need help buying a chain saw

[aprowl]

have a cabin in canada lots of trees and once in awhile a tree will come down and block the road...will use to clear land to..wife got me a craftsman that lasted about 2 years...any ideas and place to buy would be appreciated...thanks

[swampman]

Spend the extra money and get a Husqvarna or a Stihl, never owned a stihl but knew guys who ran them along time. Have used Huskys for over 20 yrs cutting wood and ice, very dependable.

[RussDaBuss]

I bought a Stihl 2 years ago and LOVE it. Some people I know have had stihls for years and they keep going!! I also know people who have huskys also and they are great too.. Kinda almost like a ford chevy thing . I bought mine from a hardware store in St. Joe who is an authorized dealer for stihl. They are very good and helpful. You will only be able to buy Stihls from an authorized dealer (not a menards or fleet). Check the yellow pages or web to find one near you. Good luck on you purchase.

[caseymcq]

All you have to do is decide what color you want. Do you want orange, red or orange and white. Husquavarna, Johnsred and Stihl are all great chainsaws. As far as quality there really is no difference. I own a Johnsred and it is a great saw. I have used Stihls and they are great saws. I bought the Johnsred because that is what I could get the best deal on at the time.

[Walterwontfalter]

Make sure you buy enough saw for the job. The little shorty saws are fine for clearing the occasional clump of brush or trimming branches but if you need to cut up a large tree that's blown across the road get a saw that ensures that the saw does the work, not you. I would reccomend a 16" bar and probably at least 45cc engine. Stihl, Johnsred, Huskevarna are the top three. If you have to depend on the saw to get into/out of your cabin don't skimp on what saw you buy. You'll be thankful you did in the long run.

[fast40m]

I have a stihl farm boss. I have had it for years. I don't maintain it like I should and have cut several hundred cords of wood. I have never had it in the shop. I have replaced several bars and chains, and the spark plug two times.

[AQUAJOE]

I have a Farm Boss too. Best chainsaw I have ever used. I have had it since 99 and have never done anything to it but put gas and chain lube in it. Still starts on 3 pulls. I have worn 7 chains to the nubs and the saw works as good as it did day one.

I believe you can't go wrong with a Stihl.

[Mark Christianson]

Husky's in our family.

Dad has a 55 or something that is 20 years old or so.

Its been run over by a truck, a tree fell on it, and its going strong. It looks like hell, but it still cuts like crazy.

I got a 353 a couple years ago and just love that saw.

I love it.

[icehousebob]

I run a small tree service and own seven saws. All but my small climbing saw are Stihl. Good quality and good service. The places that sell them are supposed to have parts and service available. As for model, The midsized 290 Farmboss would be a good choice with a 20 inch bar.

[hawkeye43]

The best thing is look what the pro's use, you can't go wrong with a Stihl. Why settle for any thing less, pay now or pay later it's up to you.

[ChuckN]

Stihl for me from now on. In fact, I'm getting one soon. I don't know which model, but likely at least an 18" bar.

My dad has a Husky and it is a great saw. I have friends that also have Huskys and are disappointed in all the plastic, particularly the chain lube systems, that have been full of issues. Everyone I know says....do it right the first time, buy a Stihl.

[jltimm]

I own a Stihl farmboss 290 with a 20" bar and I'am very happy with it.The only drawback is the comparable Husky is a 55 Rancher which takes less gas and is a little lighter.I think the Stihl 290 has a little more HP though.Both good saws with the Stihl being less expensive in most cases from my shopping.I paid $329 on sale for my Stihl.

[Ufatz]

Easy question. If it says Stihl on the side buy it. Have owned and used all the others and they simply don't compare. Do it right the first time and thank your friends here in the Forum.

[Daveo]

I own the husky 55. It will be the last husky I ever buy nothing but problems with it.

[Powerstroke]

I also worked for a tree company for 5 yrs and now I work for a metro city Forestry dept. I have used all types of saws. Stihl, Johnsred, Husky, Poulhan, Craftsman, Echo etc etc etc.

Needless to say I own 2 Stihl saws personally. An MS200T, which is the tree climbers saw, and an MS460 Magnum. The 460 has a 24" bar on it and is more than IZ will ever need for personal use. It runs like a raped ape and any Stihl dealer and any forestry supply store (online or otherwise) will have parts.

