Advice/suggestions for a Newbie

[IvanH]

Hi everyone!

Long time listener, first time caller

I am in the process of buying a few acres of land in Ontario Canada. I have some trees there that are dead standing and fallen over. They are mostly ash, maple, ironwood and black walnut . I am also thinking of setting up a little firewood stand on my property for passers by (once the wood has seasoned for at least a year). The traffic is really good and from talking to a few of the neighbours, they are always looking for firewood for indoors (most of the heating is done by propane in the area, but they love their nightly fires in the fireplace before bed). I have been in touch with a few tree cutting services and loggers and they are willing to give me some of their "not so pretty" logs at a really good price (averages out to about $37/bush cord depending on the type of wood). The trees on my property are about 20 inch diameter average. The tree cutting service and loggers confirmed they could give me around the same give or take.

I am looking for a few good chainsaws to get me started so when I do start selling, I can invest in better saws later down the line. My Stihl dealer pointed me to the most expensive one with no other options...this would be great but, mortgage rates are high and don't have a lot of disposable funds available yet. My Husqvarna dealer made me wait 30 minutes while they took a call then told me to go for the most expensive model. So FB market place it is! I have the following options that I have narrowed it down to:
- Husky 435 with 18 inch bar: $300 seller says only used 2 times for a total of 5 hours
-3 Olympyk 264's with 16 and 18 inch bars: $160 for all three, seller says they are in good condition but need a service
-Husky 55 with new 14 inch and 18 inch bars: $350, seller says he just put in new fuel lines and filter in "used-like new" condition
-Husky 445e with 18 inch bar, carrying case: $350, seller says used like new, bought this year and has 7 hours run time
-Echo CS400, 18 inch bar: $350 brand new
-Stihl ms260, 18 inch bar: $300. seller says it is used but good, just took it in to dealer for service and they cleaned the carb, sharpened the chain and put in new gas

I did reviews on all of these and they all have their pros and cons. The economically efficient me thinks the olympyk is the way to go, but Husky and Stihl are more readily available parts wise.

I was wondering if you could help me out and let me know which are the ones to really go for and which are the ones to stay away from. Or if there are any other ones i should be thinking of. All figures are in CAD.

I really like this forum and everyone is really helpful, so I thought I would ask!

Thanks!

Ivan

 

[kyle1!]

Buy from a long time AS member in the classifieds here for a saw. Some are probably close to where you live. You need a 50cc saw to limb with and a 70-90cc saw to cut up trunks. There are deals out there on FB. There was a 261cm and 400C on FB for $1000 for the pair on my commute route. Very tempted

 

[Bearcreek]

- Husky 435 with 18 inch bar: $300 seller says only used 2 times for a total of 5 hours
-3 Olympyk 264's with 16 and 18 inch bars: $160 for all three, seller says they are in good condition but need a service
-Husky 55 with new 14 inch and 18 inch bars: $350, seller says he just put in new fuel lines and filter in "used-like new" condition
-Husky 445e with 18 inch bar, carrying case: $350, seller says used like new, bought this year and has 7 hours run time
-Echo CS400, 18 inch bar: $350 brand new
-Stihl ms260, 18 inch bar: $300. seller says it is used but good, just took it in to dealer for service and they cleaned the carb, sharpened the chain and put in new gas

I'd go with either the 260 or the Echo and go to a 16 in bar. Do a compression test on the Stihl before buying, if you can. I would stay away from the Olympyk's, not because they're bad saws (I have no idea, no experience with them) but because, IMO, "good condition" means it's ready to use and doesn't "need service".

 

[Pjohnson]

In my opinion buying a used saw is always a bit of a gamble and easy to get burnt if your not mechanicaly knowledgable about saws. Two saws are nice but you could get by with one good reliable saw. If your cutting 20 inch wood I'd be looking at 60 to 70 cc saws wirh 20 to 24 inch bars. Just because the dealer points you to the most expensive saw doesn't mean thats the only one you can buy. Echo 620 or 590 would be nice a bit cheaper then stihl or husky. A stihl ms400 or 372/572 husky would be other great choices for 20 inch wood. Forget them 40 and 50 cc saws with 16 inch bars for that size wood.

 

[IvanH]

Thanks very much for your replies!

 

[dboyd351]

Do you have an Echo dealer nearby? If so, go talk to them and see if they are more interested in your business than the Stihl and Husky dealers you visited. The Echo CS590 and 620 are both considered a better value by many than what Husky or Stihl offer and are the size you need for 20 inch wood.
But try hard to find a good dealer before committing to a particular brand unless you plan on doing the maintenance/repair yourself.

 

[TheJollyLogger]

Keep in mind, a saw is just a motor that runs a chain. Starting out, technique and how to keep your chain sharp are the most important things to learn.

 

[sean donato]

Of the saws you listed there are only 3 I would consider. The ms260 then the husqy 55 then the Echo cs400. I only mention the 400 since I've recently gotten to run one a friend got, while helping him take down a walnut tree 2 weeks ago. It's was a decent little saw for the money. Not terrible on power. It was about the same power wise as my 192tc stihl. Weighed about the same, possibly a tad heavier. Ran a 14" bar real well. I'd want a bigger saw for a primary though. I like the 60cc class of saws, but had/have a few different 50cc saws. The 026/260 have always been a favorite of mine. The 55 is a good saw, can't go wrong with one imo.
I'd really be leaning toward a 60/70cc saw, but thats another debate for later.

 

[coffeebrk]

Of the saws you listed there are only 3 I would consider. The ms260 then the husqy 55 then the Echo cs400. I only mention the 400 since I've recently gotten to run one a friend got, while helping him take down a walnut tree 2 weeks ago. It's was a decent little saw for the money. Not terrible on power. It was about the same power wise as my 192tc stihl. Weighed about the same, possibly a tad heavier. Ran a 14" bar real well. I'd want a bigger saw for a primary though. I like the 60cc class of saws, but had/have a few different 50cc saws. The 026/260 have always been a favorite of mine. The 55 is a good saw, can't go wrong with one imo.
I'd really be leaning toward a 60/70cc saw, but thats another debate for later.

All solid pics

 

[ericm979]

Check the laws for selling firewood. There may not be any, or there may be a lot. You'd also be running a business and there are often licenses and taxes to deal with.

Felling trees is dangerous and felling dead trees is even more dangerous. Running a saw is dangerous. You need safety gear and some idea what you're doing.

I recommend the book "To Fell A Tree" by Jepson (the author's last name). It's a good intro.

You will also need to learn how to sharpen a saw. They need to be sharpened every tank or two of gas. Taking it to the dealer will be time consuming and expensive.