Whats the deal with these Neo-Tec knockoffs?

DanMc · April 13, 2022, 04:45:35 PM

Looking to get a big saw and somebody suggested looking at these Neo-Tec saws. They are knockoffs of Husqvarna saws, selling at 1/3 the price. Generally speaking, you get what you pay for.

How can they sell a saw that is fully part compatible with a manufacturer that they obviously swiped the design from?

Anybody have any experience with these?

snobdds · April 13, 2022, 04:48:48 PM

It really comes down to...are you a gambler?

lxskllr · April 13, 2022, 04:57:33 PM

If you can answer [Yes] to these questions, it may be the saw for you...

My livelihood doesn't depend on this saw
I enjoy troubleshooting, and wrenching on machines
I'm willing to spend a little more money to get some oem parts for the saw
Losing 100% of the price paid for the saw doesn't bother me

DHansen · April 13, 2022, 06:51:34 PM

My personal feeling on this is I would rather buy a used OEM Stihl or Husqvarna than a new China built saw. Either way if I dump money into it, I will feel better spending money on the originals. This is just me and you may like having something new better. For me, I like old or used stuff.

bluthum · April 13, 2022, 09:43:26 PM

lxskllr nailed it. Word that.

I've been playing with a knock off saw for a couple years, love hate for sure. It's been an interesting rabbit hole but I wished I'd never gone there.

Iwawoodwork · April 14, 2022, 02:12:51 AM

I would think any patent protection for that old copycat design (1970's or 1980's) ran out quite a while ago.

DanMc · April 14, 2022, 08:25:16 AM

Quote from: bluthum on April 13, 2022, 09:43:26 PM
I've been playing with a knock off saw for a couple years, love hate for sure. It's been an interesting rabbit hole but I wished I'd never gone there.

This is the kind of feedback I was looking for. So, would it be accurate to say that you loved the knock-off saw at first, but struggled with reliability issues?

hedgerow · April 14, 2022, 09:05:50 AM

DanMc We are pretty close in age. My self I have never owned a China knock off saw. I have plenty of saw work just maintaining the name brand ones I have and don't enjoy working on saws that much. I will just spend the extra money and buy name brand. With that said I do run the HF knock off China Honda engines on many things around the farm for years and haven't had a issue with one yet. If I start having troubles with them I will go back to Hondas.

Old saw fixer · April 14, 2022, 10:47:22 AM

I simply refuse to knowingly buy Chinese, period.

sawguy21 · April 14, 2022, 11:20:57 AM

I worked for a distributor who offered knockoff products as well as quality items. The Chinese stuff occupied a lot of our time and gave us the most grief. The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten was written 160 years ago and is even more true today.

DanMc · April 14, 2022, 11:29:08 AM

OK, the knockoff saw is out.

How about a Stihl MS391? I already have 3 Husq 350's with 18" bars, but need something with more capacity. The 391 is available locally with a 25" bar.

hedgerow · April 14, 2022, 11:47:43 AM

Quote from: DanMc on April 14, 2022, 11:29:08 AM
OK, the knockoff saw is out.

How about a Stihl MS391? I already have 3 Husq 350's with 18" bars, but need something with more capacity. The 391 is available locally with a 25" bar.

I am guessing the 391 is used? I myself would go with a new 462 but its easy to spend some ones else's money. I have a 461 that I have had almost eight years and have cut a bunch of locust and hedge with it and have had zero issues with it. The 462 has replaced it. You would love the power.

bluthum · April 14, 2022, 01:57:32 PM

"This is the kind of feedback I was looking for. So, would it be accurate to say that you loved the knock-off saw at first, but struggled with reliabity?"

Not exactly. Saw I have is a Joncutter 5800. I still love how it performs when it's running. but parts you can get are limited to cheesy. pretty much. It's only been the niggly little problems that have surfaced, it has been running enough that the big probs like cranks and pistons failing prematurely can be ruled out.

But it's hard to keep the air filter working as it should, you have to take off the spark plug boot with kid gloves, little annoyances like that which which annoy me no end when I need to be using the saw. The other day the chain brake got loopy, I'm not sure if I got it fixed well or for that matter what the problem was caused by. I ordered a new chain brake and cover and you never saw such a cheap piece o' junk in your life. Broke it before got it properly tested, money refunded.. but you get the drift.

just say no..haha..

Gary Davis · April 14, 2022, 08:27:22 PM

I had a ms 390 it was a good saw I never had any problems with it I just liked my 360 better it is lighter and a littel bit more power .If all I cut was under 16 in I would be very happy with the 390 but I have wood that is over 36 in so I went with the 500I its the same weight as the 390 6,7 hp vs 4.4 and .

DanMc · April 15, 2022, 06:33:21 AM

The Stihl MS 391 is new, sitting at my Ace Hardware store up the street, with a 25" bar, for $649. I'm going to snap it up after my morning coffee.

Gary Davis · April 15, 2022, 11:18:06 AM

good choise

teakwood · April 16, 2022, 10:13:27 AM

Quote from: lxskllr on April 13, 2022, 04:57:33 PM
If you can answer [Yes] to these questions, it may be the saw for you...

My livelihood doesn't depend on this saw
I enjoy troubleshooting, and wrenching on machines
I'm willing to spend a little more money to get some oem parts for the saw
Losing 100% of the price paid for the saw doesn't bother me

Add this one: I don't care helping the Chinese steal more technology from OEM Companies which have invested millions in research to deliver a quality product!

tomsteve · April 18, 2022, 09:25:34 AM

i dont post much here. dont have personal experience with the chinese knockoffs, BUT i have have a friend ( weve been friends for 40 years and spent many hours in the woods skidding and cutting firewood) that did have experience with one of these chinese knockoffs

when his 266xp finally started wearing down, he himmed and hawwed about 1- replacing it with another husky, 2- rebuilding it, and 3- tryin one of these chinese knockoffs another friend of his raved about.
he tried the chinese knockoff.
i went to help him buck up firewood. he was about 3 hours into the job with this fancy schmancy chinese knock off when i showed up.
and in his shop with the saw. i shoulda knew something was up when there wasnt much bucked up yet.

after about 15 minutes of me being there, he tossed it in the garbage. other than some cuss words