Yet another newbie/what to buy thread...

[Ironworker]

Buy the best saw you can afford and don't be afraid to spend a little more than planed, a few years from now you won't remember what you paid but will appreciate the quality, a good 60cc saw sounds right for you, 562xp or 555 or you can get a 50cc and realize would like a bigger saw for the big stuff and end up with the standard 2 saw plan.

 

[Dan_IN_MN]

I get that you only have so much to spend, but I'm tellin you don't waste your money on a plastic cased saw if you want it to last. I've got no doubt that the 455 will last for some time, but the commercial/pro grade saw will outlast it twice and you won't have to go through the hastle of figuring out what to buy a few years from now when the 455 kicks the bucket. Any good dealer will let you test out the saw, IMHO it would be real poor service to sell something to somebody having no understanding of what it is they are buying and not giving them the hands on comparison between the grades of saw. My local dealer does and they aren't a huge place, and then sell the demo's every so often.

If your dealer is letting people demo saws ask if they have any demo pro grade saws for sale. I've seen people get sweet deals on demo saws and they have been in great shape, but its up to your dealer to back the saw if you're buying that way. If you ask you may be surprised, that 550xp may be closer to your price range than you think.

I think the top reasons a saw dies isn't from over use. I believe that includes the consumer grade saws. Granted, a consumer saw is a bit heavier than a pro saw. But they will get the job done.

1. straight gas (no oil)
2. ran lean
3. plugged air filter
4. continuing to try cutting with a dull chain (over heats the bar and chain along with the power head)
5. ????

If a few more seconds spent in the cut isn't important to you, get a lower powered saw.

Like others have stated, hang around here much more and you'll own more than one saw for different size of wood.

There should be a few GTGs happening this spring. Go to one of those and ask the guys there if you could check out a few of their saws.

 

[struggle]

One more thing into the logic is a poor man can't afford cheap tools:msp_ohmy:

If you can swing the extra $200 there is no doubt it will be money well spent.

But I also cut countless cords of wood with a.........................wait for it.....................a stihl top handle 019T and later on bought a MS290 which served me very well both saws and I sold both of them for more than half of what I originally paid for them.

So while you are paying up front for a pro saw you will get more of that money back on resale in the used market.

If you are happy with your dealer and being five minutes away I would go that route with this dealer if you like them.

We have no support in the Husqvarna around my parts so everything is Stihl that i buy new.

If I were to step back in time knowing what I now have for knowledge I would buy a pro saw hands down. It was suggested by the dealer when I bought the 019T, but I cringed at the thought of way spend the extra money. It now makes sense though. IF I would have bought the pro saws then I would still have them...food for thought

 

[retfr8flyr]

I'm sure I will get flamed but I am also a newbie, in fact first post, that just went through the same process you are. My old McCullough finally died for the last time and I need a new saw. I have lurked here, reading all the pertinent posts and researching the net. My criteria was a saw that was less then 11 lbs, I'm 67 and wanted something light, around 50cc's to handle about anything I would come up against. I wanted something that would last and cut 3-5 cords a year. I narrowed it down to the Stihl MS250, Husqvarna 550XP and the new Echo 500P.

I have good Stihl, Husqvarna and Echo dealers near me so that was not a factor. I liked the MS250 and the price but I couldn't make myself buy a saw with a plastic case. The 550XP I really liked but it was over $150 more then the Echo 500P and being a pro saw it only has a 6 month warranty. I ended up getting the Echo 500P, with an 18 b&c. I've only run about 3 tanks through it, so it's still breaking in but I really like it. It's easy to handle, cuts like a demon, doesn't use much fuel and has a 5 year warranty. If you have an Echo dealer near your location you really should check it out, it is a great little saw.

OK flame suite on, about how poor Echo saws are.

 

[farmer steve]

I wouldn't want to rely on a MS250 to cut 5 cords of wood a year.

cut at least 5 cords w/the trusty ms250 last month. but then i'm a glutton for punishment. the OP sounds like he is heading in the right direction with all the other safety gear andhe will get more than enough info here. safe sawin FS.

 

[farmer steve]

:msp_ohmy:

Watch it, SawTroll will try and talk you into an Echo.

