Ok, I'm looking to buy a new chain saw in the next few weeks. It will be used for cutting a little firewood for deer season and clearing roads after storms (vol ff) and occasional blown over tree @ the farm. I'm looking @ the Stihl ms260 and the Husky 353 with 18" bar. Both have about the same power, but I think I can get the Husky about $100 cheaper. "But" we have a local dealer for Stihl, and he also services them too. We have a husky dealer about 30 mi away. Without starting brand wars, please help me decide.[duhhh]

I love my husky. I've had it for 8-9 years and I've never had it in for repairs. A new chain and spark plug occasionally is all it ever needed.

You'll be very happy with either imo.

You'll be very happy with either imo.
I was gonna say the same thing, I love my Echo, people are rarely unhappy with any of the big names.

Local service can be real nice though.

I cut ALOT of firewood, about 30-40 cords a year with my buddy who sells it and I also had a wood eating outdoor boiler up intil last year ( thank God i got rid of that thing ) But, I have had the same Stihl for the past 10 years and it hasn't missed a beat.

Get the husqvarna. We have 5 husqvarna. We use them for cutting fire wood for the winter and clearing fence lines. They have all worked great and are easy to start. As for service you could probably due 95% of the service your self . and it would be cheaper then taking it some where. And i would bet that the stihl dealer would service pretty much any kind of band you took there.

I have used both and like both. I bought a Husky 351 because I knew the guy that sold them and he gave me a better deal. Both the dealers are within a mile from each other so distance was no consideration for me. I have had my Husky for 5 years and cut about 6 or so cords a year I have gone through a few chains and one bar and done some maintenance it still works great. Stil owners will also tell you how well their machines work. Tell the Stil dealer you can get a Husky for $100.00 less and see if he can move on his price or throw in a few extra chains or something. A closer dealer would be better.

John

have to say stihl. my dad and grandfather have always heated with wood and they have had about every saw you can think of. including a few stihl's that pap has had since my dad was a kid hes 50 now never a minutes trouble with any of them.

I agree with hammily, for someone like a vol ff you need your saw. Service is key if something goes wrong, I personally am not bias on either but I do know with the 260pro or the ms 290 farm boss you can get carbide chains from the dealer. You being a fireman you may use your saw for car rescue or a structure fire. The carbide chains cut brick and steel so think of this during your purchase. Another thing to consider is warranty, they come with it are they the same? If I remember right the 260 and 260pro are tipping the scales at 10.3 pounds while the farmboss is 13.7 or so. Dont know the weights of the others but get one that you are comfortable with, trust me its worth the money if the light ones are more money!! IMO anyway

Gotta say Stihl. I've been a firefighter for over 20 years, about twelve years ago we bought some Huskies, they couldn't take the abuse that the Stihl's could. I've had my Stihl for 9 years, never an issue.

Local service is a plus.

There are LOTS of loggers on the coast that earn their livings with both. You will get years of service from either, if you can save $100 on a husky........

And i would bet that the stihl dealer would service pretty much any kind of band you took there.

Yeah, he works on all of them. And I kinda like spending my money local when I can.


Quote> Tell the Stil dealer you can get a Husky for $100.00 less and see if he can move on his price or throw in a few extra chains or something. A closer dealer would be better.


I was thinking of that too. I have bought a few items from him, and sometimes he cuts me a little slack. Talked to him breifly Mon but he was sold out of the 260, and I didn't want to special order one.


Last yr a buddy helped me cut and split (he has a wood splitter) camp wood, And I used his Sthil 026 some (same as 260) and man was that thing sweet!

Decisions, decisions[laugh]

Yup, either one. I prefer my Stihl 32 (also have a 29) but a couple of other guys I know have the Husky's. One of them is rough on his (using used oil for bar oil, not getting his mix right etc.) but it keeps working. My Stihl seems to start better in the cold but I am prejudiced.

I was gonna say the same thing, I love my Echo, people are rarely unhappy with any of the big names.

