Which saw to get?

[Commguy24]

New to the forums. I am a fairly new home owner. Quick background is - I live in CT with some cold winters, last winter I started using my fireplace to help bring the oil costs down. I bought a cord of wood and burned through in No time. I decided instead of paying $250 a cord three times or more a winter I would like to prepare my own firewood. I have a firewood permit to a massive piece of land where I can cut as many trees and take as much wood as I would like.

I picked up my first chainsaw last year. It's a Stihl MS 211 c-be. That's what was recommended to me at the dealer. After cutting down 1 or 2 trees and cutting them up the blade will not cut any more. I end up bringing it to the dealer after about one trees worth of cutting to have the chain sharpened. This is the case every time I go to cut wood.

As I said I am new to this whole tree felling and firewood cutting environment but I love it. I have fun doing it and would like to invest some money to make my life easier. My goal is to be able to produce 10 cord a year at least. So I am picking up an Ariens 27 ton splitter and will be upgrading to a saw that can cut more than one tree at a time.

So this brings me to the question of what saw to get... I really like stihl I always have tbought he blowers trimmers ect and they last forever. I really like the home owners class of chainsaws because of the light weight, easy start, and most of all the chain tensioner. The highest model up offered in this class is the ms 251 which I have read should be all that I need. I need a saw that I can use all weekend long. Maybe I need to buy 3 chains and a tool to sharpen them all at the end of day. I have no idea so I am asking for some guidance. What would be a good saw to accomplish my needs. Thanks in advance.

 

[rburg]

There is a gtg in CT this weekend. You can find info about it in the chainsaw forum. There would be many saws there to try and you could also meet some forum members.

 

[Commguy24]

There is a gtg in CT this weekend. You can find info about it in the chainsaw forum. There would be many saws there to try and you could also meet some forum members.

Thanks rburg but I'm away this weekend. How often do they happen and where?

 

[Tree94]

After cutting down 1 or 2 trees and cutting them up the blade will not cut any more.

Sounds like you might be running your chain into things other than wood. If your chain comes in contact with dirt, rocks, metal, etc.. anything, it will dull your chain immediately.

The highest model up offered in this class is the ms 251 which I have read should be all that I need.

Maybe look into the farm and ranch saws, they are made to last longer. The kind of saw you can pull out of the shed in 10 years and it should still start right up...
The 290 might be good for you..

 

[Tree94]

And always remember to be careful,
If the saw cuts right through hardwood like butter imagine what it can do when it comes in contact with your skin....
Accidents happen...

 

[Hoowasat]

Maybe I need to buy 3 chains and a tool to sharpen them all at the end of day.

Yes. I always have at least one extra, sharpened chain with me for each of my saws. I have Stihl filing kits for each, too.

 

[rocketnorton]

Sounds like you might be running your chain into things other than wood. If your chain comes in contact with dirt, rocks, metal, etc.. anything, it will dull your chain immediately.

Maybe look into the farm and ranch saws, they are made to last longer.

/\/\/\ what he said about chains. a 100cc saw don't cut any better than yer lil one w/dull chain. havin extra chain with is good idea. sharpenin yourself will save ya $$$. lots of info on filin & grindin here, and elsewhere on the webz. shops tunin up yer chains will add up to grinder & box of files pretty quick.

 

[Commguy24]

Thanks for all the input so far. The I talked to the dealer about the ms211 being to small for what I'm doing. They recommended possibly the ms 251. I'm reading hundreds of reviews on different says and I think maybe the best one for me is the ms 271 farm boss. I think it will be a hit heavier than the ms 211 but will allow me to cut the amount of wood I'm looking for.

Is there a benefit to getting the farm boss model over any other? I think the 291 is a bit out of my price range and might be overkill.

If I get the 271 would it make sense to still keep the 211 or trade it in towards the 271?

 

[BC WetCoast]

A lot depends on the size of wood you're cutting. While you may be able to cut the wood with a 271, using a 290 or 460 will be a lot faster. You're looking to cut a lot of wood (somewhere around 100 blocks per cord) so anywhere from a 20-50% speed increase will save you a lot of time.

I would keep the small saw as a backup. If your bigger saws ends up in the shop, you still need to cut.

 

[TheJollyLogger]

Technique, technique, technique. Learn your cuts, tension wood, compression wood, etc. It's not the saw or the chain, it's the operator. Not being mean, just honest.

