When is a pro saw justified?

[Flatbedford]

I'd never consider a 029/MS290 "underpowered". It sure doesn't offer the power to weight ratio's it's pro saw cousin's do but last I checked the MS290 was selling for about $379 (full MSRP) with a 20" bar. That's a steal and prob. the biggest reason Stihl sells more MS290's than any other model. (MS250/MS290 were big movers when I was sellin' 'em.)

That's kinda what I was trying to say. As I said, I only found out about the "overweight / underpowered" thing when I started reading chainsaw related forums. My 029 has been 100% reliable and has done everything I ever asked it do. Pro saws are nice, and they should be with their premium price, but I still think that for a 4-5 cord per year firewood cutter a quality mid range saw is the best bang for your buck. That fancy saw won't load, unload, split, or stack the wood any faster, and that is where the bulk work in firewood is. Save the pro saw money and buy some work saving tools like pickeroons, Peaveys, good splitting tools, good chains and the tools to sharpen them, some PPE, and you will be better off.

 

[smokinj]

I'd never consider a 029/MS290 "underpowered". It sure doesn't offer the power to weight ratio's it's pro saw cousin's do but last I checked the MS290 was selling for about $379 (full MSRP) with a 20" bar. That's a steal and prob. the biggest reason Stihl sells more MS290's than any other model. (MS250/MS290 were big movers when I was sellin' 'em.)

That's kinda what I was trying to say. As I said, I only found out about the "overweight / underpowered" thing when I started reading chainsaw related forums. My 029 has been 100% reliable and has done everything I ever asked it do. Pro saws are nice, and they should be with their premium price, but I still think that for a 4-5 cord per year firewood cutter a quality mid range saw is the best bang for your buck. That fancy saw won't load, unload, split, or stack the wood any faster, and that is where the bulk work in firewood is. Save the pro saw money and buy some work saving tools like pickeroons, Peaveys, good splitting tools, good chains and the tools to sharpen them, some PPE, and you will be better off.

If your a numbers guy makes more Cents to buy the pro saw.....Unless your planning on buying one saw and using it till death do you apart. Resell is Awesome on a pro saw!

 

[Flatbedford]

It won't cut any wood for you if you sell though.

 

[smokinj]

It won't cut any wood for you if you sell though.

No but I have ran several pro saw for a year for free. 260, 361 and 036 all put me in net numbers. 2 out of the 3 I bought new aswell. Dont know if the ebay market is still that strong.
The saws I have now I hope to keep, but if money ever gets real tight I know where to get some quick. The stihl line up 200t ,360's 440's 460's 660's 880's will always be Hot tickets. For me a couple hundred more up front to get it on the back end and not lose the over all investment and run an awesome saw while doing is just Smart.

 

[Flatbedford]

Valid point, Jay, but like an old boss of mine used to say, "You buy a car ( or chainsaw ) to drive it, damnit, not to sell it.

 

[smokinj]

Valid point, Jay, but like an old boss of mine used to say, "You buy a car ( or chainsaw ) to drive it, damnit, not to sell it.

I keep both in mind with everything I touch...Chainsaws I drive wot. :cheese:

 

[MasterMech]

Somewhere in another thread I think I said one of the biggest differences between a "pro" and "farm" saw was how the operator felt at the end of the day. Talk durability and power to weight until your blue in the face -- If you cut more than 30min - 1hr at a time, your hands and arms will thank you for the far superior AV systems in pro saws. Buy the best you can afford. Nobody ever regrets buying a quality tool that they genuinely enjoy using.

 

[TreePointer]

Somewhere in another thread I think I said one of the biggest differences between a "pro" and "farm" saw was how the operator felt at the end of the day. Talk durability and power to weight until your blue in the face -- If you cut more than 30min - 1hr at a time, your hands and arms will thank you for the far superior AV systems in pro saws. Buy the best you can afford. Nobody ever regrets buying a quality tool that they genuinely enjoy using.

That's the main reason why I switched from a 290 to a 361. I can cut longer and my hands and arms don't vibrate well after I quit working.

 

[Battenkiller]

... your hands and arms will thank you for the far superior AV systems in pro saws. Buy the best you can afford. Nobody ever regrets buying a quality tool that they genuinely enjoy using.

That is the Numero Uno reason why I ended up biting the bullet and investing in pro saws. All of my most used saws have incredibly low felt vibes, not just low vibe numbers. I'm not a test machine, I'm flesh and bone (OK... and a lot of fat) and I tried models from many brands before settling with these saws:

RedMax 3200 EZ
Dolmar 420
Husky 339XP
Husky 346XP
Husky 357XP

These five saws I can use all day long without the vibes making my carpal tunnel act up and my hands turn to boards. My Echo 306 is a fun little saw to trim with, but it vibrates badly. After only about 15 minutes of use, my hands are buzzing and I'm ready to put it down. The similar-sized RedMax 3200 is basically vibration-free, at least in an amount you'd notice. Cuts real good for a tiny 32cc saw, too. There really is nothing like using the best tool for the job, turns work into pleasure.

 

[Battenkiller]

260, 361 and 036 all put me in net numbers. 2 out of the 3 I bought new aswell. Dont know if the ebay market is still that strong.

SJ I tried to buy that 361 off you when you had it on E-bay, but I was stunned to see how quickly it went over what I was willing to pay for it. It was a pretty clean saw, though, IIRC. What'd you get for that saw anyway?

 

[smokinj]

260, 361 and 036 all put me in net numbers. 2 out of the 3 I bought new aswell. Dont know if the ebay market is still that strong.

SJ I tried to buy that 361 off you when you had it on E-bay, but I was stunned to see how quickly it went over what I was willing to pay for it. It was a pretty clean saw, though, IIRC. What'd you get for that saw anyway?

545.00 and bought it with tax new for 525.00 and used it for a year. Nice saw just enough guys around me all have them. (for a couple years I was getting 15% off) My 880 I could only get 10%

 

[Countryboymo]

If you go to a saw shop that has some saws to hold even just when running will give a pretty good idea how much better the pro saw is balanced and the difference in vibration. It is not even comparable to riding/driving a base model pickup vs the higher trim option. Some of the base saws have much better engine components and the engines themselves are better balanced and built.