Reliable Saw For Homeowner

[Just Mow]

Nothing wrong with the 290. Peter is an AZZ who thinks it has a plastic crankcase. OOOOOOOOhhhh, I would take guidance from him.:hmm3grin2orange:
I actually like the 270 better than the 290.

Good luck with your decision.................

 

[SawBum]

Hey Mow, ck your PM

 

[Tzed250]

Nothing wrong with the 290. Peter is an AZZ who thinks it has a plastic crankcase. OOOOOOOOhhhh, I would take guidance from him.:hmm3grin2orange:
I actually like the 270 better than the 290.

Good luck with your decision.................

Good one! I'd rep ya but the clip is empty...

 

[Andyshine77]

The 359 is a pro quality saw, just not marketed as a pro saw on all markets (as is the 353 mentioned by Andyshine).

Only problem is that they all are E-techs (cat muffler) saws at the US market now (as far as I know) - so they are in urgent need of a new muffler, or a muffler mod.........

ST You made a very good point, I purchased my 353 in early 2004 so it's a non cat saw, I also ported the muffler so it's a strong runner for what it is. I still think the 353 and 359 are good saws, E-tech or not.

 

[peter399]

Good one! I'd rep ya but the clip is empty...

Now this one is almost even better. Rep someone for the post above... Are you guys married? "Good one!", right.. Ever thought of why you do what you do to make a living?

 

[peter399]

Hey Mow, ck your PM

New mail from the Stihl Gestapo propaganda centre coming in?

 

[Wolfcsm]

The 290 will do the job you want it to do. A little TLC and it will be there for years. My 310 is a little heavier. Cuts great. Will go through anything I put it into. I also have the Husky. Picked it up for less than $200 new from Sears - they were closing it out. Works and feels a lot like the 310. I cut about four cords of firewood a year.

Hal

 

[Al Smith]

I suppose it just depends on how much saw work said "homeowner" is going to do.Many would suggest a Stihl MS 660 but that would be kind of dumb just to cut a little firewood and trim a few trees.

Laugh,roll on the floor,stick out your tongue but really a less expensive 50 cc saw would fill the occasional user's needs just as well as a thousand dollar ,top of the line saw would.Keep on giggling but a Poulan/Craftsman saw works quite well if it's taked care of and used less often.Don't get the wild idea you can go cut big timber with it 6 days a week though.

To spend a grand on a saw to use 10 hours per year makes about as much sense as somebody with a diesel dually pick up,chrome stacks etc. to haul his golf clubs.

 

[peter399]

The 290 will do the job you want it to do. A little TLC and it will be there for years. My 310 is a little heavier. Cuts great. Will go through anything I put it into. I also have the Husky. Picked it up for less than $200 new from Sears - they were closing it out. Works and feels a lot like the 310. I cut about four cords of firewood a year.
Hal

Of course any saw will do the work you want it to do. My MS170 will also do everything. It's all about user expectations.... My old Trabant from GDR would take me from Sweden to Italy , no problem. The question is, would I buy a Trabant today? So there is 160-180 dollar price difference between a 290 and a 260... According to Lakeside, both saws will last a lifetime for a homeowner. I agree, at least the 260. Now, say you will have the saw for 20 years, that's 9 dollars / year more for the 260. For those 9 dollars you will get a lot more work done and it's probably easier on fuel and your back too.
I don't see the point in buying that heavy dog.

 

[Haywire Haywood]

OT... but....

My old Trabant

Did you have the sport model? My ex- (german) said that you could make any Trabant a sport model by putting a pair of Nike running shoes in the back window.

For those that don't know what a Trabant is... an East German car (2 stroke?) that was all there was to be had before the Berlin Wall came down. It reportedly had all the power of an MS660 under the hood and smoked like a freight train. I've heard stories of them drafting behind semi's on the autobahn in West Germany after the Wall came down and get blown back when they pulled out to pass.

Ian

 

[peter399]

Did you have the sport model? My ex- (german) said that you could make any Trabant a sport model by putting a pair of Nike running shoes in the back window.

For those that don't know what a Trabant is... an East German car (2 stroke?) that was all there was to be had before the Berlin Wall came down. It reportedly had all the power of an MS660 under the hood and smoked like a freight train. I've heard stories of them drafting behind semi's on the autobahn in West Germany after the Wall came down and get blown back when they pulled out to pass.

Ian

Hi Ian!

