For all the orange owners who also buy other equipment for property maintenance and For you loggers and lumberjacks I'd like to here what you prefer. Stihl or Husqvarna.
A power tools discussion please
- Thread starter OlFerguson
- Start date
Stihl chainsaw for the last 12 yrs or so and the only thing I've had to do is change the chain , Stihl weed wacker 8yrs no issues. Would buy them again but don't need to they don't break. I have about 4 acres heat with wood and cut about 3 acres of grass so lots of trimming .
I have three Stihl chain saws, one is 26 years old and the other 22 years old and a 8' pole saw At 5 years old. The key is using them at least monthly and to never let them sit with old gasoline in the tanks. I have my gas/oil mix in a tiny gas can that forces me to make a new mix 3-4 times a year which makes it always fresh. Stale gas is murder on small engines.
Buy what you can get parts and/or service easily. I have Husqvarna, Stihl, Homelite, Echo, and Dolmar. All do their respective jobs and service is available for each one. If you are planning on felling and limbing trees it is a good idea to have a bar long enough to touch the ground without bending. It saves the back.
RonBoyBX25D
Member
Lifetime Member
Equipment
B2650, LP Grapple, Bro-Tek spacers, QH, Box Blade, Landscape Rake, RB, and 1560G
Hope you heal up quickly...love my Echo but if you had a pro Husky look at the Echo pro line. Had a CS-490 and wish I would have went to the 500 as it is a much nicer saw. Sold my 490 and picked up the Husky 550xp, huge difference but a lot more cash.
Here's about 7 pages of the same conversation. http://www.orangetractortalks.com/forums/showthread.php?t=19158&highlight=chainsaws+stihl
BillK01
Member
Equipment
BX2360, FEL, LP 1560 back blade, Front mount snow blower, Ferris ISX800 ZTR
Stihl chainsaw (MS250), standalone weed trimmer (FS44 that's probably 15 years old), Kombi unit (90) with tree pruner, hedge trimmer and weed trimmer attachments and extensions.
Echo backpack (PB770) and hand held (PB225? that's about 15 years old) blower and hand held gas hedge trimmer (HC 152).
Very happy with all of them.
Echo backpack (PB770) and hand held (PB225? that's about 15 years old) blower and hand held gas hedge trimmer (HC 152).
Very happy with all of them.
I have been clearing the cottonwoods off my property the last several years. I use my Husky 455 most of the time because of the size and weight. Pretty good saw for the money. Only complaint I have is it is temperamental on a cold start. But trying to saw some of the 30"+ trees led me to buy a Stihl MS 661. Yeah, the big one. Put a 36" bar on it so I can whack them up in short order. Neighbor says I'm compensating. But anyway, love the way it starts but it earns your respect fast. It has enough power to knock you on your butt before you know what hit you.
Here's something to think about. Every brand makes entry level , mid range and fully loaded. It's like Ford, Dodge and Chevy. ALL new saws are nice, but do your homework. Dig in and do a little reading about different models. You can find a flaw in anything, but some models are really bad. Personally see the way it feels to you. They are all good brands, or they wouldn't still be in business. Figure out your usage and ability and purchase the best one, or possibly a little better than you need. Get good use out of it, maintain it well, and enjoy it when you use it, because it's SO much nicer than the one you replaced! Enjoy the fact that you have a new tool (TOY) and you got to spend a little on something for yourself. Heck, your kids will squander it on something stupid, when we're gone, so get something nice for yourself, after all, You Deserve it!
I prefer Stihl. Have owned 2 Husqvarna saws in the past. One was a good saw, the other I hated. Now I own all Stihl. Roto-tiller, saw, weed whacker and leaf blower.
I'm over in the uk, so our fuel has less ethanol than over the pond, but I use an alkylate fuel, it contains no benzene or ethanol, 3 year shelf life.
All the big brands of machines will be OK, in the last four years I use Echo saws, with no issues,as they are built well and reasonably priced,I work as an arborist climber so they get used a lot.
Let the tool warm up from cold, and idle for half a minute before shut down if it has been worked hard, it will last longer for this.
It's also important to get good at keeping a saw chain sharp,it prevents overloading the tool and bar, and lessens the chance of kickback, keeping the depth guides right is also relevant in these regards.
Stale pump fuel, say more than six weeks old, maybe less in a hot environment, and ethanol fuel, are not your saws friend and can cause various issues.
All the big brands of machines will be OK, in the last four years I use Echo saws, with no issues,as they are built well and reasonably priced,I work as an arborist climber so they get used a lot.
Let the tool warm up from cold, and idle for half a minute before shut down if it has been worked hard, it will last longer for this.
It's also important to get good at keeping a saw chain sharp,it prevents overloading the tool and bar, and lessens the chance of kickback, keeping the depth guides right is also relevant in these regards.
Stale pump fuel, say more than six weeks old, maybe less in a hot environment, and ethanol fuel, are not your saws friend and can cause various issues.
I havent tried this yet but I understand it does work, so when the saw comes home we are going to try it. After doing some reading on this it seems that the mid range gas should give the right rating. I have read where some guys have dyed the water with food coloring just so they can tell when everything has separated. Just some food for thought 
https://youtu.be/onCG7mIprfE
https://youtu.be/onCG7mIprfE
Have a Husqvarna 562 chainsaw and a Husqvarna Pole Saw. Also an articulating Husqvarna riding law mower. No complaints, have had good luck with their AutoTune on the chainsaws. Otherwise my garden shed is a hodge podge of brands, ariens log splitter, craftsman weed eater, Ridgid cordless tools...
Years ago I had a mechanic tell me to only use premium/high test gas in anything I ran. Later I heard that the higher the octane the less ethanol will be in it so that it can obtain the octane level and sometimes no ethanol at all. I listened to him and no matter what gas I bought it was the highest octane available. Our co-op advertises "non ethanol" gas available, it is their highest octane. Have I spent more money over the years? Maybe, but my engines have had no issues; from the 8Ns to the ATVs and garden/lawn machines, not to mention my cars and trucks. To me corn is for eating not fueling machines, ethanol is harsh on small engines especially.