Chain Saw

[picksbigwagon]

I posted this in the tool section as well:

My wife was talking about getting some shrubs or something, I was on FM so I was pretty much ignoring her, anyway, she said, "what do you think of that?" to which I answered, "Well, I will probably need to buy a chainsaw then" Had no idea what she had said or what "we" were talking about, but she looked at me and said, "Why don't you have a chainsaw yet? How much are they? I don't care if you get one..."

Still have no idea what I am doing to the gardens in front of the house, all I know is I have the green light for a chain saw. So my question is, what is a good Middle of the Road 18" chainsaw? I don't want to spend over 300 bucks....Brands I know that are out there: McCulloch (said like it gets caught in your throat), Echo, Husquavarna, Stihl, Homelite, and whoever it is that makes the lime green Wild Thing.....

Thanks for the help

[jltimm]

I would suggest Stihl, and would steer clear of them green poulans, which are the same as homelite, and craftsman.The Stihl should be a little cheaper than Husquavarna.I've owned my Stihl's for 10 yrs or so, and just keep cutting with them.I've got a 290 Farm Boss,and a small 017 (I think that's the little one)

[Walleye Guy]

I bought a Stihl 025 about 5 years ago and it has performed flawlessly. Granted I am not a lumberjack. It has worked great for clearing trees at the cabin and cutting firewood. One suggestion would be to buy an extra chain (or two) when you buy the saw.

[jerkin'm]

Yep, Stihl is the way to go....I have a Farm Boss and an old (20 plus years) 028 and they both take a serious beating. Always start and work great..

[Ryan Berger]

either stihl or jonsered,, most tree companies will use either of these,, when the wind came through at my cabin on ottertail two years ago I went out and bought my first chainsaw a jonsered, I got a commercial model and would never think about going to a consumer model I cut up ofer 30 trees well over 20" in diameter in a little less tahn a week,, with no problems,, get yourself a electric sharpener and a few extra chains if you plan on doing any serious cutting in the future

[Powerstroke]

I personally own 2 different stihl's form my time working for tree companies. BOth of these saws run great and continue to perform well.

I now work for a city as a forester and I have to use the city's equipment. We have a couple Stihls, a couple John's and a Husquvarna. I like them all. I do think that the Johns and the Husky have a better air filtration system, but IMO you just cna't beat a good Stihl.

If you are alooking I would try to get a stihl. Find an 026 Pro or maybe a 029. They are nice saws in the size you're looking for. If that is too much $$$ then check out the Johnsred 2150. I use this with an 18" bar at work and it makes a great utility saw.

[DinkADunk]

Stihl, Jonsered, or Husky, whichever has a good dealer in your neighborhood. I have a fair number of Stihl dealers in my neck of the woods so I bought a Stihl. The Stihl "FarmBoss" (MS290) is a good machine for the money, it's a little less expensive and a little heavier than some of the better Stihl's but it's stout enough to deliver. I use mine a lot for preping bowl blanks for turning and it's a very good unit. As for bar I believe it comes with an 16" but it can take up to a 20". I use an 18" bar on mine because I need to capacity when I'm ripping logs into blanks. An MS290 is right in your price range.

[FRESHWATER PETIE]

A chainsaw for pruning shrubs or something??

maybe all you need is a good hand held pruner or a bow saw? Could save you the $300.

[IT Guy]

I have had a Jonsered for 10 years and if it died I would buy another one without a second thought. Starts everytime and easy to manuver. A second chain is always a good idea. It doesn't take much of a rock to cause you a chain problem. I sharpen them myself and trade them on and off the saw after each use.

My second choice was a Stihl but the Jonsered had a better price at the time.

[ChuckN]

I'd say a cheap electric pruner like Petie says. Have a pruner for shrubs and a chainsaw for cutting trees. Chainsaws are not the best choice for this application.

I looked at Stihl and Jonsred, and went with Jonsred. I like it a lot. I've cut a lot of wood as I need a lot of firewood, and it hasn't let me down.

