SawTroll
Information Collector
The best homeowner saw is a pro saw, like the MS361.
The BEST homeowner chainsaw
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Evan629
ArboristSite Operative
how about the husky 450 e series, i got it and so far i love it, but i owned a poulan before this saws so i think anything is better
About 25 years ago my Dad bought a Pro Mac 10-10 with a 16" bar. He gave it to me when it got too heavy for him. It still runs great, and has probably been used for 22 of those 25 years cutting 2-3 cord of firewood a year. I figure one of these days its gonna die on me 
and then I'm gonna have to look quickly for a replacement.
I saw that Echo is offering a 5 year consumer warranty -- a strong plus for me. My Dab bought a smaller Stihl, used it very little, and it died 5 days short of a year (he got lucky -- 1 year warranty) for some type of electrical problem. It would burn me to pay $300-400 for a saw and have it die in 1-2-3 years and have no warranty.
I obviously have little saw experience aside from my beloved 10-10. But I'm wondering why Echo seems to get little consideration vs Shihl or Husky?
I don't need a bar over 16-18 inches cuz I don't wanna lift logs bigger than that. I cut 2-3 cords of hardwood a year. I don't want a toy saw -- I plan on cutting for at least the next 10 years (I hope). But ideally I would get something similar in power and bar size to the 10-10 with less weight and similar longevity.
So is an Echo, Stihl, or Husky my best move?
One other thing I like about the 10-10 is the manual + automatic oiler. Do any saws still have that?
and then I'm gonna have to look quickly for a replacement.I saw that Echo is offering a 5 year consumer warranty -- a strong plus for me. My Dab bought a smaller Stihl, used it very little, and it died 5 days short of a year (he got lucky -- 1 year warranty) for some type of electrical problem. It would burn me to pay $300-400 for a saw and have it die in 1-2-3 years and have no warranty.
I obviously have little saw experience aside from my beloved 10-10. But I'm wondering why Echo seems to get little consideration vs Shihl or Husky?
I don't need a bar over 16-18 inches cuz I don't wanna lift logs bigger than that. I cut 2-3 cords of hardwood a year. I don't want a toy saw -- I plan on cutting for at least the next 10 years (I hope). But ideally I would get something similar in power and bar size to the 10-10 with less weight and similar longevity.
So is an Echo, Stihl, or Husky my best move?
One other thing I like about the 10-10 is the manual + automatic oiler. Do any saws still have that?
glenn31792
ArboristSite Guru
The best deal right now is the Makita (Dolmar) 6401 on ebay.
You can find them for $350+25 shipping. No way to beat that deal.
You can find them for $350+25 shipping. No way to beat that deal.
SawTroll
Information Collector
Imho, those are about the worst choises, for their price......:censored:
Husky/Jred have better options.
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Don't hold back Niko; tell us how you really feel...
Rep the Witch PLEASE!
My 359 is a fine saw, Just add $40 to the advertised cost for a non-catalytic muffler(Cats add heat. Try cooling your your saw in a campfire. Stihl mufflers with a white dot are cats too I think. Shh this is top secret; it negates the Husky muffler tax!!!). Buy it from Husky and it won't effect your warranty. I run low lead AV gas, probably a good idea for you too, but causes trouble with cat mufflers.
Rep the Witch PLEASE!
My 359 is a fine saw, Just add $40 to the advertised cost for a non-catalytic muffler(Cats add heat. Try cooling your your saw in a campfire. Stihl mufflers with a white dot are cats too I think. Shh this is top secret; it negates the Husky muffler tax!!!). Buy it from Husky and it won't effect your warranty. I run low lead AV gas, probably a good idea for you too, but causes trouble with cat mufflers.
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superfire
Addicted to ArboristSite
I think they are efco (Italian) saws. They make a good product only problem is dealer support. Deere has a history of changing suppliers and not supporting what they used to sell. You'll find MANY more Dolmar dealers than efco dealers.
Much as it pains me Stihl is #1 in dealer support. Husky second. The rest a distant third in the pacific northwest. If you don't need dealer support it doesn't matter.
They are EMAK International under several different names.
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sperho
ArboristSite Operative
I can't believe Mr_Super-hunky didn't weigh in on this one. According to him, it's available for $298. Said right before he bought a Dolmar 5100 though...
jonseredhusky
ArboristSite Lurker
For the homeowner?? Hmmmmm. Even a Husqvarna 350e might be overkill although it's a gorgeous looking saw (I own one that hasn't yet been used). Honestly anything made by Stihl, Husqvarna, Jonsered, Echo, Shindaiwa, Tanaka etc are all excellent. Stick to 45cc max but I think the Husqvarna 1 series saws 137e, 142e etc are very good value. UNLESS you have big trees. NOTE** (All one series and two series saws are assembled in the USA with Swedish manufactured engines of course!) The rest of the three and four series saws are fully imported from Sweden.
I'm in Australia and Husqvarna's sell slightly more than Stihl over here. All the pros use the two makes including myself.
And.... despite what others claim I get easily 20+ years from my Husqvarna Jonsered saws around home. Maintenance is KEY! Rich fuel mix and correct oil pre-mix.
Cheers from Downunder.
I'm in Australia and Husqvarna's sell slightly more than Stihl over here. All the pros use the two makes including myself.
And.... despite what others claim I get easily 20+ years from my Husqvarna Jonsered saws around home. Maintenance is KEY! Rich fuel mix and correct oil pre-mix.
Cheers from Downunder.
