Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Help Time for a new Chainsaw

Ok, Gang. I know more than a few of you have cut some wood here. I am in the market for a new chainsaw as my hand me down McCulloch is getting darn near impossible to find parts for. Any reviews/input is greatly appreciated. It will be used for clearing some small trees, yard work and cutting 2-3 cords for the fireplace (gotta keep the misses happy)

Thanks in advance.

Best value occasional use chainsaw IMHO is the Homelight 18 and 20 inch Timberman from Home Depot, Poulans are pretty reliable but a little more expensive for that lime green color. Best hard/often use are in my order of preferance 1) Jonsared 2) Husqvarna 3) Stihl

hi jeff,
i'll give you my 2c.
my bro is a prof. tree guy, in the business over 30 yrs. his crews solely used echo for small tree work.....stihl or husky for large tree work.

he steered me towards a echo (3450 i think) came w/ a 12-inch bar, it'l also run a 16" bar which i tend to use more often.

i've had it 10 yrs, use it ALOT, and it still runs like a screamin banshee.

For 18"-ers around $150, I have put a lot of abuse over the years into a Homelite (now departed for the great logging camp in the sky) and my current Poulan 2550.

I understand Huskys are well thought of.

Thanks guys. I would love a Husky but its a little steep for me to justify with what I will use it for (Translation =the wife would kill me). Same with Stihl. I have read some good things about Homelite and Echo as well as some decent reviews of some of the Poulan's. Basically the race is down to Homelite, Echo, or Poulan. I have a wider selection of Homelite and Poulan but there is a small selection of Echo (I belive it was the 3450 I saw). It's not urgent yet (my Mculloch is still breathing but labored) so I will see if anyone else has any input before I make up my mind.

Jeff, i've had a homelite, and mculloch chain saw which were good saws for their lower price, but if you want a great saw get a Stihl 250 with easy2start system. 3 years and alot of wood later it starts and runs great.
They aren't cheap but their worth every penny for no aggravation operation.

I purchased the entry level Husqvarna about 6 years ago. It doesn't get alot of use, but when it does, it rocks. Moreover, when I let gas/oil sit in it for 3 or 4 months (ooops; forgot to dump and/or stabliize), it still pops right over. I've had a few low end 2 cycle engine utility tools. I've learned the hard way that a little more quality does make a difference. I also popped for Husky weed wackers with the same great performance results. I'm convinced that the edge on quality gets you an engine that is more tolerant to abuse.
When I took my Ryobi multi-attachment 2 stroker weed wacker in for warranty maint because the engine and clutch were acting up after I REALLY made it work, the small engine shop repair shop owner told me that the Ryobi (built by Homelite, I believe) is designed with an expected engine life of 25 hours. Something to do with the manufacturing tolerances. He told me that if I wanted a real week wacker, buy the Echo.
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edit; Tom G will check in soon; he's up on this stuff

I bought my Husky chainsaw and weed wackers off of Ebay

When it comes to pulling on a rope, I want something to work with, not work on. That's why I prefer Stihl and Echo.

Ask Tom G. He works on them. Hey Tom!!

I like your thinking.

While a Husqvarna or Stihl will last 3x longer than a Poulan, they also cost 4X more. So an occasional user will never get his money's worth.

I used my 18" Poulan for years, and have cut hundreds of trees. The bar finally wore out (I have a bad habit of hitting the dirt), and I got a better quality Australian made bar for $22. It still cuts great, cranks in 1 or 2 pulls, and idles perfectly.

After a hurricane a while back, I was about to resume cutting up a downed oak tree when 2 boys from Kentucky pulled up in a pickup. They had driven down here looking for work cutting up downed trees. I told them I was fixed up, and pointed to my Poulan. They laughed, and went to the truck and produced a big orange Husky like like they were saying "That's not a saw, THIS is a saw". He cranked it up and cut a ~14" slab off a big limb. I'm thinking heck, that wasn't so fast. So I asked him to cut another slab, and timed it. It took him 10 seconds. I cranked up and it took me 9 seconds. He said "yea, but yours turns real high RPM. and it won't last!". I said yea, but it cost me 1/4th as nuch as yours, and 4 of mine would last longer than yours."
We all laughed, and they left. They really were nice guys, and I sure envied that Husky they had.

Jeff, If you've narrowed your choices I can tell you that Homelite will not perform as well as echo or poulan BUT both echo and poulan have fuel system gaskets, tank grommet, and hoses (same carb used) that are NOT compatable with todays fuel and will have to be replaced every couple years or so unless they are used VERY frequently. One of my customers does the warranty work for home depot and they do repairs on 20 echos to 1 homelite, almost all fuel related. I've had to replace ecerything fuel touches except the tanks on my echo weed string trimmer and blower twice in those same 5 years----I bought all three when we bought our land/pond. Pound for pound echo is far superior for power but not maint when not used daily.


I have had my $135 20" homelite timberman, cut up over 300 trees in the last 5 years, have let it set for months with bad fuel, and it will start on the 3rd pull with good gas and still the original plug and uncleaned air filter.

