Newbie is looking for chainsaw advice

[Dan48]

We installed a Recency 3100 insert late last year. It does a great job of keeping much of the house fairly warm but, even keeping it somewhat throttled down, it wants to eat a face cord of hardwood every 5 days or so (it's a big house).

Buying firewood seems silly when I can scrounge from friends who want trees cleared anyway. My problem is that I have almost no chainsaw experience and, after reading about 100 posts here on these forums, I'm totally confused. I had an electric 16" McCullough that I was using for the last 20 years around the house but the magic blue smoke came out of it earlier today, along with slowing way down, so I think it's history. I'm gonna tear it down tomorrow but I don't have much hope.

I think I've figured out that if money was not an issue and I was doing this several hours a day, I'd go for a Stihl 260-Pro with an 18" bar as a good compromise between weight (I'm kind of a lightweight and 51 years old) and power. The problem is that we're still paying off the stove and another $500 purchase is hard to justify. A friend of mine with an OWB is a huge fan of the $99 or $150 Poulan saws (in particular, he likes the Wild Thing available at Lowes) but most of the posters here seem to think they are junk.

Given that I'm only looking to cut for my own use, I'd really like to find a reasonable compromise. I'm not looking for insane cutting speed, especially considering my inexperience but I hate to drop $150 on a Wild Thing only to find out it's junk. I thought about used but there's no interesting posts on craigslist in Metro Detroit.

I wouldn't mind a comment about gear as well. I have safety goggles, ear protection and leather gloves. I figure I need a set of chaps (Lowes, I guess) but likely not a helmet as I plan to deal with dropped trees, at least to start. If I'm missing anything else, please point it out. Tips for (manual) splitting gear would be useful as well, I'm currently using an axe and a sledge to drive it through the logs. I looked for a better splitter at Lowes & Home Depot, did not find anything attractive. Ordering over the net doesn't scare me, if I have a pretty good idea of what I should be buying but at this point, I don't.

So, any suggestions, on any of those topics, would be very welcome.

 

[aa1putt]

Start with a MS-290, next you'll want a bigger saw, then you will want a bigger saw etc... The 290 will be a good all around saw for needs until you get comfortable enough with your abilities. By the way you'll want a couple extra chains and some files. Learn how to file and keep your B & C out of the dirt. Welcome to AS, and keep reading you have an unlimited amount of knowledge here.

 

[stihlcrazy20]

for someone in your situation a wildthing will do just fine, i have one that i loan out to friends. it will be adequate for trees up to about 16 inches in diameter not fast by my standards but it will get you through and at $130 at farm and fleet its hard to beat for "homeowner" cutting standards. just dont expect to cut 20+ cord a year for years with it. welcome to AS

 

[rms61moparman]

One of our members has a 3400 Poulan on ebay and it is going DIRT cheap.
Buy that saw and be set for the rest of your life.
He has gone through it from top to bottom and it is probably better than it was when it was new.
They are heavier than the Stihl you are looking at but they are built like tanks and easy to work on.
For the manual splitter you can't beat the Fiskars. They are on the expensive side but they are the absolute top of the heap.
Hope this helps,


Mike

 

[CGC4200]

Might try a Poulan Poulan Pro 46cc 4620

You should be able to pick up one of these new under $200.
I am not a big fan of plastic Poulans, but if money is an issue?...
They were selling for less this fall; some members seem to like them
for economy firewood saws.

 

[billmartin]

I'm pretty new here too, My recomendation is keep looking on CL and try to find a lightly used 50-60cc husky, stihl, and the other brands that are well liked on here. A 10-15 year old saw that was well maintained and not used up can be a real score for 200 bucks. Or buy the wild thing and be carefull coming back to this site. The chainsaw addiction is VERY real

If you're burning that much wood you might not be happy with a crappy saw.

Oh and check out the home depot makitas that everyone here wants.

Good luck on finding the right saw or two or 30

Bill

 

[rock]

I have a stihl ms250 and husky 261 4 sale and may be in your area to pickup another milling saw

 

[computeruser]

Welcome to the site!

I'm probably going to get over to the shop tomorrow and be up in Troy next weekend...I'll see if anything worthwhile pops up when I stick my head in the back room where all the used saws get stashed.

As for saws, I don't know, there are places where I'd economize, but a $99 Sears or the like seems like throwing good money after bad, frankly. That said, every once in a while one sneaks out that holds up pretty well, for what it is. For $99, it might be worth the gamble, if the ultimate choice is between a saw you cannot afford and no saw at all.

