Hi folks,
First post here... I'm a total newbie. I've got a lot of questions, I'll save most of those for another thread. Weekend before last, I bought my first chainsaw.
I am a homeowner in the suburbs with a woodburning stove, although I haven't used it very consistently for the last few years. My wife's parents and her oldest brother (I think he's got an 026) - all of us homeowners - organized a woodcutting day at a mutual friend's place out in the country where there were a few downed trees to cut up. We rented a splitter and I borrowed a MS290 from my wife's other brother.
Well, on the woodcutting day, the MS290 was just not running well, it was smoking, and would die at idle, and I only made two cuts with it before it wouldn't start at all. Meanwhile, the older brother-in-law with the 026 had hit his chain on some rocks and dulled it completely. So we were stuck. I decided that I guessed I needed to buy my own saw. I ran up to the local Wal-Mart but the selection looked pretty dismal. The salesman there was a self-proclaimed chainsaw enthusiast. He recommended the Poulan synthetic 2-stroke oil and and bar lube. But when I asked him how the Wal-mart saws compared to something like a Stihl he said, "No comparison - the Stihl is much better made and will last a lot longer."
So that was enough to push me away from the $130 Poulan. I have had enough experience with cheap power tools (Ryobi, Homelite) that work OK for a couple of seasons, then they're a constant fight to get started and keep running.
I decided to do it right. Bro-in-law's wife was going to the Stihl dealer to get a new chain for her husband, so I had her buy me a saw while she was there. A phone call to the dealer recommended the MS210 for occasional homeowner use, so I got it.
Normally, I like to research any decision heavily and shop around for a good deal. Instead, I just picked up a saw without looking at it and paid full MSRP!
So I certainly have a bit of buyer's remorse. Just before Bro-in-law's wife came back with the saw, a neighbor dropped by and offered the loan of his Husqvarna (!)... so I guess I didn't have to buy a saw after all. But by then it was too late, I was already commited in my mind to it, and I couldn't help but fire up and get to work with MY new saw when it arrived.
I was very pleased with the performance of the 210. I know it's a pretty weak saw, but I thought I was cutting a bit faster than the guy with the 026. (I'm thinking his 026 wasn't running 100%.) Now I've started reading the forum here, and I already want something bigger, which is pretty ridiculous. Reading here, I've found out that the MS210 is kind of a dog in the Stihl lineup, but I guess it's OK for me, for now. It's light and easy to handle and probably isn't a bad choice to learn on.
So, "hi" folks!
First post here... I'm a total newbie. I've got a lot of questions, I'll save most of those for another thread. Weekend before last, I bought my first chainsaw.
I am a homeowner in the suburbs with a woodburning stove, although I haven't used it very consistently for the last few years. My wife's parents and her oldest brother (I think he's got an 026) - all of us homeowners - organized a woodcutting day at a mutual friend's place out in the country where there were a few downed trees to cut up. We rented a splitter and I borrowed a MS290 from my wife's other brother.
Well, on the woodcutting day, the MS290 was just not running well, it was smoking, and would die at idle, and I only made two cuts with it before it wouldn't start at all. Meanwhile, the older brother-in-law with the 026 had hit his chain on some rocks and dulled it completely. So we were stuck. I decided that I guessed I needed to buy my own saw. I ran up to the local Wal-Mart but the selection looked pretty dismal. The salesman there was a self-proclaimed chainsaw enthusiast. He recommended the Poulan synthetic 2-stroke oil and and bar lube. But when I asked him how the Wal-mart saws compared to something like a Stihl he said, "No comparison - the Stihl is much better made and will last a lot longer."
So that was enough to push me away from the $130 Poulan. I have had enough experience with cheap power tools (Ryobi, Homelite) that work OK for a couple of seasons, then they're a constant fight to get started and keep running.
I decided to do it right. Bro-in-law's wife was going to the Stihl dealer to get a new chain for her husband, so I had her buy me a saw while she was there. A phone call to the dealer recommended the MS210 for occasional homeowner use, so I got it.
Normally, I like to research any decision heavily and shop around for a good deal. Instead, I just picked up a saw without looking at it and paid full MSRP!
So I certainly have a bit of buyer's remorse. Just before Bro-in-law's wife came back with the saw, a neighbor dropped by and offered the loan of his Husqvarna (!)... so I guess I didn't have to buy a saw after all. But by then it was too late, I was already commited in my mind to it, and I couldn't help but fire up and get to work with MY new saw when it arrived.I was very pleased with the performance of the 210. I know it's a pretty weak saw, but I thought I was cutting a bit faster than the guy with the 026. (I'm thinking his 026 wasn't running 100%.) Now I've started reading the forum here, and I already want something bigger, which is pretty ridiculous. Reading here, I've found out that the MS210 is kind of a dog in the Stihl lineup, but I guess it's OK for me, for now. It's light and easy to handle and probably isn't a bad choice to learn on.
So, "hi" folks!
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