Chainsaw for the Wife.

[DFK]

Here in the next few days my Wife will be getting HER first chainsaw.
My wife, at 5'10" and 180lb's, just does not have the upper body strenth to run a 55cc or larger saw for more than an hour.

The saw we are looking for cannot have a powerhead that weighs much more than 10lb's.
Less weight will be even better.

So, 40cc to 42cc is going to be the MAX size saw we will be looking at.
We have considered a Stihl MS 192 Rear Handle.... It is quite light weight....But I dont know if a saw that small is really up to doing much work.

We have the following Dealers (with full repair shops) close by. ECHO, HUSQVARNA, DOLMAR and STIHL.
I know almost nothing about Chainsaw Reapir so doing buisness with a good Dealer is more than worth it to me.

These are the saws that we are looking at.
Echo 400, Husqvarna 240, 435, 440 and the 543xp, Dolmar 421, Stihl 192 Rear Handle, 170, 180 and the 241.

Any advice????

Thanks
David

 

[mesupra]

David,

I have used the 440 husqvarna a good deal and have nothing but good things to say, they really are a great little saw, I had one that was used and abused commercially for a year and still ran great. Let me know if you decide on this model I can get you a new slightly cheaper than a refurbished one.

 

[KenJax Tree]

Dolmar 421 $329 shipped to your door with a free case. I love mine it cuts bigger than 40cc after you gut the CAT from the muffler. Magnesium case too. The MS 241 is a great saw but its $$$$

 

[mesupra]

That's a sweet looking dolmar, mag case is a nice sign of quality

 

[HuskStihl]

Husky 445. 9 lbs. I bought one for my wife a few years back, but quickly stole it as it gets a surprising amount of work done. FYI, there is very little chance your wife will be pleased if and when she finds out you posted her weight on a public forum

 

[CR888]

Check the specs on a Solo 643ip. l have a ms201rear handle and was going to reccommend that but the solo is a top notch saw and could be had a lot cheaper. l'm yet to see a 40cc saw that compares to one spec wise. Just a saw that has not been mentioned that would be perfect IMHO. You will not find another model that has a more impressive power to wieght ratio in its class. Check it out! SOLO 643ip

 

[A10egress]

David,

I have used the 440 husqvarna a good deal and have nothing but good things to say, they really are a great little saw, I had one that was used and abused commercially for a year and still ran great. Let me know if you decide on this model I can get you a new slightly cheaper than a refurbished one.

I have bought a 440 from this fella and have nothing but good things to say about the 440 and mesupra. He's a square deal.

 

[CR888]

l got a 550xp off mesupra and l certainly do not regret dealing with him. The saw l got from him was in mint condition but a lot cheaper than new from a dealer. lf he reccomends you a saw he has it would be well worth considering. There are many other members that have had the same experience. Good luck

 

[hayboy]

My wife likes my CS 400 Echo, and NO way I am posting her weight.

 

[Rudedog]

Dolmar 421 $329 shipped to your door with a free case. I love mine it cuts bigger than 40cc after you gut the CAT from the muffler. Magnesium case too. The MS 241 is a great saw but its $$$$

That's a nice saw at a great price with the extras.

 

[blades]

Wife's Weight posted + chainsaw = A possible insurance payout here or at least several years of litigation not to mention the extended amount of physical therapy that you will likely be needing. (lol)
I'm voting for Dolmar , pro units - no 3 tier homeowner, contractor, professional rig-a-ma-roll to sort through.

 

[Grey]

My wife likes her MS251BCE. The "easy 2 start" is very nice. I'm not a big fan of the tension adjustment.

 

[4x4American]

stihl 250 perfect womens saw
plus with a simple muffler mod itll wake right up

 

[7sleeper]

What I wouldn't exclude is the Hitachi CS 40 EK = Tanaka ECS 3801!

38,2 ccm |1,76 kW/ 2,4 HP / magnesium split body / hard chrome cylinder / max. rpm 14500!!! / 4kg = 8.82 pounds / made in Japan / decompression valve

both fully fueled, without bar and chain(both saws are mine and were weighed on the same scale):
Dolmar 420(old type with 2.7hp) 5.5kg = 12.13 pounds
Hitachi CS40EK 4.6kg = 10.14 pounds

I have had it since a few weeks and can tell you I really like it A LOT!!!. It may seem a little flimsy but at 13700 rpm it tell's you it's a naughty little one. Here is a vid I did on the first tank filling. First part carb set at 13100 and second part set at 14100rpm.



Will do a new vid soon.

In the us it seems only the Tanaka ECV-4501 seems available. Same saw as mine with 43cc!

7

 

[CTYank]

I'd also suggest Husqy 435 (40 cc) refurb from VMInnovations dot com.

A step or two up, RedMax GZ4000- light, fast, quiet (relatively) and long endurance.

Dolmar 421 is just fine without gutting anything. Non-toxic air is good.

Relative to the above, Stihl 250/251 is a joke. Not funny, either. Sucks wind compared to PP4218- honest.

Most all dealers I've seen around me are cash-extraction services. I'd never rely on them for services.

 

[old_soul]

Wife's Weight posted + chainsaw = A possible insurance payout here or at least several years of litigation not to mention the extended amount of physical therapy that you will likely be needing. (lol)
I'm voting for Dolmar , pro units - no 3 tier homeowner, contractor, professional rig-a-ma-roll to sort through.

That's funny right there.

My wife liked to run the farm boss 029. Not to heavy and balanced well with 20 inch bar.

Of course that was before we were married. Hasn't cut any wood since.

Hmmmmmmm

 

[zapblam]

At home I find myself grabbing the toy ms170 for almost everything.

 

[Sagetown]

This 36cc saw is my goto saw. I'm of the over-the-hill gang, and upper body strength saps pretty quick when in the cut. I've found this MS211 is super for a light weight saw tackling hardwoods. These are really nice.

 

[DFK]

Well, We got the Wife a Saw.
She wanted the Dolmar 421. It came with a 16" bar and a small kerf safety chain.
We also picked up a second chain and three ( mustard packs ) of two cycle oil.
We looked at a Stihl MS 192 Rear Handle. The Echo 400 and a few of the Husqvarna saws.
She compared everthing to the Dolmar.

About half way threw the first tank we had to up the idle speed just a tad.
We did not get a screwdrive for this so I used the one for my Stihl. It worked just fine.
Called the dealer and asked it we could pick one up for the Dolmar.
"No!, The EPA wont let us give thim out anymore." WHAT??????.

She did not like the safety chain. So, She removed it and put the other nonsafety chain on.
And away she went. We took down two dying 12" to 14" Red Oaks in the back yard.
The wife took the limbs off with ease and cut the trunks into firewood. I love that woman.
After three thanks of fuel the little saw is running very well. Is has some what of a growl to it.
Much impressed. If I ever need another saw of my own Dolmar is on the list.

Thanks for all the advice. And thanks for making this a great web site.

David and Wife.

 

[Thornton]

Congrats glad she likes it