Chainsaws....

[rusty ol ranger]

I need a new saw to cut wood to keep my dad heated at the old house.

My old McCulloch Timber bear needs some work, and while its been an amazing saw i ran for almost 30 years, its heavy, akward, and to much for what i cut.

I bought a Husquravana 455 rancher to replace the Timberbear back in 2012 or so IIRC, mainly cause of the hype, and honestly it was a piece of shit and ran 2 or 3 years till it broke a ring or something and i pushed the old mcculloch back into use. I still got it but id rather fix the mcculloch then this turd as the mcculloch had twice the power.

Im looking at the Stihl MS180. I know its not in the same heavy hitter class as the other two, but it should do anything i really need and the price is good.

But first off, never owning a stihl are they as good as people claim? And Secondly would i be further ahead fixing the old McCulloch?

 

[97RangerXLT]

I have a 20+ year old Poulan from Walmart. in those years I have had to replace the fuel lines because they disintegrated, but other than that it has been pretty reliable and decent for a lightweight occasional yard work saw.

AJ

 

[8thTon]

The plastic cased clamshell engine saws from Stihl are crap. They cost more because they have the Stihl name on them but are junk. I believe the MS180 has a non-adjustable carb, which should be a deal killer right there. Also Stihl threads the bar studs into the plastic housing which is dumb. Also they use an inboard clutch with a plastic case, which means it’s very easy to melt the case if you start it with the brake on and leave it on high idle.

The little Poulans have no anti-vibe, and they ruined smallest PoulanPro (42cc) models by changing to an inboard clutch too. That pushed the bar to the right and they saw is too big and clunky.

If you want small and light look at the little Echos, or the Ryobi 3714. Both probably have catalytic converter mufflers that will get hot, but that can be removed.

The small huskies are nice too, but you might not want one if you didn’t like the 455.

 

[Dirtman]

 

[19Walt93]

I used a Mc Culloch Promac 1010 from 82- 2005 and loved it, other than the weight and noise level. It needed(still needs) a bar and chain so I also bought a 455 Rancher because it was lighter and quieter but had a similar sized(52-55cc?) engine. It may be similar in displacement but you wouldn't know it to use it. I could rest the chain of the 1010 on a log at idle, squeeze the throttle and it would throw chips. If I do that with the Husky it bogs down and I have to lift it up, let it rev and then slowly let it into the log, even though the chain is 2/3 the width of the Mac chain. Being so narrow, the chain stretches once it heats up and needs to be tightened. If I was 20 years younger I'd buy a new bar and chain for the Mac but I'm not so I'll keep using the Husky(can't be a coincidence they named it after a dog) and complaining. One of my former techs worked for a few years as a logger and swears by Stihl, I wish I knew him before I bought the P.O.S. Husky.

 

[8thTon]

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Old McCulloch's are hard to find parts for FWIW.

I am an Echo dealer so I am kinda biased on new saws. CS-370 is our best selling "farm saw" I did drag an old Super EZ Homelite out from under my work bench that came with my place to see if I could get it going yesterday...

I used a Mc Culloch Promac 1010 from 82- 2005 and loved it, other than the weight and noise level. It needed(still needs) a bar and chain so I also bought a 455 Rancher because it was lighter and quieter but had a similar sized(52-55cc?) engine. It may be similar in displacement but you wouldn't know it to use it. I could rest the chain of the 1010 on a log at idle, squeeze the throttle and it would throw chips. If I do that with the Husky it bogs down and I have to lift it up, let it rev and then slowly let it into the log, even though the chain is 2/3 the width of the Mac chain. Being so narrow, the chain stretches once it heats up and needs to be tightened. If I was 20 years younger I'd buy a new bar and chain for the Mac but I'm not so I'll keep using the Husky(can't be a coincidence they named it after a dog) and complaining. One of my former techs worked for a few years as a logger and swears by Stihl, I wish I knew him before I bought the P.O.S. Husky.

You can get different chains for the newer saws too. What they come with and what you buy at Home Depot or whatever is anti kickback chain, they have extra bits to slow down the cut. Oregon (and I am sure others) also makes a more professional chain that doesn't have that and cuts much more aggressively. Oregon makes Echo chain so that is pretty much all I deal with.

They guys that heat with wood get the more aggressive chain and love them.

 

[Shran]

I have an MS-180... it's about 6-7 years old now I think. There are two variants, one has a spring loaded "easy start" rope and the other does not. Mine does not, I had one that did, and did not like it.

Two irritating things about the MS-180 and probably other similar Stihl saws: one, the non adjustable carb. It works great until it doesn't and then it does all sorts of weird shit. Fortunately, you can buy a Chinese carb off of eBay for about $10 that's adjustable and will make your saw run better than it did from the factory. This part really isn't a big deal.

