Best Starter Chainsaw for under $300??

[ReggieT]

Already got chaps and tons of other safety gear....I keep reading reviews on STIHL, Echo, Husqvarna, Jonsered....the more I read the more I am confused!
All I do is bust up 16 -20 inch in diameter rounds 10-12 times per yr and saw up medium sized firewood about 5-10 times a year.

I've never ran a chainsaw...but I'm anxious to get my feet wet...just found some "Black Locust & Osage Orange" right here in Alabama...and I'm gonna load up my P/U till I pass out!:hmm3grin2orange:

I don't do a whole lot with a maul & handsaw but about 3-4months out of year...just tired of hand-sawing big rounds & flailing on away with a maul!(due to auto accident)

My budget is firm @ $300...just need some great feedback on saw type, what size bar and cc...just what would be great for a beginner!:confused2:
If you could list your top 3 starter saws...Thanks

God Bless You All!

ReggieT

 

[Fred Wright]

Longer ago than I care to remember...

I started with a $99.00 Homelite from Wally World. It was a working saw and did what I needed it to do. For a year, anyway.

Just me thinkin' here... I'd rather invest in a pro grade saw the first time around than start by buying a saw based on what I could afford. $300.00 won't get you a new pro grade saw.

But it will get you a used pro grade saw. The folks here will advise you. They know their stuff.

 

[aarolar]

I definitely advise to go for a used pro grade saw and skip the box store stuff. However with that said we cut for years with 455 Ranchers and moved alot of wood through a wood stove but having ran a pro saw now I couldn't ever go back...

 

[mitch95100]

Check out dolmar good brand. you can pick up a ps 460 for around 320 new and will run with a stihl or husky anyday.

 

[srb08]

Check the classified ads here. Look for one of nmurphs husqvarna 346xp's. They are pro saws and are a good value at around $300.

 

[PEKS]

I started with a $99.00 Homelite from Wally World. It was a working saw and did what I needed it to do. For a year, anyway.

Just me thinkin' here... I'd rather invest in a pro grade saw the first time around than start by buying a saw based on what I could afford. $300.00 won't get you a new pro grade saw.

But it will get you a used pro grade saw. The folks here will advise you. They know their stuff.

Have to agree, I would go with a pro-grade saw also..
I prefer Stihl's and suggest a used MS260 50cc saw with a 16''-18'' B&C..
Great saw to cover your missions..

 

[flyboy553]

Go to the classified section here on this site and look for a good used saw that fits your price range. Considering it is your first saw, I don't think it really matters what color it is, as they all have plusses and minuses. After you have owned one for a while, then you can become a chainsaw snob and go just by color like a lot of us do!:hmm3grin2orange::msp_razz::msp_tongue:

Ted

 

[iowa]

Dolmar 420 or 460. Great saw. Pro saw. I love my 420. Light and fast rpms makes for quick work.

 

[H 2 H]

Brand new MS 250 is $297 (here in the PNW)

 

[russhd1997]

Poulan Pro 5020, 50cc, 20" bar and a carrying case $199 at Lowes. Also available as a Craftsman saw at Sears. Modified Mark did a thread on this saw last year. It gets good reviews and would make a good starter saw.

 

[Dalmatian90]

I've never ran a chainsaw.

Something in the 50-60cc range should be good.

Stihl 290 Farm Boss (consumer line) or 260 (need to find a used one to get in your price range). Can't complain about the Dolmars if you have a local dealer -- great value. Husky line up I'm not familiar with outside of the one I own, but you won't go wrong either.

Two things I notice on the pro saws v. consumer saws I've run is they're lighter weight for the power and have better oilers. I know there's other stuff going on I can't identify But you'd be hard pressed to wear out one of the consumer saws, either.

The weight is one of those things you don't necessarily notice until you've been running a heavier saw and then immediately switch to the light one and go, "wow!"

 

[Ironworker]

You can pick up a refurbished husky on eBay for around $300, not a bad deal, they are mostly box store returns and basically brand new.

 

[bentring]

They don't get a lot of coverage around here but I love my Efco. I bought a 3500 with a 16' bar and chain a couple of months ago for $210 new, (with a 5 year consumer warranty) and after the extras you might not already have like a 2nd chain, gas/jug, 2cycle oil, bar oil, and a cheapo chain sharpener from Northern Tool or similar you would still be within your total budget. It might be a bit small in the power dept at 39cc compared to some already listed but 16 inch chain on a larger powerhouse doesn't cut any deeper. I have no idea how much the other saws use, but I went for just over 20 tanks on 2 gallons of gas and one gallon of bar oil.

