modern chain saws

[scott_vt]

For $400 to $500 you can get a Stihl or Husky that will last 20+ years, start every time, and work like a dog. It's just not worth the frustration and hassle to do anything else.

Mornin Hayden,
I have to agree, I have had my Stihl 025 and lost track how many cord of firewood I have cut with that saw !!! My next saw is going to be the Stihl Farm Boss, next larger saw, Im not even going to think about buying anything else ! If I have real good luck with one product why bother to experiment with something unproven !

 

[RobJ]

Man I still have an Pouland 16" I bought used in a pawn shop about 12 years ago. Cranks with a few pulls and goes. No it doesn't always idle the best but once it's started it's just a single pull to restart. I really don't need one to idle much anyway, seems I'm either cutting or hauling.

For around the city house, you can't beat an electric saw.

 

[Richard]

A plug for Stihl...

Was cutting some stuff in a field, moving stuff with my backhoe (full sized industrial JCB).

While moving some things, ran over a rock

ROCK??? There are no rocks in this field...

The "rock" I'd backed over (with the rear tire and all the backhoe weight) was my Stihl 044.

Bent the bar 90 degrees, squashed the handle and smashed the pull starter clutch.

Don't recall price of parts, but new bar (for chain), new bar (for holding) and new starter assembly and today, you'd have NO idea anything happened to it. Still runs like a bat outta ****.

 

[ScottOkla]

I've had problems with my light duty Stihl 170, but no problems with my two Stihl 360s. I use them about 20 full days each winter for 5 years, rotating back and forth to let them cool a bit each day. About 5 tanks of fuel mix each per day. Nice machines.

 

[Podunkadunk]

The names Homelite, Poulan, and McCulloch have been ruined by their getting contracts to sell to big retailers such as Wmart, HDepot, etc.

That is why I cringe when I see Husky being sold at Lowe's(?) It is only a matter of time before the price pressure applied by the big box store leads to a decrease in quality of the tool.

CP,
You aren't too far off on your prediction at all. I posted a while back that my Poulan Wildthing had died and that I got a new Husqvarna. I took the Poulan in to get it serviced (figured I'd use it to cut "junk" wood and in places where I would get the chain and bar dirty). The guy at the shop told me that Poulan and Husky had gone into business together. He said Husky now has 2 different kinds of saws...one made by Poulan with a Husky label, the other, still a genuine Husky.

He said the way to tell the difference is by the metal tag rivited to it. If it has the metal tag, it's a "true" husky, made in Sweden. Those are the one's to look for. The others are Poulans in disguise. Buyer Beware!

Podunk

 

[Redbug]

I have had Homelite, McCulloch, Poulan and Stihl. The older models of the Homelites and McCulloch were well mad saws. But parts are impossible to find nowdays. The newer saws are not very good and cheaply made. All I have now are 4 Stihls, (a couple 017's an 026 and a Farm Boss). I have never had a Husky or Echo, and am happy with the Stihls. For the money, the Stihls are worth it, although the 017's can be cranky at times. The larger Stihls are more dependable.

However, whenever I do any wood cutting I always take at least 2 saws. It does not make sense to get where your going and start cutting, only to have the saw quit...without a backup.

 

[jimg]

I think Jonsered still makes a good saw. Anyone own/use one? They were very popular in new england.

 

[L4400]

I had a 16" McCullugh that was junk from the first day I got it. I went out and purchased a Poulan 3450 20" saw to replace the first one. That saw was great. I cut a ton of wood with that saw. I had that saw about 7 years and the spark plug had never been pulled. Never had to adjust the carb either. That saw would start on the 2nd pull when it was new, and after 7 years of use cutting firewood for our firewood heating only house, it would take 3 pulls to start. Unfortunately, my wife's uncle had a downed tree in his loader bucket and I was cutting the stump off. Just as I got through, the tree rolled out of the bucket and pulled the saw out of my hands. The tree landed on top of the saw and broke the case in half. Checked around for a new one, but they didn't make that model any more. Bought a Stihl MS250 to replace it, 16" bar. Wasn't too impressed with the performance. Straight piped the exhaust and readjusted the carb, it's a wood cutting monster now.

