Looking for my first chainsaw

[mich04]

Hey there,
I am looking for my first chainsaw and was wondering what I should actually be looking for. Right now I use a craftsman with a 2.2 cubic inch engine. It is fairly light. With the amount of cutting I am doing though it seems to be too small. I work on a farm and for the next couple of years will be cutting down hedge trees.I think they call them Osage orange. Now I have been looking on ebay and craigslist because I am open to a rebuild saw.

I only want to spend around 50 dollars on the saw itself. Right now I am looking at a David bradly 360 and a homelite xl700 are these the types of saws I should be looking at? As I said before I am not afraid to rebuild things it is actually kind of nice to know the inner workings of the tool you are using.

[beenthere]

Welcome to the Forestry Forum.

As you explained your situation, I'd go to a nearby chainsaw dealer and talk with them. Get them sympathetic to your desire for working on a saw as well as have one that is running. I can see them being on your side and wanting to help, and probably knowing of a trade-in that would fit your interests.
Taking a shot at CL or eBay will most likely just be a learning experience. IMO  and not necessarily a good one.

[mich04]

Good to know, I will try and find a store near me. I live in a pretty rual area West Central IL. Maybe I can ask around at my church and see if anyone has something laying around. Pretty much just farming around here. These trees keep falling on the fences though.

[pineywoods]

Whatever you get, it needs to have more than a little grunt. Osage is some tough stuff. Look at a bunch of spare chains and a chain grinder. Them little $30 harbor freight grinders work good enough once you get past the learning curve..

[mad murdock]

Welcome mich04. If you are ok with used, and only want to spend 50 bucks, look at the McCulloch ProMac 10-10 or Mac 10-10auto. You should be in the mid 50cc range at least, and depending on your average sized tree trunk, somewhere between 16-20" on bar length. Most of the older saws have good parts availability, and if spark is good and compression decent, usually just need a good cleaning, looking over and a carb kit. Maybe a spark plug. You should be able to get into a solid runner for 50 bucks. Many of the macs I have were freebies. They are all good saws. Make sure you don't overlook PPE, chaps, eye/ear protection and good gloves. If you want to save some bucks as well, get a file guide and learn how to hand file the chain. Will cut better in long run, and you will be all the better for having the knowledge and skill set to take care of your own saw.

[celliott]

Now I have been looking on ebay and craigslist because I am open to a rebuild saw.

I only want to spend around 50 dollars on the saw itself. Right now I am looking at a David bradly 360 and a homelite xl700 are these the types of saws I should be looking at? As I said before I am not afraid to rebuild things it is actually kind of nice to know the inner workings of the tool you are using.

If you're planning on using the saw regularly, I'd discourage you from looking at older models like that. They don't have good AV, chainbrakes, parts not readily available, etc. etc. Older saws are neat, but more of a novelty to run them than every day use, although I'm sure some folks still do.

Since you're looking for a rebuilder\fixer upper, you still have plenty of options. Try and look for pro-model husqvarna\jonsered, stihl, dolmar\makitas. Parts will be much more common for these brands and simpler to work on than some cheaper variants.

[weimedog]

Hey there,
Right now I use a craftsman with a 2.2 cubic inch engine.
I work on a farm and for the next couple of years will be cutting down hedge trees.I think they call them Osage orange. .

I only want to spend around 50 dollars on the saw itself. Right now I am looking at a David bradly 360 and a homelite xl700 are these the types of saws I should be looking at?

Love those old Homelite 700 through 925 saws. A new fuel line, carb kit.... Bar & Chain...  and now you are at $100+ bucks with no chain brake.

About the only way you are going to beat the $50 dollar budget is find a dead Husqvarna 350 class saw for $25 bucks that you can fix with elbow grease & a $15 dollar aftermarket (ebay) piston. They do happen from time to time.

ditto what "celliot" said about safety though...

Because you also need to get chaps & a good helmet with hearing protection & a face mask. Can't put a price on the results of serious injury.

Think my real advice if this was a member of my family is to wait until $500 dollars is available and then start with the PPE's Chaps, Gloves, Helmet... then with what's left find a good used pro saw option that's salvageable. Salvageable also included a useful bar & buying a new chain..... files.....bar wrench.. gas can. This stuff is all required.

