Chainsaws of the Forum

[BaitMaster]

What does everyone have?

I’ve always loved a good saw….. as a N Alberta hunting guide I’ve used them a fair bit…..

I have a Husqy 372XPGW with an 18 and 24” bar for my big workhorse, an Echo 2511T for climbing and building stands, and a Milwaukee Hatchet 8” for in camp stuff…..

Also a vintage Stihl 041AV that Im trying to sell but can’t, so might make it cut again and run it instead LOL.

 

[DavidR8]

Does an electric Oregon chainsaw make the grade?
Asking for a friend.

 

[Lucky7]

Actually for my very urban tree infested lot… I was thinking about an electric. Go ahead, tar and feather me! But if a recommendation is possible?

 

[combustable herbage]

I have a WEN electric the Cadillac of corded chainsaws😛
I am a light user and it does everything I asked it to do.

 

[Janger]

Bow saw... 😛

 

[140mower]

Actually for my very urban tree infested lot… I was thinking about an electric. Go ahead, tar and feather me! But if a recommendation is possible?

No shame in some of the newer electric ones. I think the decision on brand has a lot to do with what other cordless tools you have. In my case, I am fairly heavily invested in both Stihl and Milwaukee electric tools so I would purchase one of those two brands. I am considering the Stihl and one more battery, as I think three is the magic number for most of what I do.

 

[BaitMaster]

Does an electric Oregon chainsaw make the grade?
Asking for a friend.

I’ll let it slide because it’s Oregon.

Actually for my very urban tree infested lot… I was thinking about an electric. Go ahead, tar and feather me! But if a recommendation is possible?

My Milwaukee 8” M18 hatchet is a beast. No hate on electrics, just can’t expect them to do what a gasser does.

I have a WEN electric the Cadillac of corded chainsaws😛
I am a light user and it does everything I asked it to do.

Try a 70cc gasser on for size you’ll be hooked!

Bow saw... 😛

I SAID CHAIN!


@140mower I’m invested in Milwaukee too. They have me by the short n curlies.

 

[DavidR8]

Actually for my very urban tree infested lot… I was thinking about an electric. Go ahead, tar and feather me! But if a recommendation is possible?

The Oregon saw I have is darn impressive. Highly recommended.

 

[Hollow-Grind]

I was a arborist for 23 years… only ran Stihl and only had 1 saw quit. What I have left, multiple 200t’s, one 201tc, couple 026’s, new never seen fuel 461, mint 066, well used 660, telescopic stihl pole saw. Have bars up to dual ended 72 inch for slabbing with twin 660’s.

 

[Chicken lights]

I was a arborist for 23 years… only ran Stihl and only had 1 saw quit. What I have left, multiple 200t’s, one 201tc, couple 026’s, new never seen fuel 461, mint 066, well used 660, telescopic stihl pole saw. Have bars up to dual ended 72 inch for slabbing with twin 660’s.

We didn't have too many quit, but quite a few got smashed or run over. Not much you can do when the tree sits back on the saw and the skidder smashes it pushing the tree over. Watched one or two gas pole saws get yeeted from 60 feet up. Seen plenty of other saws get dropped because the groundies can't tie knots. Seen a couple blown up from ripping logs for too long in the summer heat.

 

[someidiot]

So when I was talking log houses with @Susquatch the other day I didn't get into the moving stories 'cause they weren't really relevant. But I bought a used Pioneer Farmsaw (model number if I have to) in order to clear the trees from two sides of the house in preparation for the move. Picked it up at Gary's Tools in Forest Lawn (Calgary) where he'd had (iIrc) three different locations over the years. Fantastic place - big ol' fat Gary never came out from behind the counter, and the joint was full of very reasonably priced used hand tools, vinyl, and CDs, and the usual smattering of weird stuff. Really miss that place.

