Chainsaw Wars...Best Survival Chainsaw ?
 

:coolbeer: Scenario: TSHTF and your trusty chainsaw has to last a long,long time...firewood,shelter construction,etc.

OK..who owns what brand and why ?

Remember replacement parts may not be available,so keep that in mind.

What we're trying to nail down is reliability and long term ownership comments from GIM members.

What to brands avoid and what models of a particular brand are top dogs.

I know we've touched on this subject before...but let's try to nail down the favorite TSHTF GIM approved survival chainsaw winner by popularity.

OK...I own a couple different saws ...but only one I would recommend.

Stihl 028 AV....built like a tank...reliabilty after 15 years of hard use...100%...not a single breakdown.

OK...no Husky and Stihl wars...I own both...the Stihl has never quit.

:bear_rolleyes: :bear_rolleyes:

Re: Chainsaw Wars...Best Survival Chainsaw ?
 

Stihl without a doubt. Own three including a 28.

I even have the big one with the heated handle. Forget the model and I'm not going out to the barn to check right now---It is 2 degrees F here right now. That isn't nearly enough degrees.

I've had Homos and Husquas but they aren't like the Stihl--IMHO!

CC

Re: Chainsaw Wars...Best Survival Chainsaw ?
 

I've had good luck with my Stihl, as well. My brother in law is a logger, uses only Stihls.

Re: Chainsaw Wars...Best Survival Chainsaw ?
 

Well chainsaws are nice to have, no doubt, and I agree the Stihl 028 AV is a monster.

But for a real survival situation, where gas and oil may not be readily available, my money is on a GRANSFORS BRUKS axe. They are NOT cheap but EVERYONE should own one and possibly even two. They are the best money can buy and the several that I own have been VERY GOOD TO ME. I wouldnt trade them even for the best chainsaw in the world.

http://www.gransfors.com/htm_eng/index.html

http://www.gransfors.com/images/products/axes_all.jpg

Re: Chainsaw Wars...Best Survival Chainsaw ?
 

Stihl 028 and 034

The old McCullochs were capable saws. McCullochs were durable and local, so parts may be avail deep in the back country from old timers. They were man saws, no ergonomics to them, heavy, bulky and general pain compared to the newer stuff.

I don't know if Husquavarna went global, or cheapened their saws to make the world grade into every retail chain as they are now. Haven't used any of the new ones. Husky always had a good name around here.

Stay away?

Poulan and Homelite are homeowner types, no long term durability, work fine for cutting a single branch, but other than that, nawwww.

There are some trade offs, as the newer have a lot more plastic for weight concerns, vs the steel in days of old.

Re: Chainsaw Wars...Best Survival Chainsaw ?
 

Don't forget the apron RR.

:smokin:

Re: Chainsaw Wars...Best Survival Chainsaw ?
 

I've got Poulan and Husky. Poulan is junk of course but light and handy for limbing. The Husky Rancher is clean-burning, very fast cutting, light weight, has a tiny fuel tank and is finicky about starting and running. I'm trying Stiel next.

My Husky runs on 50:1, the leanest I've had yet. It would be hard to go back to 40:1, I don't need that much smoke in my lungs.

For smaller chainsaws I was wondering about Echo. Are They good?

Re: Chainsaw Wars...Best Survival Chainsaw ?
 

:ARMS1: Thanks guys...we're rolling.

My other saws....Husky 353 and an Echo CS 5100

I sort of lean towards the 46 cc and up models for tougher jobs and raw power.

Husky puked the oil pump 3 months after I bought it.
Echo...absolutely no problems.

Value for the money ?...the Echo would beat the Stihl.

My brother bought an Echo ( Around 50cc ) equal to my Stihl 028 the same day I bought my Stihl...so far zero problems...Echo makes a tough saw.

Well..the Stihls are winning so far....

KG...I hope that's not a family photo...

:haha: :haha:

Re: Chainsaw Wars...Best Survival Chainsaw ?
 

I'd have to say that we'd all be better off with a selection of saws and axes. Like Sukhoi said, what about when you can't get gas?

(I have a Husqvarna 26 - treat it like crap, but it always starts and runs strong.)

Re: Chainsaw Wars...Best Survival Chainsaw ?
 

:cool2: Agreed on the axes and small tools of destruction.

2 True Temper double bit axes.
4 True Temper hatchets
2 True Temper Bush axes
2 Large size Bowsaws
2 Small size Bowsaws
4 Gerber Folding Saws

I take no chances...gasoline might disappear.

:cool2: :cool2:

Re: Chainsaw Wars...Best Survival Chainsaw ?
 

In an emergency pinch - my Milwukee Sawzall (w/ rough-in blades) and any old 1000 watt inverter.

Re: Chainsaw Wars...Best Survival Chainsaw ?
 

Since I can't really afford a stihl, it's better to have one then not at all.
I've got a Poulan 4218 that's 42cc, 18" bar.
I've cut 14" diameter trees down with it and lots of limbs.
Even the cheapest 2 stroke engine should be good for 500 hrs actual run time
if you take reasonable care of it. Average life should be 1000 hrs.

