need a new chain saw ??

I know exactly how you feel, I have two huskies an older 266 XP and a newer 353G, I love the 266 but it wears my arms out in no time now; so I tend to mostly use the 353 unless I am into some of my larger hardwood.
 
I have an out door wood burner so the bigger the better and the 660 comes in handy but only use it for the big stuff. Use a Small Ehco for trimming the limbs and a older 026 Stihl for medium to small stuff.
Time to replace the 026 though.
 
455 Rancher Husqvarna my clearing around deer stands and such.

My cousin owns and operates a Outdoor Equipment Company.

NOTE: She has been preaching to me for about 5 years now on the 2-cycle oil that needs to be used in both Huskys and Skils. DO NOT RUN OFF BRAND or WAL MART two stroke oil in these machine. For you will end up ruining the engines. The Husqvarna and Skil oils have a certain lubricant that these engines needs and was designed to run this quality lubes .She says cost is just a few pennies a tank more, but what it needs.
She really believes in this. She says that there are some other quality two stoke oils that carry the quality properties also, but don't know right off hand.
Don't chance it ......


She tells me sells just about as many Skils as he does Huskys.
And the tells that repairs run neck & neck ....

Technology has come so far on these little engines. Viberation has been cut down unbelievable. Fuel and Air Injected. Safety Bars etc.....

Saws are much better to run than they were 25-30 years ago. I can remember running a saw back then. NOBODY had to rock me to sleep at night.

........ two guns
 
Good points two guns, they are built to run on high test fuel as well thus the need for better lubrication. Keep your chain sharp, use the proper lubes, fuel and keep your saw maintained and it will last forever.
 
Am running a Stihl 026 that I got for Christmas back in 86. Perhaps at least 100 cords, 4'X4'X8', or more. I think LOTS more. Anyway, keeping that chain sharp, to me, makes all the difference in the world. I sharpen my own chains using an el cheapo grinder rig that I got from Norther Tool a few years ago. Takes perhaps 10 minutes per chain as I usually keep maybe 3 or so ready to rock and roll. A sharpened chain will easily cut at least a cord; but it depends on what one is cutting.
I seldom cut a "live" tree as I value them to much and have plenty of old growth dead trees left over from tornados a couple or three years ago and some kind of blight/disease that is taking out my older hickory and oaks. That "cured" standing hickory can be really hard on a sharp chain and often I have change out after perhaps 1/2 of a cord..........
Am in the market, I think, for a new saw. Am starting to hear what I believe is piston slap when I am really working my 026. It still is strong; but am wondering if possibly it is just ME getting weaker with old age........lol......

So.......any thoughts on a saw that I could use, under perhaps $400, that won't wear this old guy out by using it for a couple of hours, will go through 30" rounds of hickory and oak like butter????????..........thanks.........God bless.........Dennis
 
Dennis I think you might have a bit of trouble finding something new equivalent to your 026 for $400, saws are cheaper in the US but not that much cheaper. There are lots of home and garden variety saws out there for less than $400 but they just aren't as robust. 100 chords in 28 years you likely don't need a high end saw. I suspect your saw is likely in decent shape anyway if it was maintained. A bit of piston slap isn't a big deal and relatively inexpensive to fix, usually just a wrist pin ring bearing and rings. And you would definitely have a better saw than the cheaper ones they are making today with all the plastic parts.
 
The new 260 is what replaced the 026 its built just as good. Stihl makes a homeowners line that are good but not like the commercial line like the 260 or older 026. Right now the 260 is about $550. It's a good medium size saw.

I honed the piston bore, replaced the rings and a new fuel line in the 026 and its like new.
Bit of a pain taking apart but worth it. I wanted to see how it was put together anyway.
The reason I want to replace it is because my son needs a chainsaw and he cant afford one yet so I will give him that one and get me a new one.
Only fair I get the new one right???

As stated above, I always use the Stihl brand oil and never use gas with more then 10% ethanol.
 
BaiJiu said:
Dennis I think you might have a bit of trouble finding something new equivalent to your 026 for $400, saws are cheaper in the US but not that much cheaper. There are lots of home and garden variety saws out there for less than $400 but they just aren't as robust. 100 chords in 28 years you likely don't need a high end saw. .
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Actually those 100 cords are in the past 12 years since we started burning wood. Now that we look at it that way.....for sure I use at least 10 cords per year, sell a few, give away a few.......so........more like 160 or so in those 12 years. Golly, that is a lot of wood.