The most irritating part about it is the chain. It's a weird size, it's not compatible with other saws because the chain gauge is thinner than most other saws, so you MUST run Stihl chains... Oregon doesn't make one last time I checked. The bar is also different because of the quick adjust tensioner so you can't just go buy an Oregon bar and chain combo.

For most people it's not a big deal, I was quite irritated at first because it means I can't just drop by TSC or Menards and pick up a chain. I have to buy the most expensive one from Ace.

All that said, it's been a good, reliable saw, and I will probably keep it indefinitely.

If you want a project, check out https://www.huztl.net/ ..... you can buy knockoff Stihl, Jonsered and Husqvarna saw "kits" and build your own. I put my Husky 372XP back together with their big bore kit and some other stuff... it was CHEAP and surprisingly good quality. That saw really rips.

 

[Curious Hound]

My husky needs work. Last shop I took it to didn’t do so great.

My new weed eater and blower are both professional model Stihls. I like them but have only had them almost two years.

 

[8thTon]

The 455 and the TimberBear/PM610 and 1010 macs all use the same full 3/8 chain, just different loop lengths due to the bars. I use a 72dl loop for a 455 on my Mac.

Also the MS180 has nothing in common with any Sthil used for logging.

 

[8thTon]

The most irritating part about it is the chain. It's a weird size, it's not compatible with other saws because the chain gauge is thinner than most other saws, so you MUST run Stihl chains... Oregon doesn't make one last time I checked. The bar is also different because of the quick adjust tensioner so you can't just go buy an Oregon bar and chain combo.

Oregon 90 is 0.043” chain that will work on your Stihl, although you may have to order it because Stihl intentionally uses unique lengths.

 

[91stranger]

I have a stihl ms250 and it's my go-to saw. Did a muffler mod on it and haven't had to do anything in 3 years. I love it. I put a full chisel chain on it and it rips through wood like nothing. Anything stihl is good from my past experiences. DO NOT BUY A POULAN, they are cheap, vibrating POS's that are meant for people who don't cut wood on a regular basis. have a poulan saw that is strictly for roots, stuff with nails, plastic, etc.

Why not just rebuild the 455 rancher? I just bought a jug/piston kit with a carb for $50 with Nikasil plating for my 55 (same thing as a 455 but a little older).

Just get the ms180 and enjoy a low maintenance saw. I would honestly spring for the bigger saw like the ms250 for the couple extra 50 bucks. It sounds like you are going to be cutting a lot of wood and this is a really good everyday all day saw. It weight .8 pounds heavier than the ms180 but has much more power.

 

[91stranger]

Just reading some of the other posts and I will say get the ms250. I heat with wood every winter and have put a lot of hours on this saw with literally NO ISSUES. Fires up every time. Also all the hype about stihl chains not fitting other saws is just stupid BS. I bought a full chisel chain for my stihl on ebay for a whopping $14. Yes, its a .325 chain which is not common but you are buying a chain for ONE saw, not one chain for multiple saws. Also the ms250 has adjustable carb like you would expect on a saw. I'd cut wood against anyone knocking a stihl and show them who's boss.

 

[Shran]

Oregon 90 is 0.043” chain that will work on your Stihl, although you may have to order it because Stihl intentionally uses unique lengths.

Good to know. I scored a few brand new Stihl chains at an estate sale so hopefully I'll be good for a few years. I don't mind buying the Stihl chains, they are kinda expensive at almost $20 a pop but they last a long time. It's just annoying that I can't get them everywhere.

I miss my old 011AVT. Shouldn't have sold it.

 

[8thTon]

I’ve heated with wood for probably 15 years, and have about a dozen saws - all of them modified from simple muffler mods to fully ported. Many of them are Poulans, although only ones with anti-vibe suspensions, and they all fly.

My dad gave me the defective MS250 he bought because it didn’t work right from new - but I fixed it and gave it back because it was overpriced crap built similar to my Poulans (the fuel lines did not fit and leaked). It’s light and runs fine, it’s just not as sturdy as my Poulans and not worth a penny more.

There is a ton of misinformation out there about saws, and I used to be involved with saw forums before I lost interest. People get real emotional about the topic and have such fierce brand loyalty they can’t seem to look at it as the cheap ope it is. Don’t pay a lot for brand name, they’re all built similar out of similar materials, using carbs made by Walbro or ZAMA (Stihl), and all have the same tuning and fuel system vulnerabilities.

If you want a saw to be reliable you must learn how to maintain and tune it yourself, and to sharpen a chain. If not you will be frustrated.