Ditto on the Echo. The quality is right up there with the big two. I was gonna buy a Husky until their local dealer did some warranty work for me on another product. The guy turned out to be a real "Richard," so he lost a sale, and I went looking for another brand and ended up with an Echo. Couldn't be happier.

Both brands are great saws. The most important thing to remember is keeping a sharp chain on them. i have been sharpening my own chains since about ten years old (dad cut firewood and i would sharpen chains on the saws while he cut with another saw.) Nothing worse than trying to cut a nice piece of hard wood and seeing lil small chips instead of the nice big chips of a sharp blade. A sharp blade redueces the strain on the saw and lowers the amount of work on your part to cut the wood.[coffee]

My STHIL farm boss is 27 years old, still runs great,
BUT, Do not know if they have been " Made Cheaper"

Always thought Germans made good stuff, untill I owned a VP44
????? Does Husky make an Inj Pump ?????

oh....no the chainsaw argument haha it's like arguing about the brand of truck you like isn't it[laugh]anyway i love my stihl i wouldn't trade it for a husky. My only complaint about the stihl if you get ur starting procedure out of order they flood like a freak

If you get a stihl give the extra dough and spring for the easy start I have a new stihl and the easy start is priceless husky probably offers the same option be sure and have the guys show you one before you buy I cant say enough how cool the easy start is.

I have a Husky and a Stihl. Both of them work great. When I bought my Husky I ask the owner of the shop which one he would buy( He sells Husky, Stihl and Jonsered), he said he would buy which ever one was on sale. He sold lots of saws to guys heading out for logging country and he said you cant go wrong with any of the above. I also have a Husky pole saw, Stihl and Echo weedeaters and they all work fine. I think any of these will give you good service.

David

local service .

Go with the Sthil, my dad has had the same one for 20+ years and we did the same thing as you are going to be doing. If my dad would ever give that thing up, I would take it.

I would buy a Lombard....( best saw ever made )...... But seriously, I just went through this after I stuck the cylinder on my beloved Big Red Homelite.

I limited myself to the big 3 available here, Stihl, Husky, and Echo. Was pretty simple in the end, the dealer who sold Echo also sold Husky, and he was pretty adamant about selling me a Husky. I really tried to like it, as it was cheaper than the Stihl, but there was just too much plastic on it for me. I don't baby my saws, they stay in the toolbox of the truck 24/7. ( Hey, you never know when you might have to cut up a body of someone who....nevermind).

I ended up buying a used Stihl 028, great little saw, and after using it most of this summer, I made the right decision.

As others have said though, take any of the big 3 and you could cover the differences with a quarter.

Stihl or Husky is really personal preference. both are great saws!

but which specific models are not. some models like MS 260 are considered pro saws. vs 353 is a consumer saw. Yes there is a difference.

MS 260 equal is really Husky 346, another pro saw.

a 49cc class saw is really too small for anything other than limbing.
go with a mid range saw like Husky 359 or MS 361/036/360.

357 is the pro version for husky. 359 are sold in box stores and gives best bang for $$$. most will need cat muffler gutted for performance.

stihl has the service advantage with dealers' having a requirement to service. vs Husky you don't have near the support network.

both build excellent saws, if you select the correct models.

I've got Stihl 064, 046, 026, 017 (junk). Husky 359, 335xpt for climbing.
really into chainsaws!

switched to 100% wood heat for my house.

I just got a husqavarna 359 today, and it's pretty much a beast. We have a smaller husq and it's nice but needed a bigger bar and some more hp....

My preference is johnsered my dad got me started on them about 7 years ago they will cut circles around ether husky or sthil.

I have a Echo and have worked with Craftman, homelite, and Stihl.

Both the Echo and Sithl's have, what seems like, more compression. The are monsters! I do not now about the Husquvarna, but I will say this. If it is hard to pull the rope cause of compression, then get the one with more.

Also keep the chain sharp. It helps a lot!

good snag! 359 is really a pro saw that a box store sells. if you have the 359E (cat muf), a muffler mod really wakes 359 up.

if you could only have one saw... a 59cc saw is the one to have.

better yet is to have two saws. little/big combo like MS260/MS 460 or 346/372 in husky.

