I’ve been lurking the forum a lot while doing chainsaw research. This is far and away the most active and knowledgeable forum I’ve found.
I’m a middle aged guy who owns a single acre. My use for a chainsaw is pretty limited, maybe processing the odd tree that falls over on my property, cutting an annual Christmas tree, and collecting a couple cords of wood via a “dead & down” permit the USFS issues.
Until now I’ve been making do with a 18V Sawzall and 18v Milwaukee 16” chainsaw. I learned a lot using the electric chainsaw over the last few years, but it has definite limitations that appear as soon as you attempt real work. For instance, a few weeks ago I hooked up the horse trailer, loaded up the ATV and dump cart and drove 120 miles to the pines to get firewood. Once there I learned that the Milwaukee batteries don’t tolerate the cold. I wasted a lot of time and fuel to only come home with a bunch of dead batteries and a half-cord of wood. I only managed the half cord by rationing my cuts, bringing home 5-6 foot lengths, and then cutting them down to size at home.
So I started looking at gas chainsaws. I ruled out the Wal-Mart bargain models. The similarly priced string trimmers and such just don’t seem to last long before suffering a mortal failure. I really hate throwing away a tool because a cheap part breaks. I DO NOT want to be repeatedly pulling a starting cord in the snow, sweating and cussing a crappy saw. Granted I can’t justify a *need* for a mid-level or modest pro-level saw in terms of wood volume, but I really want something RELIABLE, with quality hardware, that is rebuildable, where I can get a leaky crank seal replaced instead of trashing an otherwise functional tool. Also, while I may not process a lot of wood, I am diligent about ‘exercising’ my tools. So I’ll make sure it gets a few minutes of run time periodically in the off season, and gets fresh fuel and tune-ups.
I’m looking at $500ish, 59cc saws, specifically the Echo CS590. It appears to be well built, and have good replacement parts availability, with replacement top-end parts, crank bearings and crank seals only a couple clicks away.
Is this kind of the starting point for a “good reliable chainsaw” that’ll last, or do I still need to level up more to get the life and durability I’m looking for?
Note, I do all my own maintenance & repairs on my truck, tractors, ATV & dirtbike. I have good luck with bigger engines, but the small weed wacker engines just never seem to come back to life once they get a problem.
Thanks in advance for any input.
I’m a middle aged guy who owns a single acre. My use for a chainsaw is pretty limited, maybe processing the odd tree that falls over on my property, cutting an annual Christmas tree, and collecting a couple cords of wood via a “dead & down” permit the USFS issues.
Until now I’ve been making do with a 18V Sawzall and 18v Milwaukee 16” chainsaw. I learned a lot using the electric chainsaw over the last few years, but it has definite limitations that appear as soon as you attempt real work. For instance, a few weeks ago I hooked up the horse trailer, loaded up the ATV and dump cart and drove 120 miles to the pines to get firewood. Once there I learned that the Milwaukee batteries don’t tolerate the cold. I wasted a lot of time and fuel to only come home with a bunch of dead batteries and a half-cord of wood. I only managed the half cord by rationing my cuts, bringing home 5-6 foot lengths, and then cutting them down to size at home.
So I started looking at gas chainsaws. I ruled out the Wal-Mart bargain models. The similarly priced string trimmers and such just don’t seem to last long before suffering a mortal failure. I really hate throwing away a tool because a cheap part breaks. I DO NOT want to be repeatedly pulling a starting cord in the snow, sweating and cussing a crappy saw. Granted I can’t justify a *need* for a mid-level or modest pro-level saw in terms of wood volume, but I really want something RELIABLE, with quality hardware, that is rebuildable, where I can get a leaky crank seal replaced instead of trashing an otherwise functional tool. Also, while I may not process a lot of wood, I am diligent about ‘exercising’ my tools. So I’ll make sure it gets a few minutes of run time periodically in the off season, and gets fresh fuel and tune-ups.
I’m looking at $500ish, 59cc saws, specifically the Echo CS590. It appears to be well built, and have good replacement parts availability, with replacement top-end parts, crank bearings and crank seals only a couple clicks away.
Is this kind of the starting point for a “good reliable chainsaw” that’ll last, or do I still need to level up more to get the life and durability I’m looking for?
Note, I do all my own maintenance & repairs on my truck, tractors, ATV & dirtbike. I have good luck with bigger engines, but the small weed wacker engines just never seem to come back to life once they get a problem.
Thanks in advance for any input.