I hear tell that you can get refurb Husqvarna 435 for $199 from the local Husqvarna dealers from time to time...probably wouldn't be a bad choice for ya. Otherwise, the Echo 370 from Home Depot seems like a good little saw, once you un-EPA it a bit; you can get these for <$200 on eBay. You might want to call or visit the Jonsered dealer in Ferndale, they seem to have their #### together more than most metro-Detroit OPE dealers when it comes to saws. Maybe they have some trade-ins or rebuilds that they'd let go for a good price?

For splitting, the MegaMaul from Iron&Oak is a pretty good splitter, in my opinion. I preferred it over all other splitting devices I owned...until I got a Timberwolf, and I haven't split by hand since. Our local shop sells them; I'm not sure who sells them up your way. EDIT: I reread your post. Splitting with an axe?! No, homie don't play that. Get a proper splitting maul in addition to the Iron&Oak splitter; I'd suggest a 6lb one to compliment the heavy wedge-on-a-stick MegaMaul thingee. You can get suitable, if not identical, products at TractorSupply.

 

[rock]

Theirs a makita 6401 for $240 on detroit metro craigslist . Great firewood saw. Can always get barleys big bore if you want more hp
As for splitting maul-sledge-wedge

 

[mowoodchopper]

Stihl ms 250, or husky 445

 

[Brian VT]

Theirs a makita 6401 for $240 on detroit metro craigslist

Doh ! I bet that was gone in about 3.7 seconds.

 

[J.W Younger]

I have a couple of the 42cc poulands over a decade old that still cut wood but theres very few original parts on either one.The thing is, a cheap saw will let you learn all the different ways to kill one without costing you a lot of money when you do.Starting out with a less powerful saw may be safer as well. Welcome to the site.

 

[bytehoven]

Welcome to AS

+1 Fiskars 7854 Super Splitting Axe

Definitely set aside some $$$ for a couple of extra chains, chain filing rig, 2 cycle fuel mix, bar oil, chaps, chainsaw gloves, saw case, etc.

A quality homeowner/landowner 35-50cc saw should last you awhile with good treatment and allow you to save up and determine what pro saw will best fit your long term needs. You might end up keeping the smaller saw around for the smaller jobs, even after you end up buying a bigger 60-70cc saw down the road.

Good luck with your saw hunt.

 

[wadetoombs]

In your situation consider a cs370 echo. Do muffler mod and tune and its a great saw.

 

[Dan48]

Wanted to say "thank you" to all who responded.

I ordered the Fiskars 7854 for splitting, then headed to Lowes and picked up a Poulan Pro 18" 42cc that came with a case, extra chain and oil for $159, just $10 more than the Wild Thing. Seemed like a decent compromise for a starter saw, I plan to try it out tomorrow.

 

[wadetoombs]

You would of liked the 370 echo a lot better with its strong motor and great antivibe. I have a braNd spanking new stihl 361 that I ain't put a whole tank through yet because I love the feel of the 370. Let us know how ur saw turns out

 

[Monkeypetting]

For the money a Poulan saw would be a great idea because you can just about buy two of them for the price of one new Stihl. If you are looking for something a bit more expensive you should check out the Dolmar 5100 or look on ebay for an older poulan 3400. As far a safety gear i think that chaps, gloves and a ratchet style arborist helmet and you will be in business. Now on to the wood splitting question if you cannot afford a hydraulic splitter makes friends with someone who owns one, or go down to the local flea market and hire some of those lads, and while you are there buy a English to Spanish dictionary.

 

[Dan48]

The good: got the Fiskars 7854, it makes splitting WAY better than the axe I was using. Great call, and thanx.

The bad: The Poulan Pro is just not gonna do it. The stupid chain keeps coming loose and it's just not enough saw. I put about 3 tanks of fuel through it to give it a reasonable chance, think it's going back to Lowes. So, I guess I'm looking for a used saw. Not having bought one before, what are the things to watch out for?

 

[Torin]

The tool-less chain adjuster has been getting bad reviews. I don't have one so, can't say. Do you have a Tractor supply close? Many stores have the Poulan 330 for $200. It is a good saw for the $.

 

[bytehoven]

The good: got the Fiskars 7854, it makes splitting WAY better than the axe I was using. Great call, and thanx.

The bad: The Poulan Pro is just not gonna do it. The stupid chain keeps coming loose and it's just not enough saw. I put about 3 tanks of fuel through it to give it a reasonable chance, think it's going back to Lowes. So, I guess I'm looking for a used saw. Not having bought one before, what are the things to watch out for?

Dan, what's your budget?

The next level saw for your consideration might be a strong 45cc-60cc saw, but then the cost range is broad as well.