I'm looking to get an affordable chainsaw for moderate to light duty. I was looking at the husky450 or 450E. It will be mostly used for felling a few trees a year and cutting for firewood. Like I said i'm trying to keep it under $400.00, and I doubt it will get more then 5-10 hours of use a year. I was just curious if anybody has expierence with this saw, or if someone has a better alternative they would recommend for a decent firewood saw. Thanks a lot
newbie saw buyer???
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If you are only gonna use it 5-10 hours a year, you could get a 142 husky for around $200-$225 it is the home owner model it has 16" bar but I do most of my cutting with it, an I do have some bigger "better" saws. it has a great vibration damper system so you can still feel your hands after a few tanks in a day.
It might be worth hitting some of your saw shops for good used pro-grade saws. Probably one of the first things I would say to look at is how big a round you think you'll need to be able to cut - this will determine your needed bar size. While in theory you can cut a log up to 2x the length of the bar, I find that from a practical standpoint 150 to 175% of the bar length is a better size guide (i.e. figure a 20" bar for a 30" log) More than that starts getting tricky to make the cuts line up... Then look for the engine size to match the bar - no matter what the dealer may claim, figure that you should get around 3-4cc of engine for each inch of bar length.
There is a long running arguement about pro-saws vs. home-owner grade saws for the light use cutter - Essentially it boils down to homeowner saws tending to be heavier, less powerful, and harder / more expensive to fix than the equivalent pro-saws, and how much extra the better features of a pro-saw are worth... I feel that getting a decent used pro-saw is probably a better value than a new homeowner grade saw.
One especially good value if you can find one is the used rental saws from Home Depot - They tend to be Makita 6400's which is a Dolmar in a blue suit, and is an excellent pro-grade saw in it's own right although a bit heavy for a 64cc saw. However you can, for fairly short money, drop the piston and cylinder from a Dolmar 7900 on the saw and have an 80cc screamer for short bucks...
Lastly, whatever you decide to get for a saw, don't forget to budget for your safety gear as well - Chainsaw boots, chaps, gloves, and a loggers helmet / muff / visor combo should be the least you should get.
Gooserider
There is a long running arguement about pro-saws vs. home-owner grade saws for the light use cutter - Essentially it boils down to homeowner saws tending to be heavier, less powerful, and harder / more expensive to fix than the equivalent pro-saws, and how much extra the better features of a pro-saw are worth... I feel that getting a decent used pro-saw is probably a better value than a new homeowner grade saw.
One especially good value if you can find one is the used rental saws from Home Depot - They tend to be Makita 6400's which is a Dolmar in a blue suit, and is an excellent pro-grade saw in it's own right although a bit heavy for a 64cc saw. However you can, for fairly short money, drop the piston and cylinder from a Dolmar 7900 on the saw and have an 80cc screamer for short bucks...
Lastly, whatever you decide to get for a saw, don't forget to budget for your safety gear as well - Chainsaw boots, chaps, gloves, and a loggers helmet / muff / visor combo should be the least you should get.
Gooserider
If you want a Husky for $400 try to find a Husky/Jonsored dealer. Jonsored is essentially the same saw with a few upgrades over Husquvarna. Kind of like a Lexus and Toyota. They have a trade in program going on right now. I hit a tag sale and picked up an old saw for $5, not running. Ended up spending around $400 for a Jonsored 2255 which is a Husky 455 Rancher. You might not need a 56cc saw but do you want a 56 cc saw. They also have a 50cc saw for about the same that is more of a professional grade (steel case vs plastic). Either one will last you a lifetime.
Just throwing this out there, but take a look at the Dolmar 5100s
It's a very good saw in the $400 range.
It's a very good saw in the $400 range.
I have no experience with a dolmar saw but I have used a husqvarna quite a bit and currently own a stihl 029 farmboss i dont know that I could say one brand between the two is better than the other but both are exeptional saws. I picked up my 029 farmboss 56cc saw at a local pawn shop for $125 only thing ive had to do to it is replace the fuel line(%@#$ Ethanol) It rocks pretty hard but i really just want to cut some trees with that 100cc stihl :coolgrin:
Some of the Tractor Supply stores are selling the Poulan 330 for $200.
54cc and built with a vert. split mag. case. It's a good deal on a good saw. The last(?) of the good Poulans.
54cc and built with a vert. split mag. case. It's a good deal on a good saw. The last(?) of the good Poulans.
Thanks for the quick replies guys, I think this week I'll stop by the dealers and look for a decent used jobber. Seems like it might be the best bet for me.
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