Chainsaw Recommendations

JimFin

Hi folks looking for any recommendation on a chainsaw for firewood and general light work, something up to a max of €400. Main requirement after that is easy to start!! I use the saw occasionally, but often lies idle for 2-3 months at a time.

I had a Husquvarna 235 and it was impossible to start, good saw but just useless to start despite multiple services. I have gone to a few dealers and they all have a different story recommending Husquvarna/ Stihl / Echo / Oleo Mac.

Any recommendations or links appreciated.

bogman_bass

JimFin wrote: »

Hi folks looking for any recommendation on a chainsaw for firewood and general light work, something up to a max of €400. Main requirement after that is easy to start!! I use the saw occasionally, but often lies idle for 2-3 months at a time.

I had a Husquvarna 235 and it was impossible to start, good saw but just useless to start despite multiple services. I have gone to a few dealers and they all have a different story recommending Husquvarna/ Stihl / Echo / Oleo Mac.

Any recommendations or links appreciated.

I have an oleo-Mac gsh 510. No problems with it so far and I think it cost me €265 off the top of my head

More important than the saw is if you are only occasionally using the saw buy aspen premixed fuel. It won’t go off like normal petrol and that tends to be the cause of most starting problems

hopeso

Stihl all the way here....

Aspen would be an option, but I think you need to use it from day one in a saw, and it's very expensive. You were as well using petrol and genuine Stihl two stroke oil. When you're finished using the saw for a while, empty out whatever fuel is left in the tank, and run the saw until it cut's out.

forgottenhills

JimFin wrote: »

Hi folks looking for any recommendation on a chainsaw for firewood and general light work, something up to a max of €400. Main requirement after that is easy to start!! I use the saw occasionally, but often lies idle for 2-3 months at a time.

I had a Husquvarna 235 and it was impossible to start, good saw but just useless to start despite multiple services. I have gone to a few dealers and they all have a different story recommending Husquvarna/ Stihl / Echo / Oleo Mac.

Any recommendations or links appreciated.

I bought a small new Husquvarna a couple of years ago for light work and like you I found it impossible to start compared to a bigger Husquvarna saw that I had for years and which was trouble free. I went back to the dealer with it to check it and they didn't improve the situation.

I am not terribly mechanically minded but I took a look at the spark plug and the gap area was quite dirty, which was surprising as I hadn't used it much at that point. After I carefully cleaned the spark plug with a wire brush I didn't have a starting problem with it anytime afterwards. So if you still have that saw perhaps try doing that?

older by the day

I had a stilh for 20 years. Then she gave up, everything worn out. I couldn't justify given seven hundred for a new one. So I bought a timberpro off the internet. A grand light saw 2 pulls and starts so easy compared to the stilh. 120 Euro I think. I could have brought 5 or 6 for one still. Like most, it don't be used ten times a year. A sharp chain the secret to all timber cutting

djmc

Ok you might laugh at this but for light work I would use a battery chainsaw I got through a good bit of work with a 36v black and decker and there are a lot better saws on the market now. the higher the voltage the better but the heavier the saw will be

nqtfarmer

What would people make of this saw for timber and felling the odd tree. Husqvarna 135 https://robertkee.ie/product/husqvarna-135-chainsaw2

JimFin

nqtfarmer wrote: »

What would people make of this saw for timber and felling the odd tree. Husqvarna 135 https://robertkee.ie/product/husqvarna-135-chainsaw2

I'm gone off Husqvarna altogether, the 235 i bought was one of the worst purchases ever I made. I rang one dealer this week and I asked him would he take a trade in - when he heard what i had he said he would rather give a discount to the same value rather than take in a second hand 235!

I'm leaning towards either Stihl or Oleo Mac, something with 16" bar.

karlitob

JimFin wrote: »

Hi folks looking for any recommendation on a chainsaw for firewood and general light work, something up to a max of €400. Main requirement after that is easy to start!! I use the saw occasionally, but often lies idle for 2-3 months at a time.

I had a Husquvarna 235 and it was impossible to start, good saw but just useless to start despite multiple services. I have gone to a few dealers and they all have a different story recommending Husquvarna/ Stihl / Echo / Oleo Mac.

Any recommendations or links appreciated.

Only ever had one but suited my needs - Aldi Chainsaw for €100-120. Used it quite a bit - big enough for trees in the garden etc. Couldn’t justify buying a better one as once the trees were gone I didn’t ‘need’ it anymore - but ended up using it a bit.

bogman_bass

djmc wrote: »

Ok you might laugh at this but for light work I would use a battery chainsaw I got through a good bit of work with a 36v black and decker and there are a lot better saws on the market now. the higher the voltage the better but the heavier the saw will be

I was close to getting one myself last year. I think the top of the range battery ones are just getting good enough now that I would own one but the ones I want are out of my price range.
Give it another few years and it will be a waste of time getting a petrol saw especially for the occasional user.

Imagine grabbing the saw and knowing it going to work when you need it!

ednwireland

really old stihl 017 and a stihl ms271 here

blackbox

I have a Shindaiwa 360 with similar use for about 20 years and would be happy to recommend.

