My cousin has 7 quarter sections that I bowhunt on. His son runs cows on 5 of them and is enrolled in a program to cut down all the western red cedar. He has a skid steer but the wife and I are going to help with the fence lines, plum thickets, cutbanks, etc. There are thousands of them from 16 inches tall to 16 inch trunks.
Pretty easy cutting and not in a race for time, (2 year program) just want to stay in good graces. Don't think I need a pro saw, used his 271 Farm Boss when I helped out the neighbor last year and think I could get by with less. When this is done it wont get used much till we get a place of our own so looking at homeowner level saws like the 211 or 250 to keep the price down. I know those are all Stihl, just what I'm familiar with. Not ever going to need it to cut firewood all day or even drop trees bigger than 16 inch diameter.
I work out of town 4 days a week and can't reply here till Friday but can read the threads. Open to all thoughts and suggestions, brands and advice. Certainly can't be worse than just googling reviews.
Stihl makes some good small saws. I have an 017 I think. I have a handful of saws. The 017 runs a 16 inch bar. They run specials on that saw. It’s a nice companion to a bigger saw also. Good luck!
While a pro saw may not be required for any one session of cutting, when you add them all up - will the home owner saw make it to the end?
Generally I'd want the saw that let's me pull a longer bar. Less stooping over to limb and buck. So for me - a bigger saw than maybe "technically" necessary.
I have 80ac and fight cedars always. Trying to clear large amounts of cedars by hand is crazy, especially if you work out of town. First you have to cut your way in because limbs grow all the way to the ground. Once you do this you have to deal with sap resulting in a dull chain. If you are cutting flush, to the ground, the chain won’t last long before your get into dirt.
If you have a skid steer, rent a tree saw or clipper and a grapple.
372xp I’ve had the jonsored 2172 equivalent for a lot of years and it’s been perfect for my use. Have 3 husqvarna cut off saws and since switching from Stihl I’d never go back.
372xp I’ve had the jonsored 2172 equivalent for a lot of years and it’s been perfect for my use. Have 3 husqvarna cut off saws and since switching from Stihl I’d never go back.
My only complaint with my Stihls is hard to start. I have a little 14 inch Echo pro saw that starts easy.
I have 80ac and fight cedars always. Trying to clear large amounts of cedars by hand is crazy, especially if you work out of town. First you have to cut your way in because limbs grow all the way to the ground. Once you do this you have to deal with sap resulting in a dull chain. If you are cutting flush, to the ground, the chain won’t last long before your get into dirt.
If you have a skid steer, rent a tree saw or clipper and a grapple.
I have 20 acres of cedar and ash. The emerald ash borers are taking care of the ash but them damn cedars pop up where the ash die off. It's only me and I have back issues so bending over and running a chain saw is about one hour only and I'm done. I need to rent one of those skid steers with a cutter just to stay up with the darn things then burn the pasture every 4 years to keep them down.
2 half sections and 3 quarters all separated by a mile or so each, we call them by nicknames of who homesteaded there so I think of them as 7 quarter sections.
Weims , I have cut enough of them to know what you say is truth, we went through a bunch of chains. Looking for the happy median between weight and enough power. Also want a saw when it's over with too.
If you have a good dealer Stihl dealer look at a 261c. Light powerful and fast. Are a little different to run as after you first start in the morning you need to let it idle for 20-30 seconds to set the carb. After that runs as normal saw. I have two of them and we clear many miles of trail every year and then cut fire wood.
Buy a Stihl MS 250 or its equilavent, I cut brush out of fencerows all winter long. Good power,easy to handle and it dont break the bank when something happens to it.Buy a couple extra chains and get to work.
I have 80ac and fight cedars always. Trying to clear large amounts of cedars by hand is crazy, especially if you work out of town. First you have to cut your way in because limbs grow all the way to the ground. Once you do this you have to deal with sap resulting in a dull chain. If you are cutting flush, to the ground, the chain won’t last long before your get into dirt.
If you have a skid steer, rent a tree saw or clipper and a grapple.
Sure, for the big ones, you’ll need a real chainsaw.
For the 1”-3” stuff, I’d MUCH rather be using a bicycle-handled brush cutter (weedeater), with a circular saw style blade. For 4”-8” stuff, a pole saw, and then deal with any stump remnant using the chainsaw.
As mentioned earlier, the problem cutting cedars/junipers by hand, is that you have to FIGHT your way in, since they have branches down to the ground. Nasty/itchy work. Spend the money on some good goggles and some quality knee pads.
