What to buy...

[Adam08ski]

In addition, there is one downside on starting off with a pro type saw (353 is basically a 346xp with half a hp less). I was looking for an extra saw (who doesn't) and tried some saws from the dealer and from friends, and you immediately notice what the homeowner saws are. The 400 series husky's just feel wrong. To much weeblewoble in every part. You get used to quality very easily. I don't even understand the stihl type numbering, but I could quickly tell if it was a home owner or a pro saw after playing with it. Buy a 353/555 or any husky xp/stihl pro saw and never regret the extra money spend. Or save a couple of bucks and buy an pro dolmar/makita/echo. I've heard you can pick up an ex rental makita 6400 series in the states. Since it basically been replaced by the 6100. For not a lot. Don't go home owner if you appreciate a nice tool.

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Stihl have pretty much gone with the following 'black, orange or solid white rear handle = homeowner/farm' 'white rear handle with black upper insert = pro level'

 

[foeke]

A 20" oak will take half an hour with my 353 to fall and be in disks. 15 minutes with a makita 7910.

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[grack]

The 288 371 372 are some of my favorites but for the price and performance and ability to run longer bars the 590s my choice if i had one saw that maruyama is a steal for a 18 inch saw i bought an echo 490 for 300.00 new which is great but i would have bought that instead lol here's a ugly 371 i built tough saws big bore caber rings my friend wanted it more than me i use the echo 590 mostly lol

 

[Skier]

Ok. Skip the first two and the husky 400 series. Far to expensive compared to a new 5105 or 590. Btw what kind of trees do you expect to cut with it?

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So, you're suggesting to cut the list to:

"
Used (all Husqvarna, local, craigslist):
-Husky 353 E-Tech: $200, "got in trade, old retired technician trying to keep busy"

New-ish/Bigger:
Echo CS-590, $320, "New in Box" with receipt (local, craigslist)
Maruyama MCV51 (Dolmar PS-5105), $329 (new on Amazon, free shipping)
"

Yes?

As for the type of trees, I'm not 100% sure, but quite a variety. Trees that I know I saw up at the property that I'm buying included Pine, Oak, Box Elder (aka Laurelwood), Maple, Douglas Fir, Birch, and maybe some cedar. I hadn't really paid attention to which ones I planned to immediately cut just yet. We haven't closed on the house yet, and have only been up there a few times during the buying process.

 

[Skier]

Quick note before I go to bed...

I briefly glanced over the specs of the MCV51 and the CS-590, and it seems that though the MCV51 is only 50cc, whereas the CS-590 is 59cc, the MCV51 seems to have more power and weight less. I'll have to go compare features to see if there are some special features on the 590 that make it more compelling, but at first glance, the MCV51 would seem to be a better deal.

 

[foeke]

That is the downside of almost all echo saws. The power/weight balance isn't competitive. A 60cc dolmar weights less and has almost an hp more. Both are solid tools, with the echo having a bit more plastic (start to wonder where the weight comes from). Coming back to the type of trees, I would hold off buying anything before you know what you need. If you need to take down many trees 18" and up the 353 just won't cut it (pun intended). If you need to clear a field of 10" till 15" birk or aspen or something, the maneuverability of the 353 will outpace a 60/70cc saw. Just because you can work longer and harder yourself.

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[foeke]

BTW the MCV51 has about the same specs as the 346xp. So if your wallet alows it, I would not consider a used 353.

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[foeke]

Stihl have pretty much gone with the following 'black, orange or solid white rear handle = homeowner/farm' 'white rear handle with black upper insert = pro level'

Ok, so there acually isn't logic in the numbering. Thanks. I wouldn't have guessed.

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[tallguys]

That Maruyama MCV-51 for $329 on amazon is the real deal. Not just reported to be, but really is a Dolmar 5105. Just made for Maruyama in their colours.

Now if you really want to stay with the saws you listed, the 353 is your best bet.

 

[Chris-PA]

Don't get the Remington - it's a old design and not a particularly good one, and parts are not easy to get.

A 20" oak will take half an hour with my 353 to fall and be in disks. 15 minutes with a makita 7910.

LOL, and once you've got it all cut up it's time to start doing some actual work.

 

[BenK]

First off, good luck with your pending home purchase. That being said, you really need to take a closer look at what you will be cutting. Size, amount, type of tree, etc. It is great that you are doing research now and being pragmatic about your purchase. However one suggestion that I would offer would be to wait until you have moved in, have been through the property, and have a plan on what your needs are then. Your 1 saw plan might very well turn into a 2 saw, 3 saw, CADDDDD type of situation.
In the meantime keep gathering knowledge and keep looking for crazy good deals...you never know what you might stumble upon. A few years ago I sold my Husky 440 (non-E) and upgraded to a used Husky 555 that I just lucked out and got a great deal with on Fleebay.

 

[foeke]

It's a sickness. Good to buy the house first. You will be bankrupt before the craving for an other saw is gone.

