Which is the Best Brand Gas Operated Chainsaw for the Money?

[Cap]

Oyarde bought a new chainsaw and asked those of us who are cutting wood, what we were using. The manliest of men weighed in and offered opinions. But there was no poll, so I created a thread with a poll. Mods, if you can merge the two and include the poll, it would be cool.

[FloralScent]

My dad had a Stihl for at least 20 years and all I ever remember him doing to it was putting gas in it and sharpening the blade.

[tod evans]

I voted for both Echo and Stihl...

Bottom line is given modern manufacturing any "professional" grade saw is going to give good service...

[Suzanimal]

I'm very interested in this thread. We seem to be chainsaw killers, they usually only last about a year and I'm not sure if we're just buying crappy chainsaws, if we're (and by "we", I mean my husband) doing something to them or a combination of both. (I need to read more about that gas issue.) Our current chainsaw is a red one, it's a piece of $#@!, I don't recommend it and our last chainsaw was a lime green one, much prettier than the red one (I picked it out) but it didn't last very long either.

The red one requires lots of cussing and cord yanking to get it cranked and if he turns it off (sometimes I think it just shuts off on it's own) it needs to "rest" about an hour before he can start the cussing-cord pulling ritual again. I told him to try talking nice to it but he doesn't listen to me, he just asks the "peanut gallery"(that's me) to pipe down. The lime green one was even worse, he got frustrated and threw that one.


One thing I can recommend is an electric chain sharpener. I bought my husband one for Fathers Day last year, he said he didn't want it but I just thought it was one of those times "no" meant "yes". In reality, "no" actually meant "no" and he was kinda irritated I bought it but it turns out he loves it, it's our most popular tool with the neighbors. Men come from as far as five houses away to drink our beer and sharpen their chains on our neat little gadget. If you're interested, I bought it at Harbor Freight for $20.00, it was on sale. It looks like the price has gone up on it, it's 39.99 now but with a coupon, it's 29.99. Here's a link to the coupon http://www.harborfreight.com/oct-tab1.html. I'm not sure about shipping, we have a store near us.

[phill4paul]

Of all the chain saws I have owned my Stihl "Farm Boss" has been the best one. Hands down. For Suzanimal that would be the orange and white one.

[tod evans]

Suzanimal,

Go to your local saw shop and talk to the guys in the service department (not sales!)

It's very unlikely that you'll find a "professional" grade saw under $250.00 for a small saw, one that'll take a 24"-36" bar is going to be north of $650.00

[Suzanimal]

Of all the chain saws I have owned my Stihl "Farm Boss" has been the best one. Hands down. For Suzanimal that would be the orange and white one.

Yay! A new color scheme for our shed.

Suzanimal,

Go to your local saw shop and talk to the guys in the service department (not sales!)

It's very unlikely that you'll find a "professional" grade saw under $250.00 for a small saw, one that'll take a 24"-36" bar is going to be north of $650.00

Yeah, we've been buying them at The Home Depot. I think we should just spend the money and get something decent, in the long run it'll probably be cheaper.

[Cap]

Suze, you made a very good point regarding the chain sharpener. Thanks.

[tod evans]

Yeah, we've been buying them at The Home Depot. I think we should just spend the money and get something decent, in the long run it'll probably be cheaper.

As to the fuel situation...

I got in the habit of dumping the gas when I was done cutting when they went to unleaded....

I just pour it back into my 2-stroke jug then run the carb dry....

If I don't empty the storage container in a month I use it to burn brush...(well sometimes 2-3 months)

[Suzanimal]

Suze, you made a very good point regarding the chain sharpener. Thanks.

Yeah, he loves the thing. I saw it in an ad and asked him if he wanted it and he was like no, it's not a big deal to sharpen a chain, blah, blah, blah. So of course, I figured it would be the perfect gift. I kinda felt bad because he was so excited to actually get a gift from me (I rarely buy him gifts) and he opened it and was like, "What the $#@! is wrong with you? The one time you actually get me something, it's exactly what I told you I didn't want." He was so disappointed, it was kinda sad. He set it up out of spite(he was trying to show me what a piece of junk it is) and he ended up loving it but because he was so mean to me when he opened it (he really went off on me) I make him tell me I was right every time he uses it. Sometimes he tries to say, "You are white" but I don't let him get away with it, he has to say the "R" and it kills him.

