Opinions Please--new saw

Hey guys--I was pointed here by a friend. B&T says hello.
Its time for a new saw. The McCulloch 3516 is tired and has no bottom.
I've got about 3 acres of mess to clean up. Bunch of dead and dying trees of mixed type and ice storm damaged to boot up here in NH.

I've got the choices down to the following:

Husky 450 or 455
Echo CS-530
Stihl MS 290

Are you folks opinionated?

MS 290...

Gary

Ain't no way I'm opinionated. Get the 290.

2 for Stihl.
That's the one I'm leaning toward, but I'm trying to defer to my betters.

John,

I'm still new here myself... This is one place that my reputation has not preceeded me (thankfully)!

Do what I'm doing... Get a 372XPW, send it to someone who knows what they're doing for porting, mod the muffler... and most important... settle on which two stroke oil you're going to use for the mix!

There is a world of difference!

P.S. Seriously, you'll get some good advice here..

Go with the dealer that's not a wind bagged blowhard. That probably rules the Stihl out.

MS290, or a 390 if you want more power.

Hey John, I love to come here and just read. I still don't know anything though. Hi B&T!

Leon

Paul Bunion said:

Hey John, I love to come here and just read. I still don't know anything though. Hi B&T!

Leon

Click to expand...

Gee, I'm glad to see all the friends I've got in the world are here!

Now, what's the best pheasant load for wild birds in the Dakotas???

BTW, love the play on words... Paul Bunion

have you considered the ms270 or ms280?

Go for the 290,and pickup an old Homelite XL12 to run occasionally to let people within a 2 mile radius know you're out there.

get a 310 its a cheap upgrade from the 290 and you will appreciate a little better power to weight ratio. 390 would be a good choice to but its not a good choice economicly compared to the 310 which i believe is a 290 2 mm bigger

Nothing wrong with the 290 but I'd step up to the 310, same weight with more power and not much more $.

jmcg said:

Hey guys--I was pointed here by a friend. B&T says hello.
Its time for a new saw. The McCulloch 3516 is tired and has no bottom.
I've got about 3 acres of mess to clean up. Bunch of dead and dying trees of mixed type and ice storm damaged to boot up here in NH.

I've got the choices down to the following:

Husky 450 or 455
Echo CS-530
Stihl MS 290

Are you folks opinionated?

Click to expand...

http://nh.craigslist.org/for/1181208100.html

BarkBuster20 said:

get a 310 its a cheap upgrade from the 290 and you will appreciate a little better power to weight ratio. 390 would be a good choice to but its not a good choice economicly compared to the 310 which i believe is a 290 2 mm bigger

Click to expand...

Great minds eh?

I agree the 290 or 310 is pretty much all you'll need. But I really enjoyed my 372 for the short time I had it, and now this 066 I have is overkill to
the max, but every time I fire it up I get the perma grin so much my cheeks hurt after cutting.

the echo 530 must be close to $400. along with the other heavy weight, under h.p. bunch that are $400+. You should be able to get a 5100 dolmar for under $400. have a light, power full, pro saw that will fill all your needs+. it is a good all around only saw.

Yup

Well--you boys are quick.
My concern is that too much power would be dangerous for me.
I've built additions and remodeled for most of my life, but I'm not the biggest dude in the herd.
175 lbs and 5'9 (I shrunk).
I have two grandchildren, so you get the picture.
Yes, I have considered the 270 and 280--but these things have a tendency to grow on ya.
The loss of nearly 2lbs would help the old bones and connective tissue.
Will these last just as long? One of my thoughts is that a little extra power will mean that the tool won't have to work as hard and will last.
Is this faulty thinking?

Paul Bunion--indeed.

extra power, loss of weight, all help. why be fatigued by a big lump with less power than the smaller saw, and you are paying more just for the name, or to have what every one else has. Those big heavy lumps are most likely shelf stuffers, or once a month "cookie cutters". Take a look at the 5100, great saw for a great price. I have had mine not that long (have had dolmar saws for years) but consider it a real good all around saw, a lot of other people seem to like it also.

yes they will last just as long if not longer, but really any of the one mentioned will last a lifetime with proper care.