New guy newish saw

[CuriousGeorge17]

Thanks in advance for any advice y'all can offer me. I've got a MS290 that was bought new I reckon around 2013 I can't remember. Anyway I've got a new piece of property with some trees that need cutting. This 290 wearing a twenty inch bar is a pig. It struggled with a half sharp chain on a pine tree yesterday. The pine was around 18 inches. Oh and it has the green low kickback chain on it. So my question is do I need to run a smaller bar, a different chain, or get a bigger saw? Or is there something I can do to put some pep in its step? It's seen very little use and will still only see occasional use as I have time to cut these trees. What would be my best and most cost effective move? Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

 

[LonestarStihl]

Welcome! Watch out though...you just came to a forum of chainsaw addicts and asked if you need a bigger saw [emoji23].

 

[CuriousGeorge17]

Welcome! Watch out though...you just came to a forum of chainsaw addicts and asked if you need a bigger saw [emoji23].

Hahahaha well I can't say I don't want one! I stay on the tradin post but I just don't know if it's the right direction to take! Or if my wife will think it is

 

[LonestarStihl]

I'll say I had a ms391 and I was happy with it...until I got on this site and eventually broke and got into the pro series. [emoji15]it was awesome lol. If you find a decent ms361 you'd be thrilled. A ms290 will do the job it just won't do it as happily. All depends on what you're looking for

 

[Adam08ski]

Thanks in advance for any advice y'all can offer me. I've got a MS290 that was bought new I reckon around 2013 I can't remember. Anyway I've got a new piece of property with some trees that need cutting. This 290 wearing a twenty inch bar is a pig. It struggled with a half sharp chain on a pine tree yesterday. The pine was around 18 inches. Oh and it has the green low kickback chain on it. So my question is do I need to run a smaller bar, a different chain, or get a bigger saw? Or is there something I can do to put some pep in its step? It's seen very little use and will still only see occasional use as I have time to cut these trees. What would be my best and most cost effective move? Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

A lot depends on your budget, your hopes, if you are happy to do your own saw work, if you want to buy new, or if you want to buy 2nd hand and also if you want to do a few mods to help the saw on its way.

Cheapest and easiest thing to do if you are able is pop the cylinder and piston in the bin and buy an OEM new or used ms390 kit, mod the muffler and be doe with it. The ms390/039 with a muffler mod are a pretty decent saw albeit 'non pro'

 

[LonestarStihl]

There's lots of guys on here who can give you great advice. Don't feel stuck to Stihl either. Unless they are the only dealer near you there's several good makers. Echo has the cs-590 which during their dealer days is a good deal for sure

 

[Adam08ski]

I'll say I had a ms391 and I was happy with it...until I got on this site and eventually broke and got into the pro series. [emoji15]it was awesome lol. If you find a decent ms361 you'd be thrilled. A ms290 will do the job it just won't do it as happily. All depends on what you're looking for

Ditto on the ms361, or even a 034/036/ms340/ms360.. Or a 357xp! o dear the list can go on and on..

 

[blsnelling]

If you're going to run a 20" bar, you do need a bigger saw. No matter what size saw you have though, you MUST have a sharp chain!

 

[CuriousGeorge17]

I was thinking either buying second hand or modding. They seem to be more cost effective seeing as this saw still looks brand new and it's several years old. I'm not necessarily stuck on stihl. I have pretty much any kind of saw dealer locally. I've just only used stihl at home husky at work and we've started acquiring some shindaiwa saws. I don't know a lot about the latter.what would be the minimum saw to run a 20"?

 

[Adam08ski]

I was thinking either buying second hand or modding. They seem to be more cost effective seeing as this saw still looks brand new and it's several years old. I'm not necessarily stuck on stihl. I have pretty much any kind of saw dealer locally. I've just only used stihl at home husky at work and we've started acquiring some shindaiwa saws. I don't know a lot about the latter.what would be the minimum saw to run a 20"?

60cc.. stihl ms361, husky 365, 357xp, dolmar 7300. Listing but a few..

