Chainsaw recommendations

[Nomad64]

Hi All,

Hoping that there are some arborists on here who can help.

I am/will be looking for a chainsaw for firewood (100% dependant on wood burners for heating) and general forestry work on a smallholding with a couple of acres of woodland that needs knocking into shape.

I am currently using an old Husqvarna 141 with 15" bar which I found in a barn and got going for the price of a new adjuster screw/pin. This seems to be very much as "consumer" grade saw and although better than nothing, does appear to have suffered a fairly serious melting of the plastic around the silencer (from a bit of 'web research this seems to have been a common fault) and although the saw is still useable, this is close to the chain oil tank and I'm wary of using it for long periods at a time - chainsaws are dangerous enough without the added hazard of them catching fire!

There seems to be a lot of love out there for the older Stihl MS 028AV and MS 038AV saws which come up regularly on the Bay of Evil but these are old saws and most have seen pro use and even in decent cosmetic condition will probably need mechanical refurbishment. Are these saws really better built than the later MS 260/1 and would lighter saws like the MS 170/1 be too light for what I want? As a luddite, I can follow a diagram to rebuild things but I'm a bit wary of the electrickery in some of the more recent saws and really want something that will be user serviceable with parts available for the foreseeable future.

Not going to be climbing trees with it and a 15-18" max bar should cover all my needs.

Hoping not to spend much more than £200 (inc service parts) and have no issues with Husqvarna (as ever there seems to be a Microsoft/Apple, Nikon/Canon/ Mods/Rockers thing with Stihl v Husky ) saws, I just find the Stihl model numbering system (a bit) easier to get my head around.

Any recommendations or other thoughts please?

 

[Shelley]

I have a husky, it a step up from a household and a step down from the professional ones, sort of a farmers model, can't remember the number but it has a fairly big size engine, got it new.
My theory was that the bigger the engine the less it would be stressed.

From what I understand is that huskys sell more than stihls but the stills are better, they are certainly way more expensive, I have used both but can't tell the difference. Get what you can afford but do get it serviced regularly (which is also expensive) and learn to sharpen it after every use, only takes 10-15 mins by hand and then it's good to go, oh also top the chain/bar fluid too, you do not want to run it dry.

Also get a spare bar and chain for it, handy to have if you are a fair way away from the repair shop, so all saying I would buy new or refurbished from a dealer so you can get some good spare parts, also gloves, hard hat, eye protection and chaps add to the initial cost, but are cheaper than hospital bills...

 

[sunndog]

*waves arborist hand

Stihl ms260 gets my vote. A cracking all around general purpose pro grade saw

028's and such are old saws now as you say. Good saws but nothing special compared to more modern alternatives. Leave them to enthusiasts i reckon

Ms171 is a home user saw and although it will do a tremendous amount of work they are small and short of power for anything above say 6 to 8 inches across

If you can add £50 to £100 to your budget you'll get a 260/1 that will last you many years

 

[Nice65]

I'm not going to go into model numbers. Sthil tend to rev a bit lower and have more grunt (torque), Huskys (my personal preference) rev higher and were originally designed to fell and process softwood timber. I find the huskys to be a bit more refined in terms of weight/power, and better ergonomically.

I have only two left now, a Sthil MS200T top handle that is a climbers saw that I can't part with due to it being amazing for small timber (logs and carefully hand held sticks). And a Husky on its recommended 15" bar for bigger stuff. I found putting a bigger bar on it was a strain.

I reckon, for your needs, a second hand Stihl.

 

[Nomad64]

Thanks All,

Some useful info there helping me narrow the search. Having a trawl through the Bay of E there seem to be quite a few MS 260s out there including this one which looked promising;

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Stihl-Ms260-Chainsaw-16-Bar-and-Chain-/272815135819?hash=item3f850c9c4b:g:rtwAAOSw6YtZR9b9

Being sold on behalf of his dear old dad (as the chainsaw equivalent of the car owned by the old lady who only used it to drive to church on Sunday if it wasn't raining) which sounds great until you look at the other item for sale - yep, another chainsaw owned by his dad and sales history - yep, dozens of very similar chainsaws though to be fair it's not clear whether these were all his dad's!

