May Need a New Chainsaw - Any Suggestions?

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JohnB	May Need a New Chainsaw - Any Suggestions? My chainsaw may need replacing. We'll be looking at it tomorrow to see if it can be rescued . So I may need a new one. Has anyone got any recommendations? I've got between 3 and 5 acres of rubbish woodland to sort out. Most of the work I need to do is clearing fallen and dead trees, and coppicing hazel that hasn't been touched for many years. Plus cutting it up for firewood. There will be some bigger trees to cut occasionally as well, but it's mainly coppicing and clearance. I've been told I don't need anything bigger than a 15" bar, and it needs to be lightweight so I can work all day without needing to develop big muscles! And it's urgent as I've got lots of coppicing to do before it's too late!
gz	How far are you from Fishguard? I have a friend near there who uses his chainsaw a lot, could possibly give you good advice or tell you who could..
misty07	stihl or husky only is my advice
Bodrighy	stihl or husky only is my advice

Mine too. I think you have to have a certificate for over a certain size as well. Worth checking though I think it's a lot bigger than 15"

Pete

crofter

I have a 17 year old stihl. 20" bar. Great saw, not the lightest though. Don't know if they still make them like they used to, but I would buy another. Local fencing contractor has 2 Husqvarna saws.

sean

vickersdc teaches people about chainsaws and the like for a living. You could PM him via here.
He's also got a chainsaw related blog with lots of useful advice which is here.

Tavascarow

Stihl every time.

Brownbear

Stihl for reliability, Husquie for speed IMO.

If it was me I'd go for either the Stihl MS 290 if money was tight, and the Stihl MS 391 if I could afford it. The 391 is more powerful and therefore less likely to get the chain jammed.

JohnB

How far are you from Fishguard?
I have a friend near there who uses his chainsaw a lot, could possibly give you good advice or tell you who could..

Newcastle Emlyn, so quite a long way.

I've currently got a Husqvarna 141, bought when I only had ¼ acre. gz

I'll ask him anyway, will let you know. Will have to do by phone as he has internet/computer virus problems at present!! gil

Another vote for Stihl for 'domestic' purposes.
Husqvarna if you make your living working in the woods.

Sort of fits with what BB said about speed. Mr O

I have 3 saws,
Stihl MS 170, great for cutting up wood and felling up to 14 inches, very light weight.
Husky 349 Great for felling bigger trees and for chainsaw milling, but a bit heavy.
Poulan 33cc cheap crappy saw, more likely to cut me than a tree. vegplot

Stihl. Very reliable, easy to start & maintain, and spares easy to come by. Quite good prices can be had if you hunt around.

I have an MS 170 and even though it's small it can handle all the jobs I need included felling trees up to 18" diameter. JohnB

From what I've seen on the web, you can't buy Stihl online any more. Hairyloon

If it was me I'd go for either the Stihl MS 290 if money was tight, and the Stihl MS 391 if I could afford it. The 391 is more powerful and therefore less likely to get the chain jammed.
I forget which saw is which, but they sound bigger than he needs. If you need to you can fell a 35" tree with a 14" bar.
OTOH, a bigger saw will cut quicker and more easily, so may be less effort overall.
I would suggest you go down the shop and have a feel of them. See which weight you are comfortable with.

Stihl and Husqvarna are the market leaders, but I have heard that Echo are not bad, and are substantially cheaper. Hairyloon

From what I've seen on the web, you can't buy Stihl online any more.
Oh yes. There is that.
Go to your local dealer and haggle. As I said, it gives you a chance to feel the weight.

Consider as well getting a smaller bar.-it is surprising how much less heavy they seem to be with only a couple of inches less. JohnB

Go to your local dealer and haggle. As I said, it gives you a chance to feel the weight.
Looks like a trip to the big city is needed. The nearest place with both Stihl and Husqgvarna dealers is Carmarthen.

Best start making a list of all the other things you need or would like to do or get while you're there ! Is how I make city journeys more worthwhile.
That said, I wouldn't want to buy a chainsaw or similar item without handling it and discussing face to face. Hairyloon

Go to your local dealer and haggle. As I said, it gives you a chance to feel the weight.
Looks like a trip to the big city is needed. The nearest place with both Stihl and Husqgvarna dealers is Carmarthen.
Is there anywhere closer that does either?
If you don't have a personal preference between them, then it is largely down to choosing which model, rather than which brand. vegplot

I'll echo the notes made about small bar chain saws. Don't be macho about it, you don't need a big bar to take on big jobs. 14" is often more than enough. dpack

husquvarna dont cut out as much due to position than stihl when in use but are a bit harder to strip but easier to mend than stihl

cheap ones are not as safe or long lasting as either

01704896246 are a good retail and advice lead ,i got my kit off them ,good advice and a good price dpack

I'll echo the notes made about small bar chain saws. Don't be macho about it, you don't need a big bar to take on big jobs. 14" is often more than enough.

get two sizes of bar to fit the new machine ,14 and 20" are useful sizes Wink

camaro

Dolmar are made by Makita, and are a good "budget but still good" brand. Having said that, I have 9 saws, and they're all Stihl! JohnB

I think the panic may be over. We've got it working, and it seems ok. I'll know soon, if the rain holds off long enough to go coppicing!

Thanks for all the suggestions. They'll help if I do need to get one quickly. The coppicing needs to be done ASAP, but the dead trees can be done gradually throughout the year. gz

Advice from my friend is Makita, and you don't need more than 15"
Also, if you happen to be going to France, get tools there as they are cheaper Very Happy

They go regularly to Brittany and return with tools and Real Coffee!!! SheepShed

I'd have said even smaller - 12" and 16".
20" is pretty big and if you're tackling something that needs a 20" bar then you definitely need to know what you're doing. For every day use cutting up logs for firewood 12" is fine and less tiring to use.
Myrddin Garden Machinery in Carmarthen (opposite the station) sell the full range of Stihls and do parts and repairs as well.

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