New Saw reccomendations

[Bosco]

I'm looking for a new saw with the best power to weight ratio,and reliability/longevity. Any opinions? Light weight being a big factor as I have a unrepairable torn rotator cuff.

[lxskllr]

What are you looking to cut? Size, species?

[Bruno of NH]

Echo CS-620
Best power to weight on the market.
Starts better than any saw I have owned.

[lxskllr]

for a 60cc class saw, the Stihl 362cm is >1# lighter than the echo. Can't compare power since echo doesn't publish specs. The Stihl's also a couple hundred $ more. Echo provides some of the best bang/buck in the saw market, but they generally aren't the absolute best in category.

[Ianab]

If you have a dodgy shoulder then maybe look at the Stihl "e" models. Instead of the normal recoil start the mechanism winds up a spring with several gentle pulls of the cord. When it's fully tensioned it releases and kicks the saw over.

The MS291 range isn't "professional" grade, but they have a good reputation for reliability as a farm or firewood saw, and saving your shoulder might be more important than extra hp.

I agree with the others, MS362 is one of the best saws you can buy, but you pay a premium for that quality. Echo make good saws, for a good price, so you can't really go wrong there. If you can start them...

[btulloh]

Battery powered maybe.  Depends on the answer to lxsklr's first question.  Nothing starts easier than a battery saw and there are some good ones.  You can't go out and cut a couple cords of firewood from 20" oak logs though.

[barbender]

  I just bought a Husky 562xp, I haven't ran but 4 tanks of gas through it, but I really like it. A lot of power for the weight, starts easy enough. I have a 20" bar on itn which it handles well. That's compared to a Stihl ms261cm, Jonsered 2171 and Husky 390xp I also have in the stable. 

[sawguy21]

What are you cutting and how much? Are you a weekender cleaning up around the yard or a firewood cutter for your own use? What is your budget? For occasional light use maybe a Stihl MS180C with easy to start will meet your needs. If stocking firewood look at stepping up to a Stihl MS251C or Husqvarna 445. There are other lower priced saws on the market but these brands have parts and service available which count
for a lot

[Magicman]

I bought this saw because of arthritis in my hand.  LINK  After having to have rotator cuff surgery in February, I am now happier with my decision.

[Greenhighlander]

What are you cutting and how much? Are you a weekender cleaning up around the yard or a firewood cutter for your own use? What is your budget? For occasional light use maybe a Stihl MS180C with easy to start will meet your needs. If stocking firewood look at stepping up to a Stihl MS251C or Husqvarna 445. There are other lower priced saws on the market but these brands have parts and service available which count
for a lot

I have a ms 251 and a husky 445 MK II .  I run an 18" on both and they cover my firewood needs. With neither being a " pro " model saw I have been very very impressed with how they have held up and performed.  The 445 does have the easiest pull start I have ever used. Barely have to pull on it. 
When one or both of these die I plan on getting an MS 261 CM
Cheers 

[Patrick NC]

A Husqvarna 550xp mk2 is has a good power to weight ratio and isn't hard to start. Mine has an 18" bar and I feel like it has plenty of power to cut anything the bar can handle. There game also been some good suggestions here with the Stihl e saws and the battery powered options. It all depends on what/ how much you are cutting. 

[Happysawer]

What are you planing on cutting many times a smaller saw then what you think you need, will do what you want and a lot more.

Nothing as bad as having a large heavy chainsaw, then you really never needed.

[thecfarm]

Lots of questions unanswered. 
Might be able to get by with a 40cc. I had a 50cc and that cut good. I was planning on going down to a 40cc but I have a bar and 3 chains for a 50cc. That's well over $100 in parts. 

[Real1shepherd]

Yeah, it all depends on use application and how often you use the saw.

This forum has become basically a Squeal forum, with Husky on the side and Echo, Makita and Poulan for desert.

I only run vintage saws, so I won't recommend those for a newbie.

You already made a comment about the MS 362 in another thread. Your friend had one and he loves it....is this a money issue then?

Kevin

[barbender]

It's not a Stihl forum, that's just silly. Did I not just recommend a new Husky?

[Bruno of NH]

No Stihl for me 

[Walnut Beast]

Echo CS-620
Best power to weight on the market.
Starts better than any saw I have owned.