I've only used mine for about 6 hrs of actual run time so far,
you can cut a lot of wood in 6 hrs!
If I even get 200 hrs of run time out of it, I'll be happy.

I just bought a chain file, a spare chain and a gallon of chain oil.
I should be good to go for many more hours of cutting.
Oh, I also have one good axe and one old one (the one I loan to neighbors) :yes:


Peace

TLM

Re: Chainsaw Wars...Best Survival Chainsaw ?
 

I've worn out a couple of Poulans and didn't get 500 hours out of both combined. 200 maybe. But that's still a lot of firewood.

EDit: No, on second thought it was more like 100 hours each.

Re: Chainsaw Wars...Best Survival Chainsaw ?
 

:party9: TLM...

OK,so you got a Poulan 4218...a newer version of the Poulan Pro 260...not a bad saw...be glad you didn't buy a Wildthing...

Neighbor of mine has a PP 260 and a PP 295...the PP260 outlasted the PP295...

The bar and chain on all the Poulans has always been their weak point...they are thinner and can be bent if you're not careful...buy an extra bar for hard times.

Mix your 2 cycle fuel a little on the heavy side...Poulans tend to wear the cylinder walls and piston rings quickly under heavy use otherwise.
Might smoke a little extra but it's worth it...

:cool2: :cool2:

Re: Chainsaw Wars...Best Survival Chainsaw ?
 

RR,

Don't forget the full set of stones and files for sharpening.

Wasn't there a foot driven grinding wheel available quite some time ago. No power required other than your foot?

Re: Chainsaw Wars...Best Survival Chainsaw ?
 

Thanks for the advice, I'll go buy an extra bar.
I'm using synthetic 2-stroke oil, hopefully it will give less wear.

Peace
TLM

Re: Chainsaw Wars...Best Survival Chainsaw ?
 

:cool2: Lessons learned the hard way....

Any chainsaw that has a high rpm mix adjustment(some don't) should be manually set to run slightly on the rich side.

Running high rpms at factory settings (lean) is a fast trip back to the repair shop for a ring and piston job.

Yeah,yeah...the EPA makes the factory do it...I know.

True...but loggers and pro tree trimmers like em rich on the top end to prevent cylinder scorching and extend overall life.
I set all of my saws top end rich and have yet to have a compression loss even after years of serious cutting.Never had a plug foul...
My Stihl 028 probably has 800 hours on it...so I'll go with the pro's advice.

Now that Electrolux owns Poulan and Husky I look for the Huskys to go straight down the toilet...sad..the Swedish built Huskys were tough saws.
My local dealer told me the factory in Sweden was shut down and manufacturing moved to China...don't know how true that is.

My Husky 353 says Made in Sweden...so it got under the wire.

:beer:

Re: Chainsaw Wars...Best Survival Chainsaw ?
 

:cool2: Right you are Scorp.

As cheap as files and a sharpening handle/jig are it would pay everyone to buy a couple for hard times.

Be careful...lot's of different chain pitches require different diameter files.

Buy several different diameter round files in case your chain is not a standard pitch.
Different brands use different types of teeth.

:cool2: :cool2:

Re: Chainsaw Wars...Best Survival Chainsaw ?
 

I had been using Quicksilver 2 cycle oil in my chainsaws for years. My Husky manual said that I should NOT use the 2 cycle oil designed for outboard boat motors. I thought Quicksilver was the best.

What is the best 2 cycle oil for use in 50:1 chainsaws?

Re: Chainsaw Wars...Best Survival Chainsaw ?
 

Thanks for the tips.
It should be noted that the word "lean" has two contexts when applied to 2 cycle engines. It can refer to the carburetor mixture meaning the relation between fuel mix and air and it can also refer to the oil and fuel mixture in the tank.
I was a mechanic for many years but I really don't know squat about 2 cycles. But it would seem to me that enriching the mixture in the tank (more oil) would be more beneficial in terms of wear than enriching the mixture in the carburetor (more gas/oil mix).

Just theory.

Re: Chainsaw Wars...Best Survival Chainsaw ?
 

Bender,

too funny, those things were a beast.

I like the smaller stuff for what we are talking of, easier to transport and use less fuel inputs.

Got a two man so you and I can fell the big stuff. Problem is, we would both be pulling at the same time :0)

Re: Chainsaw Wars...Best Survival Chainsaw ?
 

http://www.thebestoil.com/2cycle.asp

Follow this link, it shows Amsoil's recommendations for their 2 stroke oils.
They say that their outboard oil is "not" recommended for chainsaws!
They have a couple of other oils that they do recommend

Re: Chainsaw Wars...Best Survival Chainsaw ?
 

:cool2: Hoarder...you are correct...more oil = less wear.

Some carbs have a MASTER jet/needle for air/fuel mix ratio in addition to a low idle jet/needle and a high speed jet/needle.

