50cc class chainsaw advice

[miking]

If you are willing to look away from the mainstream Stihl/Husky/Dolmar saws, take a look at the Echo-Shindaiwa CS-500P. Checkout the weight, air filtration, inboard clutch, etc and save some money at the same time.

I did and never went back.

 

[SawTroll]

Forgot to say;

If you are set on using an 18" and 3/8, all the better 50cc saws will do it, but on the 555 it will be an ideal set-up, and it surely will do it better! :msp_smile:

 

[rburg]

In this area, a 5105 is $500, a 261 is $579, a 346 is $500, a cs500 is $480, a cs530 is $469.

 

[SawTroll]

In this area, a 5105 is $500, a 261 is $579, a 346 is $500, a cs500 is $480, a cs530 is $469.

No reason to not get the best then, 346xp!

 

[mountainlake]

If you are willing to look away from the mainstream Stihl/Husky/Dolmar saws, take a look at the Echo-Shindaiwa CS-500P. Checkout the weight, air filtration, inboard clutch, etc and save some money at the same time.

Save more than a little money, reasonable to start with(not too many on Ebay yet) and real rasonable OEM online parts. Steve

 

[tallguys]

In this area, a 5105 is $500, a 261 is $579, a 346 is $500, a cs500 is $480, a cs530 is $469.

Partially explains the 346XP's popularity then, with it being 79 bucks less than the 261. In Canada the 346XP is $120 more than the 261.

I wonder if everyone would be raving as much if the price difference was reversed?

 

[SawTroll]

Partially explains the 346XP's popularity then, with it being 79 bucks less than the 261. In Canada the 346XP is $120 more than the 261.

I wonder if everyone would be raving as much if the price difference was reversed?

Well, the Husky 346xp price "premium" over the 261 is much larger here than in Canada, but it still is selling like "hot-cakes".

 

[cheeves]

Pro-mac 10-10s!Pulls a 3/8 chain on an 18" bar just fine.Plenty fast enough and tons of torque and you can find them for under 50$.

Great choice!!! One of my favorite saws. You'll wear out before it does!

 

[cambl]

Save more than a little money, reasonable to start with(not too many on Ebay yet) and real rasonable OEM online parts. Steve

What company have you been using for Echo parts?

 

[cheeves]

I'm torn between the 555 and the 5105. None of the local to me husky shops had a 555 in stock today. Going to swing over to one of the bigger ones tomorrow and give one a heft. Stopped by the Dolmar shop, he's got a 5105 in stock. Is 480 a good price?

I'm going to put in my usual plug for an Efco 156. Love it. Like indiansprings said" it's a cutting machine." $400 and a 5 year warranty with more power than any saw mentioned except the 555. And that's $250 more.

 

[indiansprings]

Troll, I agree that the 555 will handle prolly handle his needs better than a 50cc saw with a 18" 3/8 set up. Porsche has a 261 set up with a 3/8 18" set up and he says it pulls it just fine, it rained here all day yesterday and I didn't get to try it. But from my expeirence with both the 346xp and 261, in stock form imho the 261 will handle a 3/8" 18" set up much better than the 346xp.
I'll respectfully say the 346xp used to be the best, it's just outclassed in the real woods by the 261. The 261 cuts more like a 311 than a 260 after they are broke in, really duplicates the Efco 156/ John Deere CS56. It just depends if you like to have a saw with all of its power on the top end, or a saw that will pull like a freight train from the bottom end all thru the top end, if you want the best air filtration on the market, captive bar nuts, a two year warranty with the purchase of a six pack of Ultra and a product that is made in the USA, vs one made offshore. Now if you want to mod the 346xp muffler, put in an unlimited coil or send it to be modded then it becomes a real contender, but in dead stock form they are just not the saw they are hyped up to be.
But it sounds like with the OP's expectation level the OP would be better served with a 555, I sure wouldn't put a 3/8" 18" set up on a stock 346. A lowly 291 would prolly give it a spanking.

