Need advice on picking out a bigger chain saw...

[Stubby]

Being a homeowner, I have a handful of different saws for whatever comes up at or around the house...a Stihl MS250, an Echo 58 volt electric, a DeWalt 20 volt electric for limbs, etc., and a Dewalt 20 volt pole saw.

We just bought 5 acres of "woods" around a small pond in New Hampshire and are clearing it for a driveway and a pad for a Park Model log home. So now, the tree cutting is getting more serious. We are cutting quite a few Beech trees of various diameters. I've been using the MS250.

But..I believe that I'm pushing it pretty hard. I keep the chain sharp, etc.

I want to buy a larger saw without spending the price of a larger, high-end saw.

I've been looking at a Husqvarna 455 Rancher (20") and an Echo 59.8cc Timberwolf (20"). The reviews seem pretty good for the most part.

Any opinions on these saws? Or other $500.00ish saws that you recommend?

Another random question...just yesterday, I went to put a new chain on the MS250. I had some brand new 16" and 18" chains.

The bar measures 16" from the body of the saw to the tip of the bar. But....a 16" chain doesn't fit. The 18" chain fit perfectly. How are these things measured? I thought that it would be measured by the size cut that you could make.

Thanks!

Rich

 

[lone wolf]

Being a homeowner, I have a handful of different saws for whatever comes up at or around the house...a Stihl MS250, an Echo 58 volt electric, a DeWalt 20 volt electric for limbs, etc., and a Dewalt 20 volt pole saw.

We just bought 5 acres of "woods" around a small pond in New Hampshire and are clearing it for a driveway and a pad for a Park Model log home. So now, the tree cutting is getting more serious. We are cutting quite a few Beech trees of various diameters. I've been using the MS250.

But..I believe that I'm pushing it pretty hard. I keep the chain sharp, etc.

I want to buy a larger saw without spending the price of a larger, high-end saw.

I've been looking at a Husqvarna 455 Rancher (20") and an Echo 59.8cc Timberwolf (20"). The reviews seem pretty good for the most part.

Any opinions on these saws? Or other $500.00ish saws that you recommend?

Another random question...just yesterday, I went to put a new chain on the MS250. I had some brand new 16" and 18" chains.

The bar measures 16" from the body of the saw to the tip of the bar. But....a 16" chain doesn't fit. The 18" chain fit perfectly. How are these things measured? I thought that it would be measured by the size cut that you could make.

Thanks!

Rich

Buy a Pro STIHL saw on here that is in good condition for around that price or a bit more.

 

[coffeebrk]

This^^^^
You said serious tree cutting so......
Without exception everyone here will recommend a pro saw, although some may suggest Husqvarna too. I'm 100% certain that no one will suggest anything else but a good used or new pro saw.

 

[jltrent]

5 acres unless they are really big trees the Timberwolf will work at around 60cc. It is a good step above the MS250.

 

[Stubby]

Thank you for the replies. We will not be clearing the entire 5 acres, just specific areas..driveway, 60 x 100 pad for the log home, and miscellaneous small areas for solar, outhouse, shed, etc. most of the trees are not too big...5-8 inches in diameter, with some larger ones mixed in. I can use the MS250 for many of the smaller trees.

There's a guy a few towns over from me selling a brand new (in the package) Husqvarna 455 Rancher (20") for $300.00. That's tempting enough for me to buy that one and take a chance...thoughts?

Buying a piece of equipment used (unless I know the seller), worries me a little. I can typically fix things (thanks to Youtube!!), but I'd rather not have to do that. I'm not really a small engine guy...

Rich

 

[coffeebrk]

There's a guy a few towns over from me selling a brand new (in the package) Husqvarna 455 Rancher (20") for $300.00. That's tempting enough for me to buy that one and take a chance...thoughts?

Hmmmmm......
Go get the Husqvarna 455. Price is low enough for a new saw.
Go now, we will stand by for the pics.

 

[Stubby]

Hmmmmm......
Go get the Husqvarna 455. Price is low enough for a new saw.
Go now, we will stand by for the pics.

Thanks for the confirmation...pics coming soon! Unless it's sold...

