/diy/ - Do It Yourself

>>1531229
well it really depends what you consider a big bar. of course no one is going to lug around a 60" bar to cut twigs but those bars also aren't only for felling. once those big trees are on the ground you still need a big saw to actually cut it up unless you want to do a lot of fucking around and end up wasting a huge portion of the wood. also yes they are heavy, for example the Stihl 880( 121cc) is 21lbs without the bar, chain, oil or fuel.

20" is a pretty good size for most people just cutting fire wood for themselves. there will still be trees it can't chop with a single cut but for 99% of the trees it'll work just fine. you do need at least a 50cc saw to really make use of it tho. of course there's nothing wrong with a 16" or 18" but the weight difference is pretty negligible and if you run into something bigger it could require fucking around. also like i said before smaller bars require more bending so it does take a toll on your back.

for someone just fucking around very small time a 30cc with a 14" bar will work just fine and are actually great for cutting all the small shit off a tree you just dropped. problem with those saws is that they are generally cheaply made with thin plastic in major stress areas rather then the reinforced plastic or magnesium typically seen on bigger saws(see pic)

>i've mainly used Stihl and Husqavarna saws in the past. between the two i preferred Stihl

i used to be a big Stihl fan but they've really lost their way over the last decade. anything not a pro model is full of thin plastic and too many meme features like easy start and the 4-mix engines. like i said the pro models are still great but not many want to spend $800+ when there's better alternatives. i've been a pretty big fan of Echo lately. they have better construction, reasonable prices, better warranty and actually start easier then most

>>1457206
Stihl is shit unless you buy a pro model. too much plastic and chink parts

>>1385343
Husky = Husqvarna. personally i like Echo, nice solid saws. avoid Stihl, their newer shit is mostly chink made unless you're gonna fork over the cash for a pro model

>>1373145
Echo all day every day. fuck Stihl chink shit. don't buy a used saw, never know wtf has been done to it

>>1244431
Echo. starts way easier then any Stihl i've ever used.

>>1244433
newer Stihls are fucking garbage. pretty much any dealer will tell you they started sliding with the MS series

>>1242663
most of that shit really isn't an issue if you take care of your saw. you should remove the fuel when being stored for a long time but really i've had saws sit for over a year and still fire up just fine.

completely agree going gas is kinda pointless for the homeowner just looking to cut a few limbs or maybe piece a small tree that's fallen. at the same time a cheap gas saw like Poulan would also fit the bill there too. those saws can also be massive cunts but they can be had pretty cheap. i believe TSC(tractor supply) also seems some cheap shit but i have zero experience with them. even cheap saws from the major brands can be pretty shitty. the Stihl homeowners saws are complete fucking garbage these days and you'll be lucky to get a year from it.

pic is a Stihl MS171 i bought just for small shit along ATV trails and fallen branches along my fields. owned it for a month and used about 4 times, maybe 3 hours total. Sithl refused to warranty it. their pro models are solid but if you want a small homeowners saw the best i've seen is Echo since most of their saws have a magnesium housing

>>1099211