Where the rub comes in is with leaning out the top air/fuel mixture too lean...starves the combustion for adequate fuel mix to COOL the cylinder walls and piston ring. Cool being the key word here...

Check your string trimmer/weed whacker for tiny adjustment screws...
All my Echos have three jets...master/low/high and a separate idle adjustment.

All three of my saws have the same setup...low/high/master.
Some models they skip the high and just give you master/low...

In lieu of adjustment jets...mix your gas/oil richer...factory may recommend 40/1 or 50/1 but I run everything at 36/1 ....a little rich but everything runs cooler with less wear.

Just my experience with 2 cycle engines overall.

Best 2 cycle oil ?

Nothing beats Hondaline....used it in dirt bikes for years...cleanest burning 2 cycle oil I have ever found....zero carbon in smaller 2 cycles like weed whackers and chainsaws even after years of use.
I buy it by the case at the Honda motorcycle shop.

:cool2: :cool2:

Re: Chainsaw Wars...Best Survival Chainsaw ?
 

Thanks. Amsoil is my favorite for 4 cycle engines and air compressors. I'l do some research on their Saber Professional and Dominator.

When you say "starves the combustion for adequate fuel mix" do you mean that the fuel itself is a big factor in cooling? You didn't say "starves the combustion for adequate AIR fuel mix" so I take it you meant the fuel helps cool it.

If so, that's a new one on me, but not unbelievable.
Thanks for the info on needle adjustments.

Re: Chainsaw Wars...Best Survival Chainsaw ?
 

Echo 550 650 and comps, also under the John Deere name for a bit. Tough.

Husky is good and new ones have chain brake but the tank is plastic.

Agree on rich mixes, and in a problem, files, bar oil, etc may be the things that are hardest to get. Bar oil is special, anyone remember the substitues? I think 50wt worked, but bar oil has additives.

About no gasoline, let me tell you something: if there were only ONE device that got to use gasoline after peak oil, it should be the chainsaw. You can cut more in 15 minutes than you could in a day of handwork.

That said, professional electric chainsaws could be used with a generator-device. As long as you're tugging the cord, there is a safety question. However, they stop when released and gasoline doesn't always. Even electrics need oil, bar oil.

TS

Anyone remember the canvas-belt buzz-saw days?

Re: Chainsaw Wars...Best Survival Chainsaw ?
 

:cool2: Damn hoarder you're fast...picked that one up quick.

Yes...running the top end rich = cooler operating temperatures.

More fuel...less air...= more liquid cooling effect on the overall combustion chamber temperatures.

Cooler=longer life.

:cool2:

Re: Chainsaw Wars...Best Survival Chainsaw ?
 

I've always used a 50:1 Stihl oil in the small bottles say they are for 2 1/2 gallons of gas. And I've always used a 2 gallon can to mix that in. My theory is you have a hard time getting ALL the oil out of a little bottle, and the little extra richness by cutting out that 1/2 gallon doesn't hurt. Run my saws 30 years this way and never burned a piston or rings.

Stihl used to be top of the line.....some models are still excellent, some are more crappy.

I owned an 041 originally bought new in 1976.....finally replaced it in the late 90's due to parts being hard to get for it anymore....was running fine when I sold it. Replaced it with an 046 Magnum which I still have, BUT the handle design on it is C-R-A-P !!

See pic from the Stihl website ( they now call them MS 460....same saw )

http://www.stihl.us/graphics/chainsaws/MS460.gif

This is a "pro" saw according to them. Notice the top handle bar as it wraps around the side.....the bar terminates there about 1/2 way down the side of the saw. That "side" is the gas tank, which is plastic. The idiot that designed this has TWO SHEET METAL SCREWS GOING IN THE SIDE OF A PLASTIC GAS TANK. Can you imagine what happens IF you hit the top of the handle bar with a fair amount of force ? Like you drop the saw and it lands handbar down ? I'll tell you. It shears those damned screws out and the gas tank starts leaking. I've done it twice.....once I hung the saw in a tree as it came down, and it applies what I wouldn't consider much force against the bar......nuther time I dropped a block of firewood on the bar top while the saw was sitting on the ground. In EITHER case, the most damage that should have occured was a slightly bent handle bar.....in BOTH cases, it was a 200 buck repair to open up the saw and replace the gas tank.

Now look at their "less pro" line....take an MS 280 ( the old 028 )

http://www.stihl.us/graphics/chainsaws/MS280.gif

See how the handle bar sort of 'disappears' into the frame of the saw.....it actually goes around under the bottom and will take MANY MANY times the shock of the 046 bar with no damage.

Heck, the handle bar on my wifes 021 is built more solid than the one on my 046 !!

It's a shame when you can depend on a name anymore......you really have to study what you are buying and try to figure out if they've cheapened it to the point of uselessness.

Re: Chainsaw Wars...Best Survival Chainsaw ?
 

:cool2: TS...I forgot my 2 electrics....