The echo power pruner pole saw, blower, hedge trimmers 20 + years old always started easy and no problems + newer echo blower and weed whacker. I wouldn't hesitate buying

[Real1shepherd]

It's not a Stihl forum, that's just silly. Did I not just recommend a new Husky?

Really....try counting the number of posts devoted to Squeal and Squeal questions. I'm not a Squeal fan at all, but it's easy to see what predominates this forum. Husky comes second around here.  

Kevin

[reride82]

It's not a Stihl forum, that's just silly. Did I not just recommend a new Husky?

Really....try counting the number of posts devoted to Squeal and Squeal question. I'm not a Squeal fan at all, but it's easy to see what predominates this forum. Husky comes second around here.  

Kevin

I disagree. I run predominantly husqvarna. My "easy" starting saw is a 372xp, because the 445 sometimes doesn't want to start when hot and the 395xp is a bear to start in most situations.  :D
Levi

[barbender]

Yeah I kinda gathered that you're not a fan, given the fact that you can't actually say the name. At any rate, I think that you may be reading into it a bit, maybe because of how other forums operate. They seem kinda tribal, people have extreme brand loyalty and everything else is an unusable piece of garbage. I think most here are pretty practical, we just like stuff that works well for the task at hand. As I stated before, I have 3 different brands of saws. I like them all, they all do the job. I like that I can come here and find someone that has experience with something that I may be getting into, and can give honest and fairly unbiased info on it. 

[Southside]

What he said. I am not about to recommend a 372 to a member who has a bad shoulder, but I will put the pair I have against anything out there. 

[Ianab]

I put a word in for the Stihls because they have some models with the easy-start. OP said he has a dodgy shoulder which isn't going to get better. MM put in a good word for the MS362 because it has a decomp valve, fairly unusual on a 60cc saw, which also makes it easier to start. 

Personally I love my Dolmar saw, and it starts pretty easy with it's de-comp, but I wouldn't be recommending it to someone with a bad shoulder.

[Patrick NC]

I have all husqvarna now because I have a good dealer near me. Stihl also has a dealer close by, but it seems like they are pushing homeowners saws and not pro grade. I was in there a few months ago because I needed to replace my ms260. All they had were 170, 251,and 271 size saws. They could order anything I wanted, but I needed a saw right then. I walked into the husky dealer and they had almost every saw husky makes. Walked out with a 550xp mk 2 and was back to cutting that afternoon. 

[Real1shepherd]

This is really simple and it's not about personal preferences. Just look at the entire forum page....count the number of posts related to Squeal and Squeal related questions. The majority of posts are related to one saw brand, that's all I'm sayin'. Don't turn this into a 'best oil mix' thread kinda thing.

Doesn't make Squeal the best saw out there......just making a comment on the predominant direction of the forum.

Also, I don't really see a hierarchy here insomuch as a put down of non-Squeal owners. All I'm saying is the forum dialog favors Squeal.....which shouldn't be taken by new members to mean they are the top dawg saw. Lot's of choices out there and a lot of members have many saw marques.

Kevin

[gspren]

This is really simple and it's not about personal preferences. Just look at the entire forum page....count the number of posts related to Squeal and Squeal related questions. The majority of posts are related to one saw brand, that's all I'm sayin'. Don't turn this into a 'best oil mix' thread kinda thing.

Kevin

So far you're the only one I see putting down a brand of saw.

[Happysawer]

What i quickly found out about getting a chainsaw, what i thought i could just grab fire it up and get to sawing, was just in my mind then i woke up to the fact that i am no longer a 20 year old who could lift 200 pounds of gear and run and run and run.
Now i am 82 and i know the smaller chainsaw that will do the job is the best for me today.

[sawguy21]

Kevin, don't be so touchy. Nobody is slamming your choice of saw, the majority of the guys responding here have Stihl and are happy with them. I like Husky too but if I were buying new I would go Stihl because of the local dealer, he is good to deal with and his tech really knows his stuff. The Husky dealers in neighboring towns not so much so.

