economy chainsaw

[Paddy]

Sound Guy,

I have owned two Poulans over the years. They start well. Most times I can start on one pull if I can push the choak in quick enough!

If you don't already have one, get a Dremal and the correct grider tip to keep it sharp.

 

[N80]

I have a 20 year old Homelite that I love. My dad gave it to me after he'd used it for years. He now has an expensive Stihl that to me seems heavy and awkward and is often fussy and (it seems to me, complicated) to start. With the little Homelite you put the choke on, give it a few pulls, turn the choke off and give a few pulls and off you go. It is light, feels cheaply made and is underpowerd, but it goes and goes and goes and is so easy to work on.

I'm not knocking the expensive brands, I'll probably get one when the Homelite dies, but for what Chris wants to do, and most of the things I normally do, these cheap little saws are just fine.

 

[Soundguy]

my 010 stihl will out last those disposables 3:1 or more.

so instead of buying a disposable from wally world twice, buy a decent saw once.

I'm glad your expensive saw works for you. I'm looking for an economy one. I pretty much feel that for the light use I have for it, and the good amount of maint it will get.. that it should last a while.

I've been making do just fine for over 10ys with an electric job.. still runs great...

I've got plenty of exp babying old equipment.. just look at my tractors..

Soundguy

 

[SPYDERLK]

Quote from Soundguy: I've been making do just fine for over 10ys with an electric job.. still runs great...


So you dont want to use an inverter?
Larry

 

[1bush2hog]

Soundguy -

It might be a good idea to upgrade your chain on whatever economy saw you decide to go with.

Sounds like the 14" Poulan will work for you - If not return it within 30 days and try another

 

[stumpfield]

I know the topic is economy chainsaw. You might want to look for a used stihl or husky. They are about the same price as a brand new economy saw in the same size. I got them for about half the price as a new one. The used stihl/husky will out perform and out last a new economy saw. Just a sugguestion.

 

[turnkey4099]

I'm glad your expensive saw works for you. I'm looking for an economy one. I pretty much feel that for the light use I have for it, and the good amount of maint it will get.. that it should last a while.

I've been making do just fine for over 10ys with an electric job.. still runs great...

I've got plenty of exp babying old equipment.. just look at my tractors..

Soundguy

Very sensible viewpoint. From your description of useage, any of the big box stores saws should do you just fine. I would go with Poulan but that is just a case of brand recognition. I use professional saws for making wood and have been doing so for 30 years. Yes, the cheap saws should be looked at as throwaways - not worth fixin for any serious problems.

The big problem with your described use is the care and that applies to the expensive saws as well as the cheap ones.

Rule number 1 - Unless you will be using it in a few days (say up to a week or two) NEVER put it away with fuel in it. That is asking for the carb to to get gummed up. Dump the fuel and then run until it quits.

Rule number 2 - go with rule number 1.

Harry K

 

[smitesmash]

I have a polan/Craftsman that I used a lot for a while. It was great for the first three years, the fourth year however, a 15ct screw stripped out a hole in the plastic frame, and now the handle doesn't stay attached.

If this is something just to have on hand, I'd say go for it. However if you are going to use it regularly, one day it will fail and you will have to replace it.

 

[thatguy]

I have rebuilt and/or replaced the oil pump several times and the recoil mechanism once, but it still runs well. Jay

OT comment

Reminds me of an old joke I heard once.. A man was showing his old ax to some ppl and told them how it had been handed down from generation to generation for many many years and it had only had the handle replaced 3x and the head 2x...

LOL

 

[slowrev]

Soundguy, I have had a poulan pro 16" saw for 5 years. I cut about 20 pickup loads of wood a year. Only problem is I have worn out a couple of bars, several chains and the little sproket thingy on the clutch ($8).
The pro series are better, chromed cylinder and such.

I have an older poulan that someone gave me, was beat to cr#p and told it was junk. Put new fuel lines and a carb kit in it and it does great now.

I also have an old poulan weedeater that is over 20 yrs old and still going strong.
Ben
Take you pick, but for the price and function non pros would find it hard to beat a Poulan.

Two saws are handy when you get one bound up

 

[BillyP]

It's a toss up. All of those saws are probably made in Mexico and I would expect the quality to be even. Personally I would buy the 16" Poulan.

Actually the medium to smaller Poulans are built in DeQueen, AR. When I say built I mean from parts from all over the world, they are assembled there. Along with the Poulans there's the Husqvarna, Johnsonred, Craftsman and a few other brands.

 

[Highbeam]

I own the bright green poulan 16" bar version bought from Walmart. It is my second or third one. They work great, start very well, are quiet, and cut with the best of them. I don't expect to get 10,000 hours of use out of it so the ease with which the piston rings are replaced is of no concern. Don't buy a camoflauge chainsaw. I have spent weeks looking for a saw before I found it partially buried in a windrow made by my bulldozer.

I clear with the saw so what usually happens is I accidentally drop a tree on the saw, run it over with a tractor, push a pile of slash over it, or forget it is in the bucket and dump it with a load of junk. Being disposable can really be a good thing.

The only failure that was sort of the saws fault was the starter rope broke on my current poulan. It broke at the end so I just shortened the rope and tied a new knot. You need to know when to "total" the saw if a repair part is too expensive meaning like 20 bucks on a well broken in Poulan.

I always keep it full of fuel and oil to be ready for storm duty. It always starts within a few pulls and has plenty of power for the bar that came with it.

I bought three extra chains and simply run one till it's dull and then replace it with a sharp one until I have three dead chains to have sharpened all at once. The aftermarket chains from the saw shop don't have all of the safety and other wussy compromises so they really chew the wood.