 

[Ted Jenkins]

If you like working on saw then you can find any number of usable saws that need work cheap. You need to ditch the safety chain and learn how to get your chains sharp. Or get a mid size saw 70 to 80cc new. If you get a decent saw you will only have to deal once in twenty years. If you have only 18'' wood then you could live with a little 60cc saw. Even large cc saws do not cut with dull chains. Thanks

 

[BushWackin]

CuriousGeorge,

I too am pretty new around here, and was in a similar situation a couple years ago.

There any many great saws out there across a few different brands, and since joining this site I have picked up a couple bigger and badder saws. They cut great, and do way more than I would ever need as a property owner (I don't heat with wood and only cuts as needed or for fun).

Since you are a new property owner, like me, I would assume you have many other projects that also currently require much of your hard earned cash. home repairs, mowers, sprayers, atv, tractor, weed eater, etc.

As such, I would recommend getting a 16" bar, semi chisel chain, and a 2 in 1 sharpener. The shorter bar will help with the limited power of the 290, the semi chisel chain will help you keep from dulling the chain as fast (doesn't cut quite as fast, but it keeps you cutting), and the 2 in 1 sharpener will allow you to quickly touch up the chain on each refill of the saw so that it is always good and sharp as blsnelling mentioned. Additionally, the 16" bar on that saw still gets you through a 18" - 20" tree with little to no problem.

I run this exact setup on my 50cc pro grade saw(the closest I have to your saw), and it eats all the wood I can feed it. If you are ever cutting up brush and don't want to have to bend over as far, the 20" bar and chain could be put back on (I do this regularly). I think the 290 would do what you need it to, but doesn't necessarily do it in style.

In a year or two you can surely find a great deal in the tradin' post on a bigger saw. I have a 50cc/70+cc saw combo now, but you could probably get a 60cc class saw to complement the 290 and be thrilled with it. Dolmar, Stihl, Husky, and Jonsered all have good saws that will do all you need in that class. Again, I don't think this is a requirement for the usage you listed.

If I were you, I would prioritize something else on my property first. I think my best investment for property maintenance was a quality stihl weedeater with the tri-headed steel blade. It takes out brush up to an inch or so in diameter, and I get anything bigger with the saw. This is how I clean up all my trails and property lines.

Good Luck fighting the CAD.

 

[1Alpha1]

Drop down to about a 16" bar and go buy a new non-safety (yellow) chain for it. Keep the saw that you have though.

Then consider buying a larger saw. Most guys that have saws have at least two of them. A 2nd saw is always good for back-up.

 

[Brian72]

Welcome! Watch out though...you just came to a forum of chainsaw addicts and asked if you need a bigger saw [emoji23].

He doesn't need "A" bigger saw. He needs several bigger saws!

Sent from my E6782 using Tapatalk

 

[Brian72]

The echo 590 is a terrific saw and very affordable. I highly recommend it..

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[LonestarStihl]

He doesn't need "A" bigger saw. He needs several bigger saws!

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You are very correct

 

[sunfish]

So my question is do I need to run a smaller bar, a different chain, or get a bigger saw?

Yes

 

[chainsaw2007]

I'll say I had a ms391 and I was happy with it...until I got on this site and eventually broke and got into the pro series. [emoji15]it was awesome lol. If you find a decent ms361 you'd be thrilled. A ms290 will do the job it just won't do it as happily. All depends on what you're looking for

361 all the way!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Tapatalk

 

[CoreyB]

For cheap go to an Oregon speedcut bar and chain .325 nk about 18" and it will cut some firewood. But ya a good pro 60cc saw is a world of difference and mo better at a lot mo money!

 

[s sidewall]

Drop down to about a 16" bar and go buy a new non-safety (yellow) chain for it. Keep the saw that you have though.

Then consider buying a larger saw. Most guys that have saws have at least two of them. A 2nd saw is always good for back-up.

Two saws, two saws, who you kidding, 10 or more.

Steve Sidwell, Samsung On5 using Tapatalk