What Chainsaw do you run?

To each his own I say. Bought my first Husqvarna rancher and it pissed oil all over my work bench that night. Put it back in the box and took it back. Called my tractor dealer up and said I needed a chainsaw. He sold me a MS311 with 24” bar for 400 about 4 years ago. It’s a beast and cuts anything I want it to. Recently got some spikes for it and will be using it this weekend to cleanup a deadfall tree in my yard from a wind event we had the past couple days.

 

Ms261 with 18” bar. Cut hundreds of trees after hurricane Fiona and it was by far my favourite saw. We had 500i’s, 592xp, etc for large 4-5’ diameter trees, but 99.9% of the time the 261 was golden. This is in softwood or poplar of course. If doing firewood, a 462 is my saw of choice. Nice to rotate saw into Sugar maple and yellow birch and not bog. 500i was amazing but I don’t personally own one.

 

I'll second everyone that recommends the 261. Such a good saw. I have the super old version of it - an 026, but still that thing is an absolute ripper and I would never get rid of it.

 

Lots of Stihl 251, 261 recommendations, plus a dizzying array of similar looking model numbers in my own searches. But can anyone put their biases aside and go into more detail why it's worthwhile to spend the extra money versus buying a more consumer grade (assuming this isn't) item bought off the shelf at the local big box?

I appreciate value, but brand names don't necessarily guarantee this.

 

Your needs seem more than just "homeowner use". Go to a Stihl or Husqvarna dealer (not a big box store) and explain your needs. Both are top notch. They'll hook you up with something that'll meet your needs. Dealers have the sales and service knowledge and support (including Warranty) that you won't find/get at a big box store.

Buy once....Cry once.

 

Just to be clear, I'm not against spending money. I just try to avoid doing it naively. Some things I cheap out on because they either aren't critical, or the name brands sell the same crap with their own logo on it plus a hefty markup. Others offer a true value proposition. Objectively determining which way a given product leans is getting harder and harder.

 

I have a STIHL 028 Super . It’s well over 35 years old and starts on the second or third pull

 

Like I suggested. Go to a dealer. You'll end up with a quality product.

 

Truth be told, this wasn't my plan. I ended up improvising much more than I intended!

The tree was in a swampy area and fell over at the roots due to wind. It was sitting against the side of the road not too far from the roots and the rest (lots of tree!) was hanging free. Put another way, the top was in tension and the bottom compression - plenty of both! I knew this going into it, so I made a cut from the bottom first to try and stop it from splitting too soon while cutting down from the top. Alas, with my hand saw and awkward cutting position my bottom cut wasn't nearly deep enough and the massively long split seen in the photos was the result.

After that, I reassessed the situation and decided I just needed to remove the piece sticking up in the air and I'd be able to drive over. My saw wasn't big enough to cut through even that without some tricks, and holy crap was it ever a lot of effort and time!

When I thought I was through enough to pull the section with the truck and have the remaining wood act as a hinge, I slowly did so... but the log split the other way with a lot of wood still attached - (sigh).

Stepping back once more, I decided there was enough room to get through and over, so that's where I left things.

With a powered saw, I'd have had a lot more options, and the time, power and control to implement them.

 

It's certainly in my plans to do this, at least for the education factor while becoming informed to make a purchase. I drove by a local place yesterday but a lot of businesses are closed for the holidays right now. Had it been open I would have went in.

 

I ended up with an Echo. My Dad gave it to me as a birthday present in 2019 when I was 55 years old. It was my first chainsaw. I think he was more excited to buy it for me than I was to own it. Before that year I didn't have a need for a gas powered saw and made due with my limited need with an inexpensive and under powered Ryobi. If I needed something more I had friends that could help me out and I only needed to have their help once or twice. I am happy with the Echo but when I troll on YouTube to gain some knowledge and entertainment, almost ALL of the professionals use a Stihl. It sounds to my novice ears like a good recommendation. For what you are going to use the saw for I would suggest something good and reliable. Getting into the woods is no problem since if you encounter a tree that is too big for you to handle you turn around. But if that tree drops after you have already gone by then you want to be able to get out in a reasonable amount of time and effort. Good luck on your quest!

 

If you are willing to pay $700-800 for a PRO saw, that’s the way I would go. What you get is dealer support should the need arise. The saws are built with better materials compared to the box. You definitely get what you pay for.

The Husqvarna 550xp is the same size as the 261. I’d suggest holding both, fueled and with full oil in the reservoir swinging with a 20” bar. You can either run 3/8 or .325 chain. For small saws, I like running Carlton’s .325, robust in weight for a .325 chassis. Cutters last a long time. However, if you can get a hold of a Husqvarna 346xp, that would be the kind for a small saw, ported or not.

