Chainsaw recommendations

I have infrequent need for a chainsaw and have a little McCullough electric that does OK. There are a couple of trees down in the back too remote for the electric and I'd like to have a gas saw to take advantage of found logs or limbs.

Since my use is infrequent, I don't want to invest too much. CL frequently has Poulans available. Here's an example:

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Any thoughts?

Larry

Reply to
Gramps' shop
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I have infrequent need for a chainsaw and have a little McCullough electric that does OK. There are a couple of trees down in the back too remote for the electric and I'd like to have a gas saw to take advantage of found logs or limbs.

Since my use is infrequent, I don't want to invest too much. CL frequently has Poulans available. Here's an example:

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Any thoughts?

Gramps, I bought a Poulan around six or seven years ago, from a local hardware store/lumberyard because I thought that they would stand behind it if it gave me trouble. Which it did, right away. I could never get it working right, and neither could they. Took me a month to get my money back from them. So as far as I'm concerned, Poulan chain saws aren't worth a damn, and neither is that hardware store/lumberyard.

I've got a medium-size Stihl now and am happy with it. The local tree guys tend to use Husqvarnas, but they say that they eat starter ropes. On the other hand, they start them a dozen times a day, and I start mine a dozen times a year.

Tom

Reply to
Tdacon

Go to the local pawn shop, and find you an old saw with good compression, and ask them to start it up for you. I have a Poulan a bought when Huge hit in (89 I think) and I use it for mainly trimming. I guarantee I could go get it out of the shed, put fresh gas in it, and start it on the 4th or 5th pull. I don't know about the newer Poulans. As little as you sound like you use one, an old used saw sounds like what you need.

Reply to
Morgans

That is because owners of Stihl and Husky don't sell them. Poulan owners are giving up or upgrading to Stihl.

Reply to
Ed Pawlowski

I have two Huskys and love them for the compression relief button. Easier to pull and always start at 1-3 pulls. The reason I have two is: After 12 or 13 years I buggered up the key in the flywheel. New flywheels are about $100 so I opted to buy a new saw. Then I found a used flywheel on Ebay for $15 and bought it. So now I have a 20 incher and a 18 incher for trimming.

I have had a Poulan and a Mac. Both had lightweight chains that had to be re-tensioned every 15 minutes and both had starting problems after about a year.

Reply to
G. Ross

I've got a couple of Jonsereds. Reliable, sturdy, not terribly expensive.

Reply to
Dave Balderstone

-------------------------------------------------------------------- For your infrequent use, I'd rent one.

Unless I miss my guess, storage space is at a premium in your shop.

Lew

Reply to
Lew Hodgett

electric that does OK. There are a couple of trees down in the

back too remote for the electric and I'd like to have a gas saw

to take advantage of found logs or limbs.

CL frequently has Poulans available. Here's an example:

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I cut about 12 cords a year. My pardner just bought the Husky 460 with a 24" bar. I have a Husky 435 with a 16" bar. I will be getting the identical Husky, or a Stihl, (I think 391) with the 24" bar.

Point is, buy quality and cry only once. Stihl or Husky will do the work. Both are serviceable, with parts easily available.

Main things are basics: Drain gas when not in use. Keep adjusted. Learn how to sharpen with simply a file, no fancy devices, and that includes electric sharpeners. Get a stump clamp, learn how to use it, and you will be able to keep it sharp quickly.

If you want a saw that will start right up, Stihl or Husky is your ticket, and take those precautions. Nothing like going out there, adding a little fresh gas, and getting the job done, and not jacking with it every time you want to use it. My 345 came in a package deal for around $250. The $460 will be about $400, but we will be doing heavier work. We fell trees up to 18" diameter, and may cut four cords a day.

You get what you pay for. Buy a good one, and take care of it right.

Ignore all the tales of Poulans and Macs that have lasted decades. I'm sure there are some Pintos and Vegas still on the road, too. But if you want something reliable that just runs, and you don't spend a lot of time cussing at, Stihl or Husky.

Get an air gun, and clean it good after a good use so the pitch doesn't harden in the working parts. Put it away clean, and it's ready to go next time you need it. Put it away gummy, and the gum will set, or the gas will turn to varnish, and you will have fun getting it going properly next time.

Just MHO from ten years of jacking with these things.

You get what you pay for, and anything less than Stihl or Husky is junk. The cost difference between them is not that great when you are talking of a quality tool.

Steve

Reply to
SteveB

Sorry Ed didn't mean to send this to you. Stupid Thunderbird changed there reply to button

Exactly I wouldn't sell my Stihl for anything. Buy a Stihl and you won't have a need for any other saw. I guarantee it.

I have my father-in-laws old Stihl and it is still a pretty good saw. Of course it is over 20 years old. So we purchased a new one about 5 years ago and never looked back. I use it for firewood so it has to be a good saw and after 2 craftsman's that didn't last more than 2 years we decided we needed a good saw if we were going to cut our own firewood. So trust me buy a Stihl as there the only company that isn't owned by a congolermate like all the rest of the chainsaw companies out there. Go look at Poulan, Craftsman, Husqvarna, etc and tell me they don't look the same, that is because there all made by the same company now and they all suck.

Husqvarna was the most recent sell out to the conglomerate.

Buy a Stihl you won't be sorry.

