Thread: Considering a new Stihl chansaw

I recently killed my old chainsaw by having the condenser mount break of the head f the engine so its no longer worth fixing. Looking at getting a better quality saw such as a Stihl or Husqvarna. So a couple of questions for those of you that have used these.

The new Stihl have a "No tool chain tensioner." It looks a bit plasticy but also looks to be easy to use. Has anyone used one of these? Are they good or am I better off with the normal (two bolts and flathead adjusters)
http://www.stihl.co.nz/STIHL-Product...251-C-BEQ.aspx or http://www.stihl.co.nz/STIHL-Product...72/MS-251.aspx

Also I know Stihl is like the Tikka of Chainsaws. Everyone seems to say "its the one to get. I know Husqvarna are good too, what about Solo? Salesman tells me they are easily on par with Stihl etc but not a brand I have heard of.

Finally the big one....The 18 and 20 inch saws I am looking at all seem to be around $1000. Are they really 4x better than a $250 one? I can get a similar sized one for $219, in fact I could get three to wear out and a fourth for parts, all brand new, for the same money. How much of this is in the name? I am happy to buy a good saw, but it is a considerable amount of money I am shelling out.