Husqvarna chainsaws

[Brassdad]

Don't know about chainsaws (so why am I posting ) But my wife will not let me buy here anything but a Husqvarna sewing machine.

[Chuck(G)]

Again, I'm sure Stihl makes some fine saws, but you can't expect me to go against Paul Harvey, can you?

I assume here that you're talking about falling, not milling.

Out here where real trees grow, Stihl is the Ford truck of the chainsaws. I've got a couple that are 30 years old and run fine. But Husqvarna has been making some inroads in the market. And, having used one for a while, I can't tell much difference. Same goes for Jonsered. OTOH, Stihl is made in the USA, Husqvarna's made in Sweden, if that matters.

But if I were to buy a new* saw. the edge would go to Husqvarna because I can usually find a better deal on one (Stihl sells only through dealers) and the Husky warranty tends to be longer.

What's more important is how you're going to care for the saw. Keeping it clean and the chain sharp will by far outweigh what brand you choose. Choosing the right chain is important. Are you going to be cutting mostly hardwood or softwood? If your local dealer doesn't know the difference in chains, run away and find another dealer. I prefer chisel-ground skip-tooth chains myself because they cut fast, but then we're mostly softwood here.

Forget the "homeowner" saws (i.e. don't buy one at Home Depot or Costco). Buy a good commercial-duty saw that's big enough and won't fall to pieces. Something like a Stihl MS-361 or a Husky 357 for "gentleman farmer" type of use.

Get the right safety equipment, and that includes ear protection and chaps--which will save a leg should you slip or you saw kicks.
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*Okay, so why did I put the asterisk here? Mostly because a used, reconditioned saw can be every bit as good and sometimes better than a new one. For one, the gearing on the old saws was generally lower (loggers used to have to pack their saws into the woods and a little more torque for the weight was considered to be definite plus versus faster chain speeds). So, I can mill 24" oak boards using an old 404 Stihl 056 on an Alaska mill, where a new saw of the same displacement would bog down.

[tubatooter1940]

All the pros around here use Stihl because they hold up. I bought a Husqvarna riding mower and I love it. I bought a Stihl chainsaw and I love it too.
Country Dennis

[Chuck(G)]

I was thinking that it would be nice if someone made a chainsaw with a four-cycle engine, then you could use regular gasoline and wouldn't have to mess with premix. I've already searched Honda's website and they don't have any chainsaws, but they do have lawnmowers and weed eaters.

I don't think it's going to happen.

Power-to-weight ratio is everything on a chainsaw and 2-cycle engines deliver power on every other stroke (intake, power/exhaust); 4-cycle deliver power only on every 4th stroke (intake, compression, power, exhaust). A 2-cycle engine will run in any position; a 4-cycle generally needs to be oriented on the level or lubrication will suffer.

Back in the 80's, there was some work by a Japanese car manufacturer to get a clean 2-cycle engine working using stratified combustion, but it came to nothing.

2-cycle engines are filthy as far as combustion products but they're light for the power they put out.

[adam0408]

My father has had a Husqvarna chainsaw for as long as I can remember.... probably over fifteen years, and it is running still. However he also has a couple of really old smaller chainsaws that he bought at auctions in semi-working condition and coddled them back to life.... so either huskys are durable and reliable or my dad is just really good at fixing anything that has a motor.

(by the way, I am older than 15. I just don't mark chainsaws on my calendar)

[Tubaryan12]

Gee Bloke, being the manly man that you are I figured you'd be the type of guy that just used one of these:

[Chuck(G)]

Gee Bloke, being the manly man that you are I figured you'd be the type of guy that just used one of these

Sheesh--what the heck are you supposed to do with one of those--shave off your 5 o'clock shadow? If you want to fell trees the old way, you need the right tool:



My grandma used to use one of these to cut wood to heat her farmhouse in northern Wisconsin, but she was one tough lady. Chainsaws are good

[Tubaryan12]

You're right, Chuck...as a matter of fact, If Bloke wants low maintenence he should just get a couple of these:

[Rick Denney]

I have an Echo chainsaw that I've been very happy with. I also have a large Stihl hedge trimmer that I'm also very happy with. The Echo is a pro-grade saw, and vastly better than, say, the typical Poulan consumer-grade saw. I've never owned a Husky anything, so I can't comment on those. I do not see them for sale around here. All the tree people in these parts use either Stihl or Echo saws.

