thejdman04
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I would try to save around 400 if you can, buy a 455 rancher, for what your use is a 455 should serve you well.
Chainsaw Recomendation
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jburlingham
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Rented saws, are like rented cars, or rented women- Abused
woodbooga
cords of mystic memory
hahaha. Saw pimp.
CentaurG2
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Actually, HD takes very good care of their chainsaws. I believe they send them into the field with a fresh chain, bar oil and fuel. When they return, they are cleaned, a fresh chain is put on and the saw is stored dry until rented again. If you buy a rental, HD can tell you how many times it was rented out. The Makita 6401 is built like a tank. I purchased a rental from HD and it is still going strong and I abuse the snot of the thing. It is the goto saw for roots, asphalt roofs, demolition, railroad ties and telephone poles. It is also the only chainsaw I will loan out. Great tool for and I paid $225 for it. I would buy another one without any reservations.
The current crop of Craftsman, McCulloch, Poulan, Homelite, and the other stuff sold at big box retailers is a great way to throw your money away. Seriously. Sure, occasionally one gets put together right and ends up in the hands of someone capable of taking care of it exactly the way it wants to be taken care of, and then the saw lasts for years. But that's the exception and not the rule.
Find a good used saw and you'll be way ahead. Aim for something in the 50-60cc range with a 16" bar for the sort of use you describe, and you'll be more than adequately equipped for firewood duty!
PS-the HD Rental saws are a crapshoot. Most are A-OK, some are FUBAR. The clerks there have no clue which category a particular saw will fall in, and neither will you until you buy it, take it home, and take it apart. I think that the odds are in your favor, based upon the saws I've bought and sold/given to friends that had been HD rentals in the past, but be realistic about the risks when you buy an ex-rental saw...
Dan_IN_MN
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Would HD let you run a compression test?
Would HD let you run a compression test?
Would HD let you run a compression test?
jburlingham
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I wasn't so much thinking about how HD treats them, It's the fact that you don't know what the customers do when they walk out the door. Poor quality gas/oil, straight gas, etc.
From what I have seen people treat rented stuff poorly, and I would be afraid of who may have rented it and what they did.
atvdave
ArboristSite Operative
I've had my Craftsman saw for over 15 years and have never had any problems with it. BUT.... I only used it for yard work around the house.
Now that I have a wood burner that little old craftsman was just too much work on me. It's still a good saw but just not enough power for the larger stuff.
Just last month I purchased a Dolmar 5100 saw... This thing kicks but.. The only problem is that theses saw's run on the lean side and therefore are subject to piston failure. If you have the know-how to work on saw's then the 5100 is a very good saw for around $400. If your no good working on saw's then take a look at the Dolmar 510 saw for around $350, just a little less power than the 5100.
I know there more than the $200 you said, but your not going to get much for 200 unless you buy used and work on it.
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blh1960
ArboristSite Member
My vote is a Husky 51, or 55. With a 16 inch bar and muffler mod it will sing. Lots of parts and simple to work on. Can be had for under $200 running, or half if not.
Geno44
ArboristSite Lurker
John Deere /Efco's at about 50 % off
Search Craigslist Lansing. A new 3.1 HP 16-18inch $165 delivered UPS. How can you beat that? List $320-$350
Search Craigslist Lansing. A new 3.1 HP 16-18inch $165 delivered UPS. How can you beat that? List $320-$350
Sledge
ArboristSite Lurker
I hate to follow the popular people but eBay sells a lot of saws, a whole lot of saws. This week I got a great Husky 55 for 175.99. Great Stihls sell there too but it's like everybody knows the 026 & 028 are exceptional saws and imo they generally sell high. Just pick a seller with a high feedback rating and you should do fine.
willsaw4beer
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E bay is not a good place to get a bargain on a saw. Possible, yes, but not common. Stick to cl and or yard sales. That 162 se would be a good saw, it was the original chassis for Husky 61, 66, 268, etc. so tons of parts are around for repair or upgrade. A Husky 55 is a decent saw but you would greatly appreciate a bigger saw if you're cutting 10'' or greater hardwood all day. Or an older Stihl 026, 034, etc also although they're harder to find for cheap. You get what you pay for when buying a saw new, and any new saw $200 or under is not worth buying.
mattmc2003
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I would look for a 55 or 51. Great saws. I cut a lot of 20" stuff with mine, and it isn't the fastest, but it has no problems.
