If you’re a professional arborist or firewood supplier, it’s hard to argue against the logic of using a Stihl chainsaw. The Stihl brand is often at the top of the heavy chainsaw charts and ranked first in our comparison of the major chainsaw brands. However, Stihl’s warranty isn’t the best, and not everyone can afford (or should) shell out $540 to buy a chainsaw like the Stihl MS 271 Farm Boss from Ace Hardware. A suitable alternative to the Stihl, based on personal experience with a variety of chainsaws, including the Stihl and Echo, and side-by-side testing between brands by professional reviewers, would be the Echo CS-4920, available at Home Depot for $399.
Both chainsaws feature relatively large displacement two-stroke engines, 50.2cc for the Stihl and 50.1cc for the Echo, with manual choke and start mechanisms. The Stihl motor head is heavier, with a listed weight of 12.3 pounds, compared to the Echo’s 11.1 pounds. Stihl recommends using an 18-inch guide bar on the MS 271, while Echo lists available guide lengths for the CS-4920 as 16, 18 and 20 inches.
Warranties from both brands are reduced if the saw is used in a professional capacity, either in purpose or non-profit enterprises. The Echo has a better warranty on its chainsaw, with five years of consumer protection and one year for commercial use. Stihl warranty coverage is limited to one year for consumers and three months for commercial use on gasoline rear handle chainsaws such as the MS 271. Gas top handle chainsaws are limited to three months of warranty coverage regardless of use.
Read more: Here’s who really owns all the major tool brands
The best budget-friendly entry-level chainsaw alternatives
An Echo chainsaw sitting next to a pile of cut wood. – Patrick Hatt/Shutterstock
After testing a bunch of chainsaws, Popular Mechanics named the Echo CS-3410 14-inch chainsaw as the best value gas chainsaw. While Home Depot sells the Echo CS-3410 for a budget $219.00, the entry-level Stihl MS 162 is comparably priced at $219.99 at Ace Hardware. This revelation is somewhat surprising, given that Home Depot’s price is cheaper than Ace Hardware’s in almost every department.
While we’ve discussed the differences between the Stihl and Echo using their larger chainsaw, it’s worth comparing their basic chainsaws as well. Both saws again use two-stroke engines, with the Echo CS-3410 displacing 34.4cc, compared to 30.1cc for the Stihl MS 162. Despite its 14% larger displacement, the Echo CS-3410 is lighter at 8.2 pounds dry, down 1.7 pounds from the list. the weight of the motor head of the MS 162.
Stihl chainsaws generally produce more torque than comparable Echo models. The extra power provides greater blocking resistance and faster cutting times, as demonstrated during testing by Project Farm. While torque can be advantageous, the Echo Chainsaw has other advantages.
Project Farm went so far as to measure the power required to start both brands, pitting the Stihl MS 250 against the Echo CS-400. The Stihl needed 46.8 pounds of pull to start the engine, while the Echo tipped over with just 33 pounds of pull.
In my experience, Echo chainsaws are less demanding to get started, a sentiment echoed (pun intended) on the regular forums. On the r/Chainsaw subreddit, LodestarSharp agrees, saying that after about ten years of experience, they “focused on the Echo chainsaw just because of the ease of starting.”
Why Echo chainsaws are the brand you buy smart
Echo CS-3410 isolated on a white background. – Echo
The price difference between each brand’s premium chainsaws is one of the reasons the Echo gets the deal with Stihl. Echo chainsaws are tough, durable and easier to use than Stihl. They also have a better warranty, which makes even similarly priced Stihl chainsaws less attractive.
I’m sure chainsaw enthusiasts loyal to a particular brand will offer opinions one way or another. After all, comparing brands of chainsaws is a lot like comparing brands of pickup trucks.
I will admit that at the top end of their range, Stihl chainsaws have little competition and make some of the best chainsaws out there. However, when it comes to quality consumer chainsaws, my experience with Stihl left me wanting. But I didn’t take my word for it. I’ve looked for expert advice as well as anecdotal accounts of chainsaw brand preferences on several forums, where Echo has been recommended over Stihl for the average user time and time again.
Methodology
The sharp ends of a chainsaw chain. – Netpix/Getty Images
I came to this conclusion, in part, based on years of using the chainsaw to cut firewood, clean up storm debris, and cut the occasional tree limb. I’ve used chainsaws from Stihl, Echo, Husqvarna, Craftsman and Poulan over the years, including a Stihl Farm Boss and Echo Timber Wolf.
Professional reviews from YouTuber Project Farm and user accounts posted on Reddit, Lawnsite, and The Garage Journal also factored into selecting Echo as the brand to buy with smart money over Stihl. However, one of the most compelling arguments came from the brands themselves: the difference in warranties.
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Read the original article on SlashGear.