 

[WTA]

I've got a really old stihl out in the shop that used to be a chainsaw till my father converted it to a pipe cutter. He did it with a factory kit so it was done right. Now it's got a big 14 inch cut off wheel on it. I rarely use that thing and it is at least 10 years old. It was very well used when my dad gave it to me too. Now it just sits in the shop and I might use it once or twice a year to cut a pipe or something. That thing has always started on the first or second pull no matter how long it sat or how old the fuel was in it. It's amazing!

That junk poulan was the 3314 model. I forgot the number earlier. I just saw it again though as it went from the back of my truck into the dumpster.
I thought about taking it back to walmart the first time I had to adjust the carb but I thought it was an easy fix. It did have the spark arrestor catalyst type muffler too BTW. That has a lot to do with the problems. Still I know that motor didn't have more than 2 or 3 hours on it when I tossed it. It wasn't worth the price of diesel to drive 40 miles to take it back though. It's just disappointing. I've had two old poulans now. One was my fathers and he bought it in about 74 or 75. I got it back in the late 80's I think and used it hard for a few years till giving it to a friend of mine. That was when I bought the big poulan. I ran the tar out of that thing wearing out more chains and bars than I can remember. It's still running fine too. It just needs a new chain guide that they say isn't available. I'll bet if I pushed a little it would be but they'd tell me it has to go to an authorized service center. I just refuse to keep things that I can't fix myself. That old chainsaw that my dad gave me a long time ago is still running too BTW. I talked to the guy I gave it to recently and he is still using it. Knowing him he hasn't even changed the spark plug in it.

I think the reason that things aren't made like they used to be are many but the big one is companies are trying to make a profit so it has to be made cheap. Cheap is not a good thing when you need to rely on a tool to get the job done. We're too far out in the sticks to run into town for parts every time something breaks. I guess I learned my lesson though. You get what you pay for.

I sure like this new husky though. My arms are so sore now!!! It's heavy but I ran it about 12 hours yesterday and had to resharpen the chain 3 times. It's a chain eating work horse.

I wonder if I should start something on the chains being made today. This has been a slow change but my first saw was definitely not an anti kickback chain. That thing would stay sharp forever it seemed and also if you weren't careful take a dive right into your forehead when it bit into something. I miss that old saw.

Has anyone noticed how hard it is to get specialty chains these days? By specialty chains, I mean ones with no or very limited numbers of anti kickback teeth, resaw chains, and chains with no depth gauge teeth on it. Those were nice but you really had to hang on to them. These modern ones that are being made with so much safety in mind sure don't seem like they hold up long. I am needing a good rip chain too for cutting planks. I've got a big jig for cutting planks and beams that I used to use a lot but I tried it once with an oregon brand chain and didn't get halfway through the board before it quit cutting. I sure wish they could make some that would at least stay sharp longer. Sharp would be safer wouldn't it? Probably not cheaper though.

I do got one minor complaint about that new husky saw I have. It's a gas hog! It goes maybe 10 minutes and runs out of gas. It holds a quarter gallon too. For the amount of power It's putting out though that's really not too bad. I'd rather have a gas hog that runs than an efficient one that doesn't.

Starting next month this saw is getting put to the test. I have a half mile road to clear. It hasn't been used much in 30 years and is only half as wide as it used to be. Also two pastures and our homesite. It's going to take me a couple years working on weekends and holidays but I think this one is up to it. I might even go buy another one for my son.

 

[cp1969]

However, whenever I do any wood cutting I always take at least 2 saws. It does not make sense to get where your going and start cutting, only to have the saw quit...without a backup.

I have to take two saws and an axe. There has been more than one occasion I've had both saws stuck and had to chop one out.