 

[tallguys]

Well, the Husky 346xp price "premium" over the 261 is much larger here than in Canada, but it still is selling like "hot-cakes".

Where I am you see many more 260 and 261 than 346xp. I believe that with the saws being so similar contrary to what many have espoused, that "premium" plays a whole lot into which saws is ultimately purchased.

 

[SawTroll]

I'm going to put in my usual plug for an Efco 156. Love it. Like indiansprings said" it's a cutting machine." $400 and a 5 year warranty with more power than any saw mentioned except the 555. And that's $250 more.

I think that is a good option for a non-pro, if you can live with its looks etc..........

 

[SawTroll]

Where I am you see many more 260 and 261 than 346xp. I believe that with the saws being so similar contrary to what many have espoused, that "premium" plays a whole lot into which saws is ultimately purchased.

I guess the general economics play a part in peoples choises, yes - even Sweden may be a bit different from here, because of that....

 

[indiansprings]

I'm going to put in my usual plug for an Efco 156. Love it. Like indiansprings said" it's a cutting machine." $400 and a 5 year warranty with more power than any saw mentioned except the 555. And that's $250 more.

I'd take the Efco 156 over the 346 any day of the week, much stronger saw. Really wish I had kept mine in fact went back to buy it back a week later and it had already sold. The 156 will eat a stock 346 alive, they are getting close to the stock MS361 performance. It held up well under commercial use. Basically duplicates the 555 on paper. Pro quality saw all the way. A broke in 261 is very close in performance to the 156 though, with better air filtration. I'd sure be considering the Efco if I were the OP and had a dealer in the area, hard to beat the five year warranty.

If it stops misting/raining here today, I'll set up a 261 with 3/8 with a 18 and 20" and try to get some vids.

 

[rburg]

The efcos sound like good saws from what I have read here, but dealers come and go quickly in the area I live in. I saw a 165 the other day for $400, but I believe the dealer has had it since he started carrying efco and he doesn't carry them any more. Some don't like the outboard clutch setup on the efcos, but I have never had problems with this setup.

 

[Dill]

Ya I don't know of any Efco or Echo dealers around here.

 

[Machold]

That EFCO 165 for $400 is a good price; and since it's been hanging around for awhile, the seller might lower the price. Worth ever penny! Parts can be problematic; but if you tune it right, it will give you no problems, just pleasure (there are a few Efco threads).

 

[CJ1]

Here is just a couple of FYI's. My new 346XPG did not come with a comp release, and it pulls a 3/8 x 18 just fine bone stock. I'll agree 100% with Indian that they are a topend saw and that is where they run best. The 261 had better low / midrange than the 346 but the 346 outran it on top, not by a huge amount but it was faster. I run all my saws except the 390 on the pin. That trigger is just a on off switch right? Anyone who limbs at part throttle all day is just asking for a kickback. Anyway the 346,261 are both good saws but the Husky just felt better to me. You won't go wrong with either. Won't and can't comment on the other saws because I have not ran them. CJ

 

[SawTroll]

Here is just a couple of FYI's. My new 346XPG did not come with a comp release, and it pulls a 3/8 x 18 just fine bone stock. I'll agree 100% with Indian that they are a topend saw and that is where they run best. The 261 had better low / midrange than the 346 but the 346 outran it on top, not by a huge amount but it was faster. I run all my saws except the 390 on the pin. That trigger is just a on off switch right? Anyone who limbs at part throttle all day is just asking for a kickback. Anyway the 346,261 are both good saws but the Husky just felt better to me. You won't go wrong with either. Won't and can't comment on the other saws because I have not ran them. CJ

If it doesn't have a decomp, it likely is the older 45cc version, and those are more of a top end only saw than the NE 50cc ones.
Look if it has a plgged hole for the decomp, or if it never has been drilled and tapped for one.