16"-18" Chainsaw recommendations

Just picked up one of these today! Unfortunately it's been confiscated until Dec 25th. :P

I went in thinking that I was going to go with the MS261 but it turned out that the 550XP was a bit more compact and also felt really good in my hands.

The shop guys suggested I go with the 20" bar. I had planned on getting an 18" bar, but after trying both it did seem to balance well with the bigger bar. From reading online, a lot of people are running a 16" bar and say the 20" is too much. I've got a 16" on the MS192 and that thing is tiny.

Do you guys think a 20" bar is too big for this saw?

just curious as to what real world pricing would be on a saw like that? MRSP looks pricey….or do they stick pretty close to that price?

The Pro vs Non-pro saw debate goes to the very heart of a persons core beliefs- some people believe that quality is worth the extra cost and some don't. This thread will not change that…

If someone asked my opinion ( Read : Original Post) I would tell them to buy the best quality equipment they can afford, whether be it bike or saw. This does not mean they should buy the best irrespective of cost… only the best they can afford at that time. The way I see it is that the cost of having my experience diminished or ruined completely by having my gear crap out on me half way through far outweighs the extra cost of buying quality stuff. I would rather remember the day for building some cool stuff in the forest with my boys than remember the day for dislocating my elbow pulling on a saw that wont start.

But hey, what do I know……

just curious as to what real world pricing would be on a saw like that? MRSP looks pricey….or do they stick pretty close to that price?

$699.95 at Prospect Equipment. The MS261 was around $650 and came with a few extras.

IIRC, the guy at the shop said the 545 is a very similar but slightly slower running saw. I think it was $599.

The MS261 was around $650 and came with a few extras.

.

you get a plastic case to transport the saw, a sthil hat and a spare chain which are worth 75$

I bought the biggest, most powerful saw that I could afford. This was based on the advice of Thomas and Gus from First Journey Trails. These guys are pretty much doing what I attempt to do in my free time but they are doing it day in and day out, all summer long. They are super hard on gear. You rarely see them taking a break. They ripped every rung and beam that they used on the trail they built up in PG.

One thing for sure, make sure to learn how to sharpen a chain properly. I didn't and I was getting really frustrated, not to mention I fucked up a lot of chains and wasted a lot of my time. I spent an hour with an old friend of our family that has worked as a faller, bucker, buncher/processor operator, etc (you name it) for years. Big difference now.

Those aren't little home saws strapped to the front of the quad:

I'm new to the quad assisted trail building..why is the second quad on a trailer like that?

either way killer picture..badass building!

I'm new to the quad assisted trail building..why is the second quad on a trailer like that?

either way killer picture..badass building!

I don't know what the deal is with the second quad. I'm pretty sure those pics are from when they were building in Wells. From what I understand they built some multi use trails and some bike trails there. Didn't see the guys with any quads this summer. But I did see a shitload of rungs like the ones strapped to the back of the quads.

yea i do rungs that way as well if the cedar isn't splitting nice..

$699.95 at Prospect Equipment. The MS261 was around $650 and came with a few extras.

IIRC, the guy at the shop said the 545 is a very similar but slightly slower running saw. I think it was $599.

The 545 and 555 lack the "rev-boost" and crank stuffers that allow them to rev up faster and I believe have slightly differnt porting that results in slightly less power. They're the replacements for the 353 and 359 which are sort of an intermediate/pro saw. "Pro" construction, but lack the XP badge. IMO these are ideal for builders, but find Husky prices to be a bit high in Canadastan.

What ratio mix do people run here? 50,40,32:1?
Modern manufacturers recommend 50:1, but I find I get more carbon deposit on the piston as compared to 40:1..I don't have one of them new fangled strato saws so don't know how they react…

I just go with 50:1 cos 5litres and 100ml is a math no brainer hehe.

This is my go to trail builder now…..joke.

50,40,32:1?
Modern manufacturers recommend 50:1, but I find I get more carbon deposit on the piston as compared to 40:1..I don't have one of them new fangled strato saws so don't know how they react…

50:1 is 100ml per 5 gal while 40:1 is 125ml per 5gal, how do you get more buildup from using less oil, don't you mean you get more carbon deposit from 40:1 ?

If you buy a 6 pak of sthil oil they double the warranty on a new saw so I went with that and I mix 50:1

yea 20 ml / l is what i do.

that saw is crazy huge!

I just go with 50:1 cos 5litres and 100ml is a math no brainer hehe.

yup - quick and easy way to go with a 5L can.
i typically err slightly on the plus side of 100ml tho.

The Pro vs Non-pro saw debate goes to the very heart of a persons core beliefs- some people believe that quality is worth the extra cost and some don't. This thread will not change that…

If someone asked my opinion ( Read : Original Post) I would tell them to buy the best quality equipment they can afford, whether be it bike or saw. This does not mean they should buy the best irrespective of cost… only the best they can afford at that time. The way I see it is that the cost of having my experience diminished or ruined completely by having my gear crap out on me half way through far outweighs the extra cost of buying quality stuff. I would rather remember the day for building some cool stuff in the forest with my boys than remember the day for dislocating my elbow pulling on a saw that wont start.

But hey, what do I know……

for sure, a quality tool is worth the money, especially if it gets a lot of use. like you say though, budget sometimes needs to be a consideration.