Chainsaw buying guide?????

Hi all! I haven't been around since burning season was in full effect, but it's good to be back! I noticed the changes to the forum. Very nice! So far so good. I've never owned a chainsaw before and don't need anything heavy duty, so I'm putting it out here. I'm budgeting an absolute maximum of $250 for this. I have LOTS of questions: 1) Does more CC's necessarily mean more power? 2) I know Stihl and Husquy are the best, but are there any sleeper brands that cost less? I'm thinking something in an 18" bar. Please chime in in with ANYTHING you might think is pertinent to a first time buyer! Thanks very much!

How much cutting do you plan to do? That is, will this buck up the odd 8" scrounge, or will it ride around in the truck hoping to run across a 36" free oak?

Craigslist? Pawnshops? I ran across an MS200TC for $150 in a local pawnshop.

CC roughly equals pulling power. Make sure you buy on CC not bar length. I believe the biggest problem with Poulan consumer saws is that they advertize 40cc saws as "20 inch chainsaws".

IMHO -
20" bars are best with 55+cc saws
45-55cc is best with a 16-18" bar
35-45cc is best with a 14" bar
30-35cc is best with a 12" bar

I like KarlP's list here, very good starting point imo. Other factors will include chain pitch, cutter type, etc. I run lots of cc's on short bars to keep chain speed up & load down on the power head. The deal on our firewood crew is simple, fastest saw/saws cut, everybody else splits & loads. I don't care for loading nearly as much as cutting, so I'll bring as much HP to the game as I can. 064 on a 16" bar is not unheard of in small wood.

Oops, sorry, went way off topic there. Karl's list is a very good guide. A C

Craiglist is a good spot to look... 2 Brand New Husqvarna 460 Ranchers w/ 20" Bar, went up for $250 today. Both new and never used.

I have a 455 Rancher and for general firewood cutting, its all you need. I recently took off the 20" and put a 16" B & C on it. Big difference. Made a good saw, much better...

I also own a 036 Stihl and MS 460. They are also great (read: GREAT! !!) saws. But they are in a different league.

For $250 you can find a nice running 55 cc + or - w/ 18"-20" bar for $250. And not have to "settle". That will pull in a nice saw....

Some good tips above.
$250 on Craigs list should get a reasonable good saw. Look at the ones listed for $300 & offer $200 / 250 in green backs
I like a 20" bar, I don't have to bend over as much, cut's anything we have here, 55 & up cc has plenty of power.
With a little shopping you should be able to get a good saw in your price range.

I wish you had said $300 was your budget 'cause I'd have said pick up a Stihl MS250. If you're willing to get your feet wet in the used market, very clean examples of the Stihl MS290 can be had for $250.

Not necessarily and Amateur Cutter is 100% right that chain type will affect power significantly.

Dolmar/Makita, Echo, Jonsered (basically red Husky's) are the alternative brands worth considering. Efco and Solo are also good "sleeper" brands but may or may not be available in your area. Everything else is a waste of time and money for the serious firewood cutter IMO. Stihl and Husky both make some great saws in the sub-$300 range.

Buy quality. Too many folks buy a cheap saw thinking it will get them by for now and wind up re-spending that money a year (maybe sooner!) later when the saw fails or their needs dictate an upgrade. You also don't get the resale value from a Craftsman or Poulan that you do from a quality brand so whatever you spend on it initially is pretty much gone. Not uncommon for someone to sell a used Stihl for very close to what he/she paid for it new.

Case in point:

http://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/need-some-opinions.79174/

One of my favorite saws is a Dolmar 420 w/16in bar. List was about $310 paid $230 for the saw and 10 pac of Opti-2 (one gal mix each) . Saw new from local dealer. Best chain I have found for this saw is Stihl 63 PMC3 56. The Opti contains stabilizer and is easy to use. Add contents of packet to gal of gas. I have used it for about 20 yrs. Give each tooth of the chain two passes with the file every time you fill the gas and bar oil tanks. No matter how much power you might have a sharp chain trumps a dull chain every time. When the chips start getting smaller stop. It's time to sharpen the chain. This takes practice. Enjoy!
Tom

The chain makes a huge difference. Keep it sharp and you don't need big cc's for average bucking.
I would avoid the newer Poulins. (my opinion only).
No matter what, be careful!

HI Scott, please dont forget safety gear, PPE.
About 150 to 200 dollars, worth every penny.

