Small chainsaw recommmendations

2

270sniper

New Member
Probable when we are allowed to go back to some normalcy I was thinking about buying a small 14 inches saw to use mostly for hinge cutting and opening up some shooting lanes. I currently have a craftsman 20 inch that I use for down trees.

I don't have much experience using a saw and I usually let someone else at my camp use the saw.

I am leaning towards either a echo or stihl because there are dealers near me & I thnk they have a 5 yr. warranty. I don't know but I would think these would be better than getting a chainsaw from Home Depot or Tractor Supply,
 
Do you have a budget in mind? I’ve used stihl extensively but had other brands up to a few years ago. The ms201T is my go to for smaller cuttings, but I think it’s close to $700. If you want to to be under $250 I might go with a ms170-180 depending on how much you cut. I used a ms193 recently, nice unit, was under $400 but wasn’t anything compared to my 201.


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Jon said:
Do you have a budget in mind? I’ve used stihl extensively but had other brands up to a few years ago. The ms201T is my go to for smaller cuttings, but I think it’s close to $700. If you want to to be under $250 I might go with a ms170-180 depending on how much you cut. I used a ms193 recently, nice unit, was under $400 but wasn’t anything compared to my 201.


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Click to expand...

I work with the ms 201t arborist saw

The "farm boss" gets a bit heavy after a tank or two

bill
 
I bought a new stihl this winter solely due to the fact that there is a repairman less than an hour away who I like and trust. I highly value a trusted mechanic.

For the work you described I would strongly think about a good battery powered saw. No starter rope to pull while going from tree to tree, instant shutoff, no starting while on a ladder, etc. Just pull the trigger when read to cut. If I didn't use mine for firewood also I would went battery this time.

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My wife and I have the good fortune to own a 135 acre timber tract. I chain saw a lot and have a Echo CS400 with an 18" bar. It has proven to be a great chainsaw.
 
270sniper said:
I would like to stay around $250 and I never gave it a thought about a battery operated saw. I probably would only use the saw a few times a year.
Click to expand...
MS-170 Stihl...I moved your thread to the “Native Habitat Management” section from the “Food Plot” section...
 
You can't go wrong with a Stihl IMO. I have an 021 which is 23 years old now and it runs as well as it did when it was new. The saw came with a 16" blade but I had it changed to 14" so the saw would fit between the seats of our snowmobile club's Sno-Cat trail groomer.
I have no idea how many hours are on my saw. My son has a Farm Boss which he likes but he'll grab my saw for trimming because mine is smaller and lighter. I also have a McCulloch 10-10 circa: 1977 but this is a heavy saw. I call it the "Man killer". I carry it along just as a backup if I get my Stihl hung up in a limb or log.
 
270sniper said:
I would like to stay around $250 and I never gave it a thought about a battery operated saw. I probably would only use the saw a few times a year.
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Batteries can go bad on a battery saw pretty quickly if they are not used and lose their charge. Get a Stihl 170 for about $179, like okie said, you will have a good saw that fits your budget and has resale value if you don't need it anymore. Keep Stabil in the gas or, better yet, use only Trufuel, then you will not have any engine problems with not using it much.
 
Stihl 170 or 180. Inexpensive and lightweight. I’m bought the 180 last year after almost buying an electric saw. Battery life and price drove me towards the gas saw.


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Last edited:
I use the ms170 for my smaller jobs,I just got rid of one of stihls low pressure saws,damn thing wouldn't run
 
catscratch said:
I bought a new stihl this winter solely due to the fact that there is a repairman less than an hour away who I like and trust. I highly value a trusted mechanic.

For the work you described I would strongly think about a good battery powered saw. No starter rope to pull while going from tree to tree, instant shutoff, no starting while on a ladder, etc. Just pull the trigger when read to cut. If I didn't use mine for firewood also I would went battery this time.

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Click to expand...

