I got a McCulloch Eager Beaver 3.7"  610 16" Chainsaw, back in 93 and has had no problems ever starting or cutting. But like our old Allis's, parts aren't falling out of the trees.   Should probly look for a parts one.

Now for Ted's beloved Huskis brother in law bought a small trimming saw. From a full time saw and small engine shop. They said it was the best,could of been if it would of started good. They fussed with a number of times,never got better. The other Husky was a big one with 40+ inches of bar. Was only 3 or 4 months old and the first time I used it the dang think seized up.It had cut the big stuff in 2 other big oaks. Same gas in 2 or 3 other saws,I did not mix it or fill it just holding it in the big stuff. They did rebuild it on warrenty and since the BIL is gone it is here,and we use it time to time. But always the back of my mind will this thing blow up again.

 

Anyway, in the waaaaayy back machine, dad had an old Poulan, the ones that were the color of a filing cabinet, weighed 100 pounds, ran about 10 RPM....  I remember him calling that thing some words I heard for the first time.  I'm a bit surprised to hear you guys praising Poulans.....I thought they had gone far downhill talking with the guys at work, but maybe not.

 

Then a buddy of his had a sharpening and saw work shop, set him up with a couple of McCullough saws.  Seemed.....average.  Then we got a  Deere, 80 EV, which was made by Echo.  Beast of a saw.  Would still be using it today, but the muffler is burned out and obsolete.  So it discharges right onto your hand and gets pretty warm in short order.

 

I have 2 MS 290's.  One is 10 years old, the other is 3 years old.  The older one has always been a cold blooded SOB, at least 10 pulls when it's been sitting.  Dealer swears there's nothing wrong with it.  Newer one starts on fewer pulls, but pulls harder.  It's got ever so slightly a bit more power than the older one, and I'm guessing by the feel it's in the compression (new vs. new that is).  Both great saws that I use a LOT.  18" bar on the new one, 16" on the older one.  Like to have something just a bit more powerful and maybe a 20 inch bar.  Me likes power.

Sadly, I must know how in the !@#$ you could have run HUNDREDS of saws ?? Is this an accumilation of the SAME saw, variations of the SAME manufacturer ?? Amazes me to this day that the FIRST thing a f/d does is cut 4'x4' holes in a 2 story home roof for a skillet fire on the first floor LOL!!! Just wondering, and ECHO is the only brand to run IMO.

 

https://www.stihlusa.com/real-people-stihl-people/build-it/" rel="nofollow -

Chainsaws... seems they all have a temperment of their own... some worse than others... and some better than others.

  Had pretty good luck with older Jonsereds, but don't know about the new ones. Actually liked the economy of the 52E cuts more than any other saw I had on a tank load of gas.

  Have Echo saws, but older models and they were good saws in the day, again, don't know about the new ones.

  Got a couple Stihl saws, used ones, the MS290 has been good, but the MS250 isn't as nice, might be the carb, or crank seals.

  Huskies? no Clue other than neighbor has to use ether on his to start the first time... but he is a little ruff on stuff too.

   I think I would like to try a new Echo... but then again, it would be nice if there was a hands on demonstration of all the saws to see what fits a person best... weight, balance, bar length, horse power, and torque... and if the thing feels flimsy.

 

Make sure the saw your buying isn't a cheapened version to sell cheap in a box store...

I read on a tag of a newer Poolon the life expectancy of it was 50 hours. ... So look close to see if the cylinder wall is steel or chromed or just aluminum, and if the saw has sleeved or ball bearing on the crank... and then look on the internet to see what others have to say about the model your looking at.

 

 Mark, I bought a saw at a pawn shop one time set up with the chain on backwards... and bought one that somebody had taken two chains to extend out for a long bar and one-half was riveted on backwards. Also bought one saw cheap because they said it was seized up... and got it outside and pulled the brake off and it fired right up. LOL you just never know.

Would explain how the BIL's little Hushy was a pain to start ether hot or cold.

The saw that most disappointed me was a Homelite Super XL that was not long before Homelite was bought out. Right on the cap it said mix less oil than the older ones used.I a lot of times still ran 32 to 1 rather than 40 or 50 to 1 as it went in other saws that still wanted 32 to 1. It and a cheapy Poulan both running when shut off, and next time I took them out seized. 

