What's the budget? I am a fan of buying a step up from what you need right now in case you need to increase production later. You can always cut less than what a saw is capable of, but it can be taxing trying to do more than what the tool should be doing. I'd echo the posters above who said to go through a dealer rather than a box store; if you want to use the saw for many years, it sure does make repairs easier when there's somebody working at the place you made the purchase who's trained on the equipment and its proper servicing. If you want the saw to be disposable, that's ok too - just set yourself a lower budget and understand that when it's dead you move on. My $.02
026 is hard to beat, I have to say I really underestimated this saw by A LOT. It's eaten through things I wasn't sure it was going to do well on. Most likely you'll pull the trigger on something new but on this level, the 26 is going to really have duality. It may bog down a little through a log but I cut through redwood in a downpour large chunks and it held up Really well. Easy to clean, the power to weight ratio is spot on. Hard to go wrong here MikeyB but having bought my 026 at a pawn shop, learning how to get the idle down and match it with some playing around on it. I like how it handles. Try and cut as much as you can to let your body learn about it. Muscle memory is a great way to stay in control with your saw along with understanding what its limits are for cutting.
Like said above an 026 or ms 260 is a great saw, ive seen lots of the 026 that have been beat like a rented mule and still ran and cut great. Lots of folks on here love their ms261 also.
Like a lot of the guys said find one you think will do then go up a bit. Definitely in the 50cc range is the place to be I think. I've had a 55 rancher husky I bought in high school as my first saw pulling a 3/8 chain on a 20" bar up until last year I changed to a 16" .325 chain and either set up served me well especially on a one saw plan.(until I met you guys ) It's been run hard, abused and done everything from tons of limbing, felling, bucking, noodling, construction, demolition, brush clearing even working a bunch over 36". The 260/026 everyone is talking about is a great tough all purpose saw too we run them at work and let me say they get ABUSED! And keep running. If it were me I'd try and run a couple and see what feels good in your hands and try getting one from a dealer as far as support,service and probly some suggestion. Or the other option is a fellow FHC member through the classifieds.
/\ This /\ You may find that after using the gas saw for awhile you find yourself wanting to cut some slightly larger wood. Invest once instead of twice. The Stihl 029/291 would make a fine first saw. It goes for around $450 I believe and should last many years. I have an 044 that's been with me for 12 years and I use it hard.
Since you want to make an investment rather than an expenditure go with the 026/260/261. If you want a new saw i'm fairly certain you will have to go with the 261. If you want to step up and spend the $ on a new saw research Stihl dealers in your area and buy one from the one with the best service dept and reputation. Get a case and extra chain and files with a guide. Run non ethanol gas in it and it will be around for your kids when they're old enough.
I have a ported 026 and a ported MS440, but my Echo 3400 always rides in the truck with me. Echo's may not be the lightest or fastest but you pull the string and they are running, I really like the Echos I have run.
I think you need to consider how big of wood you'll be working. If its all tops and limbs id look at a small saw with the best power to weight ratio. I love my 241. I keep it on my quad all the time. Its small, light and powerful. If your looking for something to pass down, go with professional grade saws. A 261 is a good middle of the road saw. A 361 if your getting into 12-24" logs
Barcroftb could help you pick out a Dolmar if you have a dealer closr to you. They are great saws. A used Makita (Dolmar) from your local Home Depot rental would be a good way to go also. They sell off their rentals for a fair price and the saws are usually in good shape.
I'm pretty sure it's right there in the official anniversary gift guide between silver and gold right?
Nothing too big, I won't be cutting any trees down myself. Will most likely have wood delivered in manageable pieces maybe 2' in diameter and wont be looking for anything larger than that to be honest.
60+ cc at minimum, 2ft- looking at a 30"+ bar, so maybe around an 80cc unit would be a better choice- same deal as a big stove vs small stove can always put a shorter bar on the bigger saw. Yes I know about the weight issue- But that becomes a moot point if it's going to take quite a bit longer to go the same distance with a smaller/lighter saw. Just my thoughts as I buck some 10 cords a year the bulk of which is over 15" diameter. I do not have fond memories of the 5 ft diameter piece and the amount of time & sweat chewing it up into firewood with a 18" 40 cc unit. ( I think that is when I succumbed to CAD)
Well, the 5th anniversary gift is wood. So I think every anniversary gift after that should alternate chainsaw, wood,. Chainsaw... You definitely sounds like you want a pro grade saw. Stihl, Dolmar ( Makita too since they own Dolmar), and Husqvarna all make great saws. I'm German and Norwegian, so I lean towards the German made Stihl and Dolmar/Makita's. My 029 super has been the most reliable saw I've ever dealt with. It's been literally pull and go, even if old gas was left in it. My dad bought it new 17 years ago. That's not even a pro model saw. My only experience so far with Dolmar/makita has been my ex rental dolkita 6421, and it's a quality German made tool.
Mikey, TurboDiesel is the first to really nail this. Absolutely the very first thing you need to consider is what do you plan on cutting with the saw? This does not mean at present, but also in the future. The second thing to consider is not just the bar length but also the motor size. Also do you want Stihl, Husky, etc. Get whatever you can so there is a dealer close to you so you have service when you need it. In our case, the last time (actually the last 2 times) we purchase a saw (Stihl 290) we knew exactly what we'd be facing for cutting in the future because we have 40 acres of mostly woods so know what size trees we have. Many have thought we should have a bigger saw and a longer bar but why? The saw, or saws we have suit us and the size tree we cut really nice. The second saw we purchased was a really small saw. My wife was after me for years to get a small saw to use at least when cutting up the tops simply because the smaller saw is lighter and my back does appreciate it. Both saws have a 16" bar but they are different. The small saw has a narrow kerf so it cuts very well. The only problem with this is that it has to be sharpened more often and the chain does not last as long. Therefore, if my back allows it, I use the bigger saw most of the time but when it come to cutting small limbs, I never hesitate to grab that small say (Stihl 180). I will add that at present if I were to buy another saw to replace these 2 I would get a Stihl 261. One more thing to consider is other tools to compliment the saw. A saw horse, a cant hook, a pickeroon and log tongs. Not the tongs for pulling big logs with tractor but the ones that fit your hands. They are worth their weight in gold! An axe can also come in handy as can a few wedges. Good luck.
