Small saw advice

[windfall]

Hi All, I am looking at buying a smaller saw and I am looking to get the benefit of everyones experience! Currently have a ms390 (spuds restoring it!) and an ms660.

 

Spud has a 024 forsale at a very good price, probably in the £200 region, however, I have been to our local dealer yesterday and they have a new ms230c-be for £440 inc vat.

 

The 230 seemed really light weight and user friendly, with some funky new features.

 

So my concerns are the 024 is really pushing on in age now, if the bore/piston was so worn then i do have concerns about the big end. Basically am i going to be lucky to get a year out of the 024? The 230 is going to have a warrenty for a year and after that its down to me and how i look after it.

 

I suppose its the age old new vs recon!

 

Any views or thoughts would be ace!

[spudulike]

Just for the record and in no way wanting to put pressure or dictate a view - the 024 had wear on the inlet side and this is down to ingestion of woodchip through the air filter - the bottom end feels solid and the rest of the saw looks in very good condition considering the age.

 

I don't know if a better filter is available for these saws - got the wire mesh one - haven't investigated yet!

[windfall]

OK cool, cheers Spud :-)

[tractorboy1]

I have a echo CS-420ES did my CS31 and 32 with it got the p taken out of in by the instructor till he used it . Used it along side a couple of pros and the have been impressed. Been faultless over the 3 years ive had it except for the break band. That only went like most after doing courses. Id highly recommend looking at the echo range.

 

Echo CS-420ES 38cm Commercial Grade Chainsaw

[Daniël Bos]

I'm not quite sure why you're having trouble choosing between a £440 ms230 and a £200 024 when you can get a new ms241 for £440?

 

The ms241 has an "HD2" filter, the new heavy-duty standard for stihl I believe?

241 has less vibes (the lowest vibe saw in the whole stihl range I think) more power and weighs less.

 

"230" c-"BE" means:

"230" Outdated -there's been a 231 available for some time

"B" means it has one of those annoying quick, toolless tensioners. opinions vary.

"E" means the completely useless "ergostart", a system that stores the energy from your pull, and uses that to crank only when you've pulled all the cord out.

 

 

And that's without going into the pro versus home-owner saw thing.

Easy peasy mate!

[windfall]

Ace! cheers for that so we are now between a £200 024 and a ms241

 

Thanks Rover, this is the sort of help i needed.

[Daniël Bos]

I looked long and hard at small saws, replace my ms210?, get an ms260? ms241:thumbup1: was a clear winner in my book.... but then I bought a 346XPG:biggrin:

I've not used it properly yet though, but first impressions are that the finish is all that little bit less good, the recoil cover is a slighltly different orange, the whole on/of choke assembly makes me worry about using it with my (thick) hedging gloves, the clips on the top cover cannot be undone just by hand etc.

[windfall]

Just been looking at the husky range from the site you pointed me too, on paper they look a good option but i saw them at a local show and like you i got a cheap feeling from them.

[Daniël Bos]

Look on here for threads on the 346xp, or the best small saw etc. It seems most people (even those well-informed, quality-minded Stihl customers) really rate this saw.

Alternatively, look through Wooded's posts, in at least one out of three posts he'll tell the world how much he loves his, I find it a little disconcerting:lol:

[spudulike]

The 346XP, a saw with big kahoonas, goes like stink, light and good AV:thumbup: