brain
ArboristSite Lurker
Spent the day and the evening reading the threads here, lots of great and relevant information.
Sadly, I can't find someone in my specific category, so I thought I would ask for things to consider as I travel to the dealers and online over the next few days.
Just purchased ~ 9acres of lovely SD land, complete with mature shelter belt.
And, by mature, I mean, it's been unkept for ~40 years. It's such a mess, it'll take months to clean it up. 12-24" trees fallen in the middle, some struggling to survive with wind damage, etc. Property was rental since 1979, which explains the state of the tree belt.
Enter new property owner. I'm not a total newb around a saw, but I do not yet own one. This job is not going to get done without one.
I'm not sure I ever seriously considered them, but I did troll the box stores for a saw. All of them look so flimsy, names I've never heard, etc.
I would not classify my tool usage as abusive, but I am hard on stuff. I tend to buy pro line stuff, because they hold up better for me. Money is always a consideration, but secondary. My main concerns are:
I don't want this to be a "which 50cc saw should I buy?", because I already found that FAQ: 5100 (5105), 260 Pro (261), 346XP
Still tracking down a Husky dealer around here, but there's a full line Stihl and Dolmar one in town. The 346 tipping over when idling bothers me a bit, because I'll no doubt be sitting it down a bunch for the next few months, though I hear it's lighter than the 260/261.
Since this is my first saw, and because I often do with investment purchases, a little voice is telling me I should buy an older used model.
My main concern is right-sizing the unit. I'd prefer to invest in one good saw, but I need something light enough to use in the air yet strong enough to buck.
Any general thoughts (or a link to the correct thread, I searched the site via Google and used the internal search, and did not find a thread as yet would be appreciated.
My apologies if I've imposed. I'd rather ask here than at the dealer(s).
Jim
Sadly, I can't find someone in my specific category, so I thought I would ask for things to consider as I travel to the dealers and online over the next few days.
Just purchased ~ 9acres of lovely SD land, complete with mature shelter belt.
And, by mature, I mean, it's been unkept for ~40 years. It's such a mess, it'll take months to clean it up. 12-24" trees fallen in the middle, some struggling to survive with wind damage, etc. Property was rental since 1979, which explains the state of the tree belt.
Enter new property owner. I'm not a total newb around a saw, but I do not yet own one. This job is not going to get done without one.
I'm not sure I ever seriously considered them, but I did troll the box stores for a saw. All of them look so flimsy, names I've never heard, etc.
I would not classify my tool usage as abusive, but I am hard on stuff. I tend to buy pro line stuff, because they hold up better for me. Money is always a consideration, but secondary. My main concerns are:
- Size: Initially, I need something to handle this huge workload. But, afterwards, it'll just be typical homeowner use.
- Weight: I need to limb quite a bit initially, and would prefer a lighter unit. But, I don't want to go so light that I am skimping on quality.
- Forgiving nature. My other pro tools tend to forgive my missteps a bit. My main concern is my lack of ownership. I know I will forget something with this unit, given my lack of previous ownership. A unit that is a bit forgiving (within reason) would be a plus.
- Easy to start and run. The bulk of my saw experience has been years ago with my father's "saved from the junk heap" saws. They ran, and they did the job, but they were near impossible to start (he was/is a mechanic, so I don't think it was due to bad setup.) Regardless, I have no desire to pull all morning with various choke settings just to start the work.
- Repairable: I tend to run stuff that has lots of spare parts online. Since I'm hard on stuff, it breaks, and I accept that. Easier to repair units get higher marks from me.
- 1 versus 2: Maybe it's impossible to find an all around performer, and I should consider two saws for the different uses.
- Safety: Obviously, a chain saw is an aggressive tool, and caution is the order of the day, but additional safety features are f interest to me. Or, just normal features applied with safety in mind (balance, civil throttle, etc.)
I don't want this to be a "which 50cc saw should I buy?", because I already found that FAQ: 5100 (5105), 260 Pro (261), 346XP
Still tracking down a Husky dealer around here, but there's a full line Stihl and Dolmar one in town. The 346 tipping over when idling bothers me a bit, because I'll no doubt be sitting it down a bunch for the next few months, though I hear it's lighter than the 260/261.
Since this is my first saw, and because I often do with investment purchases, a little voice is telling me I should buy an older used model.
My main concern is right-sizing the unit. I'd prefer to invest in one good saw, but I need something light enough to use in the air yet strong enough to buck.
Any general thoughts (or a link to the correct thread, I searched the site via Google and used the internal search, and did not find a thread as yet would be appreciated.
My apologies if I've imposed. I'd rather ask here than at the dealer(s).
Jim