I agree with what Chuck said about blades. But get a blade that works well for hardwood. Pine is not so good for fireplaces because of resin buildup and sparks. I only cut down our pine trees when the weather gets them, which is often enough.

I would add some advice: Don't get a 20" saw as your only saw. Get a saw with a 14 or at most a 16" blade. You need the 20" blade for felling large trees, but the 14" blade is much better for cutting them up, especially the firewood-size branches. And it will be much lighter and much easier to handle, making it possible to get a lot more work done before you get to the point where you can no longer hold up the saw. If you will be felling a lot of trees and doing general logging, make room in your budget for a trim saw and a logging saw with a 24" blade. A compromise saw will wear you out in a hurry and a tired logger is ripe for injury. A friend of ours bought a 24" Stihl and bragged about the size of his saw until he laid open his right knee with it because his arm muscles gave way. Get the trim saw first, and then add a logging saw if you need it.

My Echo is a 14" trim saw, and I have used it to fell a pine tree with a 20" trunk. I had to cut my starting notch from both sides. Then I made the back cut across the trunk rather than into it. Most trees in the east that you would be tempted to cut down are not that big. That saw is optimal for everything else other than the initial felling.

And get a good axe, sledge, and maul (or the gas-power log splitter) for splitting. Chainsaws are good for crosscuts only.

Rick "with 6 acres, 4000 pine trees, and Yankee winter storms" Denney

[Chuck(G)]

I should add that there is a small very loyal contingent of Jonsered users here also. Jonsered's owned by the same company that owns Husqvarna--Electrolux (yes, they of the vacuum cleaners). If you find a good deal on one, you might want to consider it.

[TMurphy]

My father has worked in tree removal and tree care for about 30 years now, even running a fairly successful company at one point. As long as I can remember, they have used nothing but Stihl saws....some of the ones the company he works for now are easily in the 15-20 year old range. And these are used 6-7 days a week.

[Chuck(G)]

(really real trees)

You're moving to a place with trees over 200' high? Maybe Northern California?

Or is the eastern idea of a tree more like this:

[Rick Denney]

Out this way, (at least) the ladies seem to prefer 100' hardwood trees over 200' *softwood trees.

I'll take cutting on hardwood trees any day, and I don't car how big they are. The Eastern White Pines that populate our land are only slightly stronger than balsa wood but as heavy as really real trees. They tend to drop really heavy things on you as soon as you break through the bark. Keeps you on your toes.

Rick "who has major cutting to do after every windstorm" Denney

[Chuck(G)]

I'll take cutting on hardwood trees any day, and I don't car how big they are. The Eastern White Pines that populate our land are only slightly stronger than balsa wood but as heavy as really real trees. They tend to drop really heavy things on you as soon as you break through the bark. Keeps you on your toes.

"Hardwood" and "softwood" are really misleading terms, too. Red Alder is a "hardwood" tree used for furniture and trim, but is softer than the ubiquitous softwood Douglas-fir (not a fir at all, actually), which is hard enough to be used for flooring. Bigleaf maple is a hardwood, but is much softer, than, say, Pacific yew (whence comes Taxol).

Given the choice between cutting hardwood (we have that stuff too--it's just not commerically important. Oak and maple, as well as poplar get turned into pulp) and softwood, I'll take softwood any day. Tall, straight-grained trees that are easy to limb and buck.

But terrifying if you have to cut dead ones. The risk is the tree snapping in two as it falls, with the top section falling backwards--right where you're standing. That's why they call 'em "widowmakers".