[Bosco]

I'm cutting primarily Ponderosa Pine up to around 30" dia. I have a Stihl 180 and 170, and a bigger one I think 311? Also a Husquavarna older Rancher 55. I can do most anything with the 180, We had a bad fire here and I got a ton of logging to do! I have a Woodmizer LT15 and a Norwood HD36. Neighbor brought me 60 logs yesterday,I have 100 acres badly scorched. I likr the bigger saw that throws chips instead of dust! So is there a smaller saw that will do that? I've never seen or used those battery ones are they ant good ? Seen a Dewalt that looked ok?

[btulloh]

Oh.  No idea what or how much you were doing. 

Battery saw is for small work and short duration. 

You probably need a good 70cc saw with a decomp button. Ms461, 372xp, or equivalent Echo.  Keep a sharp chain if you want to throw chips. 

Sounds like you've got some work to do. 

[Real1shepherd]

This is really simple and it's not about personal preferences. Just look at the entire forum page....count the number of posts related to Squeal and Squeal related questions. The majority of posts are related to one saw brand, that's all I'm sayin'. Don't turn this into a 'best oil mix' thread kinda thing.

Kevin

So far you're the only one I see putting down a brand of saw.

Why, because I say "Squeal". I'm just poking fun....nothing more. If you really think they are the 'top dawg' saws, then what's the harm?

Or do you think this is like religion; my way or the highway.

Kevin

[Real1shepherd]

Kevin, don't be so touchy. Nobody is slamming your choice of saw, the majority of the guys responding here have Stihl and are happy with them. I like Husky too but if I were buying new I would go Stihl because of the local dealer, he is good to deal with and his tech really knows his stuff. The Husky dealers in neighboring towns not so much so.

Not being "touchy" at all. Nobody is slamming my choice of saws because I haven't given a CHOICE. It's pretty clear I run vintage saws and yes, I do have two favorites. But I have absolutely no idea who makes the best saws today....I'd have to run them and hard for months.

One member here PMed me that I should just know that Stihl is the best saw out there and that was that...get used to it. Well sorry, but I'm literally from MO, so show me. And I told him the same thing; it's all about dealership and service. If you're buying little Huskies in box stores with no service, naturally, Stihl is going to have the advantage.

Absolutely agree; dealer/service makes all the difference when choosing.

Kevin

[Southside]

Yup - dealer service is why I got rid of my Stihl saws and went to Husky, been happy since.  

[Air Lad]

What i quickly found out about getting a chainsaw, what i thought i could just grab fire it up and get to sawing, was just in my mind then i woke up to the fact that i am no longer a 20 year old who could lift 200 pounds of gear and run and run and run.
Now i am 82 and i know the smaller chainsaw that will do the job is the best for me today.

Bought a battery polesaw to do some lighter/up there clean up work(I use Makita battery tools in air conditioning business). They had a promo which added 2 extra 5ah batterys
Point is this little thing is a beast
Perfect to replace 40cc and smaller saws
It's going that way slowly

[Patrick NC]

I'm cutting primarily Ponderosa Pine up to around 30" dia. I have a Stihl 180 and 170, and a bigger one I think 311? Also a Husquavarna older Rancher 55. I can do most anything with the 180, We had a bad fire here and I got a ton of logging to do! I have a Woodmizer LT15 and a Norwood HD36. Neighbor brought me 60 logs yesterday,I have 100 acres badly scorched. I likr the bigger saw that throws chips instead of dust! So is there a smaller saw that will do that? I've never seen or used those battery ones are they ant good ? Seen a Dewalt that looked ok?

I think if you got a 50cc pro saw like a husky 550xpmk2 or a stihl ms261 you would love it. My 550 is a great saw. It has become my go to saw for almost everything. Starts easy and with an 18 " bar / full chisel chain it will really eat some wood. I wouldn't be afraid to put a 20" bar on it if I didn't have my 372. 

[thecfarm]

I won a Efco saw,52cc back in 2011 on here and ran until last year. The thing that ran the sprocket broke off. That saw got used a lot. Never had it in the shop. That had some power to it. 

[Bruno of NH]

I'm an Echo guy because of dealer service.
And they start much better for me.
Traded my 2172 in on a new echo .

[Nebraska]

@Bosco buy a 70 cc saw with a 24 inch from the best closest dealer. Be it a Husky, Makita/ Dolmar or a stihl and get busy salvaging that pine.  A competent service department is important.  I own five brands of saws, each with good and bad. I've picked up a couple used efco 52 c.c. saws like thecfarm mentioned over the past couple years and honestly have been impressed, great little firewood log saws happily handle an 18 inch bar one or the other lives in the sawmill shed all the time.