The little Echo has been the best starting saw ever. Been used on fence repair as much as wood cutting. Top handle so easy to hold corral board and cut. Perfect size to carry on barb wire fence work, or to brush out a tree.

I use the small Stihl saw I think its a 025 ish unit? I just pick them up and use them when needed. It has the old man start. Love that feature! Works good for me. I dont cut as much wood any more. Backed over it with the Ford Jubilee this spring. Picked it up out of the lawn and started it. That's good enough for me. 

I guess I'm a little worried you might not be getting a big enough saw, unless the 038 is overkill for what you do now.

Pretty sure I read through the entire thread, but I didn't see it stated what the OP mainly uses his saw for. Probably NOT trunk trim at the Christmas tree farm.

I think one needs a 14-16" mini saw for cleanup in the tight areas. And a 20" or bigger for the good size work.

One thing I found out was that if the guide bar slot width is really worn, even a new chain will not cut. I guess the links just lean away too much and bounce off the wood.

Ethanol gas hasn't caused me problems lately.

The Husky 455 Rancher original 20" bar doesn't allow for enough chain tightening range.

Their bar with the replaceable tip allows use of more adjustment range.

Better fuel economy is a good thing, also maybe the saw stinks less.

I think they are all noisy, no one has a muffler breakthrough?

The saw is getting heavier for as the years roll on.

I can remember when we mixed 16:1 ratios. And fiddling with points. So fondly reminiscing about old saws is quaint, but I would look only at the new generation.

When they add cat converters, EGR and smog pumps, then another story.

When the wife and I first moved to middle of nowhere the first year here I flat wore out a little Sears saw I acquired. Our primary heat is wood. That Christmas she bought me a Homelite Super XL 20" bar. She told me it was $550. I about had a stroke. She told me it had to stay in the garage and I can't keep it in the bedroom. That saw has cut a lot of firewood and 95% of it was hedge. Had to re jug twice because it doesn't really like ethanol. It's still going and looks nearly new and is the backup now.

Got a Stihl 291 farm boss couple of years ago. Good saw, little lighter. I'm happy with it.

Should have gotten a 20" bar instead of an 18". I'm about due for a new bar anyhow may do it then.

Have used Poulan and McCullough and wasn't that impressed.

Used a big ole Husky for awhile and it seemed pretty stout but hard to start.

Have a Homelite 360 that's a hell of a saw but once I get it started I'm to tired to cut wood.

i like husqvarna saws,,,,well my old ones anyway,,,i have an old husky 65 i bought new back in the late 70's,,,,still using it,,,put a set of points and condenser,,spark plug fuel line and filter in it over the 40 years its been in the wood,,,and it has seen a lot of wood,,we used to sell fire wood,,,lots and lots of fire wood,,,my dad and brother and myself all burned wood,,,,i still do,,,my friend just gave me his husky 65 he bought new,,,,reason is the saw shop he uses would work on it,,,,parts are hard to find,,,,i brought it home put a carb kit and fuel line and filter in it ,,,fired right off....i just bought another one,,,husky 65,,,guy said it wont run,,,i wanted it for a parts saw,,,,got it home,,,has good compression so i put a carb kit and fuel line and filter in it,,,,,3 pulls and it fired up,,,so i guess im looking for another part saw,,,,cut some wood with it yesterday,,,it will sling some chips too,,,so now i have 3,,,yes they are heavy,,,but not to bad yet,,,but a good cut means that you got the CHAIN right,,,its all about the chain boys,,,good sharp means you dont have to push the saw through wood,,,if the chain is right it will pull its self through the wood,,,kinda like pull the trigger and the saw will fall through,,,,yep thats it,,,full chisel that is,,,not simi

when these OLD saws were being made,,,they were the PROFESSIONAL grade saws,,,IIRC i gave around $450 way back then for my new saw,,husky 65,,,,dad always had stihl saws....041av and before my husky i had a 041 farm boss ,,it was loud and vibrated your hands to sleep,,,,i hated that saw,,,i think they were the pro grade saws back then ,,,,they were expensive too

