Has anyone had a good or bad experience with any of the Craftsman chainsaws? I’ve never owned a gas saw before and I’m looking to get one for cutting firewood but I don’t want to spend $300-400. I wanted a STIHL but I really can’t justify the $380 price tag that comes with it.
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Stihl is advertising a $179.00 saw right now. -
Check out echo
FIL and I had this discussion the other day.
Imo better to buy a decent brand that will start when you need it, then buy several that run good for a year or so.Comment
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I saw that but when I went to the website it's pretty much their smallest model. Sears has a 50cc with a 20" bar for just about the same price. The STIHL has a 30cc motor with a 12-16" bar.
To be honest I'm not sure what size saw I need.Comment
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A friend used to have a sign in his shop:
The bitterness of poor quality lasts longer than the sweetness of a low price.
When it comes to chainsaws, spend the money up front and have something that will last for years and years.
Stihl
Echo
Dolmar
HusqvarnaComment
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Originally posted by JP135 View Post
X 1,000,000
Bought an Echo last year and it is awesome. In my own opinion also, go with a 18" bar. Father in law has a 16" and it irritates the crap outta me when using it to cut wood cause its too small.
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That's what I was wondering on the bar size.Originally posted by phibob808 View PostX 1,000,000 Bought an Echo last year and it is awesome. In my own opinion also, go with a 18" bar. Father in law has a 16" and it irritates the crap outta me when using it to cut wood cause its too small.Comment
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I had a Craftsman and it worked fine for a pretty long time. I eventually got a Stihl. There is no doubt the Stihl is better, but the Craftsman was OK for the money. No matter what brand you get, the fuel blend you put in it is probably the single most important consideration as to how long it will last and how much time it will spend in the shop. Which specific blends of octanes, ethanol treatments, two-cycle oils, TrueFuel, etc. are best or most cost effective is debatable, but one thing is for sure... ethanol is the enemy.Comment
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Why spend $380 for a saw? My $179 MS180 does a fine job of cutting down trees and bucking them for firewood. Besides, if you are going to cut down larger trees, and that is why you think you need a big saw, you are going to be really sticker shocked when you find out how much it costs to buy or even rent a log splitter.Comment
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Almost ever pawn shop has stihls for under $200. At least in Dallas they do.Comment
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I would say at best the trees I will be cutting will be no more 12-16" in diameter. There could be larger ones but on average no larger than that. The most part it will be old dead mesquite trees with an oak every now and then.Originally posted by SwampRabbit View PostComment
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Never had experience with a craftsman but have used a Homelite before. I think that's a Sears house brand. It ran OK but it wasn't as user friendly. One of the big differences between a Stihl/Husqy and the cheaper brands is the chain tensioner system. The lower end brands sometimes use a tool-less adjustment which sounds good but is a pile of junk. That Homelite saw I used had that and I threw more chains in an hour than my Stihl has in 5 years.Comment
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I know you asked specifically about craftsman but if you want a saw you can ride hard, put away wet and have it crank every time you ask it to, find a used Stihl on eBay. I bought a 1994 model 044 and it is tough as nails.
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I didn't think about ebay. I will look into that.Originally posted by kwperry View PostI know you asked specifically about craftsman but if you want a saw you can ride hard, put away wet and have it crank every time you ask it to, find a used Stihl on eBay. I bought a 1994 model 044 and it is tough as nails.Comment
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I've been eyeballing a new echo.
I have an echo weedeater and it makes weedeating enjoyable.Comment
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