:msp_ohmy:

 

[CAJ]

Thanks for all the advice everyone. Lot's of good info to consider. Surprisingly, the 455 is actually the saw that the dealer has recommended. The good news is that I'm going to get to give that a good try tomorrow as we have one at work that I'm going to borrow to cut some firewood with a friend. I've already gotten a good intro to the basics from a coworker who is very good, experience and safety concious and will get plenty more instruction from my friend (also experienced) tomorrow. That said, I would still like to get some more formal instruction at some point, especially if I get into this more. I think there are some courses offered around here starting in April. That's actually another reason that I'm trying to keep the saw budget under control - I'd rather spend the extra on good instruction.

Anyway, I'll report back after tomorrow when I have a better feel for the 455. At least at that point I will have actually used a chainsaw! I can't remember what saw my friend has (Sthil of some sort), but I'll be sure to give that a try as well for comparison.

Thanks for the suggestion of making sure the chain's sharp BTW. We have a nice new chain on the saw and I just ran out and got a spare at lunch and we have another reasonably sharp spare in the box, so will be sure to keep an eye on that. I think the work's going to be slow enough tomorrow that I shouldn't need more than that as long as I'm careful to keep it out of the dirt...

 

[Hinerman]

If you should get a second saw you could get by with a cheapo one like a poulan wild thing or maybe a used one off craigslist etc.

Or, have the dealer throw in an extra bar & chain. If you get stuck remove your powerhead from the bar and attach the spare bar & chain to remove the one that is stuck. It is more work but not as expensive as having another saw. Good luck with your purchase. Be safe. Post pics of the new saw...to support all the chainsaw p#rn addicts on this site :smile2: Not me, of course :redface:

 

[struggle]

Or, have the dealer throw in an extra bar & chain. If you get stuck remove your powerhead from the bar and attach the spare bar & chain to remove the one that is stuck. It is more work but not as expensive as having another saw. Good luck with your purchase. Be safe. Post pics of the new saw...to support all the chainsaw p#rn addicts on this site :smile2: Not me, of course :redface:

Thats a good point about another bar. Basic logic in some cases escapes, not often, but it does happen from time to time:msp_unsure:

 

[2rod511]

I honestly believe the 455 will be a very good saw for you. But as a man who heats solely with a wood boiler I will tell you it takes a whole bunch of wood to stay warm. If somebody tells you they heat their house and don't have to cut wood regularly then they are either a liar, or their house doesn't stay very warm. If you plan on heating with wood then you are going to become very proficient at cutting and splitting wood. There isn't much wood that comes out of little trees. If you keep heating with wood you are going to own xp saws I almost guarantee it.

 

[rdtreewalker]

It is always good to have a second saw as a backup in case you get pinched as already stated, another option is to have a second bar and chain instead of a second saw. But as everyone knows if you hang around here for a year or so you will have a dozen saws and have to choose which one you want to use.

For what you are planning on cutting the 455 will be a fine saw and will last you for years to come if taken care of and propperly maintained. All of the pro saws from jred, husky, stihl, and dolmar would be great options if you want to spend the extra $ for them. I personally would go with a 261stihl, but I am an opinionated stihl guy.

Good luck in your shopping and I hope you get much use and enjoyment out of whattever saw you choose.

 

[zogger]

That dealer wanted you to walk out the door with a saw, so he pushed the less expensive one.

You are going to have the saw years and years, now think about the price difference now, a pro saw over the home owner saw. Contemplate reality and do the math.....Pennies a day. Pennies. Pro saws are also easier to work on, and worth rebuilding once they need it.

Now if you want to wait, and learn on a less expensive one, but something that will cut your 5 cord a year for now, you can get a brand new poulan 5020 AV for under 200 bucks, and by all accounts here with guys who have them, they work quite well. Learn on that one, get better at cutting, then later one get a pro saw, in the 70 cc class, and still have the 50 cc poulan.

If you want to go for the gusto now, I am more in favor of a 60 cc saw for a one saw plan, pro class.

 

[CAJ]

Well, I got out for my first day of cutting yesterday. Used the 455 that we have at work. It worked ok at first, but I put a new chain on halfway through the day and that made a huge difference. Just amazing how much faster it cut. I bought a spare chain before heading out and just took what the dealer suggested since I don't know much at this point. Looking it up now, it's a chisel chain (husky H48). What a difference! Especially since I know the one I started with was at least sharp and nearly new (and was always throwing nice big chips, no sawdust, etc...). Don't know what type it was though. I'll have to find out for future reference.