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[Thomas Venditto]

If I were you, I'd look for an older and gently used saw. They run better having fewer EPA ruinations. That said, $200 is a kind of a small number. I'm sure these guys will set you straight. One thing I'd like to add. Whatever say you buy, I'd recommend running ethanol free fuel. I run Trufuel in my saws that sit the most.
TomJV

 

[Skier]

I thought about waiting on the purchase of a chainsaw until after I buy the new house (that was my original plan), but as I mentioned in my OP, with the recent winter storms here in Oregon, I have a tree partially fallen over toward my house. I've cut the top off, along with a lot of branches, to reduce it's weight, and it sprung back up a couple feet and seemed to be holding steady. Then, I also propped a ladder under part of it for extra support and strapped the ladder to the tree. It seems pretty stable, but I still want to finish cutting this down fairly soon, just in case, and would rather not try to use my Saws-all as I get further down the base where it is thicker. I thought about just cutting it with a handsaw (is that some kind of blasphemy in this forum? LOL), but I want to make multiple small cuts to try and avoid any large pieces damaging the roof/deck, so I figure I might as well go ahead and buy something now.

Here's a couple pics (not a huge tree by any means, but gets a little large for the Saws-all)...

Rear-View (to show height)



Side-view (to show angle)

The more I read, the more that Marayama looks like a pretty sweet deal... I've asked the seller to verify that they (Amazon seller "Marayama") is the same company as Marayama U.S. Inc. (the only authorized U.S. Distributor) and they are. I also called Marayama U.S. Inc. using the number on their web site, and they've also confirmed that the "Marayama" seller on Amazon is them, so that's good to know and have double-verified (didn't want to get stuck with a grey market machine that couldn't get warranty service locally, if needed). I'm currently waiting for them to answer the following questions:

-What production year are these saws?

-Is the carburetor adjustable or does this saw have epoxy/cap over the adjustment screws?

-If I needed warranty work, where is my closest warranty service center? (My zip code is 97007)

-Does it come with a case? [doubt it, but doesn't hurt to ask]

-Is there someplace online that I can find the user manual (not just a parts list?). I'd like to look through the user manual before buying, if possible.

So, that's my top contender at this point... Seems like I could get a brand new pro quality saw with a 5 year warranty at a price just a little over some good quality, but used, farm/ranch level saws. Seems like a good investment for the longer term and fairly versatile.

 

[Skier]

Whatever say you buy, I'd recommend running ethanol free fuel. I run Trufuel in my saws that sit the most.
TomJV

Yeah, I'll probably do that. I also have a couple Honda quads, and it probably couldn't hur to run Ethanol free fuel in them too, but I haven't. They're 4-strokes, and I just drain the gas out of the carb whenever I get home from a trip (i.e. turn off the gas, then little it idle until it does), and they start right up every season, but I'm not sure I have the option to "turn off the gas" and do that with a chainsaw (i.e. I don't know that I've seen fuel petcock valves on chainsaws), so I'll probably get myself a gas can just for ethanol free gas (I believe it keeps longer too), and use that for mixing my chainsaw gas. Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[Guido Salvage]

PM me if you want a saw, I am selling off my collection (only 350 to go). I have several Stihl 026/260 saws that will get you going.

 

[Skier]

Sorry Guido, too late, I already pulled the trigger on the Maruyama (metaphorically, I can't pull the literal trigger until it arrives in a week or two ;-)

So, yeah, I bought the Maruyama MCV51 off Amazon today for $330. Here's the answers to the questions I posed above:

-What production year are these saws?
2013

-Is the carburetor adjustable or does this saw have epoxy/cap over the adjustment screws?
No epoxy in the adjustment screw holes, they just take a special tool ("double D bit" or something like that)

-If I needed warranty work, where is my closest warranty service center? (My zip code is 97007)
Pacific Tractor and Implements in Hillsboro (about 20-25 minutes from my house, near work). I called and verified with them too.

-Does it come with a case? [doubt it, but doesn't hurt to ask]
Nope (but according to the parts list, it comes with a Guide Bar Cover)

-Is there someplace online that I can find the user manual (not just a parts list?). I'd like to look through the user manual before buying, if possible.
They emailed me a copy. My initial comparison to the Dolmar PS-5105 manual shows it to be the exact same manual with the minor exceptions of: 1)The warranty page has a slightly different format and slightly different wording in places, and thus takes two pages instead of one, 2)There a slight difference on the parts diagram page, for example, the Maruyama lacks part #23 "Spark Collector, clp." presumably because ALL of the Maruyama saws have a cat, and thus use part #24 "Spark Collector, clp (for models with catalyst)" instead. Likewise, the parts diagram on the Dolmar also shows some "accessories" (that don't come with the chainsaw), while the Maruyama omits those items (e.g. Chain guage, files, techometer, etc)

Interesting little side story, I posted those questions on Amazon last night, and this morning, I thought I'd just call them, so I can hopefully get an answer quicker, make my purchase decision, and hopefully move on with life. I told the customer service person that answered that I wanted to ask about this chainsaw that's for sale on Amazon and she sent me over to the appropriate person who answered quickly. I started asking my questions, and he said "Oh yeah, I was just answering your questions on Amazon, so I'll just tell you." hehe.

