WHAT CHAIN SAW TO BUY?

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G & S LANDSCAPING

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I an a landscaper and need to purchase a chainsaw. My question is what brand?. I will not be needing a top of the line saw , and also what bar size is good for a landscaper?
 
I think a 025 stihl would be good. It can come with either a 16" or 18" bar. That is all I think you would need. It is not a pro saw but I have owned one since 1985 and have used it a bunch. It still works great. My two cents.
 
Bob is right, the 029 is a good saw. You have to consider its very heavy compared to other saws. If you are gonna use it for a long period of time. It is going to wear you out. It's kind of like a trimmer, the heavier they are the more tired you get.
 
G&S I have two echo CS3000 with 14" bars for doing prunningand other light cutting work, these have performend very well, I also have a Stihl o36 with a 25" bar that i use for larger work. If this is your first saw go with the echo its cheap and seems to last a long time. If you have any more questions please feel free to email me
 
I have been told many times over the years, that if you buy a STIHL saw, buy one with the even number, i.e., 026, 036, 044, etc. These are the "pro" saws, and the uneven numbered saws, are "homeowner" quality, and not nearly the saw of the pro-line. Was also told to stay away from the 025/029 at any cost, as they are junk! JMHO!!
 
[9] The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.
[10] Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us.
[11] There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be any remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall come after.
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Almost all the landscape crews out here use MS180 or MS210, and they beat the living crap out of them, adn always want them fixed "over the counter" 'cos it's the only saw they have.

Most are just trimming small branches or cutting off small trees or bushes "under the dirt"...
 
Depending on what you anticipate cutting, a Stihl MS180 (for light trimming, the odd shrub) or MS250 (for larger stuff, small tree removals, light to moderate storm damage cleanup) would be good saws to start with. If you keep bars short (12" or 14" on a 180, 16" on a 250) and keep your chains sharp, you'll be pleased with their performance.

Similar models can be had from Echo, Dolmar, and Husqvarna. If I were you I would go with whatever brand is sold and serviced by the place where you get most of your other landscaping power equipment. No sense adding yet another store to have to visit for parts and repairs, right?
 
I have a Stihl 021 with a 16 inch bar (going to put a 14 inch bar on it soon) that works really good for limbing and light firewood cutting. I use it in conjunction with my 029. I use the 021 about 75% of the time though.

My 029 has a 20 inch bar and should probably have a 18 inch bar instead. I'm not going to get one though. I might sell it. The 029 or the newer MS290 do have some good things going for it. Price, it does have power, but not as much as it should for the weight. It's pretty heavy. But again for the price I can't complain.

One thing I'll say about both my Stihl's is they've been rock solid. I bought the 021 first in 1999 or 2000 I can't remember. I bought the 029 the year after. I cut and split about five face cords of firewood a year and have only replaced air filters a few time and sharpened the chains. That's it. Both still run the spark plugs they came with! A friend from work has a Husqvarna 350. He cuts and splits about ten face cords a year and has had the same luck with his saw.

I'm going to replace the 029 with either a Husqvarna 353 or a Jonsered 2152. I'll go with a 16 inch bar. I don't use a saw everyday, far from it, but when I do it's usually an all day long or all weekend long event. If I can get similar power in a saw that weighs two pounds less I'll take it!

For what you're going to do I'd look at a Stihl MS250, Husqvarna 350 or a Jonsered 2150. A lot of guys speak very highly of Dolmar saws. I don't know anything about them because we have no dealers in my area. They come and go. If you have a dealer in you area check them out too. Good luck!
 
NYH1 said:
....
For what you're going to do I'd look at a Stihl MS250, Husqvarna 350 or a Jonsered 2150. ......
I would take one of Sweedes over the Stihls in that class of saws any day, they are simply much nicer saws, with better anti-vibe, better air filter system, and a better feel to them.

:greenchainsaw: :angel:
 
precaud said:
In case you guys didn't notice, this was a thread from 2001... methinks the matter's been long closed...
:jawdrop: :hmm3grin2orange: :hmm3grin2orange: :hmm3grin2orange:

No, I didn't notice!
 
SawTroll said:
I would take one of Sweedes over the Stihls in that class of saws any day, they are simply much nicer saws, with better anti-vibe, better air filter system, and a better feel to them.

:greenchainsaw: :angel:
I agree! :cheers:
 
I an a landscaper and need to purchase a chainsaw. My question is what brand?. I will not be needing a top of the line saw , and also what bar size is good for a landscaper?
Husqvarna 365 with a 20 inch bar

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