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Nubee help with a purchase

Started by Robin, February 07, 2008, 01:21:33 PM

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Robin

Well I am sure you are all tired of "which one do I get" question.   ::)
I have spent the last couple of days on this forum and have learned quite a bit. 
My dilemma is this.  I live in Central Florida on 5 semi cleared acres. I will use the saw to get rid of the trees that have fallen on my fence thanks the hurricanes and tornadoes. I will also use it to fell some pine (4"-8") and a few palms.  I am not going to use it in a commercial application but do not want to fight with the saw to get the job done.
Soooo.  What size and brand would you recommend.

Thanks for your help.

thecfarm

Robin,welcome to the forum.We never get "tired" on here.I suppose you have not been around a chainsaw much?What dealers are in your area?Dealer support is a big thing AND you have to like the dealer and trust him.I would drive by a dealer that I did not like or trust and drive 20 miles to one I did.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

Robin

I have visited 3 of the dealers in my area and they all sell
stihl
husqvarna
echo
and the usual box store brands.
I have had each brand recomended.  I am now very confused.
thanks

beenthere

Robin
You can be rest assured that either of the three are good saws. Any minute differences will likely not be noticed by you. So go for the one that is sold by the dealer that you like the best (or that seems to sell the most saws in your area).

No need to be confused....just a lot to do about nothing.  That said, I run the Stihl. But the others have their loyal followers too...Lots a luck.  :) :)
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

logwalker

I have a 350 Husky that would be a good candidate for your type work. They are around $300 in most areas. The equivalent in the Stihl line would be fine too.
Let's all be careful out there tomorrow. Lt40hd, 22' Kenworth Flatbed rollback dump, MM45B Mitsubishi trackhoe, Clark5000lb Forklift, Kubota L2850 tractor

scgargoyle

Make sure you leave money in the budget for safety equipment. You can get a combination hard hat/face shield/ear muffs, and chainsaw chaps. Even professionals have been maimed or killed by chainsaws. Plan on extra chains, and learn how to sharpen them. A dull chain is actually a hazard, in addition to being slow and hard on the equipment. You'd be surprised how fast a chain gets dull, esp. if your digging potatoes with it :D
I hope my ship comes in before the dock rots!

rebocardo

Some people like the Echo 305/306 for home owner stuff.

I bought a Stihl MS-180 (sold) and MS-250 for my limbing and light duty stuff. The 18" bar on the MS-250 can handle just about anything in a pinch, but, for your use I would go the 16" instead.

I really liked the MS-180 for limbing and cutting stuff that had fallen over fences as it was light and not so heavy or powerful to make it difficult or extremely dangerous working at 4-6 feet. Many times I would use it to drop the elevated trunk to the ground and then use my bigger saw to cut the trunk up.

That being said, I like the Husky saws better simply because they start easier and a dirty filter does not effect them that much.

As for cutting palms, people on the forum here say that is a pretty brutal tree to cut with a chainsaw. If you plan on cutting a few dozen, I would go for horsepower and something that runs a 3/8 x .050 chain.

If this is your 1st chainsaw I recommend this.

$50 chainsaw chaps

$50 a full logging helmet (hard hat, face shield, ear muffs)

$60 good steel toe boots

$20 a book on tree work

$100-$150 for a peavey (I love my logrite) with a log lift.

$200 Stihl  MS-180 14" bar because it is a very forgiving saw and light. Plus, the chains are cheap. I shopped and tested a few small saws, this was the best one I liked in its class (small home owner saw good for limbing).

So, about $500 total investment.


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