1 really old Craftsman tank...16" bar...runs great
1 so,so not quite as old Remington...14" bar...runs great.

I actually never thought about them until you mentioned it.

That is certainly an option if you have a generator and/or a source of 115V power.Good thinking !

Still need bar oil...they are both quite as hell...weird cutting firewood with an electric.Sort of like using a Monster SawsAll...:>)

The Craftsman is about 4 hp...pretty strong for an old electric.

:cool2: :cool2:

Re: Chainsaw Wars...Best Survival Chainsaw ?
 

Don't forget a way to split all that wood you've cut. Here's what I use:

http://www.braveproducts.com/images/itemimages/m10.jpg

Splitting Maul
M-10

15 lb. overall weight, 10 lb. head, 30” overall length, steel handle, cushion grip

The cushion grip sucks and will come off with use. I removed it, put a wood plug in the handle, and plasti dipped it. Otherwise an excellent tool. Made by Brave Products, Inc.

Re: Chainsaw Wars...Best Survival Chainsaw ?
 

Radical idea.. "I have a gasoline-cooled engine" hahaha.


Here's Amsoil's reccommendation:

Saber Professional Synthetic, 100:1 Pre-Mix 2-Cycle Oil

New AMSOIL Saber Professional Synthetic 2-Cycle Oil is specifically designed for lean mix ratios in pre-mix applications. Saber Professional contains high temperature detergents for small power equipment. Extensive testing shows superior lubricity and cleanliness properties at lean mix ratios with this premium synthetic formulation. Saber Professional (ATP) is specifically designed for small engines including, but not limited to, chain saws, lawn equipment, blowers, chop saws, pumps, scooters and go-carts.


If it's good and can be run anywhere near 100:1, it would be worth the $9 a quart not to have to breathe that much smoke.

Re: Chainsaw Wars...Best Survival Chainsaw ?
 

That hand chainsaw looks rich. Nice.

Re: Chainsaw Wars...Best Survival Chainsaw ?
 

:D Posted by Tn__Andy:

Andy...send me 5 gallons of whatever it is your wife is drinking.
I could use some help on the firewood cutting around here.

My wife once got the bright idea of using my Echo CS 5100 to prune some rose bushes...she looked like she had been dragged through a briar patch for an hour or so...problem was ? She didn't know when to quit... :>)
Those rose bushes kicked her ass whipping all over the place.
She was quite a sight...looked like a pack of weasels had attacked her and she lost...
Won't touch a chainsaw with a ten foot pole.

Of course,having mercy on her...I bought her a nice Echo gasoline hedge trimmer for her birthday... :>)
She whacked all of them to the ground in about 20 seconds...mission accomplished.

:D :D :D :D

Andy: Got you on the MS 460...better head off my other neighbor before he buys one...he's already in the market for a new Stihl...his old Farm Boss is about totally worn out after ten years.

Re: Chainsaw Wars...Best Survival Chainsaw ?
 

:coolbeer: Golden Poet....thanks for the link.

I've never used one...but it's a good idea.
Fair price too...

The guy in the video clip was smokin' some serious stuff...it was almost break time I bet.


:D :D :D :D

Re: Chainsaw Wars...Best Survival Chainsaw ?
 

I hadn't thought of that, but being quiet could be very useful. Nothing says "Here I am, busy and unwatchful" the same way a chainsaw motor does. That goes for you gransfors, too. An axe makes quite the ringing in the wilderness. A saw does not.

The hand chainsaw is what they use for pruning sometimes--toss a rope over the limb and pull up the chain, cut and it falls down. This isn't clean because you don't underscore the limb, which can be tragic, but it does work. In a stand you could take down many cord of wood invisibly this way, however, and improve the quality of lumber as well. I imagine you could take an old chain and modify it, but I've never tried it. When a chain is "old" with me, the teeth are filed off.

The hand-chain would be very useful as the blade for a hand-made tension bow. In fact, if you were bugging, simply the blade of the old bucksaws would be the thing to bring. You'll have lots and lots of time around the fire to whittle the other parts, but you'd still need a stack of rust-prone files.

Perhaps 5 - 30" bucksaw blades and a metal tube for a crosspiece that sheaths them well would be the thing to have. Uprights and string are nothing to make and find. One can always use an anodized/SS pipe of that sort for a lot of things.

TS

Re: Chainsaw Wars...Best Survival Chainsaw ?
 

Four POS Homelites and one POS Mac out in the shed. Only a 30 year old Homelite super EZ I could count on to run right now. Have a 35 year old XL that just needs a new gas line fished[or the whole damned thing torn apart to get it in]. A two year old 45cc plastic Homelite with horrible weak spark[what junk!]. And a little homelite limber and a miniMac both with carb problems. A poulan electric,lots of axes, bow saws, and a couple of mauls.

Thanks all for the info !!!

Re: Chainsaw Wars...Best Survival Chainsaw ?
 

Re: Chainsaw Wars...Best Survival Chainsaw ?
 

