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Loading...Seven gasoline chainsaws, $140 to $400, every one of them fitted with an 18-inch bar and run on fresh 91-octane ethanol-free fuel mixed 50:1. Engine torque was measured by loading the bar with a weighted steel plate and recording how much downward force it took to stall the chain. Cut speed was measured three separate ways: three back-to-back cuts through a 10-inch 4x4, one cut with 5 lb of extra weight resting on the bar, and three cuts through a hedge apple log left over a year to cure.
Starting was measured as well — pulls needed from new, pulls needed after a night outdoors at 15 degrees Fahrenheit, and the peak force the starter rope puts through an arm and shoulder across three consecutive pulls. A battery-powered ECHO was run through both three-cut tests as a reference point.
The clearest finding is that engine size predicts very little. The 58cc budget saw made less stalling force than a 40cc ECHO, the 38cc Ryobi revved higher than three saws it could not out-cut, and the 45.6cc Stihl MS250 won every cutting event by a margin nothing else approached.
Best Overall
Average finish: 1.0
Average Finish: 1
Purchased for: $400
Made In: Germany
The most expensive saw at $400, bought from a dealership, and first place in every cutting event for an average finish of 1.0. It took 37 lb of downward force to stall the chain, 37 percent more than the next saw, spun to 14,800 RPM, and cut a 4x4 in 9.73 seconds and cured hedge apple in 16.9 seconds, roughly seven and a half seconds clear of the Husqvarna 440. The chain-tension screw is built into the saw body rather than the clutch cover, which combined with the outward-facing sprocket makes bar and chain installation the easiest here, and the bumper spikes are by far the most aggressive. The trade-offs are 112.3 dB and 47 lb of peak pull force to start, the hardest-starting saw of the eight, partly because it has no manual fuel primer.
First in every cutting event: 37 lb of stalling force, 9.73 seconds through a 4x4, 16.9 in cured hardwood.
Best Budget
Average finish: 2.75
Average Finish: 2.75
Purchased for: $140
Made In: China
The cheapest saw here at $140, and the only one with a 58cc engine against the 38 to 45cc used by everything else. The displacement pays off: 25 lb of downward force to stall the chain, third-best in the field, and the second-fastest cut through a 4x4 at 12.82 seconds. It is also the heaviest at 14.53 lb and the second-loudest at 108 dB, its front-mounted chain-tension screw and mostly plastic clutch cover are the least convenient in the lineup, and its wide full-chisel chain gave up ground in cured hardwood at 30.12 seconds. Three pulls to start at 15 degrees Fahrenheit was the joint-best cold-start result of the day.
A 58cc engine for $140, 25 lb of stalling force and the second-fastest softwood cut at 12.82 seconds.
Best Balance
Average finish: 3.0
Average Finish: 3
Purchased for: $360
40.9cc, 11.92 lb and $360, and the best-balanced saw in the lineup. A semi-chisel narrow-kerf chain and 13,000 no-load RPM made it the fastest saw after the Stihl MS250 in cured hardwood at 24.25 seconds, six seconds ahead of the larger-displacement Salem Master, and it cut a 4x4 in 13.63 seconds. It averaged a third-place finish across the cutting events on 24 lb of stalling force, and it is the first saw in the group with a metal clutch cover. Two marks against it: 110.1 dB, second only to the Stihl MS250, and recessed oil and fuel ports that trap dust and chips around the caps.
Third overall at 11.92 lb, and the quickest 40cc saw in cured hardwood at 24.25 seconds.
