Thinking about a light weight chainsaw

Last year I bought a dolmar PS 32 on ebay $199.95 shipped. It weighs 9.02 lb , has a 14" bar & runs real good after I removed the cat from the muffler & retuned it. I really enjoy using it.

I have cut a few cords with a new Stihl MS261 C-M 18" bar and am really enjoying it. I was worried it was too small right after I bought it but it has been up to the challenge so far. It feels so much lighter and has better balance than the MS290 I cut with in the past. I'll use it to cut most anything that I run into except really big stuff. It would be nice to have a 441/461 or 660 to pair with it for running a long bar.

What size bar do you want it to run? Have you considered something like a Husky 346xp (10.6#) or the newer 550xp (10.8#) ?

Jon1270 said:

What size bar do you want it to run? Have you considered something like a Husky 346xp (10.6#) or the newer 550xp (10.8#) ?

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If you want the best, the above two will do it. The size for good power to weight is the 50 cc size.

The Stihl MS261 is getting good reviews to, slightly bulkier, poorer balance but a little more torque for bucking larger stuff than the huskies. All of these saws are as good as they get.

+1 for the 346xp.

Here's a good website which shows the specs on all husqvarna saws.
http://www.getsaws.com/H_specs.html

If I remember, the 372xp has the best power to weight followed by the 562xp, 346xp, and 262xp.

and stihls
http://www.getsaws.com/S_specs.html

+1 for the little 026/260. Mine has served me well for many years.

Since I own and have owned alot of the stihl saws , the easiest way to figure this out is what are you going to be cutting with the saw . I can also tell you from experience its not the weight of the saw that tires you so much as the antivibration that the saw has . You also have to weigh in the fact that a lighter saw = less power and speed to cut which = more time hanging on to that saw . Now you can also change the aspects on how a saw feels just by its bar lenght to a certain extent as it changes not only the weight of the saw but also the balance . For example a 460 with a 16 inch .325 es bar and RS chain with a 9 pin sprocket can feellike a truck with low pro street slicks compared to a 460 with say a 32 inch solid bar running a 3/8 skip tooth chain can feel like the same truck with a lift kit and some 35" diggers on it .
Just Saying

Stihl has a 241 now, pretty awesome saw from what I hear.

If you like it Buy it , Its like us telling you you must buy a chevy when you like fords . Jonsered , husky , stihl are all reputable saws . If you can try it before you buy it or compare specs to a sthls the same size do it . Dont worry so much about what stihl says homeowner farm use professional . Unless you are a full time wood cutter and plan on wearing out your saws I really dont think you have much to worry about . most repuatble saws end up dieing because of negletic and abuse than there amount of running time .

A good 2 saw combo is a 260/261 and a 360/361 in your case a 260 / 261 and your 460 would probably be a nice pair . My 460 only comes out if its bigger than 20 inches and then there are times I push my 361 up to 24 just because its gased up . A 260 will do a great job up to 12 inches but you can push them to 16 inches or better but because of speed and time I bet better than 14 to 16 inches you will be grabbing the 460 unless you only have a few cuts to do .
My thoughts on combos are as follows ;
2 saws = 260 and 360
3 saws = 180 and 260 and 360
4 saws = 180 and 260 and 360 and 460
But then thats cause of the size wood I cut , I dont see to many trees over 24- 30 inches and most are silver maple or white ash .

webie said:

If you like it Buy it , Its like us telling you you must buy a chevy when you like fords . Jonsered , husky , stihl are all reputable saws . If you can try it before you buy it or compare specs to a sthls the same size do it . Dont worry so much about what stihl says homeowner farm use professional . Unless you are a full time wood cutter and plan on wearing out your saws I really dont think you have much to worry about . most repuatble saws end up dieing because of negletic and abuse than there amount of running time .

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Good advice. I'm on an anti-stihl kick now, but that's mostly because it's all my friend's have so I'm on a mission to prove that there's other options available! I still picked up a 026 last summer when I found a good deal, and passed it along to my brother. I love my Husky 550xp for the size and power. Really, those 2 choices (026/260/261 for the Stihl and 346xp/550xp for Husky) are some of the most tried and true lightweight "limbing" saws that pair great with a 16-18" bar, but will handle a 20" as well. If you want to save some money, a lot of people have cut a lot of wood with a Stihl 250. My brother in law completely heats his house with that little guy.

I bought a Refurb 435 from Vminnovations better then a year ago.
I got a couple RS/or the yelo loop chains from the stihl dealer and it runs great.
I worked on fence rows all weekend cutting mulberry and cherry.
I like the 435. It is pretty lite, around 9 lbs. 16 in H30 bar (i think).

with a coupon and free shipping it was 142 bucks to my door. Not bad.

I have a Stihl 180C with a 12" bar and I love it. Light as a feather and with a sharp chain it rips through the small stuff no problem. I use it to cut up all the limbs and then when you hit the trunk, you get out the bigger saw.

