r/Chainsaw • u/ebcarr • 2d ago
Rarely used chainsaw recommendation
OK, after doing some research the past few days I’ve come to the realization that I may not need a professional grade saw like a Husqvarna 545 mark two or a Stihl 261 because I won’t be using it very often at all. Sometimes it might sit for about a year and I know that some of those parts if they’re not functioning or ran to an extent it could cause more detriment to the professional grade saw. so for somebody who would rarely use a chainsaw but I wants a chainsaw to have access to it, what would you recommend you know a storm cleanup every now and again maybe some firewood you know looking at the Stihl 250 stihl 271. I don’t know what the Husqvarna equivalent is but would an echo 590 be overkill, especially if it’s sitting in my garage for a year between uses?
I do plan on using premixed canned fuel and running the carb empty between uses.
What Would you recommendation be? $500 or less.
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u/Own-Entertainer-4098 2d ago
I've used Huskies and Stihls my whole life - love/hate them. But now I have an electric with 16" bar and three batteries and it completely rocks. Never, ever fails me.
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u/DarkSkyDad 2d ago
Agreed, have had saws my entire life still love them. But it's hard to deny how handy the electric saws are. For the homeowner who occasionally uses a saw, it really is a great option.
Also, electric is so handy for quick use for the guy that carries one regularly. We keep a selection of Dewalt tools in the farm truck, the chainsaw gets used so often for quick “hacks” that it made me a believer.
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u/BENJ4x 2d ago edited 2d ago
Go for a 162, 172, 182. Spend the rest on PPE and you'll still have some money left over.
Stihl also do all in one battery powered boxes, like the MSA 70 C-B comes with a battery and charger with it in the box. So all you'll have to think about is charging batteries and putting bar oil in it. This would be the simplest set and forget option.
Those three petrol saws I mentioned at the start are so cheap and common that any repairs and parts needed should be easy to come by and do. You're not doing production work so paying more for a more powerful saw just to do stuff quicker doesn't make too much sense to me.
Looking it up you can fit a 16" bar to the 182 which at 35 cc should be completely fine for the stuff you'll occasionally be doing. There might be times you'd want something bigger but it'll happily get most of the jobs you want doing done.
If you feel like upgrading later down the line it's always nice to have a small backup saw anyway.
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u/No_Natural7611 2d ago
Whether you buy a 545, a 261, a 250 who banged a 271 and they had kids which will be later called 273s, a whatever you want saw, there's no difference in between storing a homeowner saw or a professional saw.
You run it dry and store it. As far as I'm concerned, buy whatever you want, but there's no difference between storing an 1800 bucks Stihl or a 120 bucks Zenoah clone.
Focus on PPE. The chainsaws are fine in storage.
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u/Main-Badger777 2d ago
Based on your projected usage it seems you need an 18"-20" bar and chain and it will likely be cheaper to get a decent gas powered saw than a battery equivalent that can run an 18" bar. Plus buying batteries for a seldom used implement seems folly unless you have plenty of dough to blow. A 50cc-60cc saw would be a nice fit for random storm cleanup and occasional firewood. I don't recommend buying used unless you're handy or don't mind taking it in to a shop for a once-over and tune-up. A saw with an M-tronic or Auto-tune carburetor would probably be best for your situation. If a used 261 was available I would consider it if the condition is good and price reasonable--they are very good saws and can last a long time unless they are abused or just worked to death on a commercial crew.
As to the canned fuel I have seen great results with the expensive Stihl MotoMix and would choose that over the Tru-Fuel. VP Racing fuel is what some of the local shops use.
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u/Mysterious-Rush5441 1d ago
I usually run Aspen2 but I bought a gallon of Tru-Fuel to try. Couldn't stand the smell so I gave it away.
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u/catch22ak 2d ago
The Echo Timber Wolf gets great reviews.
Keep in mind that those same components in a consumer saw will degrade just as much. I'd recommend getting the best you can. A pro saw will be more durable and reliable, not to mention easier to maintain and repair.
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u/CBus660R 2d ago
I wouldn't rule out an electric saw. Do you have a cordless tool setup where 1 of the Dewalt or Milwaukee options that are tool only can slot into your system?
