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Hey all, it occurs to me that I am going to be needing a new chainsaw. I already have a nice little McCullogh (16") but thought that Macs weren't being made any more........I have been looking at Huskvarnas and they look very nice. I have heard only good things about the huskys. What brand of saw do you have and do you like it ? If you were buying a new one, would you by that brand again ? Any saws out there I should avoid ? DF
Macs are available here but they may be different manufacturer.I have 1977 Pro Mac 55 still starts by 3rd pull cold and on its 4th or 5th bar.I think I would pay the extra for a Jonsered{sp?}.The new Mccullochs just dont seem the same quality as old.I supplement heat pump with woodburning stove insert in fireplace.Love that heat!
A Husky is a good saw with lots of power but given the choice I'd be more inclined to try out the new Jonsereds. Both saws are made by the same company and are great saws. I've used both but I always found the Huskys to be hard to start though once started you couldn't ask for a better saw. The reason I'd try the new Jonsereds is because I had an old 621 that always started like a top and was every bit as good as a Husky. If the new ones are as good as the old ones I'd have a Jonsered.
I loved my little old McCullogh but I loaned it out to my neighbor one day and he returned it seized! Now I use a Stihl like weldman, they are really nice saws. The new McCulloghs are junk along with the Poulan but I’ve heard good things about the Husqvarna though. The Stihls are metric and the Husqvarna is a little easier to work on so I'm told. Those are the two I would consider.
Homelite was once one of the top saw manufacturer's. They made professional grade saws and a few homeowner saws. Sadly, Homelite has been traded and sold so many times now that all I ever see them offer are homeowner saws if you can find them at all.
I still have my Homelite XL2 I bought in 1974. It's been used hard over the years, but still starts reliably. It's just getting old and feeble. When I replace it with another top handle saw, it will be a Stihl.
The old Poulan's were pretty balk'y. But the new lightweight electronic ignition Poulan's seem pretty reliable. Poulan makes homeowner saws for the Sears Craftsman brand. I've been using one with an 18" bar for the past 2 years now and am satisfied with it's performance.
Hmm...we have and old Partner chainsaw. It's been around for about 20 years or so but still cuts like it was new. There's no tree too big for this old thing.....
1978 F-150 flareside. Primitive by todays standards but she was a jaw dropper back then. :-staun
We use a 197? Paulan model 41 with a 20 inch bar and 3 years ago won a husqvarna model 41 with a 16 inch bar. The husky is a great saw and since getting mine, two of my neighbors bought husky model 51s. I've never had any trouble with it. I've cut with stihls but they seem considerably heavier than the husky but are still a dang good saw.
I have a Husquavarna 350 with a 18" bar. I got that particular saw because it was the lightest saw I could get with a 18" bar. (That might have changed in the 4-5 years I have had it). It is a really great saw and I have never had any problems with it. I do cut alot of wood as I suppliment my fuel oil heat with a forced air wood burner (this year I have used wood 90% of the time). I like the light weight for extended cutting periods. Only thing I don't like is it does take alot to get it started if it sits for extend periods. I have a friend with the 350 and also a 55. He loves them both and both saws see very hard use and handling on the farm. They will hold up and I recommend them to anyone.
Had a small homelite (14" bar, can't remember the model but it was at least 15 years old) and a craftsman (18" bar). The homelite was a real bear to get running and stay running. Craftsman was not a bad saw but not real heavy duty and just started to fall apart over time.
Uhh,....okay, I can keep my little Mac for light stuff. I have seen two recomendations for a stihl '44' what does that number mean ? I am looking at a husky catalog, the 385xp looks nice. It has 5.2 cubic inches of cylinder and claims 6.2 hp. Do either of you stihl fans know what the '44' has ? It is difficult to compare when the model numbers don't seem to mean anything. DF
Hey what happened to the Mac's? Who is manufacturing them and where are they available? I was just curious as I haven't seen them anywhere. By the way I have the 16in also.