With tools, and a chain saw is definately a tool, one pays for what one gets. Do I need to up the cost? Perhaps so, as I really havent even looked at the cost of a saw in quite a while. What I am interested in is pretty much a machine that will go through the wood, be low maintenance as my 026 has been, and just as strong or even stronger if possible. Yes, STRONGER would be nice.

It isn't "cost be durned" but really when it comes to tools, somebody one of these days is gonna be lookin at my stuff sayin "Boy oh boy, ol Grandpa sure bought the best he could". God bless...........Dennis
 
Dennis, I know you're a Stihl fan; however, I just wanted to share how impressed I am with my Husqvarna 353e. It is a smaller professional model that cost me $425 a few years ago. It replaced a stolen Husky 359 which was impressive but was a pound heavier. That one pound sure makes a difference.

God Bless,
 
If you have worked a chain saw much, you will also know that a saw to light will work your ass off.

Most saw manufacture has cut the weight down on saw much.
I can remember using a Poulan saw in the woods 25 years ago. Thought my arms would fall off with pain of toting that heavy SOB.....

I am very satisfied with my Husquvarna Rancher. It cuts the hell out of wood.

A sharp blade is everything.

I also cut the guages down on my chains so that the teeth get more meat when going threw a the wood. Learned that when they were in the logging business' years ago.

......... two guns
 
Dennis I agree with pepr, I have a Husky 353 as well, it's a mid weight saw with lots of power, has a decompression feature and if you do much winter work you can get it with heated handles a great feature when working in snow. I can work mine all day long and not feel like my arms are going to fall off. Like any saw keep it sharp, use the recommended lubes and fuel and you will have very little maintenance.
 
Cutting the Guages on the saw makes working a saw much easier and faster.


Some will tell you it dulls the teeth faster. Not really, a sharp blade will cut only so much wood anyway until it needs re-sharpen.
Let your saw work. Don't let your saw work the snot out you.

If you doubt this, take a older chain, cut your guages down and sharpen your teeth good. Give it a shot......

You will be impressed. Get them RPM's up and come on down. It will cut !!!!

Have all the guages cut down on all chains here.

....... two guns
 

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Amen two guns, if the guages aren't filed down you can get some serious kick back and cause the chain to heat up and burn the bar. The file guides are about $5 and last forever. Anyone who doesn't work with a chain saw fairly frequently should take a course or at least spend some time with a seasoned operator to learn about your saw and how to operate it. Proper PPE is an absolute must when working with any chain saw.
 
BaiJiu said:
Amen two guns, if the guages aren't filed down you can get some serious kick back and cause the chain to heat up and burn the bar. QUOTE]

You are correct BaiJiu on the sharpening of the teeth and the correct angle of sharpening.
These depth gauges also need regular filing.
It does help so much on the Kick-Back on saws.

One thing I was mentioning was the guage. The little "Tit" in front of the blade
that only lets the teeth bite so much per round.
I cut that guage or "Tit" down. The teeth get more meat per bite. Making it much faster and easier on all.

With all this being said, let me add: With the depth guage being really low, the chain will cut quickly, but the risk of serious injury increases.
So be careful !!!!!
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TWO GUNS;107325 One thing I was mentioning was the guage. The little "Tit" in front of the blade that only lets the teeth bite so much per round. Cut that guage or "Tit" down. The teeth get more meat per bite. Making it much faster and easier on all.[/QUOTE said:
Yes, for sure to file what around here is called the raker.......I really like your illustration Jamie....After I run the chain through the grinding process I immediatley take it over to where I have the "blade", (you know, the long thing that the chain rides in) in the vice and using one of the gauges that Baijiu mentions give each one a lick or two until they are lot lower than the teeth...........Yes, it really does give a bite to the chain for sure.

That is one thing I like about Stihl chains is that they have a line etched across the face of each tooth that indicates the sacred 30 degrees............Sure does let you know with your eyeball if you are doing right by the angle or not when filing or grinding.

NO...........NO.....I am not a fan of Stihl, I just have one is all.........From what I am seeing of you Husky users I need to really check them out. My wood buddy, actually my MD uses a Makita of all things that has a very radical chain and it just eats through a log..........Am gonna check out the Husquavarna stuff for sure now...........

YES, Jamie, I really do believe also in using the quality OIL that is put out by the name brand folks.......Perhaps it is why I have gotten such a long life out of my current engine.........Anyway, I thank you guys for the information......Don't feel shy if you have more thoughts.....I NEED THEM.......God bless........Dennis
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