chainsaw for lots of small tree removal...???

[Panhandler80]

She asked me what I paid for the 170. I told the God's honest truth. if I swap it out, she'll never know the difference and won't ask about the 261.

I think I see a plan forming.....

 

[AkMtnRunner]

About 2/3 through video he spent quite a bit of time on that conifer. That's about the size tree but I got to pull out.... 400 or so of them.

It was the only video I found. It definitely works much better if he would let the blade rev up and swing it in. If you have a little space to do that, this is the way to go.

 

[Marbles]

Chainsaw magician here!

Phone chatter I read online seem to point towards Still for entry level.

261, huh?

I guess it's just money. Can't take it with you! 10.8# is climbing back up there. I get the power increase, but goal was light weight for ton of small cutting. However, the parts of a tissue and easy maintenance has an appeal... as does having a real soft if I need to cut down something big and green.

Maybe I'll make a trip back out there today

Probably to late now. But if one pound and/or several hundred dollars are significant factors than I would take the Husqvarna 135 over the Stihl 171.

I owned a Husqvarna 135 for several years, unfortunately it got stolen out of my truck. I was never unhappy with the Husqvarna, but I would rather the Stihl 261 for working all day. The power increase means less time in each cut, meaning less effort.

Take a look at design. If I remember correctly the Stihl 171 has a chain catcher that is built into the case, making it expensive to replace. The aluminum one on the 261 is about 5 dollars and I keep a spare in the field. A functional chain catcher is a safety issue, and once one it is worn partially through, which can happen with a single chain throw, it needs to be replaced.

The dawgs on the 171 are also built into the case, which I don't like.

I'm far from a magician with a saw, nor do I make my living with one. I have put in hundreds of hours behind one doing volunteer work, which is where I learned to hate the lower end Stihls and quickly decided I would rather put wear and tear on my personal equipment than use them.

So take what I say with a grain of salt, it is far from gospel. Rather it is just how this tool snob would spend his money and why.

 

[Panhandler80]

Probably to late now. But if one pound and/or several hundred dollars are significant factors than I would take the Husqvarna 135 over the Stihl 171.

I owned a Husqvarna 135 for several years, unfortunately it got stolen out of my truck. I was never unhappy with the Husqvarna, but I would rather the Stihl 261 for working all day. The power increase means less time in each cut, meaning less effort.

Take a look at design. If I remember correctly the Stihl 171 has a chain catcher that is built into the case, making it expensive to replace. The aluminum one on the 261 is about 5 dollars and I keep a spare in the field. A functional chain catcher is a safety issue, and once one it is worn partially through, which can happen with a single chain throw, it needs to be replaced.

The dawgs on the 171 are also built into the case, which I don't like.

I'm far from a magician with a saw, nor do I make my living with one. I have put in hundreds of hours behind one doing volunteer work, which is where I learned to hate the lower end Stihls and quickly decided I would rather put wear and tear on my personal equipment than use them.

So take what I say with a grain of salt, it is far from gospel. Rather it is just how this tool snob would spend his money and why.

Not to late. Wife has me working here. Probably boat ride tomorrow. Thinking I'll likely return the 171 and get 261.

May not look like much but we share a yard with her parents. Her dad likes to accumulate all kinds of trailers and boats. This is actually giant progress.

 

[benellim2]

Ive got a Stihl MS170 and a MS261. Completely different saws for different jobs. If your mainly clearing brush and small trees go MS170. If it's mostly firewood then MS261. I use a Stihl 029 super, the MS261 and a Husky 455 for firewood and have the 170 just for cleaning up fence rows and work in the cattle pasture. The 261 is 10 times the saw compared to a 170 but i will grab the 170 every time for cleaning up little stuff because you can safely run it all day. MS 261 has pretty big power so be careful if you go that route, especially if your running a full chisel (stihl yellow link chain).

Best thing you can buy no matter what saw you get is a Pferd CS-X chain sharpener. Best saw investment i've made. I will take a sharp chain over more power any day.

 

[tdot]

Get a pro level saw from either Husky or Stihl. Put a longer bar then you think you need, which will stop you from bending over as much. Run a skip tooth, if you're concerned about the saw bogging, but I wouldn't be overly concerned if you buy a saw with decent power. If you do buy a skip tooth, ensure that it is ground for crosscutting, not ripping.

If you don't know how to sharpen a chain. Get the guys at the shop to show you. I suck at it, so buy several chains and my little bro who is a wizard (professional sawyer) sharpens them for me.

 

[Yellowknife]

As such, I'm thinking about buying something a little smaller, BUT... by smaller I don't mean sub-par quality.

You started this thread with a note about how you don't want sub par quality. Then you bought the cheapest homeowner saw that Stihl makes... No question that is a compromise on quality.

I'm not a professional sawyer either, but I've used dozens of saws in my work career, and also heat with wood full time. Those little homeowner saws are ideal for "around the camp" trimming or strapping to an ATV as a trail saw. They absolutely have uses, but the long term quality is marginal at best. If something breaks, they are almost never worth having a shop fix for you. I once threw away an entire pallet of those things at a job site.

