With Menards and their 11% off this week and it looks like Mills Fleet Farm will have 12% off next week thought it would be a good time to buy. 

Looking at a 14-18" bar and somewhere between $100.00-$170.00. As much as I would like a Stihl the price is a little out of my range for the amount of use it would get.

So looking for opinions on the brands that they both sell-

Craftsman, Poulan, PoulanPro, Jonsered, Troy-Bilt, Husqvarna, and maybe an Echo if it on sale.

Opinions on which one(s) is/are the best, or which ones to stay away from.

Some 35 years ago, I bought a 12" Craftsman that cut an awful lot of wood with me and the boys,,, I never had to do anything to it except 3 or 4 new blades and chains. Great little saw and can be held in one hand. Then a few years after that Craftsman, I bought a Stihl 029 with a 14", Now that saw could tackle anything I wanted to. I still gots both of them but neither been used in 5 years tho,,,,,

I wouldn't be surprised if all the off brands you mentioned are made in the same factory.  I had a small Sears I bought for less then $100 new back in 1979 when we were in the logging business.  It only lasted a few days as the studs for the bar started pulling out of the housing.  Took it back and got my money back.  Just wanted a small saw to limb with.  It's hard to say who makes Sears these days, back in the old, old days, 50 plus years ago, Sears sold some pretty nice saws.  Two years ago I got a Stihl 160, I think, for around $160.  It is lighter then the standard Stihls but starts and cuts fairly well.  I have a HF cordless that I carry on the wood chipper, it works great cutting branches off so the limbs feed easier.  Runs about as long as the small Stihl on a charge/tank of gas, which is about as long as I want to run a saw anymore at one time!

No matter what you buy, either run the premade cans of fuel or HITEST gas/quality 2S oil and run it dry after use... Buy a couple plugs while you're buying the saw.

While premix is pricey, it's the correct ratio and FRESH. Actually cheaper in the long run as saw WILL start and run, every time.

Most (all ?) new saws have preset carbs...use once throw away($20) so having good ,clean fuel is very important.

I got rid of 4 saws last year,all 2 stroke jokes....like the electric..starts every time !

I got an old Monkey Wards.  Looks exactly like a Mac.  I had a Mac back in the day and it always worked good for me.  I have a Stihl now and it hasn't let me down except the time I pushed it with the loader!  Broke both handles.  Got them cheap off of the net.  The store I bought it from suggested I buy a different bar and chain, it would make it more aggressive.  It sure did, throws some huge chips.  I think I only paid $199 for it, it's an 017 I think.  I don't think they are that much more now.  It's a 14" saw.  I've cut some trees down that I had to cut on both sides to get all the way thru, and it did the job!

Rural King is a big box store and they sell Stihl, but they are a dealer, so I don't know what their stuff is.

Dang jay, you would be amazed if and when you saw me mix that wally world 2 stroke stuff with the E 10, 87 gas. 

My ancient little Stihl eats that stuff like candy.

Words of the day: If saw won't run right, check/clean the spark arrestor screen.

X2. 

I love me Stihl saw, but I do not like those quarter turn caps !

I also have two Stihl 361's and a Stihl 660. all great saws. For several years I cut a lot of wood because that's all we used for heat up in IN.

The new Stihl cam lock gas caps are stupid.

The Stihl chains are second to none.

I've had great luck with mine and only use Stihl Ultra synthetic 2 stroke oil.

Guess I'll throw in 2 cents. Just like tractors, can't go wrong with Orange. Stihl, my saw of choice. Husky and Echo make good equipment too. In your 'price-range' I'd go to Mill's when the sale is on and see what they have. They sell Husky, not sure if they have Echo.

On the fuel issue, here's what I do. I buy stihl 2 stroke oil, it has stabilizer in it. I buy the high-grade, no ethanol from BP. Mix up 2&1/2 gallons at a time, never had any get skunky. If it ever got to smelling bad it would go in the GMC and I'd mix a fresh batch.

Had a Poulan Wood-Shark years ago, it was ok. I learned a lot about small two strokes with that thing. Gas had to be fresh.

Personally, I will pay more to buy from a local dealer for better service and their own parts department.

Shhhhh! Don't tell them that. I have been able to buy a couple of used trimmers real cheap because of a clogged spark arrestor. 

