Good bang/buck chainsaw?

[Robert P]

I've been looking at the Poulan Pro 20" saw at Home Depot. Seems to get mostly good reviews. My immediate goal is to take down a few trees - two approximately 60' feet high, maybe 1.5' across and a live oak of about the same trunk diameter maybe 40" high and some trimming on a few other live oaks.

As with everything else mechanical it seems you can always spend exponentially more money. Do you feel like "there's no such thing as a decent saw under X-dollars"? I'm not looking to do tree work for a living but wondering if there's something that would give significantly better performance than that Poulan for a little more money - or for the same money. I'm not too proud to go used. Any models/brands you'd suggest to be on the lookout for in pawn shops? I'm not familiar with gas chainsaws specifically - the one I have now is electric - but am mechanically inclined and can utilize advice as far as specifics to look for re: the condition of a particular saw.

Something I've run across with saw reviews is someone will say the Husqvarna this or the the Stihl that is great, will last a lifetime etc., others say "overpriced piece of crap that I took back". People seem to have greatly differing experiences with the same model.

Thanks.

 

[Husabud]

Are you looking to buy a saw to cut down two trees or to last for yrs of homeowner use? What is your budget? Just exactly what will you use this saw for?you won't be climbing with an old 044 or 372, but either will last you yrs cutting firewood. Without specifics, your questions are difficult to answer.

 

[Pelorus]

Your interests might be best served by visiting a local Stihl (excuse my bias) dealership. You will be able to get parts and service for whatever critter you adopt. The big box stores are far more interested in just selling you the puppy than providing the necessities of life. Or, mebbe you should just rent a saw for a weekend if it is otherwise gonna get seldom used.

 

[lumberjack]

I think if I were going to have one saw, it would be a Stihl 362. Although I only have 3 saws, a Husky T540, 362, and 660.

 

[Magnus]

Regardless of brand a trip to dealer is a good thing, usually very educating and if you buy a saw there it is easier to get service later and if it is a good dealer it is serviced upon delivery.

 

[Stumper]

Robert, While consumer saws are marketed "by the inch", bar and chain are changeable components and the really relevant part is the powerhead. That Poulan Pro 20" needs to be defined by the model or displacement. Poulan Pros are no longer a professional grade product but some are pretty good consumer saws giving good bang for the buck. Just guessing I presume it to be a 50cc class saw which is pretty versatile. It will never smoke through big wood but that size does most stuff under 15" diameter handily and can make some big cuts if needed albeit more slowly than most of us want to put up with.

 

[Robert P]

Just exactly what will you use this saw for?

Per my original post, my immediate goal is to take down a few trees - two approximately 60' feet high, maybe 1.5' across and a live oak of about the same trunk diameter maybe 40" high and some trimming on a few other live oaks. Also clear out some smaller growth in the back yard. My trusty electric saw can do some of the smaller stuff but need a more robust saw for getting up into the bigger trees.

Of course I also need to cut up the carcasses of the downed trees as well as what gets cut off the ones I'm trimming to firewood size for a lot of it or to a size suitable for carting off by the sanitation dept. for the rest.

Are you looking to buy a saw to cut down two trees or to last for yrs of homeowner use?

Well, of course I'm hoping it doesn't die on the last cut of the project at hand. I don't have any immediate other plans but you never know.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Buying a chainsaw is akin to buying a lawnmower... I sure wouldn't buy a cheap one. And I bet you find yourself using the saw more than you think.

 

[Robert P]

Robert, While consumer saws are marketed "by the inch", bar and chain are changeable components and the really relevant part is the powerhead. ... Just guessing I presume it to be a 50cc class saw which is pretty versatile.

Right, 50cc. What I'm wondering is what the difference is between that Poulan at 50cc and some of the other saws they carry with smaller engines but higher cost. For example this Echo 30.1 cc saw.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/ECHO-14-in-30-1-cc-Gas-Chainsaw-CS-303T-14/204296302?N=5yc1vZbxa8

 

[Cut4fun]

I've owned the poulan 5020. Was new to my door for $165. Came with 20" 3/8. I preferred it with 16" 3/8 for hardwoods. Yes it will pull 20" but it is maxed maxed maxed. JMO
Mine needed tuned out of the box. Guy not knowing saws or how to tune would have pulled his hair out starting and idling. Maybe you will get lucky, who knows. The H side was about right, but the L side was way off and the I needed tweaked after adjusting L.