Mine's a Husky too, but I wish I would have opted for a Sthil... parts are easier to come by.

Re: Chainsaw Wars...Best Survival Chainsaw ?
 

:coolbeer: Gotcha Hoot:

Homos ?

Some years ago I bought a brand new Homelite 50 XL or something like that to fell a few small pine trees.
Gassed it up,topped off the bar oil,engaged the choke,on the first pull the entire cord reel exploded and ripped two of the cover screws off.
The cord broke of course.
Took it back to the store and got another one...that one actually started after about 50 attempts...ran like crap.
Cut about two 8" diameter pines (soft wood) and was working on the third when the saw went BLAP...complete lockup !
Remember...this is a brand new Homo with exactly 6 minutes of easy cutting time.
Drained the fluids,put it back in the box and returned it to the store for a refund.No problem...the guy said their return rate on Homelite chainsaws ran about 75% as an average.

Hard to imagine how Homo could continue to stay in business with a failure rate that high.Others have had similar Homo horror stories...given a choice the Poulan runs circles around any Homo I have ever used.

Time to bite the big bullet and buy a Stihl...you get what you pay for.

Macs ? At one time a decent saw...if you have one dump it on ebay or at the flea market before all replacement parts disappear. They are history once the repair parts dry up.

Sort of a tie between the big two at this point...

RMac is correct on the Husky parts problem.I had to wait two weeks to get a replacement oil pump for my 353 and it under warranty.

My dealer had a enough Stihl oil pumps to supply 6 counties.
Stihl parts are plentiful coast to coast as far as I can tell...that's a big plus when you're down for repairs and need parts ASAP.

:beer:

Re: Chainsaw Wars...Best Survival Chainsaw ?
 

I live in the PNW in logging country, and the dealer here sells both Husky and Stihl. I was in the market for a new saw, and asked the dealer what he recommended between the two. He said basically no difference, like Ford vs Chev (at least for the pro saws). I ended up with a MS 660 Stihl (we have big trees here). It does have a wrap around handle that's not tied into the tank. Good powerful saw, that can run a 30" bar and not run out of power.

Re: Chainsaw Wars...Best Survival Chainsaw ?
 

OK, I'll admit it, I own run and love the SMALL Poulans. I think they're 2150s, with 14 inch bars. I use them mostly for cleaning fence rows and as a skill saw. (I don't often work near electricity.)

I was going to upgrade to a Stihl or Echo on the last one I bought, but I found another Poulan in a pawn shop for 40 bucks. I now have 3 saws (all of which still run fine) for the price of 1 Stihl. If one ever breaks down I'll have an almost comlete parts kit. I do agree their big saws are junk.

I'm still in the market for a big saw to replace an old Poulan 22" I have.

I've always run them with a lot of oil like RR says, and I almost always dump the fuel out and run them dry when I'm finished with them. IMO, that's the best thing you can do to any carburated engine that's going to be sitting longer than a week.

Anybody have a good cheap source for bars and chains? They were 12 bucks locally within the last year, now they're over 20.

Re: Chainsaw Wars...Best Survival Chainsaw ?
 

I have been thinking a lot about the future availability of oil and gas, and I think it will be available for a long, long time, although at high costs. Considering the utility of the chainsaw and the sheer amount of wood it can deliver, I could pay $50 per gallon for the fuel, and still be better off than with a hand saw. For short term (~one year) it will be enough with the "above 3/4 tank" policy i run for the cars and the oils I stock.

In fact, the chainsaw is probably one of the gasoline powered things which will be kept running for the longest time into the future.

Oh, chainsaws! Stihl! Currently running an MS 390 and is extremely happy with it. Been on Husqvarna and Jonsered before, but never worn any of them out.

And of course I have handtools as backup also, it's the only prudent thing to do!

Re: Chainsaw Wars...Best Survival Chainsaw ?
 

The Mac 101, great ultralight aircraft engine.

Re: Chainsaw Wars...Best Survival Chainsaw ?
 

To complement my chainsaw, I bought a Fiskar splitting axe. I tell you, it's less work and faster than a hydraulic or mechanical log splitter! It is light weight, sharp as a razor. has a teflon coated head for penetration, and an unbreakable handle. It splits big rounds with way less effort than my 8 pound splitting axe. I usually split the wood right laying on the ground on its side. I split probably 20+ cords this fall by hand. I liked it so much I bought a spare one, just in case...

Re: Chainsaw Wars...Best Survival Chainsaw ?
 

I don't know the brand, but if its good enough for Ash - its good enough for me.

http://images.quizilla.com/S/sidhedr...equiz_hero.jpg

:D

Re: Chainsaw Wars...Best Survival Chainsaw ?
 

I just bought a Stihl MS 270 Wood Boss 18". I did quite a bit of shopping around, it seems to me Stihl is the way to go.

