limb was leaning over the walkway to the deck and getting bigger every year. Across the walkway was a Japanese maple that my wife loved. Well, you can guess what happened. I had underestimated how fast that branch would come down and my direction was off a bit (ok, it was off A LOT). The branch split the Japanese maple in 2 with my wife standing there. Before she could say anything, I said "don't worry, we'll replace it". Her answer was "darn (not her actual choice of words) right you will, get your keys". I started to object to going out right then to the nursery, but she had that "look" that told me to shut up and get my keys.

At the nursery, I'm looking at little trees (i.e. cheaper). Nope, she said we need a bigger one (i.e. more expensive). Again, I started to argue that they'd grow, but got the "look" again. Needless to say, the maple is doing fine. The Bradford pear, however, got hit by lighning 2 wks ago, split in 2 and fell on my neighbor's house. It's history but I got some good "saw time" and the Stihl MS361 went through the fallen pear tree like a hot knife through butter. Main thing is to keep the chain sharp and out of the dirt as you alluded to.

 

[Bret4207]

Neighbor has a recent Makita. Looks just like my older Sachs, great saws.

 

[SCHMUCK 2]

I cut 8 cords of hardwood (mostly hedge and locust) every year to heat the house and garage. The first year I did this I came to the conclusion that I either had to find a faster way to cut or forget about wood heat. Did some research and bought a used Stihl 044 in nearly new condition. Best money I ever spent. I can cut wood faster than 3 people can pick up the small stuff and pile the brush, let alone do any splitting. That saw only runs about 4 hours A YEAR to cut those 4 cords, too. Unless I do something really stupid, that saw will last longer than I care to cut firewood. I know, it's a lot of money, but if you consider your time to be valuable (and I consider mine VERY valuable), I would HIGHLY recommend you buy the most saw you can afford, whatever the brand as long as it is a quality saw. My $.02.