Upgrading chainsaw – Need advice.

Guys, I’m feeling the need to upgrade chainsaws a little bit. I currently have a Husky 136 and a Stihl 021. Both have been great saws and run flawlessly. My primary reason for having these little guys is that VAST, VAST, VAST majority of my cutting was brush cutting and trail maintenance where the #1 enemy to productivity is weight. I’ve had bigger/heavier saws and 13+ pound weight just killed me.

Fast forward to now and I’ve got a big clearing job on my hands and the little saws are just too slow. I’m clearing a site for a cabin. Site is 100% wooded, birch, maple, aspen. I want all the wood taken off and NOT bulldozed because that makes a freaking mess. I’ve already got some of the cutting done and it’s just too SLOW to be bucking 8, 10, 14 inch trees with such small saws. Not that it can’t be done, just way too slow.

My main criteria:

– Power to weight – I want as much power as I can get and still stay under 11 pounds dry weight. As always, this is measured without cutting gear, so powerhead only.

– At least 18 inch bar capability. This has to be honest capability, I know you could put an 18 inch bar on anything but I want real performance at 18 inch.

– Price – Less than $400 out the door.

– Quality – has to be reasonable, but I know I’m not looking at pro grade saws in that budget and that’s fine.

Stihl has been eliminated from contention. I have been profoundly dissatisfied with new Sthil equipment bought in the recent past, I’m unhappy with Stihl’s non-warranty warranty, and I feel they are overpriced based on a reputation that was true 20 years ago, but I’m questioning weather or not it’s still deserved based on my experience.

So after nixing Stihl, that leaves:

– Husqvarna 445 – the current frontrunner. Seems to have the power/weight ratio and generally good comments. Added bonus that I can get it from the dealer I’ve already been using, so all my gear stays with one dealership.

– Various Echos in the 45-50 CC range. There are several.

– Jonsered – my understanding is that these are now Husky clones with red plastic, is that true?

Any thoughts or experiences with above saw brands in 45 to 50 CC range and under 11 pounds?

Grouse

I have a Husqvarna 460 rancher with a 24″ bar for $450 you cant go wrong I know its a little more expensive than you listed though

I’d love to help, but if Stihl is out then I have no other experience. I know of your past experience with Stihl, so I understand, I just have never used anything but. Good luck.

I personally wouldn’t throw out stihl. Price point and also performance you may get what you are looking for depending on the dealer. I’ve owned Stihl, Jonsered, and Husqvarna. I actually like my Stihl and use it the most for exactly what you are talking about for the reasons you have stated. I’m in the process of building my house and just recently cleared the majority of my building site by hand (About 4 acres). I have a small professional grade saw that I absolutely have no complaints about. With that said I also have a 55 rancher which is the older version of the 455 rancher and this saw has also served me well. You are correct that Jonsered is basically the same as Husqvarna. They are both produced by Electrolux of Sweden and are both good saws. I don’t know the sizing of the Jonsereds but if you find one that meets your needs I wouldn’t hesitate one bit to buy it. Just one other idea is check out Dolmar chainsaws. I have good friend that runs them and he can’t say enough good about them.

I have a pair of Husky 455 ranchers. I heat with wood (house, garage, and weekend shack up in Ontario for a total of roughly 10 cords per year) and burn a fair amount of fuel through them.

They have served me well with adequate power, not overly heavy (no clue on the exact weight, but I can wield them without too much difficulty), and a 20″ bar. Buying a good sharpener has proven to be just as important to me, because a shaving-sharp blade makes the hp of the saw that much more effective…..

On my farm I have a few. After sorting out, trading in, trashing,….here is what I have

Husqvarna – little ones. Good for brush/limbs and light clean up.
Very light weight. I use aftermarket bars. Runs good wehn warm. Cold blooded B!&$# on cold/damp days.
Don’t like the mid-size or larger. I found them to be too heavy with no balls.

My work horses are all Jonsered.

I have a 50 something and a 70 something CC units with a 20″ bar and a 26″ bar. I can work all day with the 50cc. Tons of power and weight ratio seems fine. gas consumption seems a bit high, but I don’t really care if I use 3 gallons or 3.25 gallons a day. Easy to lubricate, start,… Only thing i have an issue with is clean up. If I’m cutting for 10 hrs, I need to remove the side plate and brush out chips a few times a day.

The 70CC is just a freak of a beast. Heavy, and for a good reason. I only use it when I need to cut big stuff like 30-40″ or need to do vert cuts in a log with the grain. Thats not often, but its everything i need, when I need it.

I have an OLD sthil that I like with an 18″ bar. Was great unit in its day. Just doesn’t have the power and cost to rebuild exceeds what it is worth. I bought a few other Sthils and returned them. Even the dealer anticipated that I would be back.

