Chain saw recommendation

[yucca]

Ok I need to purchase a chain saw to clear off a few acres of land. Mostly cedar, piñon and juniper. With a few dead fruit trees, black walnut and scrub oak in the mix. Mostly firewood.

I had the last chain saw I owned stolen ten plus years ago and. Have not been in the loop on the latest with saws.

I would like to keep the budget at <650.00. Any recommendations?

 

[Chris142]

echo and stihl are good.

 

[KB2008X]

The best brand ? Chainsaws are like cars, no manufacturer builds the best piece of equipment in every category, or the best value. So, as for naming the best saw, or the top three, it depends upon the application. I've always liked having a beast with a 24" bar for the big diameter trees and then a nice lightweight saw with a 12" bar for the lighter stuff and trimming trees. Maybe if you're just going to cut, doze and burn you won't need a trimmer saw.

What is the average diameter of the bigger tree trunks ?

What is the density of trees on the lot ?

How will you transport the trunks around the lot ?

How are you going to dispose of them ?

What's your time frame for getting land cleared ?

With that budget, I think you'll be hard pressed to get one saw that can handle a few acres, as you describe it, and a few spare chains and a bar or two.

Have you considered contacting an outfit that will come in and cut and remove the larger-sized trees for the lumber and firewood ? If you have enough trees that they can make a profit from and they can get them out easily you may make out pretty good on a deal like that, but I don't know what the market is there for that. That would leave you the smaller trees to to deal with using a more affordable saw.

Keith

 

[tstep]

Assuming you are getting one saw and keeping/using it for a lifetime, I'd get a saw balanced between size and power.

I'd also get a pro saw over a home model, but that's just an opinion as some of the home saws are very robust. As a general rule, for a given horsepower, pro saws are a pound to two lighter and usually incorporate magnesium or other metals vs the plastics used in home models. The downsides are more expensive and often they are tuned for power to come thru at higher revs which means they are a bit less snmooth across the power band.

For me, I would be looking for a 55 to 65 cc saw as this is big enough to handle 18"-20" bars yet small enough to not kill you with weight while trimming. I'd be looking for a powerhead weight of 10-13 lb and horsepower rating in the 3.5 to 4.5 range. It's all just tradeoffs w/ weight being the most important for long days of cutting. Saws I'd go for:

Stihl: New/Pro: 362, Late Model/Pro: 361, 036, 034. Home: 250, 270, 290.

Husqvarna: New/Pro: 346, 353, 357, 359, 365, 555, 562. Late Model/Pro: 351, 362, 254, 257, 261, 262. Home: 350, 455, 460.

Jonsered: New/Pro: 2252, 2256, 2259, 2265. Late Model/Pro: 2152, 2156, 2159, 2165, 2065.

Dolmar: New/Pro: PS-5105

Unless you do your own repairs, dealer service should figure into your brand decision. Also a great way to go is to watch ebay/craigslist for one of these in good used condition. They can often be had for under $250 if you watch persistently and give it a month or so.

Nothing wrong w/ Echo, Poulan, Sears, Husqvarna 100/200 series, etc., they are just geared strictly to the consumer and are made with a balance between low price/min performance level. Almost any saw or saw brand you pick will last a few acres, it may not however stand up to the rigors of time. It's all just a big trade off for the most part

 

[BISCUT]

I used saws like Craftsman and Pulan for many years. They were good so I never felt I needed more. 8 years ago now, I had to clear my lot to build my house. I liked a friends Stihl but for wahtever reason ended up with a Husquarvana Rancher 454.

What a difference over the Craftsma/Poulan. It was like I had a 125CC dirt bike in my hands. That saw operated perfectly and has never given me any issues (as it shouldnt). I cleared a rather dense 3 acre lot of mostly northern hardwood. 1 acre was completely cleared. There were a lot of trees fallen to that saw.

 

[123Saab]

Unless you really feel you need a "Pro" model I'd go with the Husqvarna Ranchers, 455 or 460.

I had a few Husqvarnas since I worked in a lumber camp as a kid in Finland (summer job) and always found them Powerful, Reliable and Ergonomic.

My current "Do it all" saw is a 6 year old Husqvarna 340 with 14" and 20" bars.

While its a fairly small and light saw it has never complained about anything no matter how much I abused it.

I also have a 455 Rancher but tend to grab the 340 more often because of its weight/size.

Go to a dealer and handle some different brands/sizes and see what feels good in your hands.

Good luck and dont forget safety gear like gloves, Chaps, Glasses etc!

Oh And if you can swing it, Try some premixed ethanol free gas. My saws scream on that stuff!

