Which saw: Stihl or Husqvarna or other?

[nmurph]

Niko, i have to disagree with you on the 250. i have many, many hours on an 025. it served well, and is light and reasonably strong, smooth enough, and was very dependable. it handled a 16" bar fine. i don't know how it compares to the other saws mentioned here, but it is a very competent saw and can usually be bought for <$300US. it now sits unused bc of saws like the 346, but in it role and for its cost, it don't have anything bad to say about it.

 

[TreeClimber57]

and I believe Dolmar prices are reasonable in Canada.

Dolmar is pricier than the Echo's, kind of between Echo and Stihl pricing.. at least at our local dealerships. They are good saws though, but want to ensure you have a good dealer. Any saw without dealer support is NOT a good saw.

 

[DSChamber]

Thanks again for all the replies.. it is really helping me make up my mind. I did some calling around and here is the pricing I can get.... also I think I am convinced on going to a 45 cc saw and I am going to stay away from the tool less chain tensioner's.... just don't have enough confidence in it's design to last a long time and I am wanting this saw to last a long time. I am also going to buy new, like was said above, when you buy second hand, unless you are really lucky, you could be just buying someone else's headache.

Husqvarna 445 - $429 - 2 yr warranty, 3 year if I buy a case of Husky oil ($12 or so), plus the extra chain/case/cap for what that's worth. Traditional 2 nut bar attachment with side mounted screw chain tensioner

Stihl MS250 - $399 - 1 year warranty, 2 year if I buy a case of Stihl oil ($12), plus the extra chain/case/cap for what that's worth. Traditional 2 nut bar attachment with side mounted screw chain tensioner.

The Stihl comes with a 16" bar, the Husky comes with an 18" bar/chain. Not sure if I want to run a 18" bar/chain but the Husky dealer said if I wanted it with a 16" bar/chain then he could do that for me, no problem.

I am leaning towards the Husky 445...but if I do go with the Husky, should I just keep the 18" bar and if I want to later, buy a 16" bar/chain? Or just have the dealer put a 16" bar/chain on it now. I don't think I will ever need a 18" bar/chain, FIL has been cutting wood for over 30 years and has only needed a 16" bar (we don't get huge timber around here).

 

[bigredd]

I would go 16".....better balance and should not bog if buried. Sounds like you have a good local dealer. Give him your business and get the 3 yr warranty.

 

[indiansprings]

I would buy the Stihl 250 over the Husky any day. Any saw that is sold in a Lowe's or Home Depot is a saw I'm staying away from. I'd find a dealer I liked the attitude of/ atmosphere and buy the 250. Plenty of saw for what your doing and Stihl has built that basic saw design for years and it is a good one. it's not a poulan dressed up in husky orange.

 

[DSChamber]

This is really good feedback....keep it coming. I am learning a lot. Like the fact that Husqvarna can be sold at "Big Box" stores, and the ones that are sold there are most likely a cheapen version (most likely made in China) of their better saws.

As for the quality of the Stihl.....they do certainly have a good reputation, I believe they are the top saw producer in the world. The FIL did have a problem with his MS250 though, oil pump went on it at about 2 years old... but he cuts a lot of wood with it so it wasn't like it wasn't used.

The Husky dealer that I have access to is a small outfit...a Mom and Pop shop that has been in the business for 35 years... he said he sold Stihl saws years ago and had lots of good to say about them..so I asked him why he switched to Husqvarna and he said that he wasn't getting the support he used to get from the manufacturer so he switched to deal Husky saws. He knows his stuff when it comes to saws and he wasn't pushing me to buy anything, he was more concerned with what I was cutting, my experience with a saw, and how much I was cutting. He talked about the importance of saw maintenance and how he sees saws come back not working due to people just using bad gas/oil mixtures (gas all gunked up with crap) and general poor maintenance. He was up front and honest with me so I don't think I could go wrong with this guy. His dealership isn't a fancy big shop but I got a good vibe from him.

I also found a Jonsered dealership closer to me as well but none of their new 40-50cc saws impressed me....not saying they are bad or anything, just nothing that turned my eye.

 

[Machold]

Husky, with both 16" & 18" bars. I think mom&pop will do well by you. Jons is now owned by Husqvarna.

 

[jenfelder]

If you're looking for a 40cc saw, go with the Dolmar PS-420. Best saw in it's class at the moment, pro- saw for semipro- price!

Jenfelder

 

[CGC4200]

recon/refurbished 445's

They are available on Flea-Bay for $200 delivered in US, + $35 to Canada.
I have a 435, same engine as a 440, but has one bar nut & lateral chain adjust.
I think a 445 would be better for fire wood duty, about 1 lb. heavier, but 5 more cc.