I just got a husqavarna 359 today, and it's pretty much a beast. We have a smaller husq and it's nice but needed a bigger bar and some more hp....

I thought I read on here about someone taking sandpaper and taking away some head material off of there weed-eater. I think that would work for a chain saw, no? :D

Either saw works well, what it boiled down for me was the way the controls worked.

I liked the husky as it appeared simpler. Pull the lever all the way out for choke/high idle, pull the lever out.. push it in for high idle only. There was no fiddling with a finicky lever position. It could all be done without having to concentrate on the saw...

Ok, thanks for all the replys. I went to my "local" Sthil dealer again today and found out that the 260, which was not in stock is a "Pro Series". Well long story short, I bought a ms 290 Farm Boss which has more power than the 260 and was $90 cheaper because it is a farm/ranch saw. It weighs in @ 13lb so I hope it makes short work of my little task. Don't know how long I can tote that sucker. Anyway thanks for the advice. Sounds like there both good saws. Guess now I gotta go cut some firewood.[duhhh]

Oh yea, I got a 18" bar.

good job! MS 290 is a good consumer saw.

now please consider getting a pair of chainsaw chaps. too little is said about importance of safety gear.

chaps are constructed of a material that slows the chain down.

keep that chain sharp! learn to hand sharpen your chain. get the correct sized round file with a holder.

best way to sharpen is clamp chainsaw bar in a vise. then tighten up chain until it barely moves. this removes wiggle while sharpening chain.

must see what you are doing to keep correct angle while filing.

chains sharpened by shops are generally overheated and large amount of tooth is removed. chains lose temper and have short lives when sent in for sharpening...

Yeah, I may check into the chaps! I usually sharpen my little Poulan chainsaw and my Sthil pole pruner 3 or 4 times and take them to the "local" saw shop for him to correct.[laugh] He does them by hand usually while I wait. Sharpening chainsaws is not one of my strong points.[redface] Another reason to buy from him!

I have been a firefighter for 6 years. We have both husky an stihl on various trucks. I know every time I grab a stihl it's gonna start but every time I grab a husky I wonder if it's gonna start.

My dad logged for years and his 1970s stihl 038 still fires up every time it's pulled.

I have been a firefighter for 6 years. We have both husky an stihl on various trucks. I know every time I grab a stihl it's gonna start but every time I grab a husky I wonder if it's gonna start.

My dad logged for years and his 1970s stihl 038 still fires up every time it's pulled.

haha i know what you mean...stihl all the way

brett

I think Stihl is a good brand use to have a FARM BOSS , but my old man has 3 Husqvarna's and they run well, and are comfortable as far as the Vibration Handle Features. But they dont get used that hard either.

got two Huskys and four Stihls... they all start every time.
don't think it's fair to categorize Huskys as being unreliable.

that's a matter of maintenance. just so happens my preference is Stihl. so thats what gets pulled out and used.

do spent a fair bit of time on Arborist Site where discussions like this happens all the time.

not unlike Cummins and Ford Diesels... each has a loyal following.

if I had to call it... Stihl is like a Cummins :D

my youngest brother is a fire fighter, and on the side, he does stump grinding. he bought a husky, (rancher i believe is the model of it), but he hasnt been impressed with it at all. though i can admit that when cutting large stumps down to just about ground level, thats a lot of weight sitting on the bar and front sprocket, but he's had numerous starting problems and has had it in the shop about 7 different times in the last 2 years. more than any of our stihls. we do have an old mccullough. now that thing is a monster, but it just about viberates your hand off. but if you stay up on the maintenance on them, they should last all right. i dont like all the plastic on the husy's though.

got two Huskys and four Stihls... they all start every time.
don't think it's fair to categorize Huskys as being unreliable.

that's a matter of maintenance. just so happens my preference is Stihl. so thats what gets pulled out and used.

do spent a fair bit of time on Arborist Site where discussions like this happens all the time.

not unlike Cummins and Ford Diesels... each has a loyal following.

if I had to call it... Stihl is like a Cummins :D

i can count on a stihl to start everytime ive needed it at work. the husky, on the other hand its tempermental. its been the same way since it was new, but it is very finiky. easy to flood and once its warmed up, if you shut it off, good luck getting in running again. i dont like it!

brett

ya know the way I see it all the big names are good saws. I have a echo cst 610evl the two cylinder saw and it's awesome. I also have a husky 3120 and it is a beast too. I have seen some quick cuts by stihl that hold some crazy abuse and still keep going so I'd go with what ever is closest and what ever shop gives you the best service.

