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Equipment & Gear => Power Equipment & RV => Topic started by: Machias on August 12, 2025, 05:28:06 PM

Title: Chainsaws
Post by: Machias on August 12, 2025, 05:28:06 PM: What is your favorite Chainsaw make, model and size of bar for your ATV/UTV/Snowmobile/truck? In the market. Thanks!
Title: Re: Chainsaws
Post by: 92xj on August 12, 2025, 08:09:59 PM: I’m really enjoying my stihl 180cbe. The new start pull deal is pretty freaking nice. Barely a tug and the thing fires right up. No more on the ground, hold with foot and yang to hell, soft slow tug while standing up and it fires up.
Title: Re: Chainsaws
Post by: treefarmer on August 12, 2025, 08:20:44 PM: I have the Stihl 022 electric and I really like it. Got a battery charger that runs off the truck Can’t run all day obviously but for most of the stuff I run into across a road it’s perfect.
Title: Re: Chainsaws
Post by: hughjorgan on August 12, 2025, 08:34:45 PM: Husky rancher with 20” bar or a Stihl farm boss 20” bar for the truck
Title: Re: Chainsaws
Post by: jrebel on August 12, 2025, 08:42:55 PM: Two years ago....I would have vomited admitting / saying this!! :chuckle: I now carry a Milwaukee Hatchet 8" chainsaw with me at all time when in the hills. I love how small it is and the fact I don't have to carry any fuel. I carry a 6ah battery and a small water bottle with extra bar oil. These little saws are mighty and with sharp chains will cut more than anyone could imagine. The battery will last a long time. We cut trail at the cabin using these things and can run them for 8 hours w/out having to replace the battery.

I'm looking real hard at the Milwaukee chainsaw with the 16" bar....solely for the longer bar length.

I also carry an 18" Stihl in the back of my truck for larger jobs......though it rarely gets used anymore.
Title: Re: Chainsaws
Post by: lewy on August 12, 2025, 08:47:55 PM: If your expectations are realistic the e-saws are pretty slick for small work, I was a skeptic as well but they work
Title: Re: Chainsaws
Post by: elksnout on August 12, 2025, 08:59:37 PM: Stihl 044 with 28” bar. Bought new so many years ago. Still runs hard and strong and still heating my home. I wouldn’t trade that saw for anything.

elksnout
Title: Re: Chainsaws
Post by: teanawayslayer on August 12, 2025, 09:06:37 PM: I run the ms311 with a 25” bar for wood cutting and have a little 16” stihl not sure of the model that I carry when trail riding. Electric saws are slick but definitely lack power and run out of batteries. Kinda like and electric car. I’ll never own one of them either :chuckle:
Title: Re: Chainsaws
Post by: elkaholic123 on August 12, 2025, 09:43:30 PM: I have had a Stihl 034 AV Super for 30 years, never let me down!
Title: Re: Chainsaws
Post by: huntnnw on August 12, 2025, 09:49:15 PM: I carry a stihl 20” farm boss everytime in the mountains. I also bought an electric stihl and it works awesome on the smaller stuff
Title: Re: Chainsaws
Post by: highside74 on August 12, 2025, 10:01:45 PM: So are you asking specifically for what guys like for their truck/atv saw incase we have to cut our way through a blow down or cut some road side firewood for camp?

I used to carry an 021 with a 16 in bar, now I have a 250 with an 18 inch bar. Both have been great saws.

If you are asking one saw do everything would be a 261 with a 20 or 361 with a 20-25.
Title: Re: Chainsaws
Post by: EnglishSetter on August 12, 2025, 10:42:01 PM: 1 of each.

YUGE difference between clearing a small trail or some camp wood vs heating your home.

I have a little 18" Echo that has been good to me. Infrequent use and I used the canned gas mix.
Title: Re: Chainsaws
Post by: birdshooter1189 on August 13, 2025, 06:37:38 AM: Get the lightest/smallest chainsaw that will do the work you need to do.

I have a stihl 440 (28" bar), 362 (20" bar), and 024(18" bar). The 024 gets used 4 times as much as the other two combined.

I spent several years working for a tree service company and I like running big saws. But running big saws for small jobs just wears you out unnecessarily.