VERY TOUGH SAW
 

You wanna saw story?
BAck in 1988 I traded an old beat 12gauge pump for a hundred dollars AND a somewhat used HUSQVARNA model 44 'rancher' saw. A medium/smallish home-owner sized saw.
We had a woodstove, in a fairly porous house. got down 35 below zero that winter, wind blew hard for two months steady, we burned 10 cords ourselves, Brother and I cut our own, and poached wood from all around the neighborhood, sold maybe a dozen cords as well that year.
I moved away for a few years, little brother took that saw and put a 24 inch bar on it and cut commercially..... harvested and sold almost 400 cords with that saw, went through two guide bars, half a dozen chains... a spark plug (one) and a pull start rope.
I came back to town in 1995, accidentally
RAN OVER the saw with a full sized SCHOOL BUS, all the way over, with the 20 inch chained up duallie wheels, as in crushed the saw, broke most of the cooling fins off the motor, I bent the handle back into a usable shape, straightened the bar, replaced the broken spark plug, and it ran.
soon I got a 36 acre chunk of woods, set about logging a house sight, and carving a road out of some VERY DENSE spruce.
I cut 4 to 6 hours a day, after work 6 days a week for an entire summer with that Husqvarna, replaced the chain a couple times. flipped the bar over twice.
My brother still borrows that saw to finish a load for sale, whenever his STIHL is broke down.
he has bought and worn out 3 NEW stihl saws, and still borrows my beater Husky when his saw is broken.
( By the way my NEW saw is a STIHL 260, but i dont loan it out. YET.)

Re: Chainsaw Wars...Best Survival Chainsaw ?
 

I like the one you can just put in your pocket. Really is slick.

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Re: Chainsaw Wars...Best Survival Chainsaw ?
 

I have a SOLO saw from the 1960's? or earlier. It still runs like a top. Dad used to have an old old McCullauh that was real heavy and had a manual oiler button that you had to pump with your thumb while you cut.

http://www.solousa.com/store/browse/chain_saws.html

Re: Chainsaw Wars...Best Survival Chainsaw ?
 

I have 3 Stihl's, an old 028 with mag case, a 360 Pro and a 440.
1 Polan and 1 McCullough.

They all run great but then I dont drive trucks over them. :thumb.aspx:

Re: Chainsaw Wars...Best Survival Chainsaw ?
 

All the Mennonites around here that use chainsaws, use Stihl. From what I gathered from conversations, anything but Stihl or Husky is a joke, and Stihl was the preferred choice. I got a little Stihl myself... it's a pain to start but after it gets going, people with the bigger Poulans and such get jealous of how well it works.


I was using the S-Mart brand saw back then.

Shop smart; shop S-Mart

Re: Chainsaw Wars...Best Survival Chainsaw ?
 

I've a Stihl and a Husky, the Husky currently broken - but I also have the misery whip if things get REALLY bad! It's some hard work even to get it out of the workshop, let alone fell trees with it.

Re: Chainsaw Wars...Best Survival Chainsaw ?
 

Re: Chainsaw Wars...Best Survival Chainsaw ?
 

I have about 10 saws maybe more if I figure in the small echos, mostly huskys, I really like my older stihls, they run forever but now it's getting hard to find parts. I swear the next chain saw I buy will be the echo 5100 or one of the bigger echos. One thing that's raising havoc with my saws these days(mostly Husky) is the ethanol, the alcohol eats away at the rubber parts, fuel lines and diaphragms and it draws moisture into the fuel .

I've got an old homelite with a 36" bar around here somewhere that I never use anymore cuz it's such a pig, it's over 40 years old and still runs.....but so does my dads old stihl.
Be very careful about running a two stroke to rich(to much oil) ....it makes them run hotter

Re: Chainsaw Wars...Best Survival Chainsaw ?
 

Do you have a link where this can be purchased?

Re: Chainsaw Wars...Best Survival Chainsaw ?
 

Lot's of places sell them. Just do a search on Pocket Chain Saw for the least expensive . It's the one with the 28" chain.

Re: Chainsaw Wars...Best Survival Chainsaw ?
 

Stihl is the best....go buy 3 of them.

I have a Stihl heavy duty commercial line trimmer....that I commercial mowed with for 4 years and used at my home/woods for the past 25 years.....still works like new...and I use it a lot....I put a 2 lb steel blade on it and knock down a lot woods of 1 inch diam brush every year at 3 deer camps.

I paid $270 for that line trimmer back in 1982.....that was a lot of money back then......but Stihl is the best....I have their saws, line trimmers and blowers.

Re: Chainsaw Wars...Best Survival Chainsaw ?
 

I have a Stihl and a Jonsered. Both excellent saws.

Re: Chainsaw Wars...Best Survival Chainsaw ?
 

Stihl 026, MS 280 and 039. The smaller 026 and MS 280 are not too big yet not too small. They use very little gas. I rarely use my 039 but if the stuff is real big it's great. BUT it drinks lots of gas.

sb

Re: Chainsaw Wars...Best Survival Chainsaw ?
 

