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Version: 2023 Fall
BUS 189: Strategic Management
Case Analysis
Stihl is a manufacturer of chain saws and other similar power tools. It has been shunning big retail chains
like Home Depot and selling primarily through small retail shops. It has been doing well.
Recently, however, the growth and popularity of online market platforms such as the Amazon
Marketplace – where manufacturers can sell directly to consumers if they choose – has created both
opportunities and threats to manufacturers such as Stihl.
Suppose that you were a strategic consultant and Stihl hired you to evaluate whether it is worthwhile
for Stihl to use the Amazon Marketplace to sell its power tools. Your analysis and report should be able
to help Stihl’s leadership make strategies for the next five years.
In your report to Stihl’s leadership, you need to address the following questions:
1. What is Stihl’s current strategic positioning? Namely, does it position itself as a differentiator, a
cost leader, or something else? Use evidence from documents enclosed in this case and/or from
other sources to support your evaluation.
2. Is Stihl’s current strategic positioning a prerequisite condition for the success of Stihl’s current
retailing model – using small and independent stores and avoiding big box mass retailers? Why
or why not?
3. What are the pros and cons for Stihl to start using the Amazon Marketplace to sell its tools? Use
evidence from documents enclosed in this case and/or from other sources to support your
evaluation.
4. If Stihl decided to start using the Amazon Marketplace to sell its products, which of its
stakeholders – such as its employees or its retailers – would be negatively affected by the
strategic move? How would these affected shareholders influence Stihl’s financial performance?
Version: 2023 Fall
5. Based on your analysis, with Stihl’s long-term financial performance in mind, what would be
your recommendation to Stihl’s leadership on whether to use the Amazon Marketplace?
6. What changes in situation – such as shift in Stihl’s strategic positioning, increasing competition,
change in product quality, or change in its customer base – might lead you to reverse your
recommendation?
Some Guidelines for the Writing of the Report
1. Remember that you were a strategic consultant, the audience of your analysis and your report
would be Stihl’s leadership.
2. The report needs to have an introduction section and a conclusion section.
3. You need to address sufficiently all the questions.
4. The report should be no more than three single-spaced pages, with a font type of Time New
Roman and a font size of 12.
5. Use the two rubrics provided along with this case – one for writing and the other for critical
thinking – to inform your analysis and your writing of the report.
6. In your report, you need to use information and data from documents enclosed in this case. You
can also use additional information and data from credible sources, such as Wall Street Journal,
Bloomberg Business Week, Financial Times, and Consumer Reports. In the body text of your
report, please use in-text citations to indicate the sources of the key information and data that
you cite. You need to provide details about the citations in a reference list, including their
authors, publication years, titles, and publishers.
Below is an example of this citation requirement.
–
An in-text citation:
Stihl had about 10,000 U.S. dealers in 2020 (Stock 2020).
–
Details about this citation in a reference list:
Stock, K. 2020. Stihl Still Sells Chainsaws the Old-Fashioned Way. Wall Street Journal
Enclosed Documents
Version: 2023 Fall
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Aeppel, T. 2006. Too Good for Lowe’s and Home Depot? Wall Street Journal
Stock, K. 2014. Stihl Chain Saws Thrive Outside the Big Box. Bloomberg.
Stock, K. 2020. Stihl Still Sells Chainsaws the Old-Fashioned Way. Wall Street Journal
Hope, P. 2023. Best Chainsaws of 2023. Consumer Reports
Consumer Reports. 2023. Chainsaws Ratings & Reliability. Consumer Reports
Sender, H. 2018. Amazon: The Making of a Giant. Wall Street Journal
Soper, S. 2023. Amazon is Taking Half of Each Sale from Its Merchants. Bloomberg
Vincent, J. 2022. Amazon Will Let Merchants Sell Goods with Prime Benefits on Their Own Sites.
The Verge
You instructor will give you details on the submission of this assignment on Canvas.
Too Good for Lowe’s and Home Depot? – WSJ
Document 1
3/6/23, 12:06 PM
Too Good for Lowe’s and
Home Depot?
By Timothy Aeppel
July 24, 2006 12:01 am ET
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Why would a manufacturer run ads telling potential
customers where its products aren’t sold? For Stihl Inc., it’s about image.