To say the least, I’m surprised to hear your thoughts on Stihl.
Been running Stihl chansaws for over 30 years.
In the 80’s & 90’s I cut, split and sold wood either full time or on
the side. And yes, you heard that correctly. I spent a year in Houston, Texas working in the cable T.V. industry. Came back in 1981 to find no jobs what-so-ever.
For two years, I worked full time splitting wood with a mall. One guy skidded logs, one guy cut and two of us brushed & split wood. That was 8hrs a day, 40 hrs a week. We cut & split a little over a semi load per day. All by hand.

I’ve owned two stihl chainsaws for the past 15 years and cut & split on average approx 8-12 cord of wood per year for use in my outdoor wood stove.
Over that time, I’ve only had two issues with either of those saws. The 0250 just had a carburetor replaced yesterday. The 029 has never given me any issues at all.
The 0250 is used primarily for tree tops & brushing. The 029 does the heavy work.

Having said that, the guys I know who do more wood cutting than me all swear by Husqvarna.

As far as I’m concerned, you can’t find a simpler more reliable saw to operate, day in and day out than a stihl.

I run Stihl for my business and will never change. I have a the biggest they make and middle ones too. My favorite all around is the 361 it has the best weight to power ratio. It is higher priced then your budget but it beats the hell out of the others. I would spend more to get a professional saw then cheap out on price. They build them to higher tolerances for a reason. Weight is huge issue for safety getting tired is what gets you hurt. They have other saws for less money with the same output but are much heavier. I have never had a saw issue other than the chain adjuster piece which is a few bucks and 5 minute fix. I have run every saw on the market and still is Stihl my go to. I run a lot of echo equipment weed whips, blowers, and my climbing saw is echo. however there larger saws absolutely suck.

I’ll throw in my experiences,years ago I bought an echo 702evl,that thing was an absolute wood cutting machine,it lasted 34 years before I had to upgrade,I was very happy with it and wanted another one.

I looked at stihls and didnt like their prices for no more than what you got,especially with a two year warranty IF you bought their oil to use in it the first time.

I went back to echo to find they offered a no bs warranty to the consumer for five years,they didnt care what oil you used as long as it met their guidelines for two stroke oil,so I bought an echo 8000,and an echo 540,the little 540 came with a twenty inch bar standard and that thing will cut a long time on a tank of gas.
the 540 is super easy to start,very light,will cut all day and ask for more,I personally cant see where you would go wrong with that one,and you could put a smaller bar on it,or bigger,but the twenty is perfect with it.

the 8000 is an absolute brute,it came with a 32 inch bar and plays with it and doesnt bog down,but like any brand of saw,it will if the chain is dull and you are horsing it.

too bad you didnt live a little closer,I would let you borrow them for a week and let you make up your own mind.

Grouse,

I’m rather from the past as I’d have to guess at the age of my newest and oldest 2 stroke yard/forest accessory.

Everything I own in that subject has been and still is Echo.

I’ve given to the (sob’s) a couple of my products that were in my possessions in the past.

Anyway that is in the past! Some where between 30 to 40 years, I’ve own Echo.

They used to be the Mercedes-Benz of the 2 cycle world in commercial.

Well, I don’t know where they are now other than they don’t do the retail advertising as much (AT ALL) like some of the other “upcoming other name-ers do”.

just my thoughts.

Purchased a new Husky 455 Rancher two years ago. Have been very happy with the performance and the saw. Stihl was the other brand I was considering when purchasing. Good luck.

I am still running my dad’s (2) 550EV’s he bought in the early 80’s… ECHO is what I can recommend. And the pro line are not that much more than other brands homeowner models.

I use Stihl’s, and several years ago I went out on a limb, (no pun intended) and purchased a Dolmar 5100. This saw is 11.2 pounds and 3.9 hp. The power to weight ratio is incredible. It revs up to 14,500 RPM! I’ve been using it for several years now as I have an outdoor boiler and cut quite a bit of wood with it. Dolmars saws are cheaper comparing them to the more popular brands. Take a look at them if ya can, I know I’m glad I did!

Joel Ballweg wrote:

To say the least, I’m surprised to hear your thoughts on Stihl.
Been running Stihl chainsaws for over 30 years. In the 80’s & 90’s…

This is my issue with Sthil in a nutshell. So many guys, myself included, have experience with the OLD Stihl because our saws from 20,30, or more years ago are still running. I”m not getting rid of my old 021, for sure.

My recent experience with Stihl and their dealers hasn’t been nearly as rosy and at the same time, Stihl has been jacking up prices such that on the same CC saws, Stihl is now 20-40% more expensive. Add to that the fact that while other saw brands are offering 5 year warranties, Stihl has no warranty if they deem the problem to be “fuel related”. And as I found out, EVERYTHING these days is blamed on fuel, so the customer pays for repairs on equipment that’s less than 1 year old, even though it has been run on non ox gas AND Stihl oil with their own stabilizer added.

Dolmar is an interesting option, but the nearest stocking dealer to me seems to be out in Stillwater. I guess that’s just a little farther than I want to run and I just get the feeling Dolmar is a little botique-y for me in terms of getting parts and service. I understand lots of construction guys are running their cutoff saws and pumps, but I’m just hesitant to get into a totally different brand.

