Which saw do I want?

[Hickahollar]

Congrats on the ms180. It's a fine lightweight saw and will work nice for cleaning up and brush cutting. As for a 2nd saw I would suggest a 60cc saw class. because you said you wouldn't use it but 3 times a year I would stick to the cheaper home owner saws. But feel free to buy a pro saw if you got extra money. My saw plan was originally a ms250 and a cheap poulan from Wal-Mart. I still have both but I needed a bigger saw so I bought a pro ms362 59cc. It is a wonderful firewood saw and light enough that I pretty much fell the tree and buck up the whole tree leaving only the small stuff 3inches and under for my ms250. My choice for a second saw with very little usage would be for me a sthil ms311, 391,pro362 ,or pro ms400. However for the price the cs590 timberwolf is very awesome but I have no run time on one. I know nothing about the huskys other than my 40cc poulan is basically a heavy cheap husky but it too runs well. However all non pro saws will weigh about 14 pounds no bar the prosaws are about 12.5 pounds. In this 60cc class.

 

[samaritan]

I've had m yStihl ms251c for 6 yrs, and its been good, but after what I've been goin through lately with it (transfer cvr fell off), amongst other things, I'll never pay that much for a saw again.

 

[GeeVee]

It's interesting that you mention this. A relative bought one a couple of months ago and he's been showing it to me, and keeps talking about how much he likes it. I'm seriously considering the CS-590 as it seems like a lot of saw for the money. I just think it's going to be a bit too big for small stuff. So if I go this route, I'll need something smaller as well.

The MS261 I'd initially considered is seeming less appealing to me with the more thought I put into it. I get that I need a saw more now than I have in the past, but if my 250 lasted me 15-18 years, I just can't see the 261 lasting all that much longer than that, even if it is a better saw. Stuff just breaks down over time. I just can't see how I'd get my moneys worth. I could also end up with two saws for the same price which seems a lot more appealing.

I'm really strongly considering the CS-590, then picking up a smaller saw such as a Stihl MS180 or an Echo CS-310. These are the two top contenders. As much as I want to avoid Stihl this go around, I'm really liking the MS180. It seems like the combo would cost me slightly less than a single MS261, but do a lot more. Plus I'd have two saws that I could use if I got one stuck, one was down, or I have a friend helping me cut stuff. It just seems like a big advantage, so it's the way I'm leaning right now. Any opinions? Do you all think this is the way to go, or am I better off to forgo this idea and just spend the money on a single saw? Any opinions on which is the better choice of the two small saws? The only reason I wouldn't want to go this route is if I'm buying a saw that is going to be junk, or dead in 3 years versus getting a saw that will last me the next 15-20 years.

I'm thinking if I do end of fixing my MS250 at some point in addition to the other two, I'd really have a saw for pretty much any job I'd encounter.

I'm going to plus 1 the 590 and 310 combo, very reliable will start every time.

 

[Hickahollar]

I have a personally modded Echo CS 590. Love it. It is a big heavy saw and use a Stihl 250 for lighter work, but that echo is wicked strong and cuts well with a sharp chain. I have the two saw approach. Did have three but my old Husky 36 finally got to be too aggravating. If I had to replace the 250, I’d get a cs3510 without a doubt.

I have a cs3510 and a ms250 if my 250 blew up I would not replace it with any 35ish cc saw I like the 3510 but it's no ms250. The 250 of course has more power but in running both of them the 250 has 15 to 20 minutes more run time. I typically get about 45 minutes of hard run time clearing branches on a pin oak the echo only get at best 30 minutes. 4 inch and bigger limbs and the 3510 starts falling behind. Sure my 250 is slower than my ms362 in 6 to 10 inch limbs but it's still adequate but it beats the pants off that 3510 in 6-10 inch hard wood. Also the ms250 is only a little over 10pounds that's a lightweight nimble saw sure the echo is 8 pounds and perhaps more nimble but I find it takes 2 tanks of gas or more to do what the 250 does.

 

[junglejohnny28]

I've been a long time lurker, but I've always been able to find the answer to any questions I've had through a search. I finally decided to join and ask for advice. I'm in need a new saw. I currently have a Stihl MS250 that I've had for probably close to 15-18 years. I recently put a clutch in it along with a few other parts, but running it today the crank broke off at the flywheel. If you'd asked me 2 months ago, I would have told you I wouldn't even consider a saw that wasn't a Stihl. I have 0 complaints about the quality of the saw. I really have been a big fan of the saw. However, my experience getting parts recently has been a nightmare. Enough of one that it honestly makes me never want to buy a Stihl saw again. I don't understand why they can't get with the times and allow their dealers to sell parts online. All of the dealers in our town that I've dealt with are absolutely terrible. Review after review online for them all recommend driving to a dealer over an hour away. Which is a huge pita when you need to go pick up a part. On top of that, these parts I ordered took about 5 weeks to get. That was a long time to have the saw down. Then one of the parts they sent was wrong, and they told me they'd get another one but that it might be another 5-6 weeks. I was fed up enough that I told them to forget it and bought the final hose I needed off of eBay.