I took care of the trees, nothing too challenging there. We were on a well, so that didn't need anyone's help either. Called Atco Gas and they came out, sniffed, and shut off the service on the appointed day and time, total pros. But repeated calls to Enmax (formerly Calgary Power) weren't getting anyone's attention. If it had been a small matter of disconnecting the 220V service from the house, I coulda handled that just fine too. But it came from a pole with a 14KV transformer up top, and that pole was smack in middle of the path the truck was going to take while pulling the house out. Finally, the day had come for the move (the permit was actually for that night (i.e. 3am the next day, so we had still a few hours), and the pole was still there. So I made one last call to Enmax, got through to a manager in whichever damn department had been ignoring me, and told him that he had exactly six hours to take care of it, after which I'd do so with a .30-30 round through the transformer followed by cutting down the pole with my cool new chainsaw.

Their "emergency crew" was there in an hour and the house moved, on schedule, that night. With the house up on the I-beams at the edge of the field, I went to sleep in my own bed as usual. At 3am a lot of lights and noise appeared, I climbed out of bed, jumped out of the house and into the '65 Ambassador ragtop I was driving at the time, and followed my house down the road for three hours under the stars of a gorgeous August night.

Anyway, I'm not a really demanding user - mostly cutting up deadfall for firewood - but I'm still using that same saw.

 

[BaitMaster]

I was a arborist for 23 years… only ran Stihl and only had 1 saw quit. What I have left, multiple 200t’s, one 201tc, couple 026’s, new never seen fuel 461, mint 066, well used 660, telescopic stihl pole saw. Have bars up to dual ended 72 inch for slabbing with twin 660’s.

I’ve never owned a Stihl except for my 041av which is old as the hills and I’ve never cut with.

I’ve had huskies which have never let me down, starting with a 455 rancher, then my 372.

I’ve used a few stihls. They seem good.

If a Stihl 461/462 with a wrap and heated grips came up when I was looking to replace the 455 I would have absolutely done it.

The 200t’s are awesome saws allegedly.

 

[Dan Dubeau]

I have a few Stihls from a little MS162 to an MS362, some 034/36's, 024's and a pole saw.

My next saw will be electric though. Undecided between Milwaukee, or Makita, but leaning towards a Makita top handle, as I don't have a top handle....

We don't heat primarily with wood anymore, so not as much gas gets run through them, but they got a lot of use this year as I reopened a bunch of trails and forgot how much I enjoy cutting wood. Not enough to go back to wood full time though.....😀.

 

[JustaDB]

Stihls.

Have an old 028AV, 18" bar (given to me by Dad) that just sounds like a chainsaw should. Meaty. Unfortunately, it needs a rebuild.

026, 18" bar. MS170, 16" bar. MS291, 18" bar.

And I have a pole saw, can't remember the brand, not Stihl.

 

[140mower]

Been using the same Stihl 038 that I bought used in early '95. It has heated the house most every winter since. I also have a 257 Husqvarna that I take as a backup saw when I go out.

 

[DPittman]

I’ve always loved a good saw…..

Yup me too but I've never owned one (well not in running condition).
Ive had cheap home owner style saws, Craftsman, Poulan, Homelite (newer Chinese ones) and even a decent old John Deere. My two main saws now are of Chinese origin, a Poulan "Pro" and a no name Amazon special. The Poulan Pro is acceptable but nothing to write home about. The Uber cheap Amazon saw has cheap and poor fitting plastic on it. The chinglish manual that came with it claimed 45cc and then I believe on the box it said 54cc! Don't know for sure what it is but I think it is more likely closer to 54cc than 45. It has GOOD power! I put on a good chain and it cuts REALLY good. The saw starts and runs well, it is as loud as hell and gulps down huge amounts of gasoline. The manual said to use a 25:1 gas/oil mixture which I did for a while but now run a 40:1 along with everything else. Less smokey but otherwise no difference in performance. For the price I paid for that saw I am happy. A Stihl at 4-5 times the price is twice as good but not 4-5 times better.

 

[JustaDB]

A Stihl at 4-5 times the price is twice as good but not 4-5 times better.

The only saw I bought new was the 170. Although I don't recall the amount, I remember thinking it was fairly reasonable. As I mentioned, the one was a gift. The other 2 were Kijiji buys that were low hour machines at decent prices. I paid less than $600 between the two.