Lets talk Chainsaws

[rootacres]

Making a move to a home with more land and inherently more trees. Up until this point, 90% of my chainsaw work has been using someone else's. Mostly Stihl with some Husqvarna mixed in there.

Back story on my use case. Purchasing a place on 5+ acres. Intent is to have horses, goats and probably chickens at home. I'll use it for lot clearing, firewood and the occasional wood cutting weekend at our hunting camp. I do NOT need it for riding around in the truck on hunts clearing roads. I own an M18 electric chainsaw already.

I need something that's more than an M18 but less than professional arborists.

Thinking 18 or 20 inch blade and gas.

Stihl 271 Farm Boss
Husqvarna 450 Rancher

These 2 seem to be pretty popular.

What's everyone like?

EDIT**
It's come up a handful of times so I figured I would add this.
I have chaps, eye and ear pro. I am not a stranger to running a chainsaw or basic techniques. I have put dozens of hours behind an 029 Farm Boss. During our annual wood cutting weekend at our family hunting camp a small army of guys show up. Many of them have multiple saws. We end up running into a situation where we have more saws than we need. My M18 has been great for what I need it to do but it won't be ideal for what I plan to do next. Thanks for the input all.

 

[RADunfee]

I have the ms271 farm boss and I absolutely love it! Get the longer blade. Its effortless and effective.

 

[DB29]

I have a 450 Rancher with a 20in bar. 7yrs old and has been used a ton. Never had an issue with it. Will be out this morning in freezing temps dropping the last half dozen trees to get a load out to the mill.

 

[Alanders]

I don’t use a chainsaw very often. I bought a Makita (they rebranded Dolmer) in 2018 I believe. I use it one to three times a year and haven’t had to do anything to it. It just works every time. I’ve used it from 1,800’ - 9,500’ with no issues. I ran it on two year old gas last year. I’m sure Stihl and Husky’s are great, just thought I’d throw that one out there.

 

[Steve300xcw]

20" bars suck. 24-28" make things easier to reach and there is less bending over.

I do not understand the 50-60cc saws. Either get a dinky lil thing or a 70cc.

I'm not a fan of the husky's though lotta folks like them. I also wouldnt overlook the echo's. I have a 40cc echo and that lil pos just works

 

[BackcountryIdaho]

I like my Stihl. However, an 18-20 inch bar is no joke of a saw. Take the time to make sure you are up to speed on safety measures

 

[KsRancher]

I know its more than you mentioned as far as size. But I would go with a Husky 592xp or a Stihl 500i. I have the 592xp's. But I would probably go with 500i if I were you. Once you get used to the power of a bigger saw you wont want to to go back.

 

[rookieforever33]

Since you already have the M18 make sure you get something much larger like 22 or more. Even if you aren't cutting anything that large the extra teeth means longer times between sharpening.

 

[DangerRanger]

I got a (barely) used echo 4910 for a similar use case and it has been great so far. 225$ for a 50cc saw with a magnesium case.

Everything I saw said it was more saw than the rancher series so that pushed me to it or the 590, but the 590 are quite heavy for my use case.

I’m used to poulan pros historically so I like it a lot

 

[Hoodie]

Spring for the MS261 if you think the saw will see a lot of use. A 500i with a bar length in the mid 20s is basically a lightsaber, but may be overkill and is a significant step up in price.

Obligatory safety rant: Get chaps or saw pants. Learn how to use a tourniquet and have one in your chaps or saw pants at all times. Treat staying out of the kickback plane the way you treat muzzle awareness with a firearm. Always wear a helmet when falling or working around storm blowdown.

Also, learning how to sharpen well and investing in the tools you need to do it will make everything way more fun. Sharp saws are safe saws. A well sharpened 261 will outperform a dull 500i.

 

[sierracharlie338]

I’m a stihl fan I’ve run three different model that escape me at the moment. Everyone of them run great but as stated by several others get the longer bar it will come in handy more than you may think.

 

[TaperPin]

If you like to tinker don’t overlook older Stihl models that haven’t been abused or used up. The designs are made to be fairly easy to work on - replacing the jug on a Stihl can be done in less than an hour on the tailgate of a pickup with 3 tools. Many old saws from the 1990s like the 038 are like a bare bones f150 - nothing fancy and not the most power to weight, but big enough for many things and small enough a normal person can use it all day. Older saws with adjustable high speed idle are my favorites because they are always running at the rich/lean level you want and after sitting a year, fire right up because they weren’t running too rich.

