It is well known I am a Stihl fan. 20 years ago, shops were available all over NM for Stihl. A couple of us actually got sent to Stihl shop to get trained on fixing them. That was a biggie, with a rock, stick or first aid kit (not kidding) we could usually get up and running again. I'm not the most mechanically inclined person, but I could usually bumble my way through getting the saws up and running again.

We were cutting high volumes of burned wood every day. I typically carried 2 extra chains every day, and sharpened all 3 at lunch. Good times.

If you need an alternative, I own two echo saws that are extremely reliable and easy to use. A CS-400 and a CS-590.

Not opposed to an Echo, but good grief, they look near impossible to find around here.

Bumping this older thread since it already contains quite a bit of good info that I perused while making my decision.

I was just in the market for a saw to help clear 10 acres we purchased and to use for maintenance/firewood in the future.

I went against the grain (no pun intended) and purchased an Echo 501p. Same displacement as the MS270 farm boss while being quite a bit lighter. I also like Echo's 5 year consumer warranty. At $499, it seemed like the best deal for the money.

Good deal. That's good it's lighter. I have a farm boss that I use to cut stumps on trees down to a height that I can grind...and after a few I gotta take a break bc the thing is heavy. Otherwise I have no complaints with the farm boss and appreciate the 20" bar.

Stihl

I have a gas Stihl 25" and an electric Stihl 14" The former cuts anything, the latter is great for limbing up stuff. I also have Stihl pole saw that runs on electric.

My Stihl has always leaked chain oil like a sieve and also gets gummed up easily with regular gas. Neither of these issues with my Echo.