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Who makes the best chain saw?

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JackT

11-03-2006 13:17:44

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My 40+ year old Mac chainsaw just bit the dust and almost took a bite out of me in the process. What's a good brand now days to replace it with?

Thanks

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redboy656

11-07-2006 06:11:54

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Re: Who makes the best chain saw? in reply to JackT, 11-03-2006 13:17:44

Husky is the best. It seems to me that Jonsirreds are the same as Huskys, but more expensive. I have a 455 Rancher. It has unbelievable power for a 55 cc saw.

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135 Fan

11-07-2006 11:59:10

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Re: Who makes the best chain saw? in reply to redboy656, 11-07-2006 06:11:54

That's probably the new model of the 55 rancher. Great saw. Dave

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jiskies2

11-04-2006 19:12:38

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Re: Who makes the best chain saw? in reply to JackT, 11-03-2006 13:17:44

stihl or husquarvna?sp?. but they aint cheap!
jeff

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JackT

11-04-2006 09:09:47

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Re: Who makes the best chain saw? in reply to JackT, 11-03-2006 13:17:44

Thanks for everyone"s input. I went to a Stihl dealer to buy a new saw. The guy said "lets have a look at your old Mac 10-10A before you drop $400" Turns out he fixed it to $21. Looks like that old Mac may make it to its 50th birthday after all!!

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11-04-2006 07:29:53

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Re: Who makes the best chain saw? in reply to JackT, 11-03-2006 13:17:44

I will go off the beaten path on this one, most of you are correct on Stihl saws, from 10 years ago, the neweer Stihl saws have a way too much plastic in them for me, they are living on a reputation from 10-25 years ago. The best saw on the market is a Dolmar, it is still a German made saw, has been since 1927, still use a lot of metal in their saws, they have excellant power for their size, easy start, and a lot more reasonably priced than Stihl, for a comparable saw, you can save about $100.00 on a Dolmar. The second best would be an Echo, had a CS440 one time that out cut a STihl 036, a lot smaller saw, but a lot more power. I really do not care what you buy, but you asked for an opinion, I gave it. been working on saws for over 30 years, and so far, except for the old McCullochs & old Homelites, the Dolmars are the best I seen in a long time, check 'em out they are impressive to me.

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Gwiz

11-05-2006 07:22:17

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Re: Who makes the best chain saw? in reply to JT, 11-04-2006 07:29:53

I would put my money into another Olympic (also Olympyk: they had to change their name because of the Olympics). Anyone know the new name for them? They were made in Italy; also a part of the Oleo Mac company.
James

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MF Poor

11-04-2006 00:23:37

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Re: Who makes the best chain saw? in reply to JackT, 11-03-2006 13:17:44

STIHL. Neighbor of mine runs a tree service. He's got 4 or 5 saws on each truck he sends out. Every one is a Stihl. His father has a chainsaw repair business. All his own personal saws? Stihl. I got tired of junk "throw-away" department store saws and bought an MS 260 Stihl 3 years ago. Best money I've ever spent. 15 to 20 ricks of firewood every winter and nothing but gas and oil and a few saw files to keep it in top condition. My old Mac saw would have needed a couple ignition coils along the way, plus a bar or two.

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James2

11-03-2006 20:34:24

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Re: Who makes the best chain saw? in reply to JackT, 11-03-2006 13:17:44

I had an expensive saw and had nothing but trouble with it. Treated it like it was a rare jewel. Went thru three electronic ignitions at $100 each and finally ended with a scored piston/cylinder wall. Threw it away and bought a cheap $100 Homelight, with the intention when it broke, I would just pitch it and buy another cheapie. I have run the living bejesus out of that chain saw for the last 10 years and never have had a lick of any problem. I have run it in the dirt cutting off tree roots, cut a pile of hedge with it and it justs keeps on ticking. A friend bought a new expensive Stihl and although it has been decent, but he still has had more problems than mine and he treats it much better. So unless you are trying to impress your fellow woodsmen, buy cheap and throw it away when it breaks!