The German-owned maker of chain saws and other hand-held yard tools believes
emphasizing that it doesn’t sell through mass merchants such as Lowe’s and Home
Depot reinforces its aura of exclusivity. Stihl’s bright-orange machines can be
purchased only through independent dealers. “Sometimes telling someone where
you’re not available is more effective than telling where you are,” says Kenneth
Waldron, the company’s marketing manager.
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https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB115369927780214907
https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB115369927780214907
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Too Good for Lowe’s and Home Depot? – WSJ
Stihl’s ads, which have run over the past year in national newspapers, feature
pictures of various tools and always start with a question, such as: “What makes
this handheld blower too powerful to be sold at Lowe’s or The Home Depot?”
The answer, in smaller print in that particular ad, is that Stihl has the “power” of
8,000 dealers, who supply advice and service not available at the big stores.
Closely held Stihl, the U.S. subsidiary of Germany’s Andreas Stihl AG & Co. KG,
declined to say how much it has spent on the campaign.
While many makers of premium goods refuse to sell through mass retailers, it is
unusual to make that the thrust of a marketing campaign. It’s also risky. Stihl
could insult some consumers by implying that if they shop in big stores they don’t
https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB115369927780214907
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Too Good for Lowe’s and Home Depot? – WSJ
appreciate quality, says Rajiv Lal, a professor of retailing at the Harvard Business
School. “You can offend a bunch of people,” he says, “but those probably aren’t
your customers anyway.”
Stihl’s ads point to a sticky issue many manufacturers face. There is a powerful
lure to sell through mass retailers, which can deliver fast gains in market share.
But big retailers also put heavy demands on manufacturers, including pressing for
lower prices. That saves consumers money, but it doesn’t necessarily send the
right message about a premium brand.
That’s one reason Simplicity Manufacturing, now part of Milwaukee-based Briggs
& Stratton Corp., pulled Snapper lawnmowers out of Wal-Mart Stores Inc.’s
WMT -0.16%
stores after buying the brand in 2002. “We’ve always believed that
selling premium lawn and garden equipment requires sales expertise best
provided by a professional dealer,” says Troy Blewett, a company spokesman.
Simplicity doesn’t emphasize the change in its marketing, however, for the same
reason many large manufacturers tend to avoid the subject: Even though Snapper
isn’t sold in big-box stores, Briggs & Stratton makes motors for an array of other
equipment that is sold in such stores.
Robert Passikoff, president of Brand Keys Inc., a New York consulting firm, says
Stihl’s approach works only for manufacturers that can prove they are worth a
premium. “Today’s consumer is very smart,” he says. Unless a producer can show
what distinguishes it from less-expensive competitors, shoppers will figure it out
and switch to the cheaper alternative. Stihl chain saws, for instance, start at about
$179, while comparable starter models in many mass merchants go for about
$139.
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Too Good for Lowe’s and Home Depot? – WSJ
Stihl insists its machines are worth the premium, pointing to features such as the
quality of the chains on its saws. The chains are made in Switzerland and shipped
world-wide.
Leading the way onto an expanse of concrete at Stihl’s sprawling U.S.
headquarters in Virginia Beach, Eddie Anderson, the company’s training
coordinator, picks up a series of machines to demonstrate how Stihl keeps pushing
the envelope on designs. New chain saws have an additional safety brake. A new
hedge trimmer has a set of springs that hold the motor and reduce vibration for
the user. “This is a huge improvement, especially for people who are using these
tools for extended periods,” Mr. Anderson says.
The company, controlled by descendants of Andreas Stihl, the German tinkerer
who introduced the world to the first electric chain saw in 1927, doesn’t appear to
be hurting because of its refusal to sell to big boxes. Peter Burton, U.S.-based
senior vice-president of sales and marketing, says Stihl, with world-wide sales last
year of $2.29 billion, has averaged double-digit growth in the competitive U.S.
market for 14 consecutive years. Recognized as the world’s leading maker of chain
saws, the company has pushed aggressively into new markets, such as leaf blowers
and hedge trimmers. A major expansion is under way at its Virginia plant, which is
adding about 400 workers to its current work force of 1,765.
