Need a Good Chainsaw <$400

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Husky or Stihl for power & longevity. I bought my Husky 65 in 1975 with a 24" bar. It's cut 100's of cords of firewood and knocked down some huge trees. I used it 2 summers clearing trails at a ski area 6 days a week.
 
A suggestion.
There might be a quick and free fix for the Homelite saw Rand already has. There is a "duckbill" valve in the oil tank that can fall off the end of the vent line and make the saw run poorly and belch excessive smoke. The valve can be seen 15 seconds into the video below. If the valve is missing from the end of the line it is probably at the bottom of the tank. Fish it out and re-install.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GA-VwYAAX8
 
A bit small for this but just ran my $159 (made in USA) 17" Stihl today - 1st time.
Sweet little chainsaw
 
I'm getting an Echo CS-370 in a couple weeks. I don't need a large saw, just something for limbing, wood for the fire pit, etc... Why the CS-370? I'm getting it free from work because last week was my 20th anniversary where I work. A 36.3cc engine and a 16" bar should be just fine for what I would need. But I can go up to an 18" if needed. If I would ever need anything larger for some unknown reason, my buddy heats with wood and run a Stihl MS461 with a 25" bar.
grin.gif


L8R,
Matt
 
Originally Posted By: Rock_Hudstone
If you don't mind a refurb the Poulan Pro 5020AV is a heck of saw for the price.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Poulan-Pro-20-In...738.m2548.l4275

I have the Craftsman version but upgraded to a K095 Forester Pro-Bar and full chisel chain, $199 with case and scabbard, sometimes they go on sale for less.

http://www.sears.com/craftsman-50-cc-20i...mp;blockType=G3



Here is a good read on the PP5020V:
http://www.arboristsite.com/community/th...e-about.192321/

Walmart refurb: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Factory-Recon...13=&veh=sem


I just bought a refurbished PP4218A for $86 from vminnovations. The carb was horribly out of tune and the mufflerwas way too restrictive. I modded the muffler, dialed the carb in and put an Oregon chain on it and it runs fantastic and cuts great.
 
hmm.. So I liked the husky 450, the echo 490 was lighter and 120$ cheaper

the echo 590 was abit heavier but 60cc.
echos are available with 20% off this friday and sat.. near me.
that would be the cs 590 for 320+tax or the cs 490 for 279+tax.
That really fits my budget.. only local place for the husky 450 was overpriced at $399

I'm going to stop in at Bair's tomorrow and look at some Stihls but not the consumer grade stuff.

I'd like 50cc+ 60cc is a decent plus.

I'm not a brand snob but I had some pretty epic fail poulan pro gear in the past.. and it just aint happening.

Is there any decent 60cc or 60cc+ saw in the 400-550 range that would be a decent upgrade over the cs590 echo?
 
Originally Posted By: Rand

I'm not a brand snob but I had some pretty epic fail poulan pro gear in the past.. and it just aint happening.





Wise to stay away 20 years ago, they were good saws i had a good one a timbermaster 3.7 cubic inch with outboard clutch. Poulan saws are not made like that anymore.

I have not owned a Stihl but have heard nothing but good things about them. I have used a Husqvarna 455 rancher that was nice, I do like the Echo saws.

I would look at what service you have around you , but in my book its Husky, Stihl and Echo as quality saws.

Dolmar is reputed to be good, I'm not sure there service network is as large as the other 3.
 
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Originally Posted By: Rand


Is there any decent 60cc or 60cc+ saw in the 400-550 range that would be a decent upgrade over the cs590 echo?


The only thing that might be an upgrade ,that I can think of would be the Echo CS 600 / 620 . Same engine ,basically , But they have things like a rim sprocket vs spur ,beefier front handle etc ... worth checking out ,if the price is in your range . Also , not sure of the price in your area , but the Husqvarna 460/465 ,555 ,562xp may be close to the upper range of your budget .
Disclaimer : not an Echo fanboy . I own McCulloch ,Dolmar ,Stihl ,and Husqvarna . But I've run a few of Echo's saws ,and found them to be a lot of saw for the price .
 
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Originally Posted By: nixon
Look at the Echo Cs 590 . 60cc saw for around $400 . Pretty solid saw for that price .


+1

Quick muffler mod and carb tune and the thing rips...
 
CS-590 is very well built and highly regarded for the price! It's built like most pro quality saws with a split crankcase and separate cylinder which makes repairs quite a bit easier and they have a 5yr warranty which is pretty much unheard of from other manufacturers. Yes it's a little heavier than some of it's competitors and has a little less power than some but it's right in the middle of the 55-60cc pack in both categories.
 
So I happened to luck out.

The echo customer appreciate one day event is going on and one of the dealers near me is
THIS SATURDAY.. all Echo OPE 20% off even up to the $4000-$5000 stuff.

I could get the 590 with 20" bar for $320
or the 620p with 24" bar for $447
The 490 is $279

that is alot of saw for the money on all 3.

apparently the 620p has the same displacement engine as the 590 but the 620p is better ported and tuned for abit more power?
 
Dolmar was making chainsaws before any of those other names, their factory is right next to the stihl one. I would trust dolmar over all the makes listed except stihl, there I would say they are equivalent.
 
Originally Posted By: Rand

apparently the 620p has the same displacement engine as the 590 but the 620p is better ported and tuned for abit more power?

Not sure about the porting being different . For the price difference ,you get a better quality / larger bar ( replaceable tip ) ,rim sprocket drive ,and metal front handle .
 
I think that is their market speak for different carb and muffler.

stock the 620p definitely makes more power than the 590 despite both having the same 59.x displacement
 
I think a lot of guys but too big a chainsaw. The lighter, less powerful ones are much easier to use for a longer duration. I'd rather have a smaller saw that can still cut bigger logs than heft around a large saw all day.
 
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