Not necessarily anything wrong with the saw or buying from a dealer, just enough of a whiff of BS to get me walking away!

No desperate hurry unless the Husky catches fire so I'll keep looking until I find one nearby so I can go and look at it.

 

[Brynglas]

Just to throw a curve ball in, I've used my Oregon chainsaws for coppicing and processing firewood without any hassle for over fifteen years. Good price, easy to service and plenty strong and sturdy enough for my work on a 7 acre woodland.

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[Nomad64]

Just to throw a curve ball in, I've used my Oregon chainsaws for coppicing and processing firewood without any hassle for over fifteen years. Good price, easy to service and plenty strong and sturdy enough for my work on a 7 acre woodland.

No problem any suggestions welcomed. I've got various bits of Oregon PPE, sharpening kit and a bar and chains but didn't realise they made chainsaws. I can't find any on the Oregon website - perhaps they've dropped them to focus on accessories?

http://theoregonshop.com/ENTER-SHOP(1743049).htm

 

[janso]

Ms260 is good enough for what your aimed to knock over and prune. Makita also get a thumbs up from me for what they offer; really capable and not really broken into the UK because of the Stihl/ Husky divide.


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[Nice65]

Makita seem to be gaining a good rep. I haven't used one, but I've seen many recommendations.

 

[chimpy leon]

I've owned a Makita DSC2151 for a couple of years now. Only really put it to heavier use over the last few months though taking down big leylandii stumps and felling and cross cutting a lot of 12"+ thick Ash and cherry. Good saw, I'm not easy on power tools of any kind and so far I've only managed to snap the pull cord. It's Nicely put together, not massively far in terms of build quality and performance from the gold standard of saws that is the Stihl 260, but can be had much cheaper.

 

[demographic]

General rule is to avoid the ones with the horizintal split crankcase (also get called clamshell) and get the ones with the vertical split crankcase.
The horizontal split crankcase models (example of this from a few years ago would be a MS 170) usually are more homeowner specification but the vertical split models have usually been pro grade.

 

[H2497]

I run an MS362 with a 20" bar for my heavier work, its light and very powerful. I've personally had two bad experiences with buying second hand commercial grade gear from the auction site and now only buy new. If its cheap enough and you are happy to fully rebuild then crack on, but its very much caveat emptor.

For smaller stuff I have a little Mitox. They are chinese made but with an Oregon bar and a Japanese, (Kawasaki I think) carb. This has turned out to be a lot more capable than I thought it would be. Its not on a par with the European made Stihls (remember the cheaper ones are made in the far East anyway) but its a lot cheaper.

 

[Nomad64]

I've spent a bit (well, far too much according to Mrs N! ) of time online researching this and trawling the Bay of E and Gumtree.

The Makita saws do seem to have a good reputation (they seem to be rebranded German made Dolmars) but what would worry me is the lack of aftermarket replacement parts. A cheap aftermarket cylinder and piston set for a Stihl 026/MS260 are less than £40 and decent quality ones not much more. The OEM equivalent for a comparable Makita is around £200. Similar story with Dolmar/Sachs-Dolmar branded saws.

The downside of the availability of cheap aftermarket parts is that for about £15 you can get a set of Chinese made engine and filter covers for Stihls (and about the same for a clutch cover) which make it hard to see from the blurry photos on the Bay whether what you are looking at really is a little used privately owned saw or a saw that has had heavy commercial use t@rted up with a newish bar and chain, new covers and a bit of tyre shine on the handles. Getting a straight answer from some of the sellers is not easy.

I'm guessing most of the saws on the Bay are trade-ins or bought at auctions and t@rted up for sale but given the amount of saws and other kit that gets lifted from sheds and vans, I feel entitled to ask a few questions of sellers and am happy to walk away from what looks like a good deal if I don't like the answers.

Perhaps I am wanting the moon on a stick but by the law of averages, it should be possible to find a decent saw being sold by the person who bought it from new, who has used it but not abused it and now wishes to sell it for a sensible price and doesn't live at the other end of the country or is willing to post. Alternatively I'd be comfortable with someone who is straight about where a saw has come from and what they have done to refurbish it but they are all being sold on behalf of a relative etc etc.

