Wasn't sure where to ask this, but ...   We're looking for a high-quality gas-powered chain saw for our property.

We have a lot of big trees with big over-hanging limbs. (Some of these trees are dead too).  A huge wind storm came thru here recently, but thankfully only a few branches came down. My small battery-powered chain saw was able to dispose of those.

We just want a good, low maintenance gas model that can reliably handle thick branches or a tree trunk if a storm knocks it down, hitting the house or blocking the driveway.

Thanks in advance!

Stihl MS 261

Stihl. Pick your size.

Stihl 362 20inch bar

Stihl is solid....

I have (2) 455 Rancher 20"/18" (Husqvarna) and they are absolute BEASTS....

Which model depends on what the overall use will be.

But you can't go wrong with Stihl or Husqvarna IMHO

Im happy with my Stihl

Stihl ms462R

Make sure you get the R.  It's worth the extra $ and ordering it.

I've used a lot of saws.

The 462 is only slightly heavier than the 362, but it throws down the power in ways the 362 can only dream of.

When it was 461 vs 362, I'd pick up the 362 because it was lighter.  But not anymore.

I run a 24 or 28" bar on mine.   Full skip full chisel chain.  Stick with stihl brand chain, worth it.

I’ve have several Stihl’s, one Husky, both are the best in chain saw, in my opinion but I like Stihl’s the best. I have other Stihl gas powered equipment too.

I have a Husky 435 that has worked well for me. Biggest thing is to run it out of gas EVERY time you put it away and buy the premixed gas/oil in a can.

Get a sharpening file and buy plenty of chain oil. I borrowed a saw that didn't have any chain oil in it because the owner didn't know it needed any!!

In case it wasn't obvious, Stihl is the only correct answer here.


My son is in college majoring in Forestry.  Stihl is the only brand they use. He wants one with a 36" bar.  

Is that something that is only necessary for Husky saws? I always run pump gas and never run my other brands out before putting them away...haven't had any issues yet...but I don't own any Husky stuff.

Husky 465 with 24” bar here. It will handle anything.

But whatever you choose, get the closest dealer. Sure, you can do stuff yourself, but it’s a lot easier to just drop, it off get a new chain for 25 bucks, and pick it up in a few minutes.  Dealer is a mile from me.

Could the Stihl fans here also please recommend an optimum bar length?  Thanks.

At least get an orange one. Preferably Stihl.

ETA: MS271 or bigger model. 18"-20" bar for your use. Cutting mostly limbs? 18". Cutting more trunks? 20" or bigger depending on tree size.

The purpose of the dealer is for parts and service. People actually pay a dealer to change the chain for them?

All saws due to stupid corn gas.

What powerhead are you buying.

Optimal bar length is a combination of balance, work demands, and powerhead capability.

I actually like the longer bar for limbing and bucking.  Less bending over.  Shorter bar is better balanced when I'm felling, etc

Optimum bar length cannot be answered without more information...

Where do you live? What type and size of trees are you going to be cutting? If an entire tree comes down will you be cutting that up yourself or hiring it done? Do you ever expect to have a massive storm that would require many trees to be cut in a short timeframe?

Additionally, I've seen many recommendations for a specific model saw. That is going about the question wrong.

Once you know what you plan to cut you can narrow down a range of bar length you will need. Once you have that you can figure out which powerheads of your chosen brand will work well with that size bar. Once you've selected the saw you can then adjust bar length up/down a little as needed to better match engine power.

You don't seem like a regular woodcutter so it's almost pointless to buy a pro saw (almost all the recommended saws in this thread are pro saws). Stihl, for example, has 3 different lines of saws. Pro saws are the most expensive, but they're made for daily use and offer the best features & power:weight ratio. Homeowner saws are made with the same quality components in many cases but for less critical components plastic is substituted for magnesium and the designs are made more for ease of manufacturing instead of ease of disassembly. Farm & ranch saws are in between those and larger size, possibly with some premium features like better anti-vibe added back in.

A homeowner or farm & ranch saw is all you need. The guy that recommended a MS462R WTF? That's a $1300, 6 HP pro saw... that's like recommending a Ferrari for your retired grandpa to drive 1 block to the corner cafe to get his coffee each morning. It's an absolute waste of money. But if grandpa is loaded and wants to compensate with a Ferrari, more power to him!

