Best Chainsaw in the $300 catagory

Wesspur
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biglurr54 said:
i just purchased my first house last month. One of the big selling points was the fact that it has a woodmaster owb and 30 acres of forest just asking to be cleaned up and select cut. I purchased a used homelite superxl for $40.00. It is showing its age but it cuts like a bear when it's running. The problem is it keeps flooding and leaning out and having issue with the tensioner. I am dropping it off at a local repair shop that specializes in the older homelites. I love how this saw will chomp through anything. 62cc's of loud endless power. Unfortunately the saw is not working more than it is working so i would like to get a new saw as a primary and have the super xl all greased up and ready to go as a back up or for big stuff. My question is what should i get. I need to clean about 10 cord a season. My budget is about $300.00 and i will be clearing mainly hard woods about 6-8 inches in diameter with the occasional larger tree. I want something reliable and well built that i will be able to have serviced and order parts for. My father has an older stihl and can't get ignition for it. All the repair shops say they won't work on the saw. I don't want a disposable saw. Let me know what would be best for my uses and cheapest!
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biglurr54, i really like the 346,thats is the way to go and get the (n-man) mod the muffler. I believe u b will surprised and happy,thanks john in n.c.
 
rms61moparman said:
The Dolmar 420 is the best new saw you will buy for that kind of money.
The 346 mentioned earlier would be an unbeatable deal in a used saw.
I can't believe people are telling you to consider a 6400/6401 for wood under 12".
That is ludicrous!



Mike
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not to mention the ps510 that was mentioned on the first or second page.........
 
I think NMurph's 346 would be a great deal since he is a very trusted person on here.

If your looking for new, I'd say the MS250 would work excellent for your task at hand. When people say a pro saw will last a lot longer than a homeowner saw they don't know what they are talking about. They may have a bit more fragility, but their mechanics (piston, clutch, clutch springs, cylinder, rings, bearings, seals, etc) will last as long as a pro saw.
 
I've been seeing new Red Max GZ 5300'S on the bay going for less than the OP's budget calls for. I think I saw on here somewhere that they are Husky 353's in red. I've been seeing the 4500 Red Max for a lot less than he's wanting to spend. I have a cutting buddy who has an MS 250 and I'm not impressed. My 26 year old Poulan 3000 romps all over that saw. I know its a little bigger but thats what I was running against it that day. I would like to run my Ryobi or Craftsman Pro against it for a more accurate performance test.

If your cutting lots of small wood get a small saw. Get that Homie going good and your back will thank you.
 
Vibes said:
I've been seeing new Red Max GZ 5300'S on the bay going for less than the OP's budget calls for. I think I saw on here somewhere that they are Husky 353's in red. I've been seeing the 4500 Red Max for a lot less than he's wanting to spend. I have a cutting buddy who has an MS 250 and I'm not impressed. My 26 year old Poulan 3000 romps all over that saw. I know its a little bigger but thats what I was running against it that day. I would like to run my Ryobi or Craftsman Pro against it for a more accurate performance test.

If your cutting lots of small wood get a small saw. Get that Homie going good and your back will thank you.
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Your poulan 3k is probably 3 pounds more too...its probably a lot more comparable to an 028 super as far as weight and performance is concerned.
 
As has been opined here already, especially considering that the OP did mention budgetary considerations, there really is nothing a Dolmar 420 or 510 cannot do that any other saw can.
Including lasting a long, long time. They are built like tanks.
 
With 30 ac maybe the OP would be better off w/ one of these


909kh_474965_large.jpg


Oh heck he said $300 not $300K my fault.... :biggrin:


dw
 
Last edited:
To those that PM'd me in this thread, please resend. I could see that I had notifications, but I could not get the message to pop up using my normal method. There was one that I read, now I do not find the user's name when I try to send a PM and the message is gone.
 
nmurph said:
To those that PM'd me in this thread, please resend. I could see that I had notifications, but I could not get the message to pop up using my normal method. There was one that I read, now I do not find the user's name when I try to send a PM and the message is gone.
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Pm sent:msp_smile:
 
I have made my mind up and it will blow you all away. I have the xl in the shop and i will ne getting it back this weekend all tuned and ready to roar. I am purchasing a 359 modded from our good friend nmurph. I like having the extra power incase I ever get into the bigger trees on the property. I feel like this may be a better choice over the 346 since i wont feel a void in lack of power. Let me know what you guys think of my final decision.
 
Biglurr54 said:
I have made my mind up and it will blow you all away. I have the xl in the shop and i will ne getting it back this weekend all tuned and ready to roar. I am purchasing a 359 modded from our good friend nmurph. I like having the extra power incase I ever get into the bigger trees on the property. I feel like this may be a better choice over the 346 since i wont feel a void in lack of power. Let me know what you guys think of my final decision.
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Sounds like a good choice to me.
 
Still waiting to hear the details of your father's old Stihl that isn't running. Lots of satisfaction getting them running again! (Warning: Some frustration may be involved as well)!
 
Vibes said:
I've been seeing new Red Max GZ 5300'S on the bay going for less than the OP's budget calls for. I think I saw on here somewhere that they are Husky 353's in red. I've been seeing the 4500 Red Max for a lot less than he's wanting to spend. I have a cutting buddy who has an MS 250 and I'm not impressed. My 26 year old Poulan 3000 romps all over that saw. I know its a little bigger but thats what I was running against it that day. I would like to run my Ryobi or Craftsman Pro against it for a more accurate performance test.

If your cutting lots of small wood get a small saw. Get that Homie going good and your back will thank you.
Click to expand...
Had a Red Max GZ5300 in my hands yesterday at a shop in Whitman. Very nice saw. Impressed with the quality. Can see where Husqvarna got the idea for the design for there new 500 series. Sure looks a lot like the Red Max's. I bet they would be sweet MM and ported!
 
I wonder how many anti-husky folks out there own a wolf-in-sheep's-clothing Husky.

Heard a gut once at a marina saying how he would never own Johnson outboard, how they are junk... When asked what he owned he said "Evenrude". (They are the same engines different paint and graphics) Like a Ford and LIncoln, or Chevy and GMC.... :)

dw
 

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