Very first chainsaw

[Brian K]

So, I'm just about to buy my very first chainsaw. Up till now I have used my step dads wild thing from Poulans I think. I have decide to go with Stihl, either ms 250 or 271 and I have a specific budget in mind. Both are on sale, 250 at $349 and 271 at $399. Just not sure which would be better for my needs.
I just took up stump grinding on the side and once in a while I get a stump that is cut a little higher than I'd like so I need to cut it lower. I know that as you get lower to the ground the stump gets harder and I could be dealing with any kind of tree and all diameters. I also do alot of bucking, I think thats the term used to cut wood to length for splitting. If I am wrong then please correct me.
Any advise would be greatly appreciated.

 

[bryanr2]

Neither of those saws are made for stumping. More like "weekend warrior" limbing projects.:msp_wink:

 

[DexterDay]

If one had to be chosen? The 271....

But for $350-$400 clams? You can buy a dam nice used saw here. Actually? There are a few for sale now that are Bigger in cc's and cheaper. One homeowner unit comes to mind, from a very familiar name here. Or a Pro unit can be had.

All in what you want.

Remember. Stumping means hitting dirt. That = Dull chains. More time sharpening or more money.

For weekends the 271 is a solid unit. But for the new price? A better saw can be had here. IMHO

 

[josh1981]

How big are the stumps and what size wood are you cutting? I cut no more then 30 inches anymore. Maybe a little bigger. I have sold all my big saws and only use 40 60 and 70 ( 80 actually I call 77-79cc saws80 cc). 40 for limbing/trimming. 60 inbetween. 70 for rest.

 

[HuskStihl]

You'll need a bigger and better saw for comercial stumping. Minimum, and I mean bare minimum would be a 044. Stumping is a pain in the ass, and you really don't want to be doing it with a small saw. Unless you're dealing with bansai trees, then the 250 will stump just fine

 

[z71mike]

$400 on the used market will get you a decent 046 or even an 066 if your timing is right. Those are stumping saws.

 

[Brian K]

I wont be using the chain saw that low to the ground, just to cut a stump lower to the ground to make it easier on my stump grinder. Some of the stumps are still 3 or 4 feet high and I just want to be able to cut them down to a height of 3 or 4 inches above grade. I was looking at a few spruce stumps down the road from me and they are all about 35" to 40" in diameter and up about 12".
I know that I shoud go a little bigger than I need and a few people have said that the 250 would be plenty for what I need but I have also heard good things about the 271.

 

[HuskStihl]

I wont be using the chain saw that low to the ground, just to cut a stump lower to the ground to make it easier on my stump grinder. Some of the stumps are still 3 or 4 feet high and I just want to be able to cut them down to a height of 3 or 4 inches above grade. I was looking at a few spruce stumps down the road from me and they are all about 35" to 40" in diameter and up about 12".
I know that I shoud go a little bigger than I need and a few people have said that the 250 would be plenty for what I need but I have also heard good things about the 271.

Dirty or not, those are not 35-40" diameter saws. Listen to the old man and get a bigger saw.

 

[Brian K]

This is basicially just a part time gig for me. Most weekends. As for the majority of the wood I would be cutting to split for firewood, would probably only be about 15" in diameter. I am looking to buy one for this weekend so buying one on here would probably not work, but for the next one........now I know. Thanks for the heads up. I have been on this site for the last 2 weeks trying to figure out what to buy. I should have decided to sign up earlier.

 

[fearofpavement]

A saw the size of the MS250 would be fine for the majority of cutting but if you're doing stumps, you need to look out for a BIG saw. Neither of the two saws mentioned are adequate for most stumps.

 

[Macman125]

A 044 or a 066 is pretty big for a very first saw.

 

[514mach1]

I'm with these guys. 70cc minimum. 80-100cc would be what I'd pick. If it were my money with that goal, I'd look for a used 066 or 288xp (I'm a husky fan) and go over it with a carb rebuild, new fuel line/filter, and replace whatever else is worn.

