Saws That Surprised You

[camel2019]

My little John Deere 30(echo 302s) surprised me I bought it running and super clean for $75 at a yard sale was tuned like crap for the longest time. Last year I started running 32 to 1 and tuned it in the wood and she’s a little hot rod now even stock pulls a 18 inch through seasoned black walnut like it was pine.

 

[Sawdust Man]

Stihl ms400, very impressive outta the box stock saw.
Echo cs620p is also a saw that doesn't disappoint me.
My makita 6421 is a torque monster, very impressive.
Ms250 is probably the saw that impresses me the most, that stupid thing just works no matter what!

Saws I'm not impressed with:
Mostly the cinderblock type, it just seems to me that a hand held tool outta be kinda ergonomic.
I accidentally bought a holzfforma 372xt, that was pretty unimpressive, I never even tried to turn it on, just dropped it off at an auction.

 

[toppers]

Echo 3510 w/ muffler mod and tuning is my favorite little saw
Echo 620P impressed me everywhere right out of the box, can't wait for mod + tune on it.
Stihl MS261CM is an impressive midrange saw

 

[Gamma Woods]

This little bugger. It chews stuff much bigger than expected and doesn't slow down. Starts easily and reliably with the decomp/throttle catch.

The Shindaiwa 360 is also surprising. Lightest, best balanced and most manoeuvrable saw I've ever touched, and it just screams through small stuff. Weaving the idle screw around the case cover is a major design flaw though, pain in the ass when you want to do minor carb work.

 

[Stihl-Pioneer]

I would say the 2 that surprised me for what they are:
Poulan 2800, for 46cc it runs like a scalded dog.
Dolmar 420, this thing thinks it’s more of a 50cc saw the way it runs.


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[Sierra_rider]

A lot of my small saws impressed me...I guess I don't expect much out of a small saw, so easy expectations to exceed.

Most impressive is the Echo 2511t. I know it gets a lot of positive publicity online, but I thought most of it was just fanboism. A dealer happened to have 1 left in stock, so I bought it on a whim to compliment my 201tcm. Stock, it was a little better than I expected. After I gutted the muffler, opened the deflector up, and put a non-safety 3/8lp chain on, I was really surprised. My 201 doesn't even get used that much except for big removals.

Not to downplay the 201tcm however, that's been a good little saw. The 201(particularly the M-tronic) seems to get a lot of hate online. I really can't tell the difference in weight between it and a 200t, and it has good torque for a top handle. I run a 16" on mine, so I can get pretty far down when chunking out a spar.

My mk1 550xp initially impressed me with it's power and handling. I used it a bunch and it was my go-to saw for when I needed a rear handle in the tree. I even made my own 3/4 wrap handle for it. However, random hot-start issues have kinda dampened my love for it. The other major blow to it, has been my acquisition of a ms400.

IDK if I'd say that the 400 has blown my expectations away, but it's probably my favorite all-around saw. I through a wrap handle kit on it and run either a 25" or 28" Stihl lightweight bar with skip chain on it. I climb with it when I need a rear handle. I even chose it over my various 70cc+ saws for a recent falling job. Sure I had to double cut some stuff, but it was worth it vs hiking around with my 066.

Finally I'll add my ported BB 044s to the list. I've heard bad things about the big bore kits on the 044/440s, but I did it on both of mine. I machined them for proper squish, ported them, muffler modded, and put on max-flows...they're just bad-azz worksaws now and anything less than a 32" seems pointless on them.

 

[JRenna]

Im with Toppers - the Echo cs-3510 surprised the crap out of me. A muff mod and some Stihl PS chain made it my favorite saw. I use it for everything that I don't need the 620p for.....and some that should get the 620p!

 

[Pioneer]

Homelite super mini/super ez/xl-1. Still amazes me how much power these little saws have.

The latest nice surprise was the Mac 3516, a lot more power than the equivalent sized strato Poulan. Pretty easy to work on as well.

 

[Wills]

Echo 3510 w/ muffler mod and tuning is my favorite little saw
Echo 620P impressed me everywhere right out of the box, can't wait for mod + tune on it.
Stihl MS261CM is an impressive midrange saw

Just bought a new 3510 and ran it for the first time, yesterday. I do like it (it is still stock), but I wonder if you would share how you did the MM & tune, and if you are running it with the stock chain, or did you switch to a more aggressive toothed chain?
Thanks.

