I'll throw in my two cents here: I'm not one swayed by others opinions, I value them, but I have to find things out for myself. I've been trying different brands of saws, all purchased on Craigslist or Ebay. I've been using Husqvarna, Stihl, Dolmar, Olympic, Echo, etc... I've spent hours reading posts on this site referencing every saw I've purchased and used. My favorite saw is my Husqvarna 346XP running an 18" bar, 3/8" semi skip, full chisel Stihl chain, it's a first gen with a muffler mod. Running a close second, my Stihl MS260 Pro, same setup. When I picked up the MS260, I immediately went to the woods and ran it by my 346, comfortably half as fast through the wood as the 346. I did the muffler mod to the MS260, huge improvement, it's still not as fast as the 346, but it's much closer, I like the inboard clutch on the Stihl. If either of those won't do the job, I grab my Stihl 036, wearing a 20" bar running the exact same chain as my smaller saws. From there, I have a Husqvarna 372XP, and up from there - my Husqvarna 394XP, either running a full skip, chisel chain on either my 28" or 32" bars. My advice, see what's available in your area, and search this site for opinions/experiences. Check for dealer/service support in your area, and stay away from consumer models.
Enjoy the search for the perfect saw.