the older saws were designed to run in the 8-9000 rpm range,,,,the newer saws run in the 13-14000 rpm range and now i think they are putting rev limiter coils in them,,,,so the cant self destruct ,,,,but i guess you could lean one out and wreck it that way too,,,,anyway

the point is,,,,,i think they make saws for the home owner,,,,and then the rancher farmer and then the PRO saws,,,,each grade comes with a higher price tag,,,SO,,,i guess IF YOU buy a more expensive saw and you take care of it,,, it WILL take care of you,,,if you buy the cheapest saw you can find,,,,well in a year or so you may need another one

as for the bar wear,,,if you know how thick the drivers are and the slot is getting loose you can move up to the thicker driver,,,some drivers are .050...if the bare wears you could move up to a .058 thick driver,,,,or to a .063 driver,,,so there are ways to remedy little problems,,,,also most guys dont ever turn the bar over,,,and the bar does need addressed from time to time also,,,,just things to think about 

i would like to get a husky 372 saw some day,,,but if you look you will see a saw named HOLZFFORMA ,,,these guys make most of the replacement parts for the saw companies,,,now they make whole saws,,,they are blue,,,and they have a very attractive price,,,a real husky 372 pro saw is in the $8-1000 when new,,,,the same saw from holzfforma ,,(parts interchange exactly),,is $3-350,,,,,,,power to weight on this saw is just about perfection

i guess the old adage pay once,,,cry once still works

one other thing ,,,i do use the gas that is delivered here,,dont know if it has ethanol in it or not,,,i put stabilizer in the big tank when it gets here,,,PRI-G,,,not sta-bil,,,,,BUT i only put what i think i will use in the saw,,,if i put to little i can always add more,,,prolly ready for a little break anyway,,,,BUT i never put the saws away with fuel in them,,,,i ALWAYS run them dry,,,just a little trick to save you guys some headaches,,,,it works

ok,,,i guess thats my .02

ocharry

Dang Buckskin, I got this jig i clamp on the blade and file the chain with.  Works for me.

But, I gotta admit that a brand spanking new chain is fun to break in. 

Hi, My name is Dave, and I have chainsaws...

Chainsaw Anonymous Support Group:[Hi Dave!]

So... Right now... the smallest is either the Stihl MS170, or the Echo CS320... both with 14" bars but one of these days, I'm gonna get my paws on the Echo CS2511T with a 12".  The biggest is a Stihl MS880, and a 50" bar.

in between... lessee... there's at least 14 saws in there... and I use every darned one of 'em.  There's Stihl, Echo, Shindaiwa... and in the own-but-don't-use includes Craftsman, McCulloch, and Ryobi.

And those in the 'use' category, get used regularly.  The big ones don't get used as much, or for as long, because they're big, heavy, massive, beastly, and heavy.  The small ones get set aside when there's too much meat to chew for a small motor.

The one I use most frequently is the MS180C, I carry it in my service truck, and it has some stuff done that is an excellent example of circumstance, so I'll tell 'ya about it.

First of all, it was a powerless noisemaker when I got it from my Father In Law.  The only 'saving grace' of the unit (besides being free to me), was the tool-free easy-adjust chain mechanism... for a 14" bar, it's perfect for quickly cleaning up a yard mess with minimum hassle.  it doesn't have the 'mush pull' starter system (I don't particularly care for that, but won't snub people who do... it's just-not-me)   I gave it a good carb cleaning, nix'd the limiter caps, opened the exhaust, advanced the timing 4 degrees, tossed the .o43 'picco' bar and chain, and installed a 3/8 .050' in it's place, and was promptly informed by everyone that the MS180 would never pull it.

Well, it does... with vigorous authority.

I use the highest grade of non-ethanol gasoline (source of choice around here is 93 'recreactional fuel' at Kwik Trip), and I use Stihl Ultra oil at 40:1 in everything but the Shindaiwa (it needs a bit more).  I only mix up a gallon at-a-time, and when I'm done cutting, the fuel tanks get dumped out, and whatever's left in the small can goes in the D17.

Most of my other saws came to me from people who had 'problems' with them, and were discarding.  Most just needed to have the carb gone through, and what was left of the  fuel lines removed and replaced with new, as they were eaten away by ethanol.

