I don't have experience of saws, but I have been looking a Craftsman Pro stuffs. I think they are all glorified home owner or low line commercial stuff. I check a lot of their engines on the emmision rating, all lowly rated. The string trimmer is the Husky 125. Craftsman has never known to have good price....to put it politely. Check the Husky saw first to make sure it is a good price. The only thing that can be good buying in Sears is that you might be able to get extended warrantee.

I never see good price with Craftsman!!!

I recently had a Craftsman 18" chainsaw, and a Wild thing some years back. I gave the Craftsman to the Salvation Army on Saturday. It starts good but I never got it to cut well. But I didn't know I wasn't supposed to push the chain thru the log. So I will be fair and say maybe the Craftsman is an average homeowner quality chainsaw, but definitely not a good one.

So I bought a low end Husqvarna 235e since I don't cut wood for a living, just gardening: small trees and good size limbs but nothing like climbing an oak and cutting it down. that said, I returned the Husq after 4 months. I will say the Tractor Supply store refunded me the money, but only after trying unsuccessfully to put the cover back over the clutch. I think it's called a clutch cover. The first time the chainsaw started up, but the chain didn't turn I moved the brake and it ran fine. But I found right away that moving the inertia brake by hand caused the clutch cover (the plastic cover) to pry loose. I knew there was a problem but the chain cut like nobody's business and I was happy. Then Saturday the same thing: no chain turning when I started it up. There was no clicking when I moved the brake bar or whatever it's called. So I opened the hood so to speak and could get the chain to move after adjusting stuff,but I couldn't ever get the cover back on. The alignment was totally off. Neither the tech guy or the store manager could get it back on either after 30 minutes.

So I went to HD to see what they have out of curiosity and looked at the same chain: 235e. I tried to move this brake handle and nothing: no click. Nada. The cheaper models and the more expensive models there all were clicking. In other words their brake worked fine.

If I have to spend 800 dollars to get a quality product why bother?

I don't know that Husky makes any of the Craftsman saws. They might, but I would be more apt to think that Husky and Craftsman use the same manufacturer for lower end saws, Poulan.

I'm not very familiar with the Husky line at all. I know a few of them, but they are all the pro class saws. IIRC, the 1xx series of Huskies are Poulan made. I am not sure about their 2xx series saws.

You pretty much get what you pay for with saws. The only interesting exception I have read about lately is the Ryobi 10532. You can pick this saw up for ~$100. It supposedly has a fairly high build quality to it.

You don't have to spend $800 to get a solid 40-50cc saw.

If you are only using the saw occasionally for light around the yard work, almost any saw will be okay. Just don't expect it to last long.

If you really only need one occasionally, consider an electric. Alot less maintenance hassles.

I agree with Masiman that if you are not in the business and you only have a few trees to cut, get the electric. I did. It worked, I cut a few when I moved into my house 4 years ago, now it is hanging on the wall!!!.....For good!!!

It is slow like anything, but it worked. cost me less than $100, I don't remember anymore.

Then as I kept saying before, if it is your toy!!!! THen yes, you need a pro saw. It is going to cut so much faster!!!! But it is not going to be Craftsman!!!

!!!!

For a cheap (~$150) saw, poulan pro is great. Makes a great backup saw as well.

Well, I would look on ebay you can get these cheaper saws for 1/3 to 1/4 the price of new if you have some mechanical ability. second the clutch brake on the huskie IMO has heated up and warped. My 345 did the same thing locked the chain up when I piched the bar tip when a log cut rolled and I took the cover off and it wouldn't go back on.