Just don't let him anywhere near the Husky 395xp.
How bad can the box store saws be?
- Thread starter supercut469
- Start date
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Just don't let him anywhere near the Husky 395xp.
yea that baby is hidden when it gets back to the house.
But I now keep a pos Mcculluch 4600 out in the open laying around if he ever needs to "borrow" anything.
16:1mix
Addicted to ArboristSite
Add one more!
stevethekiwi
Addicted to ArboristSite
second hand 346xp in good nick
best saw in its class.
i cant believe this has not been mentioned???
if you have the $$$ buy it new
best saw in its class.
i cant believe this has not been mentioned???
if you have the $$$ buy it new
2000ssm6
Stihl User
How about a MS260, Dolmar 5100, or Jred 2153????
:jawdrop:
:jawdrop:
:jawdrop:
:jawdrop: I just got a new ms290 for $200 with a trade in on my old 025. The dealers had a sale on them for $350 and so far im real happy with it.
superfire
Addicted to ArboristSite
saw help
stihl 250 16" bar
husky 346XPG 18" bar
dolmar ps5100s 16" bar
echo cs 450 16" bar
makita dcs 6401 20" bar
efco 152 18' bar
solo 651 20"bar
tanka 4501 18" bar
opcorn: 
stihl 250 16" bar
husky 346XPG 18" bar
dolmar ps5100s 16" bar
echo cs 450 16" bar
makita dcs 6401 20" bar
efco 152 18' bar
solo 651 20"bar
tanka 4501 18" bar
opcorn: 
andrethegiant70
Addicted to ArboristSite
Rep for you!! I couldn't have said it better. Since money is about the only thing that talks, use your purchasing power to convince manufacturers that providing quality items is the only way to go. If you don't do this, you don't even have the right to complain about the cheap crap that is piling up at the dump.
Regarding the original post... these guys are right on.... buy a qualiy saw, take care of it, fix it when it breaks, rebuild it when it wears out, and you'll be doing yourself, the earth, and the rest of us a favor. If you can't afford new, buy good used, you still send a great message and you'll be happier than if you cheaped out.
BloodOnTheIce
Addicted to ArboristSite
I'll take a nice used premium brand saw over a brand new box store brand saw. Think about it like this, you spend 600$ one time and have a brand new saw that will last you possible the rest of your cutting life. Or you could spend 200$ every couple years, and in not too long you've spent more on cheap saws than if you saved and bought a brand new premium brand to begin with.
Last edited:
andrethegiant70
Addicted to ArboristSite
And seriously pissed yourself off in the process.
AngelofDarkness
Addicted to ArboristSite
MS 260
Dolmar 5100
Husky 353
Echo CS-520
Any of these should serve you well. Heck, I even have a Poulan that will spank an MS260.
Dolmar 5100
Husky 353
Echo CS-520
Any of these should serve you well. Heck, I even have a Poulan that will spank an MS260.
I AGREE! My 100.00 used echo John Deere did not give me much service. Neither did my 89.00 Homie Super 2. Lots of frustration when saws didnt start out in the woods. In 1984, 199.00 might have gotten a small new Stihl!
VA_133Super
ArboristSite Lurker
new saw
Hi,
I was in a similar situation. I had a dutch Elm go down in my front yard. I smoked my Poulan Pro 295 trying to cut this tree up. Found a good used Sachs Dolmar 133 Super with a 38" bar. That saw ATE that tree up
. So.....I got the saw...made my cuts...taking it to a local shop for a little TLC and I'll have a good saw after all is said & done for $250.
Look around and get a better saw....You won't be sorry.
Good Luck,
Anthony
Hi,
I was in a similar situation. I had a dutch Elm go down in my front yard. I smoked my Poulan Pro 295 trying to cut this tree up. Found a good used Sachs Dolmar 133 Super with a 38" bar. That saw ATE that tree up
. So.....I got the saw...made my cuts...taking it to a local shop for a little TLC and I'll have a good saw after all is said & done for $250.Look around and get a better saw....You won't be sorry.
Good Luck,
Anthony
NDtreehugger
ArboristSite Guru
You answered your own question. You will not be happy with a cheap saw and will end up buying another one soon. You might as well 'buy your second saw first'.
It is frustrating when classic brand names like Homelite, McCulloch, and others get bought out and placed on junk. These used to be solid brands.
When I wanted to learn more about how saws worked, I went onto CraigsList and FreeCycle to get 'dead' saws for free, just to tear them apart and see what they looked like on the inside. It doesn't take long to see the difference between and $69 saw and a $300+ saw.
It's almost impossible to get repair parts for the cheap saws, except for bars and chains. They become disposable. They don't work all that well in the meantime, and can cause a lot of grief.
If you want to keep the saw for 10 years, pick a good one that will have parts available. Check out which dealers are in your area so that you will know what is available locally.
Lowes does sell the new Husqvarna 445 (replacing the 350?). Home Depot can order some Makita (Dolmar) saws aside from the junk in their Lawn and Garden aisles. You might also look at the Stihl MS250 and similar saws at a dealer. Some of these will last a long time if taken care of, for the use you describe.
