What yer cheap saw favorites?

[hacskaroly]

save the 3/8 .063 carbide chain. Its enough drivelinks to make one 28" loop.

A standard Stihl Carbide chain for a 20" bar runs about $70. I hear they are great for plunge cutting in the ground and cutting tree roots to make stumps easier to pull out with a tractor. I wouldn't have a problem buying surplus saws....well I take that back, I suppose some people consider my CAD a problem!!

 

[mainer_in_ak]

670 on the left 6700 on right. Dayum these things come apart so easy. Still gotta install new seals and a fresh set ah koyo 6202's in each.

No decomp bllsht. Metal oiler gears pressfit on the crank, they never strip out like the plastic ones.

 

[FergusonTO35]

Back on the topic of cheap saws: there is a really nice 2021 MS-250 at the pawn shop for $169.95 and I know they will go quite a bit lower just by asking. But, I just bought a super low miles 2024 MS-194C for $175.00 and the fun money is getting low. I kind of wish they would raise the price so I don't feel bad about leaving it there!

 

[hacskaroly]

I kind of wish they would raise the price so I don't feel bad about leaving it there!

I feel ya! I have projects enough and not enough fun money to cover them right now...have to prioritize what I am working on. I did splurge for a customer return Husky 455, they didn't know what they were doing with the saw, the original chain flew off, the next two Tri-Link chains they used were cranked down hard and run to dull and not sharpened. Customer complained that the saw was crap. I was able to take it off the store's hands for $5.

 

[Outback]

You overpaid.

 

[Wood Doctor]

One of my good friends has a Husky 455. I serviced it once. He loves the saw and uses it all the time. Not cheap: new ones run $600 with sales tax.

 

[mainer_in_ak]

I feel ya! I have projects enough and not enough fun money to cover them right now...have to prioritize what I am working on. I did splurge for a customer return Husky 455, they didn't know what they were doing with the saw, the original chain flew off, the next two Tri-Link chains they used were cranked down hard and run to dull and not sharpened. Customer complained that the saw was crap. I was able to take it off the store's hands for $5.

Wow, that's a heck of a deal! When I first bought my land, that's what i started out with, along with an old 42 cc craftsman and a ms 290.

With the 455, I found that the flimsy sheet metal around the oiler gear, didn't seal up very well, allowing too much debris onto the plastic worm gear. Stripped within a few tanks! I sealed the sheet metal into a bed of right stuff gasket maker. Never stripped another oiler gear.

 

[Outback]

Sense of humor much? I've owned a couple of 4 series saws. Both were free. I stand by my statement that he over paid. Both as a joke and a fact.
Huskies are my favorite cheap saw. I liked the 500i I got in pieces in a box for $130. Not enough to keep it though.

 

[FergusonTO35]

One of my good friends has a Husky 455. I serviced it once. He loves the saw and uses it all the time. Not cheap: new ones run $600 with sales tax.

I'm the last person who could be called a saw snob and I don't have a problem with clamshells or homeowner grade saws as long as they work. But, that's a total rip off. You can get a new MS-261 or 550 for that much. Or an Echo 590 for way less!

 

[hacskaroly]

MS-261

Currently new 261s are averaging between $779 - $799. 550s area sitting around $650 - $699. I agree, the Echo 590 is looking more appealing at $450ish.

For the general user, it all depends on what you have for sale around you. Our store only carried Husky 435, 440, 450, 455, 572, and 592. The store seemed to lean more towards Stihls which we had a wider variety of them. So if someone wanted a 550 or any other variant, then they would have to hit only a couple of other vendors that might have those.

 

[mainer_in_ak]

Currently new 261s are averaging between $779 - $799. 550s area sitting around $650 - $699. I agree, the Echo 590 is looking more appealing at $450ish.

Yep the 590 timberwolf is and always will be the best-buy saw of all time. It takes very little money or effort to tune them.

I've owned a ms 290, ms 310, 455 rancher and a ms 311. My timberwolf is light years better than the competition.

