Chainsaw Recommendation

[Coyotes-R-Us]

M boy is a team leader for a BLM Fire crew .
They live by there chainsaw.
His 8 man crew went through 300 gal of saw gas the last season they have reports for,
THATS a lot of sawing.
I don't know the "sizes" of there saws but there bigger then a normal home owner.
They use Stihl and Husqvarna chainsaws. That's an endorsement I can not ignore .
They do use special chains WAY more aggressive then the household type.

 

[wytex]

Husqvarna 372 XPW with 24" bar keeps our house warm all winter. The pro models let you cut for hours not minutes. Sometimes a smaller model will not start after a couple of hours of cutting firewood. I would get at least 50cc engine unless you plan to cut bigger wood, then go even bigger.

 

[jhunt8]

Honestly, i've used both Stihl and Husky, I currently have a Husky 445, it starts well, runs well and cuts like a dream. I take care of it and it takes care of me. I use it up here in Sask during the winter -30 celcius and it works well. I have yet to have a problem that wasn't caused by the operator.

 

[hank4elk]

My Stihl is a MS 170 18" and is very light and powerful. 2 yrs of cutting NM pinion,juniper,oak & ponderosa. Can fell & cut up most trees here.
My Huskie is a 55 20" and is 20 yrs old and works like new.Cut many,many cords of oak,madrone,pine....anything.
I put a smaller bar on it years ago to lighten it up some limbing and I don't find too many 48"-72" trees in NM.
I break it out when I find a giant to cut up now,usually allagator juniper,old and dead.

 

[sbhooper]

One problem that happens a lot with chainsaws, is that people buy them for bar length, instead of understanding the power needs of a given bar. You will really over-work a saw, if you put a bar on it that makes it pull too hard.

You see many ads for "14-inch chainsaw for sale " etc. The bar length means nothing, if the saw won't pull it right.

Another problem, is that many saws come with the worthless safety chain on it. The only way that chain is good, is if you grind off the "safety" crap. Always buy "full comp" chain to get the best results.

 

[johnp]

What ever saw you decide on always have a backup saw of some kind for when you pinch the bar, way back in on a trail clearing project .

 

[el unit]

Richard, I am amazed at your knowledge of a chain saw. I really thought it was a Western American tool. Thank you for clearing up that misconception.

Stihl is made in Germany and Husqvarna is made in Sweden. It does not surprise me that someone from Europe knows a thing or two about quality saws. American-made chainsaws might work fine for the occasional user, but will never compete with Husky or Stihl. The 2 Stihl saws and 2 Husqvarna saws I own have never let me down. My Stihl 046 Magnum is 16 years old and cuts about 4 days a week.
Husky has a better power-to-weight ratio vs Stihl. But Stihl is a little more user friendly for maintenance in the field. Chainsaws are my second favorite power sport!

 

[sbhooper]

Stihl saws are mainly made in the USA. The company is German and SOME of the saws are made there. What do you consider an "American made" chainsaw? Stihl is as American as it gets. I don't think there are really any "American made" chainsaws, just like there are no "American made" tractors anymore. No tractor companies are owned by Americans, although some factories my be here.

 

[TimeOnTarget]

I have a Stihl MS160? mini-farm boss and a stihl MS290 farm boss. 14" and 20" bars respectively. I don't cut a ton of wood but they both just flat out cut.

I've also got a big heavy ol' Clinton that my grandpa gave me. it must have a 32"ish bar on it and man oh man does that thing cut. 8hp IIRC. No muffler on it, just a straight pipe, which when the motor is hot will shoot a 6" flame out the exhaust. not the saw you want in a forest....But does it ever cut!!

 

[duckhunt]

You cant go wrong with the sthil 290 farm boss

 

[Big Slick]

The only thing I haven't seen mentioned is the altitude change that will be encountered from living in Denver and possibly doubling the altitude in the Rockies. This will surely cause issues with fuel to air ratios. I actually carry a generator for hunting with my wall tent and carry a electric chain saw to avoid these issues. You state not having much experience with chain saws, so I'm guessing that changing air fuel mixture may be a challenge for you. Just my take. Good luck in selecting a saw.

 

[schmalts]

If I get another one it will only be a Pro version. I currently have a Husky Rancher 455 and after seeing a guy cut through red oak with the pro version of a similar sized Husky I felt buyers remorse. His saw was able to keep a much higher chain speed and he ripped through that oak like mike goes through aspen. However, if you are only going to use the saw for storm cleanup and camping, it may not be a big deal. Mine does it all, just not as fast.

 

[sbhooper]

The only thing I haven't seen mentioned is the altitude change that will be encountered from living in Denver and possibly doubling the altitude in the Rockies. This will surely cause issues with fuel to air ratios. I actually carry a generator for hunting with my wall tent and carry a electric chain saw to avoid these issues. You state not having much experience with chain saws, so I'm guessing that changing air fuel mixture may be a challenge for you. Just my take. Good luck in selecting a saw.

There can be some issues, but if your saw is tuned well, it generally will function OK. Some of the saws now are auto-tuning and supposedly adjust for any changes. I have never had any problems with my saws at higher altitude.

Here is a discussion that may help explain what happens to a saw at altitude:

http://www.arboristsite.com/community/threads/carb-adjustment-for-altitude.119547/#post-1914892

 

[claybreaker]

I'm on my 2nd Stihl now the first one (031AV) only lasted 36 years.

 

[Big Slick]

There can be some issues, but if your saw is tuned well, it generally will function OK. Some of the saws now are auto-tuning and supposedly adjust for any changes. I have never had any problems with my saws at higher altitude.

Here is a discussion that may help explain what happens to a saw at altitude:


http://www.arboristsite.com/community/threads/carb-adjustment-for-altitude.119547/#post-1914892

That just goes to show how old my Husky's are! Early to mid 90's models. They run like champs until you make a huge elevation change. Kind of like me! Except the fact that I'm a mid 60's model!

 

[sbhooper]

That just goes to show how old my Husky's are! Early to mid 90's models. They run like champs until you make a huge elevation change. Kind of like me! Except the fact that I'm a mid 60's model!

I am to the point that I am about done with high-altitude stuff. I am getting too damn clumsy to be climbing ridges in some of the areas that I like to hunt cow elk. I will just shoot my dozen or so Nebraska deer a year and be happy, happy, happy! Now, if I ever found a good ranch hunt-well maybe.

 

[Sytes]

for basic trail clearing... a simple off the shelf 18" Poulan Pro type chainsaw will do what you describe and more... I have one approx. $170... use mainly for the same as you describe and hunt camp wall tent stove wood. I've had it going on 7 years + without a single issue...

No need to buy a $200, 300, 400, 500... chainsaw. Waste of money for the uses you describe.

 

[ccc23454]

Stihl should be first pick close second Husqvarna, long drop to 3rd! If you don't use it a lot try to use the canned gas from lowes etc, ethanol is hard on these things but good gas and a stihl will last LONG time if you take care of it.

C

 

[hank4elk]

My Huskie 55 is a 92' and I used to have to lean it out going from coast to Sierras' . I have it dialed in for 8000' now so I don't have to mess with it any more from home, 7500' to Mtns,up to 10k.
The Stihl MS 170 never needs fussing with.


Only problem I have now in high country NM is I can't keep mix for more than a month without condensation problems. Water in can. It'll plug a jet and I have to take apart and dry out. So I only mix so much or it goes on an ant hill or for cleaning up chains & bars.
I think the altitude and heavy humidity swings cause this. 4%-80% in a day. Temp swings too.
New mix can has helped a bunch.Push button swivel pour ,with filters. Simple design. Still throw out old fuel,so I mix a gal or so at a time.
No additive or cure works here for gas.

 

[CaddisShack]

I'm leaning toward the MS170, but I love buying stuff that I won't have to replace down the road if I get the itch to push things a bit further. The MS271 is hard to pass up...

I'm guessing buying from the dealer is the best way to go for something like a chainsaw. That said, there are some deals to be had on the used market. I see a couple of MS271's available as we speak.