We probably cut up a bit over 2 cords of wood total some nice hardwood (maple, I think), some birch and some poplar. I brought home a truckload (a bit under 1/2 cord) of the hardwood and split it that afternoon. There's still another load or two of that to go before getting into the less valuable wood. Not sure I'll even bring much of that home as it's not great for heating. But my goal was to help clean up my friend's trees as well as get firewood, so we bucked it up anyway and now it's out of his yard (these were trees that came down in a wind storm last year into his yard). There's plenty more to be had as well - we just scratched the surface! It's a little hard to get to at the moment though as there's a bunch of snow. A good set of studded chains let us get in there with the truck, but it's going to be a couple months before I can get the trailer up there to get bigger loads. The advantage of the snow though is that it keeps you away from the dirt.

No question that the pro/metal body saws would likely be a bit more durable. I take good care of tools, but these are still not being used in a nice pristine environment! I can also see some real advantage to a lighter saw. The 2lb less for the 545 would have been nice by the end of the day.

Given all that, what are peoples thought's on the 545? That's one of the nicer ones that I've been considering and looks to be at least closer to the pro saws in build (metal case, etc...). It's at the upper end of my price range, but still possible. It's 5cc less than the 455, but seems to have almost the same power.

 

[dl5205]

The 545 would be a very fine saw for you.

It has True Pro Grade construction, but a little less power than a 550.

There are Beau-Coup other saws, new and used, that would fit "just as well", but I won't go there.

If you are primarily considering either a 455 or a 545, you would do yourself a huge favor by going with the 545.

Seems like you asked, a while back, if the Auto-Tune is 'worth it' for a part time user. I think that's where AT/MT really shines. Two strokes LIKE to be properly tuned, and if you don't have the experience, it's nice to let the Machine do it for you.

 

[dl5205]

If you don't "over-bar" the 545, you'll like it better.

While it 'will pull' a 20", it's gonna be happier with an 18", and it should really shine with a 16" (or 15").

 

[stihl023/5]

I have cut a lot of wood with a 455 and still do.:msp_scared:

 

[Jensent]

No matter how much power your saw has a sharp chain trumps a dull one every time. Learn to file the chain in the field. Good rule to follow is two passes with the file on each tooth each time you refuel and fill the b/c oil tank. The kinds of wood you mentioned are all good for firewood. I really like hard maple. Try to get far enough ahead that your wood sits cut, split, and stacked for at least 2 summers. I like to be 3 seasons ahead each fall going into the heating season.
The Husky Rancher 455 is now starting to show up on line for sale with Auto Tune as are the 545,550 555 etc. I have not seen one but your dealer should be able to get them. If I understand Auto Tune, it should provide a huge amount of protection for the saw in that it should prevent the saw from running lean and toasting the cyl and piston. This system should be able to correct this problem ( air leak at intake boot, dirty air filter, impulse line leak,etc) before the operator knows there is a problem. Find out from your dealer if this is true and let us know one way or the other. I have been thinking the 545 would be just about right power,weight, and features for this old man. The 545 is about the same size as my Husky 350, but has a mag case and auto tune. Would appreciate hearing what your dealer has to say.
Tom

 

[dl5205]

I have cut a lot of wood with a 455 and still do.:msp_scared:

I merely stated that if I had a choice specifically between a 545 or a 455, I would Personally choose the 545.

I don't think I said anything negative about the 455.

 

[Philip Wheelock]

...No question that the pro/metal body saws would likely be a bit more durable. I take good care of tools, but these are still not being used in a nice pristine environment! I can also see some real advantage to a lighter saw. The 2lb less for the 545 would have been nice by the end of the day.

Given all that, what are peoples thought's on the 545? That's one of the nicer ones that I've been considering and looks to be at least closer to the pro saws in build (metal case, etc...). It's at the upper end of my price range, but still possible. It's 5cc less than the 455, but seems to have almost the same power.

The 545 represents reasons that a lot of folks prefer Husky saws: high power/weight ratios and advanced technology; the 455 is an older design. Also, I would never buy another saw without a visible fuel level. The 545 would be serve your needs better, IMHO, and the 2 lb. weight difference will allow you to work longer and safer. Efficiency counts.

 

[Sayheymj]

I have a 455 for 6 years, cut all my wood for heating with it and for a homeowner you will not out grow it unless you catch a case of CAD.

Pro saws are great, but unless money is absolutely no option, it is overkill for someone like you or me. Yes they are nice machines and they are great to have, but you simply will not ever make back the extra dough as the 455 will do the same thing for your purposes. If it was for pro or commercial use then the answer would be different. Save your money, eventually you will want another bigger saw which will automatically put you in a pro model anyway. I just hate to see you spend money you will never get back out of it.