I will go with another Stihl if it's significantly better, but I'm also very open and leaning towards as a Husqvarna.

Now with the saw down, I need a saw and I can't wait another 5-6 weeks for a new crank to come in as I offered to help a friend cut limbs off of his fence line in about 2 weeks. As to what I'll use the saw for, I normally just use it to clean up fallen trees around the house, etc. However, I acquired a fair amount of land over the past couple of years. I'm finding I need a saw a lot more now. It's mostly used to cut fallen trees off of the paths, clean up around the fields, drop trees as I cut new trails, etc. While I'd love to continue to get by with one saw, the more I think about this I'm really starting to think that I may need several saws here. I loved my MS250 and it did 85% of what I needed very well. There were quite a few times that I wished I had a bigger saw though. This has me thinking I may need something a bit bigger. The problem I run into then is that it's too big and heavy to cut small limbs around the fences, pond, etc.

I feel like I have several options here and I have no idea which direction to go.

My first thought is that I could get another saw similar in size to my MS250. I even thought about a pro grade saw such as the Husqvarna 550XP MkII, or even a Stihl 261. The biggest problem with those is that I'm not sure that I use it enough to justify spending almost $700 on a saw. I probably use this thing about 3x a year. This makes me think maybe I should get another homeowner grade saw.

I'm leaning away from that option a bit. I'm thinking I may end up buying a crank to toss in my 250, and then I'd have a saw that fit that niche anyway. I'm not sure it makes sense to keep dumping money into this thing, but I'd like to get it going again. It's been a good saw. That leaves me with option 2. Picking up something like a Echo cs-310 or a Stihl MS180. I've ruled out the Husky 135 as the reported weight is almost as much as my 250 just with a lot less power. I know this saw won't do everything I need, but my thought is that it would be great for helping my friend cut limbs in a couple of weeks. Then I can use it for small jobs around the farm. Then later pick up a larger saw in the 60+cc range. I feel like this setup would be ideal as I'd get the best of both worlds. If I end up fixing my 250, I'll really have most of the bases covered. If this is the better option, which saw do you all recommend in this class?

I'm sorry for the long post, but I'm just really unsure which direction to go in here. I feel like there are soo many choices and I don't really know what I need.

For basic firewood I was using a 199$ stihl ms170 . When I do tree work I only use 65 cc or larger comercail saws , or my ms201 and 200 for climbing . I’d personally would look at a ms362 for what u do and when u are done if in good shape , you will get most of your money back unlike a homeowner saw . Just my opinion

 

[Brewmaster]

Echo CS-4910 would suit your needs nicely. Later on when you need something bigger the CS-620P is a great saw. 550 Mk II is excellent, as is the MS261. Value for money though, nothing comes close to Echo.

Yeah ... not sure if they have the rim sprocket; but if not, convert it to that. Get a 20 or 24" ultralight bar and use chizel skip. Max your oil flow and keep it filled up. You can't go wrong with that saw and setup.

 

[David Ellis]

However, my experience getting parts recently has been a nightmare. Enough of one that it honestly makes me never want to buy a Stihl saw again. I don't understand why they can't get with the times and allow their dealers to sell parts online. All of the dealers in our town that I've dealt with are absolutely terrible.

Regarding this aspect....

A former Stihl chainsaw dealer conveyed that some years ago Stihl started requiring higher $$ minimum orders and eventually the minimum became $250k. Yes, $250k. This was surprising to me, but the result you are experiencing is very easily understandable. At $250k, this is no longer the realm of a small and smart chainsaw shop with a dedicated chainsaw guy. At $250k the store is necessarily a complete Stihl dealership with every product line to warrant the larger order quantities.

I suppose somewhere Stihl made this business decision, but I am generally not a fan. Eventually everything that gets used will break and require maintenance and parts. I really enjoy having readily available parts!

I have found considerable happiness running a couple of older Husky 350 saws, and a 372 XP OE. Parts are plentiful for these saws at a few vendors online and I have a local store too. But, these saws are NOT fancy and new. The bolts do come loose after maintenance and tinkering. Some loc-tite and bolt checking is necessary.

I suggest buying a decent saw that you can get parts for repair.

It looks like fixing the 250 with some ebay parts might be a solid idea, but I haven't read all of the posts above.

My 2c.