Chainsaw Mar 2023 Test: Which Brand Wins?
In our Mar 2023 test we compared 3 chainsaw options head to head. Stihl MS 291 came out on top. See the measured results, the runner-up, the budget pick, and a link to the full test video.
Stihl MS 291
Price shown in test: $550
Affiliate link. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Topteng
Price shown in test: around $100
Affiliate link. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Topteng
Price shown in test: around $100
Affiliate link. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
The quick take
The short version of why each pick lands where it does, built straight from the measured results.
“Not surprisingly, the $550 Stihl easily won the showdown, but it is very expensive. However, if you're looking for a budget saw considering the price and performance, the Topteng seems like a great buy.”
Best in 1 of 12 measurements, including Torque test.
The measured results
Every number below is read straight from the test. Products are listed in the order they finished.
Engine
- 1Stihl MS 29155.5cc
outward-facing sprocket (easier bar/chain install than the two knockoffs), chain adjustment screw on the side, chain break built into the saw body (not the side cover) and mounted at two points for sturdiness, more aggressive felling spikes than the knockoffs
- 2Topteng52cc
claimed 2.7 horsepower by manufacturer, inward-facing sprocket (more challenging bar/chain install), bar secured by two studs directly into the aluminum engine, chain break and bar adjustment screw built into a light-duty plastic cover, felling spikes require installation
- 358cc Saw58cc
claimed 3.2 horsepower and a claimed maximum working speed of 13,000 RPM by manufacturer, made in China, construction similar to the Topteng but includes an air filter gasket the Topteng lacks, has a throttle lock the Topteng lacks
Spark plug
- 1Stihl MS 291
NGK brand, little carbon buildup noted (already started and tuned)
- 2Topteng
SAP brand, notable carbon deposits already present (manufacturer had spent time tuning it)
- 358cc Saw
MYSP brand, noticeably less carbon buildup than the Topteng (less time spent tuning by manufacturer)
Weight before fuel/oil
- 1Stihl MS 29115.52 lb
heaviest of the three
- 2Topteng12.57 lb
- 358cc Saw12.8 lb
Fuel capacity
- 1Stihl MS 29112.9 oz
smallest tank of the three (about 1.5 to 2 oz less than the other two)
- 2Toptengclose to14.8 oz
(calculated from a 17.3 oz fuel container weighing 2.5 oz after filling the tank)
- 358cc Saw14.4 oz
about the same as the Topteng
Starter pulls (initial start)
- 1Stihl MS 29111 pulls
- 2Topteng10 pulls
- 358cc Saw
fired on the 11th pull, running reliably by the 12th attempt
No-load sprocket speed
- 1Stihl MS 29113,137 RPM
about 2,000 RPM faster than the other two saws
- 2Topteng11,190 RPM
- 358cc Saw11,084 RPM
about 100 RPM less than the Topteng
Torque test (downward force to stop chain, 3 attempts)
- 1Stihl MS 29128 lb
28 lb, 28 lb; by far the best of the three brands
- 2Topteng22 lb
22 lb, 22 lb
- 358cc Saw16 lb
17 lb, 17 lb; weakest of the three
9x 4x4 cut speed, full pressure (3 cuts)
- 1Stihl MS 29110.4s
9.6s, 9.7s; fastest cut 9.6s, about 4 seconds faster than the Topteng's fastest
- 2Topteng13.7s
13.5s, 14.4s; fastest cut 13.5s
- 358cc Saw25.2s
29.7s, 28.5s; fastest cut 25.2s, almost twice the Topteng's fastest time; chain stalled once during this test
All measurements (8 more)+
Cut speed with 5 lb added weight on bar (1 pass)
- 1Stihl MS 29112.7 seconds
- 2Topteng18.8 seconds
- 358cc Saw19.3 seconds
Hardwood tree cut speed, ~14x18in trunk (3 cuts)
- 1Stihl MS 29127.8s
23.9s, 22.3s; fastest cut 22.3s, about 12 seconds faster than the Topteng's fastest (34.3s)
- 2Topteng35.7s
37s, 34.3s; fastest cut 34.3s
- 358cc Saw
first cut just over a minute (narrator's closing recap puts the fastest of the three at 64 seconds, implying this first cut is that fastest pass), second cut 1 minute 24 seconds (84s), third cut 72 seconds; fastest cut about 64 seconds, took twice as long as the Topteng's fastest
Fuel efficiency (full tank, run to empty)
- 1Stihl MS 29141
log passes/slices before running out of fuel, over 19 minutes runtime; 10 more passes than the Topteng and 28.5 more than the 58cc saw
- 2Toptengalmost15 oz
of fuel, 31 log passes before running out, 17 minutes 22 seconds runtime
- 358cc Saw12.5
log passes before running out of fuel, just over 18 minutes runtime; longer runtime than the Topteng but only about half the cutting work done
Cold start after overnight outside in low-30s F
- 1Stihl MS 2915 pulls
to start (same as the 58cc saw)
- 2Topteng12 pulls
to start
- 358cc Saw5 pulls
to start (trigger lock credited with helping), same as the Stihl
Cold start peak pull force
- 1Stihl MS 291about31 kg
/ 68 lb, more than twice the other two saws; described as comfortable to use with very little vibration
- 2Toptengabout15 kg
/ 33 lb
- 358cc Sawabout14.5 kg
/ 32 lb, very similar to the Topteng
Noise
- 2Topteng118.5 dB
measured from 24 in
- 358cc Saw118 dB
about the same as the Topteng
- 1Stihl MS 291not tested
Cut speed with genuine Stihl bar/chain swapped on (1 pass, no added weight)
- 2Topteng13.5 seconds
tying its own fastest pass from the standard-bar test
- 358cc Saw25.7 seconds
close to its own fastest pass from the standard-bar test
- 1Stihl MS 291not tested
Cut speed with genuine Stihl bar/chain plus 5 lb added weight (1 pass)
- 2Topteng12.7 seconds
- 358cc Saw
did not complete a clean time; the saw stalled a couple of times during this test
- 1Stihl MS 291not tested
How it was tested
- torque test: downward force (lb) required to stall the chain, 3 attempts per saw
- 9x 4x4 lumber cut speed, full downward pressure, 3 cuts per saw
- cut speed with 5 lb of added weight on the bar (apples-to-apples pressure test)
- cut speed with a genuine Stihl bar and chain swapped onto the knockoff saws, with and without 5 lb added weight
- hardwood tree cut speed (dead tree, roughly 14x18in trunk), 3 cuts per saw
- fuel efficiency: full tank run to empty, counting log passes and total runtime
- cold start performance after sitting outside overnight in low-30s F temperatures, pull count and peak starting force
“Not surprisingly, the $550 Stihl easily won the showdown, but it is very expensive. However, if you're looking for a budget saw considering the price and performance, the Topteng seems like a great buy.”
Data notes and caveats
Clean 3-way comparison with a clearly stated winner and budget pick. All three products from the description's Products Tested list are accounted for; the '58cc Saw' has no actual brand name anywhere in the source material, so the description's own generic label is used. Every cross-referenced recap statement in the transcript (torque delta, cut-time deltas, fuel-efficiency pass-count deltas) checks out arithmetically against the individually stated numbers, supporting high confidence despite the Topteng brand name drifting between 'Top Teq' and 'top tang' in the transcript.