Lemeceee...

Helmet...Forester (cheap but good) $50 bucks
Chaps.. Forester (OK) $60 bucks
(They have a combo deal right now for both Helmet & chaps for....say $80 bucks)
Files to sharpen chain $10
Bar wrench                 $5
Gas can                      $15
Gloves                        $15
Forester Bar                 $40
Oregon Chain Loop        $20 x 2 = $40
Chain / Bar guard          $8
Some two stroke oil to get started... $20
Bar oil                                             $10
Gas                                                 $20


SO just basics puts you in the $275-300 dollar range.

NOW think saw....(power head, assume wasted B&C... cost addressed above)

Cost to find a buildable "272" class Husqvarna & get it running?     $200min
372 class saw?                                                                           $300min
350 class saw?                                                                         $100


Have to look at the whole picture...

[GAB]

Whatever you get, it needs to have more than a little grunt. Osage is some tough stuff. Look at a bunch of spare chains and a chain grinder. Them little $30 harbor freight grinders work good enough once you get past the learning curve..

I fully agree with pineywoods last sentence and suggest that the first chain you sharpen with a HF grinder be a chain that has not got much life left in it, as there is definitely a learning curve involved.  Some say to use a file - I find that about every third or fourth time it is time to take out the grinder and correct my past failings.  I seem to apply more pressure to the file on one side than the other.
Gerald

[mich04]

Wow thanks for the tips. So I did get a chainsaw It is a homelite timberman 45 with a 20 inch bar. One of my friends is a garbage man and he found it in the trash and decided to take it home and has had it sitting in his garage for two years. I looked at it today. It was idling high and dying. I looked on youtube and found a solution for that problem on the exact same saw about adjusting the carb. After adjusting the low and high I finally have it sounding right. I am going to try to do some cutting with it tommorow.

I am still looking as I am not expecting the power I am looking for out of this saw. I was thinking I would need more of the 55-80 cc range because I think you are right about the Osage. Again Thanks for all the tips, looks like I have a lot more research to do.

[JohnG28]

Hey there,
Right now I use a craftsman with a 2.2 cubic inch engine.
I work on a farm and for the next couple of years will be cutting down hedge trees.I think they call them Osage orange. .

I only want to spend around 50 dollars on the saw itself. Right now I am looking at a David bradly 360 and a homelite xl700 are these the types of saws I should be looking at?

Love those old Homelite 700 through 925 saws. A new fuel line, carb kit.... Bar & Chain...  and now you are at $100+ bucks with no chain brake.

About the only way you are going to beat the $50 dollar budget is find a dead Husqvarna 350 class saw for $25 bucks that you can fix with elbow grease & a $15 dollar aftermarket (ebay) piston. They do happen from time to time.

ditto what "celliot" said about safety though...

Because you also need to get chaps & a good helmet with hearing protection & a face mask. Can't put a price on the results of serious injury.

Think my real advice if this was a member of my family is to wait until $500 dollars is available and then start with the PPE's Chaps, Gloves, Helmet... then with what's left find a good used pro saw option that's salvageable. Salvageable also included a useful bar & buying a new chain..... files.....bar wrench.. gas can. This stuff is all required.

Lemeceee...

Helmet...Forester (cheap but good) $50 bucks
Chaps.. Forester (OK) $60 bucks
(They have a combo deal right now for both Helmet & chaps for....say $80 bucks)
Files to sharpen chain $10
Bar wrench                 $5
Gas can                      $15
Gloves                        $15
Forester Bar                 $40
Oregon Chain Loop        $20 x 2 = $40
Chain / Bar guard          $8
Some two stroke oil to get started... $20
Bar oil                                             $10
Gas                                                 $20


SO just basics puts you in the $275-300 dollar range.

NOW think saw....(power head, assume wasted B&C... cost addressed above)

Cost to find a buildable "272" class Husqvarna & get it running?     $200min
372 class saw?                                                                           $300min
350 class saw?                                                                         $100


Have to look at the whole picture...

X2!!