Not everyone needs a chainsaw that’s capable of taking down a large tree or cutting huge amounts of firewood. For less frequent, smaller tasks around the house such as light pruning and occasional firewood cutting you can still get reliable, high-quality chainsaws from leading manufacturers like Stihl and Echo.
Why Stihl Chainsaws are Popular
Stihl offers several models of homeowner chainsaws. Two are light-weight electric powered chainsaws that run quiet and work well for homeowners with light cutting tasks who live in areas with noise restrictions. The MSA 160 C-BQ is powered by Stihl’s Lithium-Ion batteries, and will run for up to 38 minutes with the AP 180 battery. It works with guide bars that are 10 to 14 inches long. The MSA 170 C-BQ is powered by an electric cord, and uses guide bars 12 to 16 inches long.
Most of the gasoline-powered homeowner chainsaws are designed for use with guide bars 12 to 16 inches long. These include the light-weight MS 170 and the MS 171, which feature reduced-emission technologies and weigh under 10 pounds. The MS 180 C-BE and MS 181 C-BE are high-tech chainsaws that feature Stihl’s Easy2Start system and Quick Chain Adjuster.
Slightly larger models, like the MS 250 designed for cutting firewood, can accommodate guide bars 16 to 18 inches long. The MS 250 weighs about 10 pounds. The MS 251 is slightly more powerful, capable of felling small trees and keeping up a well-stocked wood pile. The MS 251 C-BE adds Easy2Start technology and Quick Chain Adjuster for even easier use, and weighs under 12 pounds.
What Echo Chainsaws have to Offer
In their lowest price bracket, you’ll find Echo’s CS-310. It is dependable and light-weight at about 9 pounds, and is available with a 14-inch bar length. Though priced lower than the other models, it still comes with professional-quality features and works well as a homeowner chainsaw.
Echo’s smallest chainsaw is a light-weight top-handle design, the CS-271T. It uses a 12-inch guide bar, and only weighs about 7 pounds. The CS-271T features the i-30 starting system for easy starting. Another top-handle homeowner design is the CS-330T. It has a more powerful engine, and a standard starting system. This chainsaw weighs about 8 pounds, and is available in 12, 14 or 16 inch guide bar lengths.
Higher-performance chainsaws from Echo that work well for tree and firewood cutting around the home include the CS-370 and CS-400 chainsaws. Both feature the i-30 starting system and weigh just over 10 pounds. The CS-370 is available in 14, 16 and 18 inch bar lengths. The CS-400 has a more powerful engine, and uses guide bars 16 or 18 inches long.