Thanks for all the replies so far, but I think I'm more confused than ever now... I have no idea what "kinds" of chain there are out there or what difference chain pitch makes. The first use this saw will see is going to be cutting up a 100' Tulip tree to give you an idea. It's probably about 5-6' in diameter at the base. After that, I don't foresee the saw being used much. Maybe 3 times a year. I'm planning ahead in case I find a reliable wood supply, but for now, I have 20fc of slab wood since this Tulip will need to season for quite a while. I was planning on getting some good chaps as well, but haven't looked into what's good or how much they will cost.

I'd rent a large saw for that job (if you never plan to process a tree like that again) and buy a Echo CS400....I'd consider that sleeper saw as it often goes unoticed and can be had for a great deal on Ebay or Craigslist. Great saw IMO if you just need a saw for 'round the house. Very reliable and simple to use. I had one for awhile, but quickly outgrew it based on the tree's I was processing (and the amount of wood). I wish I would have kept it for the very small jobs...

http://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/chainsaw-education.75380/

Here I thought that Husky was just the less expensive alternative for those who didn't want to spend the money on an Echo or Stihl.

I agree with Mofo, rent one. Then you can get an idea about the weight, feel, etc. You can certainly get a Stihl for less than $250, and it might be just what you need. I bought one for the lightness and ease of use, easy start up. I don't use a chainsaw on a regular basis, either, so it fit my needs for now. The only beef I have is that you really do have to buy PURE gasoline, nothing that has ethanol; I decided to buy the TruFuel from the big box store to save my sanity. As much as i use the saw, it is worth the price.

1) Has anyone seen someplace that rents chainsaws big enough to cut up a tree over 5' diameter in a day?

I personally have never seen a rental saw over 75cc/over 28" bar. If the tree is really over 5' across, even that may be a little on the small side.

I'd up the budget another hundred or two and keep an eye out for a used Husqvarna 288 or Solo 690.


2) Are you sure having never owned a chainsaw before it is a good idea to tackle a 100' tree as your first one? I'm generally not one to discourage someone from DIY, but I would strongly encourage you to drop a few dozen small trees first or better yet find someone who has dropped trees this big before to make the felling cut for you. Felling a 5' diameter tree with a 20" bar is not a good way to learn. Cutting lots of less than 40' tall less than 1' diameter trees is the way to learn. Once you've done a bunch THEN get yourself a big saw with a 3' bar and go shake the earth dropping thousands of pounds from high heights.

Whatever you do, don't ask how for advice on how to do this on ArboristSite. They really enjoy flaming homeowners cutting their own trees.

hahahaha Echo

Please don't go after a tree that big with little experience, as stated above, that's asking for it. I've got a fair amount of experience felling trees as an amateur, who's learned from some pros. I might hesitate on that tree myself, or do it with pro supervision. Way too many things can go wrong real fast. Pay a pro to drop that sucker, & maybe buck the trunk, then make firewood & learn as you go. A C

+1 Agreed.
I was cutting almost 10 years & having dropped literally several hundred trees up to 18" before I really felt comfortable tackling a 30" or larger beast without supervision.They still get my respect & I proceed with extreme caution like it was my first one.So many things can go wrong fast,its magnified many times with the big ones.

Hi Scott

I have one for sale and made a little video explaining how it works. Here it is if you want to see it?
http://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/poulan-2150-chain-saw-with-16-blade-95-salem-nh.86629/

I've got a ms250 and was initially disappointed with the performance until I switched to a more aggressive chain. It made 2x the difference. At first I figured it was the smaller CC size but I'm glad I didn't go for a "do it all" saw in the middle. The 250 is light and easily controllable for me. I'm not cutting for a living so a little more of my time is not that valuable.

Chaps are about $60. Gloves, helmet w/ face shield, gloves, wedges etc.

Good luck getting through a 5' round with 100 bucks.

I AM NOT felling this tree. I am only cutting it for a friend after it's down. He generously offered me as much wood as I could take. I DO have experience using a chainsaw, but very limited. I am aware of how to use one safely including the recommended PPE. My questions only pertain to buying one because I don't know what factors go into owning one for the limited use it would see. Thanks for all the replies.

Stihl MS290 20" bar for $200. Is this a good deal?

Depends on the condition. 290 is kinda in a tough spot power/weight wise, and a 20" bar might be pushing it, but that's just from rumors I hear myself when I hang around this place.

Personally, I wouldn't buy a used chainsaw unless it looked brand new or I trusted the seller. I'm not familiar enough with chainsaws to tell if something's wrong.