I like the Echo CS-310 with a 14 inch bar. Its light, powerful and I'd bet $200 it starts within 3 pulls next time I use it. The primer bulb and choke lever are easy to use as is the toggle on/off switch.
I have three Stills and like them just fine. Not a big fan of the controls.
The Echo has cleared cedars down low and cleared many a trail in complex multi tree scenarios. The MS290 would have been a better choice for those big trees but the Echo did just fine and I could cut longer without needing to take a break.
Echo 4910 is a great medium sized saw with plenty of power. Doesn't feel much heavier than the 310,325,3510 series. Was a steal at $289 when I bought mine last year but look to be around $350 now.
In 40 years of homeowner/farm use, I have never needed to take a saw to a shop for service. Redmax (pre-Husqvarna) Echo and even a few Craftsman picked up for free at garage sales. Only issues have been replacing fuel lines after 30 years and worn bars/sprockets.
I have a Stihl 260 and a 270 have had them for over 26 years I usually cut 7 full coreds to heat the house every winter for the past 15 year 2 houses and cutting a lot of trees on 330 acres....always have the 260 on the 4 wheeler or snowmobile if theres been a storm to cut any fallen trees.....
Heading out the door have a 60'+ maple that need cutting down and is leaning towards the house also has a bad rotten spot also a 60'+ white oak thats dyeing from a lighting strike and don't want it to fall on the tool shed....my Great father planted the trees back around 1846 it a shame to cut them down but safety is more important.....
The Echo Timberwolf with the 24” bar would be tough to beat
The Wolf is a good saw. Starts easier than any other saw I've owned.
But, I never run it anymore, but, rather grab my 26 year old Husky 55. The 55 is lighter and has more bottom-end grunt. Runs noticeably faster in the cut, too.
Husky 550XP is a 55 cube saw with the same horsepower as the 60 cube Echo, but at almost 1.5 pounds less weight. And the Husky will be a much faster revving, faster cutting saw.
My cousin has 7 quarter sections that I bowhunt on. His son runs cows on 5 of them and is enrolled in a program to cut down all the western red cedar. He has a skid steer but the wife and I are going to help with the fence lines, plum thickets, cutbanks, etc. There are thousands of them from 16 inches tall to 16 inch trunks.
Pretty easy cutting and not in a race for time, (2 year program) just want to stay in good graces. Don't think I need a pro saw, used his 271 Farm Boss when I helped out the neighbor last year and think I could get by with less. When this is done it wont get used much till we get a place of our own so looking at homeowner level saws like the 211 or 250 to keep the price down. I know those are all Stihl, just what I'm familiar with. Not ever going to need it to cut firewood all day or even drop trees bigger than 16 inch diameter.
I work out of town 4 days a week and can't reply here till Friday but can read the threads. Open to all thoughts and suggestions, brands and advice. Certainly can't be worse than just googling reviews.
Thanks in advance
Chainsaw? Too much work if the timber is of no value.
Why not just get a forestry mulcher for his skid steer?
Don't remember the model number, but my youngest bought a Stihl back during the 2021 "Deep Freeze". Cut up a cord of wood with it. Over the next two years, the saw has set up for months at a time. I've picked it up, gassed it, primed it and had it running with 3 or 4 pulls. NOTE: the kid runs nothing but the canned pre-mix!
I've never owned a chainsaw with more than a 16" bar. You can take down "HUGE" tree with a 16" bar if the saw is worth beans!
I like chainsaws even though I don’t cut down many trees. Maybe a pine tree or two every now and then. Pine trees in East Texas Lake Sam Rayburn Country are not in short supply. We have some big ones too. 291 Stihl is a good saw for non professional, I think it’s a 60cc saw. Also have a Echo, can’t recall the model, pretty sure it’s a 55cc saw. It’s a good saw too. Efco is a dang good saw but not many dealers. I bought a new Efco with a 14 inch bar on eBay a few years ago for cheap under 200 bucks shipped. It’s a good easy staring saw too.
I’d rather get a saw from a saw shop but an Echo can be bought from Home Depot if that’s all that’s around. Everything Echo I’ve ever bought has been good. Even if it did come from Home Depot.
With any sort of density at all, one should invest in some heavy equipment with a cutter. Someone should follow up though, as any remaining ground level limbs will sustain the plant.
Another good option for control is fire, if there are enough fine fuels to support a continuous burn.
