Small Chainsaw Recommendations?

bharen · Jun 29, 2003

Here's your chance to shower me with the benefit of your experience! At no cost, even!!!

I'm looking for a small saw for use in cutting thick brush along fencelines and felling small trees (up to 4 - 6"). I already have a Stihl MS250, but I'd like something lighter and more maneuverable, particularly along the fenceline. I was considering the MS009, but would like a few recommendations. This is for non-professional use, but will get a good workout for at least a year. While I'm an admitted Stihl fan, I willing to entertain other quality brands.

So, what do you recommend?

sedanman · Jun 29, 2003

The ms009 is only about a pound lighter than your ms250, while the ms170 is almost 2 pounds lighter than your ms250. I have an 009 and an 017, I think both saws are unfairly maligned. They are both good homeowner saws with the edge going to the 017 for weight and with one small up-grade, side tensioning chain adjustment (use the side adjuster off an 021, 2 minute modification). The 009 is a reed valve engine and a little noisier than the piston ported 017.

tony marks · Jun 29, 2003

i sharpened what seemed to be an impressive saw today. olympyk 940.39cc
it was just a good handling, well made saw.
they mite be deere and efco now.
husq, stihl ,johnsonred, echo all have proven saws for what u looking to do.

Tim Gardner · Jun 29, 2003

Have you thought about one of those brush cutters with a good blade on it. I had one with a blade that its teeth were like those on a chainsaw. Brush and small trees were no problem with it. If you have a heavy duty line trimmer you could use it with a blade.

buckwheat · Jun 29, 2003

Last winter I cleared out an overgrown hedgerow at my back property line. I started the job with one of those blade attachments on a brush cutter, but it only would go so far. Maybe I wasn't using it right, but it seemed to have more kickback than any saw I've run.
To cut the grape arbor vines that had gone wild and out of control I had to use hedge clippers to trim a "tunnel" into the trunk system, and then crawl in with my echo 3450 to finish the job.
It went pretty well, with the hard part pulling apart, loading, and hauling everything away. The echo seemed perfect for the job. Many other times I have used the echo to clear a path into a big tree and then cut an escape route. They're good little saws that can be picked up off eBay for a very good price. The only thing I'd change is dropping the bar down to 12" or 14" instead of the 16" that they supply.
If you must have Stihl, you might consider an 017 or 018c, although the profile is much larger than the echo.

Tim Gardner · Jun 30, 2003

One tool will not work in all conditions. Clearing a fence line with a brush cutter is a lot better than bending over to work at ground level with a chainsaw.

We were doing a removal a few years back and the guy next door came over and asked me if I would cut his pampas grass down to ground level and clean it up. I said sure for $25. He laughed at me and said go for it. I grabbed a strap (like a motorcycle tie down) cinched the bush up and had a groundie pull on the tail of the strap while I cut it with the brush cutter. About two minutes later I tossed the whole thing into the dump truck, retrieved the strap and raked up about a fork and a half of debris. The look on the homeowner’s face was worth more than the money to me.