Rich

 

[cookies]

Buy once cry once, get a real saw thats made for the tasks. You will need it again in the future to maintain your land. I suggest the stihl ms400 or 462. Its not just can the saw run xxyy bar length its about how well can the saw lube the bar, operation for hours and hours with the bar fully buried working as hard as possible without overheating the engine/clutch/bar/chain/case without damage. The last but seemingly most important is user fatigue. The right saw for the job completes the job faster with the least fatigue. The nice thing about a larger displacement saw that is light is you can put a shorter bar on it then switch to a longer bar as needed and be done in much less time. Ms250 is a good saw with good power for its size but I would not want to repeatedly cut logs larger than 10" diameter with it. A 60cc saw will cut a 36 inch log but expect it to take 6-7 minutes a cut vs a 70 cc taking 3 minutes. In that time your using more fuel/oil, dulling more chains and your body is getting wrecked and you start trying to leverage the saw to cut faster over working it.

 

[Stubby]

Buy once cry once, get a real saw thats made for the tasks. You will need it again in the future to maintain your land. I suggest the stihl ms400 or 462. Its not just can the saw run xxyy bar length its about how well can the saw lube the bar, operation for hours and hours with the bar fully buried working as hard as possible without overheating the engine/clutch/bar/chain/case without damage. The last but seemingly most important is user fatigue. The right saw for the job completes the job faster with the least fatigue. The nice thing about a larger displacement saw that is light is you can put a shorter bar on it then switch to a longer bar as needed and be done in much less time. Ms250 is a good saw with good power for its size but I would not want to repeatedly cut logs larger than 10" diameter with it. A 60cc saw will cut a 36 inch log but expect it to take 6-7 minutes a cut vs a 70 cc taking 3 minutes. In that time your using more fuel/oil, dulling more chains and your body is getting wrecked and you start trying to leverage the saw to cut faster over working it.

Well, I didn't want to spend $1K+....at least not at the moment. there aren't any trees near 36" in diameter that concern me. So, as much as I typically buy tools, equipment, etc. that's not the cheapest price out there ( I like quality, too...), I have soooo many other expenses ahead of me, that I'm going to take a chance on a less expensive one. Maybe down the road, if the need arises, I'll upgrade.
Thanks for the common sense advice, though.

Rich

 

[Stubby]

Hmmmmm......
Go get the Husqvarna 455. Price is low enough for a new saw.
Go now, we will stand by for the pics.

Well...I bit the bullet, but changed my mind, also. The person selling the new Husky 455 hasn't gotten back to me, yet. So, I kept on looking. I would have preferred the Timber Wolf, anyway.

I came across this ad, and I've bought stuff from him before. Plus, he's 10 minutes from my house..win/win...




I filled the tanks, fired it up, and went out back and took a cut off of a fallen tree. So far, so good.

Rich

 

[cookies]

Well...I bit the bullet, but changed my mind, also. The person selling the new Husky 455 hasn't gotten back to me, yet. So, I kept on looking. I would have preferred the Timber Wolf, anyway.

I came across this ad, and I've bought stuff from him before. Plus, he's 10 minutes from my house..win/win...
View attachment 1194478
View attachment 1194479
View attachment 1194481

I filled the tanks, fired it up, and went out back and took a cut off of a fallen tree. So far, so good.

Rich

Theres a few threads on this forum about modifying the mufflers and other improvements for that model, I suggest reading them and at minimum learning to adjust the carb off the edge of over lean and opening the muffler a little. Enjoy your new saw!

 

[Stubby]

Theres a few threads on this forum about modifying the mufflers and other improvements for that model, I suggest reading them and at minimum learning to adjust the carb off the edge of over lean and opening the muffler a little. Enjoy your new saw!

Thanks for that information! I will certainly look into that.

Rich

 

[HumBurner]

Thank you for the replies. We will not be clearing the entire 5 acres, just specific areas..driveway, 60 x 100 pad for the log home, and miscellaneous small areas for solar, outhouse, shed, etc. most of the trees are not too big...5-8 inches in diameter, with some larger ones mixed in. I can use the MS250 for many of the smaller trees.