Some people are proud of their 400$ saws but in my experience the cheap ones work at least as well during their expected lifespan. I have converted at least one dedicated Husquavarna user to cheap Poulan.

 

[greenedeere]

Been there. Owned all mentioned,I like the stihl 017 for @175.dollars by far the most small saw for the money.However as with all power saws things happen! Use one you like, but, can get parts and such for it all year round, some of the box stores I have found only stock supplies (chains,bars,chain oil,starter ropes and handles etc.)during the cold months,not all the time.I have a good local dealer that keeps the local loggers in stock and also has the best prices on parts and saws.He has the rebuilt and traded in used saws for @half price.

 

[tallyho8]

The best deal I got on a cheap chain saw in the last few years was a McCulloch McCat 16" chain saw on sale at Home Depot for $99 in the case. There have been no chain saws ON SALE in this area since hurricane Katrina. Probably the best buy for someone who uses it very rarely is the Poulan Wild Thing which is usually about $20 cheaper than the Poulan Pro.

All chain saws now have durability period ratings on stickers on the saws. The McCulloch Durability Period is 50 hours. The Poulan Wild Thing Durability Period is 125 hours. I forgot the rating on the Pro. The durability period rating is a good guide to how long it will last. Forget about how long your friend's grandfather's chain saw lasted. New ones are made different and don't last as long. I would like to know what the durability period rating is on a professional Stihl saw.

Hurricane Katrina blew down 60 large trees in my yard and I spent 6 months, 7 days a week, 10 hour days, cutting down and cutting up these trees. An average of 45 hours per week running time on chainsaws. My McCulloch, which was already a year old, lasted about 3 weeks before every thing wore out on it. I bought a Poulan Pro and it lasted about 4 weeks before the compression was too low for it to start when hot. I brought it back to Lowe's and they replaced it. The replacement lasted about 4 more weeks and wore out. I got a Wild Thing and it lasted about 4 weeks and I brought it back to Home Depot and they replaced it. About 4 weeks later they replaced it again. 4 weeks later the clutch sprocket wore out and they would not exchange it anymore. I bought a new spocket and bar and it lasted about 3 more weeks.

I put on new chains about once a week. All the replacement chains were better than the oem chains. They had larger teeth and more teeth which means they took longer to sharpen but they cut faster. Low-kickback chains cut slooooow.

I borrowed a friends 24" antique Homelite for a few weeks to cut some very large trees. It was still working great when I returned it. My arms were worn out from using this monster for 3 weeks.

Then I bought another Wild Thing which I accidently dumped out of my fel into a fire after a couple weeks use. Then bought another Wild Thing which I used for a couple weeks till I finished the job and now use only occasionaly.

A cheap one will last an occasional user a much longer time if you mix the gas correctly and use Stabil, keep the bar oil full and grease the bar-end sprocket, keep the blade sharp, and stay out the dirt.

 

[hazmat]

Granted Soundguy lives in FL and isn't cutting firewood, but...

BUY A GOOD SAW - CRY ONCE.

I've used an older model craftsman (poulan) and in every way imaginable it pales in comparison to my new Stihl. The Stihl is a joy to use. I've cut 30 cords of firewood with it & absolutely zero problems. Mine is a "Woodboss" - MS270 - cost $350. It's one of their bigger "homeowner" models. Sounds like you can get one of the smaller models for $200.

Do you really want to replace it after a couple year's use?

Whatever you choose, make sure it has an inertial chain brake (not just the paddle operated one). It will trigger the brake in a kickback situation (in theory anyway).

You mention giving it "good maintanance" - what's your time worth? For $80 difference, just gas and go.

I'll probably get blasted for spending someone elses money, but I'm just trying to save him potential pain later...

 

[hazmat]

tallyhoe - am I doing the math right - you are on saw #8? having paid for 5

Aside from the one you dumped on the fire, you'd be money and time ahead to have bought a Stihl/Husky/Echo not to mention they cut faster (more HP).

 

[tallyho8]

tallyhoe - am I doing the math right - you are on saw #8? having paid for 5

Aside from the one you dumped on the fire, you'd be money and time ahead to have bought a Stihl/Husky/Echo not to mention they cut faster (more HP).

Yes I would have been, but I was not looking for an economy chain saw for occasional use like the thread is about. After Katrina, you could not just walk to a store and buy a Stihl. I had to drive 200 miles on backroads dodging debris and police barricades to get my first Poulan which was the only saw Lowes had left. In the next several months I was still unable to get saws from anywhere within many miles except Home Depot and Lowes (when they had them) and all they had was Poulan and cheap Homelite. We did not even have mail, UPS or Fedex for me to mail order one for several months. (Unbelievable?) I had to siphon all the gas out one of my trucks just to run the chainsaws and generator. Now when this one wears out, I just might buy a Stihl, but then I might not need one (I hope) for several years. We still have no local Stihl dealers. With my luck, I'll probably run over my new Stihl.

 

[tallyho8]

Hazmat
Could you tell me what the Durability Period rating on your Stihl is?

 

[deerefan]

Soundguy, we are in a similar boat. I have a McCulloch 3516 that is great. My only problem is the two bolts that hold the bar tight are stripped and it is getting difficult to find chains for it b/c McCulloch is no longer made. I've looked at the stihls and the box store brands and have come to the conclusion that I can fix my McCulloch and buy a new poulan pro for less than the new stihl i was looking at. Then I'll have two saws for less than the price of one.

 

[N80]

If you have a good,local, real hardware store (I know, rare as hens teeth) a lot of them can make a chain for you. We have a Farmer's Exchange here and they have a guy who can make chains for just about anything.