I was skeptical about electric for many years. I've heard a lot of good reviews and recently tried a little one and was quite impressed. I'm looking at getting a dewalt 20v handheld pruning chainsaw (8") and a 60v dewalt electric chainsaw with a 16-20" bar.
Title: Re: Chainsaws
Post by: b23 on August 13, 2025, 07:00:10 AM: I wouldn't say it is a direct replacement for a chainsaw but I have a Milwaukee M18 Fuel Hackzall that goes in the Jeep and SxS. I've got these 15in curved wood blades I use in it and that thing has impressed the he!! out of me with what it will all do. This spring there was a good size blow down, probably 20-24in dia, that was across a road we were on and the length and way it was positioned I couldn't winch it out of the way so I had to cut it off on the high side then winch it off to the side. I thought it would either take forever or my battery would go dead before I got it cut off but it buzzed right through it. The Milwaukee's Forge batteries are impressive too.

For small gas chainsaws I've had a Stihl 026 and 034 for 25+ years both have been great saws.
Title: Re: Chainsaws
Post by: boneaddict on August 13, 2025, 10:12:04 AM: Quote from: elksnout on August 12, 2025, 08:59:37 PM
Stihl 044 with 28” bar. Bought new so many years ago. Still runs hard and strong and still heating my home. I wouldn’t trade that saw for anything.

elksnout
Stihl really put out some great saws during this timeframe, this being one of them.
Title: Re: Chainsaws
Post by: Machias on August 13, 2025, 10:55:34 AM: AWESOME replies, thank you very much. This will just be for trail clearing, NOT for home heating. I'll have to look into the electrical ones, never even considered one of those.
Title: Re: Chainsaws
Post by: HntnFsh on August 13, 2025, 11:00:39 AM: Bought 1 of these last year. Incredible little saw that runs on M18 batteries. Cut hard dry maple up to 8 or 9 inches like it was nothing. Made several cuts on 1 battery.
Would buy it again in a heartbeat! This one is $12 cheaper than when I bought it. They sell one with 2 batteries and a charger for $100. Anybody that thinks a batteey powered chainsaw doesn't have enough power hasn't run 1 in a long time!
Title: Re: Chainsaws
Post by: HntnFsh on August 13, 2025, 11:08:04 AM: They make them with bars up to 14". If you have bigger batteries I think they would be great. They make them to use with Dewalt, Makita etc. Batteries also.
Title: Re: Chainsaws
Post by: Machias on August 13, 2025, 11:14:08 AM: :tup: :tup: :tup:
Title: Re: Chainsaws
Post by: rainshadow1 on August 13, 2025, 11:22:43 AM: Hey Fred, I have the Milwaukee Fuel cordless stuff, but not the chainsaw. Thinking about it, just to get another charger and battery(ies), but I use the recip saw a lot. (No leaking bar oil!)

I have the Hart 40v cordless chainsaw from WalMart, and I'm impressed with it for what it's for. It will fall, limb, and buck up one tree, (14" dia, 30' high) on one battery, but that's about it.

I wouldn't plan on brushing a whole road/trail with them, they just don't get enough done per charge. (That is, unless you're budgeting your energy to one or two batteries per session!) But if you're just looking to clear a blowdown out of your way and keep 4x4'ing, I would use the cordless first. So extremely convenient.

I have one of the Husquavarna's that they made for Homer Homewowner use, and I'm very happy with it. I wouldn't go out and do a firewood business with it, but to go take a few trees, it's been super. I love it. Only a couple hundred too.
Title: Re: Chainsaws
Post by: trophyhunt on August 13, 2025, 12:30:33 PM: Not sure the model but those sthil climbing saws (little guys but crap ton of speed) are pretty bad azz for the quad.
Title: Re: Chainsaws
Post by: Angry Perch on August 13, 2025, 01:05:34 PM: Quote from: 92xj on August 12, 2025, 08:09:59 PM
I’m really enjoying my stihl 180cbe. The new start pull deal is pretty freaking nice. Barely a tug and the thing fires right up. No more on the ground, hold with foot and yang to hell, soft slow tug while standing up and it fires up.