Most chainsaws that are actually MADE by the company who branded them (meaning... not 'house brand' or 'big box' variant) will be well made, and well supported.  Stihl, Husky, Dolmar, Echo... they're all in this category.  Those rebranded to others, not so well supported after a fairly short time.   I know guys have liked Poulan, and the Homelite name is still around (but I think they're re-branded), Jonsered... I think is mostly made by Husky... and there's lesser-known names around like Solo, Tanaka, Efco that sometimes show up re-branded as Cub Cadet or John Deere.

It doesn't matter WHAT saw you have... if it's damaged and needs parts, or a service shop, and there's no shop around to do it, then it's not a worthwhile saw.

My worst experience with small engines wasn't on a chainsaw, but a weed trimmer... it was a Weed Eater (Poulan product), I bought it brand new, and it ran a total of four minutes before having fits, and would start, but not run, ever since.  I took it back to the True Value where I bought it, and learned precisely what they mean by "True Value". 

So every guy has his preference on brand.  I'll tell you that I like professional-grade saws, and it's generally NOT something that'd be found in a big-box store.  For those that say they 'cannot afford'... it's simply a matter of watching Craigslist or other local ads for something that turns up... and if you're handy with small engines, you'll wind up with oh... 20 too-many-saws in no time.

Small engine and chainsaw quality appears in build design-  you'll see different styles of crankcase casting techniques, and some designs... the cheaper ones, use a plastic crankcase that's in two pieces.  They tend to crack, which causes loss of seal, and they never run after that.  Single-piece crankcases are more expensive to make, cast out of magnesium or aluminum, they're heavier, but last longer, retain seals better.  When you pick up a saw, if it feels 'cheap', it probably isn't expected to serve you very long.  IF you see someone at the small engine shop that has a shelf full of OEM parts, and the same model/series has been for sale for several years, then most likely you're getting a better machine.

Older saws, regardless of manufacturer, tended to be lower speed.  As was noted above, 8500rpm was considered normal.  Modern saws are lighter, have less torque, but spin substantially faster.  With lower sprocket ratios, they'll still pull a good chain, but they'll pull it FASTER... which means it's stripping wood from the kerf faster, and you're spending less time bent-over while it works it's magic.  If you do some performance modification like what I noted above, it'll have more torque at that screamy speed, and your chain will eat wood faster.

The best saw, is the one that runs well, and has a fresh chain. The operator, however, makes the biggest difference, and sometimes it takes years to figure out why a guy has such bum luck.  It can come down to something as simple as process and order... like... after you fell the tree, sharpen the blade, and then, don't start cutting a tree from the bottom up... go from the top down.  Why?  Because the trunk is subject to wind-blown dirt and grit, which when you're felling or bucking a trunk, is an abrasive that's gobbling up the sharp edges of your chain.  By the time you've made a few trunk-biscuits, the blade is dull, and you're trying to work it through an easy limb.  go to a small saw with a razor-sharp blade that'll scream to the sky, and it'll reduce the small limbs to nothing in minutes.

Carry extra chains (get good ones, not cheap ones) and a file.  Touch up the teeth at every refuel.  Make sure the oiler is working every time you start it.  If your saw wants to cut in a circle, your filing technique (left side vs. right side) is not symmetrical.  Get the angle right.  Don't forget to check-and-correct the chain's depth-gauges every several filings.  Keep your chain adjusted properly.

Flip the bar over after a few chains.  but when you do, take a file to the outside edges of the bar- they develop burrs that snag on the wood as you're trying to cut.

Break the saw in propelry, and once that's done, Look up, and perform the mods.

Use the best fuel you can get.  Drain 'em when done.  Blow the crud out with compressed air, then clean up the air filter before putting 'em away.

Wear chaps, safety glasses, hearing protection, work gloves and good boots.  You'll meet plenty of guys who didn't, and they'll tell you the same thing.

There's an adage that says "You get what you pay for".  That's not always true, but... it's very infrequent that you get MORE than you pay for, and more frequent that you get much, much LESS.

