Best Chainsaw? Let's Settle This! Stihl, Husqvarna, ECHO, Poulan Pro, Craftsman, Ryobi, Salem Master

Let's settle this debate! Stihl vs Husqvarna, ECHO, Poulan Pro, Craftsman, Ryobi, Salem Master. Chainsaws compared for weight, pulling force to start the saw, cold temperature starting performance, torque, no load sprocket speed, cutting speed on manufactured log, cutting speed with 5 pounds of weight on the bar, cutting speed through hardwood. I purchased all of the gasoline / petrol chainsaws and supplies used to test the chainsaws to ensure an unbiased review. So, thank you for supporting the channel!

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➡ Products Tested In This Video (in no particular order):
Craftsman: Available at Lowes
Stihl MS 250: Available at Stihl retailers such as Ace Hardware and Northern Tool

Videography Equipment:

This video is only for entertainment purposes. If you rely on the information portrayed in this video, you assume the responsibility for the results. Project Farm LLC

[SaboSells]

I've owned a dozen or more chainsaws and have always found the Stihl and Husqvarna's to be the best and they performed well in your tests. Another important factor for me is the ability to get parts, shops that can fix them and how good they are after they break and get fixed. Another important reason to go with the two mentioned...

[jefferyrightmire]

As a former professional rural lineman, I must tell you that the little points have another purpose. When cutting larger demension material there is a trick with the points. Let the chain pull the barbs into the wood, with a little added force, then gently pull up on the rear handle rotating the bar and chain into the cut, let it rock 20 degrees, then slide the bar/chain back a couple of inches, then stab it in again. Keep the bar rocking as you go thru--try it.

[davehoward]

I bought a Stihl MS 290:Farm Boss about 13 years ago and have been impressed. Have used it thru several hurricanes and many hours of property clearing and cleanup felling trees, cutting branches, etc. and it’s never failed me. Just did it’s first tuneup last summer and she’s still plugging along perfectly. I’ve owned half a dozen different brands over the years but only the Stihl and a little 10 year old Homelight with a 16” bar have lasted and continue to perform. Excellent test, thanks for the video. Top shelf content as always! 👍

[arentol]

Running a Husqvarna 460 Rancher for my land. Works like charm, and the 24" bar is incredibly useful for some of the huge logs I have to work with.

[robertm]

Your tests are in a league of their own! Great job once again! Your no BS approach is more and more refreshing in these times of increasing Phoniness. Please continue to keep it real for those of us that truly appreciate your efforts.

[OGSontar]

Another tremendous test run. In all truth, Todd, I'd trust your testing results over anything that a manufacturer said as far as results go. Although my chainsaw slinging days are long over, I was really stoked to see you test the gas saws. If you have a lot of wood to clear, gas is the way to go for sure.
Thanks again for all you do, and for staying true to your no-sponsorship stance. It means a hell of a lot to us.

[namewithheld]

I bought the Stihl MS180 16” about 12 years ago because I kept seeing them on the professional landscaper trailers. I managed to clear 1.5 acres of property with that little thing, including cutting down eighteen, 26-30” diameter trees. It is still on the original spark plug and air filter and still starts on the third pull even if it sits for a year or two between uses. If I ever have to replace the saw, I’m going with another Stihl.

[Joseph-ducp]

Biggest factor for me is being able to consistently start the saw and long term reliability. I've watched my dad go through 3 Homelite/Ryobi chainsaws having them break and be un-repairable while I've still have my one home grade Stihl MS171 which hasn't let me down yet.

[harlowchandlerjr.]

