New and looking for advice.

[7sleeper]

That doesn't limit people to tailor their purchases to their needs. No doubt quality products have a definate advantage. But the quality of the brands I recomended are in my eyes without a doubt.

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[H 2 H]

Since the OP is here in Washington State and he posted the wood he will be cutting a MS 250 will work for him also



The above saw's both have 18" .325 b/c

[Andyshine77]

That doesn't limit people to tailor their purchases to their needs. No doubt quality products have a definate advantage. But the quality of the brands I recomended are in my eyes without a doubt.

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They are high quality. I personally wouldn't own a Stihl 270, I can't stand how they're built, I recommend the 390 instead. I own 5 Dolmar saws myself, and Dealer network is the issue with Dolmar. To me a strong dealer network doesn't mean as much, I fix my own saws, to most a good dealer is a must.

Again pretty much any of the suggestions will get the job done, but if you want the best, you have to pay for it.

[ShaunUK]

Hi, plenty of professionals on here to steer you in the right direction. A second hand Husqvarna 51 or 55 with a 20-24 inch bar would see you right and wouldnt hurt your pocket. I see plenty on ebay from time to time and they go much cheaper over there in the usa, and the parts are easy to get. Good quality saw with good torque and speed.

[gary courtney]

i recommend ms 362-m

[KiwiKen]

Lots of good advice here but confusing too - quite a range of saws and brands. I choose Stihl but the other good brands will also do the job.

One thing I will say - an MS 211 is completely wrong for you. I bought a used one a few days ago just for garden shrubbery and limbing trees. Light and portable but more powerful than a consumer saw.

When reading your introduction my first thought was an MS 361 or even better an MS 440 but no, other posters are correct, this would be overkill. I suggest an MS 311 is a good balance between power, weight, and value.

Stihl is expensive (albeit in New Zealand we pay twice the US price) but you do get quality and a reliable dealer backup. They hold their value too.

If you are confident about tinkering with repairs then a used saw is worth considering. But for peace of mind a new saw is best.

[SawTroll]

Some people value high quality, others could care less as long as it gets you from A to B. I tend to always buy the best of the best, others do as well, so that's what I always suggests. The OP is free to make up his own mind, it's his money. I'm also free to spend my money on whatever I want, need isn't always apart of my purchasing decisions.

Correct - people and their attitudes are different - and I always go for what I think is best, regardless of the price. Chainsaws aren't that expensive anyway, and specially not in the US.

[ShaunUK]

And he can cut hundreds of chords a year with a semiPro/farmer saw like the Dolmar 510, Husqvarna 450, Stihl 270/271, etc. And save a bunch of money in the beginning. But then again as far as I understood he doesn't want to! He only has 1.5 acres to take care of and intends to remove only a few trees. With that size of property and intended use he could buy a Wildthing and still be sufficiently armed! This here sure sounds like some guys recomending a porsche cayenne to drive to the mall to get a quart of milk.... ::)

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exactly

[KiwiKen]

Some people value high quality, others could care less as long as it gets you from A to B. I tend to always buy the best of the best, others do as well, so that's what I always suggests. The OP is free to make up his own mind, it's his money. I'm also free to spend my money on whatever I want, need isn't always apart of my purchasing decisions.

Correct - people and their attitudes are different - and I always go for what I think is best, regardless of the price. Chainsaws aren't that expensive anyway, and specially not in the US.

Agree and well said. My choice is always to choose the best I can afford, With cars compromise is necessary ie. Toyota rather than BMW but I have no complaints.

Similarly I share 4 Stihl saws and a hedge trimmer with my brother and they are strong and completely reliable. If they weren't we'd have moved to Husky but after 25 years Stihl has proven to be completely what we need for casual farm owners. No repairs that I can remember.

[7sleeper]

Some people value high quality, others could care less as long as it gets you from A to B. I tend to always buy the best of the best, others do as well, so that's what I always suggests. The OP is free to make up his own mind, it's his money. I'm also free to spend my money on whatever I want, need isn't always apart of my purchasing decisions.

Correct - people and their attitudes are different - and I always go for what I think is best, regardless of the price. Chainsaws aren't that expensive anyway, and specially not in the US.

Agree and well said. My choice is always to choose the best I can afford, With cars compromise is necessary ie. Toyota rather than BMW but I have no complaints.

Similarly I share 4 Stihl saws and a hedge trimmer with my brother and they are strong and completely reliable. If they weren't we'd have moved to Husky but after 25 years Stihl has proven to be completely what we need for casual farm owners. No repairs that I can remember.

But you don't have the best! The only pro saw in your sig is the 066. All others are what Sawtroll would describe as "underpowered and overweight"! What was the reason for buying this subpar equipment? Becuase I am sure that the only work can be done with the 066. All others are only standing around and gaining weight...

;)

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[HotRail]

A MS 261 or 261cm is gonna last you a long time but you're gonna pay pretty big money compared to the other models.  Since you want a Stihl and I don't blame you... dealers everywhere for one, I would say a ms 291 for what your budget allows and your cutting needs.  The 290 sold like hotcakes and was a pretty good value for what the saw can/could handle.  One thing I see on the internet is everyone needs a husky or dolmar, which is ok.  Rarely do you see a die hard stihlhead like some of the other brands anymore.  Stihl is like Ford in my eyes, they sell the best selling truck and Stihl sells the best selling saw... ;D  Everyone knows that so why would you have to stick up for the them... 8)

[brettl]

Welcome to the forum. If you do buy a second saw to get you out of a bind, I'd pass up the 211. Looks ok on paper but the Stihl dealer I do business with won't stalk that saw because of the high amount of returns. When a 30 or 40 year old Stihl dealer refuses to stock one of their saws, that tells you some things. Things about the saw and the honesty of the dealer. I'm a Stihlhead myself but frankly, if you're going to buy a homeowner grade saw, might as well save money and buy a Poulan.

Your big saw is a whole other thing. If you like your local Stihl dealer, you won't go wrong on the 291, or any other ranch or pro saw. If you like the looks of a Dolmar, a saw I'd like to try myself, order the blue Makita version through our site sponsor, Baileys. As mentioned by others, any big name saw will work for any of us. Just stay away from the homeowner grade saws.

There's another site more dedicated to ARBORISTS, can't remember the exact name but google that all caps word and I bet you'll find it. The trading forum there has a lot of very knowledgeable and reputable builders/sellers of quality used saws, stock and modified. nmurph is one site members user name that comes to mind. If you find that ARBORIST SITE (wink wink) start a conversation with Neal, aka nmurph and see what he has on hand. There's a lot of others to. I think he's on this site under the same name.

[Terracar]

Thank you everyone for your feedback and input.

After walking through and surveying the property I think a 16" bar will tackle 80% of what I want to do.

I do agree that I think I want to get a minimum of a ranch/farm saw. Better built and will last longer. It may not last to my granchildren, but should last me 20 years.

I think I will go with either an MS271 or MS291 still not decided on which. Of course my bonus is now being split - got to love the wife giving input on how I should spend my bonus. Normally this would be a complaint, but it was recommended I should pick up a shotgun. So I am torn. One of them will need to wait a little longer.

Oh the decisions.

Again, thank you everyone for your input. Each of you provided good food for thought. I will be sure to keep you updated on what saw I get.

-Terracar

[7sleeper]

Not having a shotgun is a bad idea! If you want to save some money forget Stihl and think about an Echo 590. Same league like as a 291. Build quality is excelent! And with the money saved you might have a better chance of getting the rest of the needed equipment!

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