I need a chain saw. I went online and two high marks were Homelite and Stihl. Homelite is the low end price, Stihl looked good, but then I looked at the Echo and really liked the way it felt.(am vertically challenged at 5'1", and it felt balanced if that makes sence)
and yes, the Huskarvena (yeah, spelled wrong,) it nice but the most expensive.
My preference is the one the guy brings with him in his truck when he comes to do all the work for me. :applause:
Seriously though, Dad likes Stihl. But I'd go for one that feels right and has balance. It will be easier on you physically, you won't tire as easily/quickly, and the balance and weight will help you maintain control. Those are important to safety.
Agreed...still waiting for the guy/truck/bringyourown...:angel:
but in the meantime the electric bill for this old house is 399!!
So, got a beautiful insert and have a humongous pile of logs. Not your normal woman's exercise either! was kinda hopin for something to whittle the waist, not build biceps :excited:
It�s been almost 20 years since I have worked on chainsaws, so I can�t say for sure which brand is better anymore.
Marikashome did bring up a good point that balance is very important. But, the balance of the chainsaw my not necessarily be because of the brand, but because of the bar length. If the bar is to long for the size of the power unit, then it will constantly feel like it�s too front heavy. You might want to see if you can check out different bar lengths combinations.
It can be difficult to know what power tool to buy, but one of the main things to look at is just how much you are going to use the tool. If you are just going to be cutting a tree or two down a year, or use it to clear up any brush that might fall from a bad storm, then a cheap chainsaw will do, or better yet, an electric. You want to use it for cutting firewood, so I would recommend at least a medium priced chainsaw. You can purchase a Husqvarna and will work great for you, but you may be buying too much. They are really designed to be used professionally. I�m not sure about the Echo, the Stihl brand is well known for it�s quality.
Also, you will need to make sure you use it and maintain it correctly. Anyone can take an expensive piece of equipment and trash it in a short period of time.
Flatlander, backlash can happen, but that is fairly rare now a days. Most of the chains have an anti-kickback feature in them. If you are very new to chainsaws, the most important thing to learn is to tighten the chain. Even though it is made out of metal, the chain will stretch within 15 to 20 min of use. If the chain falls off, it can whip around and cut your hand up. It�s easy to tighten, but if you don�t know how, I would pay someone to show you how to do it.
A few "tricks" to use in the winter in old houses:
invest in some plastic for the windows, as well as heavy curtains that extend at least 2" onto the wall around each window.
Leave western curtains closed in the morning and eastern curtains closed in the afternoon.
Move any book cases or heavier/larger pieces of furniture to outer walls. A large, full book case gives an additional 6-9" of insulation to your wall, depending on the thickness of the books. A quilt displayed on an outer wall also adds insulation.
Put throw rugs on wood/linoleum/tile floors.
Use a humidifier (with wood heat, especially, because fire dries the air).
Add insulation. If the house is on a crawl space or basement, make sure cold air isn't coming in through an open space there--especially in a crawl space. If it snows, watch how quickly the snow melts off the roof compared with other houses. The faster it melts, the worse your insulation is.
Good luck with the chainsaw and enjoy the fireplace. My grandparents heated with wood. What a wonderful scent in winter!
I've learned in my years of buying tools you get what you pay for...
Stihl or the Husky is what you will find the pros using because they're built tough and to last but cost somewhat more than the Homelites and Poulans. So if yer going to be using it a lot I'd say spend the extra $$, if only lite duty and ocassionally then the lower cost brands will be fine. Important thing is if not using it often it's a good idea use an additive like Stabil to keep the fuel from gumming up the lines and carburetor... or just drain the fuel tank and run out the remaining left in the lines. That's my take ....
I am pleased with my "echo". It always starts : ) When it comes to tools that I use regularly, I buy the best. Tools that I use rarely, I buy midrange. Tools that I use once, I buy cheap.
Cheap tools are frustrating, make more work and are dangerous....they take all the fun out of working.
As for balance, Cobbler is correct about bar length. This is going to be determined by the diameter of the fire wood you are cutting. Yes I know that is a no brainer, but amazingly some people don't put that together!
thanks, JJR, will definately get the additive when I realized the old stuff around here...well, nevermind, but Yes, now know to drain everything.
and Twos, yes, the Echo is more but the only one w/ 5 yr warrantee too. That pile of logs has some really good size ones (this is waaay more than a wkend job-even for a man.)
and I was looking at an 18" (which is kinda scary, but even tho short, am fairly strong) really nice guy at homedepo said he would actually go out and show me, so that is great~natually I prefer the 'cute' little 14", (stop rolling your eyes!) but don't think it will do the job.
SOOO, like my huge shop that makes men drool, maybe someone will fall in love w/ my chain saw and take over for a while! :applause:
