Chainsaw oppinions.

[johnny.t.]

My makita electric chainsaw has died after 12 years of faithful service(only needs brushes I think but a fine excuse to buy a petrol one)

But what to buy, had a look around and its really a toss up between a 15" 35cchusquvarna which will be a quality machine or for just a few quid more a 20" 44cc Ryobi which I don't know much about. Obviously the 20" ryobi has a lot more potential in what I can cut up but are they a good brand of petrol saw? Or is there something better out there I should be looking at?

Any advice gratefully recieved

JT

 

[Anonymous]

Hi Johnny,

I'm sure you saw my recent chainsaw thread. When I got the stihl chainsaw I only cut a few pieces of oak but it had no problems getting through it. The 16" bar looks like it is more than big enough to get through any piece of wood I could cope with on the lathe.

I don't know how long it will last being a much older saw but I have no reason to think I won't get full value out of it before it dies.

Dave

 

[big soft moose]

My makita electric chainsaw has died after 12 years of faithful service(only needs brushes I think but a fine excuse to buy a petrol one)

But what to buy, had a look around and its really a toss up between a 15" 35cchusquvarna which will be a quality machine or for just a few quid more a 20" 44cc Ryobi which I don't know much about. Obviously the 20" ryobi has a lot more potential in what I can cut up but are they a good brand of petrol saw? Or is there something better out there I should be looking at?

Any advice gratefully recieved

JT

Johny - out of those two get the husky - the ryobi quality is variable and as a relatively inexperienced chainsawist you dont want anything more than 16 ins bar anyway

however see also my for sale thread where i still have a 5 year old stihl MS260 with 16 ins bar for sale for 75 notes (more or less the twin of the one i sold dave)

 

[Blister]

I Have one of these

No problems with it :wink:

top job :lol:

 

[SVB]

No question- the Husky every time.

Don't forget you can come in from both sides so a 15" bar will allow prep of timber up to almost 30" - that is a big lump!

Also, the bar (to a lesser extent that chain admittedly) is a consumable and easily changed so if it is critical you could buy a bigger one (not sure max for that saw though).

Like Blister I have a Husky 350 and would not hesitate to buy another although the larger Sthil are also great saws (avoid the very small Sthil - plastic carbs etc to compete with diy market, their professional saws are still very good though).

Simon

 

[johnny.t.]

Thanks guys, after doing a lot of reading of reviews on these two models the little Husky only seems to get bad reviews(I guess its because its the smallest/cheapest model) mainly for the plastic no tool chain adjuster and chain brake mech. The ryobi on the other hand seems to get good reviews :? I don't know if I can justify the extra £150 odd on a proper Husky(non Mikey mouse model), although that would probably be the sensible thing to do.
I'm off to see a mate who's had a Ryobi 18" for 18mths to have a go and see what the build quality looks like.

JT

 

[big soft moose]

Thanks guys, after doing a lot of reading of reviews on these two models the little Husky only seems to get bad reviews(I guess its because its the smallest/cheapest model) mainly for the plastic no tool chain adjuster and chain brake mech. The ryobi on the other hand seems to get good reviews :? I don't know if I can justify the extra £150 odd on a proper Husky(non Mikey mouse model), although that would probably be the sensible thing to do.
I'm off to see a mate who's had a Ryobi 18" for 18mths to have a go and see what the build quality looks like.

JT

serious mate dont do it - the ryobi probably gets good reviews because most of the buyers either no nowt about chainsaws or arent expecting much - while the husky may suffer a bit from over expectation.

put it this way its a rare day when you see a pro chainsaw user with anything other than a husky or a stihl (okay so jonsered and echo have a small market share too).

Arguing the case between husky and stihl is like arguing between LN and veritas - both are top end makes and have their adherents - Ive used both in my career and generally speaking the huskys are more rugged and probably built to a higher spec but they cost more to fix when they do break than a comparable stihl - The stihl also has a better power to weight ratio than the comparable husky and marginally better fuel and chain oil efficiency.

bottom line tho is that either would do you fine and both will be considerably better than the ryobi.

By way of illustration our local dealer sells the Stihl MS 211 for £225 , and the Stihl MS230 for £285 (these being the two most suitable semi pro saws from the stihl range)

 

[wizer]

Very often with online reviews it's a case of: the user gets the product, trys it, it does what they think it should, so they review it as excellent/fantastic/best tool ever! What they don't bother to do is come back in 6-12 months and tell you what a pile of crap it turned out and that it died beyond repair under minimal usage.

I'd go with Pete's advice if you can afford/save for the semi pro stihl.

I bought the cheapest saw I could find (£50) based on zero-none funds and fully expect it to last me a year. That still works out cheaper than hiring one tho. For what it's done so far, it's earned it's keep.

 

[big soft moose]

Very often with online reviews it's a case of: the user gets the product, trys it, it does what they think it should, so they review it as excellent/fantastic/best tool ever! What they don't bother to do is come back in 6-12 months and tell you what a pile of crap it turned out and that it died beyond repair under minimal usage.

