Chainsaws are one thing you do want to spend money on and buy the best. Most of the cheaper homeowner saws are, in my opinion, unsafe garbage that should just be tossed. Especially for somebody that doesn't use a saw all the time. A heavier saw with more distance between the handgrips is going to be easier to control and kick back less if you do get in trouble, and that's one of the biggest ways people get hurt. Or if you try to do something that the saw isn't big enough to handle, which is another thing that people do all too often. You can still find some of the cheapest trash that don't even have chain brakes...

If you buy a Husqvarna 372 or a Stihl 441, you'll probably never need to buy another saw in your lifetime. I prefer the Husky 372 (and older models like the 262 and 288), because it has a separate on/off switch and choke, whereas most saws have a one-piece switch/choke, with an off, on, and choke position - if it's cold and I've got gloves on, it's too easy to flip the lever down too far when starting, and shut Stihls and the cheaper Huskies off.