| Name | Purchased for ($) | Average Finish | Link | Made In | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stihl MS250 | $400.00 | 1 | Search on Amazon | Germany | |
The most expensive saw at $400, bought from a dealership, and first place in every cutting event for an average finish of 1.0. It took 37 lb of downward force to stall the chain, 37 percent more than the next saw, spun to 14,800 RPM, and cut a 4x4 in 9.73 seconds and cured hedge apple in 16.9 seconds, roughly seven and a half seconds clear of the Husqvarna 440. The chain-tension screw is built into the saw body rather than the clutch cover, which combined with the outward-facing sprocket makes bar and chain installation the easiest here, and the bumper spikes are by far the most aggressive. The trade-offs are 112.3 dB and 47 lb of peak pull force to start, the hardest-starting saw of the eight, partly because it has no manual fuel primer. | |||||
| Salem Master | $140.00 | 2.75 | Search on Amazon | China | |
The cheapest saw here at $140, and the only one with a 58cc engine against the 38 to 45cc used by everything else. The displacement pays off: 25 lb of downward force to stall the chain, third-best in the field, and the second-fastest cut through a 4x4 at 12.82 seconds. It is also the heaviest at 14.53 lb and the second-loudest at 108 dB, its front-mounted chain-tension screw and mostly plastic clutch cover are the least convenient in the lineup, and its wide full-chisel chain gave up ground in cured hardwood at 30.12 seconds. Three pulls to start at 15 degrees Fahrenheit was the joint-best cold-start result of the day. | |||||
| Husqvarna 440 | $360.00 | 3 | Search on Amazon | ||
40.9cc, 11.92 lb and $360, and the best-balanced saw in the lineup. A semi-chisel narrow-kerf chain and 13,000 no-load RPM made it the fastest saw after the Stihl MS250 in cured hardwood at 24.25 seconds, six seconds ahead of the larger-displacement Salem Master, and it cut a 4x4 in 13.63 seconds. It averaged a third-place finish across the cutting events on 24 lb of stalling force, and it is the first saw in the group with a metal clutch cover. Two marks against it: 110.1 dB, second only to the Stihl MS250, and recessed oil and fuel ports that trap dust and chips around the caps. | |||||
| ECHO CS-400 | $369.00 | 3.25 | Search on Amazon | USA | |
A 40.2cc saw at 12.04 lb, assembled in the USA. It made 27 lb of stalling force, second only to the Stihl MS250 and more than the 58cc Salem Master, but at 11,500 RPM it turns 1,500 fewer no-load revs than the Husqvarna 440 and that costs it time: 15.92 seconds through a 4x4 and 27.3 seconds in cured hardwood. It is the quietest saw here at 105.7 dB, started on the fourth pull from new and the third pull at 15 degrees Fahrenheit, and its wrap-around fuel cap and air filter housing are the best-engineered details in the group. Adding bar oil around the handle is fiddly. | |||||
| Craftsman | $209.00 | 5.25 | Search on Amazon | Mexico | |
Nine dollars more than the Poulan Pro and built around the same 42cc displacement, but it turns 12,000 no-load RPM against the Poulan's 11,300 and that extra chain speed is worth about a second through softwood and a full second in cured hardwood. It weighs 12.93 lb, matched the Poulan Pro and the Husqvarna 440 at 24 lb of stalling force, and needs about 31 lb of peak pull force to start. Sharp bumper spikes, side-mounted chain tensioning and spark plug access that does not require pulling the air filter make it easier to live with than the cheaper saws. | |||||
| Ryobi | $259.00 | 5.25 | Search on Amazon | Vietnam | |
The lightest saw tested at 11.78 lb, and the smallest engine at 38cc. It revs to 13,000 RPM but made the least torque of anything here at 19 lb, so it bogs down as soon as real force goes onto the bar. That combination left it fifth through softwood at 21.65 seconds, yet third-quickest in the weighted cut at 22.82 seconds, where the low weight worked in its favour. It has a washable foam air filter, easy spark plug access and bumper spikes as sharp as the Craftsman's, and it took five pulls to start at 15 degrees Fahrenheit. Peak starting force of 37.5 lb is the second-highest figure in the review. | |||||
| Poulan Pro | $200.00 | 6.25 | Search on Amazon | ||
A 42cc saw at $200 that includes a spare chain, with the easiest bar-oil access in the group and an outward-facing sprocket that makes bar and chain installation simple. It finished last in all three cutting tests: 21.91 seconds through a 4x4, 28.3 seconds with 5 lb added to the bar, and 39.5 seconds in cured hardwood. It also needed 16 pulls to start at 15 degrees Fahrenheit, more than three times any other saw. Its one clear win is starting effort, at a peak pull force of 16.5 lb, less than half what the Stihl MS250 demands. It comes without bumper spikes. | |||||
| ECHO Battery-Powered | $ | Search on Amazon | |||
A battery-powered saw run through both three-cut tests as a reference against the gas field, using a narrow-kerf semi-chisel chain. It cut a 4x4 in 13.99 seconds, within four tenths of a second of the Husqvarna 440 and quicker than four of the seven gas saws, and it matched the gas ECHO CS-400 in cured hardwood at 27.6 seconds against 27.3. On cut speed alone it holds its own against 40cc-plus gasoline saws rather than being outclassed by them. | |||||
Lower is better
Prices are as purchased at the time of testing. The Stihl MS250 came from a dealership rather than a box, and the Poulan Pro's $200 includes a spare chain.