There's a guy a few towns over from me selling a brand new (in the package) Husqvarna 455 Rancher (20") for $300.00. That's tempting enough for me to buy that one and take a chance...thoughts?

Buying a piece of equipment used (unless I know the seller), worries me a little. I can typically fix things (thanks to Youtube!!), but I'd rather not have to do that. I'm not really a small engine guy...

Rich

What's the max diameter you're looking at cutting?

That 250 should be able to effectively fall anything up to 16-20" safely, unless the tree is compromised in one or more ways (and even then it should in the hands of a skilled operator)

 

[Stubby]

16-20" should pretty much cover it, with a few larger exceptions. There's also all the other stuff...bucking, etc. We chip everything under 3".

I typically cut the tree down, leaving an appropriate stump. Then I go back and re-cut the stump as close to the ground that I can, avoiding the chain hitting earth.

This is where the MS 250 works the hardest...re-cutting the stumps down low.

Our land is on a small mountain that has tons of rocks, many that you can't see until you dig.

So, we have decided not to pull the stumps, and the rocks that pop up out of the ground, (that leaves a HUGE MESS!!). Instead, we're going to bring in truckloads of gravel/stone and bury all of that crap to level the area.



Rich

 

[lone wolf]

Buy once cry once, get a real saw thats made for the tasks. You will need it again in the future to maintain your land. I suggest the stihl ms400 or 462. Its not just can the saw run xxyy bar length its about how well can the saw lube the bar, operation for hours and hours with the bar fully buried working as hard as possible without overheating the engine/clutch/bar/chain/case without damage. The last but seemingly most important is user fatigue. The right saw for the job completes the job faster with the least fatigue. The nice thing about a larger displacement saw that is light is you can put a shorter bar on it then switch to a longer bar as needed and be done in much less time. Ms250 is a good saw with good power for its size but I would not want to repeatedly cut logs larger than 10" diameter with it. A 60cc saw will cut a 36 inch log but expect it to take 6-7 minutes a cut vs a 70 cc taking 3 minutes. In that time your using more fuel/oil, dulling more chains and your body is getting wrecked and you start trying to leverage the saw to cut faster over working it.

Good advice right there.

 

[sean donato]

Congratulations on the Echo, decent saw. Not the most powerful and kinda heavy, but they are dead reliable and about as simple as it gets.
Hopefully you're still removing the stumps from the area the cabin is going, you're just asking for foundation/pad issues as they rot out if not removed. One of those mistake that will haunt you in 10 years.

 

[Stubby]

Congratulations on the Echo, decent saw. Not the most powerful and kinda heavy, but they are dead reliable and about as simple as it gets.
Hopefully you're still removing the stumps from the area the cabin is going, you're just asking for foundation/pad issues as they rot out if not removed. One of those mistake that will haunt you in 10 years.

The Echo is basically a compromise....price, capability, and how much work will it see. For $350.00 I'm taking a chance on it..

The cabin is a park model camper..Basically a 13 foot x 31 foot long RV delivered on a tri-axle trailer.
It stays on the trailer, so we're going to install 8 concrete filled sonor tubes around the perimeter for it to sit on..

Rich

 

[Stubby]

This is the website for the cabin...

https://lancasterlogcabins.com/

 

[HumBurner]

16-20" should pretty much cover it, with a few larger exceptions. There's also all the other stuff...bucking, etc. We chip everything under 3".

I typically cut the tree down, leaving an appropriate stump. Then I go back and re-cut the stump as close to the ground that I can, avoiding the chain hitting earth.

This is where the MS 250 works the hardest...re-cutting the stumps down low.

Our land is on a small mountain that has tons of rocks, many that you can't see until you dig.

So, we have decided not to pull the stumps, and the rocks that pop up out of the ground, (that leaves a HUGE MESS!!). Instead, we're going to bring in truckloads of gravel/stone and bury all of that crap to level the area.



Rich

Yea, a 250 is certainly no stumping saw.

That being said, it still should accomplish the task, just slower.

People speak fairly well of the 590s. It'll be far better suited than the 250.

 

[sean donato]

This is the website for the cabin...

https://lancasterlogcabins.com/

Ah, I see. It's like my parents Breckenridge.