Every year we get this question. My answer is dont make the first mistake . If you have that much cutting, get the pro saws cause they are lighter and a bit more power. Lighter is very likely safer , especially later in the day. More power means you will get a little more work down per hr. . I never could figure why so many are so bent on saving $200 on a home owner saw compared to a pro saw. The parts are likely better quality anyway . I have A Stihl 026. Feels like the Stihl 261 but the 261 has 15% more power. A Stihl 261 is $700 now days... But wait,, mine is 24 yrs. old . My 034 was may main saw for 25 yrs. Bought new 32 yrs. ago and been in the shop twice. Once under warranty. I have an Echo 620P... REAL grunty saw and powerfull. I think it is a bit too much for small cedar. I have an ECHO 501P . I think it would be perfect for your job. It runs about $525?. You can get the home owner saw ( 4910) Dont get the 490 , it has 17% less power. The Stihl 261 is a better saw than the Echo 501P despite it being $150 to $200 more than the Echo 501P. The reason is, the Stihl is more advanced with carburation and has a better bar that will last much longer than the Chinese Echo bar. My vote is a Stihl 261 AND an Echo 501P.. The reason is , you WILL get your bars stuck almost every day and will need another saw . Your total price will be about $1,200 . Or you could go with a smaller Stihl for 2" branches , and then you can switch bars cause both will be .325 chains. The saws will last most of your life . I have been hearing that Echo repair bills are higher than Stihl however, and Stihl is everywhere. Not that I care.
Homeowner Farm/Ranch Sort of pro (not sure what it called. Pro saw parts, detuned) Pro saw.
You don't want to be in Homeowner. Clamshell cases, often plastic.
Farm/Ranch gets you into something that's not junk. 60cc or less, aluminum case. Heavy for displacement.
Sort of. Magnesium case, lighter than the above. Usually 60-70cc, deluded. Not as fast as a pro saw, more torque great place for casual users.
Pro saw. Light for displacement 30cc-120cc. Usually fast, less torque. Especially Husky and Dolmar. They like to run!
Recently bought a Husky 543xp for yard use. A discontinued, discounted model. $200 off, why I bought it! Never really ran many small or anything not pro, this little guy has blown my mind. I find myself grabbing it instead of my 372 for a lot of stuff.
50cc or under? Go pro. It will be lighter, faster, more torque, last longer.
60cc? Sort of pro. Lighter, stronger, last longer, better features.
60cc is plenty for your use.
Husky 550xp or Stihl 262cm would be my suggestion. Both have electronic carbs, read the darn directions and follow them. Those setups work great, if properly used.
(Just searched. 543s are mid $500 everywhere. Mine was mid $300. They aren't worth $550 compared to other offerings)
Get two 170 Stihl’s and several chains. Doesn’t sound like you are cutting anything big If you are go to 261
My thinning saw is Stihl 261. Love it.
We just threw a bunch of trees where we are going to put up a building. To avoid them ever falling. Some we just threw.
For firewood I usually throw them with a ported 044/046……while I’m hooking up to the big end my buddy cuts off he small stuff with a ported 150T(which he laughed at till he used it) I tow it to a flat spot for cutting up alter. He cleans the brush up with a skid steer……then We do it again
I have everything from a little Echo 35cc 3510 all the way to a 65cc Husky 365 with 28" bar. For clearing brush and small trees the little Echo is great. Anything bigger than 6" diamter on a regular basis and I'm grabbing the MS260, Echo 490 or Husky 359. If it were me and I needed a do-all smaller saw, I'd likely find a leftover or lightly used Echo 4910 for under $250 and run an 18-20" bar. These are older tech without stratocharging but are likley the lightest 50cc saw you wiill find. The mentioned Husky 543 would probably do it all for you but unless you find one one clearance or a good deal on the Redmax version they are overpriced as they are made by Zenoah. There's a clone version on Amazon I have been real tempted to get for $140 but I'm not certain if all the parts would interchange for future needs, plus Husky is abondoning the 543 and not sure how many parts would be available. Echo CS-400 is another great saw but getting close to 50cc weight.
Buy the pro saw. They make some that aren't 24" bars. Everything about them is better. Last year I got a Husky 562XP. It's more than I need but it will handle it all. My other saw is a Stihl 250 that will handle the tiny stuff.
Buy the pro saw. They make some that aren't 24" bars. Everything about them is better. Last year I got a Husky 562XP. It's more than I need but it will handle it all. My other saw is a Stihl 250 that will handle the tiny stuff.
I don’t understand the big deal with a longer bar. Maybe it’s just background, I much prefer a 24” bar on a saw with the balls to run one.
They save your back, keep kickback away from your face, extra reach is never bad,”.
Buy the pro saw. They make some that aren't 24" bars. Everything about them is better. Last year I got a Husky 562XP. It's more than I need but it will handle it all. My other saw is a Stihl 250 that will handle the tiny stuff.
I don’t understand the big deal with a longer bar. Maybe it’s just background, I much prefer a 24” bar on a saw with the balls to run one.
They save your back, keep kickback away from your face, extra reach is never bad,”.
Exactly why I'd want one. Short bars put your face right over the work and you're hunched over like an old maid.
I clear a good bit of roads and fence lines every year. Smaller saws are ok for a few trees, but if I"m cutting a lot ill grab a larger saw everytime. A good saw will last a long time.
Had an eager beaver in the early 80s. Piece of crap saw. Had to yank on it about 50 times to get it going. When my old man moved and his stuff went to storage. The movers stole it.
3 10-10s down in the shed. Could have 2 of them running in a few minutes if the diaphragms haven't went hard. Great saws for their day,the 60s. Unfortunately Mac was selling them into the 80s.
Strong and reliable. Heavy, slow, loudest saws I've ever heard as from the factory.
Their attempt at 80s relevancy was the 800 or 850. Awesome saws, a match for anything of the time. Unfortunately whoever chromed their cylinders did a crappy job. Dad had an 800 and loved it. It blew up under warranty, they put a jug on it. Blew up again about a year later. (Cutting wood for 3 families. A lot, but not much of a pro saws life)
Ahhhh yessss. Another “chainsaw thread”, and the answer, as always, is, “$700 Stihl”. You need a $700 Stihl to take down trash juniper/cedar, followed closely by “$680 Husqvarna”, with honorable mention going to “really heavy $400 Echo 490”.
I’ll give the right answers, again.
1) Bicycle handled brush cutter 2) power pole saw 3) LIGHTWEIGHT limbing saw with lots of chains
Or
4) Name of a qualified Orthopedic surgeon who does knee surgeries AND rotator cuff repair (after you’ve gotten up/down for the 3000th time trying to cut down small trees with a 12-15lb saw that you’ve had to pull start each time).
Just buy whatever the local crackhead is selling on Marketplace this week. Run it till it scatters and repeat. Then you'll know what you want when you're done.
Ahhhh yessss. Another “chainsaw thread”, and the answer, as always, is, “$700 Stihl”. You need a $700 Stihl to take down trash juniper/cedar, followed closely by “$680 Husqvarna”, with honorable mention going to “really heavy $400 Echo 490”.
I’ll give the right answers, again.
1) Bicycle handled brush cutter 2) power pole saw 3) LIGHTWEIGHT limbing saw with lots of chains
Or
4) Name of a qualified Orthopedic surgeon who does knee surgeries AND rotator cuff repair (after you’ve gotten up/down for the 3000th time trying to cut down small trees with a 12-15lb saw that you’ve had to pull start each time).
Good times…
Originally Posted by Glynn
My cousin has 7 quarter sections that I bowhunt on. His son runs cows on 5 of them and is enrolled in a program to cut down all the western red cedar. He has a skid steer but the wife and I are going to help with the fence lines, plum thickets, cutbanks, etc. There are thousands of them from 16 inches tall to 16 inch trunks.
You likely need both a saw and a brush cutter. He's talking about clearing trees up to 16 inches in diameter over 300 acres. (assuming no clearing on the 1.25 sections they run cows on already)
You're not clearing 1/2 a section of cedar trees with diameters to 16 inches with a bicycle brush cutter. The Echo brush cutter is a 10 inch cut and costs 700 bucks itself.
So I need a 700 dollar echo brush cutter but not a 700 dollar chainsaw is "expensive"?
The right answer is actually a Ponsse but if a $700 Stihl is "expensive and unneeded" , adding 3 zeros to the price before the decimal probably don't work either.
old still saws are a great and cheap to work on, easy also. I like my 029 but seemed heavy for what it supplied power wise. swapped in an 039 long bock and I love it. im in small hardwood timber and use it OCCASIONALLY. the echos have a cult following and my brother has one, don't remember the model but I do know it is a well revered in the echo community as we have discussed it often, that thing is a turd. I told him so, and handed him my saw. Showed him so. He feels the echo community is full of [bleep]. pro saws from stihl or husky are worth the money imo. weight, power, durability, engineering, is all better. I would not own a saw smaller than 64cc unless it was a top handle.
