Chainsaw

I need to buy one. I have a half acre that seems to need a chainsaw a handfull of times every year.

I'm thinking Stihl 170 (their entry level 16" bar)

There is a 40' tree laying in the yard as of this afternoon.

Thoughts?

Stihl makes great things. thus ends the extent of my k lwledge of chainsaw s.

i've used a stihl Series 16, 17, 20, 30, and 45. great saws

Edited i'd go with the 18" blade.

As much as I love Stihl..

We had the least trouble from the Husky 455 Rancher when I ran the repair shop: http://www.husqvarna.com/ca/en/products/chainsaws/455-rancher/

There is almost no vibration from these saws and they can run up to a 20" bar.

It's a good homeowner level saw, you aren't using it to make a living, you don't need a Stihl.

I have 455 Rancher with a 20". Everything said above is true.

I have a Stihl Farm Boss (16" bar) that's about 7 years old - works great. My Dad just retired his Farm Boss - it's 36+ years old and has gotten a ton of use through the years.

I have a husqvarna 445. I've used a 455 rancher a 365or63xp(can't remember) husky and a few stihls. Is go with whatever good service you can get closest. The commerical versions of husky and stihl are on par and the same with the commercial ones. Usually people say purchase an x brand saw based upon an experience with an old one. There used to be no distinction between the commercial and resi models back in the day. Now their are differences. It's best to shop the actual saw vs saw rather than brand vs brand.

DaveEstey wrote: I have 455 Rancher with a 20". Everything said above is true.

x2 except make sure to run it out of gas if it's going to sit for a while.

I have my generator mounted on a 4-wheel trailer and run an electric chainsaw. Biggest side benefit, besides cost, is weight. My electric pole saw weighs 1/4 of what any gas one does, for example. Second best benefit is that I only have one engine to keep running, and it's running on propane.

My dad bought me a 023 stihl with a 16" bar 20 years ago. At first I used it on a few occasions until 2005 when I started heating my house with wood. I still use that saw to cut the majority of my wood. A few years ago I bought a 10 year old husky 55 rancher because of the 20" bar. I still grab the stihl because it is simply a better saw. My recommendation is to buy the most powerful stihl you can afford but be careful. The bigger you go the more tiring and dangerous the saw will become. 16" bar is all you need for most of the time. If you are careful and learn how to properly use a saw a 16" bar will cut through a lot bigger tree than you would think. My 02 cents

A used pro grade saw is typically better than a new consumer grade saw.

My dad lives in four acres of heavy woods. He uses chainsaws frequently. Lately, he started using an electric saw for the small stuff, and swears by it. Still uses conventional, but only about 10% of the time.

Just remember, protective chaps will NOT protect you against an electric chain saw. Too much torque.

http://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/electric-chainsaw-and-chaps-warning.36621/

Thanks for all of the info guys! I went looking yesterday and pulled the trigger on the Stihl 170. I know I could have gone cheaper with a big box brand or going used, but I didn't like what was available in those options: lots of overpriced used saws in the area; big box stores didn't seem to actually know anything about the saws they were selling other than spending more gets a better saw. I have 3 Stihl dealers really close and I ended up at the one I thought would be least friendly (they also sell Victory and Polaris stuff in addition to Toro and Dixon mowers). They could not have been any more friendly, helpful, or informative.

The guy helping me was the owner's son and made a point not to sell me something bigger than I need. He even spent time showing me how to run it, maintain it and gave me some tips and heads up on having it last a long time. If all dealers do that it explains why they have such a good rep and last so long.

I brought it home and got my tree cut up in short order and even cut some stuff for the neighbor. Next up will be learning to sharpen the chain. I'm really impressed with the quality and neat features of the machine. The manual is pretty crazy too: reminds me of one that would come with a German car!