chain saw ???????????

[farrell]

My brother has been running a plastic Stihl MS290 for years. 10+ cords of firewood a year, thinning large tracks of pine trees and logging. He has yet to break any plastic and there's a bunch on that saw!

:hmm3grin2orange:

yeah! sure is a lot of plastic on it!! i looked at a new one a couple weeks ago, the saw is wide, heavy, and plastic. but that doesnt mean i wouldnt buy it just cause someone told me they didnt like it. everyone has their own likes and dislikes in a saws feel, handling, power, and make. how many have actually takin the advice of others and not bought a saw cause they were told they have had an issue with a particular brand of saw. maybe it was an isolated problem or maybe it was operator error. in either case the decision is yours and yours alone. get advice then go check all the saws out and go with what YOU LIKE!

 

[Nix]

Personally, if you're going for one saw I'd go for something like a Husky 359 or 365(sp) (great saw that, love mine to death) or a Stihl 260(pro), 290 or 361/2. Maybe check around used and see what you can find, as with $350... you're not gonna find anything really nice new in the Husky/Stihl department. I mean, they've got some nice enough homeowner saws in that price range (one that comes closest is the MS290). But nothing in the "Pro" department.

 

[Locust Cutter]

Personally, if you're going for one saw I'd go for something like a Husky 359 or 365(sp) (great saw that, love mine to death) or a Stihl 260(pro), 290 or 361/2. Maybe check around used and see what you can find, as with $350... you're not gonna find anything really nice new in the Husky/Stihl department. I mean, they've got some nice enough homeowner saws in that price range (one that comes closest is the MS290). But nothing in the "Pro" department.

Another thought: A lot of people on here aren't fans of them due to their size/weight vs power (when compared to the pro-saws), BUT, The 039 (MS390) Stihl that my father bought new in '94 has cut probably 90-110 cords of wood since new. It still starts on the third or fourth pull when it's cold out, and pulls it's 20" bar w/.063 3/8" chain just fine in Hedge. It's also rugged and completely dependable. I'm looking at replacing it currently for a lot of my medium cutting to be the go between from my 346xp and my MS660. I don't NEED to replace it, but my 15 year old brother (I'll be 30 in July) will be inheriting it soon and would like to try something a bit more powerful. I'll likely also be spending between $400-900.00, depending on which saw I decide on and whether it's new or used. If you'll have only 1 saw for now, and want a great firewood saw, they don't sell for very much used and are hard to beat for the price point and dependability. Just watch out to keep the air filter clean, as they don't have the air injction feature like the Huskies do.

 

[Moss Man]

I agree that the Stihl 039 or the MS 390 would handle ten cords a year with ease.

The Husqvarna 359 would be very adequate as well.

One of the saw dealers here has Efco saws and the customers are buying them up because they are well built at a lower price than some of the other brand name saws.

A Jonsered 2159 would be the same as the Husqvarna 359.

 

[NEW BURNER]

ive been looking at a stihl ms290 farm boss 20" for 379.95 new. think i can swing another 50 for a good saw

 

[Stihlcutter]

Stihl

If you can handle a real saw thats going to last. Check on the Stihl ms361 or see if you can find and older Stihl ms360 or 036 but still in good shape.
-ac

 

[JustinM]

ive been looking at a stihl ms290 farm boss 20" for 379.95 new. think i can swing another 50 for a good saw

If you're absolutely adamant about "new" then yes, this is probably as good as you're going to get (you might find a slightly better deal on a dolmar/makita).

However, Id still suggest looking for a very well maintained used saw - you could get a professional stihl or husky with 10+cc more power (and a lot more torque) for less money than that pretty easily I suspect.

 

[sgrizz]

60 cc saw with a 20 inch bar. I would get a pro saw if you can swing it and it would be the last saw you buy. either brand will do and if a 20 inch bar is to much then a 18 inch bar .

 

[fields_mj]

Personally I would stay away from home owner saws regardless of brand, and that includes the Stihl 290. Reason is that if you're in this for the long haul, you will eventually have 2 or 3 other saws, and a home owner saw will not be a part that group. It also won't hold much for resale value, so in the end it's some what of a waste of money.

Find a good local dealer that sells Stihl, Husky, Jonsred, or Dolmar and get one of their smallest home owner saws. Don't be afraid of buying a good used saw. If a pro saw has been maintained at all it will still last you your life time. The small saw will be a little to small to cut 10 cord a year, and it will be slower at cutting stuff over 8"~10" but its a great place to start. If you want to get something a little bigger, you can trade the small pro saw in and get a good a good buy on something bigger, or more likely you will keep the small pro saw and buy a second saw that is in the 60~70cc range.

