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I need to purchase a light weight chain saw. I've only looked at a few and am wondering if anyone knows which is the lightest weight -- and still a good saw.
Just need it for cutting down small trees and maybe trimming branches if I get brave enough to rent a cherry picker.
I looked at a 16" Echo which said it's "Self Oiling"... and that the Self Oiler adjusts.... it cost a little more but it sounds like a good thing because I know that they require oiling.
Does anyone have any experience with the "self oiling" saws and would you recommend them???
The Echo saws have a 5 year consumer warranty which sounds like they must be pretty good.
So,... I'm wanting a saw that's easy to use, LIGHTWEIGHT... easy to service / change blades, etc... and not too expensive.
Are there any chain saw experts ???
Last edited by World Citizen; 01-10-2009 at 09:22 AM..
What kind of work are you going to be doing? If it's all going to be close to your house, why not buy an electric chainsaw? I'm not a huge fan, but it might be a good option.
I used to cut, haul and burn a LOT of firewood. I had a Stihl chainsaw and loved it. It was an excellent machine. It eventually wore out.
I now have a McCullough saw. It's light duty, and wouldn't handle what the Stihl did. But it's okay, because all I do now is trimming and upkeep. 16" bar. It cost me about $130.
Basically, there are two types of saws: Low end cheap saws for people like me, and professional saws for people who use them on a daily basis. The cost difference is significant, but you'll get what you pay for.
. Are you saying to look at Stihl that they are superior to Echo ???
(btw- their cheap brand was Homelife)
I live in the woods...and I mean woods....and I personally know a couple of guys that make their living clearing future building lots etc...ie they do a LOT of tree cutting and sell fire wood on the side.
Echos are generally considered toys for the weekend warrior.
If you want a real saw get a Stihl or a Husqvarna . That's what the pros use and that's how I judge things. Buy the best tools you can get your hands on and you'll have them for the rest of your life. If you take proper care of them a 20 year old Stihl or Husqvarna is still better than a new piece of crap.
I use both electric and a Husquvarna. Electric saws have PLENTY of power for around the home jobs. If you think they don't, you likely have used one with a dull blade or tried to cut something larger than about a 10" caliper. I have one of the little Remington Q-tip saws and am always amazed how fast and easily it cuts through branches. I have TWO other electric saws I use. One is dedicated to roots and dirty work, the other for firewood trimming and cleaner jobs.
You want a self-oiler, absolutely. A BIG problem with the two-cycle chain saws is starting. You have to run 'em dry when finished cutting, and I always add a little Lucas injector cleaner to the gas/oil mix.
As to the cheap gas saws? I just wouldn't bother with them. I spent too many hours in the 1970s nursing along an old McColluch to put up with that nonsense. Spend an extra hundred or so and get a starter grade Husky or Stihl. I really like my Husky, other than it's tendency to ruin a chain if it comes off the bar.
I have an 18" Husqvarna and it's the best one I have had.
I won't ever waste money on a Poulan again. Don't get a Craftsman either, it's just a rebadged Poulan.
Right. As with other products, there are only a couple saw-manufacturers. They just put different colored plastic on their product, and different decals. Shoot, that's even the case with car batteries.
That said, I really do think that your needs often determine what you buy. I'd love to have a Husqvarna, but I cannot justify it for what I do. I can buy several good DeWalt woodworking tools for what that chainsaw would cost, and I'd use them all the time. So low-grade isn't always bad, if you really don't use the tool very much.
Dealing with power cords is a real pain in the rear. I don't have 2 acres of power cords, either.
So, does Home Depot or Lowes sell Husky or Stihl?
I'm not sure which one I was at when I looked at Echo. But, I guess I'd fall into the category of a weekend warrior.
Are the Echo's at all good for someone like me??? And, about the self oiler feature. I'm not talking about 2 cycle... (at least that's not what I thought I was reading) I thought it was to do with self oiling the blade as you use it. I could be badly mistaken, though. I have never purchased one before.
Dealing with power cords is a real pain in the rear. I don't have 2 acres of power cords, either.
So, does Home Depot or Lowes sell Husky or Stihl?
I'm not sure which one I was at when I looked at Echo. But, I guess I'd fall into the category of a weekend warrior.
Are the Echo's at all good for someone like me??? And, about the self oiler feature. I'm not talking about 2 cycle... (at least that's not what I thought I was reading) I thought it was to do with self oiling the blade as you use it. I could be badly mistaken, though. I have never purchased one before.
Chainsaws are 2-cycle, which means you have to mix the oil into the gas. The bar oiler is a different thing. It automatically keeps your chain oiled as you're using it.
I don't know anything about Echo saws, but I see that they do sell them at Home Depot. Lowes sells Husqvarna, but it appears that they're just a touch more expensive.
I'm guessing that either of those brands would be perfectly fine for you. A 16" bar is pretty typical for the normal user.
All I know is that everyone around here has a Stihl (steel). Don't know what model would suit your needs. My son went to a college where one of the majors was timber harvesting and those guys only had Stihl.
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