On Feb 18, 7:36*pm, Fastfwd wrote:
I'm thinking about buying my father a new chainsaw to replace his worn
out old Craftsman. *I don't know anything about chainsaws to be
honest, but I have gathered that Husqvarna and Stihl are two top
contenders.

He has about 30 acres with a wooded creek running through it. *He
doesn't cut wood for burning anymore - so, this will really only be
for occasional use. *Trimming up here and there and taking care of the
occasional broken branch. *We had a severe ice storm this winter and
there are still several broken limbs that need to be cleaned up.

I understand that dealer availability is a major factor for
consideration. *My dad actually has a friend that works on his current
chainsaw and I think he can work on anything with a small motor. *That
said, Stihl has what looks like a decent lawn and garden shop as a
dealer that is fairly close. *The Husqvarna will have to be bought
from Lowe's.

I'm thinking a 16 inch is probably about all he needs really. *I went
out to look at a few chainsaws today and I think 16 inches is a good
size. *I'm not sure what size motor he might need. *He's in his late
60s, so no need to get anything bigger than necessary, but nice to
have something adequate. *I also question if one of the chainsaws with
an easy start system might not be worth considering because of my
father's age.

I think I'm ready to pony up between $300 and $400 for a good
chainsaw. *Lowe's has the Husqvarna model 345 45cc chainsaw for $289
locally. *To be honest - I didn't really like the flimsy feel of the
choke on it:http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?actio...ductId=103325-...

The local Stihl dealer has a variety of models in that general price
range -http://www.stihldealer.net/categoryproducts-dealer-012430-toplvl-2-ca...

The MS 250 C-BE looks like it has everything that I might be looking
for, but it's on the high end of what I think I want to spend. *Maybe
he doesn't need a 45cc motor? *Would the MS 210 C-BE be sufficient?

Any suggestions would be appreciated. *I ran a search of the
newsgroups and didn't find anything very recent on the subject. *I
also question if the Husqvarnas have deteriorated in production
quality in recent years? *Are the Stihl and Husqvarna still equal in
quality?

If you're really serious, check he http://www.metacafe.com/watch/32010/ultimate_chainsaw/

Norm