He answered all the questions, and said he'd email me a copy of the manual (which he did), and I asked him if he was sure about the "epoxy in the carb screws questions," and I told him why I was concerned about it (i.e. I live/work between 250 and 580 feet above sea level, but sometimes camp in the Oregon highland desert, which is about 4300 feet above sea level), so could he double check, and also, if it didn't have epoxy, could he let me know what kind of tamper-proofing it had on the carb. He said sure and asked me to hold for a moment, so he could call the tech support guys. When he came back, he said he was just going to pass me over to the support guy to answer directly, so he sent me over to that guy, and we talked about it. He said they didn't put the epoxy on these 2013 production run saws, that they were fully adjustable, but you just needed the special tool, and any of their distributors/resellers should have the tool and be able to adjust it for me if needed.

All the people I talked to there were nice, helpful, not a lot of hold time. Great experience talking with them, so after a couple minutes of sitting there working on actual work (my job), I thought "Why haven't I ordered this already," so I did. Thanks for the suggestion Grack.

 

[foeke]

Good luck! And be carefull! I come from the exact same situation ( working in IT and moving to the countryside). I did have quite some learning experiences [emoji6] . After the first two years of mucking about, I started watching some youtube course's. That made my life a lot safer. Even a small tree on your helm really hurts.

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[grack]

Sorry Guido, too late, I already pulled the trigger on the Maruyama (metaphorically, I can't pull the literal trigger until it arrives in a week or two ;-)

So, yeah, I bought the Maruyama MCV51 off Amazon today for $330. Here's the answers to the questions I posed above:

-What production year are these saws?
2013

-Is the carburetor adjustable or does this saw have epoxy/cap over the adjustment screws?
No epoxy in the adjustment screw holes, they just take a special tool ("double D bit" or something like that)

-If I needed warranty work, where is my closest warranty service center? (My zip code is 97007)
Pacific Tractor and Implements in Hillsboro (about 20-25 minutes from my house, near work). I called and verified with them too.

-Does it come with a case? [doubt it, but doesn't hurt to ask]
Nope (but according to the parts list, it comes with a Guide Bar Cover)

-Is there someplace online that I can find the user manual (not just a parts list?). I'd like to look through the user manual before buying, if possible.
They emailed me a copy. My initial comparison to the Dolmar PS-5105 manual shows it to be the exact same manual with the minor exceptions of: 1)The warranty page has a slightly different format and slightly different wording in places, and thus takes two pages instead of one, 2)There a slight difference on the parts diagram page, for example, the Maruyama lacks part #23 "Spark Collector, clp." presumably because ALL of the Maruyama saws have a cat, and thus use part #24 "Spark Collector, clp (for models with catalyst)" instead. Likewise, the parts diagram on the Dolmar also shows some "accessories" (that don't come with the chainsaw), while the Maruyama omits those items (e.g. Chain guage, files, techometer, etc)

Interesting little side story, I posted those questions on Amazon last night, and this morning, I thought I'd just call them, so I can hopefully get an answer quicker, make my purchase decision, and hopefully move on with life. I told the customer service person that answered that I wanted to ask about this chainsaw that's for sale on Amazon and she sent me over to the appropriate person who answered quickly. I started asking my questions, and he said "Oh yeah, I was just answering your questions on Amazon, so I'll just tell you." hehe.

He answered all the questions, and said he'd email me a copy of the manual (which he did), and I asked him if he was sure about the "epoxy in the carb screws questions," and I told him why I was concerned about it (i.e. I live/work between 250 and 580 feet above sea level, but sometimes camp in the Oregon highland desert, which is about 4300 feet above sea level), so could he double check, and also, if it didn't have epoxy, could he let me know what kind of tamper-proofing it had on the carb. He said sure and asked me to hold for a moment, so he could call the tech support guys. When he came back, he said he was just going to pass me over to the support guy to answer directly, so he sent me over to that guy, and we talked about it. He said they didn't put the epoxy on these 2013 production run saws, that they were fully adjustable, but you just needed the special tool, and any of their distributors/resellers should have the tool and be able to adjust it for me if needed.

All the people I talked to there were nice, helpful, not a lot of hold time. Great experience talking with them, so after a couple minutes of sitting there working on actual work (my job), I thought "Why haven't I ordered this already," so I did. Thanks for the suggestion Grack.

Check the online madsens tuning vid it may help or take it to a good saw shop to get the tune in tou may want to get some ppe run good quality oil and ethanol free or canned fuel I've used 40-1 for thirty years red armor now your choice and some extra chains left coast supplys been good to me and I've never had to take a chainsaw in for service keep it clean air compressor or so and the chain sharp and adjusted you should never have a problem i like these sharpeners they are fast and easy once you get used to them.

 

[grack]

My friends like the echo tough box it's well made and holds everything.