Buying first chainsaw

[Bethel33]

I'm not a logger by trade, but I've got mixed hardwood that needs management. Been hiring it out, but prices are crazy now and I'm handy enough to do some of this myself. I wanna start by getting my first serious chainsaw. I've successfully been able to narrow it down to the stihl MS 271 or husqvarna 450 rancher. I'll be mainly be dropping 12 to 24 diameter trees, mostly oak, maple, some ash. Anyway, the both of them seem well reviewed
Which one is easier to maintain for someone who won't be using it daily? and what about parts availability in rural areas, does one have an edge there? speaking of, I've heard of this stihl dealer network advantage thing, is it real or nah ?

 

[cjmac163]

Welcome to the forum! Glad to hear you are interested in buying your first saw and are researching options.

Personally, I run both Stihl and Husky saws, but have a bias toward the Husky saws. The 450 isn't too bad, but personally I would pick up the 455 as it comes standard with 3/8 pitch chain (which most sawyers prefer for pretty much everything), and is a little more gutsy to handle the larger wood you will be dealing with. The MS271 is also a great firewood saw, but just the same as with the Husky saws, I would upgrade just slightly and look into the MS291 for the larger diameter cuts.

Basically, if you really don't have a lot of 20-24" cuts to make, the MS271 and 450 Rancher will handle larger cuts here and there, when needed. But if you have a significant amount of wood larger than 20" you may want to look into the MS291 or 455 Rancher.

Hope this helps, and best of luck! Always wear your chaps and PPE, injuries happen more often and more easily than you think, even experienced fallers are prone to accidents!

 

[por.den]

I'd lean toward the stihl tho if you've got a good dealer nearby, I dont know I feel like hausqvarna makes great saws too, but their dealer network can be spottier depending on where you are. An 18 or 20 inch should handle most of what you're cutting

 

[strangerR4y]

I've heard of this stihl dealer network advantage thing, is it real or nah ?

yeah, the STIHL dealer network is a very real and central part of the company's business model and customer offering.
It's not a specific program you sign up for, it's an exclusive sales and support system through which all genuine new STIHL products are sold, and it offers a lot of advantages to customers

 

[What]

Go 1 step larger to a Husqvarna 455, it's worth the few dollars more.