Chainsaw gift for husband

[Debdowns2]

Hi All:

I am completely out of my league here, but you seem like the right bunch to ask where to begin learing about getting my husband a chainsaw for Christmas.  We live on a small 7 acre proprty with trees everywhere and falling down all the time.  He cuts them up for firewood and needs to cut trees down to stay ahead of the "tree-falling" issues!  He has a desk job but was raised a farmer with an outdoorsman desire to work!  He wants a Stihl...what is a good model for this purpose and can I find any used saws that I would feel good about buying without seeing first?

Thanks!

[Tom]

Welcome to the forum, Debdowns

You will not only get some opinions as to saws here, but have found a good place to hangout.  You and your husband will find something of interest here from tree felling to cooking.   'Course it might not be the thing to do to tell him about us until you find your saw, but it sure would be a second Christmas Present to introduce him to us.

I know you will get some good advice so I'll mosey along now and let these guys get to work.

[beenthere]

Welcome to the forum.

If a Stihl he wants, get him the MS361.  20" bar

I have it, and for an all-around saw, it is in my opinion the best. Should be around $550 (mine was $500 3 years ago).

I had a desk job too, but at 68 still work well with the MS361. There are bigger saws, and smaller ones. If this isn't right for him, he should be able to make a good trade back with the dealer.  But it should impress him when he opens his present...

I'd add, get him the safety chaps and hard hat at the same time...it will say "I love you, just as you are, in one piece".

[Nate Surveyor]

Get a light weight saw. The smallest logger saw that stihl makes. I don't know the model num, but the new ones are super light.

Ask advice from your local stihl dealer. I have heard great reports on their newest line of light weight small loggers saws.

There won't be any used ones out there, for sale at much less cost than new. Figure on at least 400 bucks for one of the better saws.

N

[rebocardo]

> any used saws that I would feel good about buying without seeing first

Not unless you bought from a Stihl local dealer, if you buy from E-Bay it might end up being an expensive mistake.

If your husband does not have it, a few things you might consider are things to make it easier and safer for him to work.

$50 chainsaw chaps
$40 chainsaw helmet with face screen and ear muffs
$20 chainsaw gloves
$100 chainsaw boots

One tool he might like above all else is a Logrite Peavey to help move things that need to be cut. The 60" is about $150. I worked a long time using metal bars and such, this was a tool well worth the money.

Considering he has a desk job, then this is only part time stuff, so a Stihl MS-250 might be light enough and cheap enough for a limited amount of firewood. This saw is targeted more towards a home owner. I have one because it can cut with an 18" bar and it is still light enough to do a lot of limbing of trees into firewood without being tiring.

If all you heat by is firewood and need 10 cords a year, then maybe something else would be better. Though on seven acres, you are only going to be able to cut out 2-3 cords a year without stripping it bare, so a consumer type saw makes sense because you are not going to use it much.

The other thing is what diameter are the trees and what type? That pretty much determines what saw you need. If most of the trees are between 10-20" then the saw above would be okay with oak and pine. If you have oak trees 36" across at chest height, you need a much better saw.
 





Go to http://www.baileys-online.com/ and order a catalog or browse their on-line store.

[Urbicide]

I would also suggest the Stihl MS-361. It is a pro-quality saw that will last him many years with proper usage. The fact that you are researching your prospective gift here first rather than relying on a saleman's pitch indicates to me that you are  pretty smart. The better grade of Stihls are designed to last longer, have a better power to weight ratio, and are easier to service than the typical Stihl consumer grade saws you see advertised in the local newspaper. (The better Stihl's have white handles, btw, for a quick visual reference, as opposed to the black and the orange handles.) Good luck to you in your quest.

[Kevin]

The 361 is a good size for an all around Stihl felling/limbing and bucking saw.
Check with your dealer for a chainsaw course to go along with it and as already mention the safety equipment.

[SawTroll]

Welcome to the forum.

If a Stihl he wants, get him the MS361.  20" bar

I have it, and for an all-around saw, it is in my opinion the best. Should be around $550 (mine was $500 3 years ago).
...

I totally agree, for an allround saw (but would prefere an 18" bar, if possible) - but we don't know how large those saws are.............

It is my favourite saw, and one of very few Stihls that I would want to buy.

[Debdowns2]

Hi Guys:

Thanks very much for this advice.  So, what I have learned is this:

Stihl white handle with safety chaps and har hat/face screen important!  Cost is important though...and this all adds up doesn't it.  The Stihl MS361 and MS250 were mentioned.  A friewnd said an 029 Farm Boss as well.  Your bthougths on that one?

