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I will assume you've been bitten by a brown snake and are in the throes of delirium. lol
What is a good 1st saw
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I will assume you've been bitten by a brown snake and are in the throes of delirium. lol
Find a nice used Stihl 026!
My first reliable saw (read Stihl) was an 026. They are available used in good shape for $300 or less, a great saw, the smallest of the Stihl pro line. Reasonably easy to work on, dependable, tough, fun to use.
Exactly! Great little saw that could cut 90% of my firewood. Parts still available and they are easy to work on. Just ran a ported 026 that was built for my daughter and that thing is insane!
jeremyc
ArboristSite Member
I purchased a used MS170 with 14 inch bar for 100 bucks as my first saw after i bought my first house. used it to cut firewood to heat the house that year and then upgraded a year later. But as others have said it really depends on your intended purpose and amount of usage.
My first 3 saws were a PP4218, Craftsman 3.7, and a Super XL Automatic. They did the job for a while. Then CAD set in. It was all over then.
earlthegoat2
ArboristSite Guru
I only steer people into pro saws just for longevity and/or future repair because they are easier and cheaper to work on. IME, pro saw parts cost just as much as all the others and for a modestly higher initial investment and the usually increased power to weight ratio you will usually get, the price is justified.
So that said, a Stihl 026/260/261 class or Husky 346/550 type class. I know nothing about Echo saws so I cannot recommend them in good conscience.
So that said, a Stihl 026/260/261 class or Husky 346/550 type class. I know nothing about Echo saws so I cannot recommend them in good conscience.
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As I've said many times in the past, if you properly use, care for, and maintain a saw, a homeowner saw will last just as long as a pro-model saw.
It really is as simple as proper use, care, and maintenance.
It really is as simple as proper use, care, and maintenance.
I voted for the CS590 but if you can find one a good used 026 would be a better choice.
In theory a pro saw should last a little longer.
I get a kick out of the Internet experts who talk down HO saws and act like none of them will still be running after cutting a couple dozen cords.
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In the past, I liked to buy home-owner grade O P E on the cheap, and see how long I could make it last. But, that's just me, and I'm kind of weird about taking care of my equipment. I never once ended up disappointing myself.
Now, I just buy whatever I want.
Wasn't always that way though..........I can't remember the last time I ever saw a homeowner 'wear out' a saw, usually straight gas or unused fuel systems get them. I'm not sure a 60cc pro saw is suitable for someone that has not ran saws before. Start small and new so parts are in top condition and work up. A homeowner can get a lot done with a ms170 14"b/c. If he really needs something more serious, he'll have some experience/skills & KNOW his requirements.
cus_deluxe
Commie Satan turd
Oh now you went and did it. Oil thread!!! Lol
cus_deluxe
Commie Satan turd
I would say an ms250. Very reliable. Dirt cheap (unless youre buying on craiglist haha), tons of parts. Enough power to do basic clean-up and firewood. Not enough power to give the operater delusions of grandeur haha.
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Ditto. A 50 or 60 cc saw for a beginner could very well be suicide. I KNOW I don't have the experience many of you have but since getting into saws a couple years ago and starting with an Echo 400 my experience, confidence, and skills have grown tremendously. This site and its people have helped tremendously. After a couple years with the 400 I was comfortable enough to "graduate" to a 490. This year I got a Makita 6401. If I had started with either of those I probably would have got hurt or killed because of testosterone overload or given up. Remember, thread states "First Saw". If you started with a 60 cc saw then you're gifted or full of it.
My first chainsaw was a McCulloch 3818AV running a 3/8" pico chain. Still have it and use it as my truck & camp saw when I go elk hunting. Runs and starts as easy as any of my Stihls and it has cut more firewood than I can begin to count. That said, my 026/MS260 saws are my first grab for jobs around the "ranch", unless some really big stuff needs to be cut up.