 

[johnk]

Try using the plastic wedges when cutting fallen trunks. As the chain goes in push a plastic wedge behind it and you won't need your axe and other saw no more. I have a husky Rancher and a Husky 385 with 36 inch bar I use in my Alaskan sawmill. No problems. I think the biggest problem with any gas engine is not using it often enoygh and the gas going bad.

 

[cp1969]

My problem is not so much the lack of a wedge as it is being smart enough to know when to use it!

 

[johnk]

The answer to that is use it OFTEN..

 

[SnowRidge]

CP,
You aren't too far off on your prediction at all. I posted a while back that my Poulan Wildthing had died and that I got a new Husqvarna. I took the Poulan in to get it serviced (figured I'd use it to cut "junk" wood and in places where I would get the chain and bar dirty). The guy at the shop told me that Poulan and Husky had gone into business together. He said Husky now has 2 different kinds of saws...one made by Poulan with a Husky label, the other, still a genuine Husky.

He said the way to tell the difference is by the metal tag rivited to it. If it has the metal tag, it's a "true" husky, made in Sweden. Those are the one's to look for. The others are Poulans in disguise. Buyer Beware!

Podunk

He didn't tell you half the story.

What is now known simply as Husqvarna owns Poulan and Weedeater, and has since 1986. Husqvarna used to be a division of Electrolux, but was spun off as the mother ship of all the outdoor products. They also own Jonsered, Flymo and others. They also build many, if not all of the Craftsman outdoor power products. In fact, Sears is Husqvarna's largest customer.

They have been on a branding rampage, labeling stuff made by the old American Yard Products group as Husqvarna and selling it in Lowes, TSC, et al. And I don't think any of those Craftsman products are built in the Swedish factories.

Husqvarna's corporate press refers to Poulan, Mac, and other American saws that it either owns outright or has some control over as "hobby saws." You pays your money, and you takes your chances.

Me, I buy Echo.

 

[kenmac]

snowridge, the a/c business is the same way. you purchase brand x because you don't like brand z but brand x owns /makes brand z

 

[Podunkadunk]

He didn't tell you half the story.

What is now known simply as Husqvarna owns Poulan and Weedeater, and has since 1986. Husqvarna used to be a division of Electrolux, but was spun off as the mother ship of all the outdoor products. They also own Jonsered, Flymo and others. They also build many, if not all of the Craftsman outdoor power products. In fact, Sears is Husqvarna's largest customer.

They have been on a branding rampage, labeling stuff made by the old American Yard Products group as Husqvarna and selling it in Lowes, TSC, et al. And I don't think any of those Craftsman products are built in the Swedish factories.

Husqvarna's corporate press refers to Poulan, Mac, and other American saws that it either owns outright or has some control over as "hobby saws." You pays your money, and you takes your chances.

Me, I buy Echo.

WOW

I didn't realize the rabbit hole went that deep! After originally posting in this thread, I did a little googling to see what I could dig up. You are right about the Swedish models and the difference in the American built models being "hobby saws". The articles I read called them anywhere from "economy saws" to "recreational-use saws" to "consumer saws". That being said, the ACTUAL (metal nameplate with "made in Sweden") saws are not any of the above. They are the real deal and are classified as "light industrial", "industrial", or "heavy Industrial".

Another fact that my small gas engine repairman told me. The Poulan "Wildthing" that I brought in had an average useful life of 30 +/- hours...after that he said, "they start breaking". Of course there are exceptions and thus, some people's last longer. He said my Husky 455 Rancher was a 300-400 hour saw.

It's easy to see and feel the difference too. I routinely take them both out when I am clearing/cutting. I use the Poulan to cut stumps and roots and use the Husky to cut the "clean" stuff. They are night and day, but like you said above..."You pays your money, and you takes your chances". I'll add to that: You get what you pay for!

