Opinions about chainsaws. Used Stihl or ?

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testdepth

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I have two Poulan Pros 42cc 18" bar and both have made me a pullin pro.

3 used Stihl saws I can buy tomorrow.

Stihl 025 for $100
Stihl 290 for $189
Stihl 270 for $189

All run well and as they should. I know nothing about Stihl saws, is any one better than the other? I am a home owner and occasionally use a chainsaw a few times a year to cut trees and firewood. Sometimes large pines or oak.
 
If you really want one, get a 290. Stihl sold millions of them for a reason.
Even if something goes wrong not only are spares easily available and ridicoulously cheap (in the US) but there's so much knowledge out there.
Last but not least, if you need more power on a budget, you can just drop an MS390 top end in it.

Just one thing: these saws originally came with .325" chains but the vast majority has since been "upgraded" with 3/8". A completely stock MS290 can pull a 3/8" chain even with a 20" bar but won't win any races.
 
I bought the Stihl MS290 saw and it has the original .325 18" bar and chain. It's in excellent condition and was well cared for. No mods that I can see.
 
I bought a ms290 for my first stihl and now it's a 390. You can find pretty much every part for them online. I have a 20 inch full chisel. 325 on my saw. It's like night and day compared to the poulan pro
 
I cut a lot of wood, I mean a lot.
I started with a ms290 and it served me well for over 10 years.
I ended up with 4 saws thinking I would need spares in case one went down for some reason.
Come to find out, my saws work so well and last so long, that spares are not needed.
I'm back down to 1 ms290 and 1 ms362 and they always work and never let me down.
A ms290 with a 20" bar will cut most anything you can throw at it and will last for years.
If I only could have one saw for most home owner and small farm use would be the ms290.
The ms290 is a bullet proof saw proven to be reliable.
I like the ms362 as well for bigger wood but it is a little heaver (makes a difference when cutting a long time) and it's more of a hand full then the ms290.
The ms290 gets better gas mileage, less vibration and less kickback. Both are great saws but the ms290 is more comfortable to use.
 
I also used to own a Poulan saw when I first bought the house and now have an Stihl MS291 (that's the new model number now) and love it.
Mine has an 18" bar and has no problem cutting almost everything I put under it.
I cut almost all hardwoods. Have never had problems with it in over 3 years now.
I do have a Stihl 044 and can use it with it's stock 18" bar or the 28" one I bought for working on our large Maple, Red Oak, and large White Pines we have around here.
IMG_20160924_162031427.jpg IMG_20160928_115101980.jpg
 
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