The trees aren't just on our property  as we live on a wooded path that is partially managed by the state and partially by the federal government.  We help keep some of the dead wood cleared.  My husband is a VERY strong 300 lb guy as well.  DOes that factor into the weight choice issue?

Thanks,

[SawTroll]

A MS361 should classify as a very light saw then.   

The 250 and 290(029) are "homeowner" (orange handle) saws, and imo not good choises.

[Dan_Shade]

the 290 is a fine saw for most folks.  the 361 probably costs 2x as much as the 290, of course you get what you pay for, but the 290 should give your husband years of service.   

why not take him down to the store and both of you talk to the salesman?  that way you can decide for yourself what suits your needs best. 

The safety stuff is a real good idea, and I feel it's more important than the saw, but some folks don't use safety gear.  If your husband wouldn't use the safety gear, no use spending $75 on a good set of chaps.  I've always figured that $75 for chaps is better than a trip to the ER.  I really like my hardhat/faceshield/earmuffs combo too...

[Ianab]

Get a simple sharpening kit too 

A sharp MS250 will cut more wood than a blunt MS361 

Cheers

Ian

[thecfarm]

Welcome to the forum,Debdowns2.Someone on here once said they could not afford chaps,someone else said they cost about as much as a co-pay for a emergency room visit.Good luck.

[Chris J]

+1 for you & your hubby going to a knowledgeable dealer.  A honest dealer, one who puts matching his customers with the appropriate chainsaw for their needs over his profit margin, can be a big help.

Good luck, & please let us know what your husband gets.

[aaronak]

IMO The best saw for your husband is going to be the saw he feels the most comfortable with.

Knowing you are educating yourself by participating in this forum in general may make him more comfortable making the decisions he needs to make with the saw.

Buying the basic safety gear mentioned already may be a good start and then picking out the saw he feels comfortable with next, whether its new or used. Being a 300 pound guy he may need to try out the saftey gear to make sure its going to protect him.

Having the safety gear will be the beginning of the excitement of having a new saw, safety gear, and a wife who supports him, and wants him back at home when hes done, safe and sound, and in the office in the morning.

After its all been said and done, he may decide to buy a different saw after using the saw he/you may pick, for even better decisions. And still have your support, or know you realize why hes picking out another saw.

I used to have an old john deere saw I bought for $150, then I bought a brand new Husky 353 which was stolen, but buying the safety gear, a video, reading the owner's manual, going through all that for my education was the best part of buying a saw IMO.

Now I own a "dead but trying to revive" an old 041, and a 441 Stihl, and have been using Stihls on my Uncle's farm in Washington, or at my cabin in Southeast Alaska.

So far the best, hardest working partner I have ever had helping me pick out a saw, safety gear, watching the felling video, and even helping me to carry gear, tools, and split wood, has been my mother.

Good luck Deb!

[scsmith42]

Hi Deb, and welcome to the forum.  Your husband is a lucky guy to have a wife that is researching as much as you are to get him a great gift.

I too live on a farm, and up until a couple of years ago did most of my projects/chores on nights and weekends.  As such, I really appreciate a high quality tool that won't let me down when I need it.

The 029 Farm Boss (now the 290) is a very good saw, but as mentioned before it's a consumer grade saw, not a professional grade.   Stihl's consumer grade products are still pretty good though - much better than a Poulon or the other consumer grade saws.

If it comes down to budget, as a gift I would select a new 290 over a used 361.   For starters, there's nothing like opening the box on a shiny new toy, uh I mean tool, and you also have the warranty, etc. 

If you can swing the budget on the 361, go for it.  It's a great, professional saw that he'll cherish for years.

RE the chaps, etc, if your husband is inclined to use them, then buy them.  He'll want a 2.5 gallon fuel container to store his pre-mixed fuel in, and a couple of spare chains are also beneficial things to have. 

Ditto the comments on the sharpening kit - most folks sharpen their chain multiple times during the day if they're using the saw a lot.

Good luck, and let us know how things turn out.

Scott

[KY CUTTER]

Come on guys, you know what he really wants is the NEW HUSKY 346XP 50CC.  It would be perfect.   

[oldsaw]

Deb, get him the chaps, gloves, headgear, and permission to "shop" for a saw.  Keep him safe, show him you love him and want him to stay in one piece.  You can tell him too.

What the heck, go shopping with him.

Mark

[Dave Shepard]

oldsaw, that is exactly what I was thinking, get the important stuff, and let him pick out the toy I mean saw.


Dave

[ladylake]

The 361 will cut way faster than the 290 and is built way better, but the 290 will work too. If your going to keep it for lots of years I'd go with the 361. Get him to use Stabil in the gas as gas goes bad fast nodays. Also try to get gas with no ethonal thats why it goes bas faster.   Steve