I currently use a Stihl MS 290 and an Echo CS 590. They are very close in specs. Over my nearly 78 years I've used a lot of saws including other Stihls and Echos. My experience has been that Stihls are very well made (maybe less true now of the base consumer models), but so are the Echos. My Echo starts much more easily than my Stihl, cuts faster and seems to have more power--but it's also newer, and that may explain a lot. My son has one of my old Echos that must be almost 40 years old now. It still runs. He has an old Stihl of mine too, maybe 30 years old, and it runs fine. I think the takeaway is that any of the high-end saws--Stihl, Echo, Husqvarna, Dolmar, etc. are worth the money--they last, they have high resale value if you don't want to keep it, and they are much easier to live with. Which is best? I really think it's just a matter of personal preference and how you prioritize the fine differences in details.

[schafn]

I've always owned Stihl saws but have used Husky, Jonsered, etc. One thing I'll say about Stihl is that they are super easy to work on. You can basically take the whole saw apart with the two tools that come with the saw : the scrench and the L-shaped torx tool. Plus parts are easy to find and readily available.

[Dirtbiker-guy]

I've owned about every brand there is and nothing compares to a Stihl, I love your observation on the gas caps in regards to preventing contamination in the tank, I carry a small paint brush in each of my saw cases to clean the cap areas off before refueling/reoiling. I hope the manufacturers take note of your critique on this.

[bassmanjura]

Great test! My father and brother are both foresters and they only use Stihl saws, also all most of the lumberjacks they work with. My father still has 20+ year old Stihl saw and using it regularly. The premium price comes back if you plan to keep it and work with wood every year.

[jamesdt]

A couple of my friends who've worked as wildland firefighters consider the stihl the industry standard-- so the result wasn't too surprising ;)

[kayaddicted]

I've used several chainsaws over the years and ended up purchasing a Stihl Farm Boss a few years ago. The first time I used that thing I was blown away. Hands-down more power and speed than anything I'd ever used before. I also feel more safe using it because I'm not fighting it at all, just comfortable letting the saw do the work.

[kyles.]

I think DeWalt, Echo, Makita, EGO, Stihl and Husqvarna all owe you a lot of money for the increases in sales they have all undoubtedly experienced from your two battery chainsaw vids and now this one. Hopefully you're making enough of an impact to inspire all of the others to step up their games as well! That's exactly why we need more of this in today's world... Fair, unbiased, thorough product comparisons.

[chrissartain]

As a certified arborist of 27 years I have used both Stihl, Husqvarna medium sized saws above but small Echo's as climbing saws. All 3 are extremally well built & Long listings machines... Great Video !!

[milk-it]

Absolutely awesome test! I love the inclusion of the electric chainsaw to put it in perspective. Just once I'd love to see a behind-the-scenes video that goes into the making of your reviews! You've got some serious gear holding those logs and the attention to detail in maintaining consistency during testing certainly would be interesting to hear about how you maintain it for your testing. Top stuff, as always!

[onecookieboy]

Stihl and Husqvarna make great saws, their pro ranges are the choice of professional users (logging teams etc.) so that says a lot about their quality, longevity and customer support. A brand that is quite popular here in New Zealand is Shindaiwa (Japanese), they make really high quality outdoor equipment.

[BooneLuebchow]

I was a Stijl salesman and owned a few. Nothing will ever make me switch brands. The parts support, ease of fixing, and durability that I’ve seen throughout the years is wild. Should see some of the stuff those climbing saws go through and still run fine.

[Prohortico]

As a professional horticulturist/arborist - I do a lot of tree work, but not as much as a full time dedicated arborist who carries an entire arsenal of different sized saws.
I needed a single saw I could do everything with including light enough to climb a tree with, but robust enough to drop a 36” tree if needed.
When you’re up a tree, the LAST thing you want is a saw that takes more than 3 pulls to start… one pull EVERYTIME when warm. A lot of stop and go when climbing/pruning/removals.
I went with the highest end professional saw I could get, a Husqvarna 550xp - LOVE that saw… watching these homeowners models trying to cut through a piece of wood in this video is like torture. 😂

If you can afford it, and if you use a saw more than once a month, I’d go for professional model Stihl or Husqvarna.