Chainsaw Purchase

[IndyIan]

572 is heavy for the power.
Around 2.5lbs per horse power

MS500i is about same weight and almost 2hp more.

I've run 660, 500i, 460, 362, 361, 2100xp, 395, 372, and many others I can't remember.

Currently have a 500i and a 460.

Used to do 350-400 cords a year, but just do it as a hobby now. Did about 80 cords last year.

Yes, I guess paying extra for MS500i is worth it for doing even 80 cords. Didn't even know that saw existed until your post, I don't do enough to justify a new saw when the 372 is going strong.
I think the Echo's have a good niche for home owners where they have pro-saw durability/reliability, but not quite the performance, but still miles ahead of a department store saw.

 

[Fordiesel69]

Of course the muffler deflector and flywheel key is out of stock.

I wonder if I can just rotate the flywheel back slightly and lock it down without a key.....

 

[TazzySpazzy]

Yes, I guess paying extra for MS500i is worth it for doing even 80 cords. Didn't even know that saw existed until your post, I don't do enough to justify a new saw when the 372 is going strong.
I think the Echo's have a good niche for home owners where they have pro-saw durability/reliability, but not quite the performance, but still miles ahead of a department store saw.

The 500i is a nice saw but the power to weight ratio is not exactly Earth-shattering. 500i 2.07lbs/1hp 462 2.23lb/1hp. Of course the 500i is a great saw and if I could justify buying yet another saw I would.

 

[Elkins45]

Someone stole my dad’s McCulloch top handle trimmer saw and I bought him an Echo to replace. We both liked it so much I bought myself one. If I were in the market for a new saw I would give Echo a real consideration.

 

[facility1]

no matter what brand you buy, go to a specific small engine dealer, not a box store, the dealer will set up the saw properly, and give professional reference to best size saw needed, most people usually buy too big of a chain saw I have noticed.

 

[Rand]

no matter what brand you buy, go to a specific small engine dealer, not a box store, the dealer will set up the saw properly, and give professional reference to best size saw needed, most people usually buy too big of a chain saw I have noticed.

I don't know about too big a saw, but too heavy Certainly

 

[jeepman3071]

I don't know about too big a saw, but too heavy Certainly

Yup. The problem is people focus on having a lot of power, but that doesn't come without more weight. Most cutting firewood could live with a 45-60cc saw just fine. My father cut firewood to heat our house for 20 years with a 52cc Makita/Dolmar saw that I now own, and it's a great saw for 90% of firewood cutting with a good power to weight ratio. The extra power of a larger saw is nice for bigger stuff, but nobody thinks about lugging it around all day. I'm strictly talking about homeowners who cut firewood, professional loggers are obviously different. Whenever I work on a pro saw that is owned by a homeowner I often hear "it's a great saw, just gets heavy after a while".

 

[TimeFlies]

I have found that most people buy too small of a saw, and should have gotten something much larger.
Also a saw with more power cuts quicker, so doing X amount of work takes less time. But if somebody likes little saws, then good for them. Me, I want as much as possible, and then port and polish it for extra power.

 

[D1dad]

I’ve got an ms250, 372xp and an old jonsered top handle and the 250 sees most of the action. I was shocked to see what a saw cost compared to when I worked in the field years ago. I’d go up in the bucket and limb everything I could with and ms200 with a 14” bar then drop what was left with the 372 or an 046 and the ground guys were lambing with the 250s. The owner knew the seasonal guys were going to destroy equipment, so he bought the 250s to save money. Those saws would run all day long in blistering heat and never blinked. They were considered homeowner/midrange, but we proved that theory way wrong.

 

[Jmoney7269]

I have a 455 rancher with a crazy amount of hours. Blew the spark plug out once, heli-coiled it and back in business. I also have a makita (dolmar) 6401 saw which is my favorite. Both have 20" bars. Both fantastic Saws. I run full skip semi chisel rotary copperhead chains. I would love to have that new stihl efi saw with a 28" bar but that's too pricey for my pocket book

 

[doitmyself]

The owner knew the seasonal guys were going to destroy equipment, so he bought the 250s to save money. Those saws would run all day long in blistering heat and never blinked. They were considered homeowner/midrange, but we proved that theory way wrong.

Absolutely. That is the reason Stihl keeps the popular MS250 in production even though it's replacement MS251 has been out for years. At work, even with smaller and larger saws available, the one I use most frequently are our MS260's (now 261).

 

[D1dad]

Absolutely. That is the reason Stihl keeps the popular MS250 in production even though it's replacement MS251 has been out for years. At work, even with smaller and larger saws available, the one I use most frequently are our MS260's (now 261).

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260 is/was a great saw. Had I been footing the bill, that’s what I would have used. I understood why the owner didn’t though. Each year was guaranteed to have one destroyed in some way and $250 was easier to stomach than $500. I used my own saw when we had jobs where we just dropping trees. My 372 never met a tree it couldn’t take down. I’m amazed at how expensive tree work has gotten. My daughter had a big pine quoted yesterday by a service that was working next door. $1500! I guess I’ll be renting a boom next weekend and sharpening up the old jonsered T handle. I can’t move like I did 25yrs ago, but I’ll get it down.

 

[14Accent]

260 is/was a great saw. Had I been footing the bill, that’s what I would have used. I understood why the owner didn’t though. Each year was guaranteed to have one destroyed in some way and $250 was easier to stomach than $500. I used my own saw when we had jobs where we just dropping trees. My 372 never met a tree it couldn’t take down. I’m amazed at how expensive tree work has gotten. My daughter had a big pine quoted yesterday by a service that was working next door. $1500! I guess I’ll be renting a boom next weekend and sharpening up the old jonsered T handle. I can’t move like I did 25yrs ago, but I’ll get it down.

It's crazy what tree work costs! We got quoted $1,500 to take down/haul away a Silver Maple in our front yard, the dang thing was only 15" at the base! Last week I bought a $130 MS250 clone from Amazon and had it down and cut up in a few hours.... that's AFTER fencing in the yard, so I had to be extra careful. It was my first time using any kind of saw, so I think I did alright for a $1,370 savings.

 

[D1dad]

It's crazy what tree work costs! We got quoted $1,500 to take down/haul away a Silver Maple in our front yard, the dang thing was only 15" at the base! Last week I bought a $130 MS250 clone from Amazon and had it down and cut up in a few hours.... that's AFTER fencing in the yard, so I had to be extra careful. It was my first time using any kind of saw, so I think I did alright for a $1,370 savings.

A coworker out of our St. Louis office had quite a bit of damage last month from tornadoes. It was insurance money, but a tree service was there all day Friday taking down 3 trees….$6k. Back in the day, we’d take down a monster maple, oak or whatever for no more than $700 that was usually hanging over someone’s house, we’d start @7:30 and be done by noon and on to the next. We ran crews of 3, one in a bucket and two ground guys. Of course back then , $11 an hour was the going rate for a good ground guy and gas was $1 a gallon. Stihl synthetic in the silver bottle wasn’t even invented…nothing but orange bottle.