This isn’t the first time Stihl has tweaked the big boxes in its marketing. In a Stihl
television spot three years ago, a befuddled-looking young salesman, clutching an
apron from his job at what appeared to be a big-box store, runs down the street to
a Stihl dealer to get basic answers about how to start an engine for a customer
waiting impatiently back at the store. The spot ends with the angry customer
walking off.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB115369927780214907
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Too Good for Lowe’s and Home Depot? – WSJ
Jean Osta Niemi, a spokeswoman for Home Depot Inc., HD -0.31%
says, “Those
vendors who are selling their product at The Home Depot realize the benefit of
2,060 store locations and 1.3 billion customer transactions a year, and they, too,
are committed to providing the best product at the best value.” Lowe’s
LOW 0.94%
Cos. declined to comment.
Meanwhile, some premium brands find ways to sell through both mass merchants
and traditional channels. Deere DE -0.86%
& Co. has in recent years begun
selling its riding lawnmowers through mass merchants. Existing dealers still
assemble and fine-tune machines sold by big retail stores, says Bob Hove, vice
president of world-wide sales for Deere’s commercial- and consumer-equipment
division. “That’s where our customers are going,” Mr. Howe says. “We can either
bury our heads in the sand and say, ‘We’re not interested in those customers,’ or
we follow them.”
Write to Timothy Aeppel at [email protected]
https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB115369927780214907
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Document 2
Document 3
Why Stihl Still Sells Chainsaws in Stores Despite Coronavirus Pandemic – Bloomberg
3/6/23, 1:04 PM
Newsletter
Stihl Still Sells Chainsaws the OldFashioned Way
Breaking down the boldest bets in business
Photographer: Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg
By Kyle Stock
September 13, 2020 at 4:00 AM PDT Corrected September 22, 2020 at 9:08 AM PDT
From
| Subscribe | Reprints
If a limb falls on your car or you suddenly need to carve a wildfire break around your house,
Amazon.com will zip you a Husqvarna 120 Mark II chainsaw in a few days for $180.
It’s not so easy with America’s top-selling brand, though. On the Stihl website, many products are
simply listed ‘Contact us for price,’ and once you select a product, you’ll have to click through to find a
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Why Stihl Still Sells Chainsaws in Stores Despite Coronavirus Pandemic – Bloomberg
nearby dealer—typically a small hardware store—that may or may not offer delivery. It’s an
anachronistic, clunky sales machine, seemingly ill-suited to shopping during a pandemic. It’s also
working just fine thanks.
Stihl (pronounced ‘steel’) sales so far this year are up 20 percent over 2019 and in the U.S. it is on pace
for the best year in its near century of business, both in terms of revenue and units sold.
Increasingly home-bound, we have, collectively, caught the DIY bug, as boffo earnings from Home
Depot and Lowe’s can attest. The pandemic forced Stihl to alter its marketing. In early April, it
scrapped a campaign called “Dealer days,” a package of ads full of eager weekend warriors hustling
through crowded stores and shaking hands with trusty salespeople. “We didn’t want to appear tone
deaf,” says Nick Jiannas, Stihl vice president of sales and marketing.
The new Stihl spots are all about sprucing up the backyard. “The only places I can go are hardware
stores and grocery stores,” Jiannas recalls. “And at the end of the day, grass still grows, leaves still fall.”
Stihl has never sold directly to consumers in the U.S., because it doesn’t want to compete with its
dealers. It doesn’t want to compete with its dealers, because it doesn’t want to be forced to sell via big
box stores like Home Depot, where its margins may be trimmed and it will be pressured to roll out
cheaper products.
Stihl offers its 10,000 U.S. dealers a way to stay alive in the shadows of superstores—by selling a line of
products the retail giants just don’t have. In turn, Stihl gets a small army of foot soldiers—a sales and
service staff that it doesn’t have to pay.
A clunky, protracted Internet shop, from this perspective, is a point of pride and differentiation. The
company didn’t even ramp up its “buy online, pick up in store” until May of 2019. “If it’s not broke,
don’t fix it,” Jiannas says.
