# best climbing saws



## jsdogs (Aug 14, 2006)

Feed back as to the climbing saws you like best. I've tried them all. I loved the super 25's back in the day. After they stopped making them I tried stihl but they weren't for s..t. Tried huskies and now I use echo. Any of you guys have any saws that have power, balance and durability?
Thanks


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## frashdog (Aug 14, 2006)

> I tried stihl but they weren't for s..t.


 tried a ms200t did ya?:greenchainsaw:


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## computeruser (Aug 14, 2006)

Stihl MS200T and Husqvarna's discontinued 335/Jonsered still-made 2135 seem to be the crowd favorites.


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## beowulf343 (Aug 14, 2006)

In my opinion the ms200T is the best saw for trimming. For removals I prefer the 357xp but you have to have some pretty good arms to swing that in a tree all day.


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## BostonBull (Aug 14, 2006)

200T handsdown. Its the best rear/non reed carb saw on the market. No other top handle saw will match it for top end power. If you put a 14" "light" bar on it that balances the saw out completely.


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## Climb020 (Aug 14, 2006)

MS200T by far. I bought one so when I work with guys that don't have them I can use mine. It is just like my American Express card. "Don't leave home without it."


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## woodchux (Aug 14, 2006)

The MS200T is by far the winner.


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## Jim1NZ (Aug 14, 2006)

MS200t cleans up, if anyone finds any thing better let me know!


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## OTG BOSTON (Aug 15, 2006)

JS how can you say Echo is better than Stihl??

I was an echo user for years untill I picked up my MS200T. The Stihl has way more power and much better balance (I also swapped to a 14'' bar)

Before that it was the poulan 25, my old boss actually had bought a couple of pallets of them. I tried everything to get him to switch to the echo, in the end it was the lack of chain break that convinced him to stop with the poulan


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## xtremetrees (Aug 15, 2006)

*Husky 141*

I've had a 141 in the tree for over 5 years now. It runs faster now and vibrates a little more than it did new but I just love it. It still runs, I cant kill it. Ive never dropped it in 5 years knock on wood. I use it a 16 inch bar comes standard and rarely have to bring up another larger saw. 14 inch bars (most top handled) are to short for comfortable cutting. I dont like having to cut one side of my back cut then finishing up on the other side.
Husky's 141 has been replaced with a 142 but by the time my 141 is dead ill have to buy a 143 i guess. Man is this not the best tree saw ever!
Light trimming, bucking its one saw that does it all.

Imma try and start carrying it on my left side and working more with my left hand. I gotta mix it up my age is starting to show.


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## rbtree (Aug 15, 2006)

BostonBull said:


> 200T handsdown. Its the best rear/non reed carb saw on the market. No other top handle saw will match it for top end power. If you put a 14" "light" bar on it that balances the saw out completely.



My muffler modded 335 and 335 Cali's either beat or run equally with a 200T with the muffler screen removed...and are reliable and easy starting. Yes the 200T is overall the best saw, but it is not perfect....the carb placement limits reach a bit, handle and throttle assembly is fragile.....and it's a bit heavier than the Huskys, which no longer are plagued with many of the problems they had when first introduced.

Not sure about the 338's, as mine was woods ported by Dan Henry, yet has a tad less power than the others. Company specs say it has 2.3 kw versus 2.2 on the older 335, but that isn't true with mine.


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## 046 (Aug 15, 2006)

another vote for 335 husky. muffler modded, lots of power, starts easy and has been dead reliable. 

there's so much good feedback on 200T, I'll probably switch too. when I find the right deal of course...:greenchainsaw:


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## xtremetrees (Aug 15, 2006)

So lets talk horsepower

Echo 330 HP=
Echo 369 Hp=

Sthil020t HP=
Sthil019 HP?

Husky 335 hp=
Husky 338 hp =

Husky 136 hp=
Husky 142 hp =
Husky350 hp=


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## Dan R Porter (Aug 15, 2006)

ECHO  ECHO Echo ECHO echo


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## Stumper (Aug 15, 2006)

xtreme, If you like a rearhandled saw and want horsepower along with a reasonable climbing weight You should replace your 141 with a 346xp. I prefer a lightweight, compact Tophandle for most climbing but have climbed with the 346 and must say that it is an AWESOME climbing saw-particularly for removal work/big cuts.