If you have hardwoods error on the larger size.

 

[MallardSX2]

Stay away from ANYTHING with an electronic carb.

Never again.

 

[Mighty Mouse]

Also, learning how to sharpen well and investing in the tools you need to do it will make everything way more fun. Sharp saws are safe saws. A well sharpened 261 will outperform a dull 500i.

What’s your preferred sharpening method? I’ve been using a Stihl 2-in-1, but I’m not convinced I’m really getting the chain very sharp (very well could be operator error).

 

[Eleven]

I know you posted looking for saw recommendations but I’ll just second the safety factor. Saw work is one of the most dangerous activities you’ll do. Treat it that way. As has been mentioned, chaps, helmet, goggles, boots, etc. A tourniquet on you and a good first aid kit with your gear. Don’t forget to watch a lot of videos (and make sure you understand them) from reputable sources on how to fell trees. Know what a barber chair is and how to avoid them.

Truly knowing how to sharpen a chain is imperative. It can be hard until you figure out what you are doing. A dull saw is exponentially more dangerous.

I’ve done a lot of work with smaller saws (both a 16”and a 18”) that were arguably way too small for what I was doing. I got away with it because I knew how to cut, but I’ve also gotten myself into a couple hairy jams that could have been avoided if I’d switched to my bigger saw instead of trying to be ‘efficient’. So, I guess I’m saying make sure you have a big enough saw for what you are doing.

 

[KsRancher]

What’s your preferred sharpening method? I’ve been using a Stihl 2-in-1, but I’m not convinced I’m really getting the chain very sharp (very well could be operator error).

Just a round file and a flat file. File rakers first and then the teeth. I like my rakers deeper than the 2 in 1 is set at. I have them set so if I put the dogs into a tree that the saw stalls

 

[Tmac]

I have a 20” 40 ish year old Husky, great saw and very capable. Have a 4 year old 16” Stihl, light and handy. Only use the 20” anymore to cut down trees and bolts to make fire wood. 16” does most everything else well.

If I'm getting one for occasional use including fire wood, I go 20”, unless all the trees are small. I also wear chainsaw rated chaps, eye and ear protection too.

Also carry a 14” battery electric saw on my side by side, use cooking oil in it and it cuts wood or game.

 

[longrangelead]

I ran a Stihl saw shop for a while and have always been partial to Stihl.

Pro saws are more $ up front but cheaper to repair.
homeowner saws are less $ up front but more $ to repair.

the ms250 and 391 are the only homeowner saws I can recommend based on repair frequency/longevity and those two models make good power for their class.

the 261 is the pro version of the 271.

the 360/361/362 and 400 are 65+cc pro saws and are excellent "homestead" saws.

The 400 with exhaust or a ported 362 are wicked little firewood saws.

Always, always run non ethanol fuel if you can get it.

It is expensive but the canned mix gas is no joke. it is different than pump gas. I've tested it extensively and saws run better and have fewer issues, especially if the saw sits for months between uses.

 

[Eleven]

Husqvarna Combination gauges

The Roller File Guide with a depth gauge tool is an all-in-one, easy to handle and use filing tool. Fits in your pocket. Use in conjunction with our round and

www.husqvarna.com

I really like these jigs. Very easy to stay consistent tooth to tooth. They’re small and easy to keep in my kit, and you’re only using a round file and flat file. But there are a ton of other jigs out there.

 

[Eship]

I had a stihl 271 farmboss, it was great. Its motor seized up and, although I plan to repair it myself eventually, I was told to have it repaired would cost so much I might as well buy a new one. I was in between the the following for my farm use:

Stihl M261 C-M
Husqvarna 550xp mk ii
Echo CS590

All are professional grade chainsaws. Narrowed it down to the echo and stihl, and then went to buy them and the guy in the shop, which had both, said he honestly loved them both and I’d be happy with either, BUT, the echo was only $383 compared to the Stihl which was almost double, AND the echo had a 5 year warranty compared to the Stihls 1 year (both have a 1 year warranty for commercial use). Needless to say, the echo was an easy choice and it has been fantastic. It also had a larger motor than the echo and the option to go all the way up to a 24” bar. The stihl can only go up to 20”. I got it in the 20” version anyway since that can meet 99% of my needs. I’ve already put it to use and I like it even more than I liked my farm boss.

I’ll also add, I do love stihl, and my stepdad has been a life long stihl fan, he has multiple stihl chainsaws and weedwackers, but after he cut up a few trees with the CS 590, he went right out and bought one as well.