He says the chain sharpener makes the chain feel like almost new, says it does a much nicer job than he could do with a file.

[oyarde]

Suze, you made a very good point regarding the chain sharpener. Thanks.

Yeah , I probably should have bought one yrs ago . My local bait & tackle guy down the road does it for $5 cash , I have taken him three this past season. bought one new chain , maybe three years ago too . I probably have a half dozen hanging in the outbuildings that just need sharpened , not mine originally , but I inherited them , some of them from my Father & Grandfather , some came with this place.

[KCIndy]

Yeah, we've been buying them at The Home Depot. I think we should just spend the money and get something decent, in the long run it'll probably be cheaper.

As the old saying goes, you get what you pay for. When it comes to tools that are going to take a lot of hard use, I've never had much luck with buying stuff from either Home Depot or Lowes... no offense to anyone who works at either place. Just sayin'....

[pcosmar]

Best for the money??

Never had a Stihl. though I have heard good. the price is high.

I have been using Poulan Pro (18).. And overworking them..but they work for me. They are designed as light to medium duty.. and are about $150.oo

btw,, Husqvarna owns and produces Poulan, Jonsered, McCulloch (and Weed Eater)

I sharpen my own chains often,, with a file. Have gotten rather good at it.

[Nirvikalpa]

Yay! A new color scheme for our shed.



Yeah, we've been buying them at The Home Depot. I think we should just spend the money and get something decent, in the long run it'll probably be cheaper.

FWIW, my Home Depot ryobi chainsaw has lasted me a few years and I've never had any problems - we took down a whole tree with it. I don't know if they carry them anymore though. Believe mine cost ~$175. Maybe I got lucky

[LibertyEagle]

My Dad always bought McCulloch.

[Suzanimal]

FWIW, my Home Depot ryobi chainsaw has lasted me a few years and I've never had any problems - we took down a whole tree with it. I don't know if they carry them anymore though. Believe mine cost ~$175. Maybe I got lucky

That's the lime green saw we had!

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Ryobi-18-...0519/202521219

I read the reviews to see if we were the only people who had trouble with it and one guy had some really good advice for saw maintenance. I think I'm going have the husband tinker with the crappy red saw and see if we can squeeze another year out of it. He cuts down about 5 big trees a year and I'm not sure if he's working them too hard or if he's just not taking care of them. Either way, we have to do something because the saw drama is really getting absurd.

[tod evans]

My Dad always bought McCulloch.

The old Mac 70's were the $#@! way back when...

Now Mac is China $#@! running on the name...

Parts availability locally is worth more than can be said!

[Tod]

My nephew used to work as a mechanic at a chainsaw, etc shop and now owns the business and his favorite is Husqvarna, followed closely by Stihl.

My brother and I both own Stihls. I used to own a poulan, but that thing was a total lemon for me from day one.

[mad cow]

The old Mac 70's were the $#@! way back when...

Now Mac is China $#@! running on the name...

Parts availability locally is worth more than can be said!

Yep.Have a Stihl chainsaw and two Stihl weedeaters mostly because the nearby Lawn and Garden shop was a dealer.
He was more than twice as close and about 10 stoplights less than the nearest Lowe's or Home Depot.

He went out of business a few years ago though.

[Zippyjuan]

Just be careful. This guy was lucky: http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/01/us/cha...dent-survivor/

The calendar said March, but Monday clearly was Valentine's day -- James Valentine, to be specific -- when the 21-year-old Pennsylvania man survived a work accident that sent the razor-sharp teeth of a chainsaw blade deep into his neck and shoulder, and barely a centimeter from a vital artery.
Thanks to quick but cautious work by his colleagues and medical responders, 30 stitches and an hour of surgery, a day after the accident Valentine was recovering in stable condition at a Pennsylvania hospital.

"He looks more like himself, he's walking and talking today," Valentine's sister, Becca, told CNN on Tuesday. "We can't believe it at all."



Pennsylvania man James Valentine, 21, cut it close after a chainsaw blade entered his neck missing a vital artery by a mere centimeter, according to a doctor Tuesday.
Valentine was on his job with Adler Tree Service in Gibsonia, north of Pittsburgh, and was performing maintenance work on a pine tree when the chainsaw "kicked back," Becca Valentine said.

