Did somebody say get a Sthil and never look back? (although I do have an 084 AV in the garage with a 48" and a 72" bar and chain!Not bad but not my first choice either!) That said, Having a 16" bar does not exclude you from cutting a log that is twice the length. You just have to follow proper technique. And oh yeah, bigger bars fit on most saws!! Keep it razor or you don't deserve having one in the first place. A 40cc will pull a 20 -24" no problem. The only reason the Factory sticks a certain size bar is for a liability buffer, if it can pull chips at full power run what it can handle! (don't forget skip chain!)



As for Baileys they are quite excellent!! Always glad to see other folks who use them!


Get the Husky, If you want more saw still get a Husky, Poulans are trash, McCullough has gone down hill, as has Hoemlite. Jon sered is still good as are Echos, Sthils are heavy for the power but they are good saws.

If you want a good saw but more than a 137 get the 455 Rancher. Its better than the Stihl Farm Boss IMO. And it will do what you want! Course, you could always shell out for a 3120 and slap a 16" bar on it!


Get the HUSKY!

 

Well, I didn't go with the Husky 137, I got the 142 from Lowes for $199.
There is alot of plastic there.
The bar looks awful short.

 

Keep in mind that Husqvarna (since the spin off from Electrolux) owns both Poulan and Jonsered. There are several discussions on other forums that have stated that the lower grade Husky's (450, 445 and 455 series) use shared parts with the Poulan Pro series saws. The Poulan Pro series are also rebadged as Craftsmen saws too I think. Not sure if the Jonsered brands share any parts with Poulan.

The XP and XPG models do not share any parts with the Poulan brand and are considered "commercial grade" Loggers saws. I have both a 359 (59cc) and 357XP (57cc). Both are great saws. The 359 is a commercial grade saw but is a little heavier than the 357XP. The 359 revs a little slower but has a little more torque. The 357 revs faster and has more hp as a result. If I'm felling, I typically grab the 359. If I'm cuttin all day, I grab the 357.

I can also remember when McCulloch actually had decent saws. This was before the 610 disaster as well as the 310 Eager Beaver or whatever it was called. We had a Mac710 or 700 can't remember for sure but is was an awsome saw. You could sink it bar deep into red oak and never stall it! It had no safties at all. No chain brake or anything!

Also find it funny that Homelite has a Powerstroke engine that they can't keep running either

 

Don't worry about the plastic, it makes the saw lighter.
If you've got an 18" bar, you've got enough to do some serious work
Bars are cheap, you can go bigger if you want.
I just cut up some downed eucalyptus from a recent storm, with that toy Echo I've got with a 14" bar, (lots of branches) and easily got a cord of wood
You'll be happy with that Husky.
Most guys I know that cut any kind of wood have more than one saw.
You don't want to sling around a big *** kickin' saw for fence work, or limbing

 

The saw has the 16" bar and looking thru the literature (yea, I actually read that stuff), It looks like I can get a 14", 16", or 18" bar for the saw.

As far as PPE, I have everything except the chaps. Thats on my list soon.
I think Im going to get one more chain for the 16" bar before I look at a longer bar.
How much difference will two inches make?

 

I happen to be a small engine mechanic certified in Stihl, Husqvarna, Echo, and more. I sell firewood on the side. With that being said, If I had to choose a new saw it would be between a Stihl or a Husqvarna. Most people buy a saw because of the name and think they are getting a great saw, but they often get a saw because of the price instead of the features. It is my personal opinion that a 20 inch bar and 3/8 chain is the way to go for firewood. In the Huqvarna line the 455 is a great saw and is a topof the line homeowner model, but it gets used by alot of tree removal people. Most of the saws smaller than a 455 are made by Poulan and the ones bigger than a 455 only get better. As far as Stihl goes, anywhere from a MS-290 to a MS-390 Is a good higher end homeowner saw. I use a Husqvarna 372xp and a Stihl 046 magnum. Some might say these saws are overkill for cutting firewood ,but i that is what works for me. I work on all kinds of saws every day and i operate saws, so I know what holds up and what doesn't. Once again this is my personal opinion and is not meant to step on any toes. I would keep the dealer in mind because he will look out for you as a customer. The big box stores only care about the $$$ and they don't have a technician on duty to handle any problems you may or may not have.

 

For what its worth I bought a polan wild thing saw last winter for packing on my horses cutting trail and building fence well this little saw has surprised me the times I have used it too cut wood with it runs smooth as silk which is really surprising that its only a 45cc or 50cc saw

 

As a Power equipment retail store owner I can tell you ya it probably isnt bad for the $$$. But since i am a STIHL dealer I would recommend spending a few extra greens and go with a STIHL. Remember though that no matter what brand you get, it is still a $179 saw, and there is only so much that money will buy,"you get what you pay for..
Be careful and have fun

 

Those are some big saws, I would definately recomend at least a 290 with an 18" bar. But like you said most people are more price consious than really getting what they need...The reason i like stihl a little more than Husky, is that it is a lot easier to get parts for a Stihl than a Husky, over 8000 dealers in th US alone. The last thing anybody wants is to have a saw break in the middle of a job, and then not be able to find parts.JMO

 

I completly agree. Husky is a bit pushy. They want a dealer to cary the entire line and not just chainsaws.( which is the only thing they make thats worth having.)

Its good to see another outdoor power equipment person on here.

 

Yes, i bought based on price.
If price wasn't an object, I would just have a load of firewood delivered.

My goal was the most saw for about $200.
I was considering the Poulan Wild thing, but with the reports of pour reliability, I crossed that one out.

 

That Husky that you bought will be good for you. Very reliable and good power for the size. Quite a few people on here have suggested doing business with Bailey's and I think its a good idea. They've got everything you need for your chainsaw.

Scott

 

The only thing I have had wrong with my poulan is the oiler went out but thats small potatoes. my main reason going this route is i did not expect much out of the saw but i bought it for if my horse rolled down the cliff i would not loose a expensive saw and also for building fence you don't need a power house i have all dads sthill 056 mags from when we were logging before the mill shut down but i have been pleasantly surprised at the power with this little guy i honestly thinking i could move it too a 20inch bar before it cant keep up with the chain.

 

You'll be fine with that 16" bar for an all around saw
You can limb with it, and cut good size rounds with it, fix a fence with it
When you're limbing, a bar too long may get you into trouble, always keep an eye on the end of the bar when you're into brushy limbs, it's the tip catching on something that causes the saw to ride up and kick back.
If you get into being Paul Bunyon, get another big boy saw, with a huge bar, for those big rounds that you can't even lift onto the splitter...
Then you could put a 14" bar on this saw for limbing/pruning.
I don't know what kind of places you guys have, but sometimes I'm on a ladder doing some pruning, and that's when I want a saw that I can use with one hand...These saws have the handle/trigger on top, not in back
I think you will be happy with your choice.
By the way...you don't need another chain, one chain will last a long time..and I've never seen a guy wearing chaps cutting wood...a pair of shotguns would be nice, but aren't cheap...your pants will, however, get full of sawdust.

 

Well, there is a mostly dead hickory in my aunts back yard, I guess I could go try out my new saw. Its probably 12" diameter so nothing too big.

Asside from not leaving fuel in the tank and carb, anything else I should do after each use?

Also, the manaul doesn't specify much on fuel, other than warning E85 may attract moisture. Is E85 ok other than the irony of running an environmentally friendly fuel in a 2 stroke engine?
Does a 2 stroke engine need premium fuel or high octane?