Chainsaws your brand and why

[dano2840]

i know this is a chevy vs. ford question but what do you think is the best saw, and why do you think so, i own a husky and a stihl my self and like both for their own reasons. the stihl is a small saw (its a 026) it revs a little higher than the husky and always starts ( it takes about 8 pulls though) its a light saw and it works well, the thing i dont like about it is its rubber handle shock mechanism so when you pull up on the handle there is some "give" to it, mine rotted out and broke the bottom piece of my handle, i also have a husky 61 i cant complain about it its a dependable saw, the only thing i dont like is that it has almost no power if you are using the top of the bar to cut with (like under cutting a limb) these are both older saws, my moms boyfriend has always been a stihl man he goes through 1 ever year to year and a half, (poor maintenece has a little to do with it) ive run his saws and dont really like the new stihls unless you get into the BIG stihl saws, which seem to be dependable and rugged but alittle to big for me, i feel its the same with the new huskies, only certain models are good rugged machines. (262,357xp,372xp etc.)
im looking at buying a 372xp after sugaring season ( i can afford it then) im not a big kid and some people think its a big saw for me but i ran one for about 3 hrs and had no trouble, so im going to buy one ive heard good things about them exept for their price - $700 but what does every one on the trader like? iwould like to know so that i can buy the right saw for me....

[Gary R]

Dano,

There was a very lengthy post on this one back this summer. You may want to check it out.

[mapleman3]

here is some info your looking for... the "search" does wonders

http://mapletrader.com/community/sho...ight=chainsaws

thanks

[maple flats]

I have never used any Stihl's but I am very satisfied with the 2 Husky's I own. I have a 350 which is really a large homeowner saw which I use for light stuff and trimming. I use either a 18" or 20" bar, whichever is called for. However, if I have a lot of cutting to do i use my 359 with either a 20" or a 28" bar as needed. When I use the 28" bar i have to use full skip chain because the saw is only rated up to a 24" bar with regular chain. When I cut lots of firewood the 359 gets it done much faster than the lighter 350. But both cut well. I do however keep my chains sharp and resharpen as soon as I notice the cut slowing down. I also cut trees/logs for my sawmill so my saws get a good workout during a year. To guage it I mix 5 gal of gas with oil at a time and never have gas over about 6 weeks old, usulaay less than 4 weeks old. That translates to a lot of saw work thruout the year. The 372 you are thinking of is a good saw, and a little heavier and more powerful than my 359. It would be a good choice if you really need that much saw. If not I suggest you check out a 359 or a 357XP. Either will cut as i say, 28" with proper chain. The full skip chain omits every other cutter but it is hard to notice any slower cutting action without a timer on it. Both saws have adjustable oilers and I suggest the higher setting when cutting with a longer bar. Oil works wonders.

[jason grossman]

dano, i have about 13 years of full time logging under my belt and i have used them all and it really doesn't matter what you use as long as you have some kind of training and all of the personal protective equipment. chaps, hardhat, eyewear, etc. this is most important!!!! everything else is just preference. i have been a state certified master logger for a decade, and never had an injury. training and .p.p.e.!!!! jason

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

A sharp chain will make the biggest piece of junk look like a good saw while the best saw cutting beside it with a dull chain will look like a piece of junk. I have used most of the major ones and I love my Stihl 310.

[MapleME]

I bought a Stihl MS280 CBQ last year. Been great, and was my first saw I owned. I wanted to get something big enough I could just have forever and put bigger bars on it. One thing I did really like was the chain adjustment. For a few extra bucks you can get the model with a big wing nut for the chain adjustment, rather than using the two nuts and chain tool. Has worked just as good as the other saws I have used. Also has a second chain shut off, which was a plus.

MapleME

[DS Maple]

As already mentioned, there is a previous thread with a lot of info already on it. But, I will still say that I would stick with Stihl all the way. I was running a Husky (362 xpg special) at work at the beginning of last week and got so frustrated with the thing I eventually brought my personal saw (stihl 044) in. I find the stihl starts better, has better spacing between the handle and the chain brake thus making the brake easier to use (and the saw safer), and has a much better throttle/choke mechanism. (I find myself knocking the choke in on the Husky and pulling several times before I realize what I did.) Also, Husky has to be cutting corners somewhere in manufacturing now that they are selling their products at places like Home Depot, Lowes and Sears. Such a move often leads to multiple models for different stores making parts quite confusing. They'll have one line for Sears, another for HD and yet another for small dealers. The 372 from the big store might have a slightly different model number from that of one from local dealer, and the parts from one 372 may or may not fit another. Just makes for a nightmare. Stihl saws are only sold at more local, reliable places. Also, it may sound like I'm making this stuff up, but the same thing happened when Ariens started making snowblowers for HD. The model numbers were different from those sold at local dealers, and the part numbers were entirely different too. I once had to help someone fix a belt on an HD machine and of course HD could not get the parts. I went to a local dealer and they could only order the parts for the machines that they sold and were not entirely sure if the parts were exactly the same despite different numbers. It turned out OK and I actually was able to use some random John Deere belt, but still, it was a pain. In other words, I would stay away from brands such as Husky that are going mainstream. It just doesn't work out well for the consumer. Plus, I just like the way the Stihl machines work.

[Specklefield Farm]

I know it's a loaded question, but I'll answer it ! (both barrels are loaded)

I'd pull a Stihl back and forth across a log before I would buy a Husky!!

Not trying to offend anybody, just my opinion.

[MaplePancakeMan]

I gotta go with Branden on this one a sharp chain means any of the saws homelite, husky, stihl or even a poulan wild things will cut like a wiz.

I've had some bad experiences with others... other then Stihl however to be fair the Husky's i used weren't mine from the get go, someone else could have abused them and when they got to me they didn't work right when i borrowed them. Homelites now a days are just cheap made... they work when you buy them but any serious cutting and small things go bad quick and they add up after a few years and you've ended up putting the same amount into a cheap saw as you would have if you just bought a good one (husky or stihl).

I took a class on how to sharpen you're chain because its so important now when i feel a little extra drag its time to sharpen. The saw doesn't get as hot, you use less gas and oil, chains last longer, saw last longer and my back doesn't feel as stiff the next day.

I'd say test em out and see what you like best, as others said the stihl chain break is more ergonomically designed in my opinion