Chainsaw thread: Husqvarna vs Stihl

[NetWareHead]

Need a new chainsaw soon. I'd like a 18 to 20 inch blade and ample power. Struggling with a crappy hand-me-down homelite brand electric saw from home depot and its getting time to replace it rather than waste $ repairing it. The saw bogs down under load, it takes forever to cut down a tree and I need more power. It has a 16 inch bar that is a touch too small, Id prefer 18 or 20 inch. Plus the electrical cord is always in the way and gets unplugged; I dont mind gasoline power or even mixing two stroke.

The big question is Husqvarna vs Stihl. I'd like to consider premium brands as I believe you get what you pay for. I have both dealers located close to me so support is not an issue. I would like to buy from one of these outdoor power equipment dealers, not Home Depot/Lowes.

Intended use will be occasional (once a month or so), mainly for tree cleanup and cutting firewood. I know you cant go wrong with either saw but what do you guys say?

 

[twinrider1]

Which local dealer do you trust? I'd go with that one.

 

[Greenman]

It's a toss up. Both are great tools, both will do the job for a very long time. Go with whatever one has a nicer paint job.

 

[NutBucket]

Or whatever one feels better in your hands.

 

[edro]

My father and grandfather have always used Stihl, so that's what I have.
I see a lot more Stihl than Husq.

 

[jaha2000]

Which local dealer do you trust? I'd go with that one.

this x1000. When you have issues with your small engine stuff you want to have good service on it. That is much harder to find.

 

[Zivic]

depends on the price you are willing to pay. at top dollar saw range, It's preference.. flip a coin, both are good, unless you want the arborist saw, then stihl is better.

at midrange, I think the husqvarna is the better value.

I went back and forth on this a few months back. I ended up with a husqvarna

 

[Mandres]

In the mid-range I think Echo is probably the best value. I'd probably go with a Husqvarna home/ranch saw over a Stihl too, even though my pro saws are Stihls.

 

[Squeetard]

I am smack dab in the middle of lumberjack central. I know several people who run a power saw all day for a living. They choose McCulloch. They reason they do is that that brand had less vibration than the others. May not be relevant to someone who does not use one all day.

 

[garndawg]

I pull these things apart as a bit hobby, so speaking from the inside of these things...

I'm basing all the below on your requirements in the OP.

Item 1: Bar length is based upon chain and cc's. The more aggressive the chain, the shorter the bar. For instance, either the Husq 455 or Stihl MS290 can pull a full chisel chain through hardwood on an 18" bar with no regrets. Increase the length to 20", however, and you'll get some bogging. Drop the chain down to a green safety chain, tho, and the MS290 will handle a 20" bar easy. For the homeowner, a green chain is best. Kickback is not to be triffled with. If you insist on the full chisel (yellow), buy a safety helmet. Seriously.

Item 2: CC's matter: homeowner vs pro, not so much. Both brands use fully lined cylinders, both have great quality. A Stihl MS290 and a Husqvarna 455 are both fully capable saws for what you're looking for. I've rebuilt both saws, have seen their insides and would rely on either brand. You DON'T need to spend the money on a pro Stihl like the MS260. Don't get me wrong, the pro saws are great, MS260 is four pounds lighter than the 290 for about the same power. But not worth the cost delta for a homeowner cutting a couple of chords of wood per year.

Item 3: Whatever brand you buy, take advantage of the premix fuel and the extended warranty offer that comes with it. Both brands will greatly increase the warranty if you buy their brand name premix. I'm a big fan, BTW, of the canned premix for light duty use. Yes, it's twice as expensive as mixing your own. Yes, you could use Opti with your own tank, but the premix has a FIVE YEAR shelf life! Great stuff and a good guard against future carb issues.

The gas thing is my favorite soapbox, so please allow me to elaborate. NEVER use ethanol gas in a small engine. (Lawnmower and up). If you're just gettting stuff out of the local pump, STOP! Find a station that sells pure gas and buy at least 89 octane. Put some Stabil in that tank, then pour into a smaller tank for your 2-cycle equipment. Don't use the crappy Poulan walmart 2-cycle premix, buy quality synthetic (Stihl and Husq gets longer warranty if you buy with the saw) The canned gas is great, no thought required, and keeps a LONG time. Great stuff for the homeowner.

There are three things that typically kill a chainsaw (or other 2-stroke):
(1) Running straight gas (no premix, too low premix) - easy to fix by buying canned gas
(2) Running ethanol gas which eats the gas lines and carb seals. Saw eventually develops an air leak, runs lean, scores piston/cylinder which reduces compression down to unusable.
(3) Shutting the saw down, leaving gas in it for extended time. Gas evaporates, leaves varnish and sludge in it's place. Some of those carb passages are a hair's diameter and clog completely up. Prevention is easy; when you're done, drain the tank, start the saw, idle till it dies. Then choke and crank until she won't fire again. THEN put it away. If you're putting it away for a month or more, pull the plug and squirt just a little fogging oil in there, crank a couple of times to spread it out and put the plug back in.

