Stihl vs. Husky - need a recommendation

I'm searching for a new chain saw. I'll be using it to cut down various things: Oaks, large Pines, whatever else I come across. The trees will be about 18" - 28" in diameter. Since I don't have another smaller saw to do the light duty work, I'm looking for something in the middle.

I'm hoping to not spend more than $200. In the past, I've had very good results with both Huskys and Stihls. So, I'm not necessary brand loyal. But, what is important to me is something that is reliable, provide years and years of service, and something that will do the big stuff, but also be light weight enough to do the smaller work.

What do you guys recommend? I'm not scared of going used either.

Used, at that price point....:taped:

$200? Not gonna find anything new for that. You might wanna save the $$$ and go with a 361. It will pull 25" skip good but that is the longest I would go. 441 or 460 looks the best.....32" no problem.

OK...well, I can go a more. I'd rather spend more now for quality then have to spend a bunch of time trying to make the dang thing run right or do what I want it to do. I'm thinking of this as a long-term investment.

You quickly find that decent sized quality saws ain't cheap. A 361 would suite you fine. What logs it won't reach all the way through you can finish from the other side. I bought my 361 in LN condition for $400.

A nice used 260 is likely to cost you $300. You might pick up a used MS 270 for $250 if you're lucky. You're probably lookin at a MS250 for that money. I only know Stihls so someone else can pitch in on the other brands.

Sounds like my budget is expanding! I don't mind though if I'm getting quality. Heck, it doesn't sound like there's much of a price difference between used and new. For the money, I might as well go new.

Invest Now - or - Pay Later

vital49 said:

I'm searching for a new chain saw. I'll be using it to cut down various things: Oaks, large Pines, whatever else I come across. The trees will be about 18" - 28" in diameter. Since I don't have another smaller saw to do the light duty work, I'm looking for something in the middle.

I'm hoping to not spend more than $200. In the past, I've had very good results with both Huskys and Stihls. So, I'm not necessary brand loyal. But, what is important to me is something that is reliable, provide years and years of service, and something that will do the big stuff, but also be light weight enough to do the smaller work.

What do you guys recommend? I'm not scared of going used either.

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I'm not aware of a new saw that you can buy for $200 and expect years and years of service. If your need is longevity, and the ability to handle the types of jobs that you've described; then make the commitment to spend more by investing in a quality saw. Or, you will find yourself making this purchase again and again at great inconvenience to yourself.

I'd recommend the MS 361 in your application with a 20" and 25" B&C combination (cut from both sides with the 25" = 28" DBH wood no problem). The saw will cost you roughly three times what you currently want to pay, however, in the long run it is certainly the wiser choice! There's plenty of information posted on this forum about the 361...more than enough to give you a strong academic understanding of the saw. Read-up and go buy one when it's feasible.

Best Regards,
OLY-JIM

Thanks for all the info, guys. I greatly appreciate it.

What do you guys think of this saw?

http://detroit.craigslist.org/tls/508424925.html

That's a big heavy saw, like 20lbs. Lots of torque though.

Let's see...18"-28" oaks and pines, robust, long living, $200...new

Sounds like an Echo line around the cs4000....

No, it is not a Stilh or Husky, but Echo makes one heck of a good homeowners saw witha 5 year warranty.

Yes, there saws have a little less power than the Stilh or Husky in the same size class, but again, this is homeowner class with 5 year warranty and a strong reputation for durable, long lasting saws. Echo makes the only chain saw that I could keep running regardless of what happened to it.
My old Echo CS4400 took down 30" breast high diameter swap water oaks and southern pine easily with an 18 or 20" bar. Just had to hit it from both sides.

If the $ increases to $600, then a Husky 372xp would be a great choice (and more fun to boot....)
Rich S.

That saw will definitely do some cutting, although, I'm not sure that you would want to yield it around for the light stuff; as you stated was a requirement of yours. Definitely some grunt though.

Narwhale said:

Let's see...18"-28" oaks and pines, robust, long living, $200...new

Sounds like an Echo line around the cs4000....

No, it is not a Stilh or Husky, but Echo makes one heck of a good homeowners saw witha 5 year warranty.

Yes, there saws have a little less power than the Stilh or Husky in the same size class, but again, this is homeowner class with 5 year warranty and a strong reputation for durable, long lasting saws. Echo makes the only chain saw that I could keep running regardless of what happened to it.
My old Echo CS4400 took down 30" breast high diameter swap water oaks and southern pine easily with an 18 or 20" bar. Just had to hit it from both sides.

If the $ increases to $600, then a Husky 372xp would be a great choice (and more fun to boot....)
Rich S.

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If you decide to go with a new Echo...I wouldn't go less than the CS-520 with 20" B&C. Shop around and you can get them in the mid-$300 range. If I were only buying one saw...I'd STIHL recommend the MS 361. However, depending on how entrenched you are in your budget, Echo may be the wise choice for you.

The 056 is an awesome old saw with gobs of torque. It's not all that slow either. But it is heavy for sure. IMHO it's way to heavy for your lighter work. The most saw for the money out there is Dolmar 7900. More power than a 460, lighter and cheaper too. This is assuming you're not going to port it. The 372's better for that. Check out the 75cc 372 at Baileys.

vital49 said:

Heck, it doesn't sound like there's much of a price difference between used and new. For the money, I might as well go new.

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That was the conclusion I came to.

Hmm.... Never considered an Echo. Sounds like they might have a decent reputation around here too.

Are they still owned/manufactured by John Deere? I remember, back in the day, that they were a subsidiary or something of JD.

vital49 said:

Hmm.... Never considered an Echo. Sounds like they might have a decent reputation around here too.

Are they still owned/manufactured by John Deere? I remember, back in the day, that they were a subsidiary or something of JD.

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No...never were...they've always been owned by Kiortz. They're reliable and last...just not as fast and sometimes a little heavier.

The Dolmar 6400 and Echo 520 seem like they'd fit the bill quite well. Not sure on pricing since I can't find any prices on line. The Echo is 3 lbs. lighter (including the bar...net weight on the Dolmar doesn't include the bar) and carries a 5 year warranty. I don't see any warranty info on the Dolmar.

Kinda funny that I was originally targetting a Husky or Stihl and I'm now interested in two other completely different brands. lol

vital49 said:

The Dolmar 6400 and Echo 520 seem like they'd fit the bill quite well. Not sure on pricing since I can't find any prices on line. The Echo is 3 lbs. lighter (including the bar...net weight on the Dolmar doesn't include the bar) and carries a 5 year warranty. I don't see any warranty info on the Dolmar.

Kinda funny that I was originally targetting a Husky or Stihl and I'm now interested in two other completely different brands. lol

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That's kinda' how it works around here. Now post again about what people thinks about you getting an Echo or an Dolmar, and see the recommendations for Stihl and Husky coming in...

The good thing about the 6400 is that is fairly easy and not all too expensive to upgrade it to a 7900 after wards. The bad thing is that until you do you're still carrying the weight of the 7900 but with the power of the 6400 only. Still considered to be a good saw though.

Hasn't anybody suggested buying a used ex-rental Makita 6401 from, what is it Home Depot? Same saw as the Dolmar and usually not to much above the $200 you had.

vital49 said:

OK...well, I can go a more. I'd rather spend more now for quality then have to spend a bunch of time trying to make the dang thing run right or do what I want it to do. I'm thinking of this as a long-term investment.

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Then use a lot more $, and get a new MS361....