Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Best chainsaw?

Have you forgotten already???

John Wayne movies have turned your brain into styrofoam.

10,000 miles on Mobil 1 but change the filter weekly!

Oh, wait, wrong thread. Damn!


Jerry

20 years in, my husquavarna is running like a top. I burn a woodstove as primary heat. I ran that saw like a rented mule too. Husky with stihl chain

Got to go with the Stihl. Huskeys are fine too, but don't balance well for me. Fell timber in my earlier days. We don't play with those little 24 inch bars though. 32-36 inch bar depending on how tall you are, were the norm. The great Pacific Northwest used to have some nice timber and sawmills. Now more tree farms and wood processing plants.

Stihl 036 Pro running as well as the day I bought it in the Spring of 2000. But since I need a backup for everything I own :-) I bought a Stihl MS 261 C-M in the fall of 2018. That is another fine saw.

We had a brand new Husky freeze up in cold weather, not Stihl's.

Years ago, when I started heating my house with wood and needed a saw, I bought an older used Husky 266 SE from a friend and it served me well for a number of years. I no longer heat with wood and the saw hasn't been touched in over 15 years but had a need recently to get it going again. I assumed it would need to go into the shop for a work over so my wife told me to just buy a new saw. I was fired up about a new saw so started looking at Husky and Stihl which seem to be the preferred saws around here. I then got a wild hair, cleaned up the old saw and mixed up a fresh batch of fuel and tried to start it. It took a bit of effort, but finally started and seemed to run fine. I bought a couple of new chains, cleared some deadfall off our land and cut a couple truck loads of fire wood. That old saw ran and cut great - as good or better than it did years ago when I was using it regularily. I was kind of disappointed about not getting a new saw but other than being heavy, this old Husky is flawless.

I have no idea what the best chainsaw is, but I'm keeping the one I got...

Looks like he's got the 'Husky' work done and is grinning because his buddy with the Stihl is coming to finish the log.

Do you self a favor and ask the sales guys about the chain size (WIDTH).... and learn that first.

The smallest width chains don’t do anything - the cheapest Stihl saw and pole saws tend to use those and are NOT for volume cutting...
Then you have the 2 bigger sizes - the largest of which is for trunks and main branches.

A Stihl 261 or 270 class machine is a good all around trim up or saw your wife can use, but too small for cutting a big big tree trunks- it can be done, but it will take so long you’ll want a bigger saw.

A 362/361 is the smallest saw that uses the wider chain size, and they can tear through a 3-4 foot diameter trunk with ease. this is the saw most of the power companies run around with to section big limbs that take down lines. This is the classic Farm boss type of saw..

If you want to go nutz get a 441 / 442 Stihl - this is the dude they use to cut a stump at ground level... heavy SOB.. and it’s generally the only time they use it.

Find one made in China. Loan it to your neighbors. They won't bother you much later on.

A Husky 372xp is a legend. Oregon chain with a Stihl file. The Stihl file for Oregon 3/8 chain is 0.1mm smaller diameter. The chain cutter style is based on what species of wood you cut and the methods used to harvest. In the great white north the semi-chisel is the best for me. All the wood is skidded to the processing location. This hard on chains, (dirty wood), but good on backs.

Used to recommend Dolmar then Stihl. Now I start with Stihl and maybe Husqvarna. The rest aren't on my lists anymore.

Once you go ECHO you'll never go back. Recovering STIHLaholic. Stihl is good but Echo will out cut them pound for pound.

Stihl (husky, Jonsered) dolmar

I use Stihls at work all the time.
Great saws, but heavy as a sack of bricks.
For everything but the most industrial logging, I prefer a Echo....hands down.
Way lighter, easier starting and super maneuverable.
YMMV.

What I really need to know is which ones of the saw companies are on the Official Anti-Communist Campfire Boycott List.

I'd hate to buy a (insert saw brand here) only to find out it was on the schiedt list.

Geno

PS I just got off the seance line with Field Grade...................he says get a Stihl.

I have a big Stihl 066 with a 36" bar, but it's a bear to start, and heavy as hell. Now I buy the professional grade Huskys. They can sit over the Summer filled with Ethanol pump gas, and still start on the 1st or 2nd pull in the Fall.

I’ve been pretty happy with Stihl, I ran an 026 for 23 years then went to a MS361 several years ago if you don’t mind the extra weight the 361/362 is a cutting machine! I also have a bigger Makita/Dolmar saw that has been a great running saw.

Every major manufacturer has winners and losers in their lineup, so not a one size fits all. As a rule, f you buy a professional model from any maker it will be a good saw. Husqvarna particularly has had issues with their autotune saws though. They seem to have gotten the kinks out after a few years.

Best bang for the buck is undoubtedly the Echo CS 590 which can be found new for $375 or so. Be warned though, Echo saws are tuned too lean from the factory. A proper tune and if you are up to it, simple muffler mod works wonders on them for power and durability.