[mauser1959]

I am a what is called a professional arborist, our company employed 28,000 employees. At one time our company had the biggest dealer ship of almost ever saw imported into the USA... going back as far as Homelite. From what I have seen the best two saws running are either Husky or Stihl. I started my sojourn with a husky 30 years ago and still like them, but a stihl is also a good saw. One of the big things to look for when buying a saw is the availability of parts and service, sometimes that is all the difference in the world. The last saw that my dad bought I had him get a husky, for most people that is about as good as it gets and the power to weight ratio is awesome. I have run a 50/1 ratio for ever in both huskys and stihls, with good success, much higher mix and it starts to rob power, and for an occasional saw that does not matter, but if running the saw for 8 hours per day that means a lot. We also used echo saws, however I have a real problem with them in the bigger sizes, but hooked on a belt, i think that they are equal to any other for balance and ease of use ( better than the stihl trim saws in my opinion). If you have any questions, give me a shout, I have been in the industry for 30 years, and have many many saws.