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countryred
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# Posted: 14 Mar 2013 13:10
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We are looking for a good chainsaw to clear brush on our new property. Nothing too heavy, most of the trees are 4" thick or less, and a few 8-12".
Thinking about a small husqvarna. What do you all use?
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Popeye
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# Posted: 14 Mar 2013 14:30
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I own 3 Stihl saws and they all perform flawlessly. The MiniBoss would be a good choice. Priced right around $200.
My recommendation is to buy the brand that can be locally serviced. Not every area has a Stihl dealer or Husqvarna dealer.
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cabinbiscuit
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# Posted: 14 Mar 2013 16:27
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Oh boy here we go again, the great chainsaw battle continues. LOL
I'm just laughing because every time someone brings this topic up there are a ton of opinions as you will see. Personally I have two Stihl saws and love them both, although I don't think you could go wrong with a Husqy either and nearly bought one when I bought my first Stihl.
I agree with Popeye that if you don't work on your own saws or if you need warranty repairs or parts then having a dealer close by is sure nice.
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CabinBuilder
Admin
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# Posted: 14 Mar 2013 16:34 - Edited by: CabinBuilder
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Quoting: cabinbiscuit Oh boy here we go again, the great chainsaw battle continues. LOL
Related topic: Stihl or Husqvrna, or...???
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bobbotron
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# Posted: 14 Mar 2013 16:59 - Edited by: bobbotron
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You might want something else for anything smaller than about 3". I find a chainsaw can be a bit sketchy on small brush. Snips will go reasonably fast, or one of those crazy saw blade weed wacker things.
I have a STIHL MS250. I bet it would be awesome for your kind of work. Edit, I should say, like the other posters said, I'm sure a husky would be great too.
Work safe!
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Just
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# Posted: 14 Mar 2013 17:26
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In canada husky's are now sold at big box stores with no local dealer support.I would go to a local dealer saw if you can .I bought a husky a few years ago from a dealer and then they betrayed all their local dealers for big sales at the big stores. needless to say the dealers dropped their line and only service what they sold, not good ,like any saw they work well till ,,they don't,, so be carefull .
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Paul
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# Posted: 14 Mar 2013 18:56
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It is sorta like buying a truck; ford,dodge,or chevy? I would pick whatever feels most comfortable to you. Pick a few different highend brands up and swing them around a bit. I would look at who has the best warranty if buying new. That is what really matters if you get a bad one off the line. I think the very max you want to look at is an 18 in bar and that is maybe over doing it.
Do you have a friend in the landscaping business? They might be able to get you a discount or an extended warranty plan from their power equipment supplier.
I have a used 18in "wild thing" poulan i bought at a flea market for $35.00. I put a 16 in bar on it and dog the heck out of it if I want because im not out any money if it breaks or gets stolen. I would never buy one of those new or try to clear a road with one but it suits my needs. You might instead look at a used dr mower, it almost has as many attachments as a bobcat now a days.
start saving your pennies for a backpack leaf blower, you are going to want one this fall  Craftsman rakes($20ish) are lifetime guarantee, just take the broken ones back to sears.
loved your pics from the other tread congrats again
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countryred
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# Posted: 14 Mar 2013 20:07
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Thanks Paul! There is a Husqy dealer pretty close in case we need to work on it after purchase. Our road or path, will be a hundred yards in by 20 feet wide. There are a few dead trees , windstorm back in 2009 the locals say.
I am thinking a 14" to 16" bar, even on a bigger saw. More power than bar is ok.
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VC_fan
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# Posted: 14 Mar 2013 21:46
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I have a Husqy 350 and love it. I've personally had issues with the Stihl I've borrowed (could be poorly maintained) being hard to start and the Husqy has always started and ran great. It came with an 18" or 16" bar but I replaced it with one quite a bit shorter - probably a 14" - which is much handier for clearing brush. However, for the first 6-8 years I was clearing brush on our properties I beat the heck of a cheap ($79 at the time) McCullough. It was lighter, easier to handle, had plenty of power for the job, and also never gave me problems. It still ran great when I got rid of it - it ran great but the chain didn't move any more. It owed me nothing.