My cousin has 7 quarter sections that I bowhunt on. His son runs cows on 5 of them and is enrolled in a program to cut down all the western red cedar. He has a skid steer but the wife and I are going to help with the fence lines, plum thickets, cutbanks, etc. There are thousands of them from 16 inches tall to 16 inch trunks.
Pretty easy cutting and not in a race for time, (2 year program) just want to stay in good graces. Don't think I need a pro saw, used his 271 Farm Boss when I helped out the neighbor last year and think I could get by with less. When this is done it wont get used much till we get a place of our own so looking at homeowner level saws like the 211 or 250 to keep the price down. I know those are all Stihl, just what I'm familiar with. Not ever going to need it to cut firewood all day or even drop trees bigger than 16 inch diameter.
I work out of town 4 days a week and can't reply here till Friday but can read the threads. Open to all thoughts and suggestions, brands and advice. Certainly can't be worse than just googling reviews.
Thanks in advance
Something like a Stihl MS231 or Husqvarna E-series 440 is all you need. Even the older Husqvarna 340 or 345 were good saws for light work
Buy the pro saw. They make some that aren't 24" bars. Everything about them is better. Last year I got a Husky 562XP. It's more than I need but it will handle it all. My other saw is a Stihl 250 that will handle the tiny stuff.
I don’t understand the big deal with a longer bar. Maybe it’s just background, I much prefer a 24” bar on a saw with the balls to run one.
They save your back, keep kickback away from your face, extra reach is never bad,”.
I don't either but he said he didn't want one. The longer bar is nice IMO.
Had an eager beaver in the early 80s. Piece of crap saw. Had to yank on it about 50 times to get it going. When my old man moved and his stuff went to storage. The movers stole it.
haha, good luck with that pos
Hahaha. That was the first saw I ever had. Got it when I was 15. It was good for clearing shooting lanes and trees for deer stands if you could ever get it started. It weighed about 1.5 pounds. lol I cut my had so many times on the stupid choke lever that I lost count. POS is right. I don't know what ever happened to it.
My cousin has 7 quarter sections that I bowhunt on. His son runs cows on 5 of them and is enrolled in a program to cut down all the western red cedar. He has a skid steer but the wife and I are going to help with the fence lines, plum thickets, cutbanks, etc. There are thousands of them from 16 inches tall to 16 inch trunks.
Pretty easy cutting and not in a race for time, (2 year program) just want to stay in good graces. Don't think I need a pro saw, used his 271 Farm Boss when I helped out the neighbor last year and think I could get by with less. When this is done it wont get used much till we get a place of our own so looking at homeowner level saws like the 211 or 250 to keep the price down. I know those are all Stihl, just what I'm familiar with. Not ever going to need it to cut firewood all day or even drop trees bigger than 16 inch diameter.
I work out of town 4 days a week and can't reply here till Friday but can read the threads. Open to all thoughts and suggestions, brands and advice. Certainly can't be worse than just googling reviews.
Thanks in advance
Chainsaw? Too much work if the timber is of no value.
Why not just get a forestry mulcher for his skid steer?
A mulcher is a great idea, especially for cedars with limbs to the ground. We used one a couple of years ago and took down some pretty big aspen.
Around here you can rent the attachment, you will still need a saw, I bought a "wind-up" Stihl around the same time, I forget the exact displacement... 16" bar, starts easy once you get the hang of it, easy on fuel, pretty quiet (for a 2 stroke) and minimal vibration.
Quite unlike my old blue Homelite XL, which starts good and cuts like a banshee for its size.
Pretty sure the 455 used to be available here. Maybe not anymore.
Blows my mind how many saws Husky has built in the 45-55cc range. Some simultaneously.
445, 455, 346, 350, 353. Then add in the almost 60cc saws. 357, 359, 460.....
With the smaller pro saws out performing and costing more than the bigger consumer versions. I understand consumer/farm/pro lines. But often they share chassis, sometimes everything but the porting. Just can't imagine they couldn't delete models, then sell the top saws cheaper due to simplicity savings and increased production of better models. And make more doing it.
To cut cedar, autumn olives and other small to medium shrubs and trees I purchased a Stihl clearing saw to go along with the Stihl MS260 chainsaw I already owned. The clearing saw I bought was the largest they made at the time, I think it is a 550 series saw, and that thing is a brute. It will cut up to about 3" saplings and shrubs with one sweep and cut 4" stuff with a couple of sweeps. You can do a lot of work with that thing.
Approaching 73yo I now leave that big clearing saw work to my sons. You need to be a young stout dude to handle that thing for any length of time.
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