2500

good job! MS 290 is a good consumer saw.

now please consider getting a pair of chainsaw chaps. too little is said about importance of safety gear.

chaps are constructed of a material that slows the chain down.

keep that chain sharp! learn to hand sharpen your chain. get the correct sized round file with a holder.

best way to sharpen is clamp chainsaw bar in a vise. then tighten up chain until it barely moves. this removes wiggle while sharpening chain.

must see what you are doing to keep correct angle while filing.

chains sharpened by shops are generally overheated and large amount of tooth is removed. chains lose temper and have short lives when sent in for sharpening...

Mopardan

Yeah, I may check into the chaps! I usually sharpen my little Poulan chainsaw and my Sthil pole pruner 3 or 4 times and take them to the "local" saw shop for him to correct. He does them by hand usually while I wait. Sharpening chainsaws is not one of my strong points. Another reason to buy from him!

SolarYellow05

I have been a firefighter for 6 years. We have both husky an stihl on various trucks. I know every time I grab a stihl it's gonna start but every time I grab a husky I wonder if it's gonna start.

My dad logged for years and his 1970s stihl 038 still fires up every time it's pulled.

rustyshakelford

haha i know what you mean...stihl all the way

brett

dzlfarmboy

I think Stihl is a good brand use to have a FARM BOSS , but my old man has 3 Husqvarna's and they run well, and are comfortable as far as the Vibration Handle Features. But they dont get used that hard either.

2500

got two Huskys and four Stihls... they all start every time.
don't think it's fair to categorize Huskys as being unreliable.

that's a matter of maintenance. just so happens my preference is Stihl. so thats what gets pulled out and used.

do spent a fair bit of time on Arborist Site where discussions like this happens all the time.

not unlike Cummins and Ford Diesels... each has a loyal following.

if I had to call it... Stihl is like a Cummins

Southern Pride

my youngest brother is a fire fighter, and on the side, he does stump grinding. he bought a husky, (rancher i believe is the model of it), but he hasnt been impressed with it at all. though i can admit that when cutting large stumps down to just about ground level, thats a lot of weight sitting on the bar and front sprocket, but he's had numerous starting problems and has had it in the shop about 7 different times in the last 2 years. more than any of our stihls. we do have an old mccullough. now that thing is a monster, but it just about viberates your hand off. but if you stay up on the maintenance on them, they should last all right. i dont like all the plastic on the husy's though.

rustyshakelford

i can count on a stihl to start everytime ive needed it at work. the husky, on the other hand its tempermental. its been the same way since it was new, but it is very finiky. easy to flood and once its warmed up, if you shut it off, good luck getting in running again. i dont like it!

brett

dizzel

ya know the way I see it all the big names are good saws. I have a echo cst 610evl the two cylinder saw and it's awesome. I also have a husky 3120 and it is a beast too. I have seen some quick cuts by stihl that hold some crazy abuse and still keep going so I'd go with what ever is closest and what ever shop gives you the best service.

Mopardan

I have not got to try it out yet. I'm off this weekend, but my daughter wants us to go tour Graceland. We've done it before bit she was only 3. I'm only 5'3 and 140lb so he told me if I use it very little and decide its not what I want I can swap for another saw. The thing weights in @ 13lb, but I really won't be using it that much. The 250 and 290 come with a hard case to boot. I opted for the 18" bar because usually the storms blow down the BIG trees. I'm think I'm gonna be satisified tho.

dj_souvlaki

well between the two i prefer stihl

was in the small engine business for 2 years. stihl is better built. less plastic and two piston rings vrs the husky which only uses 1.

parts availability i would take stihl as well.

Make sure your using a proper 2 stroke oil . buy the stihl stuff or even go synthetic if you want. just make sure its for air cooled engines. run at least an 89 octane fuel or higher. keep it as fresh as possible.

dont let the engine idle for too long plugs up the spark arrester. use it at full throttle.

ms260 is a good saw. full proffesional. if your going to cut through thick wood i would recomend stepping up to the 361. stay away from the 290. we sold alot of them this year and have been having a load of problems with them. only happy customers seemed to be the ones cutting small trees once in a blue moon. plus they are heavy.

rustyshakelford

on the stihl blowers at work, ours started running terrible..turns out the spark arrester was nasty! took it off, and that thing flat out screams..i couldnt believe how big of a diference it made..the thing will wear your arm out before your done blowing off the pad!

brett

pgcountycop

Stihl all the way. Used them for years, and like any other tool, with the right maintenance will last forever.

dj_souvlaki

heres what you do. get a propane torch. hold the spark arrestor with a pair of pliers. heat it up and scrape it off with a wire brush. works like a charm.

Mopardan

Now ya tell me. I considered the 270 or 280, but he told me he does not carry them yet as they are new and he's waiting for them to get the bugs out. The ms260 pro is a bit pricy for what I'm doing. Hopefully I can try it out in a couple of weeks and see how it does. All I do is cut 1-2 cord of fire wood for deer camp, and help clear debris after storms. I have a Sthil pole saw for pruning and a small Poulan for really light jobs. Local dealer is great (small town, pop 3,500) and said if I use it "very little" he would take it back and I can choose another. I like small towns!!!!!!!!!!!