Help me select a saw?

[GeorgeBBruin]

Can you help me select a saw? I am a 64-year-old homeowner (not a workman) and wore out my previous saw (32cc McCulloch, no more parts or service available). It was very hard to start anyway, especially when it was warm. I may cut firewood (not a lot because I live in California) and clean up my property. I am interested in safety, reliability, and value for the money. It appears that Husqvarna is available for a reasonable price, serviceable, and good quality, although posters here have their favorite brands. From what I can gather from your posts, 345 and 350 are good saws for light to moderate use. 353 is better and will last longer because the components are more heavy-duty. If you can afford it, get the 353. 455 Rancher is the EPA-approved version of the former 355. It is a larger, heavier saw with the power to pull a larger chain. Opinions vary on this saw. It seems to be a good value but maybe for me it is too much saw. 359 is a step up from the 353.

I live in the Los Angeles area and here everybody buys from discount sellers or on the Internet. It's hard even to find a shop that sells these items and if you can they will charge you 35% to 40% more and probably not know as much about it as you can find out yourself. They would not even recognize you if you came in later for service.

Anybody have suggestions? Safety is most important to me, since I am not a professional although I have handled chainsaws enough to wear one out. Thanks!

 

[clearance]

Welcome-most everybody here is a rabid fan of one brand or another. Get a Husky Or a Stihl from whichever good dealer is closest to you (if you can find one) and you will be o.k.. Maybe over the internet, people here can give you a good name. Glad to hear you are into safety, hat,screen, chaps, great. Good luck to you, cut safe.

 

[wagonwheeler]

350 would be a good choice, $70 less than a 353 and lighter, and not nearly as heavy as a 455. Seems the 350 owners don't complain of them wearing out, either.

As was so well stated previously..."It just depends on how much power you want to need." 353, 359...follow the yellow brick road...

Buy it at a box store and you get a slow, albeit safe, chain. And so you'll probably wind up adding the cost of a good chain to the price at some point.

Buy your saw from Baileys or Madsens and you won't buy a chain twice - and you can get a different bar length if you prefer something other than what the box stores offer. (A good local dealer should offer the same courtesy).

 

[skwerl]

Hi George, welcome. Sounds like you've been doing some homework. I will have to agree with everything you have stated. If you're going to be cutting much stuff over 12"-15" diameter, the 353 or 359 would be better suited. THe 345 or 350 will be better suited for lighter duties such as limbing or cutting down smaller saplings.

 

[GeorgeBBruin]

Safety

Umm... One of our teachers showed up without his fingers one day. They were able to sew them back on, but he still doesn't have full function 3 years later. He was clearing his yard.

No fingers, no typing, no musical instruments, no lots of things. People who don't use chainsaws every day have to be especially careful. No chance to learn by trial and error.

 

[Jim Mesthene]

How long do you expect this saw to last? 8 years?
Give a lot of thought to the kind of saw you want to be using when you're 70. I think that light weight and vibration-free will be more important than pro features. You have homeowner needs, buy a top-of-the-line homeowner saw from Husky or Stihl.

 

[asb151]

George, when it ran did the 32cc McCulloch get the job done? If it did then I would go with the 350 or 353. They are both reliable saws and will be a step up in power while minimizing weight and cost. If your old saw struggled and you found yourself frustrated with its performance a further step up to the 359 might be warranted. A lot depends on how you plan to use it.

 

[TimberPig]

Of those you mentioned, all but the 455 Rancher would be good choices. It is a bit of a pig for the power output, so you would be better to choose one of the others.

If you provide a little more detail about the size of wood you normally cut, and what type of wood it is, we could make better recommendations on what would best suit your needs.

 

[THALL10326]

Can you help me select a saw? I am a 64-year-old homeowner (not a workman) and wore out my previous saw (32cc McCulloch, no more parts or service available). It was very hard to start anyway, especially when it was warm. I may cut firewood (not a lot because I live in California) and clean up my property. I am interested in safety, reliability, and value for the money. It appears that Husqvarna is available for a reasonable price, serviceable, and good quality, although posters here have their favorite brands. From what I can gather from your posts, 345 and 350 are good saws for light to moderate use. 353 is better and will last longer because the components are more heavy-duty. If you can afford it, get the 353. 455 Rancher is the EPA-approved version of the former 355. It is a larger, heavier saw with the power to pull a larger chain. Opinions vary on this saw. It seems to be a good value but maybe for me it is too much saw. 359 is a step up from the 353.

I live in the Los Angeles area and here everybody buys from discount sellers or on the Internet. It's hard even to find a shop that sells these items and if you can they will charge you 35% to 40% more and probably not know as much about it as you can find out yourself. They would not even recognize you if you came in later for service.

Anybody have suggestions? Safety is most important to me, since I am not a professional although I have handled chainsaws enough to wear one out. Thanks!

Being 64 years young I'd opt for a Stihl 210EZ or a 250EZ. Them young arms will love that easy pull more and more....

 

[GeorgeBBruin]

These tired old arms

Yes, these old arms aren't getting any younger but they aren't useless yet! I notice in some advertisements (Sears for example) it is claimed that this or that saw is easy to start. Too bad chainsaws don't come with electric starters! I am looking for one that will start on the first or second pull.

