Speaking of chainsaws, bought me a new one
shootuadeal
Member Posts: 5,244 ✭✭✭✭
I have a Husqvarna 455 rancher that I use quite a bit but was thinking of getting a couple more chainsaws, 1 smaller and 1 bigger for different applications. So deciding to get a smaller one for just pruning branches I kind of settled on the Husqvarna 120 but decided to check out the Stihl lineup as well since I've never really looked at them before.
This Stihl 194t caught my eye.
They had a similar sized one that was "occasional use" but that's not my style so after I felt how light this is and rated for extreme use I found my new best little friend. There's nothing wrong with pruning 2-8" branches with my Husqvarna but I think I'll like doing it with this better plus my 15 year old keeps wanting to learn to run chain saw so this one might be a little safer for him. I realize this design is for climbers but most of the time when pruning my wife or one of the kids is driving the loader tractor around with me in the bucket so it's a similar application.
Anyone else have a top handle saw, what do you think of them?
Comments
I have a 193T with a 12" bar & use it for everything 10" & less. It's a great saw.
I have a top handle Echo . It's very handy.
If I sold all my chain saws, I could buy enough firewood to do me for 5 years. I just bought a barely used MS 260 Stihl. Couldn't pass it up.
My cousin's grandson does tree trimming etc. That is the only Stihl he runs. The others are Husqvavarna.
Love my little Echo.
I ran STIHL 10/11/12 series saws (both top handle and the longer rear handle) for years until it became problematic to maintain them. The top handle design has merit but is less controllable than a rear handle unit. Just watch out for the increased risk of 'kickback'.
I have 2 Stihls. One thing you have to watch with them, is to make sure you have the gas and oil caps on properly and tight. If not you can lose all of the contents rather quickly. I speak from experience.
Joe
I have all Huskys on my tree farm, but I just tried something different. An EGO battery operated. Cuts great, Time will tell.
193, 009, 260, 08S. The 08S I bought new in the 70's, Only thing I've ever had to replace on it was a pump diaphragm
I grab one of the little saws more often than not.
I have a Stihl 045 AV w/24" bar.
and the Timex of all chainsaws - Homelite XL w/12" bar. ... Bought both in 1978, both fire up with 1 or 2 pulls.
It will fell almost any tree growing. It has literally sawed thousands of cords of firewood.
It's been dropped out of treetops at least a dozen times.
Nothing but good things to say about this light weight little beauty !
I recently bought an Atlas battery operated chainsaw from Harbor Freight. I've been impressed with it for what I do.
I try to keep several handy when I need one.
Do you just buy a new one when you run out of gas?😉
.
I have just about every saw size there is and I use my 009 Sthil more than anything.
I use mine to keep my watches wound. Just buzz it up a few times and those buggers will run for a month.
Picked up a 16 inch Milwaukee battery operated chainsaw. So easy to use.
https://www.milwaukeetool.com/products/Safety%20Solutions/Emissions/2727-20
Thanks for posting that link, drobs. I could maybe be using something like that.
When I switched from Stihl to Husky I found I didnt need nearly that many.
Andy, I heartly concur with you on that 009! It's a gutty little devil that outperforms its appearance.
That's common for STIHL users to have 'multiple' saws--that way maybe one will run long enough to get something done.
I built a rack 5 shelves high X 20' long to hold the inventory of running saws I kept on hand. I've given up on keeping any of the older STIHL saws operable. Functional inventory of ECHO: 346, 400, 361P(NIB), CS 4600(3x), CS 5000(2X). Old model McCullough still operational: 610(2X), 1010 "SUPER"(this is a late model 1010 with a 710 jug & piston-a real head turner) .
One of the deal breakers I had with Stihl was that you can only get parts from dealers and they only keep parts in inventory on a model for ten years.
I new jtrent would come along and put us to shame. He stacks 'em up like cordwood.😁
i bought a battery run harbor freight saw....and use a 14" 110v...just plug into the socket on the truck boom ...battery is handy for small jobs
Because I am ornery I bucked the trend of all my friends owning Stihl and opted for an Echo 400 series a couple of years ago. What a great saw! I have thought about buying a smaller Echo for the little jobs because the 400 has impressed me. I was gonna go battery power but now I am not sure. Bob
I'll have you know, I am a prince of a guy.......and I'll kick anyones butt that says different!😁 Bob
Never had a chains saw growing up. Dad had a crosscut saw, "quite riding it" was my name.
Come of age and bought me a Homelite XL-12. Red if I remember correctly. Boy was I pooping in high cotton.
Then I found the skip tooth chipper chain, wow I really had a saw.
Next in Iine was a Stihl 31, added chipper chain and the lookout trees.
Next was a 34, the 36, a 361 and a 460 Magnum. Even got an old 75. I bought the bigger battery saw and it is very handy around the farm and on the job.
One day I was cutting firewood logs and went to eat lunch. I forgot to shut the 460 off and when I came back it had sawed about 2 cords of wood by itself.😀
I will dare say they will keep up with any stock saw out there.
A friend of mine was a para jumper or whatever you call the guys that jump into fires to fight them. His tool was the .044 “Super” Magnum in my photo. His daily job was a low impact horse drawn logging business, and he used the .044 with a big bar. He ran it for years then sold it to me because he wanted a newer model, and it’s had a LOT of hours. Still works like new.
+1 for the Homelite XL ... I've had one for 43 years, it's still my favorite saw.
Thousands of cords later ... still going strong ... had to replace chain drive wheel and rebuild carb.
Other than those two things, it's still OEM ! 😀
see: my previous post above ^^^
I remember the XL-12’s. Didn’t they have a model with a compression release for easier starting?
I have a Stihl 194t. It is a great saw. I find myself cutting stuff bigger than it was designed for. Very handy and comfortable. Always starts.
Heat my house with wood so more than the average storm cleanup user.
Last year I thought I would try a battery powered saw and bought a Makita. What a mistake that was. Gas only for me.