which chainsaw?

[fmyth]

My dad was faller for 37 years and taught me a lot about saws and I use saws all the time in my line of work. Most saws will run well if you give them the maintenance they need. There are some models that stihl has produced that are crap. Research is needed on the buyers part.


I like the stihl 026 and 029 series for the occasional saw use. I personally own a 291, 362, 038AV, 2 044s and a 046 as far as stihls go.


That being said, if you don't plan on using a chainsaw every week, you don't need to be spending big bucks on something that won't be used unless you are wealthy. Find a good reputable saw shop that has consignment saws and consider buying one. You can save good money going that route.


Also, look at husqvarnas as they are good saws for the price.

Stihl vs Husqvarnas is like the Dodge vs Ford debate. People have their preferences.

One thing I didn't mention is I own a poulan pro chainsaw. Why? Well it is cheap and I don't care if it gets stolen while I'm out hunting/fishing, etc. Have had it 8 years and have gone through multiple chains and bucked a lot of trees with it. Consider going a cheap saw route if you find a good deal.

I have a $100 Homelite that's been in the bed of my hunting UTV for 8 years. I carry a quart of fuel, quart of bar oil, saw tool and a file. It's beat to hell but starts and cuts the occasional fallen tree blocking the trail and wood for the camp fire. If someone steals it I won't lose any sleep. If I still lived in MO and was heating with wood I'd own a decent saw.

 

[Mdf45]

As long as you let it idle to run out of fuel. You don't really want it to run dry under load, could theoretically cause damage over time. I used to always run it dry for long storage but haven't done that in a few years and it still starts up in a few pulls. I always use 91 octane ethanol free fuel with the Stihl hp ultra oil.

I’ll second that . Buy premium ethanol free gas from the pumps , it’s said that it stores way longer than regular and doesn’t dry out the rubber in the carbs . As far brand , I’ve used both Stihl and husky professionally . buy a saw that you can get parts and service close to where you live

 

[Cornhusker]

Stihl. I've never had as good of luck with the 2 huskies I've owned both were really hard to start in cold weather. I'm running a ms271 Farmboss now which I've had for 5 years and it just cuts.

 

[Newtosavage]

Whatever model you decide get a STHIL!!!

Been a Stihl guy my whole life. I owned a tree service for 5 years and that's all I ran. 30 years since, that's all I've bought for work.

That said, my last purchase was a Husky (because I got it on sale for $199) and I've been very impressed with it. Lots of commercial timber guys in E. Texas ran Huskys.

I would never buy a saw that wasn't a Stihl or Husky.

I only use non-ethanol container mix anymore. It's spendy but cheap compared to time and saws.

 

[SonnyDay]

I've used several Stihls and Huskys... and currently own a Husky 435. Several folks have noted that the "homeowner" models from both manufacturers are junk. I would tend to agree. I log several cords of wood to burn through winter and do a fair bit of trimming on my property. So I maybe run it every week in the fall, but otherwise it may go a few months between starts. I drain it and run it dry if I know it might sit. I use the expensive pre-mixed / non-ethanol gas. My current saw, and the prior one (similar size/model husky) have been a constant battle to get started and running. If I go up to 10,000' to cut, it's a nightmare.

I am certainly not an expert in small engine repair & maintenance, carb tuning, etc. And that's the point... I don't want to be! I just want a chainsaw that works when I need it to (which often is infrequently).

My Step Dad bought an EGO (battery-powered) saw as he does a lot of fire mitigation on his mountain property here in Colorado. He insisted that I borrow his EGO this past summer when I had to remove a 34" diameter, gnarly, green elm stump so we could pour a patio. I was blown away... my husky was well out of its league... but that EGO tore through the stump like it was butter. I was able to cut the stump into quarters from the top (height about 2 feet from top down into the bottom of the base underground). I had to re-charge the battery once, which took maybe 45 minutes.

NOTE: both saws were equally sharp.

For your use-case, I would absolutely recommend the EGO. I have a pretty beefy Yeti battery pack with solar panels... and with the EGO, I'd have essentially unlimited sawing if out camping/hunting/surviving. It's also a lot quieter.

Good luck!

 

[dubllung4]

Surprised more people aren't recommending electric. Since buying a Milwaukee electric my gas saws barely get touched. It is very nice to always have the saw ready, don't need to listen to it idle or turn it off and on a bunch of times. Plenty of power and run time is great with 12 or 8 AH batteries. Never have to worry about smelling like gas or spilling gas in my truck. Just grab and go.

 

[Mdf45]

Surprised more people aren't recommending electric. Since buying a Milwaukee electric my gas saws barely get touched. It is very nice to always have the saw ready, don't need to listen to it idle or turn it off and on a bunch of times. Plenty of power and run time is great with 12 or 8 AH batteries. Never have to worry about smelling like gas or spilling gas in my truck. Just grab and go.

