Gasoline engine driven chain saw recommendation

[Ron]

Nope. Gets used when I need it and works fine. And I've cut shit that I really shouldn't have with only a 14" bar. I've EXPECTED it to crap out by now, but it hasn't.

[zxcvbob]

I have a couple of Echo saws that I bought 20+ years ago. The big one is magnesium bodied and the little one is thick plastic. They are great saws, and still run good, but they don't have as much power as their cubic inches should deliver. Never did. The new ones at HD look just as good as the old ones, but with the new EPA and CARB rules I'd be afraid they would have lost even more power due to a restrictive exhaust. Of course you could open that up... Also Echo has a bad habit of discontinuing parts for their old saws. I could understand dropping things like handles and housings, but there's no excuse for ever discontinuing consumables like air cleaners.

I bought a Husqvarna 235e recently because it was on sale to cheap not to buy it. ($150 new with a 16" bar, and I had a $20 coupon on top of that) It does OK for what it is (lightweight "backup saw" for when I don't want to drag out the big saw or it's in the shop or it's stuck in a tree and I have to rescue it) but I couldn't recommend it. And I don't think I'd buy anything with the Husky name on it unless it has XP on the end of the model number.

If I were to buy a new saw (and didn't already have at least one good one) I would seriously look at Sachs-Dolmar.

Whatever you get, plan on buying some new non-safety chain for it. You wouldn't believe how much difference a "professional" chain makes (like Oregon 91VXL or 72LPX, or Stihl or Carlton equivalents) and chains are cheap if you order them off the Internet.

-Bob

[clare]

From what I remember, it is "hard"

[clare]

The 14 inch bar has likely saved the rest of it.

[Steve B]

If you know how to sharpen with just a file, why make it complicated and more expense? The last time I went wood cutting, I was trying to get together a 28' toyhauler, four ATVs, and all that go with that for a five day trip. Having the chains sharpened at Ace for $16 was a no brainer. That being said, I don't mind fiddling with sharpening them myself when I have the time. They do work sweet when sharpened professionally, but I question the amount of metal taken off, and whether it shortens the life of the chain. To sharpen them on a really good sharpener, it seems you cut some metal off every tooth, even the ones that don't need any taken off. And I see it operated like a chop saw. What about the round surface? It seems that is not touched.

Whatever winds yer clock, I guess. I found the best thing you can do is keep it out of the dirt........... DAMHIKT

Steve

[Steve B]

Hmmmm....my Poulan has been working fine since I bought it in 2004.

Guess I got a lemon.

reply: I've heard a hell of a lot more stories from people who have tossed Poulan, Echo, and McCulloch chain saws than Stihl or Huskys. Yes, you got a lemon. The factory designs them to fail within a short time. Either that, or you did not use it much, and stuck to the directions pretty well.

Why is it that I NEVER see any Poulans on those logger TV shows? Or see a professional arborist with a Poulan?

Steve

[Steve B]

"Ron" wrote

Nope. Gets used when I need it and works fine. And I've cut shit that I really shouldn't have with only a 14" bar. I EXPECTED it to crap out by now, but it hasn't.

reply: Well, the OP DID request suggestions for a MUCH larger saw. Does Poulan make 22-24" versions? Anyone here have a 22-24" Poulan that has lasted any length of time?

[Steve B]

I bought it to cut up 2 oak trees that fell when Hurricane Charley came through in '04. I bought a Home Depot brand (Homelite) at first that crapped out halfway through the first tree. So returned it for the Poulan.

Since then it has been used to cut up 2 more fallen oak trees (neighbors trees) from storms.

It gets used once a year to prune 4 trees.

I used it a few months ago to cut up a LOT of 2x6s and 4x4s for a friend of mine. He was removing a "gazebo" and a pool deck that was built around an above ground pool.

AFA as hedges, I use a hedge cutter for those. And I have no clue what "osage orange" is.

reply: Take it out and cut six cords of plain pine and get back to us.

Steve

[Steve Barker]

[Ron]

The wood is strong and so dense that it will neither rot nor succumb to the attacks of termites or other insects for decades. The trees also found use as an effective component of windbreaks and shelterbelts.

No doubt you would need a high end chainsaw to prune a row of those every year.

[Ron]

Well, I'm not a logger. I don't use it professionally either. It get used once or twice a year and works well for my needs.

[Harvey Specter]

Because the pro's don't want to climb 60' up a tree only to have some cheap piece-of-shit chainsaw stall out/break?

[G Mulcaster]

I've had a Still 028 for 30 years. In lots of rough use, it has let me down only once (the spark plug failed).

Gary