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## 1CallLandscape (Aug 15, 2006)

*personal choice*

ms200 is a great saw......i run a stihl 017 they are a very reliable and powerful saw, not to mention VERY durable for the price. mine has survived 2 falls from 40' plus . i used to run a echo 302 for a long time but the saw got too heavy but was a bulletproof reliable unit. 

my advice is to try a couple of saws out....what type are you looking for ? an arborist saw with the top handle? regular handle? what size wood are you cutting regulary? whatever you choose just remember to keep it safe!!

-mike


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## OTG BOSTON (Aug 15, 2006)

I have been told that hp really isn't an accurate way to measure saw power. It is displacement that matters.

Husky 141 is a HOMOwner saw for light use.


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## frashdog (Aug 15, 2006)

> Husky 141 is a HOMOwner saw for light use.


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## jsdogs (Aug 15, 2006)

*chain saws*

Thanks for all your input. I didn't say echo was better but after using the o20t a few years ago I was turned off by the small stihls. I did however buy 2 of thw 200t's today. For as much as they cost they should climb the tree and set your rope for you. But we'll see how my formen like them and how well they hold up. Thanks again for all your input


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## 1CallLandscape (Aug 15, 2006)

OTG BOSTON said:


> I have been told that hp really isn't an accurate way to measure saw power. It is displacement that matters..




yes and no, hp is directly related to displacement and displacement is measured in cubic centimeters. the formulas that are used to compute hp's are derived from the cc's ( displacement)


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## xtremetrees (Aug 15, 2006)

I googled the compariosons and well lookie thar it sent me here with noobs:hmm3grin2orange:


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## xtremetrees (Aug 15, 2006)

Id spike up a tree in a dress and share it on the net in video format.. pussboy uhh that U fear of theitghts not me.

Stumper I'm looking into that range a saw now, it will be my final purchase. Make 9 the total of saws I keep sharp.
Sorry about the homophobic posers nubiles.


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## frashdog (Aug 15, 2006)

> Id spike up a tree in a dress and share it on the net in video format.. pussboy uhh that U fear of theitghts not me.


uh what??


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## BostonBull (Aug 15, 2006)

xtremetrees said:


> So lets talk horsepower
> 
> Echo 330 HP=
> Echo 369 Hp=
> ...




There I updated the Stihl models for you.


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## maxburton (Aug 15, 2006)

I used a Husky 334 for a while and never liked it very much. I just got a Stihl MS200T and it is great. All you have to do is fire one up and you'll have to buy it.

Here's how perfectly balanced it is: When running at full throttle, the centrifugal force of the chain (on a 14" bar) throws the weight back just enough to bring the center of gravity perfectly upon the trigger. It's awesome!


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## John464 (Aug 15, 2006)

200T and you will never regret it!


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## matty f (Aug 16, 2006)

MS200T in its current form with new style fuel tank breather's which are more central to the tank, so are not getting snagged up and pulled off or splitting ect ,they have iliminated the only fault i could find with it and made the perfect saw. 

Any one tried an oleo mac?I had never heard of them but was given a ground saw of there's and its not a bad little machine,light and well balanced and powerful for its size a bit plasticly,but i noticed on there web site they do a couple of climbing saws any one had a go?


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## pbtree (Aug 19, 2006)

I like my muffler modded 335, but I have no input on the newer 338 as I have not run one...


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## 1I'dJak (Aug 19, 2006)

i've used huskies till i started climbing... then everybody said go stihl...used a 335 once....felt alright...but latley that box-ass stihl really seems to catch on the branches...especially in really branchy-mistletoe hemmies...but buddy had boght a 338xp but still uses his stihl cuz of the high end... and taking tops of big old growth, you need all the high end you can get...chain speed chain speed chain speed!


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## RedlineIt (Aug 20, 2006)

I recently dropped into Walker's Saw shop in Nanaimo, after removing some big Firs up that way on a new lot for my brother.

