New Member After Some Advice

[RussellS]

Hi, this is my first post here. I registered in the hope of getting some advice and recommendations about a chainsaw purchase.

 

I must admit that I was a bit apprehensive about posting here as this is a forum for proffesional arborists while I'm just a home owner who wants to fell a few trees and cut up logs for the wood burner and was affraid I would just get tutted at for not wanting to spend umpteen hundred pounds on a STIHL or Husqvarna model.

 

Don't get me wrong, I'm not after cheap'n'nasty but good value for money. Obviously, value for money means different things to different poeple and depends on what uses the tool is going to be put to. None of my power tools are high end and most are shop own brand or 'no-name' brands (table saw - B&Q, concrete breaker - Screwfix, sliding mitre saw - Aldi, Petrol strimmer/brushcutter - eBay/chinese) but they have all served me extremely well and have renovated two family homes and generally done a lot of work and are still going strong. This is probably because I look after them and they stay in one place and not bouncing around in the back of a van etc. Therefore I consider most of my tools to have been good value for money,

 

However I know nothing about chainsaws. I currently own a Black and Decker electric chainsaw that has seen better days and won't be up to what I want to do. So I am looking for a petrol chainsaw to innitially cut down about 31 Leylandii trees that have become overgrown and then just very occasional garden use. I would think a 40cm bar would be best but please correct me if I'm wrong.

 

I have been looking at the following models and would like your opinions please.

 

Mountfield MC3616 40cm 1.6hp Petrol Chainsaw | Screwfix.com

 

Einhell BG-PC 4040 Petrol Chainsaw (40cm Guide Bar)

 

BGPC4040 40cm Petrol Chainsaw with 40cc Engine - Machine Mart

 

Ryobi RCS4040CB 40cc Petrol Chainsaw - Machine Mart

 

Ryobi 42cc Power XT™ Series Petrol Chainsaw, 4892210819956

 

It would appear from the pictures & model numbers that the Einhell & the Machine Mart own brand one are the same model.

 

As you can see I am looking around the £150 mark (some a bit less, some a bit more) and I have ignored the cheapy eBay ones after reading these forums.

 

There is also the McCulloch CS360T but I didn't know if the shorter bar would be a problem.

 

Perhaps you could give me the pros and cons of each model so that I can make an educated decision or even suggest another make/model that I haven't considered.

 

Many thanks for any help.

 

Russell

[Eddy_t]

McCullough is the best, it's essentially a husqvarna saw, all the others are sh..

 

It can take a 16" bar, as the husky 235/6 manual states (same saw) but that model can be obtained for £160-170

See my avatar pic for what the saw can do <-

 

Better choice still is the husky 135, as it has a better air filter and metal clutch cover

 

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Edited August 18, 2013 by Eddy_t

[peatff]

I'm a back yard firewood cutter and I bought the Husqvarna 135 and have no problem recommending it to anyone. I only ran a couple of tanks of fuel and the compression seems high pulling the starter cord but it runs well with the 15" bar it came with.

[RopeKnight]

Decide what is the best for you in your price range that you will be able to get serviced easily.

Then wait for the off season when it will most likely be on sale.

Or wait for the off season entirely and get better than you need and be happy.

Cheers

Service and Guarantee is king in my book.

[wisecobandit]

Whilst I understand your scenario im with Eddy. You could buy a small stihl ms170 or Husqvarna 236 or 135 for around the £160 mark new which will do the job you ask. You will have no issue getting spares and get a better reasonable back up, a saw which will last much longer and keep a good resale value.

Personally I would go down the Stihl route, mainly for the reason spares tend to be cheaper and easier to get should you ever need them.

You've done some homework which is nice to see, einhell make saws for a lot of other places and get renamed and rebranded with different names. The Ryobi 4040 I believe is also the same saw as the spear and Jackson also. Both are reasonable saws but once they go wrong can be a nightmare to get spares and can be more labour intensive to fix.

[Dan Earp]

Ryobi are rubbish and just like the aldi £80 saws, you can start them cut stop, then nothing. The ones ive seen and heard about wont hot start.

As said get a 170 from a dealer and ur covered under warranty aswell 👍

[RussellS]

Thanks very much to all of you for the advice. I have now modified my shortlist to just two models, the McCulloch CS360T and the Husqvarna 236.

On paper there doesn't appear to be much to choose between them and, as Eddie said, they are practically the same saw. However, what about spares availability for the McCulloch, is it as easily serviced as the Husqvarna.

The only reason I ask this is because I can get the McCulloch locally whereas I cannot find anywhere that has the Husqvarna and so would have to purchase online.

 

I wasn't aware that Ryobi were rubbish, I always thought they were a respected manufacturer. You live and learn.

Edited August 19, 2013 by RussellS
More Info

[spudulike]

You are forgetting the residual value of the saw on resale -Stihl maintain their value as do Husqvarna although probably not quite as well whilst the rest of the mentioned saws plummet.

 

Buy a quality brand, you may be able to get something like a 345/350 Husqvarna for around £150, they are both deent and powerful machines!

[Eddy_t]

Thanks very much to all of you for the advice. I have now modified my shortlist to just two models, the McCulloch CS360T and the Husqvarna 236.

On paper there doesn't appear to be much to choose between them and, as Eddie said, they are practically the same saw. However, what about spares availability for the McCulloch, is it as easily serviced as the Husqvarna.

The only reason I ask this is because I can get the McCulloch locally whereas I cannot find anywhere that has the Husqvarna and so would have to purchase online.

 

I wasn't aware that Ryobi were rubbish, I always thought they were a respected manufacturer. You live and learn.

 

Where are you based?

Also if you check the 'what's on my bench' thread, one of the mechanics recently carried out work on a ryobi saw, he had to take it apart for replacement.

 

 

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[wisecobandit]

Ryobi are rubbish and just like the aldi £80 saws, you can start them cut stop, then nothing. The ones ive seen and heard about wont hot start.

As said get a 170 from a dealer and ur covered under warranty aswell 👍

That'll be the tank breather plug which they push in to far so it seals or the fact the fuel line is a good 2" to long in the fuel tank.

Thought by now they would have sorted that out, as for Aldi its a rebadge einhell.

Either way as you say not my cup of tea either, I would rather spend a few quid more for a Stihl or Huqvarna.