What is your favorite chainsaw of all time?

[sonny580]

Homelite SXLAO with 20" bar! Had a half dozen of them in my lifetime and made tons of firewood with them so that is still my fav. saw . Got a lot of different brands and sizes that I also use .

 

[bwalker]

Sorry Husky folks, but until Husky can make something as perfect as a Stihl 461 with a Sugihara bar, max flow air filter and a bark box, keep dreaming

They did. It's called the 372xp OE.

 

[bwalker]

My favorites are the Husky 346,372,288,390 and the Stihl 260,361,400C,440,660.
Of the Stihl saws I listed only the 400C is what I consider best in class

 

[snobdds]

Husky 2100, View attachment 1129467

You make a great case to sell me one of your 125's

 

[dave ensign]

Jonsereds 49SP for me if only one saw for the rest of my life. And not just any old 49SP but my personal 49SP which is the only saw I ever bought brand new.....the year? 1977. I was twenty three and low on funds but heated with wood as an only heat sourse. I burnt 6 cord and the MIL who lived on top of the hill pushed 12 cord through a large cookstove. Young carpenters always got layed off durning the winter so for the first four years of ownership this saw fell and bucked to stove lengh 18 cord of hardwood and and average of 6-8 cord of 4 foot pulpwood per week for three months every winter to put food on the table and gas in the tractor. Also put up around 10,000 BFT of softwood saw logs per season.
By 1985 I went into partnership on a large diesel powered rotary sawmill with a friend. Every winter until 1990 we selectively cut prime saw logs as soon as there was snow on the ground until mud season would stop us. He had a 70E and between the two they put 25-30,000 bft of timber on the log brow each spring.
In 1992 my faithful 49SP peacefully died in it's sleep. Parts were becoming very hard to find by then and it needed much work. I bought an all but new (still on the original chain)61 Husky from a lady client but could not bear the toss my old friend......hoping to find a parts saw. While waiting I eventually ended up on this site in 2009 and found I could still find parts if I thought outside the box. I rebuilt this saw, another 49SP and a 70E and documented it in a thread titled "49SP and 70E build from scratch" on here.....this was before the hack so though the thread is still here all the pics were lost.
Anyway this saw is still in use and I rarely go in the woods without it even if I also bring a more powerful saw.....kinda like an old dog wants to go along , no matter what.
So now I'm nearly 70 years old and this saw still runs weekly and I dare say it will last me out. I have 60 odd rebuilt or in great running condition red saws from the Lil' Jon clear up to a beautiful 111S (11 49SPs) to choose from but I made my choice 46 years ago guess I'll stick with it.
Pics taken yesterday.......


View attachment 1131386View attachment 1131387View attachment 1131388

CANTDOG,
Your story is similar to mine. A local dealer got into the RED saws and said "you got to try this, (a demo 49). I had never used a saw like that back in the 70's. Needless to say the price was a problem but a nitb 49 went home with me. I have three but the origional has been rebuilt to better than new. Use it every year for firewood but my 353 does most of the work today.

 

[Cantdog]

CANTDOG,
Your story is similar to mine. A local dealer got into the RED saws and said "you got to try this, (a demo 49). I had never used a saw like that back in the 70's. Needless to say the price was a problem but a nitb 49 went home with me. I have three but the origional has been rebuilt to better than new. Use it every year for firewood but my 353 does most of the work today.

Yeah they were not cheap to buy. I remember my future sawmill partner laughed his azz off when he found I paid $250.00 for my 49SP as he had just bought a 10-10 Mac for $180.00. That saw didn't make it a year........that man did not take to any machine that, for whatever reason didn't perform as expected....last I saw of that was yellow flecks of mag in the snow, far into the woods......and that's where it still is I expect. Perhaps I missed that lesson when going in on a sawmill with him!!!!

I so lusted after a 621 back then but they wanted $350.00 for those at the time so I settled for the 49SP as that was all my income tax refund could swing. $100.00 then was like $500.00 today.....

 

[James Sawyer]

As for old saws the Mac 125 Super Pro in its day was pretty hard to beat... best saw McCulloch ever made, But Stihl MS440 was dang good saw.

 

[jltrent]

ms261in 50cc range, MS361 60cc range and MS440 in the 70cc range.

 

[pelhamjeff]

What brand/model is your #1 favorite if you could only have a single chainsaw for the rest of your life.

038 mag

 

[Tectalabyss]

Has an older guy, I grew up with my Dads Homelite C52. My Next favorite Is The Johnsred Chain saws. Shame they stopped making them. I am going to restore a Homelite C51 in the spring. Oh I am new here so Hello everyone.