Even now, Stihl wants its consumers to look someone in the eye, at least from six feet away. When the
trusty chainsaw needs a tune-up or a spark plug, it’s less likely to get tossed in the trash. Buyers will
know where to get it serviced, the same place they might trade it in for an upgrade.
The strategy might not make for as many transactions, but it makes for a stickier, more lucrative
customer. The personal touch, apparently, still works in a digital, distanced world.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2020-09-13/why-stihl-still-sells-chainsaws-in-stores-despite-coronavirus-pandemic
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Document 4
3/12/23, 6:05 PM
Best Chainsaws of 2023 – Consumer Reports
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Chainsaws
Best Chainsaws of 2023
Best Chainsaws of 2023
We’ve put more than 70 gas and electric models through our extensive tests.
Here are the top performers that balance speed with easy handling and safety.
By Paul Hope
Updated January 1, 2023
When you shop through retailer links on our site, we may earn affiliate commissions. 100% of the fees we collect are used to support our nonprofit mission.
Learn more.
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1/11
3/12/23, 6:05 PM
Best Chainsaws of 2023 – Consumer Reports
Test engineers evaluate chainsaws at Consumer Reports’ headquarters.
Photo: John Walsh/Consumer Reports
If you live in a rural or heavily wooded area, a chainsaw can be a must-have, especially during hurricane
season and snowy winters.
These are simple tools as far as the mechanicals—essentially an engine or a motor, a handle, and an
oblong metal piece called a bar that guides the cutting chain. Yet a good chainsaw does what no other
tool can: It lets you clear brush, cut down limbs and small trees, and prep firewood, all without breaking
a sweat.
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To learn more about which kind of chainsaw might be right for you, see our
MORE ON CHAINSAWS
AND YARD CARE
CR’s Chainsaw Ratings &
Buying Guide
Best Electric Chainsaws of
the Year
Best String Trimmers of the
Year
Best Lawn Mowers and
Tractors of the Year
chainsaw buying guide. CR members can also browse our comprehensive chainsaw
ratings for the best ones in each category. There, you can sort through more than
70 models according to type, budget, and other criteria that matter most to you.
Below, we highlight some of the best chainsaws across the categories we test: gas
(both light- and heavy-duty), battery electric, and corded electric. These include
popular brand names like Echo, Ego, and Stihl. Models are listed according to
Overall Score within each category.
Best and Worst Leaf
Blowers of the Year
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Best Chainsaws of 2023 – Consumer Reports
How We Picked the Best Chainsaws
The best chainsaw for you depends on the size of your yard and what you need to cut. That’s why we
organize our ratings by chainsaw categories: heavy-duty gas, light-duty gas, battery electric, and corded
electric. Nevertheless, we believe that all shoppers are entitled to expect the following from any category
of chainsaw:
Capable cutting. We expect these machines to cut thick pieces of wood quickly and efficiently.
Safety. Chainsaws should include adequate fail-safe features that prevent accidents.
Seamless handling. The chainsaw’s weight and size shouldn’t get in the way of a user’s ability to
manipulate it.
User-friendliness. A chainsaw should be designed so that users can operate and maintain it with ease.
How Consumer Reports Tests Chainsaws
Using 10-inch-thick oak beams, our engineers time how long it takes for each saw to work its way
through the wood. We use oak because it’s one of the hardest woods most users will encounter on their
property, and it makes for a particularly demanding test that reveals differences among models. Those
that cut fastest earn a higher rating for cutting speed.
To size up safety, we check for any kickback during the course of cutting, and assess whether a model’s
exhaust parts, like the muffler, get hot, which can pose a burn hazard. We also evaluate how protected
the cutting chain is from accidental contact during storage.
To evaluate how well a chainsaw handles, our engineers consider its weight and how easy it is to make
horizontal and vertical cuts. We also use a meter to measure its vibration, which can impede a user’s
ability to make cuts efficiently.
To zero in on an ease-of-use score, our engineers inspect a range of features, including how simple the
tool is to start, adjust, and maintain.
