Opinion chain saw

Looking for a new saw have to clear some timber at hunting camp thanks to Asian beetles
Anyway I was contemplating going with the still MS271 20 inch bar anyone own one I had a husquavarna rancher 20 inch bar blew it up after 15yrs
Appreciate any feed back on the stihl

Can't go wrong with a Stihl. Question is, do you have a service center nearby that will work on it if need be? That is very impo'tant.

How big are the trees and how many of them are there. I think the 271 is a bit on the small side for serious cutting. Fine for firewood though I would think. But if you have to clear a lot of trees I would go with a 60cc saw as a minimum.

Take a look at the echo timber wolf. I picked one up a couple years ago and have been pleasantly surprised. Really kicks out the chips.

I run all pro model Stihls with zero complaints, that said the Echos are decent saws and you are not paying for a name, feel like you get more bank for your buck with Echo on the lower end stuff.

I've had my ms360 for 18-20 years and still consider it my "new" saw. I think the equivalent new saw is a 361 or 2. I've never had a problem with mine, until this past week when the oil cap broke. I used it today. Can't go wrong with a Stihl.

Have had several Stihl saws, currently my favorite is the 261, pro series, light n powerful. Have a. MS250 , not super impressive. The pro series have always done me well. Pay more but really worth it.

if you like stihl and have a dealer around they can be a good saw.

I would not however run the MS271 with anything larger than a 16 inch bar for regular cutting

I had a MS260 ran it 9 years , then rebuilt it new piston and jug, then 2 more and sold it for parts .

I had gotten it with a 20 inch bar and I think that was a mistake , my great uncle ran the same saw with an 16 inch bar and got more life from it.

it was not an issue when occasionally I would get into wood that needed a 20 inch bar but when I was in big wood every cut till I ran out of gas , fill it and repeat half the day.

you could get a 16 and a 20 run the cheaper chains any time you don't need the extra bar length.



that said I am running a pair of Jonsered saws currently , because I have a good j-red dealer

one is a CS2255 the red version of the Huquvarna 455 rancher for the money it is a hard saw to beat I run this with a 18 inch bar

my other saw I went bigger a CS2166 it is a non electric carb Husky 372xp they don't get as much power out of it as the 372xp but I like the saw and it pulls a 24 inch bar well.

if you have a fair amount fo clearing to do and really like the 20 inch bar I would get a 460 rancher with a 20 inch bar I think you would be very happy with that as a saw and it would be about as budget as you can get for that kind of power.

stihl , husky , dolmar/makita , even echo if you have a good dealer that is more important than the saw brand at this time.

Thanks guys I’m not pulling the trigger for a week or so after reading all the replies I’m gonna go to some dealers around and put a eye ball on all saws you guys talked about thank you to everyone

For years my brother and I ran (still do) both Husky and Jonsered pro saws. Currently I also have an Echo CS590 (60cc) saw that is pretty impressive considering they weren't high end 40 years ago. I'm running a 24" bar most of the time and am pretty impressed. I see them retail just about everywhere for $399.

I run the rancher and it loves to make chips. My neighbor and fence building partner uses a 20 inch Stihl and it's no slouch. Not by a long shot.
If you want to know which one is better, it all depends who has a freshly sharpened chain and who's chain needs a touch up.

I like husky saws mainly because my hands don't fall asleep when I run them like they do when I would run my 064 Stihl , Johnsred or however it's spelled are a good saw also as is Sachs Dolmar if you have a lot of tree's to cut buy a pro saw with at least a 24" bar then get a full skip chain plus a couple extra loops just because .
It'll save your back and knees in the long run.

My only go to chain saw = Stihl. I used many others but these are high quality.

If your plan is to only have one size saw to do it all, I suggest a pro model 50cc. Husky, Stihl, Jonsy, your preference based upon dealership service availability. I personally have a a Stihl 261cm. It is 50cc, lighter than the 271 you speak of, but more powerful and will handle a 20inch bar if you choose. I opted for the 18inch bar and it has been a dependable workhorse. As someone mentioned, you'll pay more for the pro model...but youll never regret it.

