@NC Cutter ,
Wow a lot of words to reply to!
First: I DONOT comply to the usual dictation of having a dealer close by! If you buy a quality product it should last you at least a decade without any major problems. In my experience and being on this and other sites around the world, the main time for problems is during the first few weeks. Even with this in mind I have very seldom read about any major problems with quality products. So for me, I have and will buy always with my wallet in mind! If that is ebay or the store next door depends on price/quality they have at hand.
The reason I have mentioned the Dolmar 421 is that it is, power & quality wise, in the equivalent league to the Stihl 241, at about 1/2 price! Yes they are heavier and are classic two stroke technology, but that technology has served very well for decades. There are pros here who have runs HUNDREDS of refills through their 421 without a problem at all! And since it is a "classic" two stroke, ANY small engine mechanic can work on it without special electronic equipment.
We have dealers here on this site who are legendary when service, etc. are mentioned.
@fordf150 ,
@166, etc. are only a few mentioned who I wouldn't hesitate one second to buy from!
Second: I DONOT believe in a one saw plan! That is in my eyes an illusion. Although I DO believe in a two saw plan. For me in my area of tree cutting a 40 & 60cc combo is ideal, other's prefer the 50 & 70cc combo. But personally I like the smaller 40cc class ALOT! Why? Because the more powerful in this class are nipping at the heel's of the mediocre 50cc class! Further they aren't so heavy to be a pain to carry and work with over a prolonged time.
Third: I DONOT like to buy used pro main stream saws anymore! Why? Because there are nowadays so many aftermarket parts, in totally different quality spectrums, swirling around you have absolutely NO IDEA what you are actually buying without a major tear down. Further there are hacks out there that just quickly replace the piston to get the saw up and running again, that simply ignore the reason WHY the saw died (f.e. air leak through worn out seals, etc.). A quick polish up and off they go to the new buyer... So if you are not buying from a reputable fellow from here or a dealer it is often a toss of the coin...
Forth: I DONOT like spending money on unneeded "extras"! What would these be? F.e. the brand name. I donot care if the name on the saw let's all my sawing budies kneel down when I appear at the scene! I have some real unknown brands, but the quality is equivalent to any of the top brands. As mentioned above I prefer the savings in my wallet over the name players. Because of this reason I can buy all day long "pro" saws from the "minor" brands for the price of a "farmer" line saw from the top brand!
Further having top of the line is nice to have, but I am not a pro and at the end of the day I will NOT have cut a single branch more even if it has rev boost or similar! So usually, as you have already included in your first post, a medium level saw is a good choice. For me, to stay with husqvarna, the TOP choice at the moment would be the husqvarna 545 or jonsered equivalent.
Good luck with whatever you choose!
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