You may find that the saws in this range are not anymore expensive through a servicing dealer. Some dealers will also sell reconditioned saws they take in trade.
Philbert
It is frustrating when classic brand names like Homelite, McCulloch, and others get bought out and placed on junk. These used to be solid brands.
When I wanted to learn more about how saws worked, I went onto CraigsList and FreeCycle to get 'dead' saws for free, just to tear them apart and see what they looked like on the inside. It doesn't take long to see the difference between and $69 saw and a $300+ saw.
It's almost impossible to get repair parts for the cheap saws, except for bars and chains. They become disposable. They don't work all that well in the meantime, and can cause a lot of grief.
If you want to keep the saw for 10 years, pick a good one that will have parts available. Check out which dealers are in your area so that you will know what is available locally.
Lowes does sell the new Husqvarna 445 (replacing the 350?). Home Depot can order some Makita (Dolmar) saws aside from the junk in their Lawn and Garden aisles. You might also look at the Stihl MS250 and similar saws at a dealer. Some of these will last a long time if taken care of, for the use you describe.
You may find that the saws in this range are not anymore expensive through a servicing dealer. Some dealers will also sell reconditioned saws they take in trade.
Philbert
AngelofDarkness
Addicted to ArboristSite
If you want a good solid firewood cutter get a 260 Pro. For a beater saw pick up a used Homie XL-12 or SXL-AO, they take abuse and come for more.
MuleyJ
Addicted to ArboristSite
Agreed.
ropensaddle
Feel Lucky
Avoid them like the plague I love my dogs but they can't be found
in no depot. Stick with the pro model's and you will be served many years
of performance with proper maintenance. I did make the mistake of buying
one of those little guys and was disappointed but not surprised. I ended up
giving it to a friend who did not have a saw and he used it but said, he
thought it was not like the pro saws I use of the same brand.
in no depot. Stick with the pro model's and you will be served many years
of performance with proper maintenance. I did make the mistake of buying
one of those little guys and was disappointed but not surprised. I ended up
giving it to a friend who did not have a saw and he used it but said, he
thought it was not like the pro saws I use of the same brand.
CharlieG
Addicted to ArboristSite
Home Depot has the Makita (Dolmar) 6401 $479, I think 
.
The longer you have a saw, the more familiar you'll be with it, and be able to take care of the majority of issues, if any, with it.
A "name brand" saw will also have parts/service availability versus the usual "knock-off" stuff.
. The longer you have a saw, the more familiar you'll be with it, and be able to take care of the majority of issues, if any, with it.
A "name brand" saw will also have parts/service availability versus the usual "knock-off" stuff.
WSJchester
ArboristSite Operative
Sounds like the whole world's more or less in agreement about the 45-50cc, 16", best quality saw you can afford (brand less important) concept.
I read a long time ago in a Browning firerms catalog an advertising line that had a lot of truth to it: "A poor man can only afford the very best."
Made sense to me then and still does. I bought my first Husqvarna, a 50, from a saw shop in 1988 for the princely sum of $350 usd (still have the receipt). That included tax and a bar cover. I'd been cutting firewood with an old Homelite 350 and a little $89 McCulloch for years. I felt like I'd stepped into a different world. In real dollars that old 50's just about the priciest saw I own but it still starts every time and runs like a top after 20years of use. And that little rascal has cut a very large pile of deciduous hardwood firewood over the years when it was my only reliable saw!
Scrape up your pennies, go to the nearest real saw shop, and buy the best (not necessarily the biggest) one you can and you'll be money and miles ahead, and much happier. And another cool thing about buying a saw from someplace other than Wally Depot is that it will be put together and set up correctly, and started and tuned before you walk away with it. And if you have a problem or question (or even if it suffers from a dumba$$ attack like sometimes happens) you can go back and talk to the same person that sold you the saw! And he'll remember you and even know something about the thing. How cool is that?
Tell us what you buy. My guess is that you'll do the right thing, else you wouldn't have inquired on this forum. -WSJ
I read a long time ago in a Browning firerms catalog an advertising line that had a lot of truth to it: "A poor man can only afford the very best."
Made sense to me then and still does. I bought my first Husqvarna, a 50, from a saw shop in 1988 for the princely sum of $350 usd (still have the receipt). That included tax and a bar cover. I'd been cutting firewood with an old Homelite 350 and a little $89 McCulloch for years. I felt like I'd stepped into a different world. In real dollars that old 50's just about the priciest saw I own but it still starts every time and runs like a top after 20years of use. And that little rascal has cut a very large pile of deciduous hardwood firewood over the years when it was my only reliable saw!
Scrape up your pennies, go to the nearest real saw shop, and buy the best (not necessarily the biggest) one you can and you'll be money and miles ahead, and much happier. And another cool thing about buying a saw from someplace other than Wally Depot is that it will be put together and set up correctly, and started and tuned before you walk away with it. And if you have a problem or question (or even if it suffers from a dumba$$ attack like sometimes happens) you can go back and talk to the same person that sold you the saw! And he'll remember you and even know something about the thing. How cool is that?
Tell us what you buy. My guess is that you'll do the right thing, else you wouldn't have inquired on this forum. -WSJ
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