Look at most any professional landscape crew, and they have Echo small 2-stroke tools. Look at any professional tree crew and they will have Stihl or Husky saws. I sprung for a Husky saw about 10 years back and have never been sorry. It always starts on the 2nd pull.

I have been using Stihl products since '81 and have been very satisfied. Currently have the FS80, FS85, FS90 & FS100 weed trimmers.. The 180 & 250 chainsaws along with a 12' polesaw. We have a local small engine store that sell & service Stihl & Echo and they are both good machines. I shy away from Big Box store brands only because of service issues. Whatever you buy, please be sure to treat the fuel with Stabil!!! Also, some engines like certain oils(FS100- Echo oil prolongs life). One other thing- use the shorter bar per engine size & you will be happier...du

I find it amusing that the majority of the posters on this site recommend Kubota tractors which aren't cheap but shy away from a good quality chainsaw. my advice is to spend the modest amount of extra cash and get a Stihl and if taken care of it will be the last saw you ever buy. I don't mean to "dis" anyone elses opinion but to me buying a cheaper saw is buying problems. My Stihl saws always start, my oldest is 1982 vintage 056AV and it still starts. My newest is an MS310 with an 18" bar and this model can be bought for under $400 new, closer to $300 if you find the right dealer. Add to that that you will always be able to buy parts for them and will rarely need to if you take care of them. Keep your chain sharp and run good bar oil. I cut an average of 8 full cords of hardwood per year to heat my house and my shop.

I see the humor too Joe.

David, FWIW the hoses used on stihl and echo cant handle the alchol and aromatic oils in the stabilizers. Once the factory hose is replaced with Tygon Yellow you've got one heck of a workhorse. Like I said earlier, if they are used regularly(read nearly daily) definately spend a little more! but if it's rarely used (read 2-5 times per year) chep have done better for me.

Thanks Rainman. You're absolutely correct that Tygon Yellow hoses don't break down like the Stihl factory hoses. The fix is simple, replace the hose( can do yourself for $2.00). It's interesting Stihl doesn't just use Tygon Yellow during manufacture. As a matter of interest, my repair shop does recommend Stabil because in their opinion the hose's shelf life isn't significantly diminished by Stabil & they see a lot less carb problems with it's use...du

If you want long lasting and the longest warranty get an echo. If you want the best ppower to weight get husqvarna or stihl. Husqvarna makes most of the cheap brands these days and also owns johnsered. Always buy a brand that has a dealer near by. I personnally just buy craigslist homelites and poulans for trimming and light bucking. Stihl 036 and 660 when I want to get after the big stuff, but my dealer just stopped carrying stihl. And don't forget the PPE when you are cutting!

I don't use fuel stabilizers, I never have gasoline last very long around here. I also try to run all my 2 cycle equipment dry for storage, meaning empty the fuel tank, start the item and use the choke to run it dry, then you avoid varnish and gumming up from sitting. I use all my old pre-mix gasoline in my Allis Chalmers CA to mow grass after the wood is cut too. I'd take a good Allis Chalmers over a Kubota any day too...heh heh.

good point
I dump it in the car gas tank

Great input. I really appreciate it. I am going to the store to handle a few and see how they balance, and get a better feel for them. Maybe I'll end up getting a temporary one until I can save up for the Husky/Stihl. Momma says we need to pay off some of my other toys first. Women!

Rural King

Momma says we need to pay off some of my other toys first. Women! [/quote]


Jeff, you need to take the time and educate your wife that we are not children, we are adults and these are not toys they are life's necessities to help us survive the onslaught of the barbarians!

P.S. I hope my wife doesn't see this post.

Jeff, you need to take the time and educate your wife that we are not children, we are adults and these are not toys they are life's necessities to help us survive the onslaught of the barbarians!

P.S. I hope my wife doesn't see this post. [/quote]

Your right! And I would but I have a kitchen full of cast iron, I have taught her how to shoot (and she is a pretty good shot)and I married a woman just mean enough to use the cast iron and if I twitched to much put me out of my misery with her Ruger 9MM.

So, I leave it to you wise folks here as to which route I'm taking

My boss still says those nasty things too!

Too bad her brain tumor removal was a TOTAL success!

I read what brett had to say about the Husky and I agree. I have owned a Husky, John Deere, Stihl, echo, and Poulan chain saw. I like the stihl and the Husky the best. The Husky runs at a higher rpm and cuts faster but you have to be careful about the chain getting hot and duling out. it is also lighter than the stihl. The stihl is easy to start cuts slower but will go longer without sharpening the blade. The echo has a nice motor but they put a very thin chain and not as agressive blade on it. It is also harder to get a replacement part for. the Poulon only lasted about twenty hours of use and I wouldn't buy it again. The John deere is a beast 7hp and is very heavy with a twenty four inch bar. It can cut but you will pay the next day. If you live in an area that puts ethanol in the gas you should buy new gas for it if it is over two weeks old. Brettski I like the Echo weed wacker the best by far over any other brand.
The line is easier to change and it runs great even better than the husky weed wacker.