The 50cc pro saws are a whole different animal. It was my recommendation based on the quality comment above and without knowing the budget. They are high quality, dead simple to repair, and also much much faster to clear line with. The bar won't bend in the first pinch, the chains will last 2x as long, and it will start every time with no drama. Being able to zip through the base of as small sapling means you spend that much less time bending over. I can't tell you how many thousands of 4" black spruce I've cut on the job, and that is my choice of tool.

They are truly overkill though. Designed to last 1000+ hrs of hard use, you will barely get it broken in on a job like that. And the extra power is completely wasted if you can't sharpen the chain right. And of course, money is an object for most of use, me included.

A middle ground might be an MS250 at 10 lbs and almost double the power of the 170. Those aren't super high quality either, but certainly more durable than the 170.

 

[Panhandler80]

I'll find a picture later of the actual woods I'm talking about cutting. Tons of access and about 6 to 10 inches in diameter .


Oaks and pines. Just a lot of them

 

[Panhandler80]

You started this thread with a note about how you don't want sub par quality. Then you bought the cheapest homeowner saw that Stihl makes... No question that is a compromise on quality.

I'm not a professional sawyer either, but I've used dozens of saws in my work career, and also heat with wood full time. Those little homeowner saws are ideal for "around the camp" trimming or strapping to an ATV as a trail saw. They absolutely have uses, but the long term quality is marginal at best. If something breaks, they are almost never worth having a shop fix for you. I once threw away an entire pallet of those things at a job site.

The 50cc pro saws are a whole different animal. It was my recommendation based on the quality comment above and without knowing the budget. They are high quality, dead simple to repair, and also much much faster to clear line with. The bar won't bend in the first pinch, the chains will last 2x as long, and it will start every time with no drama. Being able to zip through the base of as small sapling means you spend that much less time bending over. I can't tell you how many thousands of 4" black spruce I've cut on the job, and that is my choice of tool.

They are truly overkill though. Designed to last 1000+ hrs of hard use, you will barely get it broken in on a job like that. And the extra power is completely wasted if you can't sharpen the chain right. And of course, money is an object for most of use, me included.

A middle ground might be an MS250 at 10 lbs and almost double the power of the 170. Those aren't super high quality either, but certainly more durable than the 170.

I posted for advice. Thanks.

 

[Tonyjohnson619]

I love my echo 310 chainsaw... light enough to climb with but still has the power for bigger stuff as well and comes with a 14 inch blade

 

[Hillhunter]

Stihl MS 170 or a circular blade on a weed eater work well.

 

[tdot]

Sell your 455 for a couple hundred $$ and add that to the budget. I would way rather have one pro saw with 2 bars, if I needed the versatility, then 2 homeowner level saws.

The nice thing about the pro saws is they typically have a higher chain speed, combine that with a sharp chain and you can decrease your time spent cutting in 1/2.

Also, if you are planning on cutting close to the ground, consider having a second dawg added on the opposite side of the bar to the factory installed dawg. This allows you to put more force into the cut, without the bar wanting to twist as much. I add a 2nd dawg to all my saws, it really allows you to lean into the work, and with the extra power of the bigger saws it really speeds up your cut. Once the chain and bar are fully buried in the cut, it also allows you to manipulate the saw with a single hand, if necessary (and you have the skill)

 

[Panhandler80]

I never thought I would learn so much with one simple post. Good thread.

 

[Panhandler80]

What do you recommend for cutting this hair? It's about time.

 

[Panhandler80]

No mask required.

 

[tdot]

Something else to consider on the long bar vs short bar debate. The fewer teeth you have (short bar) the more often each tooth is engaged in a cut, short bars will run hotter and dull faster, though are quicker to sharpen, but you'll be doing it more often. I also find short bars more dangerous as it is so much easier to have the tip of the bar buried in the cut. But when you have limited space, a short bar is thing of beauty.

The longer bars allow more flexibility in your body position. Stays sharper longer, runs cooler. Keeps the bar tip well away from you working area, but you do have to pay attention to what is on the other side of your working area as it will be protruding many more inches on the far side.

 

[Panhandler80]

I'm just glad that Mama elected to use scissors and clippers instead of a chainsaw.

 

[Panhandler80]

Let's go ahead and make this real off-topic. Anybody else share property with in-laws? I love them, but damn shit can get challenging

 

[Marbles]

I

I'll find a picture later of the actual woods I'm talking about cutting. Tons of access and about 6 to 10 inches in diameter .

Oaks and pines. Just a lot of them

10 inches in diameter is getting into tree territory and way beyond a circular saw on a weed eater, which is more for clearing scrub brush. You are making the right choice.

At the point a tree is large enough that dropping it on myself would hurt me, I would consider it felling and want a chain saw for control. Have fun with it, set a rock or pop can out and see if you can drop the trunk on top of it.

I always have a second bar and chain on hand. Not only does this give me replacement parts, but if I'm a goober and get my bar stuck in a pinch I can pull the power head, put a new chain and bar on, then cut the other one free. It is better to just not be a goober, but I'm not that good.

As for in-laws, I like being in Alaska and having them in Arkansas. Not particularly inclined to live next door to either of our parents.

 

[Tonyjohnson619]

Let's go ahead and make this real off-topic. Anybody else share property with in-laws? I love them, but damn shit can get challenging

Yes I share property with the in laws... it gets challenging for sure!!!