All good advise above. I love my 488, but it wouldn't be my first choice if I wanted to saw logs in half lengthwise. If you like your Shindaiwa dealer there is a lot to be said for one-stop shopping. For machines under warranty it's nice to be able to use the same 2-stroke oil, too. As far as starting gimmicks, the Shindaiwa is one of the easiest starting engines I have ever owned. My Husqvarna 55 had a compression release to make starting easier, and I don't miss it on the Shindaiwa. At the same price, you are either getting an incredible discount on the Shindaiwa 488 or royally ripped off on the Stihl MS250. Before you step up to a Stihl 361 I'd suggest you shop some other Stihl dealers. Sorry, I haven't discovered what it is about arborsite that makes it ten times better than this forum for chain saw questions. A large percentage of the content is people talking about how to cut up their mufflers for more power, and another large percentage involves people shipping their saws off to some guru to have them modified. I used to do that kind of thing with motorcycles, so I understand the attraction, but I don't see how it applies to the average firewood cutter. Not to say arborsite has no value. If you want to ask what chain is best suited for a specific kind of wood or some other detail question, the people there are very helpful.

Just a note on the Echo powered Power Pruner. Some years back Echo decided they liked this product so much they bought the company. Some big improvements have been made to the oil pump over the original Power Pruner but the base product is much the same. Also on all of these units, they do not have the power or speed of a regular chain saw. They use a large line trimmer engine which no way approaches the power of even a small chain saw. That shouldn't be a problem as this is a pruning saw and a sharp chain will still make the cut quickly enough. It is very important to keep the chain sharp and not to force it through the cut. The types with extendable shafts are very tender in terms of being banged around. Dent and bend them and they won't retract/extend right. This is a weight savings versus durability issue. You can't beat the snot out of them and expect the shafts to live. They work great but you really do need to treat them with care.

OK...there's a reason few people sell such an adapter. The flexing a major problem. If you want to do this, just shell out for one of the dedicated poles. That being said, it was worth it in a strange way. I had a 3 way forked hemlock branch. Underneath was a minefield of rare broadleaf evergreens and woodland plants; I'm not sure I could have trusted my regular tree service guy not to hit one even if he was using his bucket. His crew can be a little careless. It would have been impossible to start with a relatively more common rope chain saw because of this arrangement. The chain would just slide into the crotch and get stuck. By using the part I bought, I was able to get the center branch out, but it was incredibly arduous. I mean, we're talking over 3 hours of struggling with the thing. The pole just wasn't up to task, and the last extension segment kept pulling out of its socket. But I finally got the center one out. Then, when trying to use the saw on the next branch, from a different angle, the middle extension completely bent on the end. No matter, it was aluminum so I just cut it off with an angle grinder and the MrLongArm pole is now about 7" shorter! But I decided I had to switch to my old rusty rope chain (the one sold by Northern Tool IIRC) and I got the other 2 down. What they send you is still a very usable hand saw; and I'll probably use it on a pole in the future for much shorter 8-12' extensions. If most of the aluminum is tucked into the fiberglass, the LongArm pole is reasonably rigid enough.

Shindaiwa M242 with long pole is 12lb according to the catalog. I guess dry weight is everything but without gas and oil. Just a guess. I have Shindaiwa M242 and I love it. If you just have a regular trimmer, you can get the prunner attachment, but I am not sure you get the extension to 9 feet. If you like Shindy, by all means, I love it too. Redmax IS the lightest, I don't have Redmax but they do have just as good reputation and it is one pound lighter. Best way is to go pick one up, swing it around and get the feel. If Shindaiwa feel just as good, get the M242, you can get cultivator, articulate hedge trimmer etc. Look for promotion that you buy a pole prunner and get a free string trimmer attachment. I got the short hedge and free string trimmer as a package for $589 out the door.