A friend of mine, long time arborist and Stihl user, has gone with Echo’s PRO saws. That’s another option you have.

Chains. #1 rule is a sharp chain. Heads fuck motors up when the chain gets dull and they continue to push because “I’m almost there!” Well, that leads to scoring because you’re running the shit out of that motor to keep up with the dull chain. Piston melt downs are the worst. Keep that piston ring lubricated and backing a sharp chain, and you’ll have solid compression for a long time.

Just like our trucks, it’s important to take a test drive in the form of swinging that saw, and make some test cuts of the dealer has wood and a cant.

Today’s saws are self tuning, so it’ll adapt to the different elevations you wheel.

Good luck. By the way, on race day across our country’s Jubilee’s, it’s hard to beat them Huskies

 

the biggest difference is power to weight. It’s a huge difference. What makes the 261 such a great saw is it punches well above its weight. It weighs like 10lbs and puts out 4hp I believe. Consumer grade saws are always underpowered for weight. A 50cc homeowner saw can’t really run anything longer than a 16” bar. That’s the most glaring difference if you were to run them side by side. But the two classes of saws are different in almost every area. The consumer saws are made to hit a price point, they get there by cutting corners on every single part of the saw, from the engine to the pull start and bar nuts. They’re underpowered, a lot of them have plastic crank cases, they hold way less fuel/oil. They don’t deserve to wear the Stihl/Husqvarna badge imo, but money talks. If you invest in a 261, you’ll have a saw for life. You’ll always be able to find parts and get it rebuilt. It’ll run hard day in and day out, or it can sit on the shelf for 6 months and you can pull it down it’ll fire right up for you. You won’t be on the interwebs looking for a new saw because the 250 or 271 you got gave up the ghost. I’d strongly suggest looking at a used 026 before you spent money on a consumer grade saw. I really try to stress to guys, they just aren’t worth it in the end. They’ll end up dying on you, and when they do run, they don’t run great.

 

I have a Stihl 029 Farm Boss that I bought 27 years ago. I run an 18" bar (which I am about to replace). This saw has always run strong, but I never done a close comparison to other saws.

With all this talk about a 261, I'm curious as to how my 029 compares. From what I can tell, the 261 has a little more displacement and a few more hp.

Did they make Pro and Consumer grade saws years ago? While I don't abuse my saw, I have used it hard. No problems, and it still fires up and runs strong. I have received the life out of it that I expected.

I wonder if more recent times/markets dictated the building of lighter (consumer grade) saws...

 

From what I understand Stihl products are the same price anywhere you go. I dunno about Husky’s. But anywhere I go to shop for a Stihl product it’s the same price. A dealer told me they are strict about their prices and anyone who up charges for their product is basically ripping people off. Before running out to buy a saw, use the mighty internet to price said item, and chances are, every dealer will sell it at the same price. Just depends on your knowledge of the saw. Pro saws are for pros. And anal homeowners who want to spend twice the price of a perfectly good saw cuz it’s lighter and has a magnesium head and blah blah. I got a saw that does everything I need it to albeit it’s heavy. That in itself is becoming a factor as I get older so do you want to spend a lot of money for something a little lighter or something in your budget you gotta Armstrong during a 25 tree buck up?

 

If anyone has a saw with very high compression and is a bitch to start or you want to save your fingers, arm, and shoulder, squirt a small amount of Alky down the choke bore. It’ll fire on the first pull ready to swing. Do not pull the choke lever.

 

Traditionally, Stihl has always been more expensive. However, at least with the 261, they have actually reduced their price and matched Husqvarna’s 550xp price. My favorite Stihl is a 044, much like the Husky 372xp.

Also traditionally with the older models, Husqavarna is the Tacoma of the chainsaw world. Their resale value is on par with the Tacoma’s legendary status.

 

I've 372xp, and use my 241 as a companion to the bigger saw. Makes for a nice setup.

My two cents on the Husky/Stihl debate is that both companies make crappy low grade saws and really nice pro saws.

 

Honestly, I'm just a casual weekend warrior when it comes to chainsaws. If I need firewood or if there is some clean up to do, I'll get out there and fire up. I bought a 2-stroke Ryobi 3714 (37cc 14" bar) for like maybe $150 quite a few years ago and it runs perfectly. I bought an Oregon 16" bar and chain to put on it as the Ryobi 16" is also 37cc, and it's great. All I need personally.

 

I bought a husky 435 refurbished consumer grade saw over 10 years ago and it has been rock solid. I abuse the crap out of that saw and it fires right up every time. Bought a 395xp for milling and bigger trees and it’s a great saw. If the 435 ever dies I would love to get a 372xp.