Let's say you plan to regularly cut branches 10" and under but may cut a tree 28" once every 10 years. A 16-18" bar will attack that big tree from both sides and bc you're only doing it once every 10 years it's not that big of deal that it takes a bit longer to do it. A good occasional use saw that comes with an 18" bar is the MS250. And at 1/4 the price of the MS462R, if you find that you want a larger saw in the future you can buy a larger farm & ranch saw and still save money.

Many people (IMHO ignorant people) parrot that the homeowner saws are junk and the clamshell engine is harder to work on. Those are people that read something on the internet about saws but haven't actually worked on them or used them. I own saws from the smallest rear-handle saw Stihl makes (MS170) up to 7 hp prosaws (larger than the MS462 recommended above). I use them, maintain them, repair them, and I've rebuilt one on a 100% teardown. They all are functional saws and all have their place. And there is NOTHING to fear about the durability of them. I've owned my MS170 the longest and it has the most hours of use out of any of my saws. It hasn't required ANY repairs at any point in time, not even a spark plug. The same can't be said about my pro saws.

Uh, no, it must just be a Husky thing. My Stihl & Dolmar saws don't mind...

18" or 20" is the most typical/common "homeowner" size.  If you need one larger than that, you probably should be calling a professional.

Came here to post this.  Just use the Stihl premix fuel.  Extended warranty, non ethanol and 93 or 94 octane ready to go.

Good points. I like the longer bar as well. Didn't know if that was just me.

I think the MS271 is the best option, that's the one I plan to buy next.

I have the Ms170 and absolutely love it. Use it most of the time. Have an old craftsman with a 20" bar but the stihl is so much lighter, easier to maneuver, and reliable I just use it 90% of the time, even for felling.

I plan to replace the craftsman with the MS271 one day.

Awesome saw.

I own two Sthils... One is 30+ years old(Dad gave it to me, thought I earned it w/ the stitches) & the other is about 4 yrs. They both fire right up(if you know what your doing).

FPNI

Buy once, cry once. (Note the MS 261 is no longer available. It is now the MS 261 C-M.)

The MS 170 is probably the best selling and least expensive homeowner saw.

Do not buy a Husqvarna 450 Rancher. While mine runs great, I've found it challenging to locate replacement parts including chains and bars. Not impossible, but not easy or readily available.

Just a 'regular guy' gettin' by ...

Actually your description is pretty accurate. Definitely not a 'pro' tree-jock cutting Redwoods for a living.

Trunk and branch size (or thickness) on the property runs 4"-6" on the small side and 10" on the big side,  with some trunks up to maybe 25"-28". Oaks, maples, and smaller thorn bush stuff.

Just looking for a quality gas saw (and Stihl does attract me for its quality) at the homeowner/farmer level for pruning use, felling of smaller trees as needed, and/or for emergency use on large downed branches or trunks after a high wind/lightening strike event.

A bar length of 18"-20" sounds also like it would fit my intended uses.

Thanks!

No problem! I'm much the same as you, just a regular guy getting by. But I burn wood, have a farm with plenty of dead trees that occasionally come down, and I got into cutting trees for a little side income. It was sort of accidental. You wouldn't believe how much money people will happily shove in your hands when they didn't have to pay a commercial tree company to do their tree. I had a coworker that let me cut firewood on his place (years ago before I bought my farm) ask me if I could help his uncle cut some trees down. Said he would pay me half what the tree company wanted. I spent about 1 hour cutting down 2 trees, cutting them up, and piling the brush in a trailer he had parked there. Then he shoved $400 in my hands and thanked me profusely. The rest is history, I started cutting on the side... had a couple from church with 9 trees in an open yard; they only wanted the tree company to cut them down. Quote was $1,000. It took me less than an hour to put them all on the ground, they paid me $250 and they did all the cleanup.

A little secret about my favorite saw. It's a Stihl MS170, just a "crappy homeowner saw". But I got it used, like new on CL when I first started burning wood for $75. I cut 5 cords a year for several years exclusively with that saw without a problem. I love it bc it's light, snappy, and sips fuel. I can got to the woods with that, a small gas can and a tiny bottle of bar oil and cut all day and not run out of fluids or get fatigued...

Agree with people on the Stihl MS170. I've had mine for 5+ years. Runs like it did when new and is my most used saw. I am a Stihl fanboy, have a blower and also their Kombi system power head with different attachments. Anyways I wanted a bigger saw. After reading, researching I ended up with a Echo CS-590. Substantially cheaper than a comparable Stihl. Runs great and zero regrets.

