new chainsaw choice

[jughead500]

Small,Light and Powerful?All of the saws Mentioned are great choices.Not tried any of the ones Mentioned but I'm going to throw in the Redmax GZ4000.I have the Craftsman Pro Version and it's really Impressing me with a Muffler Mod so far.:msp_thumbup: It's just a Little heavier than the Echo CS352 and 6cc Larger Displacement.

 

[7600]

Jonsered 2153

 

[Klayton]

weight and reliability

the jonsered 2153 is too much weight. i really want to stay about 10lbs or less and i want a reliable saw also(not a hot rod just a good reliable saw) i am starting to think a top handle might be the trick i am just worried because all you guys say the kick back is an issue. i have run chainsaws now for about 15 years... i have never run a top handle though my brother has and he said it was never an issue for him...... thoughts?

 

[AuerX]

go with the Efco 4000 from Bailey's for $170 and buy 2

Great Deal!

 

[tophandle]

i am starting to think a top handle might be the trick i am just worried because all you guys say the kick back is an issue.

I'm sure you will get answers from those more experienced than me, but I have used a couple ProMac 6 top handles for occasional use for the last 20 years or so and not had a problem. But I am always aware and cautious and don't operate daily so don't often get distracted when using. Even so, I have a tendency to stretch one handed beyond what seems prudent sometimes. Even being careful I sometimes feel I'm pushing the margin of safety. Biggest issue I have with those saws is difficulty with maintenance tasks like recoil ropes, points, oil pump, etc. I don't know if newer tophandles are easier to repair or not.

 

[Philip Wheelock]

Dolmar PS-421

i think i am sold.... that looks like a wood hungry saw. just by watching it cut i think it might out perform my dads new 271 stihl

Correction: 261

The Dolmar PS-421 displacement and power specs aren't in the same league as the MS261, but the powerhead's lighter by a bit less than a pound. If you're leaning towards the Dolmar, make sure the local dealer is equal to the Stihl and Husky dealers in terms of service. Around here, the better choices would be a Husky 445 or a Stihl 251.

 

[exSW]

On the 420/421.Bought one on april 11 since then I've run four plus gallon of gas through it,no issues.Cutting fence row everything from saplings to apx 18".Somewhere in the the area of 12-15 cord.Used it for felling ,branching and limbing,just a good solid little saw.People talk about the weight,the A/V and balance are so good you really DON'T NOTICE IT!

 

[Miner2MajorCuts]

Dolmar

I have a dolmar ps341 we use to do 90% of our climbing and bucket work. I love it perfect weight to pick n grab pieces. The only feature I'm not crazy about is the handle location it's like most saws. But i personally prefer a top handle saw just cause of picking n grabbing feels little safer.

 

[TreePointer]

Klayton, what is your goal? Firewood cutting, firewood business, maintaining fields on a farm, sending logs to the mill, cutting treetops from a timber harvest, orchard pruning? Other?

For me, 70cc+ saws are great but are too heavy for long sessions cutting treetops, so I want a capable all-purpose (limbing & bucking) saw that is light enough for me. That usually means my 50cc 346XP and sometimes a Stihl 361. Much lower than 50cc makes for longer times in the cuts, and that means more fatigue. I also shudder at the thought of having to do this with a top handle model, even apart from safety issues.

 

[Klayton]

bought one

ok i am not a professional just the occasional cutter but i have a lot of trees and have been cutting with a saw for a while. since the drought and all the trees dying i have cut about 200 off of my property with the 372 and i have a mill that i have used to make about 2 barns full of lumber. some of the trees that are left are to close to the house to drop so they are going to have to be toped out. i am not a climber but have had the desire and also the lack of funds to pay one. so I am going to learn the art of climbing and topping out trees...... i know that this is best left for the pros. i also know that wen i wanted to build a custom rifle and everyone said that i was not a gunsmith,..... i did it anyway. when people on boating forums told me that i could not replace the stringers in my boat..... i did it. i love to be self reliant and i was also raised in a way that a dollar saved is a dollar earned. that all being said i bought a echo 330t from the devil big box store in orange today. i almost bought the 435 from a local dealer but the 330t was half the cost. so i limbed out a huge sweetgum today and i can not sing the praises of this saw loud enough. to say it plainly i was so impressed with the power of this tiny saw. anyway so just saying thats what i did.... not trying to start fights or what not but if you need a top handle and you dont have 500 to put down on a pro grade saw so far (just one job i know) the 330 is a lot of power in a small package

 

[mountainlake]

Hey Troll, one more Echo owner that likes his saw. What did you think of the vid with a 330t Echo 33cc cutting real close to the hyped up 200t 36cc. Your posting about Echo saws having low hp is bs as there are quite a few vids on here where Echo saws cut right with the best of them. Congrats Klayton, keep it tuned right and it will run a long time. Steve

 

[holeycow]

that looks pretty awesome!!
do you think the cat actually weighs a pound?

do you think a pound or two really matters? My 420 feels almost like a fricken handsaw. How light do you need...really?

 

[Klayton]

how light do i need it?

im the type guy that a little air flow makes horsepower and ozs make pounds so....... maybe i have ocd

 

[Philip Wheelock]

...I am going to learn the art of climbing and topping out trees...... i know that this is best left for the pros...

Problem with learning this end of the business on your own is that by the time you recognize the danger, you're on your way down. My BIL came down the hard way out of tree doing this work awhile back and ended up in a body cast for months with a broken back.