I'm thinking about buying my father a new chainsaw to replace his worn out old Craftsman. I don't know anything about chainsaws to be honest, but I have gathered that Husqvarna and Stihl are two top contenders.
He has about 30 acres with a wooded creek running through it. He doesn't cut wood for burning anymore - so, this will really only be for occasional use. Trimming up here and there and taking care of the occasional broken branch. We had a severe ice storm this winter and there are still several broken limbs that need to be cleaned up.
I understand that dealer availability is a major factor for consideration. My dad actually has a friend that works on his current chainsaw and I think he can work on anything with a small motor. That said, Stihl has what looks like a decent lawn and garden shop as a dealer that is fairly close. The Husqvarna will have to be bought from Lowe's.
I'm thinking a 16 inch is probably about all he needs really. I went out to look at a few chainsaws today and I think 16 inches is a good size. I'm not sure what size motor he might need. He's in his late
60s, so no need to get anything bigger than necessary, but nice to have something adequate. I also question if one of the chainsaws with an easy start system might not be worth considering because of my father's age.I think I'm ready to pony up between $300 and $400 for a good chainsaw. Lowe's has the Husqvarna model 345 45cc chainsaw for $289 locally. To be honest - I didn't really like the flimsy feel of the choke on it:
Any suggestions would be appreciated. I ran a search of the newsgroups and didn't find anything very recent on the subject. I also question if the Husqvarnas have deteriorated in production quality in recent years? Are the Stihl and Husqvarna still equal in quality?