Which Chain saw to get?

[jharmon3]

I need some advice on the best chain saw to get for my use. I am a home owner with 2 fire places. I also own some land and will be cutting down trees to use for firewood. This will be my primary use for the saw. I have looked at several saws and not sure which would be best for my occasional use for firewood. I have looked at the Husky 460 Rancher, Dolmar PS5100s, Stihl MS290 Farm boss (recomended by the dealer), and from on here the Stihl MS 361. I am looking for a saw that is a good all around dependable saw but I am not sure if I need the power of the 361. Any ideas?
Thanks for your help in advance. I have a Stihl dealer 5 min. away and a Husky/Dolmar dealer about 20 min. away so I am not concerned about driving the distance if it is a better saw. If there is a saw I have not mentioned that you feel will be a better fit please let me know. I would like to stay below the $500.00 mark if possible. But I read alot of good things about the 361.
Jeff

 

[Evan]

id saw stihl 270 husky 450 maybe even 435 husky.

i dont see any reason to go with the 361. my pic would be the 270stihl. its an all around great saw and is better then the 290 by alittle bit. thats just my opion. i think id get it with 16" bar and rsc chain this would cover your cutting needs from small to decent sized wood 24"s or so.

 

[gregz]

Hey fellow Hoosier,welcome to the AS forum. I'm a stihl guy,so I recommend
the ms361. I have never used one but from what I hear it is a great saw.
Cheers
gregz

 

[sloch24]

You're not going to get much love for a MS290 on this site. There are a few people that stick up for it. It's a good homeowner saw, it's just harder to work on and/or modify.

Have you tried the search function of this forum? This question is asked at least weekly, and there are some very good recommendations.

I'm a Stihl guy myself (as you can probably see from my sig). If you're just using it around the house, the MS290 is a fine saw. They run about $379 with a 16" bar.

Are you looking to buy new? Or are you considering used?

Good luck! Welcome to AS!

 

[Evan]

nothing at all wrong with the 290. its only flaw is its only 30 bucks cheaper then the 270 wich is quite abit more saw for only being 30 bucks more

 

[derwoodii]

They all seem in the ball park for your needs I had a MS29 sadly was not the best stihl had made, consider Stihl 310 20 inch bar or the smaller 025 18 inch chain bar .
My thoughts are, go with the dealer who gives you the best discount on saw safety gear. Chaps gloves helmet muffs etc.

 

[SawTroll]

How large are those trees?

 

[computeruser]

How large are those trees?

Precisely.


Any of the saws listed will get the job done, unless you're working big trees.

Of the saws listed, assuming you won't be routinely in bigger wood, the Dolmar is a fun saw that acts bigger than it is. But having a Stihl dealer next door really tends to favor going with the 290 or 270/280, in the absence of some really compelling reason to choose something else.

 

[deer slayer]

My 2 cents... 361 is the only way, excellent power to weight. a professional saw(adjustable oiler not big of a deal to most), if you run into bigger wood the saw can handle it. buy an extra bar and chain to do your needs.( I have a 460 w/20", recently bought a 28 bar and chain for what few larger trees I come across) I am a firefighter and we put this very saw to work many times a week, If it can handle several different people abusing it the way my company does, it will be the last saw any home owner buys...

 

[Echo6 Sierra]

I have to agree with deer slayer. I own a 361 and I'm glad I went with the pro saw over the 310/390 I was looking at.

Pro saws are meant to work and work hard. They are built more durable (magnesium case vs. plastic) they are easier to upgrade (wrap handles/double spikes/bigger bars) and they are easier to service if the saw were to go down (self service vs taking it to the shop)

I'm a home owner and I cut/burn about 5 cords per year & so far this saw has performed flawlessly. For a firewood saw the MS 361/362 is like a sore prick, you can't beat it!

 

[Adirondack]

I was dead set on getting the 361 because I have a Stihl dealer 5 min. away from my house. I had a chance to get the Dolmar 7900 for the same price as the 361 and the dealer is 20 min. away. I would have been perfectly happy with the Stihl but I am glad I got the Dolmar.
50 cc saws are OK but if you want to have fun cutting wood get a 70 cc saw. If you have a lot of 20 inch + wood get a bigger saw. Smaller stuff get the smaller saw. I would get the dolmar 5100 if I was on a budget. With the money you save get good PPE.

 

[VI sawguy]

Have a look at the PS-6400 Dolmar. It makes for a great firewood saw

 

[kruege84]

The 2 most important factors are going to be the size of the trees you'll be cutting and how long you plan on sticking around on ArboristSite...

If you stay here after you buy the saw, odds are you'll end up with a 361 at some point anyway...

 

[jharmon3]

Size of trees

Most of the trees I will be cutting are 18" or less. Locust mainly, some oak. If that helps.

 

[wooddog]

346xp 50cc new one, 5100, all under $500.

 

[Scooterbum]

The 290 is a great saw for it's intended purpose.It's a homeowner grade saw.

It's not built to be run 8 hours a day full time,though many are used by pros and they hold up.

It's Stihls #1 selling saw for a reason.It's a good all around firewood saw.

The people on this site tend to be real picky about pro built,power to weight ratios and all that.

Myself I would pick the 270 or 280 in that price range.A little better built and a better P to W ratio.

But having a Stihl dealer close is very important in the equation also.A good dealer is worth his weight in gold.

Go try them out and see which feels better in your hands.You may find you like the 250's size better.also a good saw just not as much power.

 

[ericjeeper]

Ok Locust is not an easy wood to cut. Harder than hammered hello. I would go for the 5100 or the 346. The 361-362 are overpriced in my opinion.

 

[Scooterbum]

I cut a lot of locust and oak.Just keep a few extra chains and keep them sharp.
That way you swap out the chain till you learn the art of hand filing.

It'll save a lot of cussing........................

 

[Banshee]

What part of Indiana are you from? I'm in Brownstown. I know of a couple good dealers in the area.

I think I would go with a 346xp or find a good used 262xp or a 372xp.

 

[TreeClimber57]

Ok Locust is not an easy wood to cut. Harder than hammered hello. I would go for the 5100 or the 346. The 361-362 are overpriced in my opinion.

Well there should be somewhat of a price difference between the three saws mentioned.

The 346 is a 50cc saw at around 3 1/2 hp
The 5100 is a 50cc saw about same hp.. a bit more if I remember correctly
The 361 is a 60cc saw at around 4 1/2 hp

(forgive me if I am out a bit on above as going from memory)

A 260 would into the 50cc 3 1/2 hp range.