Pounds of downward force on the bar needed to stall the chain — higher is better
A weighted steel plate pressed onto the bar until the chain stopped turning. The Stihl MS250 is in a different class at 37 lb, 37 percent clear of the ECHO CS-400 in second at 27 lb. The result that undercuts the spec sheets is third place: the 58cc Salem Master managed 25 lb, less than a 40.2cc ECHO, while the Poulan Pro, Craftsman and Husqvarna 440 all landed on 24 lb despite spanning 42, 42 and 40.9cc. The 38cc Ryobi gave up first at 19 lb.
| Rank | Product | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stihl MS250 | 37 |
| 2 | ECHO CS-400 | 27 |
| 3 | Salem Master | 25 |
| 4 | Poulan Pro | 24 |
| 5 | Craftsman | 24 |
| 6 | Husqvarna 440 | 24 |
| 7 | Ryobi | 19 |
Seconds, best of three consecutive cuts through a 10-inch softwood beam — lower is better
Each saw was warmed up for 30 seconds and then made three cuts back to back; every saw was fastest once fully hot, so the third cut is usually the one shown. The Stihl MS250 needed 9.73 seconds, three seconds better than anything else. The gap at the bottom is the story: the two 42cc saws and the 38cc Ryobi all sat above 20 seconds, more than twice the Stihl MS250's time, and the battery-powered ECHO slotted into fourth ahead of four of the seven gasoline saws.
| Rank | Product | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stihl MS250 | 9.73 |
| 2 | Salem Master | 12.82 |
| 3 | Husqvarna 440 | 13.63 |
| 4 | ECHO Battery-Powered | 13.99 |
| 5 | ECHO CS-400 | 15.92 |
| 6 | Craftsman | 20.79 |
| 7 | Ryobi | 21.65 |
| 8 | Poulan Pro | 21.91 |
Seconds for a single cut with 5 lb of extra weight resting on the bar — lower is better
Adding a fixed 5 lb to the front of each saw removes operator technique from the equation and exposes which engines can hold chain speed under load. The Stihl MS250 again took it at 12.67 seconds with room to spare, and the Salem Master was a distant second at 16.38. The Poulan Pro and Craftsman both fought to keep the chain moving without stalling, and the lighter Ryobi passed them both here despite making the least torque in the group.
| Rank | Product | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stihl MS250 | 12.67 |
| 2 | Salem Master | 16.38 |
| 3 | Husqvarna 440 | 17.20 |
| 4 | ECHO CS-400 | 19.47 |
| 5 | Ryobi | 22.82 |
| 6 | Craftsman | 25.50 |
| 7 | Poulan Pro | 28.30 |
Seconds, best of three cuts through a hedge apple log cured over a year — lower is better
Hedge apple is about as hard as firewood gets, and it reshuffles the order. The Stihl MS250 took it in 16.9 seconds, seven and a half seconds clear of the Husqvarna 440. The Salem Master's advantage evaporated: its wide full-chisel chain dropped it to 30.12 seconds, six seconds behind the Husqvarna 440 and slower than both ECHO saws, which run narrow-kerf semi-chisel chains far better suited to hardwood. Chain choice matters as much as displacement in this test.