If you are looking for a 271 id jump up to the 291. You will be much happier

Husky rancher

I got a stihl ms310. I have both a 18" and 20" bar. It runs a lot better with the 18. It will pull a 20, but bogs down quite a bit. Great saw though.

they say the formula to happy saw to bar length is divide the CC by 3

50 cc /3 = 16.667"

55cc /3 = 18.33

60cc /3= 20

72cc /3= 24

it seems to hold fairly true , my 55 cc saw came with a 20 I bought a 18 on a deal because I could get clearance bars and inexpensive chain and I was expecting to find fence wire in some of the trees I had to cut it just doesn't slow down with a 18 just piles up the chip.

every saw that fits this I have tried has cut very well.

saws that run a bigger bar than the divide by 3 often not as impressive not that there couldn't be an exception

It depends on how big the tees are that you will be cutting. If they are going to be 2' or more then you will want a saw that can handle that size bar. I like to be a bit over kill with my saw when I am dropping trees. I use an stihl 064 (80+cc) with a 24" bar. You can cut a 30" tree with a smaller saw and a 20" bar but I can cut it faster and better. There is no such thing as too much power when dropping trees. That said, if you are only cutting trees in the 20" range you could drop to the 70 cc range with a 20" bar and be fine.

When I go out to cut I am either going out to cut for a set amount of time or I am going out to cut a set amount of wood. Either way I would like to get it done as fast as I can or get as much cut as I can. That just isn't gonna happen with a 50 cc saw.

If I know I will be in smaller trees I will put the 20" bar on and change the sprocket on the 064. That makes the chips fly!

I have a Stihl MS 261C 18 inch and it takes all I give it in bigger oak. I however have learned after many cords of wood behind me. I got a small Stihl MS 170, right now with coupon $159.00 Reason being is a bigger saw is great for trunks and logs, but our trees have limbs and a lot on some oaks and ash. After dropping a whopper, I limb out with the light saw then switch back to bigger saw for bucking up the logs. It sure helps shoulders and arms after a long day. 90% of yard storm limb work, and trail work is the small saw, it stays right in the truck, always ready to open a trail after a blow.

I burned a crap ton of ash.
My vote is the 590 echo = bang for the buck. Big name PRO saws are good.

If the blown Husqy is a 51 or 55,
I have a retirement home here for those.

Hint for the day, WHEN the saw gets dull, turn it off.

i have a lightly used rancher i'll sell ya.

I came real close to having an accident last evening with my chain saw.

I have a stihl MS291. It runs through the dead Ash on place with ease. Buy yourself some aggressive chains for it. Throws chips you could write a letter on. Menards also sell a earmuff/face shield combo that has a built in flip up face shield. They're about $20. You'll need it.

safety chaps are way cheaper than a prosthetic leg

I was working an Aspen regeneration project. We were cleaning an area and cutting everything but the Aspen. All the trees in the area were less than 8" DBH. The other guys had their big boy saws. I had a little 30cc saw with a 14 or 16 inch bar. They laughed at my little saw in the morning. At lunch weren't laughing at my little saw and by the end of the day they all wished they had a little saw too. Size the saw for the job. Bigger isn't always better.

at hundreds of dollars a stitch they are way cheaper than 1 stitch.

the other thing is learning to sharpen your own chain with a file

this guy is a character but he goes into very good detail on sharpening better than I have seen other places and also free hand filing.

once you know the what and why of sharpening. a file will keep you in chip.

the one in this video is a new chain that had hit something came dull.

once you know what a sharp chain feels like and how to sharpen you will stop as soon as it is not pulling chip right.

he keeps talking about 13/64 vs 7/32 on a 3/8 chain he asks what is the difference between the two sizes 7/32 is 1/64th larger 14/64ths

he then shows an old chain that is at the end of it's life

I have had 4 Stihl chainsaws seems when I would take one for repair the part would no longer be available and I would buy another one. Last time 5 years ago I bought a Echo it has cut all my fire wood for the last 5 years has not been tuned up and starts on 3 pulls or less pulls.

Usa Saws???

Went to get mower parts this am they carry stihl and echo I spoke with the mechanic he was pushing me to echo he had said parts are cheaper and user friendly repair wise he likes the stihl but parts are steep
I’m gonna chew on this for a bit I have to say with all the new technology stuff is getting tougher to work on I’ve never paid anyone to fix any of my equipment or vehicles other than warranty work Now I just wanna make sure whatever I buy I will be able to repair adjust etc without getting a whole new education

Pete, think it's a good time to sell the big macs? lol.
Do you know that model?