In answer to what kind of wood I cut, I used to do a lot more until my chimney cracked and I had to stop burning wood, but there is still a pile of uncertain wood that needs to be cut down to manageable size to split and either store in the hope of fixing my fireplace or give it to my neighbor. Then there are some logs lying around that have to be disposed of and trees that will be felled (not by me) and cut up. So the wood is miscellaneous ranging from pine to oak to acacia to eucalyptus to who knows what, some green and some dry, most dirty. An 18 inch bar or even 16 inches will be plenty big enough for anything I might have or get. I'm not interested in speed, I'm not doing production, but in a chain that won't bite me.

 

[TimberPig]

So the wood is miscellaneous ranging from pine to oak to acacia to eucalyptus to who knows what, some green and some dry, most dirty. An 18 inch bar or even 16 inches will be plenty big enough for anything I might have or get. I'm not interested in speed, I'm not doing production, but in a chain that won't bite me.

Any chain can and will bite you, but some are more prone to kickback. If the wood is dirty, semi chisel is likely a better choice.

 

[THALL10326]

Yes, these old arms aren't getting any younger but they aren't useless yet! I notice in some advertisements (Sears for example) it is claimed that this or that saw is easy to start. Too bad chainsaws don't come with electric starters! I am looking for one that will start on the first or second pull.

In answer to what kind of wood I cut, I used to do a lot more until my chimney cracked and I had to stop burning wood, but there is still a pile of uncertain wood that needs to be cut down to manageable size to split and either store in the hope of fixing my fireplace or give it to my neighbor. Then there are some logs lying around that have to be disposed of and trees that will be felled (not by me) and cut up. So the wood is miscellaneous ranging from pine to oak to acacia to eucalyptus to who knows what, some green and some dry, most dirty. An 18 inch bar or even 16 inches will be plenty big enough for anything I might have or get. I'm not interested in speed, I'm not doing production, but in a chain that won't bite me.

The Stihl EZ starting saws would be perfect for what your talking about. Especailly the MS250EZ, it has a primer making it a 2 pull start up saw with a 18inch bar and lots of power for its size. Them arms will thank you years later..

 

[spike60]

George;

From the discription of what you will be doing, I would say that either the 345 or the 350 would be fine for your needs. These saws are now coming with primers, as well as compression releases, and are very easy to start. The primers are especially good if you run your saw out of fuel. Most new Huskys we sell require 8 pulls out of the box to "pop". The saws with primers average 2.

Allthough all of the advice you have been given is sound, I don't think that you need to consider buying anything more expensive. Keep in mind that most of us on this site, (myself included), have been bitten, and permanently infected by the saw bug. And, we all spend money and aquire saws way out of proportion to our needs. (Not that I would ever admit this to my girlfriend)

 

[Elmore]

George, I recommend that you do a search on the Dolmar PS-401 a.k.a. Makita DCS401. Same saw...different color. Light weight and powerful...or so they say. Good German saw made by Dolmar and reasonably priced. You likely can get a new one for around $250.00. I need to get one just to trim my toenails with. Tony M may still be able to get you one (???) or others on AS like The Cutting Edge can hook you up. Man does not live by Stihl & Husky alone. See this thread : http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?t=28323&highlight=Dolmar+401
http://www.dolmarusa.com/site/managed/html/produkt/4087/PS-401


<img src="http://www.dolmarusa.com/site/managed/images/8097/boxed350x350.jpg"width=300><img src="http://www.masterwholesale.com/makita/images/mdcs401.jpg"Width=300>

 

[GeorgeBBruin]

You guys are all great and I appreciate the advice you have given. It looks like the 345e or 350e with an 18 inch bar or maybe 16. Apparently they come with a 95VP chain and narrow-kerf bar.

Of course my wife doesn't know anything about this and my 15-year-old son would like me to get a giant sequoia cutter, but after I fix the sink and the roof maybe I can sneak in the saw. It's like the King of Norway (as I read on some site) who used to carry a hunting knife on his belt. "Why, Your Majesty, do you carry a hunting knife on your belt?" "Well," he answered, "a man never knows when he might need a knife!"

 

[GeorgeBBruin]

Well, OK, maybe a Dolmar.

 

[VThokie]

George, I am only one year younger than you and not totally unfamiliar with the problems of growing older. Mind is willing but the body sometimes lags behind.

I recently purchased a Husky 345 with 16 in. bar and I love it so far. Quite a difference between it and the Poulan Pro 295 it replaced. Not sure what type of chain came on it (semi-chisel, etc.) but it will throw some chips! Especially like the anti-vibe features as I have a nerve problem in my hands. It is relatively lightweight; days of pressing iron are gone for me. Don't believe you could go wrong with a 345 or 350.

Just my 2 cents worth.

 

[pbtree]

Welcome to the site...

based upon what you have written, I think the 350 with a semi chisel chain would be just the ticket...

 

[GeorgeBBruin]

Amen

Welcome to the site...

based upon what you have written, I think the 350 with a semi chisel chain would be just the ticket...

Thanks, everybody. I guess that settles it.

 

[woojr]

My arms aren't so bad but the back and shoulders are only good about 2-3 hours a week. A few months ago I picked up a ms200 with the rear handle. It cuts pretty fast and is light as a feather. I don't know what you're planning on cutting, but if not a steady diet of real big stuff, and cost is not a factor, this little powerhouse feels neat as it slices through wood. Doesn't have that pulling you into the wood with that torquish feeling. More like slicing Thanksgiving turkey with an electric knife... real smooth. I basically use it now for anything 12 inches and smaller. Mainly because its fun to use and a tank of fuel seems to run on forever.
Plus, if you feel artistic, it appears to be a choice of carvers. Has the proven guts of the top handle arborist saw.
Good luck, woojr