The blade sawed into flesh instead of wood. Valentine's co-workers were able to detach the blade from its motor, but they left the blade and chain where it was -- in Valentine, about a quarter of an inch from the carotid artery that supplies blood to the head -- and they held the blade in place until emergency responders arrived.
On the ambulance ride to Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh, Valentine was awake and alert, according to hospital spokeswoman Jennifer Davis.

The hospital's director of trauma, Dr. Christine Toevs, said the trauma unit had 10 minutes to prepare -- to get ready for a man coming up with a chainsaw blade in his neck.

"We prepare for the worst. The unit expects the injuries to be catastrophic," she said of trauma work in general.

Toevs said this kind of injury could usually cause major damage or sever the spinal cord, esophagus, or the airway. Instead, Valentine sustained most of his injuries to muscles and soft tissue around the shoulder, rather than his neck.

After Valentine was stabilized and anesthetized, doctors removed the blade. There was no major blood loss; the blade had missed that vital carotid artery by a mere centimeter, Toevs said.

[oyarde]

Best for the money??

Never had a Stihl. though I have heard good. the price is high.

I have been using Poulan Pro (18).. And overworking them..but they work for me. They are designed as light to medium duty.. and are about $150.oo

btw,, Husqvarna owns and produces Poulan, Jonsered, McCulloch (and Weed Eater)

I sharpen my own chains often,, with a file. Have gotten rather good at it.

My Craftsman is also made by Poulan I think , it is a good saw , if you can get it started .

[oyarde]

My Dad always bought McCulloch.

That is what my Dad used , thing was great too .Heavy though .

[oyarde]

FWIW, my Home Depot ryobi chainsaw has lasted me a few years and I've never had any problems - we took down a whole tree with it. I don't know if they carry them anymore though. Believe mine cost ~$175. Maybe I got lucky

I have a Ryobi drill that has been pretty good , it came from Home Depot , I think .

[oyarde]

Best for the money??

Never had a Stihl. though I have heard good. the price is high.

I have been using Poulan Pro (18).. And overworking them..but they work for me. They are designed as light to medium duty.. and are about $150.oo

btw,, Husqvarna owns and produces Poulan, Jonsered, McCulloch (and Weed Eater)

I sharpen my own chains often,, with a file. Have gotten rather good at it.

One of my Brother in Laws has two Jonsered's , I have used them , pretty nice. He is a wood worker that mills his own boards. I burn his tops in my house. The Tractor Supply , couple counties over carries them .

[pcosmar]

My Craftsman is also made by Poulan I think , it is a good saw , if you can get it started .

Yes it is,, Just re-branded.

Why do you think they call it a Pull-on.

Mind has been good,, gives me a bit of trouble at 20 below.. but has been cutting a couple years now..

and I don't work it easy.



I have worn out a couple bars,,several chains and a sprocket..

[oyarde]

Yes it is,, Just re-branded.

Why do you think they call it a Pull-on.

Mind has been good,, gives me a bit of trouble at 20 below.. but has been cutting a couple years now..

and I don't work it easy.



I have worn out a couple bars,,several chains and a sprocket..

I probably over work my saws too . Never had to change a sprocket yet though ,

[Henry Rogue]

I don't cut much and I haven't used a wide variety of chainsaws. My Dad had McCulloch chainsaws in Sixties and Seventies, he bought Stihl in th Eighties and I have used Stihl ever since. I own a Stihl chainsaw. I have heard good things about Husqvarna though and have used a steel and concrete cicular saw. I have a TS350 also.

Interesting bit of trivia, McCulloch made horizontally opposed aircraft engines for target drones in WW2. The four cylinder version weighed around fourty pounds and generated seventy five horse power. That is a phenomenal power to weight ratio, but the engines weren't designed to last very long as they were meant to be shot down. I think they also made a ninety hp six cylinder too. There's still a market for these engines and for parts though.

