Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Chainsaw help

Thanks all for the comments.

Dillonbuck: You bring up a good point. The Poulan was adequate. However, I know that I'll be using it more after I retire. The Poulan has been used rarely. I need to do maybe a rick or less of firewood at a time and that may last multiple seasons. That is because I'm only heating the cabin for a couple months in the fall and spring during season and then leaving it sit empty during the coldest parts of the year. We'll be moving down there full time in a few years.

Was the Poulan adequate ? Yes and no. It sawed up a little firewood and cleared a few cedar trees.

I don't know all that much about chainsaws, because I haven't been needing them. In a year or two it'll be a regular part of my kit.

I had a Farm Boss and built 2 log cabins with it plus cut a lot of firewood. That is a great saw, get the 18 inch bar and you are set.
I lent that saw to a friend, he kept it a week. When Bud returned the saw, I cranked it up one day, it ran real fast for about 30 seconds and then, died. Dead.
Bud had fueled it up with straight gas, no oil. I am still trying to figure that one out. My ex-friend, Bud.
I still miss that saw.
Don't lend out your chain saw.

The 271 is kind of a pig, for what it is. All the weight of the 291, without as much grunt. The 250 is a much better feeling package for light felling and firewood use.

Don’t overlook the Echo cs490. Realy solid little saw, and built better (mag case) than the Stihl 271 or 250.


https://www.echo-usa.com/getattachment/2be94aef-3f91-4940-b26b-742eb18faccd/CS-490.pdf


https://www.arboristsite.com/community/threads/echo-cs490-vs-stihl-ms-250-or-ms-291.325239/

I'm cheap.......not a high use tool..........

Remington (MTD) from Amazon for $120........16"

I am in the camp of liking a longer bar. Don't have to bend over as much. I have an MS290 and have a 16 and 20 inch bar. Almost always use the 20 inch. I have used all the cheap brands Mac, Poulan,homelite and the first time I used a friends 290 I knew that was the one I wanted. It always starts and runs good and cuts good.

You are on the right track for your wood cutting needs going with a Stihl MS 271. I have smaller saws and bigger saws, but the 271 with a 18" bar gets the most use.

Interesting thread, I have an older Poulan. It runs well, but I know it is not adequate for real use. I will be retiring as well and will be cutting firewood and clearing deadfalls. The older Husqvarna's used to be very good, but don't know now. I have a gas trimmer, an Echo and it is rock solid. I would agree with others, a long bar is not a bad thing. Thinking an Echo or Stihl.

I have a Stihl 029 Farmboss with a 20” bar and have used it for about 15 years. A beast of a saw, but a heavy beast. As I aged and the saw put on weight, I bought a little Stihl MS180C with a 14” bar, which worked great but wasn’t up to heavy duty use in big logs. I traded it in on a Stihl MS 250 with a 16” bar and it’s great. Just keep the chain sharp.

I had a 14” Poulan for a while, and I used it hard. It just could not hang in there with the Farm Boss. I gave it away finally.

Just some thoughts, to assist in a happy saw purchase.

Don't get caught up on brand,
Buy at the bestest, localest dealer, buy a pro model.

Chisel chain cuts best, dulls fastest, harder to sharpen.
Round tooth, stays sharp longer, resists dulling by dirt/grit better,
sharpens a bit easier.

For an inexperienced operator, anti-kickback features in a chain enhance safety (for all really)
Most of those anti kickback features cause the chain to not cut as well.

^^^this^^^ I use to run a stihl 049 or sometimes an 064 (don't know what today's equivalents are) on the fireline and for firewood. The longer 25" bar makes a world of difference for the good and doesn't really add hardly any more weight to the saw.

Stihl is always the answer. IMO.

I’ve got a couple. The pawnshop 026 runs like a scalded ape.

A 270 that does good also.

Had a 361 until i ran bad gas and scorched the cylinder.

The 250 is a great saw and I’d choose it over the 271.

And always use non ethanol gas and Stihl HP Ultra oil.

MS261 would be my first choice, followed closely by an older 026 or 260 (either a rebuilt or a well-maintained example).

I have an Echo CS-590 "Timber Wolf" that I have owned for two years. It has a 20 inch bar but can take up to a 24 inch. It is an excellent and powerful saw (60 cc engine size) but may be more than you need with a power head weight of 13.2 pounds. I would reinforce the recommendations to look at the Echo CS-490 (50 cc engine size) with a 20 inch bar. It has a power head weight of 10.6 pounds. I am 69 years old and own 45 acres of timberland and have over 40 years of wildland and structure fire fighting experience.














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I have had the CS-590 for about 2-1/2 years and love mine. Always had 16" bars on my Stihls but the Echo came with a 20", now my 028 has a 20" as well, really helps with the lower back!

I use a MS250 (16" bar), Echo 501P (18"), Stihl MS290 (20") and Stihl 362M (20"). If cutting firewood wood all day, light powerheads are the name of the game. I like the MS250 but is the harder to start than the other Stihls I've used. When running well, it cuts above its size. However, its cantankerous at times.

After researching them all and looking for something in the 50cc class that had the lightest powerhead and easy to start, the Echo 501 won the prize. I've owned Echo products since 1986 and they never let me down. Stihl is a good product but they are pricey and there are saws out there just as good (or maybe even better).

I have a Husqvarna 55 Rancher 20" that I bought almost 20 years ago , it has cut literally a freight train load of firewood. That saw has been through hell. I can't wear it out & I can't kill it.

A few years later I bought a Husqvarna 340 16". It is a good little saw with good power for it's size but the shorter bar doesn't give me the reach of the 20''.

Last year after Hurricane Florence I bought a Stihl MS 250 18" , I'm not sure why. I find it a bit underpowered.

Push came to shove I could keep the 55 and throw the other 2 in the trash.


Mike

I have use of stihl ms250, 261 and 362 for work. The ms250 is light with pretty good power but more trouble to start sometimes. The ms261 is a my favorite. Great saw.

I’m needing a light 45-50cc saw myself and narrowed it down to a stihl ms241 or echo 501p. The echo 501p is the lightest 50cc on the market and has 20% more power than the older 490 plus it has many of the pro saw features.

Of course, Stihl and Husqvarna are regarded as the top of the line saws, and the others are usually ranked after that.
However, I have an Echo weedeater that is 21 years old, has never had any maintenance, and it runs like a top. Unbelievable, the ruggedness and reliability of this Echo tool.
I have heard a lot of good things about Echo tools and I bet the Echo chainsaw is a real nice saw.