I have had nothing but Stihls I burn wood for heat. here in Eastern KS. a lot of that of that is hedge both for fence post and firewood.

 

Like was mentioned by others earlier, there's some aspects of 'new' saws that define the obsolesence of old ones.  Having a 'collection' of old saws is cool, but cutting with them for an extended task is NOT.

Contact points.  Yeah, they work, and they're classic.  Up against the CDI system of modern saws?  No.  The CDI has it beat, as there's no moving parts, and by virtue of the operation the CDI has the ability to add a little retard to the timing at low speed, and SOME manufacturers actually take advantage of this to improve starting and idle.

Chain brake.  I have a couple old beasties that have no chain brake.  Though I have yet to hit myself with a bar, and though I've been working in situations where contact from a section of the tree became a nuisance tripping the brake, I prefer not to go without the chain brake, and the little bit of knuckle-protection it includes.  Aside from the safety intent (which may, or may not be worth anything in the event of a loss of control) I prefer to have the brake set anytime I need to set the saw down while running (to move a limb, etc.), as having the brake on assures the saw's idle will not spin up the chain into the dirt and damage the blade.

Btw... chainsaw blades last exactly 0.0392 seconds when contacting dirt... which is also why cutting the trunk of a tree should be done last, or at least... with a bigger saw, with a well-attended chain.  A friend of mine who spends lots of time bucking trunks of trees did make one observation- that his newer saw's higher blade speed did NOT last as long between sharpenings as his older, slow-speed engine.  His high-speed is a fairly recent Efco, and the older is a Stihl 041AV... the Efco is pulling the chain about 80% faster.  Side-by-side, the same chain type will need sharpening after fewer cuts on the faster, than the slower.  The key to a fast cutting saw, is a good blade... but there's times when slowing down gets the job done faster.  The big advantage to the 041AV, is that it's a heavy little piggie... you can almost set it on a trunk, put a brick on the gas pedal, and go get a cup of coffee, and it'll manage the cut all by itself.  (My MS880 is that way, too)

Bar adjustments-  I've seen some MISERABLE ideas for bar adjustments... and some really clever ones, but the one aspect that ruins ANY bar adjustment scheme, is when the mechanism is flimsy.  An unreliable bar adjuster ruins the whole saw.

Crankcase seal:  The #3 reason saws won't run well, is because of poor crankcase seals.  regardless of what people and books will say, 2 stroke engines are actually FOUR stroke engines, where two of the strokes occur at the SAME time.  The combustion chamber does it's two, while the BACK side of the piston provides the intake and exhaust scavenging.  There's crankshaft seals, a seal around the carb base, and seams where the cases come together, that if they ain't sealed tight, it won't breathe, REGARDLESS of compression.  Older saws used to have nice, big, open crankcases... and nowdays, there's barely enough room to get your fingers in there to work on things, and for good reason:  Just like combustion chamber volume has a high determination on compression ratio, the crankcase of a 2-stroke affects how the bottom side of the piston pulls in fuel/air, and pushes it up the bypass ports... it's like a reciprocating supercharger.  Having a small crankcase volume increases the compression ratio of the BOTTOM side, which increases the ability to push that charge up through the bypass ports.  This being said, a cheezy crankcase that doesn't seal, means you're holding a brick with a bar and blade.

Which leads to the other important part:  PARTS and SUPPORT.  Saws are NEEDY.  If the manufacturer doesn't exist... or it's a 3rd party (re-branded), you're NOT gonna get parts for it any time soon.  It may be one of the greatest saws in history, but when you're standing in the yard, and it's dead silent, the tree will NOT get cut.

Vibration suppression:  Old saws vibrate.  New saws vibrate too, but the handles are soft-mounted to make YOU last longer.  A chainsaw that cuts fast ain't worth a hoot if the geezer holding it can't keep a grip more'n 3 limbs without setting it down and getting feeling back in his mittens.  Same goes for noise control, and of course, weight.