At 10 cord per year, You will find that after a few years you may end up cutting more big stuff than you realize, so I wouldn't recommend trying to pick out a bigger saw just yet. Truth be known, you'll probably end up with at least 3 saws if you are cutting that muck, but don't worry about that just yet. You can address those needs when you get there. But yes, you will NEED 2 saws before too long, especially if you cut alone much (not a good idea if you are new at it). You will get the bar pinched in a log, and not be able to get it out. Your partner will have to make a few cuts to free your bar up, or you will have to use a second saw to do it, or an axe. The axe sucks... trust me. There's always a place for a good small pro saw in a line up, and when you do buy a bigger saw, the small one makes a great back up, and you will still use it for limbing and bucking small rounds that you won't need to split. Either way a small pro saw is a useful tool in any line up, and it's a great place to start. While it's more at home cutting smaller stuff, it CAN handle stuff well over 24", it just takes longer.

 

[Yoopermike]

I happen to like my "homeowner saws" ie 345, 350,50,51 and 55 ect.... there GOOD saws and unless your gonna use the saw for batting practice and you take GOOD care of the equipment whats wrong with a lil plastic?? its lighter and is really quite durable.just remember .. plastic gives a little .. metal does not!!!

 

[Locust Cutter]

I happen to like my "homeowner saws" ie 345, 350,50,51 and 55 ect.... there GOOD saws and unless your gonna use the saw for batting practice and you take GOOD care of the equipment whats wrong with a lil plastic?? its lighter and is really quite durable.just remember .. plastic gives a little .. metal does not!!!

I bought my 55 Husky new in '01. I have run the snot out of it and except for needing some carb tuning presently, has been a wonderful saw. I do love the 346xp, but, I still have and quite often use the 55 for a lot of limbing/small bucking.

 

[r&r]

I'd go for at least 65 ccs an 029 or 455 will cut plenty of wood but get into the pro series saws and theres a huge difference. Everyone will say go with the local dealer go with the local dealer well you can get some good new saws off the internet for a great price so look around. Besides once you start using these things you will learn how to do most necessary repairs. And if you live in a place like me dealers are non existent a couple of sellers but no experts. I wouldn't let the local stihl "dealership" look at one of my saws let alone work on one.

 

[NEW BURNER]

echo cs 8000 worth 350.00?

 

[abikerboy]

ive been looking at a stihl ms290 farm boss 20" for 379.95 new. think i can swing another 50 for a good saw

I've got the MS290 with 18" b&c. It does very well with what I ask of it. Even tho there is a lot of plastic, it does feel well made, and has even stood up to some accidental abuse! Because it is a popular model, the plastic parts are all over e-bay. Hope I never need them, but it is nice to know that I can find them easy enough if I do.

 

[NEW BURNER]

is a 20" bar to big for a 56.5cc motor?

 

[farrell]

is a 20" bar to big for a 56.5cc motor?

the 56.5cc should do fine with it. i run a 20" my husky 350 (52cc) and it cuts and runs great.

 

[NEW BURNER]

ok thanks for all the replies everyone

 

[abikerboy]

is a 20" bar to big for a 56.5cc motor?

I've had my 18" burried to the hilt, and been cutting mostly locust and oak. Haven't had any problems yet at all. I think you would be fine with the 20".

 

[TreePointer]

is a 20" bar to big for a 56.5cc motor?

On an MS290, the answer often is "yes." I have a 290 with a 20" bar (.325, .063, 8t spur sprocket). The bar length is there for reach, but burying it in hardwood certainly does not impress. It just doesn't have the grunt when I need it. It certainly is not a good stumper.

The things I like least about the 290 are the relatively low power-to-weight and its vibrations. Its fuel economy also falls behind many newer saws. For long cutting sessions, the vibrations and weight were really getting to me. My solution was to get an MS361, which is what I should have purchased in the first place.

Some are happy with their 290, and I have no problem with that. If you've never run a quality pro saw, then ignorance surely is bliss.

 

[fields_mj]

There's nothing wrong with a home owner saw. My dad has an old 028, and my BIL has a Husky 455. Both saws run fine for the amount of cutting they currently do (1 or 2 cords a year). But for 10+ cords, I wouldn't bother with one. They are too heavy to be a good limbing saw, and a little to slow to make a good mid range saw. If some one were to offer me a decen't 028, 290, 455 for $100, I sure as heck wouldn't pass it up, even though I don't have a need for any of them (and the wife would kill me for buying it). They are just not what I would set out looking for.