At the tree biz we purchased Styihl exclusively. You could own what you wanted, but the company saws were Stihl. At the city, we have all 3 major brands, but all the newer saws are Stihl cause the otehr ones just aren't reliable. I'm always maintaining the "other" brands.

You're gonna want a big name, brand name you can find stuff for no matter where you are. If you're in Canada and you break a needle bearing or the sproket goes, you're gonna want to find parts "in-town".

Go with a Stihl. My suggestion is a 290 up to a 390 with a 20" bar. CHeck out Scharber and Sons in Long Lake. ALso there is a Stihl dealer right on 12 in Orono.

[trapperdirk]

Well I live in Canada and where mostly hardwood is logged and its a way of life to cut your own wood and log for a living here in my area and at one time stihls were the brand but no longer .Everybody runs Husquavarnas with jonsered running a close second . Quality,light and speed and must be extremely dependable for these guys to run them . Trust me I've seen more than one logger throw his saw and jump on his skidder and run it over in anger if a saw gets temperamental and Huskys run even at 40 below .Pricey but good and proven performance .

TD

[Ryan Berger]

whatever you get make sure to get one big enough to accept commercial blades,, the consumer blades have saftey teeth in them that take away from your cutting speed ... learned this when I bought my big Jonsered this summer ,, had to go up to Ottertail for 5 days cutting down trees after the big wind storm...

[P.DONA]

Don't forget to have 2-6 spare sharp chains on hand when you kiss some rocks !!! I would get the biggest saw you can handle and afford. I've never had any problems with my husky. I cut maybe 5-6 cord a year with it..

[lawdog]

I'll throw in another vote for the Stihl saws. Between my dad, bro-in-law and I we have five of them in varying sizes. Just never even the slightest problem with any of them either.

[JEV]

I come from a family of dedicated Jonserud owners. Both my uncle and dad have been running them for years. My dad finally broke down and bought a new one after his old one finally quite after 20+ years. When he brought his old one in the service guy was amazed. He said the engine was pretty much worn down to nothing. I've been running my Jonserud for about 5 years now. Can't say I have any complaints about it.

JEV

[MIKE IN lINO III]

So you guys have convinced me to buy a Stihl the next question is.... buy if from whom? Anybody know of a dealer that has good pricing on Stihls??

[Ron Vroom]

It is interesting to see all the positive comments about Sthil because I am not totally satisfied with my 280WB which is about 20 years old. I have 2 chasis mounting bolts I have had to JB Weld in place, because of the cheap white metal used which broke. I don't like the amount of plastic used which may be OK in milder climates than Minnesota. But in looking at all the makes on the market, they all look like they similar qualities (or lack thereof). The lowly little Homelite I also have seems to be more ruggedly built, though I don't use it as much because it has a smaller engine than the Stihl. When I replace the Sthil, I am not sure it will be with another!

[lawdog]

Quote:

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It is interesting to see all the positive comments about Sthil because I am not totally satisfied with my 280WB which is about 20 years old. !

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The fact that you have a functioning 20 year old chainsaw should tell you right there that its good stuff! A few minor problems with any mechanical device is not only normal, but I think unavoidable. Nothing lasts forever and no cheap saw will make 20 years...most don't make more than about TWO!

[bode]

no question sthils are great. my small engine repairman said those and jonserud are the best. then i believe he said jonserud makes huskys and polan. he also said the green polans are made in LA and are fair quality. the polan pro (orange color) are very good and made in sweden. i can't swear this is 100% right as it was a year ago. i bought the polan pro because of his comments and i seen aspulung (sp) using them. i don't use it a lot but so far so good. one thing that really helps is a good quality chain. my replacement is much harder than oregons and does not have the anti kick back parts on it so it stays sharp longer and cuts faster. i would not recommend this to people that are not used to using older chains like these though.

[H20fowlr]

If you live in Lino Lakes, then the best local place for Stihl is Blaine Hardware. Huge inventory, good service, knowledgeable staff. They do run some sales.

[Ron Vroom]

I have no problem with things wearing out like sprockets, clutches, recoil starters, bars and even engines, but they should be repairable for the price you are paying for a chain saw. But using cheap white metal castings and plastic which gets brittle in our temperatures, is poor quality and design in my book. A chainsaw should be built for rugged use, but from what I see in the stores, the manufactures are more interested in pretty colors and engine cc's. I own various quality tools that will last my lifetime and there is no reason why a chainsaw shouldn't if the makers wanted them to.