Anyone have a trick for starting a Stihl? I love the thing, but I hate looking like an idiot pulling the cord 7 or so times to get it going. I usually have to put the choke on until it almost starts, then take the choke off and pull a few more times. Otherwise it just never starts.

Re: Chainsaw Wars...Best Survival Chainsaw ?
 

I was on a wildland fire fighting crew (Hotshots) in the early nineties. We used Huskies while many other crews used Stihls. They both worked great and were used in the most extreme of circumstance where lives literally depended on them.

I don't know if the quality has changed in the last couple of years but if you know how to take care of them (engine/chain preventative maint) they should last longer than most peoples needs. The biggest problem I have seen with most users is that they don't know how to and therefore don't keep their chains sharp enough. This is like driving a car with bald/flat tires and wondering why it doesn't corner like it used to. Using a dull chain is the quickest way to burn out the life span of any saw.

I have had my personal Huskie for about ten years now. I have abused the hell out of it and it keeps coming back for more, as long as I do the simple preventative maint.

Re: Chainsaw Wars...Best Survival Chainsaw ?
 

What's the running cost on one of these bad boys? I have a dealer (relatively) nearby (within 100 miles), so I'd like to work it into the budget. Thanks!

Re: Chainsaw Wars...Best Survival Chainsaw ?
 

The guy at my dealer went through a lengthy demonstration (nice guy) with me. He said full choke till it turns over once, half choke after that and it should start right up, works for mine anyways.. :wink:

Re: Chainsaw Wars...Best Survival Chainsaw ?
 

We mix <a href="http://www.powerpunch.biz/Power_Punch_Mix_Oil.html">Power Punch</a> instead of oil with our 2 stroke fuel at work. Can't really say much about it other than that.

Re: Chainsaw Wars...Best Survival Chainsaw ?
 

OH YAEH BABY

HAHAHAHAHAHA

http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/g...r4/29kz3bl.jpg


E-A

Re: Chainsaw Wars...Best Survival Chainsaw ?
 

Traded for an old Stil AV 31 last summer. It does take some effort to start 6-7 pulls on full choke to get the first fire then move it to half choke and it'll take off. Kinda high compression too, and tought to turn over. Got my 35 year old Homelite XL to run and it will outcut this Stil, but it is about a pound heavier and probabally is putting out more horsepower. Real hard northern oak around here[Henry Ford used to use it for car frames].

Re: Chainsaw Wars...Best Survival Chainsaw ?
 

Well MP is right those axes are monsters, there is no axe better, period.

I have a full size version and a hatchet model, they are around 250 for the big one and 150 for the small one, you can find better prices if you look around but id budget 175 at least for a top model full size GRANSFORS BRUKS.

In any case you will have the best axe made anywhere in the world. They have 100s of different styles to choose from, just google GRANSFORS BRUKS.

Enjoy!

Re: Chainsaw Wars...Best Survival Chainsaw ?
 

Ditto on the Jonsered...hell of a saw

Re: Chainsaw Wars...Best Survival Chainsaw ?
 

All -

Best survival chainsaw is a couple good axes and a 5' - 6' long doublehandled

Misery whip, and the tools to keep them sharp. Remember, also

That when you regularly really use axes hard, you're gonna need to

Re-helve them. So either buy some spare axe helves - handy tip -

The best are very tight, vertical grained ash with the grain

Running parallel to the blade of the axe - or learn to build them yourself.

And by the way, good purchased axehandles are getting damn near

Impossible to find these days.

That being said, although I used McCulloch chainsaws for many years

(They were the Buick Roadmaster of the chainsaw world)

And have used Stihl and Jonsered, Husquavarna

Has been my choice for awhile now.

Very reliable, super parts availability.

Where I live in the Northwest you see a 50/50 split of

Stihls and Huskies in the pickup beds of both loggers

And folks who cut their own wood.


scyth

Re: VERY TOUGH SAW
 

Cords or face cords? When I look in the paper people seem to sell by the face cord exclusively.

Re: VERY TOUGH SAW
 

I'd guess he means cord, as in 128 cuft of wood....the only legal way to sell wood many places.

A "face cord" means nothing. You could cut the wood 6" long, and stack it in a 4' high x 8' long "face" and I guess that would be a "face cord" but it would only be 16cuft of wood. Or 16" long wood stacked the same way is 1/3 of a cord.....42.66 cuft

About the only way it's sold here is by the "pickup load".....which is another useless measurement. Long bed ? Short bed ? Wide or narrow bed ? Stacked in or Throw in ? Useless....... Some number of cubic feet, tightly stacked, is the only fair measurement......buying it any other way ( on a small scale ) is a "pig in a poke".

Re: Chainsaw Wars...Best Survival Chainsaw ?
 

My Stihl takes 2 pulls on choke, then 2 pulls off choke, and it's going. Been going since the 70s, it's an 041AV and would be my ideal saw - cheap parts, and it runs even on stale gas.

