Does Anyone Make a Chainsaw That Doesn't Suck?

My Chainsaw is dead. Well, mostly. It still runs, but cuts off, is hard to start, and cuts crookedly. I replaced the bar and chain, cleaned it, etc. No help. It's a cheap Poulan 16" 35cc deal I picked up refurbed for $100 about 5 years ago.

Is there anything out there that's decent and doesn't cost $500? I'm in that weird zone with chainsaw (like most power equipment) in that I used it too much to be considered a "homeowner" but not enough to justify "professional" equipment.

I'm also not into GRM-ing my tools. I want them to just work. Prefer to buy something new, rather than roll the dice with some Craigslist "score".

While we're at it, anyone like their wood splitting maul? Mine's about done. Fiberglass handle broke. Just in time for winter!

Husqvarna or stihl. Never look back.

I borrowed someones Stihl with easy start recently. It was a wonderful tool.

I have what Stihl refers to as a "rancher" grade saw, midway between the homeowner and professional grades. I cut 3 full cords a year, and have done for 15 years. It just starts and runs - other than a couple of new chains, a bar and a spark plug, it has required nothing.

I got tired of that same issue. I bought the smallest Stihl "homeowner" grade saw that they make with the easy start. I don't remember price, but way under 500. Even when it sits for a year in my shop without running it fires up easily and runs great. I was helping a pro tree guy do some side work at my mom's house and he was impressed with it. He initially ignored it while he spent an hour prepping his big bad chainsaw, but after watching me use the easy start a few times and feeling how light it was he went and bought one that afternoon.

Can't offer much help on the saw. The extent of my knowledge on the topic is that my dad has a Stihl that is sometimes a PITA to start, but otherwise runs great and cuts things much faster than I can pick them up.

I love the maul I have though. Truper is the brand i think, IIRC 8lbs, and ALL STEEL, the whole damn thing handle and all. I doubt I'll ever need another.

Try a used Stihl or Husqvarna? They hold value pretty well, but around here you can find the rancher and pro stuff for closer to homeowner price.

I wouldn't be afraid of some of their older stuff too - usually the old stuff is just heavier, but good quality.

My Husqvarna is third hand and 25 years old. And gets stuck in the shed for a year at a whack without any prep other than filling back up with Husqvarna brand pre-mixed gas and bar lube. Always starts right up.

Damn thing is more dependable than anything else I own.

The newer Husky stuff scares me since it's carried by Lowes, HD, etc. That tells me they're cheapening it down for mass market consumption, like John Deere did.

Stihls are only sold in small stores. I understand they also don't officially sell anything over the internet. Which can be kindof a pain.

I've heard of Jonsered saws and always thought they were supposed to be pretty good. But now I understand that Husky owns them.

Seen mixed reviews of the Stihl MS 250. Some love it, some think it's too "cheap" for a Stihl. Say to get the 260 or 290.

I don't need something to fell Redwoods, I burn about 4 or 5 cords of wood a year and do some occassional trimming around the property.

I may stop by a dealer tonight and try a few out. I am NOT going to go to a big box store!

Stihl.

Furious_E wrote: Can't offer much help on the saw. The extent of my knowledge on the topic is that my dad has a Stihl that is sometimes a PITA to start, but otherwise runs great and cuts things much faster than I can pick them up. I love the maul I have though. Truper is the brand i think, IIRC 8lbs, and ALL STEEL, the whole damn thing handle and all. I doubt I'll ever need another.

I have a Truper that I bought a few years ago. Probably only 4 or 5 pounds though. Handle's starting to come apart. Not enough mass to split anything big.

My other maul is an older one, unknown brand, also fuberglass handle, but the head is more like 6 or 8 pounds and it has these "wings" cast into it that helps bust the wood apart. I love it, and even though it's falling apart I still use it. I'd love another, but I can't find any others like it!

I love my little Stihl. Bought it used from a dealer, decent price, works every time I want to use it and sits for months at a time between uses.

$400 Stihl 18" EZ-Start here with an extra chain and box of 12 premix bottles. It just works.

I have a Husky.. There is a difference in Sthil and Husky in the Homeowner vs. pro saws. Buy a used Pro saw from any of the Orange makes, Echo Stihl or Husky.

The Stihl homeowner stuff is just as junky as the Husky homeowner stuff. Also, buy a size up in engine size than what you think you need. 55-60CC should do you for a long time. Find a store that sells both Husky and Sthil and other saws, they exist.

Also.. The Makita Saws made by Dolmar are very good.