When I went to purchase a saw I found some brands like Husqvarna and sometimes Stihl in big chain stores. These are cheaper version saws with the bigger name, and cheaper price. If you look close there is a difference in parts, etc.. If you want a good saw, look up an authorized dealer. Just my observations and understanding as I shopped.

[picksbigwagon]

Pruning will be part of the saw's duty but I do have a couple trees to take down and some limbs that need to be removed as well. I like the ability with Stihl to put a different bar on if necessary, like go from a 16" to a 20" saw. I already climb into trees and prune by hand, it gets a little tougher when taking limbs off or downing a dead tree or two.

[iffwalleyes]

If I were you with the application you are looking for look for something with a 14" bar. If you are a weekend wood chopper you don't need anything bigger than a 16" bar. My dad has a Jonsred that was bought in the 70's and it still runs like a champ. 3 years ago I bought him a Husky 55 Rancher. Both saws have 16" bars and I have dropped plenty of large trees. But with your application I would look at one of the compact type saws that all the companys make. Do not waste your money on a Mac, Poulon, homelite, or craftsman. They are throw away saws meaning if you have problems throw them away and get a new one because that will be cheaper than fixing them. Stihl are good but I have always found them to be much harder starting than Jonsred or Huskeys. That is my personal opinion though. Those three are all good machines.

[traveler]

Didn't you hear the guy?? He's got a GREEN light! Buy a chainsaw! Every guy needs a chainsaw...you have the 3 best brands already recommended. I have a husky, it's been great. Be careful tho'; saws don't leave much room for error:) Oh, and buy an electric trimmer too.

[Ufatz]

Before you spend a lot on a chainsaw you might not actually NEED, check out the great little electric chain saws. I know..I know...I can hear the laughing. Thats what I did too UNTIL I bought one and used it. Amazing!! I'll bet most of what you end up doing is within 100' of an AC outlet. I have even used my in the woods, for light work, with a little genset running in the back of the Mule!! They are very light and easy to work with. At least check 'em out. And if you've never used a chain saw do a little safety and work rule reading before hand.

[FL SNIPER]

I've actually had really good luck with my Sears Craftsman 18" gas chainsaw. I believe its 42 cc. Granted I'm not cutting wood every weekend with it...but I do a fair amount of cutting (I have a wood stove in my house so I burn quite a bit). I paid about $150 for the saw...and its been worth every penny and more. I've had it for roughly 3 years and no problems. Just add chain lube and gas with/amsoil. Runs like a champ. Have fun shopping.

[IFallsRon]

I have a Stihl 250 for the heavy cutting and a generic electric for small stuff. The Stihl came in at around $350, including case, extra chain, bar lube and oil for gas.

[picksbigwagon]

Quote:

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Didn't you hear the guy?? He's got a GREEN light! Buy a chainsaw! Every guy needs a chainsaw...

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Thank you Traveler!!!!! I guess there aren't many GLer's on here

Actually with two snowdays (I teach) I have been able to research saws quite extensively.

I would really like to look at a Jonsered, but have no idea where to find one in the metro. I can find stihls and huskys pretty easily, but I am really interested in the 2150 or 2152 jonsered, with the ability to go from a 14" bar to a 20" bar if needed.

[McGurk]

Quote:

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Actually with two snowdays (I teach) I have been able to research saws quite extensively.

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2 snow days, and you are worrying about chain saws??? The only cylinders I'd be concerned w/ are attached to an auger, and maybe the ones that come in sets of 12. I may even be in your neck of the woods this afternoon.

Oh yeah, which price of the 3 is the $300 concerned with? The price you paid, the price you tell her you paid, or the price you pay after she finds out what you paid?

[picksbigwagon]

Keep off of 42 if you can, that road is nuts especially towards B-Ville. I would love to be out fishing, but my wife is home with the two kids (almost 6 and 4) and the oldest has been sick all week. Pretty much my announcement of "Woman, I am going fishing" would result in a lot of mental and physical anguish and pain directed at me.

Nothing like adding the cylinder index....

