What is the better chainsaw brand?

OK, here it is a question for all y'all. Please reply with why you prefer one brand over another, not just "Stihl sux" or "Husky swallows!"

Husky owns and builds Jonsered and Poulan saws, so they are lumped here together. They even own the MAC brand now, but the MAC in the 'others list' here predates them buying it.

Update: Husky also owns RedMax, so that line should be with the Husky choice.

I prefer Stihl as the lever action is the same on all their saws, they all basically start the same, they tend to hold up longer over time, the ones I have all have inboard clutches, and there are 10x as many Stihl dealers in the PNW than any other brand. They also make their own B&C, and they endure as well or better than other B&C that I have used. I have also owned and run many Husky, Olympyk, Mac, Echo, and Homelite saws, and even a Poulan Wild Thang.

Love my Jonsereds.
After almost 30 years of abuse, the 455 run great.
My new (used) 2150 runs like a raped aped and I expect the same life from it.
But...
Saws seem to be like motorcycles.
The brand you race depends on locality of the dealer, dealer support, best deal you can get up front and what kind of deal you can get on parts.

I got my 1st Stihl last year (036) and I had 4 Husqvarna's at that time.

Currently have 0 Husqvarna's and 5 Stihl's. 3 of which are 036's! My favorite firewood machine. Best power to weight ratio. IMO.

No good can come of this poll. We have the option of voting for a single brand, Stihl, or two groups of multiple brands, one group related by ownership, and the other group completely unrelated. That's just plain wrong.

Exactly. Where's BB when he's actually needed?

This the Ford/ Gm/ Dodge poll of the chainsaw world.

The best saw is the one sold and supported by the best dealer/ repair center in your area.

Another one of these I see. Like this is really unbiased. Ash Can here we come....

I think Stihl is the better brand, but Husky makes better saws so I buy theirs. I think Coke is the better brand, but RC makes better cola so I buy theirs. I think Apple is a better brand, but Samsung makes better phones so I buy theirs. I think Harley is a better brand, but Honda makes better motorcycles so I buy theirs. I think Generac is a better brand, but Yamaha makes a better inverter generator so I buy theirs. Etc, etc, etc.

+1

I like Stihl saws because my Dad had a Farm Boss that ran forever. Then, when I was on my own, my girl friend-then-ex-wife bought me an 031AV that ran for 30+ years without ever doing any preventive maintenance to it, just gas/oil/sharpen it and let her rip. Now when it comes to old rifles, a good Husky can't be beat!

Have operated Homelites, Husqys, Stihls, & Mac.
Like them all. All much better than a bow saw
"Best" is tough to quantify, depends on the operator, conditions, & type of cutting.

Every year each make some changes,
this year "auto tune " & "rev-boost" are popular features.

I don't think I have the "best saw out there".
If I did, I wouldn't always be looking & wanting a new one with the new features.

But to choose right now, I'd call it a tie 562XP & MS362 for my needs & conditions.
AND I don't have either one

Over all best manufacturer, I'd give it to Stihl. Made in the USA !

The best saw is the one I can buy easily t the local dealer or over the internet, that cuts through wood like a hot knife through butter, that does well on gas consumption, that lasts forever, but when it does break down can be easily repaired by me with parts easily obtained from the local dealer or internet. Don't want to wear out my Fords making trips to the local dealer.

Yeah, learned something new about Husqvarna the other day. Have to wonder why it is not still making rifles, sewing machines, or motorcycles. A new Husqvarna rifle is nowhere to be found, that I know of, or they must be so bad that they are not popular enough for me to have even heard of them. Have to wonder how long it will keep making chainsaws with a history like that with other product lines. lol

It all depends on the saw you are discussing. Every brand has had its share of good and bad models, but some more than others.

When you get into Pro-level saws all the upper end manufacturers seem to have good selections to choose from.

Mauser Rifles are regarded by many as the finest bolt action rifles ever built. Of all the Mausers, the Swedish ones were also considered by many to be the best. The Husqvarna plant was just one of several Swedish armorys. As the war ended, and rifle design changed towards semi and full auto, so did the need for those fine Husqvarna bolt action rifles. I'm no expert on Swedish affairs, but I would suspect that the loss of those other product lines had more to do with Governmental policies and production directives versus the quality of things coming out of the Husqvarna plants. Just a guess.

As has already been stated, almost any "pro" series saw made by the big boys is gonna be a damm good machine. Brand names really don't mean a whole lot these days, IMO. Having good dealer support means more than the brand name if you are buying new. Almost every big name manufacturer is sucked into the "box store boom", with cheapo lineups of their saws in the mainstream. Keep in mind, fellas, that a chainsaw is ONLY as good as the maintenance/upkeep that is given to it. I've got LOTS AND LOTS of vintage chainsaws, and some newer ones too.....but my favorite saw is an oldie....

My Stihl 041AV Super with the 28" bar/chain.....




Yep, she's old, and heavy, and no chain brake. But nothing out there has the torquey, growly sound of a vintage Stihl.....especially with a dual port muffler!!



My point is, keeping your saw cleaned out, tuned up, filters cleaned and/or replaced regularly, and repaired as needed makes a HUGE difference. Also, keeping your chain sharp, not plowing it into the dirt when cutting, flipping the bar every time you sharpen or change the chain, and dressing the bar rails when needed will keep you one happy cutting fool....

I grew up running the OLD poulans saws... since 98 I have been running the two husqvarna's that I used at my tree trimming job. in that timeframe they were used daily at the tree service, have cut 15 cord a year for my own/family heating needs, and for 5-6 years cut 40-60 cord a year for my firewood business. one part, a plactic worm gear wore out. still running strong and I have modified it to where it is spinning 3-4K rpm higher than it was designed for.

likewise, Stihl saws are awesome. Dolmar saws are awesome. I have some of each in my collection...



but with all my saws, these two are my most used and my favorites:

Ya run what ya brung.There's good & bad in everything.Take a pro saw with a dull chain,no maintenance,bad fuel mix & other mechanical problems & even in the hands of an experienced operator will be a worthless turd.

Keep it CLEAN & SHARP,filed correctly,proper fuel mix & tuned & most any saw will turn "work" into something easy & pleasurable.

Freakingstang,

The last thing I need is a saw collection. If I added chainsaws to the class of "collections" like the bikes, guns, and stang in the garage, my wife might kick me. Then again, I am about to buy my third saw and have been eyeing the GT500KR.. lol

I think most will say Stihl is the best, but the fact is they are very hard to obtain inexpensive parts for because they hold us hostage to dealers only. with that said... i agree with fabsroman totally!

I only run orange, green, black, red, yellow and white saws. They have the most power....

Yeah I know. They only made rifles for ~275 years...

I just hope their chainsaws don't get as expensive as their sewing machines
http://www.husqvarnaviking.com/us/

And I only know two guys riding Husqvarna motorcycles these days. The chainsaws and trimmers are much more popular.
http://www.husqvarna-motorcyclesna.com/

Poulan, because that's all I got.

I didnt know the brand was still out there,I thought BMW bought them out in the mid '80s.Remember reading growing up in the early-mid '70's how Husqvarna pretty much ruled motorcross overseas.Set all kinds of records.