Outdoor Power Equipment (Lawn Mowers, Snow Blowers, Chain Saws and more) Discussions

I know this is neither the season nor the OPE that comes to mind in the dead of winter but I am looking for advice on the purchase of my first chainsaw. Giving the thoroughness of the reviews of snowblowers, I believe the same expertise is there for other OPE's such as chainsaws. Looking for a chainsaw for home use that includes managing timber on my property and maintaining an adequate supply of firewood. No problem splitting the wood with a wedge and sledge. I understand Stihl is outsatnding quality and friends recommend that I get a 20 inch bade. I would expect to use the saw 2-4 times/year. Beyond that I'm looking to see what other say with respect to size, manufactures, model numbers, etc. Thanks in advance. Chris

Wrecked - To narrow the field, which saws are you currently looking at?

A 20" bar does not necessarily  indicate the power or performance of a chainsaw.  For cutting firewood, I prefer a 16" bar due to the safety factor of keeping the kickback area of the upper bar tip from contacting solid objects.

While I have Husky, Jonsered, Stihl & a collection of older Homelites, I prefer the Stihl's for any serious cutting, especially in hardwoods.  The Stihl chains are the most durable, in my opinion.

I have a Poulan 3400 Countervibe that I bought in the early '80s. Still starts and runs great and have had to do no repairs at all. I don't know however, if the quality of the brand has dropped off in the past 20 years.

Majorxlr8n wrote:

my first choice is still the 20"  on my saws (old poulan 3300 & stihl 026) it seems the 20 balances them better for me.  it gives me a bit more reach without bending quite so far. a fact my back thanks me for after several hours of cutting. in all honesty i have both 16 and 20 inch bars for both saws, & i keep a 16 on one and 20 on the other.  i like the 16 when cutting logs laying on the ground because particularly with timber under 12 inchs or so its easier to get the end of the 20 inch bar into the dirt dulling the chait. for anything over that or limbing a down tree i prefer the 20. A 16 inch bar & chain, will use a bit less horsepower although ive never noticed a lack of power on either saw going between 16 and 20. another advantage of the 20 inch with the longer chain  is there are a few more teeth so with every revolution of the chain the saw cuts a bit more and the chains seem to stay sharp a little longer.

What ever saw/bar combination you decide upon, pick the one that feels and balances best for you & to get the best performance learn how to sharpen  the chain properly. either with one of the file systems available or an electric sharpener (my preference) file the rakers occsionally checking with a raker guage,to maintain proper cutting depth of the saw teeth and keep the chain properly tensioned.

wrecked wrote:
There's never a wrong time to buy a chainsaw :)

Were i you, i'd go with a 16" or 18" bar.  20" is darn long when that sucker is spinnin around.  Also, it's easier to ground a longer bar than a shorter.  One of the nice things about a long bar though is the kickback zone of the bar will be further away from you(and what you are cutting) when you are cutting right up tight to the saw body. 

Now, just a few months ago, i too was looking for a saw for about the same amount of use you seem to have(but i don't have a fire place) and i ended up with a craftsman 18" 42cc saw for 200 bucks with tax.  So far, i've done alot of  limbing in the 4-8" range, i've dropped a pine, cut down a huge "tree bush" in our yard and processed it,  done limbing for friends and family (i second the note about not lending your saw to anyone- ever) and I have to say the lil bugger is a tough little saw!  I've prob got a little over 20 hours on it, and it's really nice to use.  It has a quick style chain tension adj that's neat to use once you get the hang of it, and it has anti vibe handles that make it a dream to use.  I would have liked to have gotton the same size stihl(def my fav saw) or husq or echo, but I couldn't afford it.  It was either use my cordless recip saw(which is quite handy for trimming high up) or buy the craftsman.  If i'm not mistaken, the craftsman chainsaws are made by poulan.

Thanks all for the advice. Its great to see the diverse esperience and the recommendations from the "school of hard knocks". I do want a saw that's easier to use and I'm concerned about the kickback and based on all the responses, an 18 inch bar should meet my needs. In addition, it seems that the anti vibe handle and overall balance are serious considerations. I'm somewhat surprised to hear that some of you have difficulty starting your saws. I imagine that the same fuel problems that plague snowblowers due to infrequent use also effects chainsaws. For two cyle oil I use Stihl that has preseervative incorporated into the mixture. If I plan to use the saw 2-4 times per year should I store it full or run it dry following each use? What other factors make chainsaws diffuicult to sart? I fully agree with not lending equipment and if one asks I offer to give that person a hand with the work. With chainsws you also have liability considerations because people do hurt themselves with the equipment more times than one would expect. Chris

Moreso than liability concerns, people that aren't used to them (or don't pay for them) tend to be stupid with chainsaws.  I wouldn't say my saw is hard to start per se, but if you don't follow the start procedure, it can get cranky.  They do alot of fancy stuff to the saw engines today with turbo air cleaners, and pressure relief valves and such, and when you are talking about a cold engine,  it starts to get absolutely critical that you have the perfect amount of gas and air ready to go.  No kidding, over or under priming my saw by as little as 1 bulb push can (and does) make all the difference.  I have never know chainsaws to be as easy starting as lawnmowers, snowblowers, powerwashers, string trimmers, etc.

Chris, Do you see the starting issue related to it being a two cycle engine as opposed to four or just the added complexity of the machinery? It appears to me to be the latter. My RedMax does start up quickly but it is sensitive to flooding if it is overprimed. How often do you use your saw and how is it stored between used? Using it a couple of times a year I can see myself draining iteach time but I do not know what is best. Chris

wrecked wrote:
I see it as a combination of both.  Lower stressed 2 cycle engines(at least what i see as lower stressed) in leaf blowers and weed wackers seem to always be easier to start than chainsaws-generally speaking, and seem more tolerant of overpriming, at least to me.  When i look at all the 2 cycle ope that i have used, the saws stand out as the cranky ones- especially the three stihls i've used.  One thing that i'm sure doesn't help are the "EPA" carbs that we have to deal with now.  When i store my saw for the winter, i squirt some 2 cycle oil down the plug hole and cranks it gently and then replace the plug.  that's it.  the Gas is stabalized (my premix has synthetic and has stabs added- i think most prob are that way)

2-cycle engines are sensitive to flooding. However, if you follow the standard operating instructions for starting, you never will flood the engine. Now as a engine gets old, the documentation becomes boges and you will have to learn your machine to the way it is. I think if you follow stihls starting instructions, that should work for most 2-cycle chainsaws

Solution...

Self starting...

No messy fuel mixing...

No chain replacing...








Dave...