New chain saw recommendation

[bchannell]

I use and rebuild a lot of saws, and my go to saw used to be Stihl. Notice I said used to be. Several things I've seen lately have led me to recommend other saws over Stihl. I won't say Stihl is junk, because it's just not true, but it is true that there are better alternatives out there right now. I recommend saws in this order,

Echo
Husqvarna/Jonsered (same saws)
Stihl

If you want a darn good, light, powerful saw, then the Echo 352 is a dandy. It has the traditional bolts holding the bar on, as I've yet to see a decent "no tools" adjustment that I like. For a bigger saw, the Husqvarna 440 is the next larger saw to buy. Then the Husqvarna Rancher 55 is a great saw moving on up. Any of the Echos in these size ranges are fantastic saws, so you can't go wrong there either. Jonesered saws are just Husqvarnas rebranded, so if you can get a deal on them, then go for them.

 

[punisher]

I have been looking at the Echo CS-590 and wondering what got cheapened to get it out the door for $400. Its about what I paid for my CS-450 almost 5 years ago. The 590 seems like a bang for the buck winner if you need a larger saw.

 

[cronk]

Those Echo's are a good saw. My uncle had some in Florida for his small trim saws when he owned a tree care company. Had a Stihl for his big felling saw.
We trimmed a lot of palm trees with those little Echoes and they never missed a beat!

 

[bchannell]

The Echo 400, sold at Home Depot is one heck of a saw for a great price. I doubt it can be beat in it's class. I've used one a lot and the design is phenomenal. As they say, "try it, you'll like it"

 

[southernjeeper]

Originally Posted By: MCompact
Stihl.



Ditto

 

[dblshock]

Pouland Pro 20 is a Husqvarna, $179 and get more aggressive chains

 

[gman2304]

Echo CS400. Great little lightweight saw with a 5 year warranty.

 

[Indiana79]

Well thanks for all the input I made my decision and ended up buying 2 saws. An echo cs450 and also a new jonsered 2260. I didn't need two saws but what the heck. The echo is nice and light to use and is a very nice little saw. I did quite a bit of cutting today playing with my new toys. The jonsered is an outright powerhouse.

 

[Exhaustgases]

Stihl used to make good stuff. Problem with them is after a certain period of time they stop supporting the parts, forcing you to move on. Personally the day everyone started making plastic junk saws, I would only buy the cheapest one you can find, since they are all junk plastic now.

 

[doitmyself]

Nice saw choices. As an old timer, it is a bit sad to me that Jonny Red is now just a rebadged Husky. Your 2260 has the innards of a 562xp. There are enough subtle differences (handle angle, blade mount,etc.) between the skin of both models to create a liking for one over the other.