[McGurk]

Quote:

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Pretty much my announcement of "Woman, I am going fishing" would result in a lot of mental and physical anguish and pain directed at me.

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Ah yes; the FFLF. A lot of wailing and knashing of teeth, I know it well. Thanks for the local update, and hope the kids get better.

[Bobby Bass]

Buy the best chainsaw that you can afford, cheap may work but you are talking about one of the most dangerous tools that a home owner can have. Besides buying a chain saw make sure you pick up some good safety glasses and hearing protection. I have had a 028 Stihl wood boss with a 16 inch bar. Has been around for over 25years and I have used it in my business dropping even large Maples with it. Any of the top three would be a good buy. This is a tool that you will have for many years to come. Stay away from the cheap chainsaws.

A quote for you:

"A chain saw is the most dangerous hand tool that can be purchased on the open market. It requires no license and no training to own or operate. Approximately 40,000 injuries and deaths were reported last year in the United States...and most could have been prevented."

Carl Smith in a statement from his basic chain saw course

[snoozebutton]

I've got the 036 Stihl and it's taken a beating over the years, dropped, wedged in logs, and even fell out the back of the truck going down the highway and it still works fine. One thing I wished it had was a primer bulb because it is hard starting in cold weather. I remedy that by bringing it inside for an hour to warm up if I need to do some cutting in the winter. I've got an outside wood stove so I go through around 10 full cords every winter so it gets a work out.

And safety glasses and ear plugs are a cheap investment if you enjoy seeing and hearing.

[Powerstroke]

picksbig, We have a JOhnsred dealer in Hopkins if your interested in seeing the saws. There may be one closer to you, but I know that this one is there cause its the place I go for service and parts for the City I work for. They do carry Stihl's too if you're looking to compare.

Email me if you have other saw questions. Sounds like you're a novice as far as saws go. Nothing meant by that, just an observations. Any chainsaw can accept different size bars.

Looks like the 2152 is more of a "Pro" type saw vs. the 2150. Since I do have the 2150 at work I can say that it is a great saw and runs well. Its my goto ground saw when limbing or cutting small trees. Its got an 18" bar.

If I were you I would buy a forestry helmet. Its a hardhat with earmuffs and you can get a optional face screen that folds down. Its a nice package. Its nice to keep the dust and chips out of your face. The hardhat will obviously protect your noggin from kickbacks and the muffs area attached so you don't have to worry about ear plugs. You'll need safety glasses still, a pair of cut-resistant chaps and of course leather gloves.

If you're gonna drop a couple hundred bucks on the saw don't skimp on the safety gear. A chainsaw is the second most dangerous piece of equipment I use next to the chipper. I personally have cut chaps twice saving my leg both times. If you use a saw for any length of time you will eventually have an accident and the safety gear will save your life and limbs. **This public service message was brought to you by........**

Drop me a line or find me in the mgmt forums if you want to know the dealer or have other questions.

[fisherking01]

The equipment advise is excellent, thanks Powerstroke. You will never regret having the safety equipment. You cut enough, and fatigue will in fact cause mistakes. Chaps are great, and a great investment. I have simple chaps and use as I once got through my jeans. I put the saw down, went home changed clothes and went and bought the chaps. I always use safety glasses and ear plugs. For anyone not using hearing protection, a simple way to determine it's worth is to wear one ear plug for a period of time, make a phone call and switch ears with the receiver. You will notice right away that the ear that you had the plug in will be clear and easier to hear with. Since hearing is lost progressively, you need to protect it. Good luck with the saw and stay safe using it! Brent

[Ryan Berger]

OHH if you get a chainsaw get the hearing protection with the radio in them,, defeats the pupose a bit but radio is alway nice

[gunflint]

I've made a living with chainsaws over the years. I've always run Stihls and Huskys. Buy the best one you can afford is good advice. I've always felt that the more powerful the saw, the safer it is. Less chance of kickback. One thing that hasn't been brought up and is important to me is that I like a 20" bar because if your doing a lot of cutting on the ground, the longer the bar the easier it is on your back. Just something to think about.