chain saw recommendations

[Cpo1944]

I need a new small =14/16 inch bar- gas chain saw.

I would like to hear some suggestions . I plan to use it for yard clean up and pruning .

I had a little Stihl arborist saw -which I really liked- but it "got gone".

Thanks in advance, Jack

 

[MORSNO]

Personally, Stihl has been the best for me. Lots of junk at the box stores, even the Husqvarna's they carry (what happened to this great saw company?).

 

[Hunter8282]

Husqvarna fan here. Checkout the 543 XP. A little more $$ up front, but a really nice saw!

 

[JayCeeNC]

Husqvarna for me. I've got a Model 55 that's a real workhorse.

 

[AlHunt]

My recommendation would be to buy from a reputable saw shop that can service and handle warranty issues. I've had 2 Husqvarnas and had terrible luck with both. One got stolen and the other is just an oily doorstop. Never again, but that's just my experience.

 

[crazyphil]

I have a Mcculloch that sat in the shed for 15 years with no use. Last year
a big limb blew off one of our trees. I put some gas in the Mcculloch and
gave it a pull. Fired up and did the job. "Your in luck when you got a
Mcculloch chain saw."

 

[arjay]

I just rent one when I need it since my old one conked out,less than $20 for the day.Professional grade tools are pricey and consumer grade can really be junk.

 

[billwill]

Buy a Still product. German engineering made in Virginia Beach, VA (believe I'm correct there). Great machinery. Use 93 octane fuel n mix and you'll be ready to rock n roll. If you can find non-eythonal 93...buy it and use ...alto better for any engine internals.

 

[gmiller0737]

Stihl would be My Choice I have had good luck with their products &My Local Dealer,Never had Luck with The Echo products or their Local Dealer

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[da gimp]

Huskies,Stihls & Jonsrud (? on spelling) are all excellent chainsaws.... Many guys blame the saw when they don't know how to properly use one...much like guys who aren't good shots, who flinch terribly and who jerk the trigger and who've never practiced at distances over 25 yards and then complain when they couldn't kill a deer at 300 yds..... Then they blame the rifle's manufacturer for producing junk...I'm not saying you can't find a lemon in any brand/tool... be it saws, firearms, or cars....

Running a chainsaw properly is a skill... if your dealer offers classes on them... take them.. & do not hesitate to ask his/her advice on safely using it too. Remember to wear good hearing protection/muffs & eye protection every time you operate your saw...

A fellow above gave exc. advice on the importance of buying a quality chainsaw from a dealer who services them..& who'll sharpen your chains...

remember to always add your bar oil first.. then to re-fuel your saw... You can ruin a good saw by running it out of bar oil very quickly.... The worst thing that'll happen if you run out of fuel is that you'll have to add fuel...

 

[32flyingk9]

I have a Stihl 170 and a 391. The 170 gets used 90% of the time, but I'm happy with them both. Stihl is only sold at servicing dealers in case you have any problems. On the flip side, I used a small Poulan that came from Lowes for several years without any problems, until one day it just decided to die. That thing was tough for the money though. I did have to rebuild the carb on it once, when I left some gas in it for about a year before the next use.

 

[mxbob]

Had to buy a new saw this spring as my 25 year old Stihl was getting
cranky, guess what I bought. The smallest Stihl at my local dealers on sale
For $160. It is great, small, light weight, and plenty powerfull for my use.
Having a local dealer to service the saw has always been a positive.
Bob

 

[FlyFish]

I've only ever owned one chain saw, so I have nothing to compare it to. It's a Stihl and it's running fine after some 35 years of moderate use. I know there are some other good brands out there, but if and when it finally dies I'll be looking for another Stihl.

 

[dave holl]

I still have my 30 yr old Stihl 032. This was back when they were made in Germany. Wonderful saw. I cut and split 10-12 cords each year.

That being said, I struck up a conversation with a retired Asplundh crew supervisor the other day at the local feed mill and asked him the same question.........what brand saw did your crew use. He said Husquvarna or Stihl.
He did say Husky's were less expensive to repair (parts/labor) than Stihl. His crews had 50 saws in the field on any given day.
Dave

 

[gunnails]

Another vote for renting here.

 

[msinc]

Suggest you look at the Stihl MS192C...I got one last year and love it. Many smaller chainsaws are cheesy, but this one is best described as a scaled down version of one of their big pro models. It costs a little more than many 16 inch bar sized saws, but if there is one time you don't want cheap it's a chainsaw.

 

[rburg]

Another vote for renting here.

As a hint, make the rental guy start it before you leave. For a one day rental, the brand doesn't matter much. But if you get it home and it doesn't run, you've got a real pain.

 

[moralem]

You were right the first time with the arborist Sthil saw. Best thing I ever did was getting that saw. It does big saw work in a light manageable size. I love mine. I have larger Sthil saws for bigger jobs but for quick,easy and light you can't beat the arborist saw. Not cheap relative to size but a powerhouse when it comes to what it can do. I have had husqavrna and poulan, but you can't beat a Sthil.

 

[islamoradamark]

Stihl for me and i also have a Echo bought from the same dealer. I get great service when i need it

 

[NYlakesider]

Huskies,Stihls & Jonsrud (? on spelling) are all excellent chainsaws.... Many guys blame the saw when they don't know how to properly use one...much like guys who aren't good shots, who flinch terribly and who jerk the trigger and who've never practiced at distances over 25 yards and then complain when they couldn't kill a deer at 300 yds..... Then they blame the rifle's manufacturer for producing junk...I'm not saying you can't find a lemon in any brand/tool... be it saws, firearms, or cars....

Running a chainsaw properly is a skill... if your dealer offers classes on them... take them.. & do not hesitate to ask his/her advice on safely using it too. Remember to wear good hearing protection/muffs & eye protection every time you operate your saw...

A fellow above gave exc. advice on the importance of buying a quality chainsaw from a dealer who services them..& who'll sharpen your chains...

remember to always add your bar oil first.. then to re-fuel your saw... You can ruin a good saw by running it out of bar oil very quickly.... The worst thing that'll happen if you run out of fuel is that you'll have to add fuel...

To add to your excellent post. Stihls (NEW)are only sold by servicing dealers.

If you can afford it only get the commercial models not the lighter duty made for occasional use.

In my instruction manual it states they Steihl considers their smaller capacity gas tanks Vs chain oil a safety feature. Its designed that if you fill both to top the saw will run out of gas before the bar oil dies.