The 5020 is a cheapen version of the husky 450 that cost much more. The cyl and cranks are different.

If you want a better saw that will last a life time. Magnesium crankcase poulan in 60cc PM. Can put a 20" 3/8 new bar and new stihl RSC chain.

 

[SouthSoundTree]

Buy a new Stihl or Husky (local dealer support might be important). You don't need frustration of dealing with a POS saw in a tree when you're new. You aren't "JUST cutting down a tree". If its too much to keep after you're done. Sell it in good condition.

A reliable top-handle saw is the professional choice for most climbers, Pigwot excluded, but nobody else here, that I know of. Limbing with a rear handle is a recipe for a bind. A second bar and chain is very sensible if you are only going to have one chainsaw. A breakaway lanyard for your chainsaw is a good idea, IMO, or use a key biner, etc.
192t's can be found lightly used. May need a bar and chain. A new one would be easy to sell, at a used price.

Get a sharp handsaw. The Silky sugoi or silky zubat are very good. These are only sharp on one side, so you can much more safely cut when you have poor work positioning or are cutting near your ropes. You can drop them much more safely than a running chainsaw. Blunt side of the blade toward the rope, always, IMO. Its like waving your saw though with a backhand, freqently, IME, in tight conditions. You wil blow though a weighted, especially heavily weighted rope, with a sharp handsaw with minimal effort. NO joke. Will you have a steel-core lanyard?

Have you considered your chainsaw PPE?

Will you be roping anything?

 

[Robert P]

Will you have a steel-core lanyard?

Yes, though my understanding is it's to stiffen it to facilitate working it up a tree more easily, not that it makes it impervious to a saw blade.

Have you considered your chainsaw PPE?

Chainsaw chaps and Kevlar gloves - and a helmet of course.

Will you be roping anything?

You mean lowering pieces with rope? I'm not sure. I'm hoping to get away with cut 'n drop on everything - none of these are massive trees, not nearly as involved as some of the videos I've been watching. Most of the limbs aren't any bigger than those I've cut with a pole saw but are too high to reach from the ground. I'll have to see what's what when I've got a clearer picture of how the trees are situated.

 

[sotc]

I'm with Carl, a 362 will be light enough to climb with if need be but still have enough power to make you smile. Probably last you the rest of your life if used only in occasion

 

[BIGTWIG]

Agreed with Carl and Willie on the 362. GREAT all around saw. You'll be supporting the local stihl dealer, and they should take care of you if you have any issues.

Edited to add to Sean's post, if you're climbing go with a 192t. Good "bang for the buck saw." Still would not recommend buying a cheap bigger saw, no time for lesser quality saws in the middle of the cut.

Also, not sure where you're at, but if you're a novice I wouldn't recommend being in the tree with a 362 right off the bat. Best of luck with your purchase, it won't be your last saw!

 

[SouthSoundTree]

You'll cut the rope cover with a handsaw, but you won't cut the steel core. A 192t would have a hard time, I'd bet with the smaller chain than 200t, to cut a steel core lanyard. A 362 could cut one.

Are the trees conifers/ evergreen or hardwoods?

If you're climbing DdRT, and want to have a lowering out system (emergency)/ fall arrest system (prevent an emergency), once the tree is limbed and topped, you will want to have an adjustable false crotch. Better yet, a hitchhiker and choke the stem. A 540 degree lanyard wrap will give you fall arrest, but you are still potentially stuck, unless you're spurring down while injured.

 

[flushcut]

I've been looking at the Poulan Pro 20" saw at Home Depot. Seems to get mostly good reviews. My immediate goal is to take down a few trees - two approximately 60' feet high, maybe 1.5' across and a live oak of about the same trunk diameter maybe 40" high and some trimming on a few other live oaks.

