Hey D'Animal- I need a Stihl chainsaw

[LukeZero]

Can you hook a brotha' up?

Seriously I need to get something like a Farm Boss- I don't need professional grade. Something around 30-35 cc. 18-20" bar. I am so tired of the Echo I have- that it ended up in the trash can today.

Recommendations on which model suits my needs and what to ask for when I talk to the local Stihl dealer?

Thanks.

 

[D'Animal]

30 cc - 35 cc saws run 14" guide bars Great!

They will really struggle in the Oak with a 16" bar and slightly dull chain.

An MS 250 at 45 cc does a fantastic job with an 18" bar.

An MS 290 at 56 cc does a fantastic job with a 20" bar.

What diameter is 80% of the wood you cut? I assume you cut Oak since you are in the eastern midwest.

 

[LukeZero]

30 cc - 35 cc saws run 14" guide bars Great!

They will really struggle in the Oak with a 16" bar and slightly dull chain.

An MS 250 at 45 cc does a fantastic job with an 18" bar.

An MS 290 at 56 cc does a fantastic job with a 20" bar.

What diameter is 80% of the wood you cut? I assume you cut Oak since you are in the eastern midwest.

Some Oak, a lot of Maple, some Hickory. I have several Honey Locust trees that need to come down soon. Maybe some of my trouble with the old Echo is that it really had too much bar for the engine. Typically the largest diameter of log is 12-14", with the majority being 6-8".

 

[D'Animal]

Put a smaller bar on you Echo and keep it for the small stuff.

For a mental reference and for sizing a chain saw:

5 Gallon Bucket is 13" in diameter - A saw with 14" bar will cut it but it will be on the end of its power.

55 Gallon Drum is 21" in diameter - A saw with a 20" bar will cut it but it will be on the end of its power.

Most people actually use 14" - 18" of thier guide bar regardless if they have a 18" - 36" bar.

I am partial to the MS 250 with an 18" myself. You do not really need the C-BE features so don't let a dealer talk you into them.

Ask the dealer if they have a Carrying Case Promo going on. Generally in the fall we offer a Carrying Case Promo" which includes a Carrying Case, bottle of mix oil, quart of bar oil, STIHL Cap and an Extra chain for $29.95. We offer it but it is up to the dealer to participate in it.

Ask the dealer if he participates in the Satisfaction Guarantee Program. That is a program we have in place that allows you to buy a new saw and try it out. If the saw is too small, too short of bar, etc, it allows you to take the saw back and get your full purchase price and trade up in saws. You will know if the saw is right for you in about 15 minutes. If you go and cut a seasons worth of firewood and then take the saw back, the dealership may tell you to pack sand. If you damage the saw, they will charge you for damages. The offer is good from 7 days from the purchase.

The reason we offer it for 7 days is in the real world you have weekends off. You buy the Chain Saw on a Saturday, it sits on the kitchen table or coffee table Sat afternoon, sunday you go and use it. You think "I should got a Bigger Saw" or "Holy Crap this has too much power and I'm gonna hurt myself" or "this bar is so freaking long the tip is always in the dirt". You think about it during the week and decide to get a bigger or smaller saw the next Saturday that you are off work.

Again, we offer the program but it is up to the dealer to participate in it.

 

[3DAMAN!]

I' ve been using a 029 with a 22" bar for about 10 years or maybe a little longer. Replaced the bar once and wore out 5 chains with it. (yea, I know, I'm hard on the equipment) We cut on average 9-10 cords a year. Mostly hard wood, but hell ,I'll cut just about any thing with it from digging out root/stumps to making fence corner posts from telephone poles to cutting railroad ties in landscapes design. The saw has been a good hardworking tool. Not to big, and not to small.
My 2 cents

 

[bigndn]

I' ve been using a 029 with a 22" bar for about 10 years or maybe a little longer. Replaced the bar once and wore out 5 chains with it. (yea, I know, I'm hard on the equipment) We cut on average 9-10 cords a year. Mostly hard wood, but hell ,I'll cut just about any thing with it from digging out root/stumps to making fence corner posts from telephone poles to cutting railroad ties in landscapes design. The saw has been a good hardworking tool. Not to big, and not to small.
My 2 cents

Wow!!! You ONLY went thru 5 chains cutting about 100 cords of hardwoods? That's amazing.

 

[Weedhopper]

Just my .02...

I love my 14' bar for cutting sizes that Luke is talking about. I can cut bigger stuff and all of the small branches, etc. It is light and easy to toss around. I have an 18" too but for most of the trees I am cutting around the house, up to about 14" I like the smaller one.

 

[3DAMAN!]

Wow!!! You ONLY went thru 5 chains cutting about 100 cords of hardwoods? That's amazing.

Yea, buy one about every other year. Allways sharpen them my self. I keep the best of the worst of the used ones for s*** work. As a matter of fact I'll be buying one soon.

 

[haystax]

I've been extremely happy with the MS 361 I picked up a few years ago. 25" bar is a little big for what I do but it's nice for trimming tree branches that are just a little too far out of reach with the little saw.

We bought a couple 440s I think for the fire dept and they are beasts! And for the price tag they should be! We will also be looking for one for a raffle donation but I'm not sure we'll get the 044 anymore, they have really gotten expensive lately.

 

[D'Animal]

The MS 361 is way overkill for him based on his description.

The MS 440 has not been sold in the USA for 3 years. The MS 441 replaced it. The MS 440 or MS 441 for him would be similar to driving a Nascar Race Car as a daily driver.

 

[Mace]

The MS 440 or MS 441 for him would be similar to driving a Nascar Race Car as a daily driver.

I'm missing the issue here.....

 

[splitshot]

I'm missing the issue here.....

I'm with you, sounds like fun.

Seriously, we occationally get into some 24" rounds, but even so, I feel no need to get into anything over 55cc and a 20" bar. Something lite with a 14"-16" bar for limbing, and a slightly bigger unit for the toads.

 

[Junk]

The reason we offer it for 7 days is in the real world you have weekends off. You buy the Chain Saw on a Saturday, it sits on the kitchen table or coffee table Sat afternoon, sunday you go and use it. You think "I should got a Bigger Saw" or "Holy Crap this has too much power and I'm gonna hurt myself" or "this bar is so freaking long the tip is always in the dirt". You think about it during the week and decide to get a bigger or smaller saw the next Saturday that you are off work.

That comes in handy too. This summer I picked up a new 310. After using it one morning, decided I needed more saw. Went back and upgraded to the 361. That's more saw than you'll need, but shows how much the above can come in handy.

 

[Dave-T]

I love the 361.....not as much as the 460 though