Agreed.
Cheap chainsaws are also treated like cheap women. Most of the time they are beat up by stupid men who don't give a hoot about them and they don't last long.
spike60
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This is kind of what I was thinking, even if only in the short term until you can save enough cash to get a saw that can handle the type of cutting you plan to do. Mac 10-10's and Homelite XL12's can be found everywhere and very cheap. Good runners can be found for $25 to $50. They have plenty of grunt and were built well enough to take a pounding on the woodpile. They will pull a 20" bar in the size wood you had mentioned.
I agree with the prevailing opinion that there is nothing new in the $200 range that is likely to hold up for more than a year or two cutting 10" to 18" wood. So, you will have spent $200 and be back in the market for a saw in year or two. There are always exceptions, so there will be examples of guys who have gotten more than a few years of service out of a small saw, but the odds are against you. I also think that finding a decent sized used saw such as a 268 Husky or 038 Stihl that isn't getting tired will likely take more than $200, but there are good deals to find if your lucky.
This goes for anything you buy used, at least I know these saws get serviced regularly. We rent them every once in a while at work and treat them as our own, they are always in great condition.
The older the saw the more service work that you will need to know how to do yourself. If you dont mind learning, the old Macs and Homelites are good choices but neither are manufactured any longer and parts are sometimes difficult to find. If you choose to go this route, buy a good chainsaw repair book and look for two of the same model so that you can swap parts back and forth.
The other thing that hasnt been mentioned is Dealer Support. If you buy a saw locally and have a problem, chances are good that you will be able to acquire the needed repair service without alot of hassle. Stihl, Echo and Husqvarna are all good choices. In fact, it looks like Echo is giving home users like yourself a five year warranty on their saws.
Maybe take a Saturday ride and see what you can find. If nothing else you can kick a few tires and find out what's available.
Best wishes,
Bob
PS. One thing I forgot to mention was that the John Deere Dealers are currently switching over from Efco to Stihl for their small engine powered equipment. Im sure there are some deals to be had on the remaining inventory.
The other thing that hasnt been mentioned is Dealer Support. If you buy a saw locally and have a problem, chances are good that you will be able to acquire the needed repair service without alot of hassle. Stihl, Echo and Husqvarna are all good choices. In fact, it looks like Echo is giving home users like yourself a five year warranty on their saws.
Maybe take a Saturday ride and see what you can find. If nothing else you can kick a few tires and find out what's available.
Best wishes,
Bob
PS. One thing I forgot to mention was that the John Deere Dealers are currently switching over from Efco to Stihl for their small engine powered equipment. Im sure there are some deals to be had on the remaining inventory.
Steve NW WI
Unwanted Riff Raff.
Are these gonna be green and yellar Stihls or will more JD dealers just be taking on the Stihl line? One of the two JD dealers here has been a stihl dealer for some time, the other not.
Just curious, I'm a red guy if it's got wheels on it, got two Stihls but sure not gonna buy a green one just to keep up with the Joneses!
excess650
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Many of the inexpensive Craftsman saws are or were made by Poulan, and were clamshell design. The problem is that they have chrome plated pistons, and the rings ride on bare aluminum cylinder bores. It doesn't take long for the rings to eat the cylinder, and the saw is junk.
Some of the small Husqvarnas are at least assembled by Poulan. I really don't know if the bores in those are plated or not, but we're still talking about 36cc-42cc saws, and they're really not intended for stuff bigger than 10-12" regardless of how long bar they're equipped with. The newer versions of these saws(Poulan too) have catalytic mufflers, and they get really HOT.
danrclem
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If you could find a used Husqvarna 359 in your price range it would be a good saw for your use. It's built like a pro saw and doesn't run too bad.