Second this ! I bought a Green Works 40V last year and it continues to surprise me with the power and longevity of the battery. I also bought their pole saw and I can’t say enough about how well I like them. Both saws use the same battery so any time I use them I have two batteries to draw on.
 
I've got a Stihl Woods Boss and a Ryobi 18v electric. I like them both. The gas saw is way better at cutting. It'll run a much more aggressive chain without bogging. It takes a lot more maintenance. It gets heavy after a tank or two of gas. I like it when it runs clean and easy. I'm not interested in learning small engine repair either. So, I just take it in to the shop every Fall after deer season for a tuneup. It's worth the cost to me to have a reliable saw.

The 18v electric saw is 100% trouble free so far. I run 6ah lithium batteries and I estimate each battery gives me about 30 minutes of cutting time. That's a lot of cutting when you only count the time the chain is moving. I might be wrong. However long it was, I was ready for a break before the battery died. Those 6ah batteries are expensive though. It doesn't cut as well as the Stihl. If I don't cut perpendicular to the grain, it struggles. Think about felling a tree and cutting the notch. It struggles on the angled cut. But, it's super light. It doesn't require gas. It has no carb to rebuild. I don't have to deal with mixing or stabilizing fuel. There's a lot to like.

For light, intermittent work, I like the electric saw. If I'm on a ladder, I like the electric saw. If I'm doing real cutting, I still like the Stihl. I'll keep them both. It's like having a .30-06 and a .243. A guy figures out he needs them both.
 
054779fe7c9f3096ef255337f155ebd0.jpg


I bought this little Echo (CS2511-T) to limb up a 10 acre block of trees I planted about 10 years ago. I bought it’s so light. Supposed to be the most light weight gas powered chainsaw on the market. I’m really impressed with it so far. Powerful and very light weight. One hand operation for limbing trees is easy with this saw.


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I absolutely love my stihl, but we burn wood exclusively, so I cut a lot. If you do go with a gas saw, try to find a local station with premium ethanol-free gas to mix, your saw will love you for it; a professional tree guy told me that at the Joplin tornado clean up years ago. Also, if you buy a premium brand like Echo or Stihl, make sure you use their fuel mix, using another brand can void your warranty.
 
As long as we're on the subject of chainsaws I would like to mention the importance of wearing safety protective clothing when using a chainsaw. This became even more important to me a few years back when my son lived in the village and was trimming brush and small trees along side a fence line. At the time he was wearing pants from Stihl over his jeans. My son is quite experienced using a power saw and is very strong and healthy. As he was cutting, the saw kicked back and the chain and bar hit him just above the knee of his left knee. The saw was stalled instantly. My son's Stihl pants had only a small three cornered tear in them and my son only had a small bruise on his leg. I have forgotten how much those pants cost but I went to our local Stihl store the next day and bought my son a brand new pair of pants. Probably the old pants would be just fine as the chances of ever getting hit in exactly the same place again would be slim to none but I wasn't willing to take the chance.
When we go out to cut trees or brush we both suit up with safety shirts, pants, boots and helmets.. They get a little warm to wear on warm days but are a lot more comfortable than having to use crutches or a wheel chair.
Lynn
 
Gave my oldest son one of these Oregon battery powered saws for his birthday. I own their pole saw and so does my son. Beast of a pole saw so just assuming the chainsaw will be just as good.
I ordered with the 6.0 Ah battery
D3250C87-6FA3-4423-B009-CE1B6C604A77.jpeg
 
DrDirtNap said:
054779fe7c9f3096ef255337f155ebd0.jpg


I bought this little Echo (CS2511-T) to limb up a 10 acre block of trees I planted about 10 years ago. I bought it’s so light. Supposed to be the most light weight gas powered chainsaw on the market. I’m really impressed with it so far. Powerful and very light weight. One hand operation for limbing trees is easy with this saw.


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Click to expand...

I’ve been eyeing that one for some time, I’m happy for you and super jealous. Is it worth the ~$400? Did you get the 12 inch or 14 inch bar?


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