computeruser said:
All the 290 bashing is really getting tedious. Not a week goes by without someone making this kind of a suggestion - boat anchor, wheel chock, all sorts of uses are suggested for a 290. Yet, with equal frequency, people sing the praises of the 250 as an acceptable firewood saw for a guy who is starting a firewood business, or sing the praises of the 170 and 180 as homeowner saws. None of these saws are "performance" saws any more than the 290 is, yet that doesn't stop anyone from suggesting these saws when they are a proper match for someone's needs.
Have I ever suggested that the 250 is a good starter saw for someone starting a firewood business? Have I ever suggested that the ms170 or 180 were good homeowner saws for anything more than pruning an ornamental? Let me offer a resounding
NO! to both questions.
The 290 is a boat anchor whether you admit it or not. It is built and marketed strictly on price primarily to those who won`t do any research beyond reading Stihl literature. I only like the 250 better because #1, it must be built better because they last longer from what I`ve seen and #2, they atleast have a reasonable weight for their performance. The 250 is still only appropriate for the guy cutting 5 or 10 cord a year and it`s hardly any slower than the 290 even in the bigger stuff, but it`s a free country, buy one if you`d like, just don`t come on here looking for the magic fix to make it a decently powerful saw.
In case you didn`t get it from my post, what makes the 250 a better saw than the 290 is that it`s cheaper, weighs less, lasts longer, and it`s nearly as "real world" powerful as the 290 judging by cut speed.
TroutBrookFarms said:
Thanks for the serious suggestions.
My suggestions are serious, just as were the others who suggested that you use the search function.
My statement regarding the "parrot filters" is almost unequivocally true, are you saying that it isn`t? If you spend some time here you`ll quickly see that there are many posters who simply take info from the posts of others then make themselves out to be experts, or atleast experienced, in subsequent posts. The problem is that info is garbled or lost in translation. Have it your way though. Generate three pages of responses to this worn out topic and then try to sort the wheat from the chaffe.
TroutBrookFarms said:
And jokers,.......If this saw doesn't work out I'll send it to you to sink into one of your lakes. But I'm sure it'll be fine, though. I won't be taking my tiny, whimpy little saw to any hot saw competitions.
There is nothing tiny about your 290 except the performance.
You`ve got two saws and you covered both ends of the spectrum from the biggest dog to one of the finest saws ever made. If you had bought the 290 first I could understand but I don`t understand having a 372 and then buying a 290 unless you want to punish someone who cuts wood with you.
There is a reason that most Stihl dealers won`t let you demo homeowner saws like the 290. The secret would be out before the sale!
Russ
