What chainsaw.

[Smithy]

For the last 14 years I have used Stihl chainsaws. The last one has been a bit disappointing. I have had carburettor problems but when I was taking it apart All the throttle and choke mechanisms were plastic and completely worn out. A quick look on the internet showed that Stihl and Husqvarna are built with parts made in China even if they are assembled elsewhere. I have decided to buy a replacement and have chosen a Timberpro which got good reviews. It is quite clearly made in China but in reality so are all the well known makes. At 114 € delivered compared to 300€ for a stihl I felt it was worth a try. It will only be used for firewood and taking down the odd tree. I would like to know what other chainsaw users think.

Mike

 

[Trevanion]

They don't make em like they used to.

Got a 30 year old Dolmar that's still going strong, it's never failed me and it never failed the person before me!

 

[Beau]

Honestly I think you will get what you pay for. Brother in law has a cheap saw and it does work but thats where any compliments from me end. It's badly balanced, poor chain break, bad chain tension system and a bit smokey in use. I know Mitox are reasonably well regarded for a Chinese built machines and the Timberpro may be great but as pro user I give them a miss. The brands that are eating into the big two's sales are Echo and Makita/Dolmar mind you the later could do with sorting out their branding!

 

[shed9]

As Beau says, you get what you pay for. I would be reluctant to cheap out on a chainsaw myself. A well maintained sharp known brand will always outperform a cheap knock out. Got Stihl''s myself, a 180 for firewood and a 441 (mtronic) for a Logosol beam cutter. Both never missed a beat and reliable as ever. You will always find parts for Stihl, Huqvarna, Jonsered, Dolma etc whereas the cheaper newer brands are likely disposable after a few years.

I assume you are looking at the 50-60cc range?

Also are you aware that TimbrePro (UK) no longer supply saws direct, they seem to be folding as we speak.

 

[AJB Temple]

I have a few chainsaws. Unless you are pro tree felling and trimming, all day every day, I would get a Stihl pro battery chain saw. I am switching over pretty much everything to their pro battery line. Excellent kit. The guys I employ to do my hedges (I have a lot of hedges at 6 metres high and 3 -4 metres wide, all use battery Stihl.

 

[Mark A]

I've been using a cordless Makita (DUC353) for a while now. With a sharp chain it will effortlessly saw oak up to 12" diameter and the batteries last surprisingly well.
It will handle thicker logs with a bit of patience (I recently cut some 15" oak) but the motor will temporarily stop if too much force is applied. It's not faulty, just a precautionary thing to prevent overheating.

With that said, I'm currently on the lookout for a larger petrol saw for big logs. I had automatically ruled out the cheaper saws on the market and was considering either Stihl, Makita or Husqvarna with an 18-20" bar, but would rethink if the cheap ones aren't as bad as I had assumed.

 

[heimlaga]

There are Husqvarna and Stihl at the top. Husqvarna generally runs better once started and Stihl is generally easier to start. The general concensus is that old men who have lost most of their shoulder strenght and a few very lightly built women who don't have much shoulder strenght to start with should buy Stihl because starting a Stihl is less physically demanding. The rest of us can choose freely between those two. Both Husqvarna and Stihl have unfortunately introduced cheaper lines of hobby grade saws largely built from Chineese parts which aren't worth their cost. Lots of people are fooled by this and don't realize the difference in quality when the brand is the same.
However as long as you stick to their professional models you get a good saw from either maker.

A little below them in the hiearchy there are Jonsered and Dolmar. Decent saws both of them but not quite up to standards. Rumours say Dolmar is the better of the two. Jonsered are essentially cheaper Husqvarnas from the same maker.

The rest are pretenders. Makita is nothing but the same chineese junk you see everywhere under various names. Topman and Timberpro and all that junk.

If I didn't have my Husqvarna 353 and if I was looking for a chansaw and wasn't able to afford a top of the line Husqvarna or Stihl I would rather buy secondhand than a cheap new one.
Buying a secondhand chainsaw is very risky as full time professional loggers wear out a saw beyond reasonable repair in just a couple of years but with lots of patience and a wee bit of luck one can usually find good secondhand saws.
Husqvarna 242 and 42 from the early 90-ies were until very recently very popular secondhand saws but now those arseholes quit making spareparts for them...... presumably as a way to force people to buy new..... Husqvarna 353 and 346XP are very good saws on the secondhand market of today.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

... Both Husqvarna and Stihl have unfortunately introduced cheaper lines of hobby grade saws largely built from Chineese parts which aren't worth their cost. Lots of people are fooled by this and don't realize the difference in quality when the brand is the same.

