Chainsaw recommendation

[MikeD]

Originally Posted by piemma

As a wood cutter at a golf course I cut everyday. We had Husqies but they would die on the guys. I started bringing my Stihls to work and now the club is buying Stihls.
As an aside, I have 15 acres and am always cutting. I have tried every brand over the course of 45 years here and Stihl is the only way to go. Just be advised that the new Stihls have a problem with a computer chip that runs the fuel. I have been told that the new MS 362 is junk. I run a few old "0" series. 028AV Super, 034, 036.
I do have a new saw a MS271 which I use for limbing and smaller trees and it runs fine.

A little bit of an aside question for you. I bought the Husqvarna 450 and after everything I read I definitely wish I went with a Stihl. BUT, so far the thing has been great (2+ years) After this seasons noreaster march I feel like I went from guy that can cut some cord wood to guy that can do ice sculptures at a party. Its got the 20" bar and seems to have great power. I've been using the rip off canned gas with no ethanol and making sure the chain oil is always good. Any other tips for keeping her humming?

[piemma]

Originally Posted by MikeD

A little bit of an aside question for you. I bought the Husqvarna 450 and after everything I read I definitely wish I went with a Stihl. BUT, so far the thing has been great (2+ years) After this seasons noreaster march I feel like I went from guy that can cut some cord wood to guy that can do ice sculptures at a party. Its got the 20" bar and seems to have great power. I've been using the rip off canned gas with no ethanol and making sure the chain oil is always good. Any other tips for keeping her humming?

Mike, don't get me wrong Husqies are great saws. I'm partial to Stihls because I have been cutting with them for so long. I have a friend who has cut commercially and wouldn't touch a Stihl. It is a personal preference.
As for tips, keep your chain sharp and cut the rakers down every few sharpens. If you don't sharpen yourself....LEARN. You can put a
better edge on than any of the commercial ripoff guys that sharpen with a grinding wheel.
Make sure you keep your gas clean. I don't know what you run for oil but I run synthetic is my newer saws but conventional 2 cycle in my older saws. I run a little heavier oil to gas mixture. I like 32 to 1 rather than 40 to one. Just extra lubrication for your cylinder.

If you don't have cutting chaps, get a pair. You slip once and cut an artery in your leg and you will bleed out before you can get help. We always wear cutting chaps, eye protection, gloves and, if we are dropping big trees, a hard hat. Most homeowners don't wear any PPE. I cringe every time I see someone cutting without wearing PPE. I'm cutting commercially so it's the law that we wear PPE but I wear the same when I'm cutting at home. A chainsaw is one of the most dangerous pieces of equipment you will ever use.

[piemma]

BTW, I used a new Husqui 562 the other day and it is a screamer. The commercial guys consider the Husqvarna's the rice rockets of the saw world and the Stihls the Harley Davidsons. The Husquis do rev much higher.

[Rockfish9]

Originally Posted by piemma

BTW, I used a new Husqui 562 the other day and it is a screamer. The commercial guys consider the Husqvarna's the rice rockets of the saw world and the Stihls the Harley Davidsons. The Husquis do rev much higher.

if you want to see the Harley Davidson of chainsaws, you need to operate my 1972 Remington with a 26" blade...it takes 2 men and a boy to operate it... I still use it to cut ice to drop a dip net...I guess they made that saw for when men were men...

I have a 80's vintage partner 18" that is a little work horse.. I pulled it out of a dumpster( someone took it completely apart and boxed it up then threw it away) many years ago,I put it back together and it's been running ever since..not even a carb adjustment... they don't make anything like that anymore...it'll sit for a year and still start after 3 or 4 pulls..

I run all my power equipment on Amisiol 100:1 mixed at 80:1... all fuel is treated with Star-tron..

Last year I bought an Echo battery operated 18" chain saw ( so I could do yard work early in the AM with out aggravating the neighbors)... for the average person this is a great thing... just leave the battery in the charger ( it has a maintenance mode)and it's instantly ready when you need it.. I've cut a lot of wood with it ( mostly pine and cedar), and the battery lasts a long time... with anything 4" and smaller it's every bit as fast as a gas chain saw.. it's light and has no vibration...I was so impressed with it I bought the string trimmer and leaf blower to match ( that also gives me plenty of spare batteries should the need arise)