Chainsaws and those who use them

[MS 9x56]

I started out with a 14” poulan woodshark that I used for 35 years before it finally wore out. I now have a Poulan 16” and a Milwaukee electric that I use for cutting firewood trimming fruit trees and keeping the trails clear at our hunting cabin. Have had a lot of buddies tell me they are junk but maybe I just got lucky as mine just keep turning trees into firewood.

 

[Safari Dave]

I run a Husky 45 & 55 quite often. (These have been great for nearly 30 years!)


I also have a small Jonsered, that I run on occasion.




My next chainsaw will probably be a larger one. I think I will buy a Stihl next time.


My buddy's big Husqvarna has had many problems, and has he hasn't even used it all that much...



(IMHO, like many things, "new technology" seems to make thing less dependable...)

 

[Sarg]

I was a logger for many years, in two different types of logging, started clear felling in Old Crop forest with a 090 Stihl 137cc running 404 chain, this is a proper saw, cut down a tree even if you put the chain on back to front lol

Then went to 076 which was bit easier to handle, then moved to selective logging using a much smaller saw 266 Husky & 262, use a lot less fuel & more revs.

Do a few jobs in the off season & have been using a awesome new saw Stihl MS 500i this saw is incredible !!

Then a few weeks ago I used a big Husky to drop some Big Gum Trees for a farmer, no where near the power of my old 076 or 090 !

 

[steve white]

Anyone ever run a gear driven chainsaw? I haven't but wanted to borrow one from a friend a long time ago.
Anyone ever use a turning hook? I have my grandfather's. Sure saves the back sometimes.

 

[mdwest]

I started out with a 14” poulan woodshark that I used for 35 years before it finally wore out. I now have a Poulan 16” and a Milwaukee electric that I use for cutting firewood trimming fruit trees and keeping the trails clear at our hunting cabin. Have had a lot of buddies tell me they are junk but maybe I just got lucky as mine just keep turning trees into firewood.

I had a little poulan twenty one fifty that I picked up at an auction for $30… it was a little difficult to get it running right at first.. but once I got it all tuned up, it was a good little saw… for normal residential type tasks it was fine…

I only stepped up to the farm and ranch grade stihl because of the volume of work needed to be done at our hunting property… I needed something bigger with more power out there… otherwise I’d probably still be running the little poulan..

 

[flatwater bill]

The quality of a Jonsered...the fit and finish, second to none. Own one. But I will never own another gas chainsaw.....my electrics always start, don't smell, are quiet, and are all I need at this age. Currently own 6 Husky's that are going on the block............FWB

 

[deewayne2003]

I did that for awhile and it didn't work out. Now I buy from a real dealer. May pay a little more but the stuff is checked out before leaving the store and I get real service if I need repairs, etc..

Agreed, my comment about estate sales was more about hand tools such as vintage craftsman wrenches.

Couple of years ago I went to the local tractor dealership that is an echo dealer and bought a 590, 4920, 310 and the extendable pole saw.

Told the sales men, I’ll take all 4 saws on the condition that your mechanic fills them with fuel and bar oil and gets them started for the first time…. Done deal!

I’ve also learned the benefit of ethanol free gasoline in small engines.

 

[WyoBull]

Since retiring and downsizing to a smaller house and property, I have given my Stihl MS two fifty to my best friend and I bought an EGO with a sixteen inch bar battery powered saw. Works great for my needs now and don’t have to deal with gas. I can throw it in the back of my side by side and have it to cut down timber on trails in the spring and use it at hunting camp. Works like a champ for me. I also have several other EGO tools and all of the batteries are interchangeable.

 

[Wyatt Smith]

I run a Husky 372 as my primary. The thing must have cut four or five hundred loads of firewood. I can’t complain.
I had a Stihl 290 that I absolutely hated. I was just as heavy as the 372 with half the power. The logger I work for has a MS391 and it is a far better saw than the 290-291s are. Same weight more power. He runs a MS 461 as his felling saw, and has a pair of 044s and a 046.
After running his 044s and two 046s, I really don’t like the 044s, pretty sluggish. The 046s or any 46 size Stihl, are just beasts. I think the are probably the smallest saw to make 5 1/2 horsepower. I love them and they are of course discontinued.
The 390 husqvarna is only slightly ahead of the 46 Stihls in my opinion.
I don’t like small saws, it takes to long to get anything done. I think it’s less work to use a bigger saw than a smaller one.
I won’t even pick up a saw less than 60cc anymore.

 

[Houston Bill]

Today I have the small Stihl homeowner saw with 16 inch bar for trimming tress around my home. Growing up we heated our home with wood so I cut a split a lot of wood. We had 2 Stihl saws, can't remember what model numbers they were (it was over 45 years ago) one was a mid size saw and one was big and powerful.

 

[CBH Australia]

I have a couple of Stihl saws. Used mostly Stihl in my work and fire roles.
Some experienced operators don’t like Stihl but I don’t see why. So far they worked for me with dealers in every corner of the state.

 

[DWB]

I run a couple of Husqvarnas for felling problem trees every now and then.

My Husqvarna 585 with 36" bar is my favorite.