That's funny. I bought a 171 for little stuff around the place, and the "Easy2Start" is the one thing I can't stand. Maybe just old habits...
Title: Re: Chainsaws
Post by: pickardjw on August 13, 2025, 01:17:04 PM: I got the Dewalt 20V Max 12-Inch Chainsaw to keep in the truck for clearing trails. Already have Dewalt everything else for power tools. Works great on a 5Ah battery.

Project Farm has some great videos comparing different electric models to each other and to gas saws. His videos are very well done.

https://www.youtube.com/@ProjectFarm/search?query=Chainsaw
Title: Re: Chainsaws
Post by: birdshooter1189 on August 13, 2025, 01:29:04 PM: Quote from: HntnFsh on August 13, 2025, 11:00:39 AM
Bought 1 of these last year. Incredible little saw that runs on M18 batteries. Cut hard dry maple up to 8 or 9 inches like it was nothing. Made several cuts on 1 battery.
Would buy it again in a heartbeat! This one is $12 cheaper than when I bought it. They sell one with 2 batteries and a charger for $100. Anybody that thinks a batteey powered chainsaw doesn't have enough power hasn't run 1 in a long time!

I bought a dewalt battery version of this about 6 months ago for ~$60. I was very impressed with it for about 45 minutes of use, until the teeth on the drive gear and the sprocket gear disintegrated. I used it to fell, limb, and buck up about a dozen trees, hemlock, pine, and doug fir; 1"-5" diameter, and about 30' tall. I think the off-brand used poor quality steel for the gears. I plan to get the actual dewalt model soon ($200 on amazon), expecting that the gears will hold up much better.
Title: Re: Chainsaws
Post by: HntnFsh on August 13, 2025, 01:59:47 PM: That's a bummer. Ive run mine through the ringer on a lot of stuff that's probably bigger than I should be using it on. It's been flawless!
Title: Re: Chainsaws
Post by: timberhunter on August 13, 2025, 03:09:43 PM: I’ve got a stihl 180 that has been a great saw so far. I’ve cut and sold 4 to 6 cords of wood a year with it for the last several years. Nice compact light saw and was only $200 new. We have a couple dewalt saws at work but haven’t used them enough to decide if I like them or not. The 180 is a lot more saw.
Title: Re: Chainsaws
Post by: Kingofthemountain83 on August 13, 2025, 05:18:24 PM: Stihl MS 170 20" has been getting our camp wood and cleared a couple down trees for us since 2008... Replaced the coil last year after it wouldn't fire... Replaced a couple chains too... I'm not the best at sharpening...
Title: Re: Chainsaws
Post by: Bob33 on August 13, 2025, 05:24:30 PM: Quote from: 92xj on August 12, 2025, 08:09:59 PM
I’m really enjoying my stihl 180cbe. The new start pull deal is pretty freaking nice. Barely a tug and the thing fires right up. No more on the ground, hold with foot and yang to hell, soft slow tug while standing up and it fires up.
I have that same saw and love it. I used it at a work party a few weeks ago to down and buck trees. I ran it for about five hours with no issues other than refueling.
Title: Re: Chainsaws
Post by: NOCK NOCK on August 13, 2025, 08:33:18 PM: From a guy who owns a handful of gas Stihl saws (and uses them all frequently for my work) My go to for average stuff is a Stihl electric with a 14" bar. Not sure of the model (it was the fanciest one available 3-4 years ago.) Also get the nicest battery.
Sooooo nice to just be able to pull the trigger and go....let go of trigger and it stops. Lightweight too. Only issue is cause you never have to add fuel...easy to forget to add bar oil.

On a side note, I run skip tooth chains on all my saws. Keep em sharp and the batt saw will perform very close to a comparable gas saw with standard safety chain.

I cant say enough about how much I love that saw!!!!
:twocents:
Title: Re: Chainsaws
Post by: Boss .300 winmag on August 13, 2025, 08:38:08 PM: Quote from: NOCK NOCK on August 13, 2025, 08:33:18 PM
From a guy who owns a handful of gas Stihl saws (and uses them all frequently for my work) My go to for average stuff is a Stihl electric with a 14" bar. Not sure of the model (it was the fanciest one available 3-4 years ago.) Also get the nicest battery.
Sooooo nice to just be able to pull the trigger and go....let go of trigger and it stops. Lightweight too. Only issue is cause you never have to add fuel...easy to forget to add bar oil.