Stihl.

Although, my new Stihl sucks a little bit more than my old Stihl.

It's still a Stihl.

Stihl, Husqvarna, or Jonsered.

Similar to welders, don't buy in the big box stores. Go to an independent dealer, like the ones that cater to the professional landscapers/lawn care pros. The Home Depot/Lowe's Husqvarna ≠ "real" Husqvarna.

When I worked for the NPS the MS361 with an 18" bar was my Goldilocks, perfect saw. Not to big, not too small, not too heavy, plenty of power. I loved that saw. Years later when I went searching for my own saw, I discovered that the Eco Nazis at CARB had killed the MS361.

Stihl makes the MSA 160 C-BQ battery powered saws which get good reviews, even in the professional world. I think they are pricey, though. 50 minutes per charge.

HUSQVARNA 136Li is only $350, not sure on runtime.

Here's a good comparison of batter powered vs gas powered saws: http://thesweethome.com/reviews/the-best-chainsaw/

Dusterbd13 wrote: Husqvarna or stihl. Never look back.

Husqvarna sells two grades. Homeowner and Pro. The homeowner grade is at Lowes and Whore Depot. They are real, built by Husky products, but they are to a price point.

Go to a dealer and get a pro Husky.

You won't regret it.

Timely subject. I had a few trees I needed to take down plus a ton of trees that needed pruning this past weekend. I have a 40 year old Pioneer chainsaw that works great but is noisy, heavy and vibrates your arms off. I borrowed my friends 16" Stihl MS170. It was nice and light but I think I'd go with a higher model. I ended up switching back to my old saw about a third of the way through. There's no replacement for displacement.

pheller wrote: Stihl makes the MSA 160 C-BQ battery powered saws which get good reviews, even in the professional world. I think they are pricey, though. 50 minutes per charge. HUSQVARNA 136Li is only $350, not sure on runtime. Here's a good comparison of batter powered vs gas powered saws: http://thesweethome.com/reviews/the-best-chainsaw/

I don't do battery saws. When I use the saw, it's for an entire day. Like, "It's Saturday, Chain-Sawing Day". Its nothing to have to refill with fuel 4 or 5 times that day.

I have used some electric saws (on cords) and while they don't suck as much as you'd think, they didn't have the guts I wanted. It was nice to have them quiet when not in use, though.

When I moved onto five heavily wooded acres in the Pacific Northwest, I went to the local chainsaw dealer and bought myself the smallest, cheapest Stihl they sold. Although this was supposed to be a "homeowner" grade saw, I have used it for everything and cut more and bigger logs than the designers ever anticipated and it never skips a beat, never gives me any trouble. If by an act of god this thing ever stops working I would buy another Stihl in a heartbeat.

I have a Stihl woodboss 028. It is about 30 years old. I had to have a new carb for it and I've gone through a few bars. I use what the shops call a "logging" chain. Not the safety National Socialist Party anti-kickback chains. It works well. My friend that worked for the AR forestry dept for a summer or two said that when they needed a new chainsaw, they were told to buy a Stihl or a Husky if a Stihl was not available. Also, I had a patient in Deep East Texas. Little old black man about 80 years old that worked his whole life as a logger. I asked him what the best chainsaw was and he said a Stihl. "Buy a Stihl and when your done working for the day, you go home." With other saws, after work you went and tried to fix your saw or get your saw fixed. If your saw didn't work, you didn't either. He said he bought a new Stihl each year, ran it for the year, then tossed it and bought another. That's running the saw all day every day for a year. Probably about 2 lifetimes of use for the rest of us.

The professional tree dropping crew I hired showed up with about $10K in Stihl saws.

For the saw, Stihl. A large quantity of Stihl's stuff is made in Virginia Beach. Husky has moved some of their manufacturing to China. Particularly the big box store stuff.

For splitting, Fiskars. I have been splitting wood for 40+ years and this is the best tool for the job that isn't hydraulic powered. It's simply amazing and actually faster than my hydraulic splitter unless the wood is knotty.

One other thing.

If you start looking at used Stihls, look closely at the case where the chain runs. It runs right by the oil feed tank and if run with a loose chain frequently, the chain will eat a hole in the oil tank. The only fix is to replace half the crank case because the tank is built into the crankcase. Not a cheap proposition.

I can't say which brand is better, but if it (chainsaw) gets infrequent use I have had great success using Engineered Fuel. It lasts for years without stabilizer, and never gives me fits starting. The downside is, it is expensive.