On the Stihl MS170 and Echo CS-590: ... Is the same type of pre-mixed fuel available for both models?

Or, how do you guys handle stocking gas on hand to keep them re-fueled as needed?

obvious answer is stihl.

The size is up to you and so is the budget.  get an extra chain.  That way you dont have to quit because the chain on the saw is dull.  also, read up on chain types.
If you are not an experienced sawyer, stick with the safety chains, they are designed to reduce kickback.

you need to think about safety.  wear glasses and hearing protection.  Stihl has a nice helmet with face shield and ears built in.
I wear safety chaps EVERY TIME i saw.  these are the bare minimum I would use there are cheaper chinese versions that might protect you or might not.

I get non-ethanol fuel and only mix up a gallon at a time.  I have all stihl equipment so the premix is the same 50:1.

before i was able to get non-eth, i just kept regular gas with stabilizer in 5 gallon cans. every 6 months, I pour the gas into a vehicle to get rid of it, and I buy more.

if my premix gets old, I dilute it with straight gas and use it in my lawn tractor. The little oil in it wont hurt a thing.

Every sawyer on a hotshot crew is going to be running one brand of saw. Stihl.

This is spot on. OP you would be better served by typing "difference between pro saw and farm saw" into your yt search bar than asking GD.

Identify which grade you want (cheapo, homeowner,  farm owner, professional logger)
Decide which size you want (40-50-60-70cc)
Figure out which model of Stihl or Husky fits that
Flip a coin to see which shade of orange you end up with

My personal take: I used to do fuels & lubricants research as a scientist/engineer. The hype about ethanol gas is mostly ignorance spreading ignorance. There are some troubles that can come from ethanol gas but if you keep it in an airtight gas can and don't put it in a really old engine there is no concern. That being said, while i previously didn't bother with ethanol free gas I do now bc I've inherited my dad's early 80's Stihl. I'm not sure if the fuel system is compatible and the saw has sentimental value so I play it safe and go E-free (that is the only reason why). The cans of premixed gas are insanely overpriced, but they offer some advantages for your use type. The cans are purged and sealed. Buy them and stock several and they will last a long time, like a decade or more. For a guy that just doesn't know when he will use his saw and won't be using it much, the benefits of the canned premix outweigh the added cost. I have seen it offered in 50:1 & 40:1 locally, those are the 2 common mix ratios. Stihl & Echo both require 50:1 mix so same fuel for both.

Note: I'm not sure if Stihl still does it but for non-commercial use equipment purchases I think they double your warranty if you buy their synthetic oil at the same time. It's not too expensive and it's really good oil. So even if you plan to buy the premix it's not a bad idea to buy the smallest amount of synthetic oil required to get the added warranty then put it on the shelf just in case. Never know when a nasty storm comes through and you run out of premix and can't find anymore right in the middle of cleanup!

I use a 2 gallon can to mix my gas; I usually burn through at least 2 cans per season. I run used, filtered heavy weight gear oil for bar oil (it's just as good or better and I have a never ending supply).

First post nails it. MS261 18" bar

Yep

All good advice. I have that gear.

As stated above, I'm not a 'hotshot' pro tree-jock.

Looking hard at what Stihl models fit the need-level of farmer/rancher/home-owner.

Sounds like the MS170 is the go-to choice.

Thanks for the insights & input.

Stihl in a size that suits you.  Happy with the wood boss 18" bar. Just big enough.

As much as I love my MS170 and as well as I got by with ONLY that saw for years, I would suggest going up to the MS250 unless you plan to grab a bigger saw eventually. The MS170 will struggle to pull a 16" bar and an 18" will be a no-go. If you want to start small then get a 2nd bigger saw later then MS170 is a phenomenal choice!

Additionally, I meant to share this last night and forgot to include it.

Many people aren't aware that bar & chain (B&C) and sprockets are ALL wear items. Yes, the chains are a given but many neglect the bar & sprocket. In general, these items will wear the best when they are rotated through as a set, so that wear on each progresses equally. The best rule of thumb I've seen is that 1 bar will last the life of 4 chains & 2 sprockets. So grab an extra sprocket and 3 extra chains and rotate them. Note: unless you do a rim-sprocket conversion, the MS170 (and maybe MS250) are clutch-bell sprockets and don't have separate sprockets. They cost a little more but it's not a big cost. I converted mine but I wouldn't recommend it for a homeowner saw. I've made improvements to my MS170 over the years that made it more amenable to a conversion.