Walker's have some great two-stroke tuners, they deck and port engines for 125cc shifter carts, fabricate some awesome expansion chambers from scratch, are renowned for getting 372, 395 and 3120 Husky's opened up for reliable 14,000 rpm operation. (Chain speed, chain speed!!)

"Hey, I've got a Husky 335," says I, "is there anything you can do to make that saw rip hard?"

"Sure," says the guy behind the counter, "We used to do alot of that, they need porting and jets, some muffler mods, but for the money you spend on that, you may as well just get a Stihl MS200T."

"Cool, I've got a new 200 in my truck right now, what would you do with that?"

"Ditch the spark screen..."

"Already gone."

"...And rich it up a bit, they ship them lean for Cali specs."

"Already done, bro."

"Then that's it. Some guys want to open up the muffler, but I wouldn't. It's a racing engine straight from the get go. I crack open every tenth one I sell looking for porting but they're all slick, slick, slick. I wish Stihl did as well on their bigger saws."

"Thanks. What would you give me for my 335?"

"A handshake. I've got a box full of 'em. There's a couple of guys who swear by them, but everyone else has gone 200T."



RedlineIt


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## hornett22 (Aug 22, 2006)

*funny ,i use a 141 commercially every day*

not sure where you get this home owner sillyness.


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## OTG BOSTON (Aug 22, 2006)

hornett22 said:


> not sure where you get this home owner sillyness.




um.............from the Husky website........


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## TackleTree (Aug 22, 2006)

*191t*

so why not use the 191t. more power than 200t and 192t. 1lb heavier than 200. I wish stihl hadn't stopped making them. That is the only problem i see with the 191t is they stopped making it.


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## MS TreeMonkey (Aug 22, 2006)

I admit - i'm still a rookie - i'm using the husky 142 w/ a 16" bar as my climbin' saw. I'm already on the 2nd one because the first one quit oiling the bar (they gave me a new one because it was only a month old). I'll probably keep using this one until it quits oiling, and then i may have to go to the 200t. Our local power company guys use it and they swear by it!


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## oldugly (Aug 30, 2006)

I've been bouncing a Husky 338 around the trees for the last three years, I still love it. A friend asked me to use his Stihl 200. I have to admit that I was tempted, but until he paints it orange....it just ain't a saw.

Seriously, the ergonomics of the husky are so much better than the Stihl, rpms seem quicker from the 338 than the Stihl, (although that may be due to personal settings on the saw, length of break in time, and wear and tear on the saws compared...new to new I have never compared). 

But as far as reliability is concerned...Everyone I know that uses Stihl, (or at least I have known over the years) seemed to brag incessantly about the saws' reliability...yet they were constantly tearing their saw down, or picking it up from the shop. 

I need tools that will work for me, not tools I need to work for. If I have to break down every saw every night and clean them out, etc. I am working for the tools, not the tools for me. My little husky gets gassed, oiled, and sent up the tree to me. Once every two or three months I might clean the air filter, other than that she runs, and still kicks -ss. Just a couple of months ago she had her first tune up....while she was gone I missed her, and used a Johnsered demo of their new topping saw.

It ws really nice to get the 338 back. The Jonny I think would have been alot better after it was broke in, but I don't think it would ever compare to my 338. 

You all can have your Stihls, and if you have the time for the maintenance needed to keep them running, more power to you. Personally I got better things to do than work on my saw every night.


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## Grace Tree (Aug 31, 2006)

How can you possibly go two or three months on the air cleaner on a 338? If I'm working a big branchy maple mine's full of junk by lunch time.
Phil


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## beowulf343 (Aug 31, 2006)

Oldugly can go that long without cleaning the air filter because he only "bounces" the saw around the tree-nothing was said about doing any cutting with it.


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## OTG BOSTON (Aug 31, 2006)

oldugly said:


> You all can have your Stihls, and if you have the time for the maintenance needed to keep them running, more power to you. Personally I got better things to do than work on my saw every night.



I've never had a maintenance prob with my Stihl. The Husky 335's that we use to use those were a completely different story.


