been trolling a few garden/woodsman sites looking for feedback on saws and noticed that there are a fair number of Oleo (lympik , etc.) users on this site so thought I'd throw my query in here as well. I'm seriously considering getting one, probably with a green disguise. So I thought I'd ask the next question[s] in that equation.

I'm replacing an Olympik 254 which is the best saw I ever owned. I never ran anything but a 20" bar and the thing kicked ass and the only thing I ever had to replace on it in 25 years was the electronic ignition module which went regularly every 5 years or so but cost like 50 bucks so I got to keeping one on the shelf.

Having not bought anything in a long time, it was news to me that olympik wasn't olympik anymore and you could get a green one.

I'm open to being talked out of it in favor of maybe Jon Sered, Stihl or Dolmar.

Probably nothing wrong with Huskies either, but I have an innate aversion the same way some have an innate aversion to olympik, oleo-mac, efco, john deere, name of the week. I'll credit Husky with keeping the name the same.

Also, Jon sered and Dolmar seem to jump right from the 40s to the 60s. Maybe their 49cc are all you need or maybe I haven't searched perfectly, but their lines seem to have a little bit of a hole around my sweet spot. Boy that sounds a little off color but. . .

Anyway I do felling, trimming and firewood. but weekends not full time.

I liked the 20" bar compared to cheaper Poulan 16s I've copped to fill in while I figure out what my next saw will be. I always found the 254 an excellent compromise of power to weight. I don't know where it fits on that spec numerically compared to the 'modern' saws. It would be great if emac has some online archives for this stuff that I haven't found yet, but I digress.

I'm assuming without having the specs that the 254 fell in between the CS52 and CS56 in displacement and weight. I think it might actually be closer to the 52 in weight.

The CS56 is offered with up to 20" bar on various sites at about $350 or $330 with 18" bar.

The CS52 runs just under $300 with an 18" bar.

The CS62 seems to be around $400.

So I'm wondering if the weight penalty for the 56 or 62 is worth it. They are a pound and half more. The power to weight ratio keeps going up as you go up the line of saws, but is the 52 at .309 and 11 lbs. respectable enough to run a 20" bar on the 52 - although they don't seem to list it.

I prefer chipper or semi-chisel chain. I do all my bucking in the field and the risk of dulling the chisel when near the ground and the kickback on back and plunge cuts has always steered me away. I think that would lessen the load a little bit on any given bar size if I'm thinking correctly.

It looks like they may be phasing the 56 out. It doesn't show up reliably on deere's site and it weighs the same as the 62, and the 62 has more power (and a higher price point). Are there advantages one over the other?

Finally, while my earlier experience with olympik was pretty good, and I do most of my own service and am used to ordering parts on the internet, are there any parts or service pitfalls that anyone is aware of I should ponder before jumping into the italian saw market again.

(For instance, partly on the strength of my good result with italian saws I bought some whirlpool labeled italian washing machines and have never been more sorry in my life. accessibility to service info and parts is horrible and there are some fatal design flaws. I do all my own service and part of this was due to Whirlpool holding its cards close to the vest, but some was just untenable design. Had the main processers on 3 machines give up and went over to the lowest end frigidaire equivalents that still have analog controls. No idea where they are made, but much better results.)

Finally - like there ain't enough questions already, one thing I liked much about the 254 aside from good power to weight, good vibe control, good bucking forks and ergoniomics, was its sure starting (alright it didn't start so good when the electronic ignition went out but . . .). I've never had a chain saw with a primer bulb or compression release. I always just started with locked throttle or hand on trigger.

It the compression release just to let you rip a few times to get the carberator operating evenly before you try it with compression or . . . ?

And is the primer bulb a choke substitute or compensate for when its really cold or . . .?

Nuff said (more than really). Thanks for any thoughts.

Brian