# Chainsaw



## hamonrye (Mar 23, 2006)

I am in the market to purchase a new chainsaw. I was looking at a Troy bilt but everyone keeps saying Husky any suggestions. I have a ton of wood to be cut up and want a saw that will be around as long as the wood.


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## Monty (Mar 23, 2006)

I've been very pleased with my Stihl Farmboss


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## Dario (Mar 23, 2006)

What are you planning on doing?  What size are you planning to cut?  How much?

The best brands (IMHO) are: Stihl, Husqvarna, Dolmar, Jonsered, and Makita.  Price greatly vary depending on the saw size.


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## BillATsetelDOTcom (Mar 23, 2006)

I have two stihls and they both are great.  To me, they are worth the extra cash...and so is putting high test fuel in them.


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## Randy (Mar 23, 2006)

Go with a Stihl and you can't go wrong.


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## Gary Max (Mar 23, 2006)

Buy a Stihl and do not loan it to anyone.
Both thoughts are good advice.


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## Russb (Mar 23, 2006)

Looks like your choice should be Stihl. I have two. One electric and one gas.


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## Dario (Mar 23, 2006)

One word of caution...Not all Stihl saws are being manufactured in Germany now.  While I am not sure if the quality will remain, I will be a bit leery.  I know all their bigger pro saws (i.e. 440, 660, 880) are still German made.

That said, I am a big fan of Stihl also [^]


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## DFM (Mar 23, 2006)

What size lathe do you have that requires a chainsaw as a skew?[)]


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## woodbutcher (Mar 23, 2006)

Buy the Stihl.
Jim


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## Rifleman1776 (Mar 24, 2006)

> _Originally posted by Dario_
> <br />One word of caution...Not all Stihl saws are being manufactured in Germany now.  While I am not sure if the quality will remain, I will be a bit leery.  I know all their bigger pro saws (i.e. 440, 660, 880) are still German made.
> 
> That said, I am a big fan of Stihl also [^]



A lot of Stihl products have been made in Japan for many years. However, I am a Stihl fan. They back up their products and require dealers to give good customer service. Most of the major chainsaw brands are good as long as you avoid the big box discount store models. What and how much you plan to use yours for will decide what you need, then your budget will tell you what you CAN buy. The Husqs are also good but grossly overpriced.


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## byounghusband (Mar 24, 2006)

> What size lathe do you have that requires a chainsaw as a skew?



That's FUNNY!!!!!!!!!


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## Dario (Mar 24, 2006)

There is a LADY who uses a chainsaw to core her blanks!!! [:0].  Don't have the link now but she also uses a forklift to to mount her blanks to her lathe [].


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## johnson (Mar 24, 2006)

Don't know where you live, but check out the local pawn shops. The one by me has 2 Stihl and 1 Husquavarna w/16" bars for around $130 each. Never pay them what they are asking, they price high to come down. I have a Stihl 16" and a Stihl weed wacker and love them.
Dale


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## Dario (Mar 24, 2006)

> _Originally posted by johnson_
> <br />Don't know where you live, but check out the local pawn shops. The one by me has 2 Stihl and 1 Husquavarna w/16" bars for around $130 each. Never pay them what they are asking, they price high to come down. I have a Stihl 16" and a Stihl weed wacker and love them.
> Dale



Dale,

You are lucky.  You are right that it really depends on where you live.  Chainsaws here found in pawnshops are beat to the ground already and I won't even touch them.  

Know too that some pawnshops price their items way too high.  You can sometimes buy a new one cheaper if you find it on sale!!!

I heard that some rental stores sometimes sell good saws...especially those who refresh their "fleet" on a regular basis.  Oddly, the bigger nicer ones are rented less (because they are intimidating) so try looking at those.


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## DWK5150 (Mar 24, 2006)

Personally I prefer Husquavarna.  I have one with a 18" bar and has never let me down.


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## Dario (Mar 24, 2006)

Don,

I also have a Husqvarna 55R...it is old but very reliable.  All the brands I named above are good...the main thing is proper care and maintenance.  Most people I know that makes a living with the chainsaw says that probably more important than the brand is a good service support.

In summary, their advice is: <b>Get a reputable saw brand that can be locally serviced by a good dealer.</b>

BTW, like penmaking there is also a Chainsaw forum that I frequent [][]


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## Ryan (Mar 24, 2006)

My FIL has 3 saws 2 Husq. and 1 Stihl. I use them all the time to gather firewood for the cabin. Of the 3 I always grab a Husq.

