What chain saws are good, and which should I stay away from?
I had a Homelite 20 years ago that I really liked, but it got stolen. I would like to get one that is between 14-18", 2 stroke, and is around $150. I looked at some at the hardware store, but I wasn't impressed. Everything was plastic, and looked like it wouldn't last.I am fairly sure Husqvarna is out of my price range.
Chainsaws - which ones are good or bad?
- Thread starter Loobed
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I own a Husqvarna and really like it. I did a lot of research before I bought mine and Stihl and Husqvarna were the top two brands for reliabilty and power and is what most professionals use.
Your price point probably takes you out of buying either of these two saws since I don't think they offer anything for sale that cheap but I may be wrong.
Homelite's used to be pretty good but I don't know about these days.
Wayne
Some people knock Poulan, but I love my old 2075 16". It's 15 years old and just keeps ticking. I burn wood in winter, so it gets used regularly. Also, I live in central Mass where the tornado went through this year - so she's pulled a lot of duty! She did start running a bit rough last month, so I bought a new carb online for $20 and it's like new again.
In fact, I was cutting this morning (it was pretty cool out) and she fired up on the 2nd pull.
I can't say how the new Poulans are, as I know companies have added plastic and other cheesiness to save money, but I've had a great experience with mine.
Another option to save some coin, is to shop on Craigslist. It's hit or miss though (you find some crazy folks on there).
I dated a girl whose father had a tree removal business. All he would buy is Husqvarna but he had good things to say about Stihl for homeowner use as well.
Since the original poster said he thought Husqvarna (and by extension Stihl) would be out of his price range, I have to disagree with the above posts.
If you had to get a new one now, I would recommend a Ryobi RY10518 from Home Depot. It's no pro saw, but it's a Redmax underneath and good value for the money.
ALL newer non-pro saws are mostly plastic, but that doesn't mean they don't work or aren't rugged. The only new mostly metal saws are Pro models that would be more than double your target price.
I would advise against e-bay saws, they can have some serious hidden flaws that might take some $$$ to iron out.
I've had Stihl and I've had Husqvarna. Both did the job but the Husqvarna did it with less issues and more reliability.
I have a small Homelite that I've beat the snot out of for almost ten years....it keeps on working very well.
Originally Posted By: Loobed
What chain saws are good, and which should I stay away from?
I had a Homelite 20 years ago that I really liked, but it got stolen. I would like to get one that is between 14-18", 2 stroke, and is around $150. I looked at some at the hardware store, but I wasn't impressed. Everything was plastic, and looked like it wouldn't last.I am fairly sure Husqvarna is out of my price range.
Husqvarna vs. Stihl - the one thing that drove me away from Husqvarna a few years back when I was shopping around was the gas and oil caps that required tools.
Stihls have a reputation for being hard to start when cold but the four models I have experience with weren't any different than any other makes.
The old Poulan saws are hit and miss - depending on who was building them at the time. Some of the older ones are really solidly built though.
Echo
I like the fact here that I have two Stihl dealers within 20 miles. Thats why I have owned two Stihl since 1983... an 056 and my current 038 I bought around 1993. Both have been reliable. The 038 did required a new fuel line a few yrs ago.
Originally Posted By: Chris142
Echo
Originally Posted By: TooManyWheels
Originally Posted By: Chris142
Echo
Look on CraigsList for a used one you can try out. The older ones were better made. My 1980s McCulloch ProMac 610 has not failed me yet and all I do is to change the air filter and spark plug every few years. This year I did need to change the fuel filter and line due to age. (And not lend it out).
In recent years, I've had Poulan, Homelite and Stihl. The Stihl was the only one which was worth a poot. The Poulan and Homelite both quit after a couple of years while the Stihl is still going strong after 5 years.
Stihl, Husqvarna, and Echo will outlast a cheap saw bought at Home Depot/Lowes by a factor of 5 to 1.
You get what you pay for.
Husqvarna, Stihl, or Echo, in no particular order.
Another way to look at chainsaws is by displacement. I generally consider a 50CC saw to be the proper "do it all" size. Not much difference in actual HP between brands, at this displacement.
A Husqvarna 345XP (the one without the cat muffler) is the generally accepted "king" of power/weight/lo vibes/ease of use/reliability. The Stihl is just a bit heavier, less powerful, and slower. (not that anyone would notice)
Moving down from there, the smaller Huskies have plastic crankcases (as do the smaller Stihl's). They do crack and eventually fail.
I know you want to spend very little money. And, I don't know how much you need to cut. However, if you want 20 years from your saw, consider one with a metal crankcase.
The little Echo's are good.
Husqvarna is riding on a great reputation from recent years past. I would be extremely cautious about buying a new one. Their chainsaws are probably their best product since they know those better than anything else, but I no longer consider Husqvarna to be a quality brand. They are NOT Stihl tier...maybe not even Echo tier anymore.
Stihl or Dolmar (Makita) would be my first choice. Echo would be second.
Poulan is made by Husqvarna, so scratch that. Don't even think about Homelite or Ryobi. I have literally thrown nearly new ones in the trash before.
Originally Posted By: Zaedock
Some people knock Poulan, but I love my old 2075 16". It's 15 years old and just keeps ticking.
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