Non pro saw choice?

[sawfan]

I have a friend that recently found a use for a chain saw around the house cutting down a few trees and after that maybe 1-2 cord of wood a year. He wants a saw in the 300$ range so I am thinking non pro is where its at. I have no experience with smaller saws so I am going to throw it out to you guys to see what you think. I found a few in the 300$(american) price range Stihl ms250 and ms290 Husky 345 and Husky 350 but if any of you know of any others let me know. We only have Stihl, Husky and Jonsered dealers around here and they are all pretty good in the customer service department.
Thanks

 

[buckwheat]

yup. Stihl 025 or Husky 345. Dependable performing homeowner saws at respectable prices.

 

[tony marks]

yup that 025 will do the job.
another way to go is the 295 poulan pro , and drop to 16 inch bar. dozer dan got just what he needs on ebay right now.

 

[Ryan Willock]

Well Brian beat me to it! I would have to agree on the ms250 with a 16'' bar. I haven't used a husky 345 so I can't comment on that but the 350 is a nice saw or try the Jonsered equivalent:angel:

 

[WRW]

sawfan,
45cc is the perfect size for homeowner use. Like Rocky said, the care given to the chain will determine how well the saw will cut. For firewood make the felling cuts one section (18") off the ground, trim and section the tops, then go back and make all the stump cuts. Then sharpen the chain till it feels sharper than new.
As for which brand... look for the best dealer. Period.

 

[Orange Wedge]

You mentioned the ms290...I have this (029) and it is a heavy saw
Actually it is more heavy than it needs to be.
The ms250 as mentioned is a great homeowner saw.

 

[Stumper]

No dispute with any of these recommendations but Tony mentioned the overlooked "sleeper" out there. The Poulan Pro saws have performance far beyond there retail price implies. Tony loves his 295, I'm sold on the 330. It has an excellent power to Weight ratio and is the best balanced 3-3.5 CID saw I've run.