 

[Mac88]

I won't even bother mentioning my 15 year old "homeowner" saw or the 20+ cords of firewood I've cut this year. Just sayin'...

 

[benp]

My .02.

If you have a Dolmar dealer, the 510. Great saw for the money and imo, there is nothing that can compare to it quality wise for the price.

If not, keep an eye out on the classifieds here for NMurph's Husky 346 offerings. I would not hesitate one blink buying one of his 346's.

 

[ss~zoso~ss]

u can probably get a 18' craftsman or poulan for 100-130 bucks

will probably last you a good long while if you keep it maintained

If you wanna save 150-200 bucks, that's what I'd go with.

We've cut a ton of wood with our 16' Craftsman 38cc

 

[zogger]

Two good deals in the classifieds now on the front page (I didn't look past page one, proly a lot more), a poulan 3400 56cc for one hundred clams (deal), or a pro dolmar 7900, for 350$ (real dang good deal) . That's a lotta saw right there, maybe more than you want in power and price, but will cut just about anything you might ever need to cut, too.

And a poulan 3400 will cut firewood all day long. It doesn't have a chainbrake though, so perhaps you want a chainbrake on a first saw.
They are NICE old school saws, I use mine all the time. A serious favorite. Kinda like a 70's-80s pickup, nothing fancy, just built good and gets it done. I have a truckload heap o saws to pick from and cut with now, turkey day I grabbed a 3400 to have some cutting fun!


With that said, I agree with the post above, nmurph sells refurbed by him husky 346xps. I know In another thread he just got in a pallet load of them to go through. You might could contact him get on his waiting list. He does them here all the time in the 3-325 range. Those are serious pro saws, worth keeping and rebuilding when/if it eventually needs it.

And the poulan pp5020 @200 schlomollians has got to be the most cut for the cheap buck brand new you can get now. Light duty, but 50 ccs means it got enough oopmh to cut some wood, don't push it, take care of it keep it clean and get a good set of extra pro quality chains for it and learn to hand file, you should be set. A sharp chain and tuned correctly, cheap saws will cut wood.

Oh, and run NON ethanol fuel for your mix! Goto pure-gas.org for lists to find it. Really, I ain't joking, don't put a drop of cheap corn gas in your new machine, the cost savings isn't worth it.

If you don't cut much and can't find real gasoline, use the canned premix stuff you can find, like trufuel. It's quite good fuel and has a two year shelf life. Gas from the pump you are lucky if it lasts a month. Yes, it costs a lot more, but if you aren't cutting that much or very often, just think of it as paying for saw insurance, that it will start and run when you need it.

If you make your own mix, use a modern quality synthetic type mix oil. I happend to use the echo powerblend mixed a little rich at 40:1, but any of the top brands have good synthetic oil, just pick one. husky/stihl/echo/poulan all make good synthetic mix oil. I was running 50:1 until this summer's just beastly heat wave and I could tell it was getting to the saws, just not running like I thought they should, tried at 40:1, my concerns went away.

For bar oil, I jumped around and dang, I can't see much difference between the expensive stuf and the tractor supply bar oil bought in bulk, several jugs at a time, when they throw it on sale for 7 bucks a gallon. Save 3-4 bucks over the higher priced stuff, that pays for a few new clean sharp files.

And the rules are, new saw and go cut wood..pics or it didn't happen!

 

[howellhandmade]

I cut many cords with a box-store Poulan, too, before I knew any better. Still runs fine. Make sure you keep room in your budget for a couple extra chains and files for sharpening. I like the Husqvarna roller guide for filing. Whatever you get, just take care of it and you'll be able to afford a better saw well before you wear it out. Learn to tune, use fresh mix, and keep it clean.

 

[stihl023/5]

I have cut a lot of wood with 5 popular "home owner" saws 1.Husqvarna455 2.Stihl 023 3.Stihl 025 4.Echo CS400 5.Poulan pro 295 All of which do a fine job, yes these are not "pro saws" but there are a lot of homes out there cutting a lot of wood with home owner saws.

 

[PEKS]

Many great saws recommended here..
Let us know what you get and how it performs..