For (1) and (2), you have to replace the piston and cylinder. For (3), a carb rebuild kit will typically bring it back.

 

[Greenman]

I've looked at the premixed chainsaw fuel, at $30 a gallon it better be some pretty special stuff.

I just remembered that you can only buy Stihl saws from Stihl dealers. For me, that would sway the decision toward Husky.

 

[DrPizza]

Another brand to consider: Jonesered.

Anyway, I have two electric chainsaws that came with a lot that I got at an auction. I've used them both. They suck. But, they've been useful on one or two occasions when I already had an electric cord to an outdoor job site. I've had 2 Poulon Pros with 18" bars. They suck. I have a nice Husky with vibration isolation (I can't remember how many ccs, but it was based on someone's recommendation here) it rocks. I've used my brother's Stihl, it rocks. Put there's a HUGE power difference between the electric saws and the Poulon. And a significantly noticeable difference between the Poulan and the more respected name brands.

So, in light of you upgrading from an electric chainsaw, it's probably important to ask, "How big are these trees that you are cutting?" If you're struggling with a 16" bar on an electric saw, jumping to a 20" saw on a quality saw with an engine matched to it, is overkill. The difference seems (to me) to be like, "I have a frozen block of butter, my 6 inch butter knife is struggling with it. So, I'd like to jump up to an 8" blade on a reciprocating saw." My opinion; an Stihl or Husky (or Jonesered) with a 16" bar is probably sufficient. And, a smaller bar may very well be sufficient. I really, really like vibration isolation. Your hands tingling after 1/2 hour of sawing sucks - and when you're going to be using that chainsaw for 5 or 6 hours, it's miserable. For perspective, I've done a couple of trees this size: http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/drpizza/DSCF3369.JPG The one I'm sitting on was done with a brand new Poulon with an 18" bar. That was the lifetime of that saw (and yes, I mixed my fuel correctly, with quality oil.) It wasn't a pleasant experience. I did a similar tree with a 16" bar on my Husky, and I was like, "oh wow." It was so much easier.

 

[NetWareHead]

Another brand to consider: Jonesered.

Anyway, I have two electric chainsaws that came with a lot that I got at an auction. I've used them both. They suck. But, they've been useful on one or two occasions when I already had an electric cord to an outdoor job site. I've had 2 Poulon Pros with 18" bars. They suck. I have a nice Husky with vibration isolation (I can't remember how many ccs, but it was based on someone's recommendation here) it rocks. I've used my brother's Stihl, it rocks. Put there's a HUGE power difference between the electric saws and the Poulon. And a significantly noticeable difference between the Poulan and the more respected name brands.

So, in light of you upgrading from an electric chainsaw, it's probably important to ask, "How big are these trees that you are cutting?" If you're struggling with a 16" bar on an electric saw, jumping to a 20" saw on a quality saw with an engine matched to it, is overkill. The difference seems (to me) to be like, "I have a frozen block of butter, my 6 inch butter knife is struggling with it. So, I'd like to jump up to an 8" blade on a reciprocating saw." My opinion; an Stihl or Husky (or Jonesered) with a 16" bar is probably sufficient. And, a smaller bar may very well be sufficient. I really, really like vibration isolation. Your hands tingling after 1/2 hour of sawing sucks - and when you're going to be using that chainsaw for 5 or 6 hours, it's miserable. For perspective, I've done a couple of trees this size: http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/drpizza/DSCF3369.JPG The one I'm sitting on was done with a brand new Poulon with an 18" bar. That was the lifetime of that saw (and yes, I mixed my fuel correctly, with quality oil.) It wasn't a pleasant experience. I did a similar tree with a 16" bar on my Husky, and I was like, "oh wow." It was so much easier.

Never heard of Jonesered but I'll look it up. I'll probably stay with either Husqvarna or Stihl since the dealerships are local to me but I'll ask around.

Regarding the electric saw, the power level is one thing and the bar lenght is another. I would like more power as it takes forever to even saw through a moderate sized tree limb and the electric motor is making all kinds of straining noises as the saw bogs down. I'd like a bigger bar than 16 inches just due to the size of the trees Im cutting and to keep myself from needing to do any work with the nose of the bar

 

[DrPizza]

Click on the picture in the link; 16" bar and not a single problem with kickback. If you're talking about limbs, it's hard to see where an 18" or 20" bar is necessary.

 

[monkeydelmagico]

The one I'm sitting on was done with a brand new Poulon with an 18" bar. That was the lifetime of that saw (and yes, I mixed my fuel correctly, with quality oil.) It wasn't a pleasant experience. I did a similar tree with a 16" bar on my Husky, and I was like, "oh wow." It was so much easier.

And the biggest difference was probably the chain. Swapping the crappy zero kickback safety chain that come on the poulan for a decent chain helps alot. woodland pro chisel replacement chain from baileys easily doubled my cut speed over the stock chain. Stayed sharp longer and was easier to sharpen too.