I have the Stihl MS 250 and I love it. Plenty of power and not heavy at all with a 18 inch bar.....Although it is discontinued they have a MS 251 that is the same thing. You should check it out

jeffesonm said:

I have a Stihl 180C with a 12" bar and I love it. Light as a feather and with a sharp chain it rips through the small stuff no problem. I use it to cut up all the limbs and then when you hit the trunk, you get out the bigger saw.

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I own Stihl 362 and picked up a 180C last year to deal with the limbs and small stuff and also think it is a fantastic saw. I have the 14" bar and it does a real nice job on 12" oak. Not that I would use it to do that all day but if its in my hand and running I am not afraid to use it.

Take a close look at the Dolmar 5105. Magnesium block=Ease start and dry weight is 11.9. Very nice saw with lots of power.

MJFlores said:

Well, I feel old! Despite feeling like a wuss...I think I need to invest in a lighter saw. I've been running a Stihl 460 for the past 12 years or so, and the last few years I really feel it in my shoulders and back. Shoulders in particular. I used to be able to run my saw for a few hours a time in the woods and now it seems like I try doing one tree per outing, sometime two if they're small. My landed in thickly wooded so I very rarely get to fell a tree and have it drop right to the ground...I deal with hangups all the time. Sort of a pain in the you know what. Anyway, I have to admit that I'm getting older and just cant work out there like I used to and maybe my saw if just too heavy for me these days, I dont know. I've always been a Stihl guy but it seems the light weight Stihl saws are labeled "home owner" which makes me doubt how long they may last under the load I'll out them on. I've always heard good things about Jonsered, and saw online their model 2240. They call it a "part time forestry use" rather than "home owner" and it only weights 9.5 lbs! I think my shoulders would really like it but wanted to see if anyone on here has one or can recommend a similar light weight saw. I'm sure I'm not the only one has been through getting older and needing to "retool" as a result. I'd keep my big Stihl for big work, felling, and stuff and would switch to the lighter saw for limbing and bucking into split ready length. So, I'd appreciate any input on that Jonsered 2240 or other light weight but durable saws.

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MJ, it sounds like you are in the same boat as me. My wife has been trying to talk me into a light saw for years. At least I could use that for all the limbs and use the larger saw for the main trunk. I have a terrible back so weight is always a consideration (and age too as I'm in my 70's). After another injury last year, I finally broke down and bought a new light Stihl saw.

But which one to get? I did borrow a Stihl 250 and liked it. Almost bought one but then I got to talking to a fellow whose job is working on the Stihl saws. His recommendation was the 180. What? I thought that was just a toy saw. But after listening to him (and he owns one too) I did get the 180. Boy was I in for a huge surprise. I liked it even more than the 250. Super light weight and has the narrow kerf bar and chain.

First thing I used it on was a red oak that I had half cut up. I finished the limbs and then was going to shut it down and grab the bigger saw. What the heck. I figured I'd test that little thing. Another surprise! No, it did not cut as fast but it was not much slower for sure. I was amazed. Now I use that saw for most of the wood cutting simply because it is so lightweight and does a good job.

The only downside I've found is that the chain brake is a bit too close and I have to be careful to not set it by bumping it with a knuckle. Another is that the narrow kerf chain does not last as long. But it is cheap so not a big factor. In short, now I wish I'd listened to the wife a few years ago.

My days of wrestling with the big saws was done a long time ago and maybe I wrestled with them for too long. Oh well, at least we can find small saws that will do for bucking up firewood.

I have a Stihl 460 and a 261...love them both. The 261 is so much lighter but still has the high chain speed for fast cutting. I will usually start off on the 261 for awhile, go to the 460 on bigger stuff, and then when it wears me out, I go back to the 261 to make me feel better about my aging body! We used to have a 250 but upgraded to the 261 for the higher chain speed.

MJFlores said:

Yeah that Stihl MS 180 C-BE looks like a really light saw. How is it on starting? Can you put a standard bar on it and run a standard chain?

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Starts a lot quicker and easier than my other saw. For sure when warm it is on the first pull and the pull is not hard! Cold, it takes 4 or 5 pulls. I am not sure about the regular chain. I'll have to look at the sprocket for sure but there is one thing you might not like (I didn't at first but now okay with it) is the tightener. It is different and for sure made for the homeowner line. But it is quick and works great. I was worried at first though. You do not even need a tool to tighten the chain. But you do have to keep watch of the chain as I've had it loosen on me without noticing and, of course, it came off. Easy and quick fix though. Gave me the opportunity to turn the bar over.

ddklahr said:

I have a Stihl 460 and a 261...love them both. The 261 is so much lighter but still has the high chain speed for fast cutting. I will usually start off on the 261 for awhile, go to the 460 on bigger stuff, and then when it wears me out, I go back to the 261 to make me feel better about my aging body! We used to have a 250 but upgraded to the 261 for the higher chain speed.

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That sounds like a great pair of saws. I would like to have the exact same setup once the 461 C-M is available. Can you interchange the 16" and 18" bars between the two?