Retroanaconda wrote:

I use a Husky 346XPG with 18" bar at work for everything from cutting up firewood to felling 2-3' diameter trees. Not used Stihls professionally, but both Stihl and Husqvarna make damn good saws and either will do the job fine.

For what it's worth I wouldn't go near a railway sleeper with any saw of my own or any I ever had to clean or work with

Hence the reciprocating saw, works surprising well and blades are cheap.  Original Member Pie n Pea Club.
110 HCPU Tipper

Zagato wrote:

STIHL Has never let me down, easy to maintain. Make sure you know what your doing with one though Good idea to go on a course

Retroanaconda wrote:

I use a Husky 346XPG with 18" bar at work for everything from cutting up firewood to felling 2-3' diameter trees. Not used Stihls professionally, but both Stihl and Husqvarna make damn good saws and either will do the job fine.

For what it's worth I wouldn't go near a railway sleeper with any saw of my own or any I ever had to clean or work with

blackwolf wrote:

I wouldn't bother with a cordless chainsaw at all, ever, and even corded electric ones are very limited in their usefulness (may be OK if your just cutting smallish firewood)! As stated above, you won't go wrong with Stihl or Husqvarna, and the arguments over which make is better rumbles on whenever two or more arborists get together and probably always will. In reality, both makers make world-class saws and the choice is largely personal preference.

Remember that the cheaper offerings from both makers are aimed at casual users and are engineered to a price; they will still be far better than the unbranded rubbish from popular DIY/garden outlets. Be advised also that there is a huge number of fake Huskies and Stihls turning up on fleabay all the time now, these are invariably of Chinese origin and are often dangerous rubbish.

Some Echo saws are getting good reports too.

If you're buying second-hand, avoid top-handled saws (I appreciate that you probably would avoid them anyway, but it is best said). They will be expensive for what you get and can be lethally dangerous in inexperienced hands (in the workplace they can only legally be used by properly certificated and qualified climbers working off the ground).

I wouldn't let any of my saws near a reclaimed railway sleeper under any circumstances. Apart from the problems of cutting seasoned timber pressure-cooked in creosote, the risk of hitting an inclusion or metal fragment is high. Even with the so-called railway sleepers that many garden centres sell (which are nothing of the kind) I would be cautious.

Also, don't forget that the European regulations concerning creosote now make it illegal to use creosoted railway sleepers for most purposes in private gardens!

Surprisingly it is still possible to buy real old-fashioned creosote, since it is still on sale to "professionals". There doesn't seem however to be any legal definition of what a professional is in this context, so if you go to your local agricultural merchant chances are you can still buy it, but only in large quantities.

Above all, whatever you choose to do, please be careful! A chainsaw is probably the most dangerous unregulated tool you can buy and should be treated with respect.