A good saw choice

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aandabooks

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Hello All,

I posted this question quite a while ago over the chainsaw forum. I figured I'll post it here because there seems to be a slight difference in the type of people that populate this forum. Here is the question:

If you had $400 to spend on a good firewood saw, which one saw would you chose?

When I posted this over on the chainsaw forum, all of my original choices that fit the most power for the money seemed to be power-to-weight problems. And I got alot of suggestions for saws that simply didn't fit the budget. (Stihl MS361) Here's the deal, nearest Dolmar dealer is 45 miles and Husky dealer is 33 miles away. Within that range I can easily hit 7-8 Stihl dealers. One of which I know from recommedation has excellent service technicians. Alot of you seem to be practical about using the saw as a tool to cut wood more than a collector piece or something to lineup and take pictures of. So I am seeking your opinions.

Thanks,
Matt
 
So you'd take a Husky 350 over a Stihl 310? 10 more cc's and I'd be maxing out the budget. Anything I buy will run a 18" bar mostly but a larger option would be nice for the occasional larger than 30" tree.

I should probably mention that I don't carry a saw more than 10 feet without cutting wood and I am currently using a Craftsman 42cc-18" and Poulan 2775 Farmhand 16/20". Occasionally for limbing a Homelite XL2 12". As you can tell anything in the price range I'm thinking would be massive improvements.

The Dolmar is highly recommended but the distance to the nearest dealer is a little far.

Matt
 
my new theory is the bigger the saw the faster i can enjoy my woodstove. That being said I just nabbed a jonsereds 920 for 250 with a 24" bar then went to baileys and nabbed a 30 incher and a chain and still stayed under the $300 dollar mark. If you can lug the weight it will cut so fast you could have two guys loading and they would be burried in wood before you emptied the tank. Just throwing it out there so you don't overlook the used saw market.
 
I've thought about the used market but ebay has been the only place that I've really looked and I've heard bad stories about buying used on there. The other option would be to start calling/visiting saw shops to see what they have used.

The other thing is that I am looking for good dealer support.

Matt
 
Most will try to tell you to get a pro saw, and there is a reason for it, but you dont really NEED a pro saw... If I were you I would hit 3 or 4 of the Stihl dealers close to you, look at each saw they have in your price range and decide which one will work best for you, then I would shop the dealers and get the best price on that saw that I could. I would not be afraid to give a FEW extra dollars if I found a dealer that I really liked, but for the most part money is the determining factor.
 
For what fits in my budget at a Stihl dealer it is the 290, 310 and by stretching it the 390. None of these saws seem to be well regarded around here. A guy at work that I have cut with in the past just bought a 310 20" brand new and I made a few cuts with it. It blows away anything I run. That would then get me into the 60 cc class.

The other saw that I'm hearing alot of talk about on here is the new 346xp. It would fit right around my $400 mark and would get me into a pro saw.

Matt
 
Get a Stihl 270 or 280. I've had a 310 and it is a nice saw. That being said, the 270/280 has a much more usable powerband, is lighter, easier on fuel, has better filtration and is smoother.

They really are a nice saw. I bucked up some white ash this morning with mine doing full bar cuts with the .325 18" bar. Mine has responded nicely to a very minor muffler mod.
 
I was in a Stihl dealer yesterday. Actually John Deere but they carry a few Stihls new. I was wondering why the 280 is the same as the 310 in price. Less power and less weight but the same money. It is not a pro saw.

Matt
 
For what fits in my budget at a Stihl dealer it is the 290, 310 and by stretching it the 390. None of these saws seem to be well regarded around here. A guy at work that I have cut with in the past just bought a 310 20" brand new and I made a few cuts with it. It blows away anything I run. That would then get me into the 60 cc class.

The other saw that I'm hearing alot of talk about on here is the new 346xp. It would fit right around my $400 mark and would get me into a pro saw.

Matt
I just bought a 346xp, I like it to say the least, it would be a good choice. You strike me as a guy who just wants to cut some wood sometimes and dont want to get into the chainsaw thing the way some do. That is why I made the recommendation I did. Stihl makes a good saw whether a pro saw or not, the difference between a pro saw and a homeowner is going to be the power to weight ratio and the materials they are made of. If you are going to drive 33 miles to the Husky dealer then go ahead and visit the Dolmar dealer as well, the 5100 is an excellent saw from what I hear.
 
A member of AS has a Dolmar 7900 on ebay that looks like will go for around the 400 mark...I'd trust the saw will be in the condition he states.
I'd have bought it instead of the 2159 Johnny I purchased if he'd have posted it on the TP a couple weeks sooner.
 
I own a few saws,

the 361 is the best of the bunch...great all around saw. Not too heavy that you can't de-limb with it, powerful enough to buck up some large wood.
 
Matt

In the FWIW dept.
A couple of weeks ago I decided I needed a top handle saw. I was leaning towards a Husky or Dolmar based upon dealer support in my local area. On a whim I stopped at the lawn and garden dealer that I deal with who also carries Stihl. They carry the full line but do not support it in terms of parts all that well. Their core business is homeowner and landscape. The manager of the shop is one of my best friend's brother I've known him for 30 years.
To make a short story longer, he gave me a great deal on a MS192 because he had 3 in stock and wanted to move one. The point of the story, and there is one, I looked overhead of the saw display and he had to have 8 or 9 MS290's in the box in stock. When I asked him why so many he just grinned and said that's only half of them. He told me he probably sells 4 or 5 MS290 with 18 inch bars to every one sale of any other Stihl model. I said your kidding right. He said nope that's the saw I sell. It meets the needs of my customers, I see very few, if any back for repair other than dull chain and they're extremely tolerant of folks that don't know much about or run a saw other than cutting a couple of cords a year.
I guess the point of this long winded post is simply, the MS 290 is in your price range, and will do the job you ask reliably.
If you've got a good Stihl dealer, and it sounds like you do, the MS 290 will probably meet your needs very well.
All that said, within your budget I'd still strongly consider the Dolmar 5100 as a contender.
Just remember in your $400 budget to include extra chain(s), files, mix, b&c, and some PPE.
Sorry for being long winded hopefully there's some useful info in there.

Good Luck
 
I was in a Stihl dealer yesterday. Actually John Deere but they carry a few Stihls new. I was wondering why the 280 is the same as the 310 in price. Less power and less weight but the same money. It is not a pro saw.

Matt

It is better built. Re-read my previous post. I've had both and would take the 280 over a 310 in a heartbeat.

Nothing wrong with the 290/310/390 though.
 
you could always buy a used saw from someone here.

i have some for sale in your price range.nothing wrong with them,just thinning the herd.

just a thought,not trying to hi jack.
 
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