Just when you think you have narrowed your saw purchase down!!!

[Cord Cutter]

Hello Again, Needing some more advice. I was leaning towards the Echo 305/306 and the Stihl MS180. Now after doing more digging the MS170, the CS 346, are coming into play.:help: This is what I need my saw to do. I get about 6-8 cords a year delivered to my home. (1 at a time). I custom cut these up. Some range from 2 foot to 3 foot, and some pretty odd shaped pieces. Rarely I get the standard firewood to cut up. Time is not an issue so I do not have to cut this stuff up in an hour or so. I try to get the wood Saturdays and cut it the same day and finish the next day. Then I start stacking the wood into our wood pile for the next season. I get the wood for the next season in Jan,Feb, March. After this stuff is ready to go, we get another 6 or so cords for the following heating season through out the summer and fall. This way I can use the saw pretty much year round. I really worry about the problems on some sites I have found with others telling how cold blooded and hard to start the MS180's are. I know Log Splitter has helped me with how his MS 180 works, and The thought of having to pull a new saw 10 times when it is cold, to get it to start kinda worries me. I plan on going to my Stihl dealer and asking him/her if I could try to start a 170 and a 180 to see how hard they are to start. I am not physically unable to pull the saw, I just don't want to have to fight it to start. I have ruled out the E-Z start from Stihl. Some seem like they do work to the CS-346 muffler and change out the standard bar and chain on them as well. Is the standard bar and chain on a 346 that bad??? Both the 346 and the 306 have bulb primers on them. Somewhere some one said the 346 is not in production anymore but the Echo web site and the on line 2007 catalog shows the 346. Another thing is that Echo now has the 5 year warranty for their saws! Any other insights you can would be helpful. I plan on making my purchase hopefully by the end of this month. When I do I will give everyone the details of what I went with, and answer any questions anyone has on what I buy. This forum has been very informative and a lot of you here really know your stuff. Thank you for all the info I have gotten so far. Again, thank you. Cord Cutter.

 

[zemmo]

Why are you looking at such tiny saws? What's the diameter of the wood you're cutting? 6 cords/year is enough to make me want a real saw, maybe something in the 50cc range, do you have a Dolmar dealer in your area?

 

[SawTroll]

Husky 350 ??????:hmm3grin2orange: :hmm3grin2orange:

 

[jab6]

echo

i have had the same cs5000 echo saw 49.?cc...20"bar..been a very good saw i have had to do nothing to it...keep it clean and sharp..during the cold months i cut a full size truck load a week...nice saw

 

[bytehoven]

Zemmo: we have covered alot of ground with cordcutter in another thread and he is focused on a smaller saw, knowing full well the limitations.

Cord: The smaller Stihl saws are not too hard to start.

1st thing, the dealer told me to hit the fuel bulb a good 10 times on a cold start.

2nd, set the trigger and handle choke to FULL for no more than 3 pulls and then turn off the handle choke.

3rd, at the 1st hint of the motor beginning to catch, reset the trigger choke with a squeeze of the trigger. 1 or 2 more pulls and the saw starts.

4th, give the saw about 30-60 seconds before you try to rev it up.

The real trick is getting enough gas to the carb with the fuel bulb and not flooding the saw by leaving the handle choke set to full for too many pulls.

I thought the Echo warranty was 2 years. Their website still says 2 years.

Happy shopping.

 

[sawinredneck]

Husky 350 ??????:hmm3grin2orange: :hmm3grin2orange:

X2!!!!

 

[begleytree]

Ain't nothing wrong with the MS170. it does just fine for what it is. from cold, mine takes 3 pulls to hit on choke, then 1-2 more to start. once warm, its a 1/2 pull to running. My 17/170s run a 14" with 3/8 pico micro. same as the 200Ts and cut fine.

husky 350? if a man's going up to a 50cc saw, there's only one chioce: 5100S
-Ralph

 

[Deadman]

X3:hmm3grin2orange:

 

[SawTroll]

X3:hmm3grin2orange:

X4, or the pro quality 353 for a few buchs more.......

The cheaper Stihls are no-go imo, the MS250 is POS, and then what about the cheaper ones......:biggrinbounce2: :biggrinbounce2:

 

[begleytree]

The cheaper Stihls is no-go imo

ever run one, or is this just a feeling?
I realize they aren't the greatest thing out there, but they do cut very well for their size.
-Ralph

 

[upandcommer]

my wife's 018c is far from cold blooded. 2 pulls choked then one on half choke she fires up blip the throttle set her down and wait till my saw is up and running hand the wife her saw and head to the trees. Works every time 14" pico micro .43 guage set-up has earned the wife's saw the nickname ginsu of the woods. I like hers so much i use it when i am alone as my limbing saw as opposed to my limbing saws. Then the fun part you get to yell at her for cutting dirt and forcing you to sharpen her chain cause noone dulls a chain after cutting limbs off one tree without hitting dirt. wink wink Just don't tell her i used it for three trees the other day when she was home with the baby.