| Rank | Product | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stihl MS250 | 16.90 |
| 2 | Husqvarna 440 | 24.25 |
| 3 | ECHO CS-400 | 27.30 |
| 4 | ECHO Battery-Powered | 27.60 |
| 5 | Salem Master | 30.12 |
| 6 | Ryobi | 35.15 |
| 7 | Craftsman | 38.50 |
| 8 | Poulan Pro | 39.50 |
Mean placing across engine torque, softwood, weighted and hardwood cuts — lower is better
Taking cutting performance alone, the Stihl MS250 finished first in every event for a perfect 1.0. The $140 Salem Master is the surprise at 2.75, ahead of two saws costing well over twice as much, though it earned that on softwood and torque rather than hardwood. The Husqvarna 440 and ECHO CS-400 are effectively level at 3.0 and 3.25, and there is a wide gap back to the Craftsman and Ryobi on 5.25 and the Poulan Pro on 6.25.
| Rank | Product | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stihl MS250 | 1 |
| 2 | Salem Master | 2.75 |
| 3 | Husqvarna 440 | 3 |
| 4 | ECHO CS-400 | 3.25 |
| 5 | Craftsman | 5.25 |
| 6 | Ryobi | 5.25 |
| 7 | Poulan Pro | 6.25 |
Pounds, without fuel or bar oil — lower is better
Two and three-quarter pounds separate the lightest saw from the heaviest, which is a great deal of difference over a long afternoon of bucking. The Ryobi leads at 11.78 lb with the Husqvarna 440 barely behind at 11.92, and the winning Stihl MS250 is only 12.5 lb. The two cheapest saws are the two heaviest by a wide margin, so the Salem Master's 58cc engine is being carried as well as used.
| Rank | Product | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ryobi | 11.78 |
| 2 | Husqvarna 440 | 11.92 |
| 3 | ECHO CS-400 | 12.04 |
| 4 | Stihl MS250 | 12.50 |
| 5 | Craftsman | 12.93 |
| 6 | Poulan Pro | 14.32 |
| 7 | Salem Master | 14.53 |
RPM measured at the sprocket with the saw running free — higher is better
Free-running chain speed, taken with no wood in the cut, so it is only half the picture — torque decides what survives contact with the log. The Stihl MS250 spins to 14,800 RPM, well clear of the Husqvarna 440 and Ryobi around 13,000. It explains a couple of otherwise odd results: the Craftsman out-cuts the Poulan Pro on identical displacement because it turns 700 more RPM, and the ECHO CS-400 loses to the Husqvarna 440 in wood despite making more torque, because it gives away 1,500 revs.
| Rank | Product | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stihl MS250 | 14800 |
| 2 | Husqvarna 440 | 13000 |
| 3 | Ryobi | 13000 |
| 4 | Craftsman | 12000 |
| 5 | ECHO CS-400 | 11500 |
| 6 | Poulan Pro | 11300 |
| 7 | Salem Master | 10800 |
Decibels at 24 inches from the saw — lower is better
Every saw here is far past the level where hearing protection stops being optional, and the spread is only 6.6 dB. The ECHO CS-400 is quietest at 105.7 dB and four saws are bunched between 105.7 and 108. Noise tracks performance closely at the top: the Husqvarna 440 at 110.1 dB and the Stihl MS250 at 112.3 dB are the two highest-revving saws and the two loudest.
| Rank | Product | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ECHO CS-400 | 105.70 |
| 2 | Poulan Pro | 106 |
| 3 | Craftsman | 106.70 |
| 4 | Ryobi | 106.80 |
| 5 | Salem Master | 108 |
| 6 | Husqvarna 440 | 110.10 |
| 7 | Stihl MS250 | 112.30 |
Starter rope pulls needed for the first start at ambient temperature — lower is better
The first start of each saw straight out of its packaging, following the manufacturer's own printed procedure. Three saws came alive on the fourth pull. The Stihl MS250 needed seven, and the reason is structural rather than a fault: it is the only saw without a manual primer bulb, so getting fuel to the carburettor takes extra cranking.
