What is your favorite chainsaw of all time?

Arborist Forum

Help Support Arborist Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
I have two MS200T's

My favorite saw of all time. I've lots of ground saws, 460M, 064, 090, 3120, 036's, 038's, 026's, 241CM, .....but when I've got two feet on the ground almost any saw will get the job done. Hanging on a 1/2" rope 60 ft. in the air....well that's another story. MS200T.
 
My little echo 2511t has been my favorite it's so handy. But I picked up a 500i that may become my favorit.
 
Straight up love affair with my 346’s. Particularly my XS346. And right behind the 346 is my 400c.
 
So far, the Stihl 036 has been my favorite. I'm thinking about adding an 044/440 clone to the line up though. It's another pound of weight, but also a healthy step up in displacement and power. I mostly cut bigger firewood (hickory and oak), and the 60-70cc saws in the 12.5 to 135lb range seem to be the sweet spot for me.
 
Overall one saw plan 036 or 034S.
They can go climbing and run short bars well especially modded or ported. Light weight but capable of oiling and pulling a two foot bar.

No one disputes this to my knowledge.

Personally a ported 46 or 48mm matters little on the 20" bar. Not an all day bucking saw for me but the AV isn't the best. I have a beautiful 036 tucked away all stock. The rest of the 1125s all get altered substantially for climbing or felling. New batch this winter.

Edit: my go to ground saws are 361 and 362. Climbing will always be the 200T.
First impressions early on
Skill 16xx or xx16. Yellow, black and it screamed. Mid 1980s. Before that was the electric Craftsmen 2.0 black and red chrome handlebar 120V. Got one tucked away.
 
So far, the Stihl 036 has been my favorite. I'm thinking about adding an 044/440 clone to the line up though. It's another pound of weight, but also a healthy step up in displacement and power. I mostly cut bigger firewood (hickory and oak), and the 60-70cc saws in the 12.5 to 135lb range seem to be the sweet spot for me.
You will enjoy running a 400 more
 
All time fave? My ported 660. Lots of big hardwood where I live and nothing beats that beast for the wood slaughter I am doing.
 
You will enjoy running a 400 more
I'm sure that I would. If someone wants to send me one for free, I'd be happy to run it for them. I've never spent more than $400 for any of my saws. I've paid between $200 and $300 for all but one of them and that was the 064 which I gave $375 for. I have no doubt that the 400 has a noticeably better power to weight ratio. That difference just isn't worth an extra $700 to me. I've just never been one that felt the need to have the shiniest new toy. In part because once I lay my hands on something, it will never be shiny again....
 
I'm sure that I would. If someone wants to send me one for free, I'd be happy to run it for them. I've never spent more than $400 for any of my saws. I've paid between $200 and $300 for all but one of them and that was the 064 which I gave $375 for. I have no doubt that the 400 has a noticeably better power to weight ratio. That difference just isn't worth an extra $700 to me. I've just never been one that felt the need to have the shiniest new toy. In part because once I lay my hands on something, it will never be shiny again....
Nothing against saving money but at some point you will want something smoother if you buck a lot of wood. I'm all against shinny new anything unless it is long term purchase of a tool. Couldn't imagine all the wood I cut with a bow being done with regular bar on big jobs. The back savings was worth ten times the cost of that saw setup and more. I'm at the age and have enough tools and backups to start worrying more about my hands then cost per unit. Others aren't bothered by vibes I am after a few hours.
 
Nothing against saving money but at some point you will want something smoother if you buck a lot of wood. I'm all against shinny new anything unless it is long term purchase of a tool. Couldn't imagine all the wood I cut with a bow being done with regular bar on big jobs. The back savings was worth ten times the cost of that saw setup and more. I'm at the age and have enough tools and backups to start worrying more about my hands then cost per unit. Others aren't bothered by vibes I am after a few hours.
Ditto... hands go numb running older saws with meh av. The 400 is a great saw to run all day, plenty of power for a 24" b/c. Giant leap forward for stihl in av and filtration.
 
Nothing against saving money but at some point you will want something smoother if you buck a lot of wood. I'm all against shinny new anything unless it is long term purchase of a tool. Couldn't imagine all the wood I cut with a bow being done with regular bar on big jobs. The back savings was worth ten times the cost of that saw setup and more. I'm at the age and have enough tools and backups to start worrying more about my hands then cost per unit. Others aren't bothered by vibes I am after a few hours.
I started off with an older (1978) Stihl 041 farmboss. Anti-vibe, what's that??? :D
With a pair of atlas gloves on, I don't notice any vibration from any of my saws even after cutting for 10 to 12 hrs. I can buy a lot of Atlas gloves for $700 ;) Eventually the 400 will be old news and Stihl will be looking at discontinuing it. At that point, I'll probably own one.
 
Back
Top