robb wrote:
I have done the google searches. Now the internet is filled with 50/50
conflicting advice and reviews.

Does anyone her have experience with the big retailer brand gas
powered chainsaws ?

I am looking for probably 18"- 20" gas powered chainsaw to clear and
thin out some under brush, saplings, scrub oaks, limbs and
occasional downed trees from my parents wooded property ( there is
about 2 acres of overgrown wooded area they want cleaned up ) .

So, i was looking at the big box DIY stores and i see Homelight,
Poulan, ECHO, Stihl, Blue Max, Ryobi, Poulan Pro, Husqvarna with
prices from 149 - 499.

I would like to stick to lower end prices.

Is there a best of the cheap ?

thanks for helpful replies,
robb

I suspect you're considering "cheap" because of the anticipated, rare, use.

If I'm correct, consider an electric chain saw (and 200' of extension cord*,
possibly home-made). Unlike 2-cycle gas tools, an electric tool will not
rot, decay, or develop festering carbuncles if left sitting unused for a
year. Electric tools are binary - like a computer. They either work, or they
don't. Gas-powered tools are analog: there is a wide range of functioning
(works, mostly works, sometimes works, works only in the dark of the moon or
a high tide, doesn't work, etc.).

Build yourself a tote-box to carry the saw. Leave room for a quart of oil,
spare chain, and the tools necessary to replace/tighten the chain.

---
An acre is a square about 70' on a side. A 200' extension cord should reach
almost all of a two-acre plot. You may need a modest generator if there is
no electricity available.