new guy with saw fever, what to buy?

Shop deals on ebay
Advertise with us
Wesspur
Arborist Forum

Help Support Arborist Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
7sleeper said:
Personally I see the BEST BUY out there in the 40cc class the Dolmar 421. Pro built for around 300$ you get a really good brand new saw easily up to the task you have at hand! Tree's up to 20inch should not be any problem. Max bar length shound not exceed 16 inch.

in the 50cc class the poulan pro 5020. For around 200$ you get a really solid brand new saw easily up to the task you have at hand!
Tree's up to 24inch should not be any problem. Max bar length shound not exceed 20inch.

in the 60cc class the Echo 590. For around 400$ you get a really good brand new saw easily up to the task and any future tasks you have at hand! Tree's up to 30inch should not be any problem. Max bar length shound not exceed 24inch.

For your need's I would NOT get a larger saw! Learn how to sharpen your chain and have your carb tuned correctly.

And as other's have already mentioned, I also see the 40 & 60cc combo as ideal for the homeowner/firewooder type guy.

7
Click to expand...
My 1st saw was a Poulan 5020AV...a stout, reliable, and affordable 1st saw...make sure to keep up with your receipt because Lowes' with give you a 100% refund if you have any issues!
 
I run a tree service and have for 20+ years. I will admit I'm a husky fan. Mainly due to ergonomics and cost. I'm not even sure how many saws I have. I do run both Stihl and husky though. I only buy what my local dealer sells/service warranty etc. I really like the 555 husky with 24 in. Bar. It's the best all around. And really like the longer bar so I don't need to bend over as far. Buy one good saw and enjoy wood cutting!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I537 using Tapatalk
 
tfrugal said:
looking in the tradin post.
http://www.arboristsite.com/community/threads/makita-dcs460.293599/
justin bankes is the seller

what do you think of justin bankes and that makita?
Click to expand...
Sorry can't comment on the seller,but the saw is actually quite a nice one. The dolmar ps460 = makita 460 is the smaller brother to the ps500. It is a little older design and can be considered dolmars "farmer line", because it uses a aluminum case and not magnesium like the pro lines.
Would I buy it in your situation? Yes! It fullfills all your requirements and can completely suffice as your only saw! I donot see the need, as others here have mentioned that you should buy a 60 cc saw!

7
 
Circling back to the OP's thoughts about the MS250/MS290 combination...about fifteen years ago, I got into cutting down orange and avocado orchards. Since there was only a Stihl dealer in town...and he's a friend of mine... and since my opinion at the time was that Stihl and Husqvarna were probably the best saws on the local market...my mind hasn't changed, the other ones folks like aren't really available around here...I went with the MS250. 16" bar as my go-to saw. I bought several...one used, three or four new, and at the time, I had some partners in the business. Those 250s, including the used one, NEVER gave us a lick of problems! Still haven't, although we moved on from the business and I still use that saw fairly regularly, but not as much as before.

To round out the combo, I got a MS290 with a 20" bar. I'm thinking the percentage of use was 80% MS250, 20% MS290. Again, NEVER a problem...until a month ago...when my son-in-law, know-it-all, entitled Millennial that he is, burned it up...probably ran it out of chain oil, kept goin', or just simply didn't let it rest a little, who knows? It's back up and running now, with the MS390 engine from Bailey's in it...

But for pretty heavy use, this has been a good combination. I think I'd step up to the MS391 for the extra power over the 291, staying in the intermediate level of what I reckon they call 'farm/ranch' use. I've never felt that the 'pro' level was where I needed to be, and I was cutting pretty heavy back in the day.
 
I was in a similar position to the OP when I started my research several months ago. I've owned a Stihl 025 for about 20 years, and was very happy with its performance, even though I had a regular need for a larger saw to cut firewood up to 32". I thought I'd stick with Stihl, and go for a pro model. But the praise for and price of the Echo CS-590 won me over--always tempted to go for the best price/performance ratio. I'm extremely happy with my choice. I've got about a dozen tanks through it, and the power and ease of operation are great.