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## oldugly (Aug 31, 2006)

Beowolf...I was tempted to stoop to trash talking, but especially in this forum where dolittles argue ethics with the do alots...it means nothing. The fact is the air induction system in a 338 will keep most of the crap out of the carb anyway...the second fact is although I do not do much maintenance on my saws I do maintain the chain sharpness...(sorry for those who already know this but I figure I must explain to some)...larger chips tend not to clog the air filter nearly as much.

I have heard alot of good things about the ms200, however it does feel clumsy to me...and in the very limited experience I have had with one it did not have the rpm's my old 338 did. (Again limited experience...and neither saw was new.) Also (again with limited exposure to this saw in particular) it seems most stihl owners spend a lot more time in maintenance than I would like to, or need to with my huskies.

I especially like the mechanics who testify to the reliability of a saw..(regardless of brand) because I never know if it is reliable for the saw owner, or if the saw mechanic relys on it to keep him in business.

I will admit that I have not put nearly the amount of hours on Stihls (at least since 1980) as I have on Huskies, Jonnies, Echoes, and yes (God forbid) Poulans and Homelites...even a couple of Macs. IN all, I love my little husky.


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## oldugly (Aug 31, 2006)

Boston..I had a 335 for awhile. I liked it for about six months...and you are right...they are junk. I think the 338 is a totally different saw..although in honesty I do not know the technology differences between the two. I do know in six months my 335 was trash..in 3 years my 338 still cuts like a lazer.


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## Treeman14 (Sep 1, 2006)

I resisted getting a 200T for a long time, but I picked one up in trade about 6 months ago. This saw ROCKS!!! I can't believe I went so long without one, Doh!  There is no comparison to any other climbing saw. 

 200T


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## gitrdun_climbr (Sep 3, 2006)

*ms 200 is fast*

This 'daily' maintenance of Stihl saws is unheard of in my fleet. I have not taken any one of four in my basement to the shop for any reason, ever...they have all run great for years. I occasionally install new plugs, blow the air filter out every couple of times out and always maintain a sharp chain. I simply don't have chainsaw problems but can instead focus on my work. Of course any brand of saw can fail eventually, especially without proper handling and maintenance but coming from a Stihl owner for almost four years now I personally have had no problems. I know many of you have many more years on them than this.

As for the ergonomics and such I don't have much to compare to because I've never held a husky in my hands before but I will agree the 200T is a bit boxy...softer corners would help it to 'snake' through branches easier prolly. That steel ring on the back to clip it in seems rather thin, anyone ever have one of those break? Also, my hands are so close together sometimes I feel like I may scarcely have the leverage to stop a kickback so I stick close to my chainbrake and avoid kickback at all costs! The rpms are obviously outstanding for it's size and I think the sound is quite wicked, especially with the muffler screen out!

Just one opinion on Stihl and it's MS 200T.


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## Log hog (Sep 4, 2006)

*Can't Beat The 200T, Tough As Nails!*

I purchased my MS 200T three years ago and have been delighted. My only problem was the breather on top of the tank, it leaked gas because it was some type of breatheable foam,and the vent would not hold up to the gas, but they came out with a new rubber one and have had not problems. I never have a problem with tunning or air filter clog. It has fallen out of my bucket and trees multiple times and still runs great. Last Thursday I had a problem with it wanting to stay running, some times the idle was high other times not at all. Upon further review I found the fuel line from the tank to the carb was cracked in multiple places and leaking fuel, my dealer had a new one for me in a day. Just can't say enough about how dependable they have been for me. There worth every penny. I currently own and use the following Stihl products. 
1 MS 200 T
2 MS 180
2 MS 260
1 MS 361
1 MS 660
1 HT 75 Pole Saw
1 FS 85 Weed trimmer
1 HS 80 Hedge Trimmer
1 HL 100 Hedge Tirimmer
1 BT 45 Wood Boring Drill


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## Tom Dunlap (Sep 4, 2006)

Climbing saw? Has to be my Silky Zubat for most of the work  

I don't do a lot of removals...mostly pruning. Even so, I don't drag the noisemaker around with me very much.


The bigger stuff goes down with a 335.


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## 046 (Sep 4, 2006)

I'm with Tom 

silky for most trimming, 335 for larger cuts.
my muffer modded 335 is powerful and dependable..


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