 

[ARCOgraphite]

As an aside, Pulling any stumps left behind seem to be the real challenge here. My neighbor cleared a 1/2 acre of lush vibrant woods behind his house (and my property) but left behind the stumps, then he gave up, leaving a hot, lifeless firetrap behind. Not smart.

 

[stephen9666]

I don't have a Stihl chainsaw, but I have other Stihl equipment that I've been really happy with.

The last time I was at a Stihl dealer they seemed to have a lot of chainsaws under your $650 price point. Stihl has quite a few dealers, too.

 

[InhalingBullets]

I have a Stihl MS 250 with an 18" bar that I have had for 6 years with no issues whatsoever. I use it for cutting down Juniper and Oak trees on 5 acres in Texas. The saw doesn't get used all the time but when I need it it starts on the second pull every time.
My only recommendation is to buy an extra bar and chains when you buy a saw.

 

[yucca]

Some good reference. Thanks guys. My past saw was a 262xp by husky. I will not be cutting as much as back then. I do have plenty of chain,files, tooling etc still. The only log really of value for other than firewood is a large black walnut and I will get help with that. Everything else is firewood or wood for the smoker.

Mostly weekend firewood/hobby type work. When I said clear I really mean thin down a bit. Dead and down and a few live ones that need to be thinned. Mostly smaller stuff. The latest forest fire got pretty close and it won't hurt to get some of that fuel load out.

I have been looking at an echo CS-600p. I have never owned an echo but it appears to be within my budget. I want a 20" bar.

 

[Brian Barnhart]

I bought a Stihl 270 series about 5 years ago. I use it sporadically throughout each year (usually less than 1 gal. of fuel per year). It's been trouble free, but the first start of the day does take several pulls.

It is a serious tool with more power than needed with the 16" bar (about right with the 20" bar). With a sharp chain it will bury your feet in chips in no time. About the only drawback for me is it's weight. Cutting stuff all the way on the ground is no problem (where you can let the saw's weight do some of the work most of the time), but I find it hard on my arms when used for more than a few minutes straight for stuff like trimming or cutting stuff above waist level. Guess that's what I get for sitting behind a desk all day.

 

[jdeare]

My family has had a Stihl for about 5 years. I can't say it's been perfect, but I think the main problem is my dad left E10 in the tank over a winter, and it ate through the fuel pickup tube (in the tank, not sure if I have the name right), and instead of fixing that there were various adjustments made. So it didn't run right for years. The tube was recently replaced and now the saw seems to work fine again.

A friend of mine has had a Poulan Pro for about a decade that was purchased as a refurb. It's had no problems at all. But it might get used 2-3 times a year on average.

 

[Michael_P]

After owning several brands and using them for farm use, I only use Stihl. If I had to pick second Husqvarna. The other brands seem to get hard to start after a while. I like easily attainable parts. If you tear a Stihl apart, then another brand, you can see the difference. 85% of all firefighting companies use Stihl if that says anything.

 

[msparks]

I'm in the same market. Looking at an Echo or Dolmar because that's what my dealer carries.

So far I'm leaning toward the Cs-500p. It's less than $500 and features a good price to performance.

My step dad bought an Echo back in 1986 and is still running today. I also have other echo equipment like a blower and weedeater and have had no problems with them.

 

[another Todd]

We use Stihl at work (fire department) and you cannot go wrong with them or Echo or Husky IMO. We tried Johnsered for a while in the 90s, but they were very unreliable and went back to bullet proof Stihl. That said, my 20 year old Mcculloch Timber Bear with a 20" bar has been excellent. It was their more professional grade at the time and was quite a bit cheaper than the stihl. It starts, idles, and runs perfect every time I use it, which is infrequent anymore.

 

[cb_13]

I have been extremely pleased with my husqvarna 350. I believe it is a 52cc. I run an 18" bar and the stihl brand chain that is not the low kick back safety stuff. It cuts like a champ. I did replace the spur gear with a drum and sprocket as I broke the gear. Not really the saws fault though. They are not meant to cut barbed wire. Nothing like finding a surprise in the middle of a cut.

 

[yucca]

I wanted to update this thread as the brown truck came in today.

I decided to try the echo cs-550p out. The main deciding factors were I had a 300.00 gift card from christmas and a good coupon code. Only had to dip into my side money fund a small amount.

I want to put it to work this weekend.

 

[punisher]

That is a lot of saw.

 

[Mike Simmons]

I have that same saw 'cept in John Deere green. Echo makes the saw for Deere. Great saw! You're gonna like it!

Mike

 

[Donald]

The best way to make your saw last a long time:

1) use 50:1 premix with no E10

2) do not lend it