Reply to
Dale Miller

Tractor Supply carries them in the US:

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I don't know about repair, though.

Reply to
Joe Makowiec

No harm done.

Sad to hear that. You can be sure everything will be cheapened up and they will ride the good reputation of the past as long as possible.

Reply to
Ed Pawlowski

Not too difficult to find up here in Western Canuckistan.

Reply to
Dave Balderstone

I use an Echo 14" for a rough and ready all around chain saw. House demolition to light tree falling. Brush work, carving....... Lightweight, inexpensive, one hand operation. A sharp chain is is important of course....Good fuel mix a must, little grease gun for bearing..... Saw cover for chain.....keep air filter clean...... And a chain file and handy small guide.....easy to keep prepped.

On the larger jobs, I use a Husqavarna. High powered, fast, and dangerous..... Not a home owners model either....They make 2 quality types..... professional that tree fallers use. Good cutting. john

I have infrequent need for a chainsaw and have a little McCullough electric that does OK. There are a couple of trees down in the back too remote for the electric and I'd like to have a gas saw to take advantage of found logs or limbs.

Since my use is infrequent, I don't want to invest too much. CL frequently has Poulans available. Here's an example:

formatting link

Any thoughts?

Larry

Reply to
jloomis

I would vote for Stihl also. I like to purchase 100% gasoline...not anythi ng with an ounce of ethanol in it. Others have good luck with Stabil or li ke additives. As posters above point out...drain the gas if used infrequent ly. I drain gas tanks on 2 stoke devices I can easily flip over...large 4 s trokes like mowers or tillers I put a cut off valve in the gas line and run them until they die from lack of fuel. Purists may point out starving an e ngine struggling to run is lean/harmful...no problems so far. All start on first pull with the addition of fresh fuel next time used.

Reply to
BillinGA

Tom, I have to agree with you on all counts. Except for Poulan. I'm in UK and have never heard of this make. I've used Stihl chainsaws for 35 years. My oldest one, a really useful 009, died yesterday. It has been on its last legs for some while but I will miss it nevertheless. Stihls have served me very well over the years and I look after my 4 saws. I'm somewhere in between a hobbyist and a pro. The wood burner takes some feeding and I have a fair bit of timber to attend to. Last week there were some tree surgeons working locally on a large weeping willow that had toppled following high winds and flooding. About 100ft high. Blocked a stream and a lane. Too big for me at my age and these guys came with a 130T capacity crane to assist! I got talking to one of the guys. He was using a Husqvarna with a 48" bar. He told me that he had stopped using Stihl as they, in his words, 'lost the plot some years ago when they started concentrating on saws for hobbyists'. Husqvarna have taken on the mantle and now produce excellent saws for both pro's and hobbyists. I think this a bit of a shame as Stihl led the market for years, but times change. Husqvarna now lead the field in pro saws through innovation. I don't think I'll ever need a new saw, if otherwise I will certainly look at what Husqvarna might have to offer. Good luck. Nick.

Reply to
Nick

"Mike Marlow" wrote in news:lefvfg$t4k$ snipped-for-privacy@dont-email.me:

*snip*

*snip*

I've seen devices that are supposed to "sharpen" a chain that mount on the saw and you run the chain through it. Do they actually work? Or are they like most "sharpeners" out there that take a dull edge and gives you something that actually cuts (but not well) or reshape the edge like a hone?

Puckdropper

Reply to
Puckdropper

Here's what I was thinking about:

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I thought there was also a version built into the saw. Looking at the website, though, it looks like one of those products that's a good idea but restricted to special products only offered by one company.

Puckdropper

Reply to
Puckdropper

forget it..... a file and a saw guide...... john

"Mike Marlow" wrote in news:lefvfg$t4k$ snipped-for-privacy@dont-email.me:

*snip*

*snip*

I've seen devices that are supposed to "sharpen" a chain that mount on the saw and you run the chain through it. Do they actually work? Or are they like most "sharpeners" out there that take a dull edge and gives you something that actually cuts (but not well) or reshape the edge like a hone?

Puckdropper

Reply to
jloomis

One of the biggest problems with end users in chainsaws is that they overthink the problem. I have a Crapsman chainsaw sharpener that has more adapter dials than a diamond cutting wheel. It takes ten minutes to just get the thing mounted, and that is if you are totally aware on how it works.

Most chains have an indicator groove that show which angle to hold the file at when filing. Any book will tell you which direction to stroke. Any book will have instructions on how to file down the nubbins on the chain.

Results: If you have a vise or a stump clamp, you can set up your saw, and sharpen it very well in about five minutes. It's all about the angles, and there are only a couple. The devices they sell with motors take off twice the amount of metal needed to sharpen a saw, and most people take off more than that, or take it off in the wrong place.

A simple round chainsaw file and a vise or stump clamp is all one needs to service a saw. What do you see those professional guys carrying around in their pocket? Not a bunch of contraptions. Just a file, and maybe a stump clamp. But minimalist gear, and they know how to use it.

Get the right gear, and learn how to use it. Get rid of the automatic gadgets, and learn how to do it right.

Steve

Reply to
SteveB

Have an 12V electric file takes me about ten minutes to do the 18" and

14" saws, about twenty minutes with a regular file. Also remember to mark the starting tooth otherwise it takes all day.

Mark

Reply to
Markem

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