[TomKat]

I live in a hurricane area and have had many chainsaws and have had many problems with them (I once killed a Homelite 18" within 3 hours of purchasing it, manufacturer defect, not my fault). Every pro I know and homeowner that knows anything about saws have suggested Stihls and I have had one on my wish list for some time now but I decided to go electric for my last purchase. I got an electric Homelite 9amp 12" and I have never been more impressed with a saw. I got it to just to cut some limbs that fell without the hassle of trying to get the saw started and before I knew it I was cutting up 60 and 80 foot trees that fell. One was about the size of the one in the pic in the pickup (although I had to cut out many chunks before I actually got through it. I cut it into 2 15' logs and drove them into the swamps).

I only got this one because I was so impressed with the electric Homelite pole saw that I bought. Actually it was my second Homelite pole saw because I used the first one so much that I melted the plastic housing that held in the retaining bolt for the bar, probably because I started using it to cut down trees, the biggest was 12" around, not bad for a 6" blade. I used these electric pole saws for everything and they make a great backup saw (if you still have electricity when you need them).
I am not endorsing Homelite for a gas powered saw because I have had many that are garbage but the electric ones are actually pretty good. All I have changed on them so far are the blades and filled up the oil reservoir.

As far as sharpening goes, I have a friend who cuts down trees for a living, Phil (in one of my earlier youtube videos "Crazy Tree Removal") and he told me that electric sharpeners will actually shorten the life of the blade. He recommended hand sharpening and I thought that he was crazy to waste so much time but when he showed me how easy it is to sharpen them I started to take his advice, not to mention that it is probably about the same amount of time as an electric sharpener but you don't have to remove the blade. I believe the trick was 3 full strokes per blade but you need to keep a constant and correct angle.

[oyarde]

I live in a hurricane area and have had many chainsaws and have had many problems with them (I once killed a Homelite 18" within 3 hours of purchasing it, manufacturer defect, not my fault). Every pro I know and homeowner that knows anything about saws have suggested Stihls and I have had one on my wish list for some time now but I decided to go electric for my last purchase. I got an electric Homelite 9amp 12" and I have never been more impressed with a saw. I got it to just to cut some limbs that fell without the hassle of trying to get the saw started and before I knew it I was cutting up 60 and 80 foot trees that fell. One was about the size of the one in the pic in the pickup (although I had to cut out many chunks before I actually got through it. I cut it into 2 15' logs and drove them into the swamps).

I only got this one because I was so impressed with the electric Homelite pole saw that I bought. Actually it was my second Homelite pole saw because I used the first one so much that I melted the plastic housing that held in the retaining bolt for the bar, probably because I started using it to cut down trees, the biggest was 12" around, not bad for a 6" blade. I used these electric pole saws for everything and they make a great backup saw (if you still have electricity when you need them).
I am not endorsing Homelite for a gas powered saw because I have had many that are garbage but the electric ones are actually pretty good. All I have changed on them so far are the blades and filled up the oil reservoir.

As far as sharpening goes, I have a friend who cuts down trees for a living, Phil (in one of my earlier youtube videos "Crazy Tree Removal") and he told me that electric sharpeners will actually shorten the life of the blade. He recommended hand sharpening and I thought that he was crazy to waste so much time but when he showed me how easy it is to sharpen them I started to take his advice, not to mention that it is probably about the same amount of time as an electric sharpener but you don't have to remove the blade. I believe the trick was 3 full strokes per blade but you need to keep a constant and correct angle.

I have a 3 1/2 horse Craftsman electric saw , 16" , works pretty well . I even have a few hundred feet of cord , but I do not want to have to run that much cord into the woods . In a pinch though , I can throw the generator in back of the truck and plug it into that , lol , I have done it too , when I have had all of my other saws disassembled for various reasons .The cool thing about it , is even the Mrs can use it.

[TomKat]

I have a 3 1/2 horse Craftsman electric saw , 16" , works pretty well . I even have a few hundred feet of cord , but I do not want to have to run that much cord into the woods . In a pinch though , I can throw the generator in back of the truck and plug it into that , lol , I have done it too , when I have had all of my other saws disassembled for various reasons .The cool thing about it , is even the Mrs can use it.

Thanks, that was one of the things I forgot to mention, they weigh way less than a gas saw.
I live on an arce and a half and have enough cord to go from the garage to any tree and have done so. Luckily the amp draw is low enough to not burn up my cords. Now if I could only get them to come in solar power without the thousands that it takes to get a solar system going, lol.