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Hey guys, Irma just blew a tree down in my yard today, thankfully away from the house. I'm going to need a saw to cut it up with. There is an echo and a stihl dealer close to me but they may be sold out of saws due to the storm. A few years ago I ran a stihl ms290 farm boss, I believe it had a 20" bar. It worked great for felling the mid size gum trees I had to take down with power to spare. I'm not going to be using the saw professionally but would like something with some decent size for possibly future use. I'm sure echo and stihl are both great, I own an echo trimmer. Only thing it needed was a new carb last year because I left fuel in it over the winter. Any thoughts ?

Echo and Stihl are both good brands. So is Husqvarna, which I have.

Don't go overboard on bar length. My Husky only has a 16" bar but I was able to cut down a storm-damaged pecan tree that measured ~108" in diameter.

Some of the lesser known brands have good reputations, too, such as Johnserud and Dolmar.

I also have an early '80s Poulan Micro XXV which is still going strong but I can't vouch for today's Poulans.

Last month I bought a new Echo w/16" bar. I looked at Stihl, but the 5 year warranty on the Echo was too enticing. Plus Lifetime on the Ignition coil pak. Plus I have Echo PB250 blower.


PS: You can leave mix in them over the winter, but when I mix for my 2 strokes I also add an ounce of Seafoam* per gallon of gas.

I doubt that you will be able to buy a chain caw in Texas or Forida for quite a while.
The trick with chain saws is to buy the one that comes Std with the next bigger sized bar than what you want then get them to fit the smaller bar.
A big motor with a small bar will give a lot better service than a small motor with a big bar.
Order 3 chains and swap the chain every time you fill the tank and turn the bar over at the same time.
Dropped tress will be full of grit and grime that will bunt the blade really fast.
By the time all 3 blades are worn out it will be time for a new sprocket.
There is method in this madness.
Keep the chains in a tupperwear container under bar oil so they are well oiled and don't run dry on the bar for the first 3 miutes.
Get a rim sprocket fitted as they float and give a lot better service life than the standard sprocket.
Pay the extra and get a good one.
Anything less than a weeks wages is consummer grade I have had my Farmboss for 30 years and lend it out regularly to customers .
None of them believe me that it is better than 30 years old.
The bottom end Husqvarnas we have been getting down here are trash they have a problem with the chrome in the bore flaking off and I have replaced 3 so far this year and did 4 last year.
All with the same sized lump of chrome missing and all in roughly the same place.

If Echo is giving a long warranty that is a good reason to go with the Echo as you will be giving it a good workout.
As for adding stuff like Seafoam, it will not stop the fuel evaporating and leaning a sticky goop in the carb which is really hard to remove.

cpurvis said:

Echo and Stihl are both good brands. So is Husqvarna, which I have.

Don't go overboard on bar length. My Husky only has a 16" bar but I was able to cut down a storm-damaged pecan tree that measured ~108" in diameter.

Some of the lesser known brands have good reputations, too, such as Johnserud and Dolmar.

I also have an early '80s Poulan Micro XXV which is still going strong but I can't vouch for today's Poulans.

Click to expand...

The Dolmar name is on final closeout at the manufacturer and is being replaced with the Makita name. Same saw as Dolmar with the Makita name on them.

Thanks guys,

Bertsmobil, keeping the chains in oil allows the new chain to be lubricated when installing a new one I take? As in they don't come with oil on them.

Is the rim sprocket the clutch?

Bert- I have to disagree about the use of Seafoam*, been using it for several decades & my Dad used it, which is where I learned about it. Never had a gummed up carb using it.

In fact it cleaned & freed up one of my oldest air-guns, that had froze up from me using newer air-guns / ratchets etc.

JBrzoz00 said:

Thanks guys,

Bertsmobil, keeping the chains in oil allows the new chain to be lubricated when installing a new one I take? As in they don't come with oil on them.

Is the rim sprocket the clutch?

Click to expand...

There are two types of drive sprockets.
Spur sprockets where the clutch drum & the drive sprocket are welded together
Rim sprockets where the drive sprocket floats on a spline
When you replace it you replace a tiny ring rather than the entire clutch drum.
They work better and are easier on the chains and cheaper to replace.
If you are buying from an equipment shop they will be able to show you the difference.

7394 said:

Bert- I have to disagree about the use of Seafoam*, been using it for several decades & my Dad used it, which is where I learned about it. Never had a gummed up carb using it.

In fact it cleaned & freed up one of my oldest air-guns, that had froze up from me using newer air-guns / ratchets etc.

Click to expand...

While seafoam can delay the fuel going off. it is not magic and can not prevent fuel evaporating to a sticky gooey mess.
Just the same as WD 40 can not fix every mechanical problem.
It is just a lottery depending upon the actual fuel you are buying & the weather in your region.
My shop is 1 mile from the landlords shed, at the corner of his land in his old house.
I can leave deisel sitting in engines for 2 to 3 years without any problems.
He can not let it sit for more than 3 months.
Same deisel from the same servo

I only use 100% gas, (that I tested) in my lawn equipment.

Seafoam will keep E-10 gas good for 2 years.

cpurvis said:

Echo and Stihl are both good brands. So is Husqvarna, which I have.

Don't go overboard on bar length. My Husky only has a 16" bar but I was able to cut down a storm-damaged pecan tree that measured ~108" in diameter.

