general purpose chain saw

[g squared 23]

Lot of stihl fanboys around. Take everyone's opinion for what it is. If they've only run a stihl, they might not know how other higher end saws run (high end to me means not a remington/poulon/craftsman cheapo).

I have the husqvarna 450 w/ a 20" bar. It's PLENTY of saw for almost everythig I cut except the biggest oaks. Might be a bit big for a "general use" saw, but I am a decently large guy (6'1, 250+#). Satisfied customer, but I have not owned a Stihl.

I would check reviews put together by folks that have used all of the big brands of saws.

 

[Frosted brassica]

Looking for a general purpose chain saw recommendation for property management. Initially it will get a lot of use clearing tree tops from recently logged land. Some of the tops are from 100'+ hardwoods and are pretty big. After that, I'll hinge cut from time to time and remove unwanted trees and brush. ~70 out of 100 acres was recently logged so it's a mess. I have no intention of removing all the tree tops, just the ones laying on future food plots!

I live a long way from the property and will store the saw in a mini storage I'm renting. There is a local Stihl dealer that I'd like to use to for ease of warranty and maintenance issues but I'm not opposed to Amazon or Lowes if that makes more since.

Thanks for the help!

Did you get a saw yet?
I suggest looking at a 50cc saw for a general purpose tool. Running a 16 or 18 inch bar should be more than enough for what you describe. All the advice to go lighter is good. Maybe borrow or rent a few to see how big you really need. Let us know what works for you.

 

[Chainsaw]

Good point G squared! Husqvarna is underrepresented here. I use Huskies most of the time. My go-to saw these days is the Husky 562XP. It s an incredibly powerful saw that can handle every tree left on this property and it is lighter than my old go-to, the 372XP which I still use on occasion but it (372XP) has gotten a little heavy for me. However the 562XP is fine for general cutting but is too heavy for me to hold up at chest height or higher to hinge cut for bedding areas. For high hinge cutting I use the 543 XP which is light enough for me to for me to hold up comfortably. I had recommended a light saw in my original post on this thread because in hinge cutting bedding areas the lighter saws fit the task better than the large ones. High hinge cutting is very dangerous to my way of thinking compared to more normal chainsaw use and struggling to hold up a saw too heavy for me just makes the cut too unsafe for me.

For anyone not familiar with Husky numbers, the XP designation means professional model. The XP models are built tougher and they last longer. I have never worn out an XP model.

 

[weekender21]

I did not get a saw yet.

I'll be on our property next week but I won't have time for any chainsaw work. I'm hoping to identify a few areas that I will plan to clear this spring. My wife and three young kids will get to see our land for the first time.

I'm leaning towards a Stihl. Mainly because there is a dealer close to my property. At the moment I like the 241 C-M and 261 C-M professional grade saws. They are 42.6 and 50.2 cc respectively.


Sent from my iPhone using Deer Hunter Forum

 

[Gator]

I have a MS250 that I had the dealer replace the 18" bar with a 16" as I wanted a smaller more nimble saw. Plus I already had a MS391 for the big stuff.

 

[weekender21]

How do the home owner saws like the 250 handle a full day in the woods?


Sent from my iPhone using Deer Hunter Forum

 

[Gator]

How do the home owner saws like the 250 handle a full day in the woods?


Sent from my iPhone using Deer Hunter Forum

I've had no trouble running mine all day. I know for a fact its' way easier than running the 391 for a half day.

I guess you are really worried about long term durability? I've had mine for probably 7 years now, ran it strictly for habitat work (and fallen trees across the driveway sorta things) until this year when I started burning wood for heat. Cut 5 cords of wood this summer and used the 250 for all the branches and some of the trunk cutting. Used the 391 to fall the trees and for the big end of the trunk.