| Rank | Product | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Poulan Pro | 4 |
| 2 | Craftsman | 4 |
| 3 | ECHO CS-400 | 4 |
| 4 | Ryobi | 6 |
| 5 | Husqvarna 440 | 6 |
| 6 | Salem Master | 7 |
| 7 | Stihl MS250 | 7 |
Starter rope pulls needed after a night outdoors at 15F / -9C — lower is better
Left outside overnight and started in sub-freezing conditions, which is where a saw earns its keep in firewood season. Six of the seven were unbothered, needing three to five pulls, and the $140 Salem Master tied the $369 ECHO CS-400 for the best result at three. The Poulan Pro is the outlier at 16 pulls, more than three times anything else in the group.
| Rank | Product | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Salem Master | 3 |
| 2 | ECHO CS-400 | 3 |
| 3 | Craftsman | 5 |
| 4 | Ryobi | 5 |
| 5 | Husqvarna 440 | 5 |
| 6 | Stihl MS250 | 5 |
| 7 | Poulan Pro | 16 |
Peak pounds of force recorded on the starter rope over three consecutive pulls — lower is better
A push-pull meter on the starter rope, recording the highest force reached across three back-to-back pulls — in effect what an arm and shoulder absorb every time the saw is started. The Poulan Pro is remarkable here at 16.5 lb, less than half the field average, and the Stihl MS250 is at the other end at 47 lb. Anyone with a shoulder problem should read this chart against the performance charts, because they rank almost exactly in reverse.
| Rank | Product | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Poulan Pro | 16.50 |
| 2 | Salem Master | 31 |
| 3 | Craftsman | 31 |
| 4 | ECHO CS-400 | 33 |
| 5 | Husqvarna 440 | 36.30 |
| 6 | Ryobi | 37.50 |
| 7 | Stihl MS250 | 47 |
The Stihl MS250 won this comparison outright, finishing first in every cutting event for an average finish of 1.0. It took 37 lb of downward force to stall its chain against 27 lb for the next saw, it turned 14,800 RPM, and it cut a 10-inch 4x4 in 9.73 seconds and a cured hedge apple log in 16.9 seconds — roughly seven and a half seconds faster than anything else in hardwood. It is also 12.5 lb, lighter than three saws it beat, and it has the best chain tensioning arrangement and the most aggressive bumper spikes here. At $400 it is the most expensive saw in the group, and the case for it is that nothing cheaper came close on any measure of cutting.
For a budget the $140 Salem Master is genuinely impressive over a short test: an average finish of 2.75, 25 lb of stalling force from its 58cc engine, and 12.82 seconds through a 4x4, second only to the Stihl MS250. Two things temper that. It is the heaviest saw at 14.53 lb, and its wide full-chisel chain left it at 30.12 seconds in cured hardwood, behind both ECHO saws and six seconds behind the Husqvarna 440. Its plastic clutch cover, cut-out sprocket, rounded bumper spikes and front-mounted tension screw all point to a light-duty build, so the open question is durability rather than performance.
The Husqvarna 440 at $360 is the pick for anyone cutting a lot of hardwood or working for long stretches. It averaged a third-place finish, weighs 11.92 lb — half a pound less than the Stihl MS250 and two and a half less than the Salem Master — and its narrow-kerf semi-chisel chain made it the quickest 40cc-class saw in hedge apple at 24.25 seconds. The ECHO CS-400 is its close rival at 3.25, with more torque, the quietest running at 105.7 dB and the best fuel-cap and air-filter design in the group, but 1,500 fewer RPM and slower times in wood.
Below that the picture is harder. The Poulan Pro finished last in all three cutting tests and needed 16 pulls to start at 15 degrees Fahrenheit, though it is by far the gentlest saw to start at 16.5 lb of peak pull force, which may matter more than cut speed for occasional light work. The Ryobi is the lightest saw at 11.78 lb but made the least torque at 19 lb, so it bogs down under pressure. The Craftsman shows what chain speed is worth, beating the identically-sized Poulan Pro across the board on 700 extra RPM. And the starting-force chart deserves a look before any purchase: the ranking there runs almost exactly opposite to the performance ranking, with the Stihl MS250 demanding 47 lb per pull.