Oh and regarding Echo...
I'm a firm believer in Echo products now. I bought an Echo weed-whacker several months ago. It's the cat's meow and I wouldn't trade it for anything. I really like it and have heard lots of great things about it from people who own them. A+ rating in my book!

Podunk

 

[Wayne County Hose]

I sure like this new husky though. My arms are so sore now!!! It's heavy but I ran it about 12 hours yesterday and had to resharpen the chain 3 times. It's a chain eating work horse.

I wonder if I should start something on the chains being made today. This has been a slow change but my first saw was definitely not an anti kickback chain. That thing would stay sharp forever it seemed and also if you weren't careful take a dive right into your forehead when it bit into something. I miss that old saw.

My buddy at the chain saw shop told me that the new chains arew cut on a different angle, 25 degrees if I remember correctly. The old ones were cut on a 30 degree angle. He told me to sharpen it at a 30 degree angle and be careful, and he didn't tell me that.

I do got one minor complaint about that new husky saw I have. It's a gas hog! It goes maybe 10 minutes and runs out of gas. It holds a quarter gallon too. For the amount of power It's putting out though that's really not too bad. I'd rather have a gas hog that runs than an efficient one that doesn't.

My Husky 460 is the same way. But, my 10 minutes on a tank cuts as much wood on a tank as another saw that gets 20 minutes on a tank.

 

[WTA]

My Husky is the 455 rancher. I sure hope it has the metal tag. I did notice there are two different models of this one in the owners manual. Not sure of the difference but one has an E on the end of the model number. Mine doesn't. I'm gong out to look for that metal tag now.

I guess I got lucky. It has a black metal tag riveted on right above the oil filler. I was a little worried there.

We don't even have any chain saw shops around here. No trees either really. Just on a very few farms like mine. Our other place though in a different state is nothing but old growth trees. I may hit up some of the saw shops up there next time we go and see if I can get a roll of bulk good chain for it.

Speaking of AC's, I was a mechanic at several dealerships after I retired from the service for about 10 years. I just recently gave that up to farm full time and go back to working on military guns for the military, Just like I did while I was in. Anyway, Car ac compressors are the same way. All the brands I am aware of are made by one company pretty much. Some are better than others. Some are pure junk and will start leaking or blow the valves out in a month. I rebuilt the compressor on my truck myself a little while ago when it started leaking. Finding the kit was a major pain! I got lucky and found the parts and pieces separately in my parts drawers in the tool box. They were all ford parts too thankfully. At least I know it is good for at least another 10 years now. I did have to buy an aftermarket dryer though. Hope it doesn't effect anything.
My last mechanic job, I was running the shop at a big used car dealer. I had free reign to buy parts from whatever source I wanted and I tried some aftermarket places. Advance auto parts always treated me right. I like them but their computer is screwy. Ask for a fuel filter for a 97 powerstroke and they give you one for a 2000 model. Just stupid things like that. I pretty much had to give them the part number when I called looking for something. Still they always made good. I did spend a lot more money at the dealer parts houses though. Factory parts work better and longer in almost every case. You wouldn't believe how many times I had to go into the office and explain myself to the secretary when she got the bills at the end of the month. Often the amount I'd spend rebuilding an engine for example would be double what they expected because I used factory parts so much. Hey, it made happy customers. In 3 years of running that shop and working on hundreds of cars needing major repairs I never once had a comeback or an unhappy customer later on. That is all that matters.

 

[kenmac]

Your rancher should be one of the better saws. It's these $100.00 or so saws that are limited use / short life saws. I also own the rancher 55. great saw It's in the $ 400.00 or so range

 

[JRobyn]

They are not very common in the US, but I totally love my little Solo (mod 048). Light, very powerful for just a 48cc, starts and idles perfectly. I believe that they are still all made in W Germany. I take it as a good sign that Baileys has recently started stocking a few of their models. I did have a problem with the chain oiler pump, but their US customer service was excellent and it's all better now, no charge.

- Jay