New Farm....need a chainsaw

Arborist Forum

Help Support Arborist Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

chaded

ArboristSite Lurker
Joined
Sep 13, 2017
Messages
24
Reaction score
59
Location
Ohio
Hey guys, I am getting a new farm and I am hoping I can get some advice on chainsaws. There is 257 acres with most of it being wooded and contains lots of hardwoods with a mix of everything else (in Ohio). The house also uses an outdoor wood burning unit for heat. So I am wanting a saw that will handle whatever i may run into here and there are some pretty big mature trees on the property. My budget is 600-700 and I would like to keep it to Husqvarna and Stihl because of dealer support. Any help would be much appreciated!
 
Welcome to AS. I'm not sure how much a typical OWB user might burn in your neck of the woods, but I hear a lot of guys up here say 10-12 cords a year. $700 is a decent saw budget, hopefully you'll also be able to budget for some other equipment to help in the process.

Personally, I find my tractors indispensable, but you could use a skid steer instead, or an ATV and a trailer, or a 4wd pickup. Heck, a riding lawn mower can move some wood in a pinch. My tractors primarily do other jobs, but having them around for firewood makes my life much much easier. Even a $1000 8n is a major improvement over no tractor.

Also, a splitter will be a nice addition if and when you can afford it. OWBs can handle big chunks of wood, so splitting by hand isn't the worst thing in the world, but a splitter takes a lot less strength and stamina to run.

Back to saws, though. I'd strongly suggest pursuing two saws. One lightweight small saw, and a bigger saw. A big saw makes tackling big hardwood much more user friendly, and a small saw makes thinning and breaking down tops much less tiring. Also, a backup saw is a great thing to have should you pinch a bar or flood a saw. There's some incredible deals on saws to be had on this site. Look around in the trading post. I think there's a superb 461 for example, which would be a great starting place, with the plan to add a small saw down the line.

Lastly, save room in the budget for PPE. Get yourself some chaps and a helmet at the very least. Training is great too if you can find some in your area. Best $100 I ever spent was on a one day saw safety class.

Good luck shopping, and let us know what you end up with. Welcome aboard, and stay safe!
 
Check out your Dealers. That is where the rubber meets the road. A good saw is only as good as those you deal with. Be it salesman or repairman. I use STIHL myself. Lots of dealers, but I've narrowed them down.
 
70 or 77 cc w 20" and 25 or 28" bars and a 50cc. Give thought to how to carry on tractor skid steer or ATV

Sent from my SM-T377P using Tapatalk
 
Thanks for the replies and the welcome! Getting two saws is not a problem and I thought maybe that would get mentioned from my preliminary stalking of this forum before joining. I could probably up the budget slightly to obtain two saws but nothing crazy (like double or anything). Could you throw some models of small lightweight and bigger saws out there thay I should be looking at? I live in a rural area so there are just a couple Stihl and Husqvarna dealers around.
 
Thanks for the replies and the welcome! Getting two saws is not a problem and I thought maybe that would get mentioned from my preliminary stalking of this forum before joining. I could probably up the budget slightly to obtain two saws but nothing crazy (like double or anything). Could you throw some models of small lightweight and bigger saws out there thay I should be looking at? I live in a rural area so there are just a couple Stihl and Husqvarna dealers around.


Unless your dealers sell used stuff, you're not gonna get much bang from your buck trying to buy two saws for $1000. I suppose you could probably pick up a Stihl 250 or 251 and a 362 for that price, but I'd much rather have an 026/260 and a 440 or 460/461. Some Huskys to look at would be the 346/350/353 and 372. These saws are all widely available used, and personally I'd much rather buy a used saw from a member here with a good reputation than a used saw elsewhere or even a new saw.

For example, I currently own 10 saws. All but two came from here or the other saw forum. All run great, are high quality, professional grade saws, and all were purchased in good shape for much less than a new one would cost. If I had had a problem with any of them, I know that the great guys I bought them from would have done whatever they could to help me get it figured out.

If you wanted to go buy a solid two saw setup brand new from Stihl, you'd look at a 241 or 261 and a 461. Total for two of them is gonna be about $1500. Husky you'd shop a 545 or 550xp and a 372. Might sneak out for $1200-1300. If you insist on new, and draw the line below that for your budget, you're gonna have to make some compromises on quality.
 
Unless your dealers sell used stuff, you're not gonna get much bang from your buck trying to buy two saws for $1000. I suppose you could probably pick up a Stihl 250 or 251 and a 362 for that price, but I'd much rather have an 026/260 and a 440 or 460/461. Some Huskys to look at would be the 346/350/353 and 372. These saws are all widely available used, and personally I'd much rather buy a used saw from a member here with a good reputation than a used saw elsewhere or even a new saw.

For example, I currently own 10 saws. All but two came from here or the other saw forum. All run great, are high quality, professional grade saws, and all were purchased in good shape for much less than a new one would cost. If I had had a problem with any of them, I know that the great guys I bought them from would have done whatever they could to help me get it figured out.

If you wanted to go buy a solid two saw setup brand new from Stihl, you'd look at a 241 or 261 and a 461. Total for two of them is gonna be about $1500. Husky you'd shop a 545 or 550xp and a 372. Might sneak out for $1200-1300. If you insist on new, and draw the line below that for your budget, you're gonna have to make some compromises on quality.

Thanks for the information and I think I am going to take your advice and go with the Stihl 026/260 and 460/461 if I can find them used on here. Time is not on my side so worse case I will probably bite the bullet and buy new or Buy one new and one used depending on what comes up available in the classifieds.
 
No thats not far from me. Do you have a chainsaw id be interested in? :)

I'm not selling any of the current collection, but I have a buddy close by who always has a ton available.
 
Lots of farmers around here are ruff on their saws. They don't clean them, or sharpen the chains, and let them roll all over the bed of their trucks. They use the MS290's, and 180's.
I use the MS362 , and MS211. It's best to get a small saw with two 'Bar Nuts' instead of (1) so the saw techs won't have to replace the bar stud so often. Everyone likes to undercut, or upwards on logs when the get a chance, and a single barnut ain't made for that.IMG_0770_1.JPG IMG_4104 (3).JPG
 
Thanks for the information and I think I am going to take your advice and go with the Stihl 026/260 and 460/461 if I can find them used on here. Time is not on my side so worse case I will probably bite the bullet and buy new or Buy one new and one used depending on what comes up available in the classifieds.


Most excellent choice! :clap:
 
@MustangMike has a couple great options for a used larger saw. Perhaps he'll chime in. Otherwise, PM Greg, @BrokenSVT and have him text you the link to the ad on OP E. Sounds like you guys should get together anyways, given your proximity, and that Greg's 460 is primed to show some new guys what a good bigger saw is like. :)
 
Thanks for the information and I think I am going to take your advice and go with the Stihl 026/260 and 460/461 if I can find them used on here. Time is not on my side so worse case I will probably bite the bullet and buy new or Buy one new and one used depending on what comes up available in the classifieds.

I picked up my 461 here round XMas time a few years ago. Til then you can figure out what you like and need.
 
Back
Top