 

[Doorfx]

My ms241c-m that cuts like a saw with ten more cc’s. Light, amazing throttle response and will hang with a lot of bigger saws.
Damn , I need to get out cutting lol

 

[mojoe]

Echo cs450. Ran good bone stock, but After a muffler mod and retune that saw is pretty impressive.

 

[Stevo Bambino]

I have not had a lot of experience with saws. When I was in high school, I worked at a saw mill and we had a Husky (no idea what model) with a 36" bar and I hated that thing. My Dad had a Stihl 031 and now has a ms290. My brother has a ms310. My other brother has a ms029 super. My dads neighbor has an 028 super. A little over a year ago I bought a used 034 for $75. It ran but needed work. Twisted crank, bad crank seals, fixed it up. Also, my uncle gave me his 025 that needed a little work. That is all I have had any experience with.

I would say the 028 super was a bit surprising. I did not expect that much power from that little saw. The most surprising was my 034. I side by side compared it to my dads 290 and it cut exactly twice as fast while weighing exactly 1 pound less. The 025 from my uncle is ok. I think it needs a real chain, not the safty chain that is on it. Two days ago I picked up a 036 and 025 for $200, package deal. The 036 needs some work, hard starts and will not idle well. I suspect crank seals. I can't wait to get it going and compare it to my 034. I plan on selling one of the 025's and getting my $200 back.

 

[sawfun]

I got a rough 5 cube Stihl 045 a few years back and thought it was likely a heavy slow thing. Well last weekend it cut right with my 850 Mac & Poulan 5400, not embarrassing itself at all.

 

[Wood Doctor]

I got a rough 5 cube Stihl 045 a few years back and thought it was likely a heavy slow thing. Well last weekend it cut right with my 850 Mac & Poulan 5400, not embarrassing itself at all.

The Stihl 045 had a lot of respect from loggers who used it to cut big trees. The orginal owner of one passed away, and I spruced it up and sold it four years ago to a sawyer who knew it was powerful. To my knowledge, he still uses it.

 

[Clearwater]

I just picked up a used MS250. That little saw surprised me with its power and cutting speed with the .325 chain.

 

[sundance]

I just picked up a used MS250. That little saw surprised me with its power and cutting speed with the .325 chain.

Mine just surprised me with it's inability to be started. Glad you got a good one.

 

[mogulmasher]

I got a rough 5 cube Stihl 045 a few years back and thought it was likely a heavy slow thing. Well last weekend it cut right with my 850 Mac & Poulan 5400, not embarrassing itself at all.

I thought same thing about my 056 Mag 2. Thought it'd just have a pile of torque and cut slow. It's much faster than I'd thought it'd be, beast of a saw.

 

[toppers]

Just bought a new 3510 and ran it for the first time, yesterday. I do like it (it is still stock), but I wonder if you would share how you did the MM & tune, and if you are running it with the stock chain, or did you switch to a more aggressive toothed chain?
Thanks.

I just enlarged the existing hole under the deflector a bit with a dremel, nothing too crazy and removed the limiters with a drywall screw backout like you see on this forum. For chain I like Oregon S56 and Oregon 160DGEA041 bar. About 2.25 turns out on the H jet and it's a little beast. Probably going to do this to the 620 based on what an improvement it was to 3510.

 

[Wills]

I just enlarged the existing hole under the deflector a bit with a dremel, nothing too crazy and removed the limiters with a drywall screw backout like you see on this forum. For chain I like Oregon S56 and Oregon 160DGEA041 bar. About 2.25 turns out on the H jet and it's a little beast. Probably going to do this to the 620 based on what an improvement it was to 3510.

Thanks. So you replaced the (still new) stock bar and chain? Is the one you're using a more aggressive cut; e.g. bigger bite?
I'll have to search for threads about removing the limiters, as I do not know the trick using a drywall screw.

 

[JRenna]

Thanks. So you replaced the (still new) stock bar and chain? Is the one you're using a more aggressive cut; e.g. bigger bite?
I'll have to search for threads about removing the limiters, as I do not know the trick using a drywall screw.

This chain is awesome on the 3510. It made a huge difference. I could only find it in 56 link but it fits fine. You lose about 1/2” on the bar length but no biggie. I also cut a huge hole in the muffler baffle but i have no clue if it makes a difference.