Ken Sterling (Ken Sterling) wrote in message
...

"SteveB" wrote in message
news:PW3_e.81984$DW1.77009@fed1read06...
We went to the cabin this past weekend. I am going to need a chainsaw
for
cutting firewood, and clearing some dead wood. None of the dead wood is
more than 8" in diameter. I have plenty of downed wood in the area
where
I
live, and don't want to cut anything bigger than about 8" for firewood,
because I don't want all the work of splitting it. I would cut about a
cord
a year.

Therefore, I am thinking 16" chainsaw. BUT, I always have a tendency to
buy
a little bigger for that once in a while when you need the bigger.

BUT, I goes to the stores, and see Poulan, Husqvarna, Homelite, Echo,
Stihl,
etc. with prices all over the map.

I also see engines with different cc displacements, from 37 to 55 on
chainsaws with the same bar length. What's up with that? Bigger
engines
better?

I would like to ask:

Which brand do you like and why?
Which brand lasts the longest?
Which has the least downtime?
Does any have a problem with getting spare parts?

Would you do the 16, 18, or 20 inch?

Would you go for the bigger cc engine and why?

Thanks in advance.

Steve

I like the Stihl Farm Boss
http://www.stihlusa.com/chainsaws/MS290.html

This chain saw kicks ass. A little pricey, but way better than the typical
borg models.


The Stihl is a good chain saw - lots of power - but all the ones I've
used/seen shake like a dog ****tin' bones... I hate the vibration and
they install all kinds of rubber mounts to absorb some of it. Then the
rubber mounts go bad and the thing acts like it's going to fall apart.
I needed a couple of parts to repair one for a guy one time, and
called the factory - response was "If it's more than 10 years old,
throw it away - we have no paperwork, parts, or tech support for the
old stuff." From that time one - I would never recommend someone to
buy from them. I personally have a Poulan 18" and have had no
problems with it (and I cut a *lot* of firewood, about 13 cords/year
or more).
Hope this helps.
Ken.

The new stihls seem pretty smooth and well put together.