I need a Chainsaw

[expat]

I have not owned one for years. I cut about 2 cords of wood a year. I have been renting, but that kind of commits you to putting in a full day cutting.
We cut soft wood and some Maple nothing larger than 12"
Price is an issue, I don't want to buy 'more' saw than I need.

Are Jonsered and Husky the same now?
How does Sachs Dolmar rate?

 

[123Saab]

Husqvarna 455 Rancher.

Great all around saw for your needs, And also would stand up well for more serious work should you need it.

 

[tom slick]

I believe Dolmar is now mostly sold under the Makita brand name. What do your local dealers carry. You can't go wrong with anything Stihl, Husky, or Echo.

I like my Stihl MS250 with an 18" bar. It's less than $300 out-the-door.

 

[IndyIan]

Yep, jonsered and Husky are the same these days other than the handles, one of them angles the top handle and the other doesn't on some saws.
Dolmar is pretty good, Makita saws are made by dolmar.
What saw do you rent?
Probably a good criteria to have is an all metal crankcase, some of the "mid-range" saws have a plastic bottom end, which probably isn't great for long term use no matter what they say.
Arboristsite is a good place to do some research, but usually the answer for "What saw?" is a pro model, and I can see why after using my husky 372xp for 10 years now. I would get a 346xp class saw for your wood, it only costs 2.5 times as much as a cheap saw, cuts twice as fast, and will last 4 times as long, and put a smile on your face every time you use it. A good deal for a few hundred more than a garbage saw, and couple hundred more than an "OK" saw.

 

[kasedian]

Stihl 260

 

[rshunter]

Another vote for Stihl.

 

[SkyGod]

Nothing but Stihl.
My 250 is a little small and has the safety chain for home owners.
The farm boss will be the last saw you buy.

 

[Chris142]

Echo

 

[warrior]

I have stihl's and Husqvarna's. The Farm Boss and the Rancher should both be on your list to look at. I have run the Stihl 026 (which is now the 260 now) and it is alot of saw for the size/weight/money. Just one thing you will need to look at on the Stihls...I have seen PLASTIC main bearing cages. I would not have believed it but I saw it with my own two eyes. It seems that everyone is making a "cheaper line" of saws and I guess stihl is no exception. I have learned to look at replacement parts (wear parts) before I buy anything!! Use a quality synthetic 2-stroke oil and fresh gas. Good luck and let us know what you got!!!

 

[G.Frost]

2 chords a year is light use. I have a Stihl MS250 for 9+ years now and cut a bit more than that on average per year. Now it's almost time for a new bar. A couple chains, a few air filters, good gas and the best synthetic oil is all it's ever needed. It runs great and starts every time. I take good care of it.

As a lightweight 'homeowners' saw, it comes with a 'safety' green chain with those (useless) extra depth gauges. Save that for bucking or trimming, you can get a pro 'RS' chain for it to cut through the big wood like butter. Regardless of the saw you get, you would do well to fit it with a Stihl chain.

I think a 'pro' Stihl saw is more than you need to spend. Most quality homeowner saws die of neglect or old gas long before they ever wear out.

 

[expat]

My Gut feeling is, if I pay much more than $300 for a saw, I may as well rent. $300 would get me 5 or 6 years rental and I don't have to replace chains or even sharpen them much.
I would normally rent a Stihl or Echo of about 38cc which seems plenty powerful.
I guess I'm looking at 34cc saws at around $240, but I'm not sure if they will be frustrating to use?

 

[expat]

I've seen a Sachs Dolmar ps45 for $200 How are they?
Apart from being really *****!

 

[Jeepster_nut]

2 cords isn't much at all. Get a Stihl electric and don't worry about gas/oil/fuel lines rotting out, etc. Just plug it in and go. It will always work when you need it without the worry of gummed up carbs. I have a Stihl MS180 but I wish I had bought one of these electric ones:

http://www.stihlusa.com/chainsaws/electric.html

 

[expat]

Yes, I would consider electric, but do not have power where the wood would be.
Even considered an inverter, but not sure how a low end inverter and extension lead would work with an electric chain saw.

 

[G.Frost]

Depending on use, you may do better just renting. If you only go out a couple times per year to cut & stack 2 chords of firewood, rental makes sense. If you are maintaining a couple acres of forested property, need to deal with storm damage, and always have small 'tree projects' popping up around the property, it really makes sense to have a saw.

This spring I went through 10-12 tanks of gas cleaning up from last winters record storm damage. It's nice to be able to cut that up over several 2-3 hour sessions.

 

[4Kings]

I have 3 saws, all Stihl's. If your budget is $300, your best bet would be a MS250. You can get one for $300. I have a 15 year old 025 which the MS250 replaced several years ago. Other than new air filters, I've done nothing to it. Also have a MS440 for the big stuff and a MS180 for trimming. The MS180 is also a nice saw, not a professional saw by any means but it's a runner, you can get a MS180 for about $200.

MS180 or MS250 will easily cut 2 cords of wood, especially the under 12" softwood you say you cut.

 

[greenaccord02]

Go to some pawn shops and get yourself a good, used Stihl. Just give it a good going over before you commit and make sure there's a return policy if something isn't as expected.

 

[car54]

I have Stihls but I have also used Echo saws and they worked great. Check craigslist and pawn shops, you can really score some great deals on power equipment.

 

[jdh]

stihl all the way they make the best saws in my opinion i have a ms460 and ms 260 my dad has a ms290 and ms180 all great saws and reliable too

 

[JR402]

I bought a stihl ms250 about a month ago. I think its a nice saw for the money. I wanted a smaller saw for little jobs and limbing ect.
This isn't meant to offend just giving an opinion but I can't see how it would make sense to rent a small or mid size chainsaw, in my mind its a tool that you either need or you don't, and so if you need one then its worth just buying one so you have it.