It’s surprised me the number of recommendations for Echo. I guess that has encouraged me to give Echo a serious look, especially on their higher grade 450P and 500P saws. I’ll see if I can find a dealer with these in stock.

Thanks for the advice.

Grouse

Any luck on what your going with yet grouse? Just curious I haven’t had a chance to get to a shop and give the echos a look through yet I hopefully will Sunday.

Well, I tried HARD to look at Echo, really I did. I went to what the website calls “full line” dealer nearest me and they had 2 Echo saws. Guy said they don’t really stock that many Echo saws but they could order them. Kind of defeats the purpose of having a dealership, I can order the dang things on the interweb if that’s what I wanted to do. Then he tried to sell me a Stihl. Other dealer nearest me closes at noon on Sat and not open on Sunday.

Went back to my original idea and bought a Husqvarna 445. Decided to keep all my stuff from one dealer and I’ve never had any complaints about Husky, so saw no reason to switch now. I was also a little concerned about the Echo being heavier than the Husky for the same CC saw.

Let us know what you do and how it works out. I’d have looked seriously at Echo if I could have found one. You’d think in the cities there’d be a dealer that had them and was open past noon on Saturday.

Grouse

One additional thought for everyone looking at new saws.

Be aware that due to EPA mandates, you can no longer do the high/low carb adjustments with a slotted screwdriver! The EPA forced the makers to make carb adjustments non-operator-friendly because apparently there was a huge problem with guys running their weed wackers too rich and destroying the planet or whatever. Like poverty, war, famine, etc are all small potatoes compared to running your hedge trimmer too rich.

Bottom line is carb adjustments now require special shaped tools that are specific to the maker. Buy one BEFORE you need it. Most of these tools are available on the interweb, you just need to figure out which one you need.

The last I heard, Stihl was the only major maker who refused to make their tool available and was suing anyone who tried to sell a knockoff, but this may have changed.

This was another reason I stuck with Husky, I already had the carb tool for Husky because of a previous trimmer purchase and the dealer was kind enough to point this new EPA-introduced issue out to me, so I went out and got the tool right away on eBay.

Grouse

Very interesting! Especially since I haven’t bought a new saw in more than 10 yrs. Might have to take a look at something other than a stihl next time I do buy new.

Just remembered that Home Depot sells Makita chainsaws if I remember correctly. Makita’s are a Dolmar in Blue skin for anyone that wanted to check them out. I think you can even rent them there to test drive ’em!

Joel Ballweg wrote:

Very interesting! Especially since I haven’t bought a new saw in more than 10 yrs. Might have to take a look at something other than a stihl next time I do buy new.

Yes, it caught me totally by surprise when I first encountered this. I bought a Husky straight shaft string trimmer about 7 years ago. Everything was fine, but one very humid day I noticed it just wasn’t winding up to quite the revs I would want for heavy grass and needed a little tweak.

So I looked at the carb with my little screwdriver in hand and what the… Took to the web and found out that we had the EPA to thank for this and that I wasn’t going to be adjusting anything until I got the right tool.

It seems like the common tools now are the splined, the D, the double D, and the pac-man shape. Husky is a splined tool, that’s the only one I know for sure.

At the time I went looking for a Husky tool, there was plenty of conversation about Stihl tools not being available and other posts about eBay sellers who were trying to put out a tool and getting shut down. Not sure if this is still true or not, but as I said, certainly something to know about before you find yourself in need of the tool.

Grouse

I found a real good friendly and knowledgable echo dealer in Milltown WI. My mother lives there so I’m gonna give him a visit next time I’m out there and get a few different echos in my hand he went over them with me today on the phone for a while I’m looking at the 490 and 500 just haven’t decided which one I’m gonna go with yet.

Grouse,
I have to ask if you looked into one of these. My son has one, and it is lightweight and a beast!

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Update on this thread.

Just had the Husky 445 out today for her first full day workout.

Yesterday I fired her up for the first time and tuned the saw to my liking. Out of the box she was good on the H side, but the L needed tweaking to get the acceleration right. Idle was set way too low out of the box. I like the fastes idle speed possible without the clutch engaging. That needed the most messing with, took a few minutes to get it right.

I took the saw after birch and maple ranging from sticks to 14 inchers today. I ran the 445 hard for 4 hours. The 445 has plenty of power. Even with an 18 inch bar, this thing REALLY rips. Not the slightest bog down on anything I cut today, this saw has power to spare.

The surprise today was that the fuel consumption per hour of operation was astonishingly low. The 445 easily is twice as fuel efficient as my 136. This thing goes forever on one tank, in fact it goes longer than I can before needing a rest.

Vibration dampening is very good, the saw is light and well balanced and starting is easy thanks to a decomp valve. It takes 3 pulls when cold, 1 pull when warm.

I would rate the Husky 445 at 5 stars. Absolutely not a single complaint and IMO an absolute bargain at $320.

Grouse