For each chainsaw’s final Overall Score, we incorporate ratings for predicted reliability and owner
satisfaction, which are awarded on a brand (not model) level. These ratings reflect what thousands of CR
members told us about their experiences with chainsaws they purchased. Specifically, they reported
whether their chainsaws ever broke or stopped working properly over the first five years of ownership,
as well as whether they were extremely likely to recommend their chainsaw to a friend or family
member.
Best Heavy-Duty Gas Chainsaws
Heavy-duty chainsaws work best for people living in very wooded areas who tackle very heavy work,
such as cutting large quantities of firewood for winter heating. With larger engines plus a cutting bar and
chain between 16 and 26 inches, these chainsaws cut through larger limbs or trees in a single pass. And
you simply need to top off the gas tank to keep them running.
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1
Best Chainsaws of 2023 – Consumer Reports
0
OV E R A L L S C O R E
R EC O M M E N D E D
Echo CS-590-20
Price: $419.98 – $419.99
Shop
77
5 CUTTING SPEED
3 HANDLING
4 EASE OF USE
See all Chainsaws Ratings
CR’s take: This heavy-duty gas saw is best for big properties with lots of mature trees—but only in skilled hands. The
Echo CS-590-20 beats out most other saws in our tests for cutting speed, earning a rating of Excellent in that test.
Handling is only average, in part because, at almost 17 pounds, it’s so heavy, and because the 20-inch cutting bar (very
few consumer saws exceed 16 inches) makes it unwieldy. Like many brands in our ratings, Echo receives a middling score
for predicted reliability in terms of gas chainsaws, but this particular tool has an exceptionally long 5-year warranty.
2
0
R EC O M M E N D E D
Stihl MS 250
Price: $360
OV E R A L L S C O R E
76
5 CUTTING SPEED
5 HANDLING
4 EASE OF USE
See all Chainsaws Ratings
CR’s take: Nipping at the heels of the Echo above is this stellar gas saw from Stihl. Like the Echo (but several pounds
lighter), it earns a rating of Excellent for cutting speed, plowing through our oak beams with relative ease. In addition to
safety features like a chain brake and metal bucking spikes, this chainsaw has an anti-vibration mechanism, which
improves handling and makes for easier cutting. (It helps that the bar length is 18 inches as opposed to 20, too.) This
model comes with a 2-year warranty.
Best Light-Duty Gas Chainsaws
Light-duty gas chainsaws typically max out with a 16-inch cutting bar and generally pack a little less
power. They’re helpful for homeowners in the suburbs (as opposed to more thickly wooded rural areas)
who want to clear fallen limbs in their yard, and maybe do a little bit of wood cutting for an outdoor fire
pit. Cutting larger limbs and trees is doable but may take a lot longer. To keep these chainsaws going,
simply top them off with gas, as opposed to pausing, as you’d have to do with electric models in order to
recharge.
1
0
R EC O M M E N D E D
Stihl MS 180 C-BE
Price: $250
OV E R A L L S C O R E
77
5 CUTTING SPEED
4 HANDLING
4 EASE OF USE
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Best Chainsaws of 2023 – Consumer Reports
See all Chainsaws Ratings
CR’s take: This light-duty gas Stihl MS 180 C-BE is the best option for folks who need to get lots of cutting done but
don’t need to down big trees or limbs. It cuts quickly, and, at only 11 pounds, earns a rating of Very Good for handling. It
includes a protective cover for the blade to prevent cuts when the saw isn’t in use, and it carries a 2-year warranty.
2
0
OV E R A L L S C O R E
R EC O M M E N D E D
Echo CS-3510
Price: $279.99
73
Shop
4 CUTTING SPEED
5 HANDLING
4 EASE OF USE
See all Chainsaws Ratings
CR’s take: This Echo chainsaw is a lighter alternative to full-sized gas chainsaws. It features a 16-inch cutting bar but still
offers plenty of power, with a rating of Very Good for cutting speed. It has plenty of features you’d find on a larger saw,
too, like a chain brake and an anti-vibration mechanism. It comes with a 5-year warranty.
Best Battery-Powered Electric Chainsaws
Battery-powered electric saws have vastly improved in recent years. “The best electric models now cut
every bit as well, and sometimes better, than many of the lighter-duty gas-powered saws we’ve seen,”
says Misha Kollontai, a Consumer Reports test engineer in charge of chainsaws. In fact, our top-rated
battery-powered model scores higher overall than the best gas saws.
