Stihl and Husky are all you see on the Lawn Service trailers around town. It is no coincidence. Leaf blowers, string trimmers, bar trimmers...anything with a small engine. Same thing with the logging crews.

I learned years ago to stay away from the cheap baseline box-store models. They are all junk no matter what brand is stamped on them. Nothing more aggravating than broken equipment keeping me from finishing a project.

I didn't realize that. I would be intersested to see what Chinese company makes the 2-cycle engines though for Stihl, Echo, or Husky. Do you have that info handy?

That's mostly correct here too. About all you see on those trucks here is Stihl. Their backpack blowers are in a league of their own. So are their string trimmers and edgers.

The OP is wanting a small saw. We have 3 Husq saws, and if I wanted a new small saw I WOULD NOT buy a new Husqvarna. Like I said the small Husq's are made by Poulan. Their timber saws are a different breed of saw. They start at around $500. I bought my dad a new 365 Husqvarna a couple years ago and it only lasted 2 years before the motor locked up. That is not a small Husq, but it's still a Landowner grade.

Thank's for all the input. I visited a reputable saw shop today & came out with a Sthil. I'm getting older now & didn't want another heavy saw but I still needed one that would crank & cut so I went with the ms170. I liked the saw but didn't like the little narrow 3/8 low profile chain & bar but he changed it out with a 16" 3/8 extended pitch 50gauge chain & bar. I dropped & cut up a load with it this evening & it works much faster than I do & it's light enough to trim limbs overhead if needed. The saw was $179 plus $20 to change to the bigger bar & chain so I'm well pleased.

I've got a Husky 281 that is 30 years old, still cranks on the 3rd pull and runs like a champ.
I also have a Dolmar that's about 25 years old, it's still the absolute best saw I've ever picked up. It's the only saw that ever made wood cutting "fun".

Husky all the way!

You do realize that was all tounge-in-cheek, right?

Stihl or Husky, either one is great.

buy stihl. huskvarna at a actuall dealer is ok. the huskvarna at places like lowes are made my electrolux (or however you spell it), same thing as a polun. the bar oil is put out by pressure from the motor or carb to the oil tank and everytime you turn saw off the pressure has to leak down or take cap off before the oil quits running out. trust me that sucks.

Of all the loggers I know, most of them use Stihls with number two being Husky's. One of the loggers that has always used Stihls had a Mikita(sp?) chainsaw in his truck a few weeks ago and he says he likes it better than comparable cc Stihls, and it was about 2/3 rds the price. I didn't know Mikita made a chainsaw.

You had to go back a ways to dig this thread up didn't you? Nov. 4, 2011 last post.

I have a Husky 455 Rancher and just love it. Used it today to clear out a shooting lane for deer hunting.

don't get a stihl, those bastages will bite ya.......

Something not right about a turquoise chain saw.

If the makitas are like their demos saws then they will be junk. At work we have had the best life out of sthils.

49er I guess it was a a cyber glitch, but that thread popped up with the rest of the page this afternoon. I didn't hunt it up, but it is a good thread anyway..

I may get me a Stihl. Some good info here.

I bought a Poulan 3400 to clear my land here at the house. Early '80s. That sucker ran good and lasted 'til just a couple of years ago.

My son left a new Poulan here when Obama's economy pretty near destroyed everything for him. That new Poulan is a piece of crap. Nothing like my old one, and nothing I would wish on anybody.

I cut a tree down for my daughter Saturday and was thinking about how I wish I had my 3400 running. It quit picking up gas from the tank. Maybe a Stihl will be just as good as it was.

Stihl
Husky
Echo

Any of these three will be good.

I have a husqvarna 445 for sale for $200. It is less than a yr old with under 5 hrs of use on it. Bought new for $300. 256-590-2063