T190 vs. T200

[customsawyer]

Is the T200 worth the extra money?

[bill m]

Yes

[Rocky_J]

For a pro making his living with it, yes. For anyone else, probably not.

And for those who have made it a habit to take everything I post the wrong way, this is not intended as an insult to those who do not make a living running a top handled chainsaw. Simply an observation and opinion on a very specialized tool.

[jteneyck]

Haven't seen much from you lately Rocky.  Good to see you back.

John 

[Rocky_J]

Thanks John. I've been checking in, just not posting a whole lot. Mostly because I'm too tired. Been working a lot lately and the heat really saps your energy.

Back on topic, the 200T is a very specialized and profitable tool, but it's not for everyone or everything. As an urban arborist it is my second most profitable tool right behind my bucket truck.  8)

[Al_Smith]

Only to add to that,the few pro trimmers in this area who have tried the 190 are not too impressed by it .I only own two 200T's and no 190 so I wouldn't know .

[customsawyer]

Thanks for the replies it is as I figured. I use the bigger ones a lot but don't have a lot of call for the small saw, but that is changing.

[stihl46]

Howdy,

I own a 192 I have had now for about 5 years.  At the time I purchased it I choose it on price.  In the past I have used the 200 and will agree that it is a better saw.  The smaller saw is OK for pruning and small cuts.  You really notice the difference in big cuts and blocking stuff down.  About 70% of what I do is tree work so it doesn't get used daily and spends the winters on a shelf when the big saws get used everyday.   

In 5 years of use it hasn't had any major problems.  Occasionally it will give me a problem starting when I am up in the tree.  It does the job for me, the 200 could do it a bit faster though! 

The next tree saw would be a 200.

Comes down to how much you will use it.  If you pay a little less, you get a little less.

Have a good day.

[jteneyck]

Nice truck, Rocky.  I helped my pro colleague take down a 28" DBH walnut tree a couple of weeks ago - about 85 deg. and 80% humidity, which is probably a good day in Florida, but I was whipped for 2 days afterwards.  For me it was fun, but only because I don't have to do it. 

Back on topic.  This same pro has a 190T.  I thought it was a 200T by the way it cut, but when he showed it to me it was, indeed, a 190T.  With a sharp chain it cuts really well even with the bar buried.  I'm sure the 200T cuts even better, but I was impressed.  This guy makes his living with this saw, in fact, he has two of them, plus an 028 and a screaming 460 Magnum.  He's a climber (of unbelievable ability, at least to me) and cuts pretty much only hardwoods.  His priorities might be different if he wasn't a climber.  What I mean is his time spent cutting is low compared to the time it takes to move around and to tie off himself and the branch he's cutting.  To him, weight and reliabilty are the key factors he values in his climbing saw.  I've worked with him on occasion for over 3 years.  He had that saw when I first met him and he's still using it.  He bought another as a spare, but has yet to put gas in it.  So, depending upon your needs, either saw could be a good choice. 

[OneWithWood]

The 190T is limited to the pico chains.  The 200T accepts a standard chain.  That alone can make a big difference in performance.

[DonT]

200T is a great saw.It is the choice of most climbers.For blocking down however up comes the 357 or the 372

[Al_Smith]

The 190T is limited to the pico chains.  The 200T accepts a standard chain.  That alone can make a big difference in performance.

Pico meaning 3/8" low profile or pico meaning .043 guage ?

On the 200T unless you change the drive system it comes with 3/8" low profile and depending of course on the bar will run either .043 or .050 chain .

[jteneyck]

Yes, the 190T does use Picco chains, and they are a pain to sharpen IMO.  However, this may be why the saw cuts so well even though it has less power than the 200T.  HP isn't everything; the chain plays a critical role in how fast a saw will cut, and the 190T can cut pretty well with that Picco chain. 

For my pro friend, the arborist, he never bothered to sharpen chains, anyway, so it was never an issue.  He would just use them until they were dull then put on a new one.  He justified it as the cost of doing business, and I guess since he was always cutting clean wood they lasted quite awhile.  I found a whole box of them in his truck, so I sharpened a few of them for him just to see how he liked them.  He thought they cut as well as new, which pleased me, but they are still a pain to sharpen, in particular the depth gages.  LoPro chains arn't especially fun the sharpen either, again the depth gages being the problem, at least for me. 