Oem echo clutch side felling spike:

GENUINE OEM ECHO TIMBER WOLF CS-590 CS-600P OUTER BUCKING SPIKE DAWG

ADD AN OUTER

www.sawsalvage.co

Walbro fuel nozzle (gets the saw tuned beyond 13k rpms)

GENUINE WALBRO FUEL NOZZLE CHECK VALVE 86-578

GENUINE WALBRO PARTS

www.sawsalvage.co

Redbeard bar adapter to stihl bar:

Stihl 12mm to Echo 590-620P Bar Adapter

Professional bar adapters from Mike Manley. These bar adapters allow you to run 12mm Stihl mount chainsaw bars the Echo 590-620 chainsaws. This is great for those operators who run both brands of saws, because you only need one type of bar now, one with a 12mm Stihl mount. Please check your saw...

redbeardsaws.com

 

[STOVE]

Gotta be my trusty cs-400. I think I paid $325 new. Got another as a part saw that ended up being in good condition and runs for $30. Going to put it on FB for someone to give it the life it deserves.

 

[DillonBuck]

When you say “cheap”. I think cheap.
Not middle.

The Zenoah clones of better quality, especially Neotec 6200. No idea how to post video here, wish I could. One with about $80 worth of parts and a days work. I don’t think anybody offers a saw to beat it at the weight class. Certainly not for three times the cost.
The $150 base saw new is pretty dang good.
Putting a better filter in it is $10, deleting the base gasket and opening the muffler baffle cost nothing and yields good gains.

That’s my best, cheap, saw.

 

[Wood Doctor]

Somehow I have never thought of this Echo CS-670 as being a cheap saw. I bought it used nine years ago for $200 and it still runs OK today. It pulls a 30" bar/chain without breathing hard:

I made the bar adapter in my shop because I have spare Stihl bars. They work and are easy to replace.

 

[Wilhelm]

I personally do not care about "cheap" chainsaws, nor do I own any.
I ran a couple to know better!

When anyone comes and tries to borrow a saw from me I point them to several of our local supermarkets that sell 25 - 50cc chainsaws at prices ranging from 75 to 90 Euro, complete with B&C and warranty.

 

[Duce]

When you say “cheap”. I think cheap.
Not middle.

The Zenoah clones of better quality, especially Neotec 6200. No idea how to post video here, wish I could. One with about $80 worth of parts and a days work. I don’t think anybody offers a saw to beat it at the weight class. Certainly not for three times the cost.
The $150 base saw new is pretty dang good.
Putting a better filter in it is $10, deleting the base gasket and opening the muffler baffle cost nothing and yields good gains.

That’s my best, cheap, saw.

Agree on Neotec. Purchased 2-845, 6200, 6800. Cut intake gasket on 845’s. That 6800 with 22”bar cuts buried in red oak. Gave one 845 and 6200 to a person with no saws. Limbed 9, 24-30” oaks with that 6800. Are they as fast as my ported ms400 or ported 372, nope, but they do cut firewood.

 

[EFSM]

I recently worked on what was my first and hopefully my last Neotec saw. It was a Stihl 036 knock off and absolute garbage. Get a Chinese saw only if you’re willing to work on it. Often.

 

[FergusonTO35]

In the grand scheme of things, chainsaws are not that expensive considering how much work they can do and how long they can last with proper care. I love a good bargain as much as anybody else but there just comes a point where low cost isn't worth it. And I think that applies to many name brand consumer saws as well as Chicom knockoffs. I'm still amazed at how people are willing to pay more money for a plastic MS-391 or 460 Rancher instead of a CS-590 with pro style construction. I'm not saying that because I'm an Echo fan, just stating fact. In this price range, you get a better product for the same or less money with Echo when it comes to 50-60cc saws.

 

[Duce]

I recently worked on what was my first and hopefully my last Neotec saw. It was a Stihl 036 knock off and absolute garbage. Get a Chinese saw only if you’re willing to work on it. Often.

Isn’t that what this forum is about, working on saws?

 

[hacskaroly]

Isn’t that what this forum is about, working on saws?

I think what he might be referring to is you will end up working on them a lot, kind of like that one girlfriend....very needy, ends up needing lots of attention.