1
0
OV E R A L L S C O R E
R EC O M M E N D E D
Ego CS1804
Price: $369.00 – $399.00
Shop
82
4 CUTTING SPEED
5 HANDLING
5 EASE OF USE
See all Chainsaws Ratings
CR’s take: The 14.5-pound battery-powered Ego CS1804 cuts like a much beefier gas saw while offering all the
conveniences of an electric, such as instant starting and zero engine maintenance. It earns a rating of Very Good for
both cutting speed and safety. Like most electrics, it’s quieter than a gas saw, though you should still use hearing
protection while you’re cutting. With a rating of Excellent for predicted reliability, Ego stands out as one of the most
reliable battery-powered saw brands in our ratings. This model has a 5-year warranty.
https://www.consumerreports.org/chainsaws/best-chain-saws-of-the-year-a1077312615/
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Best Chainsaws of 2023 – Consumer Reports
0
2
OV E R A L L S C O R E
R EC O M M E N D E D
Atlas 80v Brushless 18″
Price: $149.99
Shop
80
5 CUTTING SPEED
5 HANDLING
3 EASE OF USE
See all Chainsaws Ratings
CR’s take: This impressive battery-powered saw from Atlas offers the best raw performance of any tool in its class. The
massive 80-volt battery provides plenty of power, helping the saw earn a rating of Excellent for cutting speed. In our
tests, the 13-pound tool also avoided dangerous kickback, plus it has safety features like a chain brake and a sheath for
the blade. One thing to note: Because Atlas is relatively new to the electric chainsaw market, Consumer Reports doesn’t
have predicted reliability data for the brand. And this model comes with only a 90-day warranty. Most electric saws
carry warranties of at least a year.
0
3
OV E R A L L S C O R E
R EC O M M E N D E D
Echo CCS-58V4AH
Price: $429.44
Shop
79
5 CUTTING SPEED
5 HANDLING
4 EASE OF USE
See all Chainsaws Ratings
CR’s take: Echo is a chainsaw brand with a long history of making solid gas tools. This 15-pound battery saw lives up to
that legacy by offering effortless performance in an all-electric package. Power comes from a large 58-volt battery,
which in our tests helped the saw cut through oak beams with ease, thus earning a rating of Excellent for cutting speed.
As a brand, Echo earns a rating of Very Good for predicted reliability of battery-powered chainsaws, and this tool comes
with an impressive 5-year warranty.
Best Corded Electric Chainsaw
You’ll find a handful of plug-in electric chainsaws in the marketplace. These tools offer limited flexibility
because you can work only within a certain radius around a power outlet. But the best can cut just as
quickly and effectively as smaller gas models.
†
QUICK TAKE
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Best Chainsaws of 2023 – Consumer Reports
67
0
R EC O M M E N D E D
Oregon 603352
Price: $114.00
Shop
4 CUTTING SPEED
4 HANDLING
4 EASE OF USE
See all Chainsaws Ratings
CR’s take: For light cutting close to your house, you don’t need anything more than this modestly priced corded saw
from Oregon. It starts instantly, runs quietly, and earns a rating of Very Good for cutting speed, which is plenty of power
for trimming hedges or other small jobs. At 13 pounds, it’s one of the lighter saws in our ratings. (The one model above
the Oregon in our ratings, the Stihl MS 170, costs about $200 more and rates only slightly higher.)
Paul Hope
As a classically trained chef and an enthusiastic DIYer, I’ve always valued having the best tool for a job—whether the task at
hand is dicing onions for mirepoix or hanging drywall. When I’m not writing about home products, I can be found putting them to
the test, often with help from my two young children, in the 1860s townhouse I’m restoring in my free time.