The third being a special note here-  Not All Chainsaw Bars Are Equal... and also... Bars are CONSUMABLE ITEMS... like the blade, they wear... and they do NOT last forever.  They'll need to be flipped regularly, and when you do, file off the 'flare' that occurs on the bar, and take a scraper down the groove to get it clean.  Dirt eats the bar just like it does the blade, and you can't avoid it.  Now... there's steel bars, there's aluminum bars, and there's downright exotic bars.  These things are magical metal sandwiches, intended to control the flow of those saw teeth.  The outer sandwich is typically two plates of metal, with another plate on the inside, and the inner plate is exactly the size, plus just a smidgen thicker than the sprocket-spurs on the bottom of your saw blade.  That's how the GUAGE width of the chain blade is identified.  The 'picco' blade is 0.043"... while the more-typical size is '0.050.  There's bigger ones on bigger saws, and you can't just arbitrarily mix and match blades to bars... you have to mind that kerf.

On my MS180, the original bar had a 0.043 gauge... and my father in law was always cussing the saw's low power.  One of the major issues, was that he was using cheap bar oil, and cutting some funky mulberry bushes and sumac that was really sappy.  After cutting through all that gooey stuff (full of dirt, btw) he had a dull blade and a bar that was gunked full of sappy oily dirt.  He used cheap ethanol blend pump gas and generic oil, and always had an open-spout gas-can sitting on his garage shelf ready to go, when he used the saw twice a year....

CLEAN your saw.  Take the bar and chain off, dunk 'em in a parts washer, and scrub them out good... Blow all the sawdust out of the cylinder, flywheel, around the carb, and the chain brake/cover, chain adjuster, and oiler.  Sharpen the blade, file the bar, rinse it again, flip the bar, oil it, and reinstall it on a well-cleaned saw for storage.

Sharpening chains... I have a FAIRLY fancy electric sharpening grinder.  Once set up properly, and given proper technique, a guy can re-sharpen a double-fistful of chains in under an hour.  Push 'em too fast, the teeth overheat and lose temper.  Cut 'em assymetrically, and the blades will pull to one side and stall in the cut.  Fail to correct the depth gauges, and a razor-sharp blade will sit on the log and do nothing, making you look like a moron.  Taking off too much of the depth gauges will overload the saw, plug up the bar, and make you look like a moron... and to top it all off, if you do nothing, and just think they stay sharp forever, you'll stand there, with a screaming engine in hand, looking like a moron.  It's called a 'blade' for a reason, and they get dull after chewing cellulose-encapsulated dirt, so if you show up at a tree with intention of cutting for more than five minutes, and don't have a file or a spare chain, just take out the Sharpie and paint a bit M on your forehead, so people know why you're hiking back to the truck.

To figure out if your chain is dull or sharp, look down at your feet.  Is it being rapidly buried by big strinky hippie-dreadlock-hair, or oatmeal-lookin' ships?  Good- keep going.  Are you instead, getting dust in your eyes, and on your pants?  Sharpen your chain.  We're not here to make a pretty little sand-pile, son- we're here to look like we're wading in ground-zero of a Silly String concert.  When I cut big trunks, with the big saw I always want a second guy standing by with a steel leaf-rake to pull all the coily crap away, because when it's set right, I'm up to my knees in fluffy twisties halfway through the first verse of Lady Madonna.

Did I mention USE GOOD GAS?  Yeah, the pre-mixed 'saw gas' cans of the quart-variety are nice... the gross cost is something like $12.00 a gallon, but yeah, it's high quality, non ethanol, pre mixed and sealed up nice'n tight, so it stores and handles well... but if you're doing a big job, using top-notch gasoline with quality oil will get you good results, just don't leave any in a can more than a few days and expect it to stay good.

And before anyone starts a stink, the fact of chemistry, is that Ethanol is a caustic, Hygroscopic Carbohydrate... Hygroscopic means it absorbs moisture, and will draw it right out of the air.  It is caustic-  it chemically reacts with all sorts of other compounds, degrading them visciously.  As a Carbohydrate, not a Hydrocarbon, it doesn't actually 'mix' with gasoline... it is simply in SUSPENSION.  To see what that means, pour salt into a glass of water, and stir... it will dissolve.  Now pour pepper in water... it will NOT dissolve.  you can stir, and it'll be mixed around, but let it sit, it'll all find it's way back to the top.  Same happens with ethanol, but it winds up on the bottom... and heavily laden with water.  When you put this in a fuel tank, let it sit a few days, then start an engine, the first thing coming in... is water... then pure ethanol... then gasoline/oil mix.   Think of that when you're replacing fuel lines, picking crud out of carbeurators, and looking at scored up pistons and cylinders.  Using good fuel, EMPTYING the saw when you're done, and DISCARDING (repurposing) the unused premix when done, is KEY to good performance and long life.

