Confused By Choices

[WVROOKIE]

Hello All, I am new to this forum.I am looking for my first chainsaw.I will basically be cutting brush and small trees(less then 10 inches).I was looking at the echo 340 (Formally the 3400) but I searched some of the posts on here and I've heard that the John Deere are a great saw for a reasonable price.Am I right or am i missing some other great saws for the money.I will be using the saw for many years to come so i don't mind spending the extra to get a good one but i don't want to take it to the extreme.Any help would be appreciated.I , like everyone else want to get the best bang for the buck...I know alot of you have saws(if not everyone..hahaha) but i want to know if they wish they bought another model or tried a new brand...thanks
the WVROOKIE

 

[sedanman]

The dealer is more important than the brand of saw. In the consumer range of non-box store saws quality is about the same across the board. Echo is the exception the warning about box-store stuff. But if you go with the Echo make sure you have a local source of parts and service. I won't include Husqvarna in the box-store crap yet...... yet. Husqvarna is still a premium brand, if their venture into mass marketing doesn't change that, they will be the first company to succeed where many others have failed. Prsonally I would stay away from the lesser brands, they may be wonderful saws but Stihl, Husqvarna, and Jonsered have been around a long time and likely will outlast the others.

 

[jokers]

Hi WVROOKIE, welcome to the site. If you buy the Echo you will probably have it for many years. They typically aren`t top of class in any area except durability, not that they are bottom of the class either, just lack some of the ergonomics and performance of the big three, Stihl, Husky, and Jonsered. There are many good brands out there to be tried such as Efco/JD, Solo, or Dolmar and Echo is a popular place to start because of price for the smaller saws, and then after many people "move up" to one of the bigger name brands they realize what good quality those Echos are, even if they do lack a little polish. Russ

 

[Tony Snyder]

I would suggest the 3450 backhandle version. (maybe it is a 345 now with the new numbers)

Echos are famous for durability.

Many John Deere outlets carry them, which would give you access to John Deere's good next day parts service.

 

[WVROOKIE]

I do have a echo/stihl dealer in town and talked to him briefly about diferent ways to go.he told me( i know i might get chewed on this statement) that echo's are the way to go as far as little saws and stihls are the way to go with the bigger saws....mainly to do with the price comparison...there is also a husky dealer and a john deere dealer close(im not sure if they have the chainsaws there but im sure they probably do)...I want to but from a dealer mainly for future service problems.also, has anyone ordered anything from alamia.com....they seem to have a very good price on the echo 3400??? 235 with free shipping....just wondering thanks all, WVROOKIE

 

[Pacific]

Sedanman is right get a saw from a dealer not a big box store that sells the saw but doesn't repair the saw sticking with a common name brand is the best.

You figure if you are going to use the saw alot and plan on keeping it for a long time spend the extra money now and less money spent later. Buying a cheap saw works good for the first little while then something breaks on it then try get it fixed a little part takes a month to arrive a week later something else breaks.

Good Luck

 

[treeclimber165]

Learn how to sharpen a chain. 98% of every homeowner's saw I've ever seen has never had the chain sharpened. I use saws for a living and touch the chains up daily or more often if I hit something besides wood. Dull chains will not cut, regardless of the horsepower spinning them. Then you push the saw harder, overheating the motor and burning up the bar, sprocket, crank bearings and everything else. If you run a saw like 98% of the homeowners I've seen, your saw will be dead in a couple years before you learn how to sharpen a chain.

That said, buy something you can afford from a local dealer and learn how to push a chainsaw file. Further talk about horsepower ratios, etc. is irrelevent in this situation.

 

[treeslayer]

Listen to John, most homeowner saws won't last over 40 hours, the way their treated.
I sharpen daily, and I can get 40 hours out of a chain.
buy extra chains, put in shop the chains you tear up.
If you buy a mail order saw, who assembles, tunes, and warrenties the saw? I've never seen a saw out of the box not need a screwdriver-tuning job just to tweak the rpm's.

Don't buy a top handled saw either, too dangerous.
don't store the saw with fuel or bar oil in it.
use only fresh gas mix, (not last years).
air filter, air filter air filter. can't say enough, find it, clean it all the time, don't be afraid to replace it.

 

[Pacific]

Treeslayer is that a old 051 in the picture you posted its hard to tell its older than the one I have I don't use the saw much anymore my old man wanted it back. I bought a 046 Magnum plus with 28" alot nicer to use no more sore arms and bad back the old 051 with a 36" bar is heavy.

 

[treeslayer]

Thats an 075.
111cc 7 hp 173 pounds ( thats what it felt like)
25" bar and a 41" bar .404 skip chain

retired

 

[Pacific]

A friend of my familly has a 075 it doesn't get used much just to darn heavy to use works allright if you got large wood to buck but otherwise thats it. Those old saws have lots of torque they can pull a brandnew skip tooth chain with the rakers almost filed off to nothing and thow some big chips

When I was bucking some 48" diameter Doug fir I had a 28" bar on the 051 and a brandnew skip tooth chain it walked through the wood like nothing. I had about a wheelbarrow full of saw dust the smell of the saw dust was attracting the what I call wood maggots (firewood hungry people). They were salivating they wanted to buy the wood but it wasn't mine to sell its pretty rare to get large older growth pitchy Fir excellent burning stuff.

 

[NeTree]

Rookie,

What you buy is nowhere near as important as how well you take care of it. Learn to treat your saw with care and respect, and anything will last a long time.

In my "arsenal", I have Poulans, Echos, Huskys, a Stihl, and a few Macs. They all still run well and often.