Best all around chainsaw for under $400

[superfire]

ever thought about a john deere

http://www.deere.com/en_US/ProductC...s.ProdCatProduct?pNbr=UT10949&tM=HO&link=enav
the jd saws arre nice saws made in Italy by Emak. for the money well worth the look see. i have the cs 40 and cs 62 also the cs 81. they all are well worth what i paid their specs are well with in their stated specs. if you are doing a one saw plan look at the link above at the cs 46. it will pull a 18" bar with enough grunt too due 90% of what you want.

 

[ShoerFast]

Darn...my dealer sold me my 310 with an 18 inch bar....wish I had gotten the 20....

Just all in fun, I had a 310, and it lived with an 18" very well!

The extra 2" is not a lot of difference but my bet would be that it would be a little nose heavy.

If I had one saw, and it had to come around $400. it would be a 290/310 with a 16/18" bar.

 

[Wolfcsm]

Yes, a very good saw with a 20" bar. For some reason the dealers try to push it out the door with a 24"...at least the two I talked to. It will haul a 24 acceptably but only with a full skip chain.

Harry K

I tink that they are getting a lot more for the 24' bar

Hal

 

[turnkey4099]

Really? 24"? My dealer told me 18" would be perfect, 20" would be great, but never said anything about 24". It handles great with a 20", but I don't know that I've ever heard of anyone pulling 24" with a 310. People that get into big enough wood for a skip chain to be useful should consider a bigger saw.

Tell me about it! I am making do with the 310/24 when I need it, other than that it is the 310/20 with normal chain or the Husky 51 16" for limb/trim.

Most of my stuff has been running 24-36" for the past several years. Used to use a 041/24 until last spring when the maintenance got to be too annoying (old shaky syndrome)

Harry K

 

[turnkey4099]

I tink that they are getting a lot more for the 24' bar

Hal

I had to buy a 24 bar and full skip chain when the 041 died last year. Not sure of price now. ?$65? ?95?. Somewhere in there.

Edit: Aha! Why did they try to push it with a 24 new? I am in the PNW - almost all softwood cutting - that might explain it.

Someone else posted that the 310 is selling just under $400. That surprised me as I paid right at $400 several years ago, would have thought the price would be up due to inflation.

Harry K

 

[ucrtwf]

I stopped by the local dealer yesterday. They want $426 for a 310 w/20" bar. The 290 was $375 w/18", the 270 was $415 w/20"... then the prices went up from there- The 260 was $506 w/20" and what I've been reading as "the saw to have" the 361 was $615 w/20". I'm thinking the 310 is the route I'm going to go, unless the Husky dealer can steer me otherwise.
Thanks again guys.
Tim

 

[zobnob]

used chainsaw

If you are going to spend a max of $400, take a look at the site in my sig. You can use it for reference if you don´t want to buy online, it will give you price suggestions on used saws. There are plenty 290´s on sale at the moment.


Good luck.

 

[lumberchukk]

Makita

I just purchased a Makita DCS-6401 for 420.00 (that was with shipping). I'd imagine it'll best the stihl mid-range saws.

 

[diesel_power101]

Look at used

I have a MS290 20" bar and was by my dealer for a tune up and picked up a used MS460 25" bar. The saw manager said that they would have to put a new bar and chain on and clean it up and put it on the showroom floor or I could buy it with the old bar and chain for $275. I added a new chain and a case with chain sharpening round file for $300 out the door. If they would have put a new bar on it and marked it up a bit I think that I would have went for $425 - $450. There looked to be quite a few good saws on eBay.

Anyway, I loved the 290 for firewood and cleanup and you probably will too, but man, the MS460 REALLY cuts wood. I haven't touched the 290 since I got the 460. I get sooo much more wood cut up. I've cut wood since I was 12 and never knew that you could get that much more power for about 1 1/2 pounds. I've started cutting my 6 cords for the upcoming winter and this is making short work of it.

A good saw needs good service. Make sure that someone near you can service it unless you do your own. Some guys will charge you to look at it, try to fix it and then to fix it. :censored:

My guys tell me what's wrong and I pay them if I ask them to fix it.

 

[steelhead kid]

My experience has been...

my 310 has the 24'', it does just fine with full comp. in soft woods anyway.
I usually run full skip, and dont' max out the bar length in a log . ill go up to a #36"" if I need to. A longer bar means less leaning over, Im tall so it works for me.

buying Used is risky, but can be the way to go. ( for $400 you can probably find a husky 371, or 044 since these models have new updated versions guys are selling their old stuff ) research specs and look around for deals.

 

[chowdozer]

There's a 310 on Tradin Post for $375.

 

[SawTroll]

Hands down the winner is 5100 if you want to have "fun" cutting wood

+ 1

+2!

 

[JackD_ME]

chowdozer, that one is mine and it's $350. The saw is is nearly new.

One thing "ucrtwf" mentioned was the saw would sit a lot but needed to run & cut on the occasions he had to use the saw.
If you are a casual user of anything using gasoline, RUN IT DRY, SHARPEN IT AND CLEAN IT before you put it away.
If you fail the saw, it WILL fail you when you need it most!

 

[ciscoguy01]

Late

Sorry I'm late. Hands down, the PS-510 would be a good saw for ya if you have to have a NEW saw... You'll be VERY impressed with it bro...

eh?