Some of the lesser known brands have good reputations, too, such as Johnserud and Dolmar.

I also have an early '80s Poulan Micro XXV which is still going strong but I can't vouch for today's Poulans.

Click to expand...

Oops, I waited too long to edit this. I'm surprised no one called me out on this.

That tree was 108" in circumference, not diameter.

I have sworn that my next saw will be a Stihl.
Seems like about every time you see a TV show where guys are using chainsaws for livelihood or use in remote areas, Orange and Cream are the colors on their tools.
I have used Craftsman (Poulan) for years, but hey require pretty constant chain/bar/drive sprocket replacement, even when the oiler is working.
Do try to see who actually makes the saw of your interest, as some brands sell saws from more than 1 manufacturer.

Stihl's wear out chains, bars and sprockets just like any other saw. It may seem like they don't on TV because they don't bother to show you the footage of sharpening chains and flipping bars--nobody's interested in that.

'Product placement' is an advertising method used in movies and TV programs. Companies pay to have their products prominently featured in the program. Everything from Coke and corn flakes to cars, and obviously it works.

Ain't that the truth.

I have a sthil,my opinion..piece of crap.Bought a Jonsered,with the decompression release is a breeze to start and cuts good.However the way it cuts is only how good your chain is sharp....russ

Stihl make saws in
Germany, excellent top end professional saws that your grandkids will pass down the line.
Italy & Spain, top end domestic saws that you will hand down to your grandkids.
Japan excellent saws in both domesic & professional ranges and smaller sizes
Argintina & Brazil acceptable saws that you might never need to replace if maintained properly , cheap to sell into the USA market under NAFTA
China , junk that might last 5 years if you are lucky, made cheap to be sold cheap because they are cheap to compete with Walmart rubbish.

Which one did you buy ?

The code is in the first 2 numbers in the serial .
Any number higher than 5 is in the disposable range.
I still have my Farm Boss we bought new in 1981.
I lend it out to customers when their saws are going to be a long time for repair.
Every one loves it I could have sold it 20 times over.
The trick is I bought QUALITY, it was 2 weeks wages when I bought it.
Nothing you pay less than a weeks wages for will be a quality saw that will last a very long time.
There is also an 08 ( lightning ) with a 20" bar that gets loaned out, it is 55 years old and works perfectly, but without a chain brake I need to be careful who I lend it to.

Jonsered made in Sweden has the same internals that it's cousin Husqvarna has. The Sthil I have had a busted fin on the flywheel,The dealer swore up and down quality control at the plant would never let the saw pass. Told him I'd never had the cover off and the only reason I saw it was a broken flywheel key, wound up having to buy the whole flywheel because the key is part of the flywheel. I know a lot of the brands make the flywheel and key as one,seems to be a crappy way of doing it because if you could just replace a key would be way cheaper. When I was told the price of a flywheel I went home and tried to cut a groove on the busted flywheel and use a key but could'nt do it. ...russ

Jonsored was the first company Husqvarna bought out when they were hived off by Electroluxe.
AFAIK Jonsored was not exported much and mainly a European brand.
They are very well designed and the ones from Europe are also well made, the ones from China are rubbish.
Huqsvarna are yet to come up with a logical brand management plan as they are still running around grabbing brands like a kid in a lolly shop.
The Rider Pro version of ride ons are rebadged Jonsoreds.

Sounds more like you have a dealer problem than an equipment problem.
And it sounds like it was a low end Chinese made saw.
I do not agree with the management idea of spanning the entire range of quality levels with a single brand.
As you have just demonstrated it weakens the brand name
Stihl are even worse in this regard because they make the same model saw to different quality levels so it confuses the buying public.
A sheared key on a hand held is extremely rare as they are on a taper and the taper takes all the load all the key does in locate the flywheel for accurate timing.
While not impossible to do you have to cause the engine to come to a dead abrupt stop and have the mounting bolt loose at the same time.
Because saws have clutches on them this rarely ever happens.
Usually I only see this on blowers where debris got sucked into the blower are intake or cheap no clutch line trimmers

ILENGINE said:

The Dolmar name is on final closeout at the manufacturer and is being replaced with the Makita name. Same saw as Dolmar with the Makita name on them.

Click to expand...

Have not run a Dolmar in years but we ran them in logging crews years ago and they were awesome saws.

I understand Stihl can only be bought at a dealer. That's fine but what about parts? Can parts be bought online? Or have to go to the dealer? That may be the downside as dealers aren't usually open when I would have time to go.

It is my understanding that Stihl can only be purchased from a dealer. And they have been known to shut down websites over somebody even having a parts diagram on their site.

Well you said it yourself that the MS290 handled your needs nicely. That's what I have and unless you just deal with bigger wood I can't really see the reason for much bigger. You can find MS290's used in good condition really reasonable. Bar length will probably factor in to pricing a bit. But with that model being so widely sold for so long there will be parts around for it for a long time. Online or at dealers. That's a solid bet. But get what you like and what fits the budget. Good luck and post a pic of what you get!

Thanks for all the info guys.

Outdoorenvy, I've seen some clean ms290 on e bay in the 300-450 range. What do these or one similar if it's not made anymore go for new? I haven't had a chance to get to the dealer yet.