Glad to hear your interest in the Trabant. I have a 1989 "station waggon" model. Last model year with 2 stroke I've heard. I think they also made a 4 stroke in 1990 before they put it all to rest. She has only run 7000 miles during the years. Tires are original from GDR. 600cc and 26hp acc. to user manual. I can take some pics if you want.
/Peter

 

[1stmale]

359

I have the husky 359 and I think it is a great all around saw. I use it more than any of my others.

I also really like my other smaller saws especially the 026.

I put the non cat muffler on my 359 and readjusted the carb to compensate.

My 359 has a 20" bar and is balanced very well. It cuts fast which makes it less fatiguing to run.

I paid $425 for my 359 at a local dealer. In my opinion it a great saw for the money

the ms361 us the comparable stil saw but for the extra money it is not worth it in my opinion.

The 359 is a great pro saw with a mag case.

 

[Haywire Haywood]

the ms361 us the comparable stihl saw but for the extra money it is not worth it in my opinion.

The 359 is a great pro saw with a mag case.

If I understand correctly, the 359 is marketed as a homeowner/farm saw and the 357xp is actually the MS361 equivalent. Still tho, Bailey's says that the 359 is their most popular ranch saw and I seem to have read a lot of good things about it, IIRC.

Ian

 

[WRW]

Of course any saw will do the work you want it to do. My MS170 will also do everything. It's all about user expectations.... My old Trabant from GDR would take me from Sweden to Italy , no problem. The question is, would I buy a Trabant today? So there is 160-180 dollar price difference between a 290 and a 260... According to Lakeside, both saws will last a lifetime for a homeowner. I agree, at least the 260. Now, say you will have the saw for 20 years, that's 9 dollars / year more for the 260. For those 9 dollars you will get a lot more work done and it's probably easier on fuel and your back too.
I don't see the point in buying that heavy dog.

Are they gonna let you pay for either of those saws for 20 years, or are they expecting the difference in price right now?

If the buyer is only interested in cutting 4-6 cords a year, how much more work will he do with one saw vs. the other? 6 cords is 6 cords.

Far as the fuel goes, what would that be...a gallon of mix/year with some thrown out cause it goes stale?

 

[Justsaws]

The 290 with .325 and a 18" bar will suit your needs. The 310 and 390 are the same saw with bigger cylinders and not worth the extra cash in my opinion.

The 290 is hard to beat for $360. They are abundant and after market piston and cylinder kits are available should you mess up and ruin a cylinder.

Most of the problems that I see with 290s are caused by the owner and not the saw. People pull the bar studs by over-tightening because they run dull chains. This happens with all the built like a Poulan consumers saws regardless of the brand. Endless bogging resulting in over heating also seems to be a favorite. Most of these people started with Poulans and thought that a more expensive brand would solve their problems. Now they just have more expensive repair bills.

I would pass on the Husky 455 unless you have a servicing dealer near you or do not mind mail ordering parts. It has no advantage over the Stihl.

If you have a Dolmar dealer than a 540 for $300.00 would be worth a look. Not as big as the 290 but a pleasant saw to use.

If your saw takes more than 5 pulls to start on a regular basis, it is broken. Fix it or get it fixed. Most Poulans properly tuned will fire from cold by the third pull and run with 2 more. Your issue with that saw is not the brand but the setup. Spending more without the proper setup will not fix that problem.

You can certainly buy a dependable general purpose consumer duty saw for less than $400.00. I would recommend the 290. Good luck.

 

[shawn.m]

com'on guys he only has 5 acres! he is not going to log it!

a farmboss, rancher 455 or 460 (hint look at my sig) mine has worked just fine for many, many cord. maintenance is a key. Heck even a big Echo would work. It is all going to depend on what fits you and what dealer is near you. Plus what local deals you can get.

Look what I found in 30 seconds on craigslist if you don't mind used
http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/search/sss?query=chainsaw&minAsk=30&maxAsk=

 

[bcorradi]

I totally agree with you.

I didn't however see anything very reasonable stihlwise on the craigslist link you sent. I really like the "skill chainsaw" that the guy paid $900 for ; ).

 

[shawn.m]

since your upnort

http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/tls/373167448.html -- REALLY FUNNY!!!:jester:
http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/grd/370164761.html
http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/tls/362562653.html

http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/search/sss?query=chainsaw&minAsk=min&maxAsk=max

 

[shawn.m]

and for more funny- sorry to high jack but to break up the thread before we get back to discussing chainsaws for a 5 acre home owner.

http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/tls/373148987.html
http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/tls/373211271.html

 

[SawTroll]

... The 359 is a great pro saw with a mag case.

Pro quality yes, but great pro saw, no!

The power to (real) weight ratio is not good at all.........:greenchainsaw: