My Stihl 261 broke down after only 3 years of cutting firewood. Stihl said it was my fault because I didnt use the Stihl oil and alcylat gasoline! 026 was a much more robust saw and I had one for allmost 20 years and used shell oil and 95 gas mixed 2%. Not happy with the Stihl 261 and Stihl support.
owning a tree service and being a certified arborist is more than “a little more experience than the average homeowner” I think lol
By the way, how about the old school power saws like McCullouch and Homelite…ever run those vintage bad boys? And by the way Echo saws kick ass the new ones and the old ones both are fantastic saws. In my opinion the best 60cc saw you can buy for only around 400 bucks is without a doubt the Echo CS590 timber wolf..give it a try some day
Very helpful. I think I will go with Husqvarna as a first choice and Stihl as the second. I am planning on it for a birthday present because I figure it will be a good one. 😛 His last chainsaw died on him. Bonus is that I can use it too *chuckle* – Heidi
Advantage with Stihl is NO problems getting parts…actually there’s almost Too many parts, to the point of dirt cheap parts….. Aftermarket support is Massive and Very cheap!…..the “cross-fitment” between many saw models is nice too! Just look on ebay…
Stihl
Okay… not to be harsh guy’s, but there is no comparison between a Husqvarna 460 rancher, and a 1000.00 Stihl! I’m a Husqvarna man all the way, and don’t pretend to know a lot about the prices of Stihl… but for a grand I bet you get at least a 75cc Stihl Pro saw! Which will chew that rancher up and spit it out on the wood pile! That rancher is a consumer grade saw. There for it shouldn’t be compared to a 1000.00 pro series Stihl saw! That would be the same a saying a 372xp at 800 plus..cost to much when you can get a 60cc Stihl for less! Thanks for the attempt at helping people buy smart… but this is a poor representation of the price and quality of what your getting!
Great review. I also have a couple of dead Poulans in the shed, so my last one I decided to get a Stihl instead. Not having a huge budget, but not using it professionally either, I decided to go for their cheapest one, the MS171. It was still nearly double the price of an equivalent Poulan, but I figured it should last me more than a year. It has, sort of. Maybe I was expecting too much, having seen so many Stihl reviews where people love them, but I have been very disappointed so far. It floods if not stored hung vertical by the bar and can be very hard to start. The chain seems to be made of very soft steel and doesn’t like oak much at all, and the bar wear is pretty fast, too, when compared to the Poulans. Worst of all, it doesn’t really like to rev once warm. It will, but you have to gently squeeze the accelerator and tease the revs up before you start cutting, not something I like doing and very annoying when trimming branches. If I had to do it over again, I would definitely not pay for the Stihl name. I know they have a great reputation, but I think they may have compromised on their latest models.
We used to use sthil saws but kept having problems with them.. We switched to husqvarna and could not be happier.. I’ve got a husqvarna 450 that is 7 years old and has cut a couple thousand loads of fire wood and done hundreds of land clearing and tree jobs. It has never had any trouble what so ever and will start on the first or second pull every time! And where I live there isint much difference in the price of a husq and sthil…
I would agree with Husqvarna being the best value for the price. I also have a 460 Rancher, and that thing is awesome. I put an Oregon 20″ bar on mine as the 24″ just seemed a bit too big for it. But man does it sling that 20″ good! My other little saw is a Stihl MS250, which I also really like a lot. And then a junk 440 Husqy. Nothing but bad luck with that one…but I bought it reman from Northern Tool so I think that’s my main issue there. Never do that.
I work on a farm and I own my own chainsaw I have a Husqvarna 460 rancher 24″ bar I run it everyday at least 5/6 hours a day I haven’t had any issues with the saw I have owened this saw for 4 years now and it is running fine starts on the first pull Everytime
lol that 460 husky is the same class as a stihl ms391 which would cost you about the same! now if you bought a pro grade stihl with 24 inch bar yeah your talking about a pro grade.
I think for the money, and average user that uses wood for heating, ECHO cannot be beat for the price { if you want a name brand} . I think they are made in Japan and Ive used one for last 8 years to cut 3 cords of wood per year and it NEVER has failed me. Always starts up and runs good.
i use stihl and husky at work, they both have their ups and downs, but i don’t like echo or poulan….im pretty sure they’re both made in china, and they have never ran well enough for me…in my opinion. you can’t go wrong with stihl or husky pro grade saws
I’m looking at a Husqvarna 240 and the Stihl 170. They’re both the same price any opinion on either? I will only be cutting brush and limbs any trees will be small saplings. It’s just for keeping brush cleaned up around the house
My Stihl 261 broke down after only 3 years of cutting firewood. Stihl said it was my fault because I didnt use the Stihl oil and alcylat gasoline! 026 was a much more robust saw and I had one for allmost 20 years and used shell oil and 95 gas mixed 2%. Not happy with the Stihl 261 and Stihl support.
Thanks. Very helpful review.
owning a tree service and being a certified arborist is more than “a little more experience than the average homeowner” I think lol
By the way, how about the old school power saws like McCullouch and Homelite…ever run those vintage bad boys? And by the way Echo saws kick ass the new ones and the old ones both are fantastic saws. In my opinion the best 60cc saw you can buy for only around 400 bucks is without a doubt the Echo CS590 timber wolf..give it a try some day
Very helpful. I think I will go with Husqvarna as a first choice and Stihl as the second. I am planning on it for a birthday present because I figure it will be a good one. 😛 His last chainsaw died on him. Bonus is that I can use it too *chuckle* – Heidi
Husky has pro models and home models
Thank you for sharing. Good information…
Have you ever used a Dolmar ?
Husqvarna is more expensive for a comparable pro saw, a Rancher is not a pro-saw hence the name Rancher
I’ve got the 500 590 620 680. They are all good saws
Hi Faust! It is very durable. Thank you for asking me that!
Good explanation and very good skills. Turning is quite silent operation on Playmat. We like it too.
Whats a good chainsaw to start out with?
I had one of these new in 1994 still have it loved it
Stihl not working?
Thank you for your review. So now that you have had it for a while, how do you like it? It is durable?
Advantage with Stihl is NO problems getting parts…actually there’s almost Too many parts, to the point of dirt cheap parts….. Aftermarket support is Massive and Very cheap!…..the “cross-fitment” between many saw models is nice too! Just look on ebay…
Nice job Seebass! We are going to buy one!
372xp ftw!!
Stihl
Okay… not to be harsh guy’s, but there is no comparison between a Husqvarna 460 rancher, and a 1000.00 Stihl! I’m a Husqvarna man all the way, and don’t pretend to know a lot about the prices of Stihl… but for a grand I bet you get at least a 75cc Stihl Pro saw! Which will chew that rancher up and spit it out on the wood pile! That rancher is a consumer grade saw. There for it shouldn’t be compared to a 1000.00 pro series Stihl saw! That would be the same a saying a 372xp at 800 plus..cost to much when you can get a 60cc Stihl for less! Thanks for the attempt at helping people buy smart… but this is a poor representation of the price and quality of what your getting!
Great review. I also have a couple of dead Poulans in the shed, so my last one I decided to get a Stihl instead. Not having a huge budget, but not using it professionally either, I decided to go for their cheapest one, the MS171. It was still nearly double the price of an equivalent Poulan, but I figured it should last me more than a year. It has, sort of. Maybe I was expecting too much, having seen so many Stihl reviews where people love them, but I have been very disappointed so far. It floods if not stored hung vertical by the bar and can be very hard to start. The chain seems to be made of very soft steel and doesn’t like oak much at all, and the bar wear is pretty fast, too, when compared to the Poulans. Worst of all, it doesn’t really like to rev once warm. It will, but you have to gently squeeze the accelerator and tease the revs up before you start cutting, not something I like doing and very annoying when trimming branches. If I had to do it over again, I would definitely not pay for the Stihl name. I know they have a great reputation, but I think they may have compromised on their latest models.
Right now I only have one Saw 1970something Husqvarna L 65. The thing is a beast simple
Just don’t waste your money on a rebranded husky. That’s that PP is and they are junk. Husky good PP junk.
Great advice Thankyou
Which item is the best for maintenance? Ease, cost, hours, etc?
Have you ever seen the echo cs 680
We used to use sthil saws but kept having problems with them.. We switched to husqvarna and could not be happier.. I’ve got a husqvarna 450 that is 7 years old and has cut a couple thousand loads of fire wood and done hundreds of land clearing and tree jobs. It has never had any trouble what so ever and will start on the first or second pull every time! And where I live there isint much difference in the price of a husq and sthil…
I love this video , the truth is out there , and watch this video , now you KNOW !!
Poulan Pro 5020 uses a D-70 chain (Oregon). If you increase the spark plug gap to .30 it’ll impress you. Husqi bought Poulan a few years ago.
I would agree with Husqvarna being the best value for the price. I also have a 460 Rancher, and that thing is awesome. I put an Oregon 20″ bar on mine as the 24″ just seemed a bit too big for it. But man does it sling that 20″ good! My other little saw is a Stihl MS250, which I also really like a lot. And then a junk 440 Husqy. Nothing but bad luck with that one…but I bought it reman from Northern Tool so I think that’s my main issue there. Never do that.
I work on a farm and I own my own chainsaw I have a Husqvarna 460 rancher 24″ bar I run it everyday at least 5/6 hours a day I haven’t had any issues with the saw I have owened this saw for 4 years now and it is running fine starts on the first pull Everytime
lol that 460 husky is the same class as a stihl ms391 which would cost you about the same! now if you bought a pro grade stihl with 24 inch bar yeah your talking about a pro grade.
For a top handle, the stihl 192tc is under $400 brand spanking new two years ago and last for a long time
will you be a plumber next week???
i don’t know were you buy saws but i payed over a 1000.00 for my husqvarna 372 xp
You guys don’t realize just how lucky you are. Here in Europe, the 460 Rancher from Husky will set you back a good 1.000 USD$ ! Ridiculous
I think for the money, and average user that uses wood for heating, ECHO cannot be beat for the price { if you want a name brand} . I think they are made in Japan and Ive used one for last 8 years to cut 3 cords of wood per year and it NEVER has failed me. Always starts up and runs good.
i use stihl and husky at work, they both have their ups and downs, but i don’t like echo or poulan….im pretty sure they’re both made in china, and they have never ran well enough for me…in my opinion. you can’t go wrong with stihl or husky pro grade saws
I’m looking at a Husqvarna 240 and the Stihl 170. They’re both the same price any opinion on either? I will only be cutting brush and limbs any trees will be small saplings. It’s just for keeping brush cleaned up around the house
What will be a good chainsaw for first time starting a lawn service?
I LOVE my Stihl MS251 Wood Boss! It runs like a champ. It costed me about 350$ but it was worth every penny!
Chainsaw people are cool
Dolmar is the way to go
1-22-18) Husqvarna model 61 and still going strong. Junk the Echo for the Husqvarna T-435 arborist saw it’s one of the best climbing saw’s there is.