 

[dave ensign]

Yeah they were not cheap to buy. I remember my future sawmill partner laughed his azz off when he found I paid $250.00 for my 49SP as he had just bought a 10-10 Mac for $180.00. That saw didn't make it a year........that man did not take to any machine that, for whatever reason did perform as expected....last I saw of that was yellow flecks of mag in the snow, far into the woods......and that's where it still is I expect. Perhaps I missed that lesson when going in on a sawmill with him!!!!

I so lusted after a 621 back then but they wanted $350.00 for those at the time so I settled for the 49SP as that was all my income tax refund could swing. $100.00 then was like $500.00 today.....

Cantdog

If you paid 250.00 for your 1st 49sp, you got a great deal. I know I have a sales slip from the 70's but GKW. My 49 came with a promotional kit that included a fuel tank, second chain, file, filed guide (the little flat tab), stump wise, and a plastic wedge. That kit was promoted as free? Think I paid north of 3 may be 4.
Dave

 

[Cantdog]

Cantdog

If you paid 250.00 for your 1st 49sp, you got a great deal. I know I have a sales slip from the 70's but GKW. My 49 came with a promotional kit that included a fuel tank, second chain, file, filed guide (the little flat tab), stump wise, and a plastic wedge. That kit was promoted as free? Think I paid north of 3 may be 4.
Dave

Wow!! I remember in April 1977 the 49SP was $249.95, the 52 was $274.95, 52E was $299.95 and the 621 was $349.95. I had just enough $$ for a 52 or 52E but they couldn't tell me the difference between the three 49cc saws except tha the 52E was electronic ign. In those days I had no clue either but if all are 49cc why spend more? A 23 year old boy could always find something fun to spend any extra cash on. I'd never even owned a car with electronic ign by then so that wasn't a big draw for me.
I got the 49SP with dogs, a Sanvik 16" .325 B&C, hat, scrench, a grease gun, a file with no handle and a pat on the back for $262.50 out the door sales tax included.
Perhaps it was compitition here....at that time there were 7 Jreds dealers within a half hours drive from here
with everyone trying to sell product....

 

[sundance]

Wow!! I remember in April 1977 the 49SP was $249.95, the 52 was $274.95, 52E was $299.95 and the 621 was $349.95. I had just enough $$ for a 52 or 52E but they couldn't tell me the difference between the three 49cc saws except tha the 52E was electronic ign. In those days I had no clue either but if all are 49cc why spend more? A 23 year old boy could always find something fun to spend any extra cash on. I'd never even owned a car with electronic ign by then so that wasn't a big draw for me.
I got the 49SP with dogs, a Sanvik 16" .325 B&C, hat, scrench, a grease gun, a file with no handle and a pat on the back for $262.50 out the door sales tax included.
Perhaps it was compitition here....at that time there were 7 Jreds dealers within a half hours drive from here
with everyone trying to sell product....

Bought my 49SP in 1981. No clue what I paid for it but do recall it was expensive, It was my only saw for a few years then bought an Echo 290EVL the wife could use in the late 80's. The 49SP served me until 1999 when I bought a Stihl 036. Still used the 49 as well for a number of years. Haven't run it in several years, need to pull it out and see if it still runs. Have fond memories of it.

 

[Tony Mayhew]

Jonsereds 49SP for me if only one saw for the rest of my life. And not just any old 49SP but my personal 49SP which is the only saw I ever bought brand new.....the year? 1977. I was twenty three and low on funds but heated with wood as an only heat sourse. I burnt 6 cord and the MIL who lived on top of the hill pushed 12 cord through a large cookstove. Young carpenters always got layed off durning the winter so for the first four years of ownership this saw fell and bucked to stove lengh 18 cord of hardwood and and average of 6-8 cord of 4 foot pulpwood per week for three months every winter to put food on the table and gas in the tractor. Also put up around 10,000 BFT of softwood saw logs per season.
By 1985 I went into partnership on a large diesel powered rotary sawmill with a friend. Every winter until 1990 we selectively cut prime saw logs as soon as there was snow on the ground until mud season would stop us. He had a 70E and between the two they put 25-30,000 bft of timber on the log brow each spring.
In 1992 my faithful 49SP peacefully died in it's sleep. Parts were becoming very hard to find by then and it needed much work. I bought an all but new (still on the original chain)61 Husky from a lady client but could not bear the toss my old friend......hoping to find a parts saw. While waiting I eventually ended up on this site in 2009 and found I could still find parts if I thought outside the box. I rebuilt this saw, another 49SP and a 70E and documented it in a thread titled "49SP and 70E build from scratch" on here.....this was before the hack so though the thread is still here all the pics were lost.
Anyway this saw is still in use and I rarely go in the woods without it even if I also bring a more powerful saw.....kinda like an old dog wants to go along , no matter what.
So now I'm nearly 70 years old and this saw still runs weekly and I dare say it will last me out. I have 60 odd rebuilt or in great running condition red saws from the Lil' Jon clear up to a beautiful 111S (11 49SPs) to choose from but I made my choice 46 years ago guess I'll stick with it.
Pics taken yesterday.......