On a side note, I run skip tooth chains on all my saws. Keep em sharp and the batt saw will perform very close to a comparable gas saw with standard safety chain.

I cant say enough about how much I love that saw!!!!
:twocents:

My next truck saw will be one.👍
Title: Re: Chainsaws
Post by: HUNTIN4SIX on August 13, 2025, 09:48:16 PM: Best saw I’ve owned is a stihl 261 pro. Very light (10lbs) and rips. Almost scary.
Title: Re: Chainsaws
Post by: NOCK NOCK on August 14, 2025, 05:59:40 AM: Quote from: Boss .300 winmag on August 13, 2025, 08:38:08 PM
Quote from: NOCK NOCK on August 13, 2025, 08:33:18 PM
From a guy who owns a handful of gas Stihl saws (and uses them all frequently for my work) My go to for average stuff is a Stihl electric with a 14" bar. Not sure of the model (it was the fanciest one available 3-4 years ago.) Also get the nicest battery.
Sooooo nice to just be able to pull the trigger and go....let go of trigger and it stops. Lightweight too. Only issue is cause you never have to add fuel...easy to forget to add bar oil.

On a side note, I run skip tooth chains on all my saws. Keep em sharp and the batt saw will perform very close to a comparable gas saw with standard safety chain.

I cant say enough about how much I love that saw!!!!

:twocents:

My next truck saw will be one.👍

Ive actually filled an 8' truck bed to almost the top of canopy with 3-4"diam. pecker poles, prolly 75-100 poles, lots of bucking/cutting, still had 1/4 battery power left. Obviously not the best saw for heavy work, but all around my fav.

Elec saw is a 220c with a 300ap bat.

My fav gas saw is the 211, small but mighty with a sharp skip tooth. Dropped this walnut with a 310, but 90% of clean up work was the 211.

http://www.youtube.com/shorts/3QrkHcO0Ve8?feature=share
Title: Re: Chainsaws
Post by: Docspud on August 14, 2025, 07:07:21 AM: We used a MSA 70 and it is amazing. Put a decent chain on and we cut half a cord of wood and still had two bars left on the battery.

And it fits behind the back seat in a mega cab dodge. My go to over any of my gas saws.
Title: Re: Chainsaws
Post by: kselkhunter on August 14, 2025, 09:06:23 AM: For my truck, I keep a GreenWorks 80V electric chainsaw with two batteries and spare charging station (truck has AC outlets) in the toolbox of my truck and some bar oil and spare chains. Handy for clearing a downed tree off of road or cutting firewood for camp. I find myself grabbing it instead of my larger Stihl gas chainsaw sometimes around the house and when firewood cutting. Works well.
Title: Re: Chainsaws
Post by: bearhunter99 on August 14, 2025, 10:04:44 AM: As others have said it all depends on useage. I have a Stihl 036, 170 and a 180. I still use them if I am going to be getting some work done but for packing on the ATV/UTV or out hunting in the truck I carry a Dewalt 60V with a 16" bar. We also have a Dewalt 20v that my mom and wife use. The electric saws have come a long way and are pretty slick. The 60V 6ah battery will last a long time and I have never cut enough to deplete the 9ah one.

The only problem I have had is the Dewalt has an issue with leaking bar oil. I saw a fix on the googler but have not tried it yet.
Title: Re: Chainsaws
Post by: Machias on August 14, 2025, 10:08:25 AM: Thanks everyone!!!
Title: Re: Chainsaws
Post by: Machias on August 16, 2025, 09:04:57 AM: I ended up buying the Sthil MS 182 with the 16 in bar. I really appreciate all the suggestions. I'm going to look at one of the electrical saws as well.
Title: Re: Chainsaws
Post by: Wingin it on August 16, 2025, 11:33:35 AM: My two favorites I’ve owned are both Stihl’s. A 391 and 440 Magnum. Both great saws, but I liked my 440 mag the best.