What Chainsaw do you use?

Re: What Chainsaw do you use?

Mike Schwing from Maryland

>I'm about to buy a 290 farm boss as my 2nd saw, well third actually, because my backup Homelite timberman is no good for anything other than brush.

I have a Stihl MS 360 Pro and use it several times per week. It was the biggest saw I could get that I thought I could handle as I'm small (140 lbs, 5'5"). I have 14, 20, and 25 inch bars for it and it handles them all nicely. I don't always need the heft of the 360 so am looking for a smaller saw for smaller stuff. I cut up a lot of 40" diameter trunks, but also a lot of 13"s.

Don't ask BubbaBob about anything other than his beloved Poulan or you'll be in for it.

Re: What Chainsaw do you use?

Lee Weed

>No offense to Bubba Bob, but I've learned my lesson with Homelite and Poulan.

Re: What Chainsaw do you use?

Joel Hunnicutt

>Was looking at those two models but found a lightly used Stilh 390 for much less. The 55 is a good bit lighter but I was leaning toward the 290.

Stihl

MikeinCapeMay

>Have the Stihl 310 with a 20" bar, really pleased with it. I'd buy it again. I have the aggressive "pro" chain, eats wood.

Re: What Chainsaw do you use?

TDaniel

>Lee, I don't know your finances or your needs but I have a Husky 51 and a Husky 61 as well as a Stihl 066 and a Jonsered 2149 Turbo, plus a Mc and a Poland just for when someone wants to borrow my chainsaw. I can say this: all these saws are high quality. The Husky 51 is a world away from the Husky 61, the 61 being a much stronger saw. The Jonsered is the size of the 51 but I think it is a better saw. The Stihl 026 pro is the tops in 16-18" saws. If you have a local dealer for the Jonsered the 2149 Turbo is par with the Stihl 026. Some of these numbers have changed recently but a dealer will know which one we are talking about. The small Huskies are now made by Poland.

TD

Re: What Chainsaw do you use?

David Hammond, in Powder Springs GA

>Husqvarna 395XPW - a huge saw, but one with awesome power. It won't cut a twelve inch diameter log really any faster than my Husky 50, but it'll cut a 30 inch diameter log as fast as the 50 in a 16 inch log - the 395 tops twenty pounds, so I only pick it up when I need it, but I'm really pleased with the saw.

Husqvarna 50 Rancher - an '84 model. Good, solid saw with tons of compression and power, but light enough to use when I don't want to pick up the big Husky. I've found that two chainsaws is a minimum: the 50 with a 16" bar is a nice complement to the big saw with its 36" bar.

Stihl 20 - an old top handle saw. My uncle "gave" me this saw, basically on loan forever. I've been a die-hard Husky man, but this little saw is tough! It's really nice to have around for really small stuff, and cranking in the shop when I need too.

I tried to find a saw that would do it all, but I quickly found that two is a minimum - for one thing, Husky, Stihl or no, keeping one saw running all the time can be a pain, so if one has to go to the shop I've still got something I can cut with.

I'd say get a saw you can handle easy enough, but don't try to buy a saw that's too big - you don't want to use an oversized saw for trimming a bowl blank, and if you do it can be dangerous - if you ever get a big lathe, buy a big saw to go with it instead of buying an in-between saw now.

David

Re: What Chainsaw do you use?

Lyn J. Mangiameli

>I have a 290 Farm Boss with a 20 inch bar. I find this a well balanced and very versatile combination. Mine is not as easy starting as some have described (i.e, it certainly is not reliably a one pull start. When using most of the bar for halving or slabbing big wood, I wish it had a little more power. If I were buying again in this general range, I'd probably get the 310 to have just a little more power.

Overall, though, these are just nit picks. The saw has been totally reliable, and both safe and effective to use. It has held up perfectly to sustained use at its maximum capabilities. I expect I'll never have to replace this saw, though I do intend one of these days to replace my little electric with a Stihl electric, and perhaps obtain a much larger Stihl professional model for really big wood.

Poo-lan...pffffttttt....

BubbaBob

>

Re: What Chainsaw do you use?

Larry

>If you intend to do any ripping to produce slabs from which to cut blanks, I'd suggest one thing. Turn both saws over and take a look at the ejection slot. It's much bigger on the Sthil. That's the reason I bought Stihl over Husky and after working up three 20" thich sections of a 4' diameter black walnut butt section I'm glad I did.

Husky 372XP

Richard Allen

>Husky 372XP

I don't have enough experince with this saw to recomend it one way or the other. I expected the saw to work without issues and that is what the saw has done. I would expect any new saw to work as expected for the first few hours.

Re: What Chainsaw do you use?

mpwall

>I use a 25 yr old MuCullock 10-10s with an 18" bar on it now, have the 22" in a box with some chain somewhere. Still runs like a champ and has plenty of power. MP Wall

Re: What Chainsaw do you use?

Glenn Hodges

>288 Husky with a 28 in. bar. I have cut some pretty big stuff with this saw in the 3 years I have had it. It has been very reliable.

Nashville, Georgia

Re: What Chainsaw do you use?

Thomas Skaggs, Foothills of Mount Level

>I use a Stihl 026....great saw. Stihls are good as gold.

Tommy

Re: What Chainsaw do you use?

keith zimmerman, Normal IL

>Husky 345 w/ 16" bar

Re: What Chainsaw do you use?

Jerry Whitaker

>I have some friends that use Stihl and others that use Homelite and Poulan/Craftsman. Had a 16in. Poulan/Craftsman myself and did not like it. Oiler quit working and Sears wanted $85 to fix it. Another place wanted about the same amount. So, I sold it in a garage sale for $30 and bought me a 16 in. Echo 3400 and I love it. I believe it to be a cut below Stihl and Huskvarna but several cuts above anything else out there. Note: I use a Dremel chain sharpening device available from Walmart for less than $10 and I can sharpen chains better than the originals that come on the saws. Took a dull chain to the local hardware store for sharpening and after paying a $5 sharpening charge, it was worse than when I took it to them.

Re: What Chainsaw do you use?

Bruce McElhaney Spring Lake, MI

>After fighting with my old Homelite saw for years, I just got a new Stihl 250 with an 18" bar. What a difference! I've used my neighbor's Stihl 290 farm boss, It's a bit heavier but cuts good.

Re: What Chainsaw do you use?

Angelo in Cornwall, NY

>I currently use a Husky 141 for smaller stuff and a 50 rancher for everything else. I just sold a Stihl 039 b/c it was just too heavy for a bad shoulder. Both brands work well. Buy whichever one is sold by a dealer that you think will service you better. BTW, Jonsenred and husky are both made by the same parent company, as is poolan.

Hey Bubba, Mine don't go pffffttttt....

Doug Leite

>My Saw is a Husky 2101. It's maybe 8 yrs old, and after the initial 6 pulls, starts on first pull every time. No comp. release, so, well, you know the rest.

Aloha

Doug