I think I'm going to open a can of worms and if I'm do I'm soory but I gota know.I'm a landscaper and I need a small saw,for clean-ups,brush,firewood etc,to me reliability is the most important thing,it has to start every time and go,what should I look at?I have a couple Stihl and Husky dealer nearby,i don't know about Dolmar.I like the Stihl 260 but wonder if they might come out with an upgrade,lie the 361 and 441,if they are,I can wait.OK,what do you guys think(I'm runnung for cover).
Most Reliable Small Saw?
- Thread starter NORTHMAN
- Start date
Help Support Arborist Forum:
ericjeeper
Addicted to ArboristSite
Lots of perfect saws out there
Just ask anyone on here.. The stihl guys say the 361 is perfect for general purpose saw work.
Husky guys have theirs..
and Me being a Dolman fan I prefer the 5100 and the 7900 for bigger stuff./
Just whatever you do buy the best saw you can justify money wise.
I do not worry to much about dealer for warranty.. Cause I tend to void them right off the bat anyhow..(muffler mods) Or taking a 6400 and making a 7900 out of before it was 4 months old. (just had to see if the power gain was there, yep sure was)
Do yourself a favor and buy some PPE . The best and most perfect saws will cut meat faster than you can shake a stick at it..
I cut my finger wide open on a stihl chain, and it was not even running. (note to self, wear leather gloves when hand filing).
Just ask anyone on here.. The stihl guys say the 361 is perfect for general purpose saw work.
Husky guys have theirs..
and Me being a Dolman fan I prefer the 5100 and the 7900 for bigger stuff./
Just whatever you do buy the best saw you can justify money wise.
I do not worry to much about dealer for warranty.. Cause I tend to void them right off the bat anyhow..(muffler mods) Or taking a 6400 and making a 7900 out of before it was 4 months old. (just had to see if the power gain was there, yep sure was)
Do yourself a favor and buy some PPE . The best and most perfect saws will cut meat faster than you can shake a stick at it..
I cut my finger wide open on a stihl chain, and it was not even running. (note to self, wear leather gloves when hand filing).
stonykill
ArboristSite Guru
I had a 026 for about 14 years, its a good saw for what your looking to do. I sold the 026 because I bought a 346xp husky. Honestly it puts the 026/260 to shame. If I'm heading out to do general cleanup, or collect scrounged, free firewood, I grab the 346xp. If your looking to cut larger than 14 inches in diameter on a regular basis, you will want a bigger saw. 
Thanks guys,from what I've read(assuming I read right),the 346 revs high compared to the 026,the 026 has a broader torque band and may be more forgiving,is this true?I thought the 361 might be a little heavy?I'm still keeping my head down.
Last edited:
Highclimber OR
ArboristSite Operative
If you want a good medium sized saw I will vote for the Stihl 361 because it has plenty of power but is not overkill, and let me tell you Stihl is a real winner when it comes to reliability and performance. I should know, I have ran em since I was a kid. Never have got a lemon from my dealer. Just my opinion. By the way, if you get something much bigger it may be a bit much. Stihl's always a winner in my book and I'm not tryin to start a war.
troutfisher
Addicted to ArboristSite
Stihl 260, 361 I hear are good. Husky 346xp, 353, 357xp also. I have the 346xp, I like it. I think if you stay with stihl or husky, and look for metal cases, and an adjustable oiler, after that it's personal preference. good luck!
Highclimber OR
ArboristSite Operative
What's the biggest thing you see yourself cutting, in diameter?
Highclimber OR
ArboristSite Operative
I'd say that if you wanna cut stuff bigger than 8" than you may wanna go with the 361, more power.
enjoys cutting
ArboristSite Operative
if your not sure of which one go for the larger,you can always limb with the bigger saw. that's just my 2 cents
troutfisher
Addicted to ArboristSite
Yes you can! A 440 Stihl or a 372xp Husky are great saws, and will do most wood cutting jobs.
troutfisher
Addicted to ArboristSite
My dealer takes trades, so if a person bought a saw that was too small or wouldn't do the job, they could trade up without losing a lot of money. Maybe you could start small and less expensive and trade up to a bigger saw if needed.
STIHL-KID
ArboristSite Operative
I think this thread will quickly turn into "why you should buy a 361" 
thread. I vote for the MS280 or 260 for light duty work. 
thread. I vote for the MS280 or 260 for light duty work. talcott
ArboristSite Lurker
A Vote For 346xp
i recently bough a 142e husky and just love it. it is not a commercial saw and the price is quite reasonable.
i then decided to buy a 346xp because of the high rpms. i had the rim changed so that i could run 3/8 pitch chain on it so i would not get my chain mixed up with my employers chain.
i put a 16" bar on the saw.
it depends on what you are gonna cut.
stihl,dolmar, husqvarna...all good saws if you take good care of them.
THE 346XP IS WASPY.
bestest ree guards
talcott
i recently bough a 142e husky and just love it. it is not a commercial saw and the price is quite reasonable.
i then decided to buy a 346xp because of the high rpms. i had the rim changed so that i could run 3/8 pitch chain on it so i would not get my chain mixed up with my employers chain.
i put a 16" bar on the saw.
it depends on what you are gonna cut.
stihl,dolmar, husqvarna...all good saws if you take good care of them.
THE 346XP IS WASPY.
bestest ree guards
talcott
sawinredneck
Addicted to ArboristSite
How much are you really going to use this saw? I wont talk you out of a 361, if thats what you really want/need. I believe in buying up a size for most wood cutters, but I think a light multi use saw is in order here. I, again I know, vote for the Husky 350, cheap and reliable. If one of you're crew runs the sucker on straight gas, you aren't out that much. (I've run these crews years ago, I know how this goes!!) I have the 346 and the 350, the 346 takes some getting used to, keeping the RPM's up in the cut takes a deft touch, more low end grunt to use. Just my .02.
sperho
ArboristSite Operative
8"? Wow, I use a handsaw for that stuff. A M260 will suit the OP just fine used as described. I don't see him felling a lot of huge timber with his saw. For the occasional piece of wood larger than 18-20", he'll still be fine with a 260. A 361 would be perfectly fine too, but people tend to think a 50cc saw is for twigs only.
STIHL-KID
ArboristSite Operative
Sperho, nice saw in the picture.......I have to agree
THALL10326
The Champ
The 260 is reliable indeed. The ones I see are usually the older 026's 10 and 15 years old needing a mere cleaning and tune up. The 361 is MR RELIABLE bar none. I'm still waiting to work on one and its been a mighty long wait indeed.
E&R_firewood
ArboristSite Operative
for several years i used a pawn shop solo 647 as my small clean up, limbing saw . . . i thought it was great until a customer asked if I'd like to use a Stihl 026 he'd bought several years before and never used. ( the dude didn't even know how to start it!) anyhow i fired her up and broke the saw in removing some unwanted Aspens from his property . . . i haven't touched the solo since . . .heavy and underpowered compared to the Stihl. i liked the saw so much i worked out a trade for it on part of the tree removal labor. As the 026 is no longer manufactured my vote would have to be for its replacement the MS 260 