I think the same saw is also branded Echo 360.

Belongamick

Used my uncles Stihl chainsaw some years back and found it a good saw but very heavy to work with.
Bought a Husquvarna 345 about 10 years ago. A very good saw, very little trouble. Find that fresh petrol, correctly mixed and drain the saw after use is important as mentioned previous. I tend to sharpen the chain twice and go new after that in the interest of safety.
Incidentally, have a Stihl hedge trimmer - absolute demon to start (nearly threw it in the river once!) but very good otherwise.

Finally, Husquvarna strimmer - 10+ years old and very happy with it.

forgottenhills

nqtfarmer wrote: »

What would people make of this saw for timber and felling the odd tree. Husqvarna 135 https://robertkee.ie/product/husqvarna-135-chainsaw2

That's the model I bought a couple of years ago for doing occasional light work. Paid around €250 or €260 for it then. Initially I had trouble starting it until I gave the spark plug a good cleaning with a wire brush which solved that problem permanently. Apart from that initial problem it is a good little light saw to use, much less tiring than using a bigger saw if you are only cutting light stuff. From a safety perspective I would only cut down a tree of 18 inch diameter or so with a saw of that size but it could cut up a bigger tree once it was already felled.

Very handy for light stuff and trimming branches of big trees, much less tiring than a bigger saw and saves the back. At that sort of money and because it is a light saw don't expect it to feel as quality as a bigger saw though.

hopeso

JimFin wrote: »

I'm gone off Husqvarna altogether, the 235 i bought was one of the worst purchases ever I made. I rang one dealer this week and I asked him would he take a trade in - when he heard what i had he said he would rather give a discount to the same value rather than take in a second hand 235!

I'm leaning towards either Stihl or Oleo Mac, something with 16" bar.

There are probably good and bad models in every manufacturers line up. It's probably worth researching whatever individual model you are interested in.
There is a forestry section in the sub forums at the top of the farming & forestry page on Boards...It might be worth having a look there for opinions.....

PoorFarmer

Got a Stihl MS231 3 years ago 16" bar on it I think. Cost €400 at the time but have knocked a serious amount of work out of it, reckon I must have 100m³ of stuff cut with it since and has never missed a beat.
Fresh petrol is a must with any saw that is being left idle for a time and run the saw till it runs out of fuel before finishing up.
Like somebody else said a good sharp chain will add years to the life of any saw you get. Personally I get the Stihl chains as I find the hold edge better than the cheaper ones but they do stretch a little.

Pkiernan

EGO 56volt cordless.

https://toolfix.ie/product/ego-power-cs1400e-35cm-56v-lithium-ion-cordless-chainsaw-bare-tool/

Cordless are now matching petrol.

patsy_mccabe

Have 3 saws here, Electric Husqvarva 321 EL, Stihl MS250 and Stihl MS170.

The electric is great around the yard, no noise and stops starts on the trigger. MS170 is very light but lacks power conpared to the heavier MS250.

If your saw won't start there is probably something small wrong with it. My MS250 had all sorts of silly things wrong with it over the 20 years I have it ..... spark plug cable vibrating loose from spark plug, porous fuel line, coil gap too big, carburator tuning wrong.

tancoman

I have a Pro Plus which I bought about 3 to 4 years ago for around €150 , can't remember exactly. 2 or 3 pulls and away it goes. Reasonably light weight. Have used it exclusively since buying it as a backup. Great value. It would only be used roughly 20 to hours per year. Well recommended

invicta

[QUOTE I tend to sharpen the chain twice and go new after that in the interest of safety.
/QUOTE]

What a waste!

memorystick

invicta wrote: »

[QUOTE I tend to sharpen the chain twice and go new after that in the interest of safety.
/QUOTE]

What a waste!

Must be a chocolate chain.

Welding Rod

memorystick wrote: »

Must be a chocolate chain.

I was going to offer €50 for that bucket of used chains......

djmc

bogman_bass wrote: »

I was close to getting one myself last year. I think the top of the range battery ones are just getting good enough now that I would own one but the ones I want are out of my price range.
Give it another few years and it will be a waste of time getting a petrol saw especially for the occasional user.

Imagine grabbing the saw and knowing it going to work when you need it!

Some are up to 60v now the 36v one use will cut trees for around 40 mins non stop before changing batteries. no problems starting or looting for petrol or two stroke
https://cordlessworktools.com/category/cordless-chainsaws/

Some Yoke

Have the husqvarna 135 too, no issues starting, good for light work, not tiring to use

endainoz

https://www.screwfix.ie/p/titan-ttl759chn-40cm-40cc-petrol-chainsaw/995fh

Have had this Titan for a couple of years now. No issues with it, cheap and cheerful but a great little chainsaw all the same. Easy to start and light enough to use.

I wouldn't be for a lumberjack but if it's just general yard work and a bit of firewood cutting your looking for, it's hard to recommend an expensive brand name. Had a Husqvarna one before but it was a pain in the hole to start and was heavy and awkward to use.