Lastly, Stihl saw numbers are super easy to understand once they've been explained. I don't see that it's been done in here yet.
The old numbers started with a 0 and went up in size. 009 (the smallest), 017, 025, 026, 028, 029, 034, 036, 038, 044, 046, 066, 088, 090 (the largest) etc (I skipped some). In general odd numbers are not pro-saws, even numbers are pro-saws. You may also see something like 036 Super; that just means it's an 036 saw with an upsized piston & cylinder (P&C) for better power. A few decades back Stihl changed the number system, eliminating the 0 in front, adding a number to the end to differentiate improvements & changes to a saw, then adding the MS in front. So the 017 became the MS170. The 036 became the MS360. Then, as time goes on and changes are made to a particular saw like the MS360, it became the MS361, then the MS362. The MS362 is an equivalent saw to an MS361, MS360, and 036 as far as size, weight, and power (SWAP). It just has nuanced differences, sometimes improved ergonomics, sometimes addition of EPA emissions controls etc. These changes will affect SWAP a little bit but not enough to drastically change the saw so much that it should become a completely new model. I hope that helps you!

ETA, one last thing, because this is in the ballpark of saws that you're looking at. An exception to the even=pro saw bit is the MS180. The MS180 is a MS170 with a slightly different P&C, and some ergonomic/usability improvements targeted to homeowners. It has an "easy tension" chain system and the "soft start" pull cord system as well as the dreaded "flippy caps" that people hate. I think it's a lot of marketing hype that is unnecessary. There are other exceptions to the even=pro rule (mostly with older 0XX saws) but I don't know all of them and I don't think they are relevant to your decision.

I've had a Husky 455 Rancher that's a great saw that I've had damn must be close to 20 yrs. In the market for a new saw as well and will probably go with a 20" Stihl just to have a variety.

Not sure, but was Stihl mentioned above??

I have an 027 that needs repair but I have been hesitating on diagnosing it.  Probably because I think it may need a piston/cylinder replacement and I already have a Shindaiwa with the piston/cylinder to fix it!

Bill

Three good brands are Stihl, Husqvarna, and Echo.  I recommend them in that order.
An important consideration is where to purchase your saw.  Make your choice based on having a good dealer nearby.  Stihl sells only through their dealers, whereas Husky and Echo are available at box stores and online.  If you are new to chainsaws and may have questions, need readily available parts, or help with service work, Stihl is the way to go.  If you go to a box store, the employees are not trained on the saws and do not have the knowledge to help you.  If you like Husky or any other brand, but sure that there is a dealer in your area that carries and can service your saw.
It is not clear how large the trees are that you anticipate cutting or how often.  A Stihl MS 250 can do an amazing amount of work and save you a considerable amount of money.  It is considered a "homeowners saw" so is not intended for hard professional work over an extended time.  The MS 261 is a light and powerful professional saw.  It is very effective, but considerably for expensive.

See my 11/21/20 post above  -  as to size of trees/branches on the property.

FTFY... Dolmar may not have big marketshare here in the states but they're very highly regarded and very popular in Europe. If you can work on saws yourself or you're lucky enough to have a dealer nearby they make really good saws at a good pricepoint.


Servicing dealers are certainly important. There is 1 exception to the big box store Stihl rule. Rural King (a midwestern farm store similar to Farm & Fleet, TSC, etc) sells & services Stihl. I'm certain the service shop was forced by Stihl in order for them to be able to sell. The only reason I mention that is bc they are a "box store" but focused on farm/rural life.

Dolmar is a saw manufacturer founded in Germany.
Dolmar has been owned by Japanese tool behemoth Makita Corp for about 20 or so years.

now, specific to the USA market...

until a few years ago, the Dolmar name stayed on the saws, as Dolmar operated quasi-independently of mother ship Makita.
in 2015 or so, Makita-branded models showed up, in Makita "teal" color.  (incidentally, this is what you are handed at the Home Depot rental counter, a Makita-branded Dolmar)
then, last year, Makita started branding ALL of the saws as Makita, in traditional Dolmar orange.

the latter are now sold at Home Depot, among other places.

so, we have, in chronological order,
1) Dolmar saws in orange that say Dolmar
2) Dolmar saws in teal that say Makita
3) Dolmar saws in orange that say Makita.

ar-jedi







ps

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Makita-20-in-50-cc-Gas-Rear-Handle-Chainsaw-EA5000PRGG/300565849