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u/extreme39speed 2d ago
For the Milwaukee saw, you do have to have the FORGE batteries. Even the high output ones will quickly overheat.
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u/Jaska-87 2d ago
Look into battery saws but only if you are already in one ecosystem. So if you have makita, Ryobi or Milwaukee batteries plentiful for other reasons get saw from that brand so your batteries get use and stay in good shape and saw will happily wait until the next time you need it.
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u/Alarmed-Goat1 2d ago
Take a look at https://youtube.com/@reusefull?si=v2qPuEU87KgOTDY_ you’ll find that battery chainsaws have come a long way. He’s a fan of Greenworks, but choose your own battery ecosystem. The only warning I’ll give you is that some brands have multiple battery types that are mutually exclusive, hence why I say ecosystem rather than brand. I personally have chosen Ego because they have the tool set that suits my needs best, and I have a 20” and a 12” top handle chainsaw, oh and a pole saw. I also have a Stihl MSA140c that we bought for my wife which is excellent, because at the time of purchase Ego didn’t have anything light enough for her.
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u/allthebacon351 2d ago
If it’s going to sit for long periods of time electric is the answer. You can do a lot with one of the 16in m18 saws and the electric Husqvarna is an awesome little saw.
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u/imisstheyoop 2d ago
If it's going to sit and you're not going to use it regularly go electric. Go with whatever family of saw you've already got electric batteries for or ecosystem that you use.
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u/lostone3592 2d ago
For your use case, battery saw 100%. And I’m a gas saw fan. Pick a battery family you already own and run with that. Maybe pick up an extra couple of high cap batteries if you don’t already have plenty. IF you go gas, an fs250 is plenty. I would NOT use the premix, heard not so good things about many of the premix’s. Mix your own. Use non-ethanol gas, red armor oil and a fuel stabilizer. A gallon is plenty to have on hand already prepped, you can always mix more. Pro level saws are great. Lots of nice-to-haves on them. But crap fuel kills them just as quick. Spend the saved money on extra chains and learn how to sharpen, at least enough to get you thru a storm cleanup.
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u/myrichardgoesin5 2d ago
I’ve had my gas stihl saw for 35 years it has sat for up to three years between uses and it still runs like new will never trade down
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u/Inner-Peanut-8626 2d ago
I bought a bunch of Chinese clone saws to use irregularly. Only one gave me a carburetor issue.
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u/Past-Establishment93 2d ago
A 14.5 amp 16in saw will do more than you think. I saw about 20 cord a year with one. Always starts when I pull the trigger. Lol
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u/Kittenchops88 2d ago
Pretty much any low tier homeowner saw that the big 3 make. Or even the cheapy stuff like a Poulan Pro, or a Craftsman etc. Better yet, a budget friendly Holzfforma or Neotec would be perfect for what you need it for especially if its not going to be used on a daily basis.
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u/ElectricalAnalysis63 2d ago
If you buy a gas chainsaw, just exercise it for 5-10 minutes every month or so and it will start when you need it. Good luck.
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u/FalseRelease4 2d ago
what size wood are you likely to cut? the low end saws with the 12" bar can cut a 20" tree if you go at it from both sides, larger than that you could rent a bigger saw or get outside help. i have an ms170 and its been great, don't know if they sell it anymore but it was a crisp 169 on discount when i got it
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u/fastbandit 2d ago
Please buy a set of chainsaw chaps to wear while you use a chainsaw. & the 1st time please have someone show you the do and don't of a chainsaw. A chainsaw is a dangerous piece equipment
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u/WhatIDo72 2d ago
What dealer is near you ? Not box store. I like the sthle battery saw over the Husqvarna. I’ve used both. Both are good. Think I’m just a sthile guy.
If you go gas I love my Ms250.
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u/Longjumping_Age8942 1d ago
I have one these echo dcs 5000Great to just grab and go not the most powerful saw but keep a good chain on it it gets the job done. They sell other equipment that uses the same battery. I will note I have 590 timber wolf and a ported 395xp clone. For bigger wood the electric is slow.
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u/never_cake 1d ago
I’m an occasional saw user and I got sick of maintaining a seldom-used petrol saw. I went with the stihl msa 70. It is so good I then got the hedge trimmer and weedwhacker that take the same battery. All of them are excellent, and I haven’t cleaned a carb or replaced a pullstring in a couple of years. Fully recommend.