No doubt there a better 60cc saws out there, but from what I read you need to spend a whole lot more money to get relatively minor gains in performance. Would I like to have a 562xp? Yes, I would. But I'm not the slightest bit disappointed when I attack logs with the Timberwolf, and given the build quality, I expect it to last as long as I can handle a medium sized saw.
 
If you're gonna go with 45cc and 60cc saws I don't see a reason not to get that makita. Especially if 20" wood is about the biggest you attack on a regular basis.
 
If only 30% of your cutting is going to be large logs I would go smaller and not larger . And cheaper!! For the last couple years I have been finding myself grabbing my Ryobi 40cc as much as my 346 Husky. That's a $99 saw that I bought as a refurb off a tool truck 10 years ago. Its cut lots of wood with an 18 inch bar that it totally was not made to do.

I know most of you guys don't think this way but I would like to see a comparison of how much firewood could be put up with various saws with a half gallon of mix. I'm thinking that Ryobi and my 2238 Jonsered would be real competitors in that comparo.
 
I would like at 3 factors, new vs used, your budget, and local dealers. If you go with new, I HIGHLY suggest going with someone local or reasonably local. When you need to run and get parts or warranty service they will like seeing a local face and in the long run you will get better help and service. Second, pick a budget. You can get a bit more for your $ my buying a good to great condition used saw. Buying used might bump you into the 60cc class from the 50cc class. If the budget affords a new or used saw then try them out. Good dealers have ways to try them. You can even rent a Makita (Dolmar) from Home Depot to try it. If you stay with a good brand that has good dealer support you will do well with anything. Stihl, Husqvarna, Echo, Dolmar
 
tfrugal,
I was in need of a saw earlier this year and started off by getting an MS180 and shortly after that ended up picking up a Makita DCS5121 (which is the same as the Dolmar 510) after days of researching and reading here on arboristsite and other sites. I then started to contract the disease and picked up a Dolmar 421 because I found a brand new one on clearance that I couldn't pass on. Before getting the 421 I was very satisfied with the MS180 and the Makita 5121 for their intended purpose. The Ms180 was light weight and great for small stuff and trail clearing, The Makita 5121 was a good all around saw for the medium stuff, it was super smooth and very easy starting. After a couple cuts with the new 421 I decided to sell the both the MS180 and the DCS5121 because the 421 to me was so much better than both of them. It is lightweight and very fast cutting, faster than the Makita 5121 even though it is in the 40cc class. My dad was also very impressed with the Dolmar 421 and his go to saw is a Husqarna 346xp. With that said I then sold the Stihl and the Makita, but then of course got an itch for a bigger saw so I picked up a Dolmar 6100 to complete my 2 saw plan. I really like the 6100 and have ran a few tanks of gas through it, one of these days I am going to put it head to head with my dads 562xp and see how it does. For the price and quality I do not think you can beat the Dolmar line although the market is full of great saws which is a good thing for consumers. With that said the 421 is my go to saw unless the wood gets big, for the type of cutting you describe I bet the 421 would really surprise you and it is easy on the pocketbook. Just thought I would share my story with you. Good luck on your purchase.
 
update time.
we had some snow last week, and i run a salt route. between that and being scurred to pull the trigger on a used saw, some other person snagged that makita.
 
meanwhile i have ran across a pretty interesting chainsaw, husky 266se.
rebuilt carb, new fuel line 250 obo. close enough to actually go see and run.
any advice beyond looking at the piston, and running it in some wood?
 

Similar threads

P
In the market for a bigger saw
2 3
Replies
40
Views
2K
Pjohnson
P
F
hacks for starting saws--getting older!
Replies
9
Views
263
2StrokeFondler
2StrokeFondler
L
New 40cc saw guidance
2 3 4
Replies
65
Views
6K
chipper1
chipper1
H
What does the 311 compare to?
Replies
8
Views
328
Bob Hedgecutter
Bob Hedgecutter
P
New Saw
Replies
3
Views
130
cuttinstihl
cuttinstihl

Latest posts

Back
Top