I have not got to try it out yet. :( I'm off this weekend, but my daughter wants us to go tour Graceland. We've done it before bit she was only 3. I'm only 5'3 and 140lb so he told me if I use it very little and decide its not what I want I can swap for another saw. The thing weights in @ 13lb, but I really won't be using it that much. The 250 and 290 come with a hard case to boot. I opted for the 18" bar because usually the storms blow down the BIG trees. I'm think I'm gonna be satisified tho.[coffee]

well between the two i prefer stihl

was in the small engine business for 2 years. stihl is better built. less plastic and two piston rings vrs the husky which only uses 1.

parts availability i would take stihl as well.

Make sure your using a proper 2 stroke oil . buy the stihl stuff or even go synthetic if you want. just make sure its for air cooled engines. run at least an 89 octane fuel or higher. keep it as fresh as possible.

dont let the engine idle for too long plugs up the spark arrester. use it at full throttle.

ms260 is a good saw. full proffesional. if your going to cut through thick wood i would recomend stepping up to the 361. stay away from the 290. we sold alot of them this year and have been having a load of problems with them. only happy customers seemed to be the ones cutting small trees once in a blue moon. plus they are heavy.

on the stihl blowers at work, ours started running terrible..turns out the spark arrester was nasty! took it off, and that thing flat out screams..i couldnt believe how big of a diference it made..the thing will wear your arm out before your done blowing off the pad!

brett

Stihl all the way. Used them for years, and like any other tool, with the right maintenance will last forever.

on the stihl blowers at work, ours started running terrible..turns out the spark arrester was nasty! took it off, and that thing flat out screams..i couldnt believe how big of a diference it made..the thing will wear your arm out before your done blowing off the pad!

brett

heres what you do. get a propane torch. hold the spark arrestor with a pair of pliers. heat it up and scrape it off with a wire brush. works like a charm.

stay away from the 290. we sold alot of them this year and have been having a load of problems with them. only happy customers seemed to be the ones cutting small trees once in a blue moon. plus they are heavy.

Now ya tell me. I considered the 270 or 280, but he told me he does not carry them yet as they are new and he's waiting for them to get the bugs out. The ms260 pro is a bit pricy for what I'm doing. Hopefully I can try it out in a couple of weeks and see how it does. All I do is cut 1-2 cord of fire wood for deer camp, and help clear debris after storms. I have a Sthil pole saw for pruning and a small Poulan for really light jobs. Local dealer is great (small town, pop 3,500) and said if I use it "very little" he would take it back and I can choose another. I like small towns!!!!!!!!!!![guitar]

good job! MS 290 is a good consumer saw.

now please consider getting a pair of chainsaw chaps. too little is said about importance of safety gear.

well said. My dad has a 1/8" deep scar across his thigh from that bar kicking back into his leg, with jeans on... growing up I thought that was the coolest scar ever, lol.

heres what you do. get a propane torch. hold the spark arrestor with a pair of pliers. heat it up and scrape it off with a wire brush. works like a charm.

why would i want to do that? i love all the new power its got[guitar]

brett

what model was the saws? fire stations typically use mid sized pro-models like MS 460 or Husky 372 with carbide tooth chains.

don't blame you for feeling that way, proof is in the results.
confidence is earned the old fashion way.

that said.. there must be something wrong with the husky. could be simple as a leaky main seal. if a competent mechanic cannot find it, I'd be pitching back to the Husky dealer. this is not normal for Husky or any other pro-saw.