Re: Chainsaw Wars...Best Survival Chainsaw ?
 

1) Dolmar- German(Best of the Best of the Best)
2) Stihl-Pretty darned good
3) Echo-The big ones
4) Husky-50 million Lowe's shoppers can't be wrong.
5) MCCollough-1010 Pro(Old skoole)
6) Homelite
7) Sears
8) Poulan(hate them)

Re: Chainsaw Wars...Best Survival Chainsaw ?
 

Re: Chainsaw Wars...Best Survival Chainsaw ?
 

Husqvarna 61

Re: VERY TOUGH SAW
 

In my area a "face cord" is expected to be 1/3 of a full cord( 48" x 4 x 8)

16" x 4 x 8

s

Re: Chainsaw Wars...Best Survival Chainsaw ?
 

Dolmar I would rule out as a survival chainsaw due to the relatively low numbers of them around = less spares.
Stihl I would definitely go with as they are generally the choice of the pro logger over Husky, due to Stiihl engines having two piston rings against the Husky engines single ring - longer life from the Stihl. And plenty of spares around for saws right back to the 60s.

The rest of those saws I wouldn't even consider.

Re: Chainsaw Wars...Best Survival Chainsaw ?
 

I need a saw, was thinking Stihl...thanks for the info.

Re: Chainsaw Wars...Best Survival Chainsaw ?
 

Where we are, SHTF is a hurricane uprooting 150 year old trees or ice storms splintering them everywhere - power out for weeks. A chainsaw is a must but it's worthless unless it STARTS. Have been running this MS270 for seven years. It starts cold after sitting months. Light enough to work all day and stout for a 50cc. Throws big chips and does not spray chain oil.

Regardless of what brand - good two-stroke oil, high oct gas, stabil in every tank, extra plugs and air filter, more than one chain, and a good sharpener. Chain oil is cheap and usefull. Couple of gallons in the garage at all times. Ear and eye protection and good fitting leather gloves. Know how to run it safely and know how to service it. To me, owning and running a saw is the same as a firearm.

Re: Chainsaw Wars...Best Survival Chainsaw ?
 

Then there is something wrong with your Stihl. I have plenty of experience with XLs and XLIIs and they are absolute crap. When I was in Jr high and High school, I used to go out after school in the winter and cut wood for my parents and grandparents. Dad was cheap and would rather spread out his chainsaw budget over 10 Homelites than 1 or 2 Stihls. I would head out with 10 saws and work until I had a load of wood or was out of saws (usually ran out of saws first). Then I would spend the evening repairing saws. Usually, the repairs weren't labor or money intensive, just annoying. When I left for college and Dad started cutting his own wood. He quickly bought a Stihl. When I graduated and came back home, I bought a 15 year old Stihl with a rotten gas hose and a loose muffler. $4 and 30 minutes later, it was running like a top. That was 10 years ago. No problems since then for either Stihl. Dad's 021 probably has 500+ hours and my 028 has who knows how many and they are still rinning fine.

Homelites are CRAP. I've worked on enough of them I should know.

Re: Chainsaw Wars...Best Survival Chainsaw ?
 

at one time there axes an stuff was the best till they started making them in china an india

Re: Chainsaw Wars...Best Survival Chainsaw ?
 

Husky work saw and a Echo limbing saw.
Had an old Stihl given to me by a friend and ran it till it died.

Gotta gas splitter, couple of mauls and a decent axe.
I Can chop and split by hand if necessary, but I must admit I like the luxury of power tools.

ST

Re: Chainsaw Wars...Best Survival Chainsaw ?
 

A Fiskars splitting axe rules as far as axes go, in my opinion.
My stihl is an old 041, built in 1977 and still starts first time, every time. Hardly any paint left on it, but it'll stihl outcut a lot of modern EPA limited saws that are limited to 9k rpm... and you can even adjust the mixture on it, whereas most new saws have limiter caps as to how rich you can run them - they need to be richer than they are set when sold, to make up for ethanol in the gas these days.

Re: Chainsaw Wars...Best Survival Chainsaw ?
 

I think we have a winner - http://www.arboristsite.com/poll.php...lts&pollid=620

Re: Chainsaw Wars...Best Survival Chainsaw ?
 

I got an old 40cc Husky, works for me.

Re: Chainsaw Wars...Best Survival Chainsaw ?
 

Huskies are great saws. I understand they are built on the same assembly line as Jonsered in Husqvarna, Sweden. Just what I've heard.

Stihl is a great saw. The old time commercial Homelite's were aswome and that's all I know from experience.

Here's how it is. If you spend the money and buy a quality saw, it will likely outlast you if you take care of it. Like a good gun, you can pass it on to your son. Of course I'm old so it is easy for me to say.

Re: Chainsaw Wars...Best Survival Chainsaw ?
 

Couple three teenagers plus

Whatever iron you give them.

scyth

Re: Chainsaw Wars...Best Survival Chainsaw ?
 

Yep, a couple of hard working sons will do the trick.