Small saw advise

[houser52]

Hello all. I've read a lot on this forum for the last few years and it has provided me with lots of good info.

I'm not a professional logger but I have been using chainsaws on our farm for over 40 years. Mostly cutting firewood, fence posts, fence clearing, etc. My current saw is a Husky 61 that still runs like new and has served me well. It's always cranked , run every time I needed it and saws great.

The older I get the heavier the Husky gets so I'm going to get a small saw (30cc-35cc) to trim limbs and saplings with. I've narrowed it down to the Echo cs-310 and the Stihl ms170. I don't want or need anything bigger.

There a lots of reviews on those saws but most reviews are either 5+ years old or the saws have been modded and not truly stock. I will be buying one of those two saws from an authorized dealer and will remain stock as not to void the warranty.

With the two saws that I've mentioned, which one would you recommend and why?

Saw design and reliability change somewhat over time and I would like some current opinions.

Thanks

 

[lefturnfreek]

I hate to say this but, I would go the Echo cause of the silly and irritating flippy caps on the Stihl.

I have run Stilh for decades and that lil invention has soured me on an otherwise great saw and brand. If can tolerate the flippy's then I would go Stilh.

 

[lefturnfreek]

Annnnd....

Welcome to Arboristsite!!! The big show, we'll get you most anything if you can find your way through the some times deep BS ...

 

[Rockjock]

I hate to say this but, I would go the Echo cause of the silly and irritating flippy caps on the Stihl.

I have run Stilh for decades and that lil invention has soured me on an otherwise great saw and brand. If can tolerate the flippy's then I would go Stilh.

Ummm MS 170 is screw on caps. It is one of the best selling saws we have.

 

[lefturnfreek]

No kidding....I thought even those has gone to flippy's. Get the Stilh then!!!

I'll sit corrected ......

 

[houser52]

Thanks for the replies.

Ummm MS 170 is screw on caps. It is one of the best selling saws we have.

The dealer I talked to sells Stihl, Husky and Echo and he also said the 170 sells the best in the small saws.

 

[Rockjock]

No kidding....I thought even those has gone to flippy's. Get the Stilh then!!!

I'll sit corrected ......

The MS 171 has the flippies. I have not heard any complaints when I sell a saw with them.

 

[BenK]

I've ran my brother in laws 170 and it really is a solid saw. If the price is right and you have some good dealer support pull the trigger.
I almost bought one the other day because of my (albeit brief) experiences with it, and then I remembered I could just borrow my brother in laws

 

[houser52]

I stopped by another dealer this evening on the way home from work. It's an ACE Hardware and all they sell are Stilh equipment. I handled a 170 a little but kinda hard to get a good feel of it with it having a cable the size of a broom handle run though it but it looked good. The HHM came over to help me but I could see that chainsaws wasn't his area of expertise. I also went and spoke with a service tech about the 170 and got the usual response, " yeah we sell a bunch of them and they don't give any trouble."

Tomorrow my plan is to visit the Echo dealer in a nearby town and check out the 310 for comparison.

 

[altair]

I had a CS310 and found it to be really cheap feeling, and had a weak feeling to it, like it was more of a toy than anything else. Removed the catalytic converter and it ran nicer after a tune. Couldn't wait to get rid of it, felt like it was going to snap in half at any minute... but in "my" opinion the small Stihl will be better in every way. Personally, if I was given a CS310 free it would be going straight in the for sale ads. The Shindaiwa 352 is a pro quality, and strong wee saw, maybe a bit more expensive though? I'm in New Zealand so dont know your prices.

 

[fordf150]

If you have a dolly dealer near you check out the PS-32 IMHO it is a much better saw than either the 170 or 310 for essentially the same price. I dont like the 310 echo because of the cheap feeling it gives and have had a few rear handles snap when guys get rough with them, 170 is far from my favorite small saw but if your only choice is stihl or echo....go stihl on this one.

 

[houser52]

Well, as I said yesterday, I went by the Echo dealer about noon today and looked at the Echo saws. I also talked with the service tech. Come to find out I used to do business with him and his family's hardware store over 40 years ago. My dad and I had bought a couple Homelite saws from them, chains and other things to use around the farm. Just an old time hardware store that sold everything.

I believed him when he said that they were good saws but I just didn't like the feel of it for some reason. As the earlier post mentioned, it just felt cheaper than the Stihl that I had looked at yesterday. I got an Echo brochure and started home.

On the way home I got to thinking about that little 170 that I had looked at yesterday and before I knew it I was back at the ACE Hardware where I had been yesterday. This time the HH chainsaw guy was there. He disconnected the cable that was run through the handle and I gave it a thorough going over. It felt good in my hand and also very light. I asked if he would swap the 16" bar and chain for a 14" and he said sure and I'll knock off $10. I told him, I'll take it, a file to fit the smaller chain and a 6 pack of oil.

After a little more running around I got home and tried it out. I used it to cut low hanging limbs so I can mow under them with the tractor, sweet gum saplings, wild cherries, cedars and other bushes that had been growing on the edge of my planted pines. Some of the bigger stuff was 4"-6" and it went through those like butter. I ran it for over an hour and had just a little fuel left in the tank. The only thing I had to do to it was increase the idle speed a little since it would shut off if it sat it down and left it idling for a few minutes.

Overall, I really like this little Stihl. Thanks for all the opinions.

 

[Toyboy]

The MS 170/017 are a great homeowner saw. I had an 017 for over 20 yr and only traded it because the dealers wife said "your saw and $50 for a new MS170".

 

[houser52]

The MS 170/017 are a great homeowner saw. I had an 017 for over 20 yr and only traded it because the dealers wife said "your saw and $50 for a new MS170".