Time for a new chain saw.... Opinions?

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As much as I hate to say it, the old Homelite Little Red is beyond help. My idiot brother in law borrowed it (without asking), and he should have just thrown it away when he was done, instead of returning it. The concept of putting bar oil in it must have been lost on him. He busted the primer bulb, and burned up the bar and the chain. Pretty sad for someone who is a fairly decent mechanic.

So, I'm simply going to go and toss Little Red onto the hood of his car, and buy something else.

I want something that is lightweight, with a 14 or 16" bar. This is only for occasional use, mainly trimming trees and cutting storm damage.

I'm leaning towards an Echo or a Stihl. And I wouldn't have any problem with another Homelite, since I paid about $100 for Little Red, and I've used it for about 15 or 20 years.

What good experiences have you had with chain saws?
 
stihl has my vote. I have a 250 and cut 10-20 cord a year no problem. My father has a tiny 010 Stihl and it is over 30years old with little to no problems. Some of my friends run Huskies with no problems either. You get what you pay for. Stay safe in the timber.
Greg
 
As others have stated, Stihl and Echo would be my first two choices. I would compare equivalent saws between Stihl and Echo, and buy the lesser expensive one.
 
Since you said your requirements are "occasional use" Id go with something cheaper like a Craftsman. My 40cc 18in. Craftsman has served me very well! I have cut through a whole lot of Mighty Oak with that thing and it has never let me down....That being said if $ is no object in your decision buy a Stihl
 
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I thought I was an occasional user. I ended up wearing out one of my chain saws.

I vote for Stihl. Never had one, but I see lots of service parts available for their product. Plus I see a lot of dealers selling their units. The accessability of sales and service should be a consideration.
 
A couple of years ago, I was able to buy 2 Husqvarna chainsaws at a close out sale at Lowes for $100 each. One is a model 142 and the other is a 137. Homeowner quality for sure, but equiped with a good chain they work very well. My other 2 saws are Stihls. The 066 is a monster and used for really big jobs and the other is a 025 which is a great all around saw with the proper chain. None of the above mentioned saws have give me any trouble and require very little service. All are non-California, no cat models.
 
I have an electric 14" Homelite. It cuts through anything, but I only have it for 'storm use' becasue it's almost 100% plastic and dosen't look too durable for real work on a daily basis.

Or, you could just replace the bar and chain on your current saw.
 
Stihl or Husky.
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Husqvarna is not on the list.

I have friends who shelled out nearly three grand for a Husqvarna riding lawn mower, three years ago.

Unfortunately, it is the biggest piece of s**t that I've ever seen. It's not just this one unit. It is a horribly designed unit.

I've used it several times, and if were mine, I would have taken it back after using it for 5 minutes.

An example? It is on its third mower deck with just 90 hours on the clock.
 
Don't confuse husqvarna chain saws and heavy brush cutters with their lawn stuff. The lawn stuff is made in the corporate marketing dept... :)

They are not lawn people but woodland timber guys. Their saws are awesome quality and spares are availiable until you die. Stihl and husqvarna are the only option for pros.
- If you want a saw with say 13-15" bar, it's a tie. I would pick husqvarna, but I'm a Swede.
- If you want a big beast for massive redwood or jungle use, get the big Stihls. Husky don't make the very biggest ones.
 
I understand guys, but Husqvarna is not going to get the chance to sell me a chain saw because of this incredibly poorly designed garden tractor.

I'm the type that votes with my dollars.

It's too bad that the POS lawn tractor is my only experience with a Husqvarna product. However... it is, and they're off my list.

It's their fault, not mine.
 
Originally Posted By: Kestas
I vote for Stihl. Never had one, but I see lots of service parts available for their product. Plus I see a lot of dealers selling their units. The accessability of sales and service should be a consideration.


What Kestas said, times ten. Parts and service availability is "priceless". Today's saws are as finicky as ever, maybe more so with the new EPA restrictions on carbs, etc.. It's SO nice to go to a local dealer for a new sprocket, bar oiler/pump, fuel/air filter, and on and on, so you can get going right away.

For occasional use saws, fuel going stale is one of the biggest problems. Keep on top of it.
 
Doesn't Echo have a 5 year warranty for home usage. If you aren't going to use the saw extensively I would go with price/performance. Most quality saw will pass the 5 year mark but it's nice to have a 5 year warranty. Shindaiwa is another choice but if you got dealers around you should check them out yourself and see how they handle.
 
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