Ryan'smilling
Addicted to ArboristSite
I'm curious about this idea that a 60cc saw is more dangerous than a 45cc saw. I'm younger than many of you guys here, but the first saw I ran (I was probably 11 or 12) was my dad's 036 with a 20" bar. Also, the first saw I owned personally was a 361 with a 25" bar. Both of them are 60cc saws. Personally the only increased hazards I see from a larger saw are increased potential for fatigue, and I suppose that since you've got the capacity for a little bit longer bar, you could talk yourself into a situation that you aren't ready for.
Honestly though, an 8" diameter tree can kill you as well, so the idea that a small saw will keep you safer doesn't make much sense to me. Also, a 45cc saw can kick back just as dangerously as a large saw, and a spinning chain is a spinning chain. If you cut an inch into your leg, it's not gonna matter how man CCs your saw has under the hood. I suppose there's the budget question; maybe if a guy has $500 total to get himself set up, if he buys a small saw, he'll still have room in the budget for a pair of chaps and a helmet. Really though, that level of PPE and a little training should almost be mandatory. I'd much rather set up a new operator with a 60 or 80cc saw, a pair if chaps, a helmet, and an hour or two of basic safety instruction, than with a 45cc saw, a pair of sandals, and a cold beer.
I know I used the word mandatory above, which obviously isn't realistic, and I don't want to have a chainsaw license any more than the rest of you, but I think that it should at least be very easy to take a safety class. It'd be great if the places that sold O P E would offer a class once a month or something. Give people a coupon for $25 off a new saw if they go perhaps. Just thinking out loud here.
Honestly though, an 8" diameter tree can kill you as well, so the idea that a small saw will keep you safer doesn't make much sense to me. Also, a 45cc saw can kick back just as dangerously as a large saw, and a spinning chain is a spinning chain. If you cut an inch into your leg, it's not gonna matter how man CCs your saw has under the hood. I suppose there's the budget question; maybe if a guy has $500 total to get himself set up, if he buys a small saw, he'll still have room in the budget for a pair of chaps and a helmet. Really though, that level of PPE and a little training should almost be mandatory. I'd much rather set up a new operator with a 60 or 80cc saw, a pair if chaps, a helmet, and an hour or two of basic safety instruction, than with a 45cc saw, a pair of sandals, and a cold beer.
I know I used the word mandatory above, which obviously isn't realistic, and I don't want to have a chainsaw license any more than the rest of you, but I think that it should at least be very easy to take a safety class. It'd be great if the places that sold O P E would offer a class once a month or something. Give people a coupon for $25 off a new saw if they go perhaps. Just thinking out loud here.
BB Sig
ArboristSite Operative
I used an 021 for 3 years cutting stuff on my new property. My dad taught me a few things over the years but I never received a full training on saw operation. That's why I found this forum.
I upped my game and got a new CS-620P based on some of the threads here and the need to cut some of the large trees (48" on some of them) and needing quicker and larger cuts for my churches ministry. The price was right and the quality was there. The first time I used it, the power difference took my by surprise (it shouldn't have). This saw would not have been good as my first saw but it definitely works as my second saw.
That said, each person and circumstance is different and there is no one "first saw" rule. Without knowing the circumstances, I would never recommend a CS-590 as a first saw.
I upped my game and got a new CS-620P based on some of the threads here and the need to cut some of the large trees (48" on some of them) and needing quicker and larger cuts for my churches ministry. The price was right and the quality was there. The first time I used it, the power difference took my by surprise (it shouldn't have). This saw would not have been good as my first saw but it definitely works as my second saw.
That said, each person and circumstance is different and there is no one "first saw" rule. Without knowing the circumstances, I would never recommend a CS-590 as a first saw.
Ryan, good point.
I love my 550 but to me that isn't the best starter saw as it is light and has lots of power coupled with the fact that is it also high revving saw so a noob could get themselves into more trouble with it. OTOH a lower revving 60cc saw would better for someone to start out with IMO.
