what is a dependable small chainsaw for homeowner?

[tommyus4]

All joking aside, the answer is the saw YOU'RE most comfortable with because you are teaching a child. Even the most anemic saw can cost a life.

Since you have used Stihls, I would get a ms261. Since it is of greater quality than a ms250, there is a greater chance it will be passed down to the very person you are about to teach. Which is a big deal, to me anyway.
I have a ms250. It's a capable saw but for storm damage and passing it down, the ms261 wins easily.

If you're comfortable with Husky's I highly recommend the one with the Hockey mask on too...

PS

I somehow missed dingeryote's post. What he said. GREAT post.

 

[tree monkey]

if you want the best small saw it's a ms200rh/ms201rh. but yo gotta pay for it

 

[jeffbayne]

I'd agree with the dealer support issue for brand choice- there's virtually no Husky pro dealers around here, and 5 very good Stihl dealers within 10 miles of my house... That makes it easy to pick a brand. the others have given great models to choose from, but start by checking out dealers.

 

[Vibes]

If you want to get your moneys worth out of a small saw I'd stay clear of any of the Stihl's mentioned, except may be a 261, that is if your planning on spending 5 bills plus. Even at that price I think there are better choices. I'm running 3 small saws for now and I'll bet I haven't paid as much for all 3 than the price of a MS 250.

Ryobi 40cc for $100. Craftsman yellowmax pro $65, both remans with warrauntee. Now a John Deere CS36 for $25. Dealer support? I needed a chain tensioner for the JD that I ordered online and I had to get good chains for the others from Baileys. Anyone want to run a 170 or 180 Stihl against any of those?

You can have all the Stihl dealer support you want for those saws. If you go there for a part and its not in stock you'll be waiting until the guy orders it. When it does come in you'll be paying like $12.50 for a fuel line. So far I haven't needed any parts, but when I do its a mouse click and a whip out the credit card away from the best price I can get and its at my door in a couple days.

Just Sayin, not hatin, but the best advice I feal you can give your son is to think outside the box and shop for supperior equipment at a supperior price.

 

[CTYank]

i love my ms-250 i didnt go for the tooless chain adjustment thow. i went with the manual adjustment model. might just be me but im not highly impressed with any tool less adjustment systems. if you go real cheap poulans have served me and my father well over the years.

i also shy away from anything with those horrendous little primer bulbs if i can. my poulan is just old enought to not have one. and that was also one of the things in my decission to go with the stihl over a husky in the same size range.

Interesting you should say that. I wouldn't buy a saw without a PURGE (not primer) bulb- it's a really GOOD THING to purge air from diaphragm chamber IMHO.

Purging air by cranking the starter sucks.

 

[MEATSAW]

If you use your saw knowing its limitations keep it within its intended design all the smaller saws from the bigger companies will last a long time. I've grown quite fond of an MS180 I have at work. It takes a dozen or so pulls to get it started but it sure does cut well. For its size/weight its got quite a bit of snot. That being said, also check out the Echo CS400 and the Husqvarna 435. The 435 has a lot of great features and the CS400 is just made damn well.

 

[Sabertooth]

Echo makes great small saws. For the price though, I would look for a Dolmar 420 or 510.

 

[casual cutter]

For what it's worth, my Stihl MS170 seems to be holding up just fine for light homeowner use. It's light, easy to handle, easy to start, and light enough to one hand operate if I need to.

The quality isn't on par with Stihl's pro models, but I'm not a pro cutter. I'm a casual cutter that still demands a certain level of quality even in lower end saws. My last Poulan pissed the chain oil out onto the bottom of the carry case every time it sat for a few days. This Stihl does not.

I could've paid more for something else, or I could've paid less for something else. I take care of all my tools, run the good gas mixed right, etc... The saw should probably last for years, if not decades.

I'm a casual cutter, so the longer the little 30cc engine takes to provide the cut, the more use I get use of of it, and the more enjoyment I get in the long run.

Remember, the VW Beetle (of old) had quality control just as high, if not higher, than Mercedes or BMW. In the end you'll reach the same place with the VW, even if you'd spent a bit more time getting there.

 

[Ambull]

I'd agree with the dealer support issue for brand choice- there's virtually no Husky pro dealers around here, and 5 very good Stihl dealers within 10 miles of my house... That makes it easy to pick a brand. the others have given great models to choose from, but start by checking out dealers.

I checked out the dealer locator for Husky in Ft. Wayne, Indiana, and it came up with a bunch of dealers. I only did it out of curiosity, because Ft. Wayne is a decent sized city, and I was surprised to read that you thought there were no dealers.

TURF SERVICE EQUIPMENT SALES & REPAIR
FORT WAYNE
(260) 469-8873

CONNOLLY'S DO IT BEST
FT. WAYNE
(260) 637-1800

TURF SERVICES EQUIPMENT SALES
FORT WAYNE
(260) 469-8873

LEE'S OUTDOOR POWER
NEW HAVEN
(260) 493-6589

B & J RENTALS
COLUMBIA CITY
(260) 244-3100

RUPLEY FARM EQUIPMENT
COLUMBIA CITY
(260) 344-1692

MCCUNE'S SALES & SERVICE INC.
HUNTINGTON
(260) 356-4947

 

[Ambull]

For light homeowner use, just about any saw would be reliable. Yes, even a Poulan Wild Thing.

Just depends on how much you want to spend, how important brand names are to you, and if you want a saw with good resale value.

Also, the image thing might be important to you. If you are cutting with a Stihl or Husqvarna, it portrays an image that you know what you are doing. If you are cutting with a purple Wild Thing, you appear to be a complete hack..... lol.

 

[jeffbayne]

Notice, I said "Husky Pro". I haven't been to the ones in Columbia city or Huntington, but the others you listed don't stock any other saws than Lowe's does. They serve the mowing crews around here, so if you want a $150 weedeater, great (which I have). This may sound strange, but I've never even seen (in person) a Husky XP saw- ever. On the other hand, I can go to the Do-It Best hardware and they stock a 460. This just seems like Stihl country for anything of substance- I always slow down when passing Asplunhd- I've only seen Stihl, and same with the other big tree companies. I went to school with a kid of one of them- all Stihl.

jeff

 

[Trailtrimmer]

For occasional use the MS180 Stihl and Husky 435 are hard to beat. The MS180 can also be had with an easy to start option that takes lots of stress out of pull starting. If you can't toss around a heavy saw any more, it may be a nice option to preserve the body as well.

 

[lmalterna]

Another vote for an occassional use homeowner saw.--- Husky 435- WITH the provisions: no matter where it is bought, get someone knowledgable on tuning to set the carb right(Lowes cannot do that), use only high grade fuel and oil and do not use old fuel/leave old fuel in the saw and replace the chain with good semi chisel chain. PPE of course for the user- even more important for an occassional user.


Tree companies use different manufacturers saws regionally. In this area Big A uses mostly Husqvarnas.

Bill

 

[Adirondackstihl]

lol and true

but for a few more bucks you can smoke that Sentra with a Civic SI.

Not a Sentra SE-R (91'-94') with the SR20DE block.....no way.....no how

 

[Jwalker1911]

For light homeowner use, just about any saw would be reliable. Yes, even a Poulan Wild Thing.

Just depends on how much you want to spend, how important brand names are to you, and if you want a saw with good resale value.

Also, the image thing might be important to you. If you are cutting with a Stihl or Husqvarna, it portrays an image that you know what you are doing. If you are cutting with a purple Wild Thing, you appear to be a complete hack..... lol.

A friend that I occasionally cut wood with uses a poulan pro and a poulan wild thing....guy knows what hes doing cutting wood he just doesnt need a larger saw(thats what he calls me for)

 

[HEAVY FUEL]

If it were one of my kids, it would be another Dolmar 420 or husky 346

 

[Hedgerow]

If it were one of my kids, it would be another Dolmar 420 or husky 346

Do you think sarahdodgegeek will let me run her new 420 this weekend??? I might need to get me one of those to fill in a blank spot on the saw tree...

 

[HEAVY FUEL]

Do you think sarahdodgegeek will let me run her new 420 this weekend??? I might need to get me one of those to fill in a blank spot on the saw tree...

Oh yeah! Her still has the Cat in it tho, we'll have to fix that soon.

 

[Officer's Match]

I can vouch for the 346xp as well. Extremely light for the power it has.

One of the best saws ever made IMHO. I kinda' think of it as the Chevy 327 small block of the chainsaw world.

 

[carym2a]

455 husq or 291 stihl, both real nice, or if its lite stuff every once in awhile how about (I'm gonna get crap for this I know) but maybe a 3416 poulan , About $110.00 to $140.00 just thinkin.

Cary