 

[bluesportster02]

I have the 440e with the tooles chain tensioner and have not had any problems. it has cut abought 15 cords of wood so far

 

[grack]

both choices are no good;

@ 1. Get a Stihl, no question about it
@ 2. 230 is a bad choice because for only 300$ you can get a MS250; so for the same money you get 45cc and 3hp in an under 5 kilo saw.
better yet, if weight doesn`t bother you for extra 50$ you can have the 56 cc perfect allaround MS290 FarmBoss with 3.8 hp.

now some will say bad things about farm boss but it is #1 selling Stihl. that means something.

i agree i picked up a 290 thinking it would be a cheap backup for my 288
but with the rsc chain which my dealer switched out for free with an 18 inch bar its not the fastest or lightest saw out there but its the one i use all the time
plus in my area they are running a special when you buy a 290 you get a free case and extra chain.i must know two dozen guys that have the 290 310 series
and trust me they run the crap out of them and they are still in one piece
hope this helps.

 

[TonyRumore]

Which saw comes with the coolest looking cap?

 

[TreeClimber57]

I am leaning towards the Husky 445...but if I do go with the Husky, should I just keep the 18" bar and if I want to later, buy a 16" bar/chain? Or just have the dealer put a 16" bar/chain on it now. I don't think I will ever need a 18" bar/chain, FIL has been cutting wood for over 30 years and has only needed a 16" bar (we don't get huge timber around here).

The Husky dealer that I have access to is a small outfit...a Mom and Pop shop that has been in the business for 35 years... he said he sold Stihl saws years ago and had lots of good to say about them..so I asked him why he switched to Husqvarna and he said that he wasn't getting the support he used to get from the manufacturer so he switched to deal Husky saws. He knows his stuff when it comes to saws and he wasn't pushing me to buy anything, he was more concerned with what I was cutting, my experience with a saw, and how much I was cutting. He talked about the importance of saw maintenance and how he sees saws come back not working due to people just using bad gas/oil mixtures (gas all gunked up with crap) and general poor maintenance. He was up front and honest with me so I don't think I could go wrong with this guy. His dealership isn't a fancy big shop but I got a good vibe from him.

Go with Husqvarna.. case closed..

You have a good sounding dealer, that is #1 criteria.

Husqvarna is as good as Stihl.. and anything else on the saw market (with only maybe one or two minor exceptions - which won't impact you)..

If it comes with an 18" then likely good enough by sounds of it. An bar too long is frankly a pain in the butt.. on other hand an 18" is not a terribly long bar, and should not get in the way. On the other hand a 28" as example can be a pain for bucking.. I doubt you will ever find the 18" too long for anything you will do.. and may occasionally be glad you had the 2" extra.

 

[a. palmer jr.]

I doubt if I'd spend that kind of money to get a new saw just to cut the amount of firewood you said you'd be cutting. There are thousands of used saws in good condition that you could get for a fraction of what a new Stihl would cost plus they are easier to work on, if you do your own fixing. I ended up cutting up most of my firewood this year with a Poulan 245 bought for $5 and a 2.3 Craftsman also bought for around $5 and re-conditioned myself. Just for kicks I also used my Pro Mac 700, and I cut more firewood than you typically would.

 

[discounthunter]

poulan wild thang,and never look back. mine easily cuts 3-4 cords a year.

 

[WVshooter]

So long as you go to a dealer, I don't think you'll go wrong. Buy this biggest saw you can afford and still get some safety gear.

Otherwise, just send us a pic of the new ball cap!

 

[a. palmer jr.]

Forget what I said in my earlier post...I didn't know they were going to give you a new ball cap!!

 

[DSChamber]

hahaha... yeah I get the sarcasm about the ball cap...hey I couldn't care less about some ball cap I got lots of ball caps ..... I am more interested in what the saw is capable of....hence why I have taken the advice here seriously and have now overlooked the 40 cc saws and will settle on the 45 cc

I know some will say that buying a new saw is a waste of money and that I could probably get a used saw 10 times better for 10 times cheaper.

And I know that some will say that I don't need one of the bigger/better brands and that a cheaper saw will do the job because of the small amount of wood I will be cutting.

All of those people are quite possibly right....but I have learned the hard way in the past 40 years that cheap, "just enough capacity/power, etc etc", and "mint 2nd hand/used shape" when it comes to power tools (not just chain saws) is usually just a waste of time....9 times out of 10 you end up paying more for the same thing. I am mechanically inclined and I know my way around engines (well car engines, not so much small engines but the basic principles are the same), I service all of my own tools (lawn mowers, snow blowers, etc etc). I am sure that if I bought an older, fixer upper I could get it running...but this is one time when I will buy new and not think twice about it.

Yes I will only be cutting maybe 5 cords a year tops, but I want to be able to do that year after year with a reliable saw and a dealer that can back what they sell.

Thanks for all the input and advice... it has made this decision a whole lot easier and I have become much more informed. I will be picking up my saw today...and I will be sure to post a pic of the cap.... lol..

 

[WVshooter]

I was serious about the hat....you can never have too many cool hats.

Make sure you post pics of the saw, too! It never happened without pics!

 

[Machold]

Seriously, get some safety gear; it adds to the bottomline, but you won't end up looking like a limbless Klingon...