Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Question about Stihl Chain Saws

No idea if they are the final word, but I do know with what they do, the saw running and cutting a firebreak could be life or death. Yep, you pay your money and take your chance. I'm just cutting firewood.

I'm done with them, cheap built and hard bitches if not impossible to start. New one is just a week old, hard starting from get go... now just flat won't start at all. Pulled out the old 360 Pro, it self nearly new but not run in years. Put fuel in it and bar oil, surprisingly it started right up... 10 minutes of work and that old twist-loc oil cap fell apart and dumped oil all over everywhere. At least that was changed to a screw in cap on the new saw. The new string trimmer isn't any better, seems to run strong but that damn bump-advance head is radicicolous. Nearly $300 for it, and will have to pay extra for a better head for it. Purchased it last week the same time as the new chain saw. My 15 year old $99 Troy-Bilt worked much better than any of this Stihl [bleep].


Phil

Finally put my new Stihl to real use. Ran several tanks of gas/oil through it yesterday felling, bucking up, limbing etc. I love it. So far so good. I will say though it's a bit more finicky than my old Stihl, as far as flooding. Threads about a month old, but for anybody still thinking about a Stihl I'm happy with mine.

BillyGoatGruff I am glad you like your new Stihl. I came within an inch of buying that saw in the past two weeks. In fact I was fondling it in the store just this morning.
$762 with the 25 inch bar. What a beautiful saw.

I want it but I don't need it. Because my 33 year old Stihl 039 just won't die! In the past 3 weeks I have given it a tune up, I changed the sprocket and cage bearing, thanks to some youtube videos, changed the spark plug. I also replaced the oil tank and gas tank caps. Yesterday it started leaking gas, I took it in to the shop this morning, it was leaking from a fuel line.
The gal at the shop said it was not the fuel line, but, it was the gas tank ventilation line. She pulled out some needlenose pliers and replaced it right there at the front desk while I watched. Took 3 minutes. This shop carries only original Stihl parts. This little hose is 2 inches long 1/8 inch diameter, cost 9 bucks.
So easy, a girl can fix it.
So, every 33 years, this is the kind of maintenance you can expect for the Stihl.
And my Stihl runs like a top, I just cut up a 16 inch ash tree this week and this saw went through it like a knife through butter.

My saw is not the pro line either it is just a high class "homeowner's" model. And I have used hell out of this saw including built 5 log cabins with it and cut mountains of firewood. And I have cut down hundreds of big trees blocking my view. This saw is so good, it is scary to think of how good the pro model that you just bought is.

Very interesting Bristoe. I see that battery powered saw is a pro model so it must be a badass.
I have crossed the RR tracks and gone over to electric on the lawnmower and weedeater. And I am very impressed. I just spent 2 hours weedeating some 3 foot high weeds and briars and it is unbelievable how that electric weedeater performed. At least as much power as the gasoline model, and, Praise God, it is quiet!

You all are making me want a battery powered weed eater

A couple years ago a guy was hard up selling his MS-310 and I was a few bucks ahead so I bought it..Dang,I love that little thing..With a sharp chain it is a wood eating machine..I do most of the falling with it because it so light compared to the 046 unless it is really big stuff, which there isn't much of that left around here anymore but lot's of lodgepole..Sweet little saw without any issues and it gets used and abused alot...

Used to fall for a living with a Husky but for firewood I prefer the Stihls

Kobalt 80V

Quiet

Powerful

Worked my way through high school and college doing residential tree work.

My go-to chainsaw was a pre-husky Jonsered. Forget the model but it was a moose. I'd keep a 20" bar on it until I needed to cut something large, then I'd put the long bar on it (over a yard, IIRC) and go to town. Yes, overkill with the 20" bar, but I loved the power and did not want to dull the long bar's chain on piddly stuff. The climbers like bitty Echo saws. They seemed like toys, but then I did not have to drag them up & down a tree.

Been away from the hardware so long and I only need a real saw every other year or so, given present circumstances. So I don't own a real chain saw, just a pole saw attachment for my weed whacker power head. If I need a real saw, I rent a 20" Makita from Home Despot and hand it back to them at the end of the day.

Have no idea what I would buy today if I needed a saw on a regular basis. Maybe see if I could get parts for older saws and buy a used Jonsered, Husky, or Stihl saw from pawn shop. Not afraid to tear into small motors.

I've been working an Echo 58V cordless chainsaw pretty hard for 3 years. If it ever dies, I'll probably get one of the Stihl 220Cs

The biggest tree I've taken down with the 58V Echo had a 22" trunk. I don't even think about it being a cordless electric saw. It's just a 16" chainsaw. They're so convenient to use that once you get used to one, you'll forget about gas powered saws.

I bet the Stihl 220C is a dandy. It better be for what they're asking for them.

Jonsered went out of business last month so parts may be hard to come by.