New Chainsaw Selection - Advice Needed

[Ranchers-son]

Go with local dealer that services what they sell. If you don't know how to tune a saw get a auto tune carb. Saws love to work every day, if it's going to sit for months at a time drain the gas and run the saw till it's dry ( not at WOT ) and use STABIL fuel additive. Sounds to me like any 50 or 60cc saw with 20" b& c will make you happy if you keep it clean and don't let old gas sit in it.

 

[Jeffkrib]

If I had to get a Stihl (luckily I don't) it sure would not be a FarmBoss. It would be a ms261.

No way in hell would I pay those prices listed above! I'd find a used or nos 346xp or 357xp, or both.

Haha sunfish, yep over here every consumer product you name it is double or more what you guys pay.... Yes we get screwed.
There is one big exception where we have it good and you guys get screwed..... And that exception is anything healthcare related, drugs, medical devices, health insurance and visits to health professionals.

 

[stihlman27]

Brady you said about possibly a ms391 and I'll just tell you this I have one that I'm running a 25 inch bar full skip Oregon chain I did a simple muffler mod to it and had my saw guy tune it for me, not sure what octane fuel you have there but I run 93 octane in both my two saws and there tuned for it,but getting back to it my 391 rips it deff has more then enough power for me. Even running the 25 inch bar I can cut through oak as if its a pine tree. I cut alot of hard wood each year as I sell it all for my wood business. Get what you can afford as long as you maintain your saw or saws, clean them up once your done with them at the end of the day then there take care of you. Reason I didn't go with a pro saw was some of the characteristics of them I didn't care for but that's just my two cents.

 

[turnkey4099]

Get the Stihl 362c and don't look back. You want a pro Stihl saw so go for it.

Yep. I bought the 361 shortly after it came out. Great saw and very reliable. Mine has eaten somewhere in the 100 cord range and still going strong.

 

[Marine5068]

I doubt you'd be disappointed with a 291 for what u'r describing. Give it decent fuel, and it'll last forever

My first Stihl was a MS291 and I love it.

 

[TMFARM 2009]

Hi everyone,

I'm currently in the market to buy a new chainsaw and my first chainsaw. (2nd first one I bought was a Chinese fake stihl and broke within a week)
I've decided I want to go with a stihl as I've read a lot of reviews on not being able to beat the brand, but I'm needing help deciding which model is best for my use.
I do a fair bit of camping and also have a fire pit at home which gets used regularly over the winter time, so I'm cutting decent sized wood.
I have researched that I'm better spending the extra money and getting a professional chainsaw over a farm owner saw in the long run. (I plan on not having to upgrade for a very long time)

Any help would be appreciated. I live in Australia so its going to cost me an arm and a leg either way!
Cheers,

Brady.

let me give you some sound advice.
if you don't use a saw everyday, why pay $1000.00 + for a saw.
here is a saw that will do the job well for around $300.00 new. it will carry a 20" bar all the way to a 32" bar the echo timberwolf cs590.

 

[ArthurB]

let me give you some sound advice.
if you don't use a saw everyday, why pay $1000.00 + for a saw.
here is a saw that will do the job well for around $300.00 new. it will carry a 20" bar all the way to a 32" bar the echo timberwolf cs590. View attachment 524702 View attachment 524703

Little piece of detail that might have escaped you ...

OP is in Australia - he'll be cutting Australian hardwoods - and the prices quoted for saws are in Australian dollars ...

 

[Ranchers-son]

Echo cs-590 great saw for the money

 

[BradyHeath]

An Echo cs-590 is $1200 in Australia and I don't have a dealer nearby. Only have stihl and husquvana.

 

[Jeffkrib]

If your happy to pay the money and both dealers are good I'd go Stihl

 

[ArthurB]

If your happy to pay the money and both dealers are good I'd go Stihl

I'd look closely at one of the Stihls with the new HD air filtration system

But it would take some convincing (or commercial incentive) to go back down that path

I reckon Husky accessories are also much better

Someone on the previous page put a note to reconsider the smaller saws - there's actually a lot of sense in this - if sectioning big trunks is not something that's going to happen very often, then perhaps a high-specced 40-50cc saw is a smart option - much smaller and easier to use and cart around ...

 

[Jeffkrib]

I actually went camping on the weekend and took the 550xp. I'll reaffirm 50cc is the way to go. I cut logs up to 16" dia and that was too big for camping. If your camping your going to want longer peices than you would in a fire place so spliting is not going to be an option. The wood I cut was hard dry Iron bark and the saw handled it fine.
Get a 261cm you'll be happy with that.

 

[Mattfunk 120]

An Echo cs-590 is $1200 in Australia and I don't have a dealer nearby. Only have stihl and husquvana.

Hi mate I got a price of $900 today with no haggle

Sent from my SM-J110F using Tapatalk

 

[Ranchers-son]

An Echo cs-590 is $1200 in Australia and I don't have a dealer nearby. Only have stihl and husquvana.

Have you talked to both of your dealers? Which saw do they recommend? Which dealer do you get along with best or feel will be the most helpful? Imo any 60cc saw with 20" bar is the most versatile saw.

 

[stihlman27]

Go with a ms 290 well I guess now it's the 291 from Stihl do a muffler mod and retune and your be golden

 

[reddogrunner]

Dolmar 421. All the power you need, lighter weight and better built, IMO.

 

[Ryan'smilling]

let me give you some sound advice.
if you don't use a saw everyday, why pay $1000.00 + for a saw.
here is a saw that will do the job well for around $300.00 new. it will carry a 20" bar all the way to a 32" bar the echo timberwolf cs590. View attachment 524702 View attachment 524703

I just don't see a 60cc saw pulling a 32" bar. I run a 20" on my 77cc ms460, which is well known to run a 30"+ bar in the hands of many operators. Even with a 20" bar, that saw doesn't feel considerably over powered. I'm cutting hardwoods, though. Anyway, my point is that I think telling people a cs590 can pull a 32" is a bit of a tall tale. Sure, maybe with a full skip chain and really taking your time it'll do the job, but if you've got a semi regular need for a 32" bar, look at a saw with a little more displacement.

 

[Tenderfoot]

If it is for decent sized wood (I would call 18-24 inches 'decent') and lives at home mostly, the Husqvarna 576xp. I have cut about 40 cord (120ish cubic meters give or take a bit) on one air filter and I blow it out (if that) once a day. Still pulls a 24 inch bar very easily in the hardest North American woods I can find.

 

[stihlman27]

If it is for decent sized wood (I would call 18-24 inches 'decent') and lives at home mostly, the Husqvarna 576xp. I have cut about 40 cord (120ish cubic meters give or take a bit) on one air filter and I blow it out (if that) once a day. Still pulls a 24 inch bar very easily in the hardest North American woods I can find.

That's what I do both saws I have. Had the smaller one for 5 years and the big one for two years. Still running the same air filter, after each use I blow everything off good.

 

[ZeroLife]

Those Aussie hardwoods look tough. I run a Stihl 441 here in the the north of the U.S. It's a good balance for me for the most part. From what I've seen of stuff like Yellowbox, you'd do well to get the biggest saw that is comfortable for you to use, regardless of brand.
Keep your chain sharp and the throttle open!
Cheers friend!