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VC_fan
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# Posted: 14 Mar 2013 21:47
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I have a Husqy 350 and love it. I've personally had issues with the Stihl I've borrowed (could be poorly maintained) being hard to start and the Husqy has always started and ran great. It came with an 18" or 16" bar but I replaced it with one quite a bit shorter - probably a 14" - which is much handier for clearing brush. However, for the first 6-8 years I was clearing brush on our properties I beat the heck of a cheap ($79 at the time) McCullough. It was lighter, easier to handle, had plenty of power for the job, and also never gave me problems. It still ran great when I got rid of it - it ran great but the chain didn't move any more. It owed me nothing.
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PA_Bound
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# Posted: 15 Mar 2013 06:06
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Like Bobotron suggested, consider a higher-end weed whacker with a saw-type blade on it for clearing brush. I've used both, and find it much easier for clearing brush and small trees. Trees much bigger than an inch or so, while they can be cut with the blade, are best cut with a chainsaw. But anything less, the weed whacker is best. My $.02
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Hinezy
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# Posted: 15 Mar 2013 08:10
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Ok, I'm sure I'll get harrassed for this but I'm tempted to buy the Worx Jawsaw. It's made for cutting smaller brush and branches and gets great reviews. It in no way replaces a chainsaw but then again it's not made to.
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Popeye
Member
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# Posted: 15 Mar 2013 08:52
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Quoting: Hinezy I'm tempted to buy the Worx Jawsaw
I trip enough over the vacuum cord! 
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TheCabinCalls
Member
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# Posted: 15 Mar 2013 10:05
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I had a buddy come to our property he used a Weed Wacker with a saw blade on it. Took out brush in a heartbeat. The ones that were larger we wrap a chain around and pulled them out with a truck.
Have fun!
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countryred
Member
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# Posted: 15 Mar 2013 14:02
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We have some smaller stuff , briars ,thorn bushes, baby trees, etc..and the snippers work great on those. Gmmme a day with a good chainsaw, tank of gas, jug of sweet tea, and I think I can open things up.
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SubArcticGuy
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# Posted: 16 Mar 2013 09:09
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Does anybody here have experience with the Husqy 550 autotune.....It is expensive but very tempting. I worry that freezing temps could throw off the sensors though...
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PA_Bound
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# Posted: 16 Mar 2013 09:25 - Edited by: PA_Bound
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Countryred... I think the question needs to be asked about how much brush you are clearing? If you are just clearing up a little brush here and there then sure, the snippers work okay. But cutting each stem by hand, being bent-over (or on your knees) so you can cut close to the ground, is a slow, tedious, hard-on-the-body process if you are removing a larger amount of brush. Chainsaws are only slightly better in this case, as they're heavy and you still have to get low to the ground- again hard on the body.
I once helped open up several miles of 4-wheeler trails that had overgrown to the point of being almost impassible. The weed whacker with the saw blade was the "cats meow" allowing us to quickly cut large amounts of brush. And since the weight was balanced better and you could stand fully erect and still cut close to the ground (necessary as even the short stumps on small trees will puncture a tire), we found it to be the fastest, easiest and safest method.
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countryred
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# Posted: 16 Mar 2013 20:44
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PA,...guess all total....about 2 acres worth. The tree are so close together and the sticker bushes are only in spots. We are leaving the bigger oaks and almost all the pines. A road, or path in for parking and a small clearing for camping.
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241comp
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# Posted: 18 Mar 2013 08:40
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I don't know what the terrain is like, but I have an MS290 which is definitely too heavy to lug up and down the slopes on my property, so I purchased an MS-192-T (top-handle, in-tree saw) and it zips right through the small stuff (<8") without a problem which being very light-weight and easy to handle on the slopes. For clearing small stuff, a light-weight saw can extend your "safe" working hours significantly, because it is never a good idea to operate a chainsaw when your arms are tired.
If you're actually clearing brush (not small trees), try something like a DR walk-behind field and brush mower. They have up to a 3" caliper capacity, which is more than enough for virtually all brush and saplings.
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bldginsp
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# Posted: 21 Mar 2013 22:11
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Where I am, small trees are referred to as brush and the loggers bite them off at the ground with their teeth.
Just kidding.
I got a Husqvarna 142 ( think that's it....) which is one size up from the smallest they made at the time. I've used it mostly for thinning small trees, up to 6-8 inches. Up to that diameter it works fine, a bit slow in 8 inch, anything larger and it goes very slow.