[moodnacreek]

No luck with husky here, have 3 , 2 xp's and 1 home owner that blew up in less than a year. Got a pile of Still's and they can all run. Never blew one up in a lot of years. My chainsaws only run in the mill yard these days and get parked next to the starting fluid. I think I would recomend  what a close to you dealer sells.

[donbj]

These discussions can go the same way as the ford chevy thing. Mines better. Had a guy I worked with years ago that was so easy to get raging mad(literally) if you made a bad comment about ford. It got comical for a grown man to take it like that.

I lean toward Husky only by the experience I had back in the 90's when I thought I should upgrade, so I bought a brand new 034 Stihl. That saw was a complete disaster from the get go. The dealer tried everything possible to get it to run right short of replacing it, which is what he should have done. He tried though, got to give him that.

I got so fed up with it I went to the Husky dealer and traded it in on a brand new 262XP. That saw runs like a champ still today. I think I just got a dud saw with the Stihl.

I won't knock them at all as I think both make good saws and they both put out a dud once in a while.

[ehp]

this is just me ok and what I would do, I would look hard at the MS 261 , they are a great saw and they do cut pretty good for a small saw , fairly easy to start . I know lots would say or go to the MS 362 which is also a very good saw but for me I would go straight to the MS 462 , about same weight as the MS 362 but more power . You been running stihls so why change and this is from a guy with both shoulders rebuilt , I got 52 pieces of metal in left shoulder and 31 pieces in right shoulder and I run whatever works best for that job that day but most days I'm running a MS 462 Arctic

[barbender]

Yep I really like my little 261, it's got a lot of torque for a 50cc saw.

[duane4238]

Well, from all the replies I've read here, I don't think anyone has used any of these chainsaws who had an unrepairable rotator cuff.  I went through that, but luckily the Dr. was able to fix my shoulder. Took 2 full years before it felt like it was fully healed. I had an 028 Super but it was just too heavy for my shoulders. I ended up getting an MS192. Quite a powerful little saw with a 14" bar and the lightest I could find.  I've cut lots of wood with it. Now that the shoulders are better, I bought a new MS250 with 18" bar and couldn't be more pleased. The OP is gonna have to go and handle some of these saws before he makes a decision.  It's no fun cutting wood when your shoulders hurt all the way to your toes. Good luck with your choice.
Duane

[btulloh]

Good points. Trouble is it sounds like the OP has a 70cc task and a 35cc shoulder.  I understand first hand when once routine tasks don't fit into one's current capabilities any longer. Makes for some tough realistic choices.  At a certain point it becomes necessary to give up mountain climbing and pole vaulting. The mind still wants to do all that, but . . . 

[realzed]

I can fully relate with the shoulder comments having had both of mine redone and with a few bits of hardware still implanted in them.
I've also got fairly severe osteoarthritis throughout my shoulders, elbows and especially my thumb joints - so not only can I relate to how it feels, but also how it can hurt your hands to try and start saws that are stubborn and 'kick back'.
To do the best I could in trying to get a saw as light as possible and as easy to start that still retained as much power as possible I tried out a few and settled on a Stihl MS 261CM.
It pretty much rules when it comes to power / weight ratio, has a decomp valve, and is about as well balanced and vibration free as there is out there.
I opted for a 20" bar so I wouldn't have to bend too far forward as a shorter bar would require, and for the most part it has served me very well and I couldn't be more impressed with the power and torque for the size, balance, and weight.
Al would be happy - as I added a 461-style Rescue Saw 'D' handle as he often mentions, to make it a lot easier to get and keep a grip when starting it, verses the smallish OEM pull cord handle and it all works quite well for me - on a small saw that still requires a good sharp tug or two to get it rolling!
Unless one really really needs a longer bar than a 20 incher most or all of the time - I would certainly recommend a look at one of these little guys - you might be very happily surprised all things considered!

    

[btulloh]

Those 261's really are amazing for 50cc saw and the power/weight is outstanding. They will do good job on bigger wood, just takes a little longer. Might just be the sweet spot for shoulder issues. You gotta be able to start a saw before you can run it.  

Best of luck to OP.