which gets back Stihl's advantage of only selling saws through dealers that service saws. Stihls costs more, but someone's got to pay for the overhead for service at Stihl dealerships.

i can count on a stihl to start everytime ive needed it at work. the husky, on the other hand its tempermental. its been the same way since it was new, but it is very finiky. easy to flood and once its warmed up, if you shut it off, good luck getting in running again. i dont like it!

brett

Stihl also practices price control. They want you to go to their dealer, who also almost always sells the competitor too, unless it's a chain store, which won't get my saw business. The two dealers close to me have fools in the service dept. and never have wear parts in stock. The dealer I go to knows I drive out of the way and gave me some slack on the saws I've bought, Husky pro series. I have no doubt a Stihl is a good saw, but let the reputation and service bring me back, not delegated service.

Don, I Have A Jon Suret, Have Owned Steel (woods Boss) Good Saw But Really Like My Jonsuret! Its A Real Work Horse, Have A Small Trim Saw Built To Same Specks As Jonsuret , Works Great (especially For Chain Saw Carving) Do A Little Of That ,
Claude

I have an aspen stump I was thinking of turning into a morel. Was also thinking of carving up some large trout this winter in the posts in my kitchen, almost like a totem pole.

Edit.. also when the neighbor witch, road nazi is gone for a day, I thought about carving something x rated in a tree in her driveway, except she'd probably enjoy it.

Yea , She Would Probably Wear It Down To The Size Of A Toothpick!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Claude

I would go sthil only simply because my family is all loggers and all we run were the sthils and its what we know and they have been always loyal saws. Now to bunk the system I have a polan spelling? wild thing and that little saw for what it is runs like a champ I use it when I am packing or riding the horses and clearing cow trails with and it is wood hungry and it runs sweet for the little chepo saw it is. I like using it cause if something happen on the trail I am not out a sthil saw.

The line used to be finer, if you lived in the colder climates the Husky was the best bet. The Stihl's liked the warmer. Now days a rule of thumb is if you personally use the saw alot go stihl they can be a little finicky to tune.
THe husky's are good crew saws, someone always wants to fiddle with the tuning.

why would i want to do that? i love all the new power its got[guitar]

brett

you get the same power with the safety of the screen in place so a chunk of carbon dosen't fly out and start a fire.

Finally put the new 359 husky to work today, and it sliced through the biggest tree I could find like butter. Definently makes collecting firewood alot easier when u can just go slice after slice instead of working on each cut for awhile...

use preimum fuel(91 oct) and stihl or husky mix oil. no beacon,arco or usa fuel. check for ethanol content. THIS IS NOT AN OPTION.
Clark

you get the same power with the safety of the screen in place so a chunk of carbon dosen't fly out and start a fire.

well then there is somthing wrong with ours. there is a huge power difference without the arrestor. and im not to worried about starting a fire[laugh], i bet we could handle that situation

seriously though, it will make your arm get tired, we have 5 other ones and this one is by far more powerful

and im talking about our backpack blower...sorry if any confusion

brett

so removing the spark arrestor is worth it? It would probably void the warrenty though right? Never thought i'd worry about voiding the warrenty trying to bomb a chainsaw, lol.

so removing the spark arrestor is worth it? It would probably void the warrenty though right? Never thought i'd worry about voiding the warrenty trying to bomb a chainsaw, lol.

you can easily pop it back in. it has a compression type clamp on it...the one you squish w/ plyers, then it just slides out...thats how it works in our blower...and let me tell you...that thing will blow your socks off now! i didnt realize how restrictive it was...maybe i need some gauges before i add nitrous

brett

reducing restriction on muffler is the easiest gain you can do.

taking off muffler screen is a good first step. be sure and adjust carb mixture after any changes.

most muffler mods consists of adding a second port. don't exceed 85% of exhaust port opening in total volume out. again mixture will lean, so be sure and adjust.

expect a 15-20% HP increase from a simple muffler mod.

so removing the spark arrestor is worth it? It would probably void the warrenty though right? Never thought i'd worry about voiding the warrenty trying to bomb a chainsaw, lol.