Chain saw

[Dead_Moose]

Well its time I bought a chain saw and was wondering what saw to buy. I'm looking to spend $150-200. I know craigs list has some good deals but I just dont want a used on that someone did god knows what to it(not enough oil in mix, used engine oil instead of 2 stroke ect). What should I look for and what should I avoid. I have heard that the tool-less chain tensioners are a bitch but poulan has an adapter for their saw to convert it to the screw type. whats everybodys thoughts.

Edit: I am going to use it for fire wood and the dead ash trees(20-25ft) around my property

 

[Frank The Tank]

My dad is a lineman.......... I'm a farmer (who does chainsaw carvings)

We both love and trust the good old Stihl. Simple to work on plenty of parts...... last forever.

But I generally run a poulan on the chainsaw carvings (because they have a sharper curve on the bar) it allows for tighter turn tolerences.


I do have some trouble with the chain developing slack...... but this is generally after having it chatter for 3 hours or so on the edge of some dry hard wood.


To me those are the only 2 brands I'd look at, but they are also the main two I have experience with (and good experiences at that)

if your starting a wood cutting business or something industrial I'd go stihl, if you have a bad shoulder and want a 2nd pull start everytime in a lighter saw I'd go poulan.

Keep in mind...... you are right about the hand tighteners being a pain (and backing off slightly more easily), but no more of a pain that hunting for your chainsaw wrench you forgot in your garage.

Frank

 

[Doom's Day Custom]

go with a poulan pro with abc in the engine or buy echo , i run both of them and love them both,first or second pull and they start right up...

 

[Ozwynn]

either Stihl, Husqavarna, or Oregon......... I know plenty of Loggers that use all 3 and have never had problems with them


I have one friend that uses his modified alcohol powered Husky in the Hot Saw competition in the Logger Olympics.

 

[JohnnyU]

I would not buy a Stihl made after 1979, but that's just a personal preference.

This is the saw that several of my buddies own, and the one that I'll probably end up with at some point:
http://www.poulanpro.com/node4030.aspx?nid=172171&pid=87490

 

[RustedRanger]

I talked to a guy the other day who uses chain saws in his business. He said to stay away from Poulan as he has burned up the motors on several when used much. I cant say from experience because when I have used a saw it was my dads or uncles Stihls and they seem to be good saws.

 

[Will]

Been heating with wood for 12 years. Not a lifetime, but long enough to have been frustrated by cheap chainsaws. Don't buy a Poulan or Poulan Pro unless you are using it for light and infrequent work. They don't last. I had a small green one and a big yellow one. The green one was old enough to not have a kick-back clutch. It still works but is a bear to start. The yellow one was a 295 20" bar. It lasted about 2 years and then went to pieces. It literally started falling apart. And then, suddenly, the plastic melted and the handle came off.

I replaced it with a Stihl MS310--made after 1979. But it's the best saw I've used. It starts right up, has huge power compared to the big Poulan and it's lasted for years without any trouble at all. It's much easier to service than the Poulan as well. I can't think of anything I don't like about it.

I saw a bunch of good saws at the pawnshop, all for under $200. If I had to do again I would be tempted to duck in there and get one and take it to a shop to have it gone through. 2-stroke motors have really low compression and very few moving parts and they can last a long time. There's plenty of old guys I have worked with using ancient all-metal saws that run like the dickens.

 

[robertc1024]

Stihl for lots of cutting - the one I've got is a farm boss and weighs a ton though. I'd go with Echo otherwise. I've had one for 10+ years and it has been a great saw and much lighter than the Stihl.

 

[country0001]

Not a fan of Poulan at all. Their weedeaters are ok. Husky is what I use to cut wood for my dad. I've used Stihls at a tree trimmin company I used to work for and I agree w the hard to start stuff.

 

[Chance]

either Stihl, Husqavarna, or Oregon.........

 

[triumphrider-1]

Poulan or Stihl. Husqavarnas look pretty good as well.

My family has had two Poulans in the last 25 years of burning wood. Still have the first one, but the replacement parts are getting trickier to find. The other is the Poulan "Wild Thing" 18" bar and 49cc motor, and isn't bad. We had to modifiy the housing around the carburetor so we couls get to the adjusting screws, but other than that its been a good saw so far (had it about 5 years now).

 

[LearjetMinako]

I have a Stihl MS210c that I have been using for the past 2 years. Adjustments are tooless and are easy to adjust on the fly. Thou when too much saw dirt builds up, then it can be a little hard to adjust. The EZ-pull on it is really nice. Don't have to yo-yo the dang pull cord. Just slowly pull the cord out to wind up a spring which turns the engine over when enough strenght is built up. I always run it with a full sythentic 2-storke mix (1:40~1:50) in it. With the Stihls bio-degradable bar oil. And it runs great everytime. This year, it will really get a work out. On the first week that we get a good freeze, I got 3 acres of land thats got a lot trees that need to be downed.

As for a Poulan. My dad has one or "had" one. It worked good when it did worked. It just got so used up, it would not start any more. Had to yo-yo the cord till you pulled a muscle. My dad gave it to me. As soon as I pulled the cord, I could feel that the engine had no more compression. So I bought the Stihl chainsaw to use instead of bothering with a worn-out one.

 

[scotts90ranger]

you can get used Stihl's in your price range easily, they are a better saw generally owners that buy a $400 saw know not to put straight gas in them... myself I just have the cheap brands, homelite and McCulloch but have worked on Poulans and stuff... if you want a new saw Poulan is fine but you will probably have to tune it when you fire it up, which is why you would burn it up... I worked on one for a guy that it was brand new but wouldn't start, just needed to be tuned. I got a poulan second hand for the engine once and it's like Will said, fell to pieces, but it looked like it led a rough life. pretty much any engine can be made to last a long time, but there are always some fliers...

if you get a used saw off of craigslist, take a small flashlight with you, have them take the spark plug out and look in the cylinder and look for scoring on the cylinder wall, sometimes the oil streaks can look like scoring but don't be worried by them, scoring usually happens near the exhaust port due to carabon build up, if it's all over it's from no oil usually... and have them fire it up for you

I've yet to pay more than $10 for a saw, just got my wheeling saw going, 12" Homelite XL, didn't have spark and was filthy, swapped coils from a weedeater (the saw used to have a point, now it doesn't), starts right up

 

[zukirider21]

after working at a small engine shop, ive found that the absoloute best ones out there are the early (magnesium case) stihls, homelites, and echos.

for the new, the huskys seem real nice.

steer clear of cheapo craftsman or poulan. complete junk, made in china.

 

[willievhook]

the only kinda saw the outfit i work for is Stihl...