73
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BEST TIME TO BUY: April, May, September, October
https://www.consumerreports.org/chainsaws/best-chain-saws-of-the-year-a1077312615/
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Document 5
GASOLINE CHAINSAWS (11)
0
OV E R A L L S C O R E
CR RECOMMENDED
CUTTING SPEED
Echo CS-590-20
from $419.98
0
77
OV E R A L L S C O R E
CR RECOMMENDED
SAFETY
$320.00 F
$370.00 F
4 / 5
PREDICTED RELIABILITY
SAFETY
5 / 5
F
CUTTING SPEED
73
F
F
EASE OF USE
3 / 5
3 / 5
G A S O L I N E C H A I N S AW S
Stihl MS-251 C-BE
F
F
EASE OF USE
OV E R A L L S C O R E
4 / 5
PREDICTED RELIABILITY
SAFETY
5 / 5
F
CUTTING SPEED
75
F
3 / 5
4 / 5
G A S O L I N E C H A I N S AW S
Jonsered CS2245
F
F
EASE OF USE
OV E R A L L S C O R E
CR RECOMMENDED
4 / 5
PREDICTED RELIABILITY
SAFETY
5 / 5
F
CUTTING SPEED
76
F
3 / 5
3 / 5
G A S O L I N E C H A I N S AW S
$360.00 F
F
F
EASE OF USE
Stihl MS 250
0
PREDICTED RELIABILITY
G A S O L I N E C H A I N S AW S
F
F
3 / 5
4 / 5
4 / 5
F
4 / 5
OV E R A L L S C O R E
PREDICTED RELIABILITY
G A S O L I N E C H A I N S AW S
Husqvarna 455 Rancher
$420.00 F
CUTTING SPEED
72
SAFETY
from $199.99
$220.00 F
from $219.00
$140.00 F
4 / 5
PREDICTED RELIABILITY
SAFETY
4 / 5
F
CUTTING SPEED
58
F
F
EASE OF USE
2 / 5
3 / 5
G A S O L I N E C H A I N S AW S
Remington RM4618 Outlaw
F
F
EASE OF USE
OV E R A L L S C O R E
4 / 5
PREDICTED RELIABILITY
SAFETY
4 / 5
F
CUTTING SPEED
62
F
–
4 / 5
G A S O L I N E C H A I N S AW S
Craftsman S205
F
F
EASE OF USE
OV E R A L L S C O R E
4 / 5
PREDICTED RELIABILITY
SAFETY
4 / 5
F
CUTTING SPEED
69
F
–
5 / 5
G A S O L I N E C H A I N S AW S
Blue Max 20160
F
F
EASE OF USE
OV E R A L L S C O R E
4 / 5
PREDICTED RELIABILITY
SAFETY
5 / 5
F
CUTTING SPEED
71
3 / 5
3 / 5
G A S O L I N E C H A I N S AW S
Troy-Bilt TB4218
F
F
EASE OF USE
OV E R A L L S C O R E
F
F
F
4 / 5
3 / 5
F
4 / 5
OV E R A L L S C O R E
PREDICTED RELIABILITY
G A S O L I N E C H A I N S AW S
Poulan Pro PR4218
from $209.99
CUTTING SPEED
58
SAFETY
$200.00 F
4 / 5
PREDICTED RELIABILITY
SAFETY
4 / 5
F
CUTTING SPEED
58
F
F
2 / 5
3 / 5
F
EASE OF USE
2 / 5
4 / 5
G A S O L I N E C H A I N S AW S
Craftsman CMXGSAMY42N8
F
F
EASE OF USE
OV E R A L L S C O R E
F
5 / 5
F
4 / 5
LIGHTER-DUTY GASOLINE CHAINSAWS (13)
0
OV E R A L L S C O R E
CR RECOMMENDED
CUTTING SPEED
Stihl MS 180 C-BE
$250.00 F
0
PREDICTED RELIABILITY
L I G H T E R – D U T Y G A S O L I N E C H A I N S AW S
77
from $279.99
4 / 5
PREDICTED RELIABILITY
SAFETY
5 / 5
F
CUTTING SPEED
73
F
EASE OF USE
3 / 5
4 / 5
L I G H T E R – D U T Y G A S O L I N E C H A I N S AW S