I stopped at my local Stihl dealer to see what the lowest cost option for Stihl saws, $189.00 and the next option up was $209.00. I asked what the lowest price would be if I waited for something like "Stihl Dealer Days" and he wouldn't commit to saying a price and mentioned that it is usually for select saws, not the whole line. 

Now if I did open my wallet up a little more for the $189.00 saw would I be getting a "cheap" saw because it is the lowest priced Stihl and later regret it? Or spend a little less or the same amount and get a mid-level saw from another company and get a better saw?

So far, the saw has done all that I wanted. I doubt that it would hold up to actual logging though. LOL.

Well Thad, you did not do much to promote the theory that if you throw a lot of money at a product it will be better than a reasonable/good buy. 

Yep i bought my Stihl 017 24 years ago for 85 bucks used.  It is running good as of two days ago. 

Thanks Thad. This thread has me thinking, I'd like to have another saw, or two. Hopefully, I get the trees under control and don't need so many. Think a Stihl MS261 would be great, something bigger than the 362 would be nice too. Probably just need to take a breath, let the weather warm up, and get back to working on tractors.

Dusty

I have never used a chainsaw mill, but you can turn out lots of lumber with one of these.

Just go online and buy this then go to your local store to pick it up.  Or if they will ship it to you, you may not have to pay sales tax!  This is the model you want.  My friend has one with a handy dandy just turn and lock the tension on the blade and hates it.  This model has the two nuts that hold it tight.  You can also ask them for the other bar that takes the more aggressive chain.  A few bucks more but well worth it.

https://www.acehardware.com/departments/lawn-and-garden/outdoor-power-equipment/chainsaws/7000496?store=18313&source=google&medium=cpc&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI6uHNpeCc7wIV0ubjBx0YUQvjEAQYASABEgLcsvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds" rel="nofollow - https://www.acehardware.com/departments/lawn-and-garden/outdoor-power-equipment/chainsaws/7000496?store=18313&source=google&medium=cpc&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI6uHNpeCc7wIV0ubjBx0YUQvjEAQYASABEgLcsvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Checked it out.... At my local ACE Hardware store it is not available 

Sadly, since they dropped the "Mills" from Mills Fleet Farm it has become more like WalMart in trying to find someone to help you. 

Checked online and it said they have some available at that store so maybe go back during the week and check. Really don't want to buy online then store pickup if I can't hold it in my hands before buying.

First and foremost... it makes absolutely no difference WHAT chainsaw you get, if it doesn't get clean, fresh fuel, quality oil, a judicious cleaning after each use, several sharp chains, and regular attention to the bar's working edge.

Second... a cheap, junky chainsaw will cut through a tree just like a quality one... the quality one will just last longer, and be more serviceable, more durable, and will have good support for longer.

Next:  Having a saw that is too big, or too small, is usually the worst, and most dangerous circumstance.  Too big when you're trying to cut through close-quarters brush, or clear a fence is clumsy and tiring, while trying to fell a large tree with one small saw is downright suicidal.  Running a really short bar is handy for up-close and small stuff, running a really long bar is for felling, clearing big limbs and trunks.  Running a short bar on a bigh powerhead isn't a problem, but running a big bar on a small powerhead is not a good idea, as it takes engine power to pull a long chain through a fat trunk.

A small saw runs a small chain, a big saw runs a big chain.  My MS170 has a.043 Pico chain with 3/8" link pitch, my MS880 runs a .404 with 0.063 groove.  All my other saws run a 0.050" groove 3/8" pitch chain.  The narrow 'pico'chain cuts a narrower kerf, which is to allow a smaller engine to make a faster cut, because it's ripping out less material.  My Stihl MS180 came originally with the .043 Pico chain, when I replaced the bar and chain with a 0.050" 3/8 combination from a larger Stihl, I was told by many that it 'wouldn't work', and that the MS180 was 'not strong enough' to pull that chain and bar, but they were all very much wrong (more on this later), but going to that 0.050 increased neighborhood availablility for a compatible chain, which is important to having sharp chains on hand at all times.  (that, and a chain sharpener!!)

Finally:  Having several saws on-ready-hand ALWAYS beats walking onto a job with just one saw... because when the one you have runs into difficulty, your forward progress STOPS... but grabbing the backup saw gets you back on track.