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thejdman01

11-03-2006 19:46:35

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Re: Who makes the best chain saw? in reply to JackT, 11-03-2006 13:17:44

jonsered chainsaw hands down

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scottf in WA

11-03-2006 18:37:42

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Re: Who makes the best chain saw? in reply to JackT, 11-03-2006 13:17:44

I'm in Washington state were logging is major industry. I can tell you the professionals use Stihl chainsaws. These are guys that use a chainsaws all day every day. On a rare occasion you will see a Husqvarna.

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rodgernbama

11-03-2006 17:26:26

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Re: Who makes the best chain saw? in reply to JackT, 11-03-2006 13:17:44

I have a husqvarna that has been the best saw I have owned.Stihl and jonesered are also good saws.

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larry h

11-03-2006 17:20:37

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Re: Who makes the best chain saw? in reply to JackT, 11-03-2006 13:17:44

we have been a saw dealer for 40 years had remington homelite stihl and husky and nothing compares to a husky they are about 5 years ahead of stihl and features and quality and the distributors are in front of stihl by a mile most new stihls are a direct copy of the same size husky why not buy the best 1st

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Doug in Illinois

11-03-2006 17:07:00

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Re: Who makes the best chain saw? in reply to JackT, 11-03-2006 13:17:44

I would agree, Stihl. Buy from a servicing dealer if possible instead of a "high volume" box store such as Home Depot or even a Farm and Home or similar. I would not be afraid to buy a good used Stihl, as my Stihl I bought used has lasted longer than a Craftsman, two Poulans, and a Homelite all bought new. I DO use the genuine Stihl mix oil in it and my (also Stihl) string trimmer and leaf blower. It already has fuel stabilizer in the mix, and running at 50:1, not as likely to foul out the spark plug as the 32:1 machines. Come to think of it, I don't even think I have a spare plug for my Stihls, unless it would happen to be the same one Lawnboy uses. I keep a spare on hand for them. My chainsaw sees little use, but the other 2 pieces do. Besides my mail route, I put up hay on shares and still do a little custom lawn care, so the other 2 pieces do get used.

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Mike Veen

11-03-2006 16:12:26

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Re: Who makes the best chain saw? in reply to JackT, 11-03-2006 13:17:44

Stihl.MS 360 pro.That's a excellent size because you can put a two foot bar on it,But if you run a 20 inch bar nothing slows it down.And as you know it's all about chain speed.What's with all these itty bitty saws? My brother inlaw bought a 260 stihl and now he wishes he had my 360,I said I told you so.

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135 Fan

11-03-2006 18:49:19

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Re: Who makes the best chain saw? in reply to Mike Veen , 11-03-2006 16:12:26

If it's all about chain speed, a Husky revs higher than a Stihl. Stihl use two piston rings and have more mid range torque. Try to find a saw that has the best power to weight ratio and doesn't cost a fortune. Dave

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coflyboy

11-03-2006 16:12:19

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Re: Who makes the best chain saw? in reply to JackT, 11-03-2006 13:17:44

If I had cut just one more cord of wood before I quit, I would have cut an even bazillon cords.
Not to popular but the Echo saws are bullet proof.
All I did was abuse the one I had and 25 years later it still runs strong.
I almost didn't buy it because I go waaaay back in the mountains to cut wood and this one had electronic ignition and everyone knows how undependable electonic ignitions are.
The saw has never failed to start and the only parts I ever replaced were the chain, bar, and a couple of plugs.
I put dirty gas in it once and it plugged the 'stone' filter in the tank. Had to clean that.
Got to say that saw is awesome.

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RickSCt

11-03-2006 15:55:11

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Re: Who makes the best chain saw? in reply to JackT, 11-03-2006 13:17:44

Sthil without question. We have 10 of them where I work and they run great. Parts are easy to find. Rick

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Midwest redneck

11-03-2006 15:35:16

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Re: Who makes the best chain saw? in reply to JackT, 11-03-2006 13:17:44

Sthil 029 farm boss.....nuff said.

