Small chainsaw recommmendations

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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I got the 14 inch bar if I remember correctly. I figured if I was going to limb up 10 acres of 15 ft CRP trees I was going to need something very light weight and that’s I how I justified the cost for my situation.


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MS-170 Stihl...I moved your thread to the “Native Habitat Management” section from the “Food Plot” section...
I also agree with the Stihl Ms 170 or 180. Great little saws !
I am intrigued with the battery powered saws though but I can't get myself to pull the trigger on one yet.
 
The new 170 / 171's come with a 16" bar. Get the 14" bar and chain...I've used both on my 171, and the 14" bar and chain make it a MUCH better saw. I'm a fan of Stihl's and have a service center pretty close. So, I stick with them on chainsaws, weedeaters, etc. I'm the same way with Dewalts.
 
The Ryobi 18 volt pole saw is working good so far. I've only had it a couple months but it's already paid for itself around the yard. Hopefully it's sturdy enough to last as it does flex quite a bit with the extension on it. Used a gas stihl a few days last year, and though it worked well, it was pretty heavy and didn't always want to run at certain angles. Either has their place, depending on what you need to accomplish.
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The Ryobi 18 volt pole saw is working good so far. I've only had it a couple months but it's already paid for itself around the yard. Hopefully it's sturdy enough to last as it does flex quite a bit with the extension on it. Used a gas stihl a few days last year, and though it worked well, it was pretty heavy and didn't always want to run at certain angles. Either has their place, depending on what you need to accomplish.
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I’ve had one just like it for 3 years. Mine was actually refurbished. I have a couple extra batteries, which is nice. One thing to keep in mind is the contacts on the extensions can kind of lose their spring. I keep a small flat blade with me when I’m trimming trees in the middle of no where, just in case they need pried out a little.
 
I just saw an ad on television that said MS 170 was $30 off regular price right now. You would be crazy not to be all over that deal. If I didn't already have 7 saws I would buy 3 at that price.
 
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I just saw an ad on television that said MS 170 was $30 off regular price right now. You would be crazy not to be all over that deal. If I didn't already have 7 saws I would buy 3 at that price.
Native...Something tells me your dad would run you off the place if you brought home a battery powered saw and said, "Dad, give this a try."
 
Just buy a small stihl with 16 in bar, fill it with nonethanol gas mix and it will serve you for many years. I have 3, small, medium, and large, all serve their purpose. If you're only using it several times a year, I would try to empty the tank before putting it back on the shelf. Nonethanol gas is a must in my book. I don't know about the battery versions, I'm pretty satisfied with the gas powered saws.
 
I found out Echo has a 5 year warranty compared to a 1 year warranty for stihl. I know both are good saws but I think right now I would be leaning towards the Echo for about $20. more
 
I'd recommend a good light Stihl. I end up using my MS250 or my Makita 4300 for the majority of the small stuff. The MS361 gets a lot of use for bigger jobs. A small saw with a sharp chain works better than a big saw with a dull chain. The Stihl 2 n 1 ez file or Pferd Chain sharp CS-X filing guide is a must have for keeping the chain sharp.
 
I'd recommend a good light Stihl. I end up using my MS250 or my Makita 4300 for the majority of the small stuff. The MS361 gets a lot of use for bigger jobs. A small saw with a sharp chain works better than a big saw with a dull chain. The Stihl 2 n 1 ez file or Pferd Chain sharp CS-X filing guide is a must have for keeping the chain sharp.
I use a Milwaukee M12 rotary tool with a correct size sharpening stone for the size chain that I'm using. This is the fastest and best chain sharpening method I've found, and I've used most of them including files with guides, bench mounted Oregon grinders and diamond cutters. This setup gets a dull chain cutting again within a minute.
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