Echo CS-3510
F
F
EASE OF USE
OV E R A L L S C O R E
CR RECOMMENDED
SAFETY
F
F
F
3 / 5
4 / 5
4 / 5
F
4 / 5
0
OV E R A L L S C O R E
CR RECOMMENDED
CUTTING SPEED
Echo CS-400-18
from $361.03
0
OV E R A L L S C O R E
CR RECOMMENDED
71
3 / 5
F
69
$320.00 F
F
F
EASE OF USE
4 / 5
4 / 5
PREDICTED RELIABILITY
SAFETY
F
F
CUTTING SPEED
69
4 / 5
5 / 5
L I G H T E R – D U T Y G A S O L I N E C H A I N S AW S
Husqvarna 440
4 / 5
F
EASE OF USE
OV E R A L L S C O R E
CR RECOMMENDED
F
PREDICTED RELIABILITY
SAFETY
F
F
CUTTING SPEED
$140.00 F
4 / 5
5 / 5
L I G H T E R – D U T Y G A S O L I N E C H A I N S AW S
Remington RM4214CS Rebel
3 / 5
4 / 5
F
EASE OF USE
OV E R A L L S C O R E
CR RECOMMENDED
F
PREDICTED RELIABILITY
SAFETY
F
F
CUTTING SPEED
from $174.89
4 / 5
3 / 5
L I G H T E R – D U T Y G A S O L I N E C H A I N S AW S
70
3 / 5
5 / 5
F
EASE OF USE
OV E R A L L S C O R E
CR RECOMMENDED
F
PREDICTED RELIABILITY
SAFETY
F
F
CUTTING SPEED
Troy-Bilt TB4214
0
SAFETY
L I G H T E R – D U T Y G A S O L I N E C H A I N S AW S
$270.00 F
0
72
EASE OF USE
Husqvarna 435
0
PREDICTED RELIABILITY
L I G H T E R – D U T Y G A S O L I N E C H A I N S AW S
F
F
3 / 5
5 / 5
2 / 5
F
4 / 5
OV E R A L L S C O R E
PREDICTED RELIABILITY
L I G H T E R – D U T Y G A S O L I N E C H A I N S AW S
Husqvarna 120 Mark II
$180.00 F
CUTTING SPEED
68
SAFETY
from $259.00
from $266.95
from $189.00
from $209.99
4 / 5
PREDICTED RELIABILITY
SAFETY
4 / 5
F
CUTTING SPEED
56
F
F
EASE OF USE
2 / 5
4 / 5
L I G H T E R – D U T Y G A S O L I N E C H A I N S AW S
Poulan Pro PR 4218
F
F
EASE OF USE
OV E R A L L S C O R E
4 / 5
PREDICTED RELIABILITY
SAFETY
4 / 5
F
CUTTING SPEED
60
F
3 / 5
4 / 5
L I G H T E R – D U T Y G A S O L I N E C H A I N S AW S
Craftsman S160
F
F
EASE OF USE
OV E R A L L S C O R E
3 / 5
PREDICTED RELIABILITY
SAFETY
4 / 5
F
CUTTING SPEED
63
F
3 / 5
5 / 5
L I G H T E R – D U T Y G A S O L I N E C H A I N S AW S
Ryobi RY3716
F
F
EASE OF USE
OV E R A L L S C O R E
4 / 5
PREDICTED RELIABILITY
SAFETY
4 / 5
F
CUTTING SPEED
63
3 / 5
4 / 5
L I G H T E R – D U T Y G A S O L I N E C H A I N S AW S
Ryobi RY3818
F
F
EASE OF USE
OV E R A L L S C O R E
F
F
F
2 / 5
4 / 5
5 / 5
F
3 / 5
OV E R A L L S C O R E
PREDICTED RELIABILITY
L I G H T E R – D U T Y G A S O L I N E C H A I N S AW S
Echo CS-2511T
from $449.00
CUTTING SPEED
53
SAFETY
F
F
2 / 5
F
EASE OF USE
3 / 5
5 / 5
F
4 / 5
CORDED-ELECTRIC CHAINSAWS (7)
0
OV E R A L L S C O R E
CR RECOMMENDED
CUTTING SPEED
Stihl MS 170 C-BQ
$300.00 F
0
68
OV E R A L L S C O R E
CR RECOMMENDED
SAFETY
from $93.94
4 / 5
PREDICTED RELIABILITY