 

[Brian K]

Should I maybe be looking at the 261

 

[514mach1]

A 044 or a 066 is pretty big for a very first saw.

That's true, and going from a Wild Thing to that size saw is a HUGE jump. Different ballpark to the extent of almost being a different sport. BUT, he's going to be stumping 30"+ trees and bucking up logs (I assume similar size). He'll need a good size saw for that and it may be that he's diving in kinda deep right off the bat.

Edit: I see the part about bucking firewood being mostly 15" and under. If the 30"+ stumps aren't really common, a 70-80cc would be my choice.

 

[Franny K]

Without looking it up bucking to me means cutting up into pieces that are headed to a sawmill not a splitter. I looked in an owners manual and one picture does show a guy with a log on a sawhorse thing cutting eight inches or so off. They use the term cutting into sections.

My understanding is that the stump grinding gets charged by how far down they go and if you can cut it with a chainsaw that part is easy money. May be wrong and it isn't bid or billed that way around your area. Probably would look for something with the ability to run a solid nose bar and larger chain I will let you pick the saw.

 

[Brian K]

I do appreciate all the input and I do understand that for some trees I will need a bigger saw or just let my grinder take care of it all but it only has 13 hp. Its always nice to saw off a few inches to save some time and cleanup. Most of the bigger stumps that I get asked to grind I end up suggesting to hire a real professional but if someone has half a dozen little stumps and one big one then I'll take the job. It would just be nice to know that if a bigger tree comes along every once in a while, that my saw could handle it.
I don't come across trees that big too often. Last year I used my dads wild thing to cut about 8" off a maple that was about 30" across. I did have to cut through from 3 sides to do it but it worked. 95% of the trees that I have cut lower were only about a foot or so across which is probably why the stihl dealer suggested the 250. It wasn't until I said I wanted to put an 18" bar on it that he suggested I also look at the 271 which would have better weight distribution and was more designed to hold a bigger bar, up to 20" I think.

 

[bucknfeller]

I wont be using the chain saw that low to the ground, just to cut a stump lower to the ground to make it easier on my stump grinder. Some of the stumps are still 3 or 4 feet high and I just want to be able to cut them down to a height of 3 or 4 inches above grade. I was looking at a few spruce stumps down the road from me and they are all about 35" to 40" in diameter and up about 12".
I know that I shoud go a little bigger than I need and a few people have said that the 250 would be plenty for what I need but I have also heard good things about the 271.

If you have decided on a MS250, or a MS271 for cutting stumps, you really haven't done enough reading on here. Neither of those are any good for stumps above 12"- 15" diameter, and they really won't like that. A 261 is better, but it is surely not a good stumper either.

If you want to spend $400. on a new saw, your money would be better spent on other brands besides Stihl.

 

[Brian K]

Without looking it up bucking to me means cutting up into pieces that are headed to a sawmill not a splitter. I looked in an owners manual and one picture does show a guy with a log on a sawhorse thing cutting eight inches or so off. They use the term cutting into sections.

My understanding is that the stump grinding gets charged by how far down they go and if you can cut it with a chainsaw that part is easy money. May be wrong and it isn't bid or billed that way around your area. Probably would look for something with the ability to run a solid nose bar and larger chain I will let you pick the saw.

Cool, ok, so most of my saw usage would be to cut wood into sections for splitting. Thanks, still pretty new to this. I've seen the term bucking a few times on this forum and assumed thats what it meant. As for the grinding, I only do it part time when I'm at the cabin just for an excuse to be outdoors and I find it relaxing. I'm not one to sit around for too long. I charge by the diameter and if the stump is too high and I use a chainsaw to lower it then I charge an extra 10 bucks. Also, because I know almost nothing about chainsaws, what is a solid nose bar?

 

[Brian K]

Ok, so, could I have said something wrong or not allowed because one of the posts I just wrote disappeared.

 

[bucknfeller]

Everyone else knows what you meant by bucking.


Just do yourself a favor and look around at some other brands before you make a purchase. You can get a lot more bang for your buck with other brands, or a good used pro saw.