Recommend me a used Stihl saw
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Jon1270
Minister of Fire
I've never used one. I've read that they were great saws for their day, but they're prone to ignition problems and the necessary replacement parts are unavailable. The consensus seems to be that they're neat to have, but one shouldn't pay a lot for one.
jeffesonm
Minister of Fire
Just be patient, check CL constantly and you can find yourself a nice 036 or equivalent in your price range. I have an 036 w/20" bar and it's perfect.No need to feel bad. This is a great discussion and very helpful.
I agree that a lot of the nicer used saws on CL seem to be ridiculously priced. I will just have to keep checking and hope for a good deal on an 036 or similar. I'd consider a Farm Boss but not for $300 which is what I seem to see them going for. And if I see a good deal on an 026 or MS260 then I can always sell off my MS250....uh oh, what are the warning signs for CAD
bassJAM
Feeling the Heat
Maybe I misspoke with those those words, should have used "chainsaw obsessed". I just get irritated occasionally when I'm cutting with a friend, or some random person, who tells me their 290 Farm Boss pulls a 20" chain like nothing through 36" oak and asks why I'd waste my money on a "puny" 260 or a "crappy" Husky 550xp when I could have a Stihl and that's all farmers and arborists use and they only buy the best and blah, blah, blah.
The 290 is a good saw and would serve many of us fine. Just like a Toyota will get you back and forth to work just fine. Some people just prefer to drive back and forth in a Lexus though.
D8Chumley
Minister of Fire
Way back earlier in this thread, or maybe another one, I admitted my 290 would run out of power in hard wood with the 20" bar and thats why I upgraded to the 391. I agree it served me well for 3 years and I don't regret buying it and it will serve most well. I will also admit I do bust on my buddies with Huskys but thats all in good fun, back and forth. I was cutting with my 290 one day and one of my buddies with a Husky 395 (95cc?) was making me look I was using a bow saw. I accused him of cheating of course
Jon1270
Minister of Fire
The right tool is very much dependent on context. If you only have one saw, it probably makes more sense for it to be a little overmatched on the biggest trees you're likely to cut, than it would for it to be oversized for the majority of what you cut. I have an 064 that I bought as a wreck and fixed up. It's fun to play with, but as an occasional cutter it's silly for me to keep it so it will probably hit eBay before long. I currently have an MS361 and an 036 Pro that are both really nice general-purpose saws. I'll probably sell the 036 too, and keep the 361, not because it's a better saw (it's not) but but because it's quieter; I live in a fairly densely populated area. If I could only have one other saw, it would probably be a little one rather than a big monster. I have to lop off branches and cut small-diameter stuff for which the 361 is overkill a lot more often than I have to dice up a 30" trunk.
I bought a 395xp solely for the purpose of cutting a bunch of 30"+ oak logs on my in-law's farm this past fall. It took me about 4-5 hours and all the logs are now bucked, but for some reason I can't bring myself to sell the saw. One of these days I will I guess. It's more saw then I will probably ever need again but was perfect for the task at hand. What was even crazier was switching from the 395xp to the MS261. It makes the 261 feel like a feather.
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