First Chainsaw

[Kas369]

Will shortly be looking to get my first chainsaw, and am looking for some advice/suggestions.

What’s gonna be the best bang for my buck at around £600, don’t have much experience with maintenance so not sure if used is a good idea

[Stubby]

I wait with interest 🙂

[Tree monkey 1682]

Echo 310 , cheap and cheerful, basic, you could learn on it and with a 14" bar you could fell 28" diameter trees and 400 left over .

Depends what you want to do with it and what you intend doing with it .

Move on to a better saw after you've learned .

I expect to be  laughed , but hey, I started with a stihl 017

[Steven P]

I believe in the best tools for the job, so get one that is suited to your needs. but for that we need to know what your needs are. What are you wanting to use the saw for? What is your experience with them, and do you have a preference to use petrol, electric or battery (all depends what you are going to use it for and where).

 

Does your budget also have to include the relevant PPE, things like a chain sharpening kit and fuel cans as well, or is that on top of just the saw cost.

[Dan Maynard]

I see you're also asking about work having done CS30/31. Get either a Husqvarna 550 or Stihl 261 depending on which dealer is near you and you get on with. My advice would be don't buy secondhand, and don't buy online, you need somewhere you can walk in and ask for help. That'll probably cost a little over £600, don't buy something cheaper as you'll end up wishing you hadn't wasted that money.

 

But if you get work as a groundie you shouldn't immediately need a saw, I'd start with boots, chainsaw trousers and helmet first.

[Brushcutter]

Husky 540 MK3 pro grade saw for 600ish quid. Capable but not too powerful to start with. If you can stretch to a 50cc saw it will do everything but the 540 at only 40cc is really decent. 

[Con]

Don't be put off buying used. All saws require maintenance.  Even new ones. A decent  used one will only require the same maintenance as a new one. Without knowing what you're using it for I'd say Stihl 261, husky 550xp or whatever the echo equivalent is. As someone mentioned,  location to dealers may have a bearing on choice. Having said all that about used, you might pick up something new in your price range

[Steven P]

However for used, all depends on the source, ebay and similar could be fantastic bragains, could be full of hidden issues that were never mentioned - I'd be more inclined now to get one I can see and see run. A dealer should be able to start a saw for you. However if it is going to be a work saw, I would go new, you know its history then and that when you turn up for work it will run when you want it to.

[Woodward]

18 hours ago, Tree monkey 1682 said:

Echo 310 , cheap and cheerful, basic, you could learn on it and with a 14" bar you could fell 28" diameter trees and 400 left over .

Depends what you want to do with it and what you intend doing with it .

Move on to a better saw after you've learned .

I expect to be  laughed , but hey, I started with a stihl 017

That is a very lackluster saw, the next size up is a better bet, even then I had to remove the cat from it to wake it up, it does not rev high either so not fast cutter. Am also looking to upgrade to something bigger to cut fireweed as that Echo CS352 is still too slow for that, it will get things done but will consume your time to no end, am old and do not wish to spend all day doing what could be done in a lot less time.

[Tree monkey 1682]

1 hour ago, Woodward said:

That is a very lackluster saw, the next size up is a better bet, even then I had to remove the cat from it to wake it up, it does not rev high either so not fast cutter. Am also looking to upgrade to something bigger to cut fireweed as that Echo CS352 is still too slow for that, it will get things done but will consume your time to no end, am old and do not wish to spend all day doing what could be done in a lot less time.

I brought the above when i was young then up graded, thats my personal experiance,

If someone wants an easy lightweight, basic , stands upto abuse ,would pass basic training then go for it, 

Bloke/woman/person 1st saw thats all.

Things like certain small stihls have never been "quick" husqvarna yes but not stihl .

Husqvarna are ok echo are ok. But nothing to write home about .

If times precious why bother cutting your own wood? I find echo neither quick nor slow , husqvarna scream and stihl are just grunt.