Big box stores mostly source what they call 'consumer grade' saws from brand-engineered manufacturers.  'Consumer Grade' means they sell it off the shelf, it gets used a time or three, then sits on a shelf for four five years before someone tries to fire it up, it doesn't start, they take it to a small engine shop, and get a repair estimate of more than it cost new just to give it a carb and fuel line, so it gets thrown out.  With so much stuff coming from Asia, you can now buy twelve practically identical saws, with twelve different names... they're all dirt cheap, and they all share some very common weaknesses in workmanship and quality control.

What makes a 'professional' grade saw?  One of the first things, is a metal crankcase.  Most big-box brands have plastic crankcases.  They get brittle in the cold, then crack, which causes a vacuum leak, and they won't run.  Cheap saws have cheap crankshaft seals, the same problem.  Lots of other little issues that the professional world (Arborists and tree services) simply don't tolerate.

Brands...  The manufacturers of professional grade saws have been identified... Stihl, Husky, Echo...  Jonsered (Sweden),  Dolmar (Germany) Shindaiwa (Japan) EFCO (Italy)  all have some really good stuff... and the clue you'll find, is that they're most frequently sold and serviced through lawn and garden shops of professional service companies, rather than 'big box' outfits.

Someone mentioned 'don't buy used'... I have a Stihl MS170, Stihl MS180, Stihl 026, Stihl 029, Stihl 034AV Super, a Stihl 046, and a Stihl MS880... a Shindaiwa 575, an Echo CS310, a John-Deere (made by SOLO), and a 40ish cc Ryobi.  I DON'T own any top-handle climbing saws, but my next saw WILL be a tiny top-handle.  NONE of them were purchased by me, 'new'.  Most used, some were free, on account that they 'didn't work anymore'.  The MS170 (yes, it's the lowest price level on Stihl's lineup) took an hour to clean up.

As I noted above, maintenance is a key reason for a saw to 'not' work right.  Plugged up spark arrestor, plugged up air filter, fuel pickup full of sawdust, fuel line cracked from exposure to ethanol or additives, carb impulse pump  inlet screen obstructed by sawdust or fuel plaque...  Cheap two-cycle oil grants no favors... I use a 1-gallon can and the Stihl Ultra small bottles, which assures that I get the right volume for a 4-quart jug.

I always look up the various performance modifications indentified for a saw.  My MS180 was supposed to be a weakling (hence the PICCO blade suggestion), but with the muffler flow improvement, the carb adjustment screw limiters removed, mixture readjusted, and timing advanced about 4 degrees with an offset key, a sharp blade and good fuel, and it is one tree-hungry machine.  Rightfully so, yeah, it WAS a pooch prior to the mods, afterwards, it pulls chain like a boss... starts on first pull after the pop.  Unlike the MS170, My MS180E has a no-tools bar/chain feature. i can adjust chain tension with a quick half-twist of the hand lock, turn the chain adjust thumbwheel, and snug the hand lock, and be back on biz in moments.  Easy to remove the chain and/or bar for a quick turnaround, too.

Regardless of WHAT you get, plan on reading lots about that particular saw... plan on cleaning it, sharpening the chain, dumping out the unusued fuel after each use, using a high-test non-ethanol source with some quality 2-stroke oil, keep the chain sharp, and clean it up when you're done.

pull the filter outa the tank and replace it.

If that won't do it try knocking the carb apart and checking the diaphragms and the little screen that lets fuel go from one side of the carb to the other, or just buy one on line for a few bucks.

  I got a McCulloch for my 12th birthday in 1966 (different times and dad thought he was being kind to me by buying me a lighter saw).I kept the house stocked with wood till college in 1974.Filled a 16 by 20 woodshed every year with poplar windfalls  and cutline slash .I can't take all the credit for filling that woodshed. I had a little brother who helped a lot.

   Bought a brand new XL76 Homelite and cut firewood to help pay tuition and room and board through till graduation then used it lighter till buying my first farm in '81.It was pretty worn out so after babying it till the next year I splurged and borrowed the money for a D17 tractor and a Husqvarna 16 inch "limbing saw"  .That little saw ran a heck of a lot from 82 until my 60th birthday when my wife bought me a Husqvarna Rancher. Sure like the extra length of bar(18 inch).