And the most important point:  A guy who's really good with his small engines and saws, and is willing to invest the time and patience to do so, can make a crappy saw run great, and last forever.  A guy who's really bad with small engines and saws, can destroy the best one in the blink of an eye.

Most guys are somewhere in between.  The key, is to know which one you are, and figure out the key lessons, and having the best saw(S) you can, for the tasks YOU need to accomplish.  If you're planning on getting work done, don't be afraid to have more than one saw on hand, and having them of different sizes.  Don't waste your time and abuse a small saw by attempting large cuts... and don't buy a big saw with long bar and expect your back to be happy while reducing a bizillion 4" limbs into a pile.  Don't walk into a store with the intention of putting a long bar on a small machine.  A 50cc saw has NO business pulling a 28" bar.  A big bar requires a commensurately big engine.  While you CAN get away with smaller engines and big bars by using chains with fewer teeth (Skip-tooth)... the big bar has more teeth in the kerf, which means substantially more DRAG that the engine is wasting pulling through the bar, rather than eating wood. 

Overloading a saw is a loosing battle.

Besides, long bars are HEAVY.  Did I mention not all bars are equal? Fancy, expensive bars are usually made of laminations cut with CNC laser or waterjet.  Cheap saws from your big-box store are stamped by big worn-out presses.  Run your hands over the edges of two totally different quality bars, and you'll know why your big-box saw is so much cheaper.  Take a file to that stamped joke, and clean it up so the chain runs smooth... if the side plates are fairly flat, it'll do okay.  Really big bars get fancy in places you CANNOT see... namely... the middle of the sandwich.  See, that lamination isn't three flat plates... the inside one is  hollow in the middle... to reduce weight.  A 14" bar doesn't matter much, but a 30" bar puts LOTS of weight... both bar, AND chain... far from your body.  Making it LIGHT, means it isn't so ungodly heavy-feeling way back by the powerhead.

Btw... a big powerhead is usually heavy.  I don't remember how many POUNDS the MS880 is, but at 130ish cc, it's certainly more than I like to think about...  but it's practically unnoticed when there's a 50" bar with NINE FEET of .404 chain wrapped around it.  When you need to make a big cut, there's no replacement for displacement, and a bar that will reach all the way through (and my maples were too big for the 50!)

You can put a 16" bar on a 78cc saw.  Yep, it'd cut a concrete wall if you got the right blade, and are tough enough to survive it (ICS makes saws just for this).  If you're bucking hardwoods that're 14" diameter, you'll be a tornado of swarf and done in a hurry... and thank god, because that saw is heavy... and loud.  Hold my beer!

Did I mention how much I hate cutting up trees?  I can think of a dozen other things I'd rather do, than take a shower in ants, dirt, and 2-stroke oil... but worse I hate having a dead tree on my power lines, blocking my driveway, or obscuring my wife's lawn-mowing progress (this is particularly painful to my ears at night)...

There's a reason why I've got so many saws... they're like guitars...

  (You leave them in the dark for 20 minutes, and they multiply... all on their own)

I dunno Honey-  I thought there was just seven down there the other day... do you see nine? Hmmm... lemmie count again... How's the mower running?

I now have a Remington 120 volt, no gas to mix and mess with, just a long cord.

Dusty 

YUhhh, i got a poulan that i bought new in mid 80's.

Ben running pump gas (E10 mostly) all its life with tech 2000 oil in the gas.

It is still running like new.  Hmmmmm 

Yes, there is too much made to do about gasoline and two cycle oil!

DougG wrote: Whats tech 2000 oil ?

Tech 2000 or maybe it is 200 is Wally's label on its oil and filters.  Comes in the blue jug or box.

In the early 1950ies my father bought a 50 gal barrel of oil from a traveling sales man and it was exactly this type of oil.