[Rick Denney]

"Hardwood" and "softwood" are really misleading terms, too.

Yup. I grew up in Southern Yellow Pine territory, and it's strong and hard for a softwood.

But up here, the softwood really is soft, and the hardwood really is hard. Eastern White Pine is like mush. I can break a 2" bow just by grabbing it and yanking. They don't have to be dead to break in half on the way down. When I cut down that 20-incher, I was pretty sure I knew how to cut down a tree. But the condition of that tree left me with quite a bit of doubt, and I was soaked with sweat (from nerves, not heat) by the time it actually fell. But it fell right where I pointed it, though it broke into a number of large pieces on impact. I didn't see it hit, because I was running the other way.

Rick "whose imagination is getting a little too good for that sort of thing" Denney

[tubeast]

Bloke,
since you´ll be doing quite different jobs with chainsaws, consider owning two different sizes.

Back in the day Dad bought an awesome chainsaw. Stihl, but I forget the model.
80 ccm, about 7 hp.
Truly an example of what we colloquially call "Fichtenmoped"
(Fichte = Fir tree, Moped = 2-stroke motorcycle)

We used it to cut elm boards 6" thick and 4 ft wide and had fun in the process.

The other one was a small, no-name saw we used for cutting branches. Small enough to be used single-handedly.

[Chuck(G)]

I knew how to cut down a tree. But the condition of that tree left me with quite a bit of doubt, and I was soaked with sweat (from nerves, not heat) by the time it actually fell. But it fell right where I pointed it, though it broke into a number of large pieces on impact. I didn't see it hit, because I was running the other way.

Well, if Joe's going to get serious, maybe he should budget for a Cat with full ROPs. A D4 should do him just fine.

A friend was building a house and he needed a big log to make some stringers for a stairway. Across the road (about 60' away) there was a nice 90' fir that was going to get got when the county came to pave the road, so I told him he coud have it. This bugger was about 30" at the base and had a slight pistol butt. Well, we cut the thing and it shifted slightly and just wouldn't budge (there were other trees around that prevented it from falling any other way.) We must have hammered in half a dozen wedges--nothing.

Out of frustration, he drove his D7 up, set a choker on the tree about 8' up and set the winch cable from the D7 to pull at a tangent--i.e., when the choker tightened, it would rotate the tree. Worked like a charm--the tree missed his house and dropped exactly where it should have. But there were some sweaty palm moments there.

[Badgley]

I would like to recommend the Stihl 440 Magnum. I've had one for about 6 yrs, mine actually is the 044 model they renamed it the 440 and added "magnum" in the last year or so, and it is a remarkable saw. The power is unbelievable for a saw this size. It weighs, I'm guessing, about 12-14 lbs. I have both a 20" and 24" bar for the saw, although 90% of the time I only use the 20" bar. Check out the website here http://www.stihlusa.com/chainsaws/MS440.html I want to say it cost me about $650 or $700, and a friend of mine bought one last summer for about the same amount I believe. As for reliability, if you take care of your saw it will take care of you, and last you for a very long time.
My grandpa used to say that there were three things he would never loan out to anyone, his chainsaw, his down sleeping bag and his wife, in that order.
Always remember, whatever saw you chose, to always be safe when using it. Long pants with chainsaw chaps are essential every time you use it. Long sleve flannel shirt and leather gloves as well. And most importantly a helmet with attached face shield and hearing protection, with OSHA Approved saftey glasses under that. There is a nice helmet made by Peltor http://www.peltor.se/p_helmet_s_G223.htm Please don't ever take your saftey for granted.
Good luck in your search and I hope you find the saw for you.

[tubatooter1940]

Badgly made a great point. Our family doctor was sawing out his driveway after a hurricane and worked until he was too tired and then sawed a huge plug out of his knee.

[Chuck(G)]

Also, invest in a pair of good logger jeans--these are the type with the doubled panels on the front of your legs. It's save some scuffs and scratches.

Carhartt makes 'em.