I wonder who was stupid enough to advise them that this would absolutely no difference to their reputations? No reason at all why they shouldn't have budget ranges, but why not brand them differently?

 

[heimlaga]

I and many others have wondered about the same for quite some time......... Especially Husqvarna are making lots of money from those substandard saws in the short term but in a longer perspective they are sawing off the limb they are sitting on.

 

[Beau]

The rest are pretenders. Makita is nothing but the same chineese junk you see everywhere under various names.

In the UK the petrol Dolmar and Makita are the same just in different colours. Neither are Chinese junk. You pay more to buy them in orange and that's it.

 

[Smithy]

Many thanks for all your thoughts. The Chinese cheapie is ordered and I have about 10/12 cubic metres of logs to cut. Having read your comments I will keep my old Stihl and rebuild it for next winter. It is a shame that the big names seem to have become more reliant on Chinese manufacture at the cost of quality. But that seems to be the same everywhere.

Mike

 

[shed9]

You could go half way and get a Hutzl; part Stihl / part Chinese knock off (spoiler - total knock off).

To be fair though they are an interesting idea for people who like to know how their equipment is put together. Been tempted a few times myself but know I'll never have the time to build it.

 

[Lazurus]

https://arbtalk.co.uk/forums/topic/9821 ... nt-1466130


SAYS IT ALL

 

[Suffolkboy]

I have worked on a saw on and off since I was 17, (34 now) for felling, processing, firewooding, climbing, carving etc etc.

I started with Husqvarna and have stuck with them. BUT the newer ones are definitely not as good as the older versions.

I would recommend to anyone who wants a reliable saw to go for a decent second hand Husky 346XP and run it with a 13" bar. You can run bigger but there really is no need. I have felled and processed some enormous trees with my little 13" bar. Certainly more than a hobby or home user would (or perhaps should) ever tackle.

Husky have started doing a range of saws aimed at the casual user, my dad bought one a few years ago... It's okay, I used it over Christmas to dismantle and log a cherry tree in my grandmothers garden and it doesn't have the grunt or the robust feel of the 346XP but the 346 is a pro saw I suppose. That said Dad will have processed 20-30 tons of firewood with that saw since purchase and it's still in good nick.

Like any tool whichever you go for learn how to maintain it well and keep it sharp, treat it nice and it will treat you nice.

 

[gmgmgm]

I've been using a cordless Makita (DUC353) for a while now. With a sharp chain it will effortlessly saw oak up to 12" diameter and the batteries last surprisingly well.
It will handle thicker logs with a bit of patience (I recently cut some 15" oak) but the motor will temporarily stop if too much force is applied. It's not faulty, just a precautionary thing to prevent overheating.

With that said, I'm currently on the lookout for a larger petrol saw for big logs. I had automatically ruled out the cheaper saws on the market and was considering either Stihl, Makita or Husqvarna with an 18-20" bar, but would rethink if the cheap ones aren't as bad as I had assumed.

I have the same Makita 353 and it's great. If you already have Makita 18V batteries (it takes a pair of them) then that's the probably the obvious chainsaw to get for non-commercial usage.

 

[Selwyn]

I and many others have wondered about the same for quite some time......... Especially Husqvarna are making lots of money from those substandard saws in the short term but in a longer perspective they are sawing off the limb they are sitting on.

Not really because those in the know will know that difference between a pro saw and a hobby one. A professional isn't going to get fooled by the cheaper saws but it still brings Husky a bigger market

 

[Phil Pascoe]

... Not really because those in the know will know that difference between a pro saw and a hobby one. A professional isn't going to get fooled by the cheaper saws...

Certainly - but it deters people looking to move up in the market who don't know any better.

 

[Gerry]

Replacement Walbro style carburettors are cheap and readily available. It wouldn't take much to get it up and running again.
These are a pumped carburettor and have a built in vacuum operated fuel pump which is operated by crankcase pressure so always keep fuel in the tank even in storage as the carb diaphragms dry out otherwise and they stop lifting fuel from the tank.

Gerry

 

[El Barto]

Got a Husky 346xpg and 560xp. The 560 is brilliant but have heard so many things about how the newer Huskys will wear out within a few years, whereas the 346 generation and previous will go on and on. Can't speak from experience though, they both work fine although the 346 (2011) starts up much easier than the 560 (2017).

346xpg is my go to at the moment for the heated handles.

 

[Nic.Watson]

For cheaper saws, I’ve had a couple of McCullochs when they’ve been in offer at about £100 a piece. The only problems I’ve had with them could have easily been repaired but they were replaced under warranty anyway.
The latest one I’ve had has got a load of Husqvarna stickers/branding on it too so I assume the companies are linked in some way.