I can't really justify £400-600 for a new pro- grade saw and £200 plus is a bit too much to put down to experience if I buy a lemon.

I might just end up buying one of the many that seem to have been "running great when put away in a shed 5 years ago" and/or "just needs new fuel and a carb tweak" and budget for a full rebuild!

This could take a while!

 

[janso]

Do you have any garden repair businesses local to you? There's one my way that has a few chainsaws, lawn mowers, etc that customers weren't willing to spend money on for repairs. They are normally sold on at a good price with the knowledge that any self respecting repairman would have serviced it well for resale. Just a thought...


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[Nomad64]

Do you have any garden repair businesses local to you? There's one my way that has a few chainsaws, lawn mowers, etc that customers weren't willing to spend money on for repairs. They are normally sold on at a good price with the knowledge that any self respecting repairman would have serviced it well for resale. Just a thought..

Thanks for the thought but the places I have tried only seem to sell fairly new stuff with a warranty, older stuff they don't want to give a warranty on gets disposed of and ends up on the Bay.

 

[baggins]

Nomad,
i'll drop my tuppence worth in now. It looks like you're after a semi pro saw thats going to get a fair bit of work.
For occasional use, the Makitas and Mculloks etc are not bad but just don't have the longevity. (i recently tested a couple of Makitas new models, with a load of their engineers standing over my shoulder. Not bad, but heavy and i don't reckon the build was all that good for the price).
For anything more, Either Stihl or Husky, although, having been a husky fan for 20 years, i'm very disappointed in their new models. I run them at work and we've had almost all of them sent for repair in the last year (all 18 months old). All been burning pistons and dropping cranks.
So, as much as it pains me to say it; Go Stihl. They still seem to have the build quality and, in the long run, if you look after it, will give you a good many years of service and be cheaper than buying cheaper saws or old knockers off ebay.
(BTW, been a forester and Arborist for the last 20 years, so have a little knowledge)

 

[Nomad64]

Thanks for all the input on this - I've finally got myself what looks like a well looked after, low "mileage", late model Stihl 024AVS (the (slightly) smaller brother of the 026/MS260/1 series), for comfortably under my £200 budget.

Not given it a proper workout yet but looks good so far.

 

[Ed the Ted]

for what its worth: I started with a second hand (knackered, cheap) MS260 and it was great (for a short period), bought an MS261 new up in Huntly (on the odd chance you're up that way strathbogie is great and new presmises is massive, I went when it was in the old highstreet shop, nothing was priced which meant convo/bartering/chat was obligatory, for which understanding a bit of Doric was also almost obligatory) and can't fault it. Run it on 13 and (mostly) 16" bar for felling and general cross cutting, its a wee rocket and very reliable for all day professional ground use though sadly i don't do that much any more, still hoping to get many years out of it.

 

[Robson Valley]

Look at the log in my avatar. That needed a Stihl with a 36" bar.
Parts and service for both amateurs and professionals are really easy to come by, even in a little village like mine.

 

[Nomad64]

Thanks for all the input on this - I've finally got myself what looks like a well looked after, low "mileage", late model Stihl 024AVS (the (slightly) smaller brother of the 026/MS260/1 series), for comfortably under my £200 budget.

Not given it a proper workout yet but looks good so far.

The Stihl 024 AVS I got last year has been getting a thorough workout over the last few weeks - I’ve lost count of how many fills of mix have gone through it but am well into my second 5 litre flagon of chain oil (and no, it has not all leaked out overnight while not being used! ).

At the risk of tempting fate, it has not missed a beat so far while cutting next year’s firewood - not bad for a saw made in “West Germany”!

AFAIK, it is basically the same saw as an 026/MS260 but with a slightly smaller cylinder and piston and as the cylinders are apparently interchangeable, it is possible to “upgrade” should the need arise.

The Stihl 13” bar and chain has (just) been big enough for everything I used it for so far - mostly soft wood up to 18” but I’ll probably upgrade to a 16” bar at some point but in the meantime I’ll just treat it to a new fuel filter, sparkplug and a bit of a tuneup.

Very happy!