It's very reliable. I rebuilt the carburetor to replace the flexible fabric diaphragms and after that it worked good as new again. Was easy to rebuild. Had the saw 5 years now, no complaints.
If I had it to do over again, I'd check to see if there is a lighter saw. Brush clearing is time consuming, and cutting small stuff is quick and easy. You just have to do a lot of it, and the lighter the saw the better. Any small saw will handle up to 6 inches fine.
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oldgringo
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# Posted: 23 Mar 2013 17:06
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It took years for this lesson to sink in, but I don't clear brush my cutting it off at the ground, which results in a lifetime of stump sprouts. I girdle it, and wait for it to die, then push it over with a tractor. Much better results.
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countryred
Member
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# Posted: 24 Mar 2013 13:26
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Girdling some of it will work, no tractor on the place though. Since it will be about a 10 project, some stuff is likely to grow back too.
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Ann
Member
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# Posted: 26 Apr 2013 10:56
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I am considering this Oregon battery powered chain saw for cutting up fallen limbs for my small wood stove. It gets decent reviews, and the small engine shop that takes care of my lawnmower and weed trimmer has just started selling it. Has anyone else seen it or tried it?
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200517768_200517768
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TheWildMan
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# Posted: 26 Apr 2013 11:19
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normally i would reccomend a jonsered 38cc saw for what your doing (loggers around here perfer jonsered or dolmar saws, they tend to run under heavy use longer than husquvarnah or stihl saws, but they have a higher price tag too). jonsered under tilton is having some trouble right now so i don't reccomend them right now (dealer support issues, parts etc)
a 38 or 40 cc saw would have a 14" bar and be very light weight, good on fuel and do what your looking at. i used to have a couple 40 cc husquavarnah saws (little homeowner size saw), 14" bar. i used them on logging sites for limbing, they ran well for smaller limbs and light work without using the gas a bigger one would for these tasks (paired a light saw with a big saw). i gave them away to an old guy who had arthritis and was too out of shape to use most saws, the light weight made them something he could use. i picked one up used and the other was a display model from lowes, you could get one for $200 or less if you get it on sale.
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Truecabin
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# Posted: 26 Apr 2013 11:55
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Someone who's clearing brush does not need a professional chainsaw it's just a waste of money they'll never wear out even a homeowner stihl or echo. With the soft wet ground Ive been jerking bushes out of the ground using a chain to my pickup, I like this better, no stubs poking up. Then I cut the bush in half and throw it on the burn pile.
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vince
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# Posted: 5 May 2013 23:55 - Edited by: vince
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Stihl or Husqvarna. Don't waste time or money on the cheap Poulon or other brands. Really... Learn from other's mistakes
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countryred
Member
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# Posted: 10 May 2013 19:52
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I wound up buying a small 14" 33 cc Poulan. Picked up some extra chains since I will be cutting a lot at or close to ground level.
I really liked the weight and balance of it. I have about 3 days worth of cutting, guessing, and after that just some occasional trim work.
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Gregjman
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# Posted: 10 May 2013 19:58
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A Stihl model 180c is 8.5# and has a 16" bar. Very light. 199$ at most vendors
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Vermonter
Member
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# Posted: 12 May 2013 01:37
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I have a Husqvarna 235xtorque. It's Husky's smallest saw that I know of. It's 35cc and 16 inch bar. It's a $200 saw. I LOVE it. I've done a lot of commercial logging and I bought it for those times where a 60cc saw isn't needed. Like clearing brush or limbing. I can cut whatever I want with my Husky, sure it won't be as fast in a giant oak, but it'll do the job. Just sharpen the chain once in a while and you'll be good to go. I purchased mine a year ago and have about 100 hours on it and have had zero issues besides me breaking the tentioner for the chain, but you can do it manually. It was my fault. I may be young, but I've owned many saws and for a small homeowner or "woman's" saw I'd recomend that. I bought the extended warranty ($20) that will cover me for 3 years. O.E it's a one year.
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countryred
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# Posted: 12 May 2013 08:31
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Sounds like a good choice.
I bought extra chains since I will be cutting most of it as low to the ground as possible and dulling them . Mine was just over a hundred and it should be big enough to handle the smaller trees just fine.
We will cut up most of it for fire wood and the rest will go for some hugelkultur raised garden beds.
Wondering how much gas I will go through cutting 1/2 day at a time?
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