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Dan-IA

11-03-2006 15:32:18

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Re: Who makes the best chain saw? in reply to JackT, 11-03-2006 13:17:44

Well I'm not usually one to concur with the majority, but I've gotta say, the Stihl saw we use now is the finest chain saw we've had. Used to use Homelite saws; they did alright, and we didn't know any better. But then we got a Stihl saw, and realized that by comparison, the homelite wasn't much better than a hand saw. The difference was like night and day.

Ours is an MS 260 Pro model, with something like a 20" bar. If you're pretty comfortable using a chain saw, I'd recommend dropping the low-kickback chain like a bad habit and going for the chisel chain. Cuts into a tree like a hot knife through butter. And the shavings are big enough they make good, cheap hamster bedding for the kids! Hard to beat, especially when the house is getting cold! We had a contractor borrow our Stihl to limb out a tree (he was used to Poulan saws) while covering our barn with steel. Next time we ran into him, he owned a couple Stihls of his own!

Of course, pretty soon you'll also want to be able to sharpen your own chains. We got an electric chain sharpener. Stihl sells one. Kinda looks like a mitre box saw slanted. We set ours based on a new chain, somewhere about 35' I think.

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Dave from MN

11-03-2006 15:17:24

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Re: Who makes the best chain saw? in reply to JackT, 11-03-2006 13:17:44

1.Stihl
2.Husqy
3.Jonesered
Poulens are good cheap saws if you can get them on sale and have a decent service shop that is familiar with them.

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THEkyroastnear

11-03-2006 15:03:37

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Re: Who makes the best chain saw? in reply to JackT, 11-03-2006 13:17:44

not a professional cutter by any means but have had good luck with poulan have son-in-law who logs for a living his big saw is a stihl his limbing saw is a poulan

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Forist NWMa

11-03-2006 14:46:11

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Re: Who makes the best chain saw? in reply to JackT, 11-03-2006 13:17:44

Johnsereds i have had 4 of them now with out a problem

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RodInNS

11-03-2006 14:34:49

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Re: Who makes the best chain saw? in reply to JackT, 11-03-2006 13:17:44

We've got 3 Stihl's right now, and we're quite happy with them. We've had 2 others over the years that both wore out. The best of the lot was/is an old 038 Super AV. It's got to be 25+ years old and blocked well over 1000 cords by now... Also have an 044 and an MS361. Both are good. The 361 is light and manuverable.
The older 2 were an 034 and an 041. The 34 was a poor saw. Always something wrong. Wouldn't hold carb settings, muffler falling off, and on and on. Bearings finally went in it, and it was laid to rest. The 41 was OK.
Jonsered and Husky are both good saws too... I'm not big on either because I don't like how they start.... but they're generally good saws.

The one thing I will say with regard to any of the 3 is that you stay with a PROFESSIONAL series saw. You will pay... but you'll save in the long run. The homeowner saws are nothing but a pain. So far as I'm concerned, none of them have yet figured out how to make a good small saw. That's my 2 cents anyway....

Rod

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135 Fan

11-03-2006 14:53:31

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Re: Who makes the best chain saw? in reply to RodInNS, 11-03-2006 14:34:49

My husky starts good. It was over a $100 cheaper than the comparable Stihl 260. To start it all you do is put the choke on and pull it till it fires, then push the choke off and it starts in one pull. Putting the choke on automatically sets the throttle at half and doesn't go to idle until you pull the trigger after it's started. When it's warm it starts right up. I'm not sure if the newer models are as good. The 55 was an exceptional saw so they left it alone. I think they stopped making it because of emissions or something like that. Dave

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RodInNS

11-03-2006 18:05:19

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Re: Who makes the best chain saw? in reply to 135 Fan, 11-03-2006 14:53:31

Yes, that's how they start, or at least the one's I've used. They're just different than a Stihl. I can't remember the models, but I've used one large one we have for a concrete/metal chop saw on the fire department, and another smaller model. They start, I just found that those two particular models took more pulling than I'm used to. The Stihl's that we have here on the farm will generally fire on the second pull with the choke, and if you're quick you might catch em before they quit. If not, the first pull after, any you're off. I'm not knocking Husky; that's really the only thing I didn't like. That said, I've never heard much good about Poulan. However, I have no personal experience with them. We do have an old Jonsered 510 kicking around, but that was absolutely nothing but trouble from the day it was bought new. The newer pro series Jonsered's that I've seen seem to be much better saws.... but we've had too much good service from Stihl, and our local dealer to really bother looking for anything else.

Rod

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135 Fan

11-03-2006 18:35:14

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Re: Who makes the best chain saw? in reply to RodInNS, 11-03-2006 18:05:19

I've heard that Husky and Johnsored are affiliated? The guy I bought my saw from normally suggests Stihl except in the case of the 55 rancher I bought. He said it is a pro saw and compares to an ms260 Stihl but the Stihl was $100 more. Shindaiwa are a super good saw but not very common. I know a guy at a golf course that has a Poulan and some other makes. He said the name is right. You keep Poulin and Poulin to try to get it started. They are the home owner line and husky owns them. Some people like them though. Does anyone out there have a Johnsored Iron Horse. It's a little tracked machine with a Honda engine for pulling logs or carrying things in the bush. They're pretty cool looking. Dave

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forestorbill

11-25-2006 23:32:46

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Re: Who makes the best chain saw? in reply to 135 Fan, 11-03-2006 18:35:14

Stihl is the best, in my view.

I've used several homelites alot... junk. Mccoulah junk. Poulan will give you 50 hrs of cheap work if you like pullin' on it. Husky was very good, but just didn't like it. Then I found stihl, and I thought when to heaven. 025 always started first pull and never failed me. Then I went to the ms260 for more power. That's got to be the most bulletproof saw around. And it's light and very powerful. I've got a big ms660 and a 36 bar. It rips lumber like butter (well not really) and a heck of alot cheaper than that woodmizer I had.

I had jonsered iron horse for a couple of years. Used it to get the logs for my sawmill hobby. I did'nt make no money, but I sure had fun, some say that's the main thing. I bought it for 7500 and sold both it and a woodmizer sawmiller lt40 for 10k. I had the pro model 9hp and it could pretty much haul anything, anywhere, if you planned it right. It had trouble with a 12' 36inch log out of the bottom of the lake. I got no traction in the sand. So I cut the log in half and carried it sideways. It was amazing what it could do. Fits in a pickup perfectly. The winch was the best part. No more trees hanging up in the canopy. It sat under a tarp a lot. Works great in snow. Deep snow, it's harder, but possible. It's fun to ride around on it with no load in the snow, (handle flips back and you stand on the log deck and steer it) If I'd do it all over...I'd get a kodaic atv and an arch. when you're done you can go for a ride on it too. Lot of money for the horse and not much return. Time spent skidding, does not equal time saw
milling. It might be better to get a tractor with forks, cause the iron horse won't lift anything for you. A tractor will make you happy too. Put a lewis winch on the hitch and a cone on the log and you can reach a lot of logs. The horse is good for pulp but there's no money in that. YOu'll make money if you got cedar. I think a tractor with forks is the way to go.

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Pitalplace

11-03-2006 14:12:23

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Re: Who makes the best chain saw? in reply to JackT, 11-03-2006 13:17:44

Echo, it will stay with the stil and is cheaper.

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earlschieb

11-03-2006 20:29:58

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Re: Who makes the best chain saw? in reply to Pitalplace, 11-03-2006 14:12:23

Yep, I have an Echo CS 440, and it would run rings around my 290 Stihl.