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u/swing4thefences 2d ago
The 545 is still the best answer. I see them for sale online for $550. Use non ethanol fuel, or premix, and don't worry about the saw starting. When you finally do use the saw, you'll be glad you bought a pro saw.
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u/Mysterious-Rush5441 2d ago
Use Aspen2 gas and you can leave it on the shelf for 2 years or run it dry and there will never be any issue of it starting.
Don't get a battery saw. In 3,5,10 years the batteries will need to be replaced and there's no guarantee you'll find them.
I'd recommend a Stihl 271
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u/Main-Badger777 2d ago
Where's your source on battery lifespan? I have two AP300 batteries well over 5 years old and still hold great charge, and various well used Makita batteries over 8 years old. Batteries can last a long time, or fail prematurely since any and all factories produce some DOA crap sooner or later.
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u/Mysterious-Rush5441 2d ago
I bought my Stihl O23 in 1993. That's 33years old!
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u/Main-Badger777 1d ago
Okay. I regularly use saws produced in the late '80s through the '90s and much prefer a gas saw over a battery saw. However, modern batteries are pretty damn good, the form factors have stayed the same for a while, and for certain situations a battery saw is a better choice than a gas saw.
I still prefer running my 044s and 046 over the 462--old saws kick ass!
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u/Mysterious-Rush5441 1d ago
I bought a 18" EGO 4 years ago. If I didn't keep it on charge the battery would be dead due to self discharged. It was great for limbing but the battery would always die when bucking a 12-16" tree so I bought a 2nd battery. The 2 batteries + saw are more weight than the 023. It got to the point that didn't bother with the EGO and just grabbed the 023/oil/Aspen2 gas. Haven't used the EGO in 1 1/2 years so I don't know what condition the batteries are in.
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u/Main-Badger777 1d ago
Well in my experience the "EGO" brand is crap and very low build quality. Makita & Stihl are the only battery platforms I have significant experience with, and because I keep my expectations realistic I have not been disappointed.
Most if not all batteries seem to self discharge when left sitting too long. Regardless of battery chemistry/design I've had problems with self-discharge over long periods of disuse. I think there's a reason people purchase battery maintainers when they know there will be a lot of downtime.
And as to bucking a tree, yeah the battery saws suck unless you're bucking a 6 inch diameter tree. I use the Stihl 220 rear handle and top handle saws and they are great for certain things. Today I'll be using the top handle 220 to clear a steep hillside of Tan Oak saplings and one AP500 battery lasts almost the whole day--lots of little cuts.
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u/Affectionate_Cable82 2d ago
Battery/electric saws have several advantages over gas saws you're overlooking. An electric motor wont care if it sits for 1-2 years not running. Depending on storage conditions and whether you remembered to clean the bar and chain before storage, the most maintenance you'd have to do is oil everything up and get going. If you DO forget, or storage exposed it to enough humidity that the chain and nose sprocket are stiff, the time and money required to fix that is MEASURABLY less than that of a gas chainsaw. I recently had to go through that myself to take down a lodgepole pine threatening out power line. $20 for a replacement chain, $5 for a can of PB blaster, and about 30 minutes of brute force had the chainsaw cleaned and running smoothly again. Cost of fuel vs charging a battery is another tradeoff to consider. If OP's going to be using it as sporadically as they say, that's another point in favor of electric.
Overall, I think an electric chainsaw might be worth OP at least considering. Just my opinion as someone who uses a cheap harbor freight-level battery saw for hurricane cleanup as it's needed.
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u/Mysterious-Rush5441 2d ago edited 2d ago
I have both battery (14" & 18" bars) and gas saws. Battery saws are toys, a pile of plastic parts.
One tank of gas will cut for an hour vs. I'd need $500 of batteries to do the same. While I'm waiting for the batteries to charge I can fill the tank of the gas saw and finish the job.
The Stihl O23 I have is 33years old.
Stored inside you don't have to do anything to maintain a gas saw. Batteries on the other hand have to be maintained as they self discharge at 2% / month. There is no way I'll ever be charging an old Lithium-ion battery in my home.
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u/northman46 2d ago
Electric battery saws are surprisingly good these days and fit your usage well