 

[Commguy24]

Thanks Jolly. In my case I am brand new to felling trees and cutting firewood so I am looking for a starting point of a saw. Once I have the basis I can put what I learn from YouTube in to practice and over time improve my technique. I'm just trying to get an opinion from you experienced fellas on where to start.

 

[TheJollyLogger]

211 will do you fine. I was over at a buddy's house today, and he had 2 30' dead pin oaks. All he had was an ms 180 with a 16" bar. An hour later, they were down, bucked and limbed, without touching up the chain once. Why? Because I never hit anything but wood. My point is, a different saw won't help you at all until you learn proper technique. A 660 is useless with a dull chain.

 

[Commguy24]

Understood. You're pretty much saying... Don't hit dirt with the chain and keep it sharpened and use proper technique and I'll be fine? I have been trying my best. But even if I had years of experience and proper knowledge, experience, and techniques. The ms211 stalls out after a couple hours of cutting. It over heats. I need to let it rest for 20 or so minutes before it will start again. I'm looking for a saw that I can use all day without needing to worry about it dying and needing a rest.

 

[srb08]

As a fellow firewood cutter, I can tell you what I've found.
Get enough saw. It's impossible to be efficient with an undersized saw. For general firewood use in trees up to 20" diameter, 50cc, with an 18" bar is the smallest saw you want and a 60cc with 20" bar is better. Don't try to run a longer bar than the saw can handle comfortably. 50cc-18", 60cc-20", 70cc-24".
Larger saws weigh more but they also cut a lot faster than a small saw.
My BIL has an MS 250. When we buck logs, I can usually cut 2 with my 20"-60cc saw for every one he does.
There is no substitute for displacement.
If your finances will allow, look at an MS261 (50cc) or Husqvarna 562 (60cc). I've got both and the 562 is almost always the first saw I grab. It flat gets pissed off at the wood.I also have two pro 70cc class saws but unless the wood is >20", they stay in the truck.
You don't need pro grade saws for firewood but they sure make the job a lot more fun and a lot more efficient.

 

[TheJollyLogger]

All good points, but looking at the original post I'm going to stick with technique improvements being the cheapest way for the OP to improve his productivity. Learn to sharpen your own chain, and learn proper bucking techniques to keep your chain out of the dirt and that 211 will serve you fine.

 

[Commguy24]

Thanks for the continued input guys. Jolly since your suggesting keeping the ms211... I've been doing some research and found that the reason the blade dulls so quickly is because it uses a 43 guage chain and the reason it cuts so slowly is because it's a safety chain. This saw is ment for cutting brush and small branches, not felling trees. But let's say I keep it. I saw that a lot of people upgrade the bar and chain from a 16" 43 gauge to a 14" 50 gauge. Does this sound like a reasonable option for the 211? Also is there a reason not to upgrade to. 16" bar with 50 gauge chain?

 

[rocketnorton]

Understood. You're pretty much saying... Don't hit dirt with the chain and keep it sharpened and use proper technique and I'll be fine? I have been trying my best. But even if I had years of experience and proper knowledge, experience, and techniques. The ms211 stalls out after a couple hours of cutting. It over heats. I need to let it rest for 20 or so minutes before it will start again. I'm looking for a saw that I can use all day without needing to worry about it dying and needing a rest.

the dull chain is likely the cause of all yer grief. it gets dull, you push harder, chain, bar, ph, all run hotter. the fine dust finds its way to the a/f, causin loss of power. ive cut where the chain can need touchin up every cut or 2... you may not be noticing til it gets real bad.

 

[rburg]

I would keep the 211 even if you get a larger saw. There are times you will appreciate the lighter saw. You definitely need to learn to sharpen your own chain. The use of a vise and some type of file guide will help as you learn. Have 2 or 3 sharp chains with you when you go cut wood so you can swap out chains as they get dull. The 271 would be a good size saw as long as you don't plan to cut a lot of wood that is >18" in diameter. Good luck on your saw purchase.

 

[Hoowasat]

After all this talk, I think I'll head out to the garage after dinner to clean and sharpen the three saws I used during my last little job. (I'm a part-time hack.)

 

[Erik B]

After scanning all of the posts, one thing was missed that is critical. You should have PPE. That is personal protection equipment like chainsaw chaps, steel toe boots and a good hard hat. Accidents do happen so pay particular attention to safety.
Welcome to the forum.