View attachment 1131386View attachment 1131387View attachment 1131388

I have a chainsaw collection of around 140 saws, And I have two 49sp and two 52E Jonsereds in my pile and I would have to say that they are one of the best looking chainsaws i ever seen! Way ahead

Jonsereds 49SP for me if only one saw for the rest of my life. And not just any old 49SP but my personal 49SP which is the only saw I ever bought brand new.....the year? 1977. I was twenty three and low on funds but heated with wood as an only heat sourse. I burnt 6 cord and the MIL who lived on top of the hill pushed 12 cord through a large cookstove. Young carpenters always got layed off durning the winter so for the first four years of ownership this saw fell and bucked to stove lengh 18 cord of hardwood and and average of 6-8 cord of 4 foot pulpwood per week for three months every winter to put food on the table and gas in the tractor. Also put up around 10,000 BFT of softwood saw logs per season.
By 1985 I went into partnership on a large diesel powered rotary sawmill with a friend. Every winter until 1990 we selectively cut prime saw logs as soon as there was snow on the ground until mud season would stop us. He had a 70E and between the two they put 25-30,000 bft of timber on the log brow each spring.
In 1992 my faithful 49SP peacefully died in it's sleep. Parts were becoming very hard to find by then and it needed much work. I bought an all but new (still on the original chain)61 Husky from a lady client but could not bear the toss my old friend......hoping to find a parts saw. While waiting I eventually ended up on this site in 2009 and found I could still find parts if I thought outside the box. I rebuilt this saw, another 49SP and a 70E and documented it in a thread titled "49SP and 70E build from scratch" on here.....this was before the hack so though the thread is still here all the pics were lost.
Anyway this saw is still in use and I rarely go in the woods without it even if I also bring a more powerful saw.....kinda like an old dog wants to go along , no matter what.
So now I'm nearly 70 years old and this saw still runs weekly and I dare say it will last me out. I have 60 odd rebuilt or in great running condition red saws from the Lil' Jon clear up to a beautiful 111S (11 49SPs) to choose from but I made my choice 46 years ago guess I'll stick with it.
Pics taken yesterday.......


View attachment 1131386View attachment 1131387View attachment 1131388

I own two 49SP and two 52E model Jonsereds in my collection, and I think they are one of the best looking chainsaws ever made! However, the iginition coils have something to be desired on the 52E saws.

 

[Cantdog]

I have a chainsaw collection of around 140 saws, And I have two 49sp and two 52E Jonsereds in my pile and I would have to say that they are one of the best looking chainsaws i ever seen! Way ahead

I own two 49SP and two 52E model Jonsereds in my collection, and I think they are one of the best looking chainsaws ever made! However, the iginition coils have something to be desired on the 52E saws.

Yes the SEM modules on the 52E are problematic. Great when they work but nearly impossible to find new not to mention expensive. On the other hand the points version of the 52 rarely gives trouble. The early 70Es used this same SEM ign.

 

[Brian_NC]

Stihl 044 10mm but due to vibrations I use Stihl 400c now, closest I found ... both usually with 20" bar

I'm in the same boat. Only difference is I went with the 462. Those older saws are as dependable as gravity and good runners for sure. They just make my fingers and wrist hurt now.

 

[Foot42]

What brand/model is your #1 favorite if you could only have a single chainsaw for the rest of your life.

Shindaiwa 360 great saw for home use.

 

[gerrywoodsy482]

Depends on the job at hand. For general use, I've got a soft spot for the Stihl MS 170 -- lightweight and reliable. But when I'm tackling the heavy-duty stuff, the Husqvarna 460 Rancher is a beast.

 

[BillKutz]

346XP

 

[dave ensign]

Cantdog,

Those early Jonsereds 49 thru 52 where in there day the saw of saws. They are still a fine saw. I have "3".