I have an 026 and a 260 Stihl for years. Only problem I've ever had with the 026 was a starting problem which was my own fault for not putting it away for winter without running some fuel stabilizer in it. I try to remember to do that with all my small engines.

I've owned Jonsereds which I feel are good saws. I got rid of mine because they don't make them anymore as far as I know. I've heard good things about Huskys too, though I've never owned one.

My go to saw is a stihl 210 with 16" bar. Super light and more than enough power for what I use it for.
Which is a couple cords of firewood a year and getting moose and elk out of thick bush. Nothing worse than a heavy saw for that.

if you find a MAC guy like the one in the video that collects them maybe.

that guy has so many MACs I think he is looking for one of every model he has done a bunch of videos on the 1010

when he needs to go make money and not just play he runs a Husky unless he is in tree then he often runs the stihl top handle but even later he started switching over to the Echo top handles less weight in a tree if you don't need to cut more than a 12 inch bar will do.

a Jonsered these days is a Husky in a red case with a slightly different grip angle. both made in the same plant different day.

still both available

I run the stihl ms362 with 20" bar.
Cuts anything i want to cut.
On about year 4 with it and no complaints.

Saws are like rifles I guess. You can't use one for everything. But if you only had the one I would not got with a 22Lr or a small saw. They are great for just cutting trails and I have one for that purpose or the times when I need a frayed and crooked cut in the 2X4 . For everything else the bigger saws come out. I hate limbing with a small saw as the constant bending over gets to my back running a short bar. But the again I am 6'4" I can stand up almost straight when I run a 36" bar on my 661 so thats my go to. When I cut down oaks and Hickory here I switch to a 25" on that same saw or use a 388 with a 25" bar on it. So there are horses for courses. But you very quickly find the limits of a 50cc or smaller saw that are just not there when you run a bigger one. So for the one saw fits all kind of thing I would pick one with around 60 to 70cc and put a 20" to 24" bar on it.

I run a MS 441 and a MS 360 and a MS 170 for clean up. Premium gas and syn oil and they start 2nd or 3rd pull. You cant beat a Stihl

Have 2 10-10s I need to find someone to go through them or probably myself.
Gave an old friend my 2 610s cause he helped me and he runs one already. He was thrilled.
I'm not prejudice, only to thieves. Have several brands, lately I'm picky though, too many different distracts too much.

The big macs remind me of a tractor torque curve.

Brand loyalty messes folks up. Just because the Chevy pick up did 15 years of work don't mean the Chevy Vega will.

Let us know OP, like Scoob said, it's like new gun fever, and please share the sickness lol.

I am running jonsereds because I have a good j-red dealer , I was driving past the Stihl dealer 3/4 of a mile to get to the Jred dealer 1 1/2 miles awasy because it got to be a waste of time to stop at the stihl dealer first to find out they didn't have anything but 6-8 new saws sitting on the shelf and no parts and service was always a weeks wait.

the Jred dealer was more help with my Stihl the few times I did need help than the stihl dealer was Stihl should know their hardware store dealerships costs them customers after the first purchase.

just like guns I try not to buy "great deals" one unsupported hardware but shop parts and accessories first , saws with no following will have no parts later , saws with a cult like following 372xp as an example will have parts oem and aftermarket for decades.

A good set of chaps is cheap investment to protect and keep your legs.
baileysonline.com
They have a sale going on now. Sale ends June 9th.
The green Kevlar chaps are noticeably cooler than full polyester lined chaps.
And if you need to kneel down to cut a tree off short you'll have some knee protection. Buy a pair long enough to reach past the top of your boot.

FYI, Jonsereds look like Husky saws because back in the '90's when Eureka owned both they shared the same R&D facility.
In many models they shared the same motor, but not all.

Well fellas I pulled the trigger wound up getting a ms311 stihl with 20 inch bar and they gave me the 25 inch bar and chain
Hadn’t been in this store in years my buddy told me go there between the service knowledge and the pricing I wound up buying
I appreciate everyone’s input I gott a lot of good info and feedback from you guys
Thanks again
Tine