What are the better brands of chainsaws? For standard home use what length chain arm do I want?

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6 Responses to “What are the better brands of chainsaws? For standard home use what length chain arm do I want?”

gringomasloco says:

August 11, 2009 at 4:48 pm

Lots of loggers and people who heat their homes with wood around here. You see way more Stihls than anything else. Stay away from the cheapie consumer grade saws.

As for bar length, it depends on how you’re going to be using it, but 24" is a good length for general use. Less if you’ll be using it in tight spaces.
iceman55mew says:

August 11, 2009 at 4:48 pm

Stihl, with out a doubt…if you just need it for home use, then you don’t need anything larger than a 16" bar on it..trust me, I have many people who cut firewood and this is what keeps me going in the winter time. The larger the bar, (longer) the less power your saw will have..I don’t know what kind of trees or wood you will be cutting?..but, go to your local Stihl Dealer and they will certainly help you…they have the homeowners series…but, I would suggest nothing larger than the MS290 ..
If you know anything about stihl?..this used to be the 029..same saw…do, follow their directions..they will service it out and show you how to use it…this is why stihl is not in the box stores like the cheaper saws…always keep the fuel tank empty when you are through using it, and do not put old gas/fuel mix in it…Trust me on this..I am a dealer of this product, and if you will call information in your area?..or go to gasoline engines in your local phone book and they will have sales and service dealers listed in your area…call and find out who the shihl dealer is…they will help you in every way…one suggestion?..buy at least 3 chains when you buy the saw…one will come with it…and depending on your area?..they may have a sale..we will be having a sale soon..always do this time of year…Good luck!…Need help, let me know…
Northy says:

August 11, 2009 at 4:48 pm

Jonsered, Husquavarna, and Stihl are the big names in chainsaws that aren’t in the ‘throw away’ catagory. There’s also Dolmar, and Partner. The latter two are less known, but Dolmar was one of the original manufactures of saws. These are, for the most part high end saws. As long as you stay away from the lower ’smaller’ models, like their entry level saws (jonsered I believe is a 2137, and husquavarna has an identical counterpart-husquavarna and jonsered saws are produced by the same manufacturer-husquavarna) The entry level saws are actually manufactured by either homelite or poulan. It all depends on what you’re intending to use it for. The nicer saws, in the 50 cc range, will cost you anywhere between $375- $500. You can buy a couple of the $99 special Poulan, McCullah, or Homelite saws for that much. What I’m getting at is if you only plan on cutting down the occasional branch or tree, and not actually ‘depending’ on the saw to provide you with firewood, then I’d save the cash and just buy a department store chainsaw. Otherwise, there’s no substitute for a good saw if you actually ‘need’ it.

I personally have 2 Jonsereds, a 52 cc, and a 63 cc. The smaller has a 16" bar, and the larger one I only run a 20" bar, though it came with a 24". I cut roughly 20 cord of wood a year to heat my house, garage, and shop, and I’ve had both saws for almost 4 years now without a bit of trouble. Most importantly is the maintenance. Keep your chain tight, never run it out of bar oil, use good oil in your mixed gas(I use either Jonsered, Husquavarna, or stihl oil-nothing else). On colder days it’s a good idea to use lighter oil in your bar oiler (I’m talking below freezing) like motor oil, or thin out some bar and chain oil with diesel fuel. Hope this helps!
AJ says:

August 11, 2009 at 4:48 pm

Skil about 16 to 18 inch.
Grant M says:

August 11, 2009 at 4:48 pm

Mc Culloch 18 inch… great saw and easy to worik on…. Good luck Grant M in Pennsylvania
EB says:

August 11, 2009 at 4:48 pm

Stihl 16"or18"…….for a lower cost, yet durable Craftsman