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- - Which chainsaw? (http://goldismoney.info/forums/showthread.php?t=62454)

Quixote2 | 09-10-2006 10:57 PM
Which chainsaw? I have a Homelite saw I bought at Costco 4-5 years ago and I am not very impressed with it. As usual, the automatic oiler quit oiling about the third day. It needs a new bar and chain, the clutch smokes if you push it. I will probably fix it up as a backup saw but, "What is a good chain saw to have if the hard times come and I have to cut more than the incidental wood cutting I am doing now"?

Bugle | 09-10-2006 11:29 PM
Re: Which chainsaw? Chainsaw carving is one of my hobbies. I use stihls. I have 7 of them. Most are good units. 029 is good. 009 is the smallest great little saws. Not very impressed with the 031 though. Always use ear, eye, and leg protection. Read the instructions and be careful at all times. Chainsaw cuts are nasty.

SilverSatan | 09-10-2006 11:35 PM
Re: Which chainsaw? if you bought it at costco,take it back for a refund stihl is the best brand. or you could buy whatever chainsaw walmart sells, use it 30 days and take it back

Curtman | 09-10-2006 11:49 PM
Re: Which chainsaw? Stihl or Husqvarna

electric-amish | 09-11-2006 12:14 AM
Re: Which chainsaw? I bought a Stihl last year nothing but good to say about it. My cousin bought a Husky great also. Husky seems better for big saws as Stihl small and mediums seem best. Curtman has most experience as I think he Lumber Jacked for a while. E-A

Waylon | 09-11-2006 12:31 AM
Re: Which chainsaw? Quote:
Stihl or Husqvarna
Ditto! My brother worked for Co-Op rebuilding small engines. He said if bought something other than these two models, he would be surprised if it lasted a week under normal working conditions.

Ragnarok | 09-11-2006 12:37 AM
Re: Which chainsaw? FWIW, Though not used for cutting, at a Halloween oudoor scare venue we had a chainsaw-wielding "Jason" in a cornfield maze, and to get maximum inpact we had to have a chainsaw that would start every time without fail on the first pull, thousands of times, once for each person/group that went through the maze during the several weeks long run of the event. None proved to be as reliable or held up as well as the Stihl for starting when one really needed it to. I don't know which model it was.

mtnman | 09-11-2006 12:55 AM
Re: Which chainsaw? Around here all the loggers use Husqvarna. I have been using a Husky for about 7 years to cut four cords of firewood a year. Never had any problems

AMforPM | 09-11-2006 01:03 AM
Re: Which chainsaw? I love this forum for this kind of thing. Here in town I have not needed one, but I will want a good small one for firewood in the next year or so, and for cutting down, and apart, fruit trees being replaced and trimming the nut trees and cutting up the trimmings to use for firewood. Now I will get a small Stihl.

DrillAndFill | 09-11-2006 03:45 AM
Re: Which chainsaw? Definitely Stihl. Get something you can use with one hand, in case you need your other arm for defensive purposes, for wielding, say, a ball-peen hammer. Learn the limits of your swing radius when wielding the thing -- getting stuck in an overhead beam on a downward blow is a major embarrasment in an indoor confrontation. I have had no problems since I switched. Most saws will handle wood well enough, but hair, clothing, and tendons will test the integrity of a sub-par device. Pre-congealed, still-warm fluids will also do a number on those parts which should stay consistently lubricated.

RiverRat | 09-11-2006 09:49 AM
Re: Which chainsaw? :D The older Swedish built Huskys are tanks..............extremely well built saws.The new ones ?.....hmmmm not so keen on them. Think they got bought by Poulan which is owned by Electrolux now.......read that somewhere a few months back.If that's true they will no longer be built in Sweden.So there goes the neighborhood....... Stihl has good models and bad models..........my 028 is 20 years old and still runs great.They are mucho reliable overall as a brand to trust if you get the heavy commercial models......do some careful model shopping. One overlooked brand is Echo.......very well built saws that hold up as well as most Stihls..........some professional arborists and treecutters I know swear by them......tough saws...... Poulans are built for homeowners..............never saw one that didn't break down after heavy use..........ran through a couple before I finally broke down and bought a Stihl........... McCulloch is bye,bye................pretty soon replacement parts will be totally unobtainable...... If you're going to buy a reliable homestead saw that will last for years...... Stihl is your best bet..........expensive,but they are hard to beat for reliability. :D :D

stranger | 09-11-2006 10:31 AM
Re: Which chainsaw? Stihl is your best bet. Only complaint I've ever had is cold starting. Got an 026 and 029 that run like champs once you get them cranked. One other thing. The 029 and 039 models had a recall several years ago because the grounding wire on the ignition circuit was prone to burn up. Easy fix with a heavier wire. Company I used to work for made utility poles and piling and the only saws they used were Jonsered. Got used usually 5 or more hours per day, seven days a week. Fast, tough saws, but heavy and pretty pricey. Best bet for the $ is a stihl.

RR_58 | 09-11-2006 11:00 AM
Re: Which chainsaw? I cut firewood as a living for years and cut thousands of cords with my Stihl 038. Never had any problems until a tree fell on it.