I'd go with Pete's advice if you can afford/save for the semi pro stihl.

I bought the cheapest saw I could find (£50) based on zero-none funds and fully expect it to last me a year. That still works out cheaper than hiring one tho. For what it's done so far, it's earned it's keep.

you should have waited and i could have sold you a used stihl - tho that said I appreciate you wanted an electric one for back reasons and my surplus ones are all petrol

its a shame jonny isnt closer to oxfordshire as my surplus MS260 would suit his needs very well - but unfortunately I'm not driving it over to norfolk as that would probably cost more than the saws for sale for in deisel and staff time.

 

[Mcluma]

I bought the mcculloch petrol chains saw 35cm bar, from B&Q

just have a look at it

perfect saw, does the job and even more,

 

[wizer]

Shipping = £8 Pete, you just need a box.

 

[big soft moose]

Shipping = £8 Pete, you just need a box.

yeah - but ideally i want cash rather than a cheque (because they get difficult about paying small cheques into our budget code wheras cash we can just spend) and that means meeting in person - which is why i'm driving to Paul Ms with a polesaw tommorow.

 

[wizer]

You crazy man. Bank Transfer to you? PayPal to you? Postal Orders? :roll: 8)

 

[big soft moose]

You crazy man. Bank Transfer to you? PayPal to you? Postal Orders? :roll: 8)

well yeah there are ways - but, and no offence intended to anyone here, there is also the trust issue

its different if its somkeone i know relatively well but if its a virtaul stranger i'm not inclined to post him a chainsaw before he has given me the money - but at the same time that means he is trusting that i (a virtual stranger to him) actually will give him a chainsaw after hes parted with his hard earned

all in all i find it better to deal face to face

Also with potentially dangerous kit like chainsaw i prefer to deal mano et mano so i can satisfy myself that they do know what they are doing (and i can give a bit of instruction in safe practice if not) as i would feel terrible if someone here went on to sever a limb with a saw they'd got from us.

 

[OldWood]

I've got 2 chainsaws because I log for burning wood.

I started with a 35cc 16" husky maybe as much as 20 years ago and it's still going strong. I have cut soft wood that is longer than it's blade but at that power level it struggles, and certainly is unwilling to cope with deep hardwood cuts. In the end it's never been that happy with anything approaching its blade length

Recently I bought a Chinese copy with a 50cc engine and a 22" blade, and what a revelation the greater power is. This saw just eats through hardwood and I have no difficulty coping with double sided cuts up to 36" - and I just haven't found anything bigger than this yet.

I don't know how long this saw will last but what it is telling me that me is that if you want to cut dry hardwood at greater diameters you do need to have more oomph.

Rob

 

[Paul.J]

This might be of interest.Scroll further down to read Steves thoughts about the Stihls' reliability.

 

[big soft moose]

This might be of interest.Scroll further down to read Steves thoughts about the Stihls' reliability.

That 066 is a really nice saw - i wish we could run to one (our biggest saw - the one routinely use is a stihl 361 with 18" - or 24" depending what i'm doing - bar ) however and this really cant be stressed highly enough:

If you are not experienced with chainsaws do not buy a huge powerful one with an enourmous bar ! - not only willl you struggle to use it effectively but the potential for accidents is far higher. - if you only want it for hobby use , cutting up blanks out of logs etc you dont need anymore than about 16" on a 40cc or so saw ( like for example a mS260 - the o26 as was) - and infact the engine will provide more torque with a shorter bar and chain so a 14" is probably better to start with.

also second highly important point - it is essential to also buy PPE - at the very least protective trousers, gloves, and visor/muffs and boots and you can expect these to cost almost as much as a small saw - IMO if you arent willing to go to that expense you shouldnt buy a saw at all.

 

[johnny.t.]

Thanks for all the input

I went and had a go with the 18" Ryobi and it seems like a perfectly good machine TBH, it sawed its way through some good sized logs with relative ease.
BSM, I may have only owned a 12" electric but I have used many chainsaws before, so I'm not all that inexperienced.
I still don't know what to do though but thinking a bit more about it ,I really need something with at least an 18" bar as I often get the chance for bigger bits of wood. I may just pop new brushes in the old makita for now and save for a better model of Husqvarna.

JT

 

[dickm]

Don't want to harp on, but see my other post about Husqvarna customer support. Remember they are part of Electrolux now, along with Maculloch.
From (so far limited) experience with Stihl kit, I'd go with the Moose on this.

(I wonder if he has to keep looking over his shoulder in case Sarah Palin is around?? )

 

[paulm]

Don't want to harp on, but see my other post about Husqvarna customer support. Remember they are part of Electrolux now, along with Maculloch.

I've had a couple of Huskies for years now, never needed any spares other than chains of course, the odd plug, filter or fuel hose, no problem at all with the local dealer, the saws are professional, capable and very reliable in my experience.

Stihl are great too of course, just wouldn't want one persons bad experience to put others off a very good make in my experience.

Cheers, Paul