Ryan


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## terrymiller (Mar 24, 2006)

I would recomend the Stihl, good quality, good service and made in the USA right here in Virginia Beach about 4 miles from my house.


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## AirportFF (Mar 24, 2006)

You can't go wrong with a Stihl. But also note that if you intend to do any rip type cutting, you should have an extra chain for that purpose and have the proper "grind" on it. If you use a regular chain to rip cut, you'll be replacing it in short order.


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## woodmanplus (Mar 25, 2006)

I have been cutting wood for many years and just finished cutting two large Sugar Maple's. I used a number of saws when I lived in upstate NY. I live in MS. now and have a Husky. I would not trade it for thre of any other brand. The only thing with the Husky is that you HAVE to keep the chain charp and adjusted up. I have left it full of gas(w/staybil)for 6 months at a time and it has always started. The other trickis read the directions and start it exactly as it says.
  Good Luck and be careful. It cuts flesh as well as it does wood.(Not from experience.)From being in the fire rescue squad.


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## DocStram (Mar 25, 2006)

I've had my Poulan for about 25 years now. Still fires right up after one drank. Plus, it has seen tons of use ... at one time I was cutting 50 full cords of wood to heat my house.


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## Dario (Mar 25, 2006)

Al,

The Poulan of old times is not the same as the NEW generation [].

I bought one a couple of years ago for $185.00 (my first chainsaw) and lets just say it is one of my worst purchase.

A very expensive lesson to learn...I tried saving and it cost me a lot.  

It started my love affair with chainsaws though.  After that I bought a Husqvarna 55R then a Stihl 044 (a man's saw [] ) and a Husqvarna 288xp (a monster saw) but sadly I ended returning the 288xp.

My advise, get a NEW, descent, as much saw as you can....you won't regret it.  Find the best compromise between your budget and your intended use.

If I can do it all over again and can get only one saw, I'll probably get a Stihl MS440 or a Husqvarna 372xp.


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## dubdrvrkev (Mar 26, 2006)

Another place to look is at HD, but you want to go to the rental place. They refresh every year or two, and a lot of stuff is in pretty good condition. You might catch one at a decent price.


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## tone (Mar 27, 2006)

My Stihl is starting to get a bit tired after 32 years of dependable service and probably about 200 or 300 cord of wood. I'll be getting another Stihl soon.

Tony


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## hamonrye (Mar 28, 2006)

A friend of mine that's a manager at Lowes made me an excellent deal on a Husky 350. Bought it and broke it in on Saturday. Can you say hot knife through warm butter. WOW!! It's fantastic. And now I will never need to buy a skew again.


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## woodbutcher (Mar 28, 2006)

Member



USA
70 Posts

Member Since:
Feb 16 2006
 Posted - Mar 25 2006 :  9:14:23 PM US Eastern Time        
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I've had my Poulan for about 25 years now. Still fires right up after one drank. Plus, it has seen tons of use ... at one time I was cutting 50 full cords of wood to heat my house.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Al
Middle Georgia

"Ancora imparo ... I am still learning" 


 It takes me 10-12 dranks to get fired up........

Jim[][][]


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## JimQ (Mar 29, 2006)

Must be a heavy dranker with a lot of tollerance.[]

JimQ


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## OSCAR15 (Mar 31, 2006)

I vote for Shindaiwa...Excellent product, Japanese made..Costly, but you get what you pay for. OSCAR


http://www.shindaiwa.com/


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## Texas Taco (Apr 1, 2006)

I have had no problems with my 5 year old Poulan.  Granted it doesn't get a lot of use but it fits what I need one for.  I would like a Husky or Stihl but not until the green machine goes south.

Glad to hear you got a good deal on your Husky, want to trade?


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## fuzzydog (Apr 1, 2006)

Different strokes for different folks, after 14 years as a sawyer i say Jonsered.


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## RockyHa (Apr 2, 2006)

If I were new to chain sawa, the first thing I would do is visit the local repair shops and see what saws and brands they have parts for. When it comes to a saw to support wood turning, unless one is doing a lot of turning the saw isn't going to get worked very hard. Frankly if I were buying a saw today I would probably buy 2 cheap saws (one with a regular cross cut chain and the other with a rip chain)instead of one expensive name brands. In reality unless you are going to get the Pro model there isn't that much difference.
Rocky


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## jdavis (Apr 3, 2006)

just bought a husk to replace a mc cluua


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