Fid | 09-11-2006 12:19 PM
Re: Which chainsaw? I don't throw much into the forum here, but once ina while a subject matter comes up about which I know something. In this case the comments above I think are right on target. My opinion -- as a chainsaw "mechanic" and heavy user, is the top brands -- Stihl and Husky -- are high performance machines. When tuned properly, they are typically flawless and given identical chain/bar combos, cut the same. So to determine which is best for you, one has to look at other parameters. For me it's maintenance issues, and here Stihl wins hands down. I've worked on dozens of brand types, sizes, and problems and the biggest issue is "how hard is this thing to use and maintain". Huskys still forces more motion for simple things: clearing air filter, changing plugs, etc. Stihl has perfected the simple is better thing. Plus, sealed exhaust units suck -- an old Husky trademark. Chainsaws are deceptively simple: air, fuel, spark and the ability to breathe. So looking at these factors, how much work will you have to perform to maintain and fix these things? The Stihl 036 Pro (prior to the number change) still has the best power/weight ratio on the market. You will pay for it (shop around) but it will last your life and probably your kids'. I still run an 056 and an 026 and aside from the normal wear and tear, they have never failed. The far and away biggest problem anyone has with any saw is not keeping it clean until it fails for some dumb reason that they can no longer see. Keep it clean. And always fear the saw! Check out Baileys (baileys.com??) for parts and accesories. And check out the price of bar oil lately!! (I neighbor of mine just last week bought a gallon for $14.99!!!) Insane. Hope this helps.

mtnman | 09-11-2006 01:12 PM
Re: Which chainsaw? Quote:
Originally Posted by RiverRat (Post 354835) :D The older Swedish built Huskys are tanks..............extremely well built saws.The new ones ?.....hmmmm not so keen on them. Think they got bought by Poulan which is owned by Electrolux now.......read that somewhere a few months back.If that's true they will no longer be built in Sweden.So there goes the neighborhood....... Stihl has good models and bad models..........my 028 is 20 years old and still runs great.They are mucho reliable overall as a brand to trust if you get the heavy commercial models......do some careful model shopping. One overlooked brand is Echo.......very well built saws that hold up as well as most Stihls..........some professional arborists and treecutters I know swear by them......tough saws...... Poulans are built for homeowners..............never saw one that didn't break down after heavy use..........ran through a couple before I finally broke down and bought a Stihl........... McCulloch is bye,bye................pretty soon replacement parts will be totally unobtainable...... If you're going to buy a reliable homestead saw that will last for years...... Stihl is your best bet..........expensive,but they are hard to beat for reliability. :D :D
I have an Echo also it's about 22 years old. The only thing wrong with it is that the coil went out a couple of years ago and the parts are obsolete. Every thing else is fine but it won't run because of the coil. I keep it in hopes that I'll find a coil.

gunner | 09-11-2006 01:17 PM
Re: Which chainsaw? Bit the bullet and bought a Stihl 026. Did a lot of research and found a great deal on Ebay, so far so good. It's worth the FRNs, trading paper for a machine of excellent quality.

Quixote2 | 09-11-2006 06:45 PM
Re: Which chainsaw? Took your advice, went to the local Stihl dealer and bought a MS 250 C-BE. Also bought an extra spark plug, bar, and chains along with a gallon of bar oil and a rudimentry chain sharpening kit. Got it home and it sure starts easy and runs smooth. Just so the day wasn't a total loss, I also stopped at the local coin dealer and picked up some silver rounds that they had on sale today (11.10 plus 0.35 per ozt). :ARMS1:

Ragnarok | 09-12-2006 12:53 AM
Re: Which chainsaw? 1 Attachment(s) Quote:
Originally Posted by DrillAndFill (Post 354703) Definitely Stihl. Get something you can use with one hand, in case you need your other arm for defensive purposes, for wielding, say, a ball-peen hammer...
Or a boomstick from S-mart.

softserve320 | 09-12-2006 02:07 AM
Re: Which chainsaw? Quote:
Originally Posted by Ragnarok (Post 355601) Or a boomstick from S-mart.
I checked this thread out for the info on chainsaws since I'll be trimming down a 55 foot blue spruce in my front yard in the next couple weeks. Sans the trunk of course, I'll leave that to the pro's. Hope to pickout a decent machine now, thx to all. Uhhhh......Did I read something above about a chainsaw wielding Donkey, pre-congeled warm fluids and slicing through tendon.... *shakes head while choltering* D&F needs his own blog/myspace/column/book contract/movie deal!! :coolbeer: Ragnarok.....Nice pic!!! My sweet goodness!!!! :adore:

silverJeep | 09-12-2006 08:23 AM
Re: Which chainsaw? Sure seems like a lot lately I'm getting ready to post a question and come here to find that someone has posted the exact question. I'm mean really, what are the odds I would find a chain saw thread on a precious metals sight? Love that GIM! P.S. refreshing to read a thread where adults are discussing different choices, offering advice, and sharing experience without putting each other down, or blaming the Jews. Let's keep this spirit.

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