[Rocky_J]

I think you are confusing your terms. Both the 190T, 200T as well as every other chainsaw below 40cc on the market today all use picco chain. Picco is a term for 3/8" lo profile chain. It comes in standard .050" gauge as well as a narrow kerf gauge of .043". The 190T comes fitted with the narrow kerf .043" gauge bar and chain while the 200T comes fitted with the .050" gauge bar and chain. Picco chain comes in both standard and safety versions, although the .043" gauge picco is only available in the safety version.

When I hear of somebody who doesn't bother to sharpen chains then that person's opinion on chainsaw maintenance instantly goes into the same category as most homeowners whose chainsaw knowledge is limited to what they read off the box label at Home Depot.

[Al_Smith]

Lo-pro or pico isn' any harder the sharpen than any other chain .

For what it's worth Carlton makes a version of .043 that is not guard chain ,cuts pretty well .I must admit though that  the Stihl .050 pico Stihl  that Rocky sent me will out cut it I do believe .

I suppose if you really want to you could get creative and change the 200 out to run .325 or 1/4" if you choose to .I don't see why you would unless like Willard you had about a mile of chain to use up .

Old Gypo Logger showed up at a GTG maybe 4-5 years ago with an 020 rear handle that had .325 on it .What he did to get it there I haven't a clue .

[JohnG28]

WoodlandPro makes .043 lo pro without the bumper guards too, I have it on my pole saw.  Works well enough on it for my use.

[jteneyck]

Thanks for the corrections on Picco chains.  For sure the ones on his 190 are Stihl and look to be narrow kerf.  I would not have guessed they were 3/8 pitch, since they look so dinky.  Anyway, they sure cut well. 

About not sharpening his chains - I can see his point.  He makes money cutting, not sharpening, and I've seen him cut 3 good sized trees on one chain with no noticeable loss in cutting speed.   But I've also seen him instantly change chains if he hits something, and he's back cutting in a couple of minutes, making money.  I asked him why he doesn't sharpen his chains or get them resharpened.  His response was that he was not happy with how they cut after he had some sharpened, and that he didn't want to take a chance a chain might cut roughly or kick back when he's 60 feet in a tree.  I can understand his logic. 

Not sharpening has nothing to do with maintenance of his saws, about which he is nearly as particular as me. 

[Al_Smith]

It would take about 5 minutes more or less to file a 14" chain loop on a 200T .

[Rocky_J]

Takes me about 3, Al.  :D

[Al_Smith]

Well it should .You're a young feller and I'm an old coot .It takes me a couple of minutes just to adjust my bifocals . :D

[JohnG28]

I would think that if I were making my living with my saw then I would want as little expense as possible.  Sure, keep maybe 5 sharp chains on hand to swap out durring the work day, but Id file the used chains in off time to not be continually buying new chains.  Id imagine that would add up pretty quick through a years time, JMO though.

[Al_Smith]

This is what I've found .Tree fallers on the western slopes use predomenently square ground chisel chain .As such they may carry extra chains with them and change as needed .

Tree trimmers,arborists if you prefer that term usually file their chains .They usually carry extras though in case a chain gets damaged ,which of course they do .

An experienced filer can dress up a chain in about the time it takes to change one .

Now I know a few local trimmers that couldn't  file a chain if their life depended on it but they aren't  really the best treemen either .

I share the common belief that chain filing is one of the basics every operater of a power saw should know .Others don't share that opinion I'm sure---the ones that can't file a chain . :D

[jteneyck]

Could be the arborist I mentioned just can't file well enough to satisfy himself.  He didn't like the job a local shop did for him grinding some chains, although he liked the ones I did.  His point about not wanting anything unexpected to happen while way up in a tree seems valid to me.  The cost does seem to add up for all those chains.  On the other hand, $20 for a chain to take down a tree for $1200, or more, does seem pretty cheap.  I do know he put over $80K in his pocket last year, so I won't criticize his methods.  In any case, that little 190T cuts well and helps him earn a pretty good living.   

[Al_Smith]

Well,tell ya what ,tell your buddy to buy Stihl chains ,050 guage and I'll give him a buck apiece for them after he runs them once .Plus shipping of course .  . Now is that a deal for him or what . 8)