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Don-Wi

11-03-2006 13:54:25

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Re: Who makes the best chain saw? in reply to JackT, 11-03-2006 13:17:44

Count my vote for Stihl. I was just out last sunday useing my dad's stihl, and I had my brothers out there too just incase I needed to get the other one out of a tree that pinched it. Only needed that once, because it fell the wrong way... It's got a 16" bar, and it rarely runs out of power. My brother's is a little smaller (180?) so it bogs down a little more, but it still worked good. It's a little lighter than dad's too. Told the fiance when we get our own place she should get me one for a preasant.

Donovan from Wisconsin

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Don L C

11-03-2006 13:44:33

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Re: Who makes the best chain saw? in reply to JackT, 11-03-2006 13:17:44

When I was able to use a saw I liked my Sthil.....
I decided what size blade I wanted and then bought the next biger engine.....It cuts very well.....

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Iowa Jim

11-03-2006 13:44:30

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Re: Who makes the best chain saw? in reply to JackT, 11-03-2006 13:17:44

STIHL!!!!! !!!!!

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nballen

11-03-2006 13:39:02

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Re: Who makes the best chain saw? in reply to JackT, 11-03-2006 13:17:44

I have an older Poulan 3400 (green) that I like (bought used, 6-7 years ago), also use a tiny Echo that does good for its size. Had good experience with Poulan Pro (gold / black).

Stihl or Johnsered top the list.

Nathaniel

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Wayne H

11-03-2006 13:38:33

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Re: Who makes the best chain saw? in reply to JackT, 11-03-2006 13:17:44

I have a Stihl 310. It starts easy, and once warm starts on the first pull. I cut and cut up 8 large oaks last weekend and it did not miss a beat!

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morningwood

11-03-2006 13:31:10

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Re: Who makes the best chain saw? in reply to JackT, 11-03-2006 13:17:44

I personally have a stihl and it has been a good saw so far. I have the 290 Farm Boss, wish I would of bought the 310 or the 390 as the 290 is more of a homeowner / farm version and it is little heavy for the HP.

I do alot of reading over at arboristsite.com and have heard alot of good stuff about Dolmar. If you have a dealer in you area I would heavily consider one.

Scott

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Johnnie Apple Seed

11-03-2006 13:31:01

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Re: Who makes the best chain saw? in reply to JackT, 11-03-2006 13:17:44

STIHL!!! don't go small mid range is very good. If you want the best then spend about $500 Where others' have failed me Stihl keeps plowing thru good luck

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kyhayman

11-03-2006 13:24:20

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Re: Who makes the best chain saw? in reply to JackT, 11-03-2006 13:17:44

I used to swear by Huskqvarna, great great saws. Last one I bough was a POS. Seems that they have gotten into the 'consumer and weekend warrior market'. My next one will be a Stilh.

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RayP(MI)

11-03-2006 14:34:23

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Re: Who makes the best chain saw? in reply to kyhayman, 11-03-2006 13:24:20

I vote for Husqvqrna too. have been very happy with ones I have used. My next will be a husky.

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Farmall Teen

11-03-2006 13:51:14

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Re: Who makes the best chain saw? in reply to kyhayman, 11-03-2006 13:24:20

I would go with STIHL because i think they the toughest saw out there.

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Rex in Australia

11-03-2006 13:53:50

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Re: Who makes the best chain saw? in reply to Farmall Teen, 11-03-2006 13:51:14

Stihl, used them for years, bought my own one 2 years ago and don't regret it.
Light, powerful and versatile if you go for the mid range. Don't go too light, you may be disappointed.
Good gear, well made.
Rex

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135 Fan

11-03-2006 14:32:19

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Re: Who makes the best chain saw? in reply to Rex in Australia, 11-03-2006 13:53:50

A Husqvarna 55 rancher if you can find one. Huusqvarna has built them for years but stopped making them. Apparently they had a lot left over. I bought mine from a dealer specializing in chainsaws. They sell Stihl as well. Johnsored are supposed to be real good saws too. Husqvarna owns Poulan and they are the consumer line. They aren't as good as the commercial saws. Shindaiwa makes a top of the line saw but doesn't have as many dealers. I think it comes down to how much you want to spend and ease of service. Most saws are pretty good. Dave

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