 

[SawTroll]

ever run one, or is this just a feeling?
I realize they aren't the greatest thing out there, but they do cut very well for their size.
-Ralph

'
Yes, have run and maintained a couple (two to be exact) 250cs, and they were totally unimpressive, POS.....:taped:

The old Husky 45 (Partner 400 derivate) is a much better saw........

 

[sawinredneck]

ever run one, or is this just a feeling?
I realize they aren't the greatest thing out there, but they do cut very well for their size.
-Ralph

I've spent some time behind a 180 Ralph, fine little saw wouldn't mind one, if I had the need! The 5100 is tops in it's class, but you are adding $100 on top of the price of the 350, more if bought online. If he likes the 170/180 size, the 350 will be a screamer for him!! One of the best bang for the buck saws out there IMO!!
Andy

 

[begleytree]

'
Yes, have run and maintained a couple (two to be exact) 250cs, and they were totally unimpressive, POS.....:taped:

The old Husky 45 (Partner 400 derivate) is a much better saw........

well, I just thought I'd ask, most guys know a lot about 5-8 different saws. you always seem to have an idea about every brand and every model. quite rare really.

then again, we havent touched on saw application either. right size saw for the wood and all......and wether a man is in a hurry or not.

and the 170 is 30cc, not 25. 25cc would be in the pole saw range. extremely slow, but a trade off for the reach.......
-Ralph

 

[begleytree]

I've spent some time behind a 180 Ralph, fine little saw wouldn't mind one, if I had the need! The 5100 is tops in it's class, but you are adding $100 on top of the price of the 350, more if bought online. If he likes the 170/180 size, the 350 will be a screamer for him!! One of the best bang for the buck saws out there IMO!!
Andy

its a snowball thing here andy. the man asks about saws in the 30cc range, so someone throws out a 50cc saw, then the 361 gets thrown in, then the price factor goes in, so for the price of a 361, he can buy a 7900, now he's getting advice on 80cc saws. but all the man wants is a 30cc saw for light work.
imo, people here need to learn to read and answer what a man asks about, and stop throwing out agendas. for someone relatively new to saws, there's a lot to learn without throwing out numbers that he doesn't need, or even want
not you personally andy, just been noticing a trend here.
-Ralph

 

[sawinredneck]

its a snowball thing here andy. the man asks about saws in the 30cc range, so someone throws out a 50cc saw, then the 361 gets thrown in, then the price factor goes in, so for the price of a 361, he can buy a 7900, now he's getting advice on 80cc saws. but all the man wants is a 30cc saw for light work.
imo, people here need to learn to read and answer what a man asks about, and stop throwing out agendas. for someone relatively new to saws, there's a lot to learn without throwing out numbers that he doesn't need, or even want
not you personally andy, just been noticing a trend here.
-Ralph

And I cannot argue that one bit, nor will I Ralph! I am just as guilty as anybody there!
My line of thinking on this though, he only wants one saw, granted he hasn't stated how large the wood is, and is cutting six cord a year, I think a 50cc would be as small as I would want? I cut for years with 50cc saws, and they did fine, some of what I have gotten into lately, no way, but if I were to limit myself to one saw, I think I'd be pretty happy there. I can't imagine trying to buck wood with my 192t, which is basicly what we are looking at, right? Just my thoughts, if it's smaller wood, then go for the 170/180!!

We are but a bunch of addicts anyway Ralph :hmm3grin2orange:
Andy

 

[infomet]

I have an MS250...seems fine. When I need more, I have an 029 and a Timberbear. In the past I've had a Poul XXV on the small side. Believe it or not, the XXV ran for 20 years, with just a new fuel line or two. Not heavy use, but quite a bit of yard stuff.

Now that you know where I'm coming from, I'd say not to go smaller than the MS250 for the work you outline. My son does less than outlined here and his thirtysomething is not really enough. Running flat out on every cut is no fun!

I don't know the costs, but it doesn't seem unreasonable to go up to the MS250 size, about $300 bucks. With care, I expect they will all work OK.

Perhaps you could visit a couple of friends with something a little larger.

I know, Begley, I'm jumping in on the extra advice, but he is much like me, so I'm trying to help.

BTW, I'm still chasing the saw at Duke, but the peopple have been away...should be back now, but I haven't heard.

 

[disandat]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned the MS260 pro. A 50cc saw with compression release. Would probably be a great saw. But after today, I'm thinking a 361 or 441 would be better for bucking...faster and can handle longer bars.

 

[SawTroll]

well, I just thought I'd ask, most guys know a lot about 5-8 different saws. you always seem to have an idea about every brand and every model. quite rare really.

then again, we havent touched on saw application either. right size saw for the wood and all......and wether a man is in a hurry or not.

and the 170 is 30cc, not 25. 25cc would be in the pole saw range. extremely slow, but a trade off for the reach.......
-Ralph

I didn't contest anything you said - if so it was purely coinsidental - I just stated my experience with those (cough - cough, sort of) saws.......

 

[sawinredneck]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned the MS260 pro. A 50cc saw with compression release. Would probably be a great saw. But after today, I'm thinking a 361 or 441 would be better for bucking...faster and can handle longer bars.

Too much money and underpowerd in todays world. The 350 has a Dec. as well, for a little more than half the price.