As with everything else mechanical it seems you can always spend exponentially more money. Do you feel like "there's no such thing as a decent saw under X-dollars"? I'm not looking to do tree work for a living but wondering if there's something that would give significantly better performance than that Poulan for a little more money - or for the same money. I'm not too proud to go used. Any models/brands you'd suggest to be on the lookout for in pawn shops? I'm not familiar with gas chainsaws specifically - the one I have now is electric - but am mechanically inclined and can utilize advice as far as specifics to look for re: the condition of a particular saw.

Something I've run across with saw reviews is someone will say the Husqvarna this or the the Stihl that is great, will last a lifetime etc., others say "overpriced piece of crap that I took back". People seem to have greatly differing experiences with the same model.

Thanks.

Buy a pro grade Husky, Still, or Dolmar 50-60cc and have it for years to come, consumer saw are just that consumable. I have a consumer grade Husky 350 I bought off a buddy for 300 bills and beat the hell out of it, has a scored piston now and runs just fine in wood hard-soft to 20". I want to run it until it blow up just to see the carnage.

 

[rbtree]

Right, 50cc. What I'm wondering is what the difference is between that Poulan at 50cc and some of the other saws they carry with smaller engines but higher cost. For example this Echo 30.1 cc saw.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/ECHO-14-in-30-1-cc-Gas-Chainsaw-CS-303T-14/204296302?N=5yc1vZbxa8

That saw is a very old model, long discontinued..and now overpriced. Surprised it can still be sold, what with the new EPA requirements. That said, it was and is a nice little saw that will last a long time. I preferred the 34 cc next size up Echo, then known as a 3400, versus 3000 or 300 which is the saw you linked to. Should you think about buying one, don't, but get the 192T Stihl...it's a much better saw, and a lot lighter. That said, the small top handled saws are typically more expensive than the larger saws like the 5020 as they are more complex to build. They also have a fair bit less power.

 

[Cobleskill]

I had a Husky 45 I bought new in '96 I beat the hell out of for 15 years. It still ran great till my stepson switched my gas jugs and it got straight gassed. Consumer model pretty damn tough.

 

[Raj]

I climb with a 192TC that I bought new, it was on sale and the shop who had them owed me some money. Nice saw to use as I might climb once or twice a week.

 

[SouthSoundTree]

I've wrecked many large trees with a sharp 192t and efficient cutting. Many days when I'm using my 200t, I wish I had my 192t on me. I think I sucked something into the carb or something. My first one lasted a long time of hard pro work. I prefer it by a longshot to the 200t for a lot of pruning.

 

[pantheraba]

Ran a 192T here for a long time....years...it did a fine job. But not production work, just occasional climbing, maybe 3 x per month.

 

[Tucker943]

Go get a Stihl 290 or 310 or a Husky 345 or 350. You don't need a $600 saw for a one time project with occasional use afterwards. I think Stihl 362's are dog shit. They're great compared to an old 036 but dollar for dollar pound for pound, they're nothing to get excited about, if you have run them against similar sized, Dolmars, Johnnys, and Huskys. Lacking really, by comparison. Independantly, theyre dandy. Comparing to what else is available for the same money, I wouldn't buy one.

Consider the lightly used professional grade saws. Watch craigslist and post some links here for our input. You run a little risk, but just look at the saw. Its not hard to tell how much a saw has been used. In the used lineup I would be watchful for Stihl 361, Stihl 441, Stihl 440, maybe go a bit lighter and consider the dog known as the Stihl 260. Cant speak for the Stihl 261. In Husqvarna, watch for 346, 357, 362, 365, or maybe as big as a 372, though that might be a bit of a handful if you aren't accustomed to the 70cc class. There are many used pro saws in great shape on craigslist. People buy them, quit burning wood, and want some money back out of their tool. There's tons of beat trash too. Post links, we can give opinions.

 

[rbtree]

Right on Tucker!

Best post yet for ya, Robert! No need to buy new!

Also, I will soon have one more running 338/335 Huskys than I need. All strong, and muffler modded, which makes them 200T killers. $200 gets you one of them!

 

[treesmith]

Stihl MS290 is my go-to saw. It's not the fastest for sure, but I sure wish I had all the money in one bag I've made with my 290s...

I cut the notch in this big stump with my 290, finishing the heart of it with my Husky 372 w/28" bar...then rung the back cut with the 290, again using the longer bar to reach the center.

 

[Magnus]

Nice stump! Well cut!