FWIW I think everyone should have semi-professional grade equipment. For those who can't afford it or only use it occasionally the poulan line of saws has served me well. Had one that did around 5 cords a year for 7 or 8 years. That's impressive for a walmart saw.

 

[garndawg]

And the biggest difference was probably the chain. Swapping the crappy zero kickback safety chain that come on the poulan for a decent chain helps alot. woodland pro chisel replacement chain from baileys easily doubled my cut speed over the stock chain. Stayed sharp longer and was easier to sharpen too.

FWIW I think everyone should have semi-professional grade equipment. For those who can't afford it or only use it occasionally the poulan line of saws has served me well. Had one that did around 5 cords a year for 7 or 8 years. That's impressive for a walmart saw.

I completely agree on the safety chain for someone experienced using a saw. Full chisel is great, until you've seen some suburbanite leaning right over the bar of a MS290 as that blade tip gets close to the ground...

Agreed also on the semi-professional grade. My first instinct for the OP was a Stihl MS250 and 16" bar. (Or the equivalent Husqy 435). Great saws, light weight, perfect for anything up to 10" in diameter. And will cut a higher diameter in a pinch... He just sounded like he'd already decided on a 50cc+ saw.

As for the gas, I agree that $30/gal is pricey for commerical operators. Most homeowners, however, burn about a gallon a year, so it's nice to remove that albeit slight risk. Plus, the added warranty.

Most of the saws I get are either (a) gummed up carbs or (b) straight gassed, too thin mixture with a burned up piston.

 

[NetWareHead]

The reason for preferring a longer bar is because of some reasoning I have developed during my shopping/experience. Eventually I'd like to move to a chisel chain (especially after seeing a demonstration between a safety and chisel chain). The yellow chain just cuts so much better and if you have a higher CC/horsepower saw, why not take advantage of it? (of course factoring in the saw's ability to effectively rotate such a chain through wood).

The preference for a longer bar is with a yellow chain, the need to stay off and away from the nose is even more pronounced. Kickback can surely occur even with a green chain so its best to develop cutting habits that keep bodyparts out of the kickback zone. I remember chuckling to myself when I saw my neighbor get his saw out to cut down a tree. He emerged from his house with a safety helmet w/ visor and full set of lumberjack chaps. Really? I thought it was a bit excessive until I began research and then saw this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqCsh9zvD5M (graphic). So my purchase will also include a set of protective gear/clothing.

So anyway, the preference for the longer bar is because using a yellow chain, it would make it even easier to stay off the nose of the saw and avoid kickbacks. You have more of a sweet spot on the longer bar to work with. Besides, a bar upgrade is not very costly and to me seems safer. E.g. Stihl charges $20 to go from a 16 to 20 inch bar. Feel free to tear apart my theory if it is not sound to any of you. This is safety and I need to approach this tool with the right mindset.

 

[garndawg]

Defintely agree on the safety equipment. Although I'm not as likely to grab chaps for yard work, the helmet is a must. If working tornado recovery (here in the south, a yearly rite), then chaps become mandatory.

For almost all the work you'll ever see, 18" on a 50+ cc saw is more than you'll ever need. The main concern with going up in cc's is weight. Doesn't sound like much from the keyboard, but after 4+ hours of bucking tornado damage, the difference between a MS290 and MS250 becomes pronounced. Even going from a 20" bar to an 18" bar on the same saw is felt after a tank of gas. Especially when you consider that the vast majority of the fallen timber could've been easily handled with something as small as a MS210 and a 16" bar.

For my personal preferences, I use two saws. I have a MS290 w/ 18" bar for falling and bucking the bases of trees. I have a MS180C w/ 14" bar that I use for limbing and whatever falls below the 8-10" diameter range. The weight difference in the two saws is marvelous and the MS180C gets 90% of the work.

I used to have a 026, but have permanently loaned that one to my dad, based upon it's ease to start (compression valve) and weight difference for larger wood. When it comes back, I'll sell the MS290...

 

[monkeydelmagico]

I would argue that you have your priorities slightly mis-aligned. While kickback is certainly a dangerous enemy it is not the most prevalent cause of injury and death for people who use chainsaws alot. Cutting up your legs and bleeding out is. I forget where I read it or I would cite the specific research that showed it. Before I went out to the woods again I got myself some chaps.

As far as bar length vs kickback I really don't have enough experience on a 20 inch to be able to comment. I've always run 16 or 18 bars and don't really notice much difference between the two.

I've never even had a close call with the chain saw itself. There have been a few "leaning" deadfalls that haven't gone according to plan but I've always treated the saw with respect bordering on paranoia. Honestly I believe many of the chainsaw injuries result from carelessness or fatigue.

 

[Mandres]

I agree that a 50cc saw with a 16"-18" bar is the sweet spot for most people. The saws get real heavy real fast once you start moving up to powerheads that can handle 20-24" and if 99% of your work doesn't need it you don't want to have to haul the extra weight.

I have an MS260 (18") and an MS660(32") and I'm looking to sell the 660 because it's rarely used except for occasional milling.