In South Africa that is pretty much the biggest bar anyone has ever seen in real life

 

[ZG47]

View attachment 676107
Please forgive me! BUT, this one is the one I use most. Perfect for pruning my fruit trees, prepping trees for deer stands, cutting firewood or this last season, our family Christmas tree. It is lightweight, fits easily in a daypack and requires oil but no pain in the can fuels. I use it indoors for my taxidermy projects. I already used it to clear a road of fallen trees while running spring cougars.
We use Stihl at the fire dept where I work but this little battery op works great around my home and camp. My kids even love to use it!View attachment 676112

If it works, it works!

 

[Woodcarver]

Not sure how many I've gone through, but it started with a POS Craftsman saw Dad bought me and my brother when we had the idea of cutting firewood to make money. Between a saw that took an hour to restart every time it was refueled, and a brother that broke maul handles routinely because he couldn't hit a wedge, we worked our butts off with little to show for it.
There's an antique Remington with a 16" bar on it that somebody gave me out on a shelf. Uses 16:1 fuel, but runs like a champ. Killed 2 or 3 electric saws, but might try one of the DeWalt versions. On my second pole saw and kicking myself for not just spending the money on the Stihl, but I've managed to fix the Poulan every time it's broken so far.
Bought a 12" McCullock in the mid 80s at a garage sale for $20. Lady said it hadn't been run in at least 10 years since her husband died. Started on the the 3rd pull. Still have it, but needs a new clutch. Since then I've killed at least 3 or 4 newer, bigger McCullocks before I bought a Stihl. Had an 880, mostly for milling, bought off fleabay. Never had a problem with it, but decided it was bigger than my needs so it got sold for a bit more than I paid for it. The 460M is now my big saw, but the one that gets used the most is the 192TC, unless it's cold out; the 460M has a heated handle.

 

[1dirthawker]

I just bought a stihl 462, put a 32" bar on it (we don't have big wood up here but i hate bending when i don't need to) skip chain and man that thing cuts!

i also have a stihl 361 with a 25" bar. the new saw was not cheap, but totally worth it. i cut a pickup load with the 361 on a tank of gas. 1 1/2 load with the 462 on a tank. (6.5' bed) i only cut about 5-8 cord a year, but was still worth getting the big saw.

 

[Tubby’s Canteen]

Anyone ever run a gear driven chainsaw? I haven't but wanted to borrow one from a friend a long time ago.
Anyone ever use a turning hook? I have my grandfather's. Sure saves the back sometimes.

We call them a peevee but yes I’ve probably got a 100 hours on the handle of one

 

[Tubby’s Canteen]

I was a logger for many years, in two different types of logging, started clear felling in Old Crop forest with a 090 Stihl 137cc running 404 chain, this is a proper saw, cut down a tree even if you put the chain on back to front lol

Then went to 076 which was bit easier to handle, then moved to selective logging using a much smaller saw 266 Husky & 262, use a lot less fuel & more revs.

Do a few jobs in the off season & have been using a awesome new saw Stihl MS 500i this saw is incredible !!

Then a few weeks ago I used a big Husky to drop some Big Gum Trees for a farmer, no where near the power of my old 076 or 090 !View attachment 676115View attachment 676117

I know the 266s inside out the 262 is just a hotrod 254/257 I’ve been thinking about building a couple from racks I got kicking around. 262 is probably one of the best husky’s ever made power to weight wise.

 

[Altitude sickness]

I was a logger for many years, in two different types of logging, started clear felling in Old Crop forest with a 090 Stihl 137cc running 404 chain, this is a proper saw, cut down a tree even if you put the chain on back to front lol

Then went to 076 which was bit easier to handle, then moved to selective logging using a much smaller saw 266 Husky & 262, use a lot less fuel & more revs.

Do a few jobs in the off season & have been using a awesome new saw Stihl MS 500i this saw is incredible !!

Then a few weeks ago I used a big Husky to drop some Big Gum Trees for a farmer, no where near the power of my old 076 or 090 !View attachment 676115View attachment 676117

I bought a 500 i last year and love it. I still have several carbureted Stihls also. And a few battery Power. one battery pole saw a top handle.

 

[ZG47]

I have a Husqvarna 540XP top handle saw. It is quite a bit smaller than some of the professional tree felling kit desribed in this thread but it is made for climbing and ... at the time, it was both better and cheaper than the ancient model Stihl was selling. The top handle has three grip sizes and I had it changed from medium to large at the first service. Most chainsaw top/rear handles are made for people with size 8 hands or very thick cold weather gloves which makes them far too small for me (EU Size 12). The saw came with a 12" bar which I use for minor site tidying, meaning less chain to damage and less time resharpening the chain, multiple times, during such horrible work.
The 16" bar gets the most use and I occasionally use the company Shindaiwa which has a 20" bar but similar horsepower--and one of those horrible skinny rear handles!
I have used bigger saws, with bars at least 24" long, when working with my arborist friend BUT my Husky does pretty much everything I need and it balances similarly to my favourite circular saw.

 

[GuttormG]

Stihl 025 from 1994 to 2024, incredibly reliable machine! "Someone" managed to put in the same spot as a large pinetree landed...
Felled and bucked all firewood needed for our homes (approx 5 cubic meters-no idea what that is in American firewoodmeasuring system?), and a bit for sale from time to time.
I have it under my workbench in a box, at some point I will buy a parts kit and rebuild it.

Bought a old Husqvarna 42, used but overhauled, and it works really well. But I miss the decompression valve of the Stihl!