Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Chainsaws are funny things - it is amazing and surprising the amount of brand loyalty. Stihl is a great brand (I think the best) but very expensive, and honestly the last one I had could be a real bear to start, same as many cheaper saws. After a fair amount of research, and actually holding various saws in my hand, I decided to go with this 5020AV which is their newest version saw including many design upgrades. It is a tough little saw with a quality feel overall. Note : the older model Poulans are being clearanced out everywhere, they are "AVX" models featuring a potentially troublesome finger controlled chain adjuster (plastic that can break). You can find lots of negative reviews regarding the AVX models because of that and some other durability issues. The "AV" models on the other hand have the old style chain adjuster which is tried and true. In the end, I chose this saw because of the 50cc engine,and newer, tougher design and materials, and of course an excellent price point. $179 - $199 is doable online, and my next choice would have been an ECHO but for +$100 more and less engine displacement. Husky owns Poulan and many of the parts and literature say Husqvarna on them. I spent last weekend cleaning up a lot I own, out of the box the saw performed great (nothing like a new chain with 50cc behind it). It also, comes with a plastic case to keep the mess in one place. Tips : (1) Don't ever eyeball the gas/oil mixture (measure it).(2) Order a carb adjust tool (easy access from outside the saw) to fine tune the carb to your elevation. (3)Always drain the remaining gas out of the tank and then run the engine out of gas before you store the saw for anything longer than a month. Time will tell, but this is a lot of saw for the money, and since I am only an occasional user, it should last me for many years. Yeah, if I was making my $$ cutting timber I would spring the extra $2-300 for a Stihl pro model, but for my needs this appears to be a very good deal.