I have a Milwaukee 18v impact and it’s unbelievable . I can imagine the chainsaw is just as good

 

[Travis907]

Stihl w/16” or 18” bar will do most anything you need! I own numerous Stihl saws and know many loggers, that only use Stihl. Several other good brands out there including Husqvarna, Jonsered and Echo. It’s personal preference but Stihl chainsaws are hard to bet!

 

[zion zig zag]

Pretty obvious from the number of replies that a lot of us like chainsaws almost as much as rifles

 

[Desk Jockey]

I have some experience with craftsman and home lite. Would recomend either for serious use. I have a stihl Farmboss and it might be a little big for your needs But I recommend the brand. Another buddy swears by husky but I am staying with steel in part because I am only about 10 miles from a dealer. I own a weed eater and A blower from them and they just work.

I would echo the point made about non ethanol gas if you can find it. Good advice for any small engine or anything used infrequently. I do t have good access to no ethanol gas but I run stabil and startron in my saw and it usually starts within a minute or so. I also only mix 2 cycle fuel in small quantities. A gallon or so and make sure it is no more than 6 months old.

 

[Shraggs]

Off thought from a guy who doesn’t own a chainsaw...

Silky katana boy hand saw?

the occasional nature of chores and long periods of idle time, this maybe Wirth a thought. I’m amazed how fast it cuts large logs.

 

[dubllung4]

I have a Milwaukee 18v impact and it’s unbelievable . I can imagine the chainsaw is just as good

This brings up a good point. While an EGO or similar would work fine, if you think there's even a chance you may want other cordless tools down the road I would go with one of the big three (Milwaukee, Makita, Dewalt) that way you only have one type of batteries. I have a lot of the Milwaukee stuff and it is all great, it's also all we use at work.

 

[pirogue]

Gas- Stihl( mu 028 Wood Boss is over 40 years old)
Battery-Milwaukee (there’s more to specs than RPM, or run time, alone.

 

[rayporter]

This brings up a good point. While an EGO or similar would work fine, if you think there's even a chance you may want other cordless tools down the road I would go with one of the big three (Milwaukee, Makita, Dewalt) that way you only have one type of batteries. I have a lot of the Milwaukee stuff and it is all great, it's also all we use at work.

the only reason i got a dewalt. i already had dewalt batteries for other tools. and i can throw in a pair of batteries if i am going trailer camping.. we got the dewalt to stay in the trailer.

 

[6mm Remington]

I have a Husqvarna saw that I really like. It's a good one!! Stihl makes good saws also!

 

[black dawg]

Been a Stihl guy my whole life. I owned a tree service for 5 years and that's all I ran. 30 years since, that's all I've bought for work.

That said, my last purchase was a Husky (because I got it on sale for $199) and I've been very impressed with it. Lots of commercial timber guys in E. Texas ran Huskys.

I would never buy a saw that wasn't a Stihl or Husky.

I only use non-ethanol container mix anymore. It's spendy but cheap compared to time and saws.

I own and use both, like the husky a little better.
I know several sawyers/loggers that have gone to husqvarna, after using stihl for close to 20 years. The huskys just last longer for them.

 

[Newtosavage]

I own and use both, like the husky a little better.
I know several sawyers/loggers that have gone to husqvarna, after using stihl for close to 20 years. The huskys just last longer for them.

My last Stihl was a disappointment. Only lasted me 10 years and my climbing saw lasted me from the late 80's until about 2010 or so. Plus the newer saw leaked and I never could get caps that wouldn't leak. So far, zero issues with the Husky. Damn thing just starts and runs. But they are both great brands. I payed my way through college and did a lot of work since with Stihl saws. Plus my brother runs a tree service and has about 10 of them, so I'm not gonna badmouth Stihl at all.

 

[Where's Bruce?]

I own a couple of Greenworks electric chainsaws and prefer them to gassers. I have one I even backpacked in. Nice & quiet, no petro odor and the fuel is lighter than gasoline.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=greenwor...462861&tag=googhydr-20&ref=pd_sl_6d6b3i0yzg_e

 

[backcountry_hunter]

Plus the newer saw leaked and I never could get caps that wouldn't leak.

Don't know how many times I've gotten a back full of bar oil over their horrendous "tool-less" oil caps. Unfortunate that their geyser issue was a real thing also.. Thankfully their 650/660's didn't have those.

Never had that issue with a sweedish saw

 

[Newtosavage]

Don't know how many times I've gotten a back full of bar oil over their horrendous "tool-less" oil caps. Unfortunate that their geyser issue was a real thing also.. Thankfully their 650/660's didn't have those.

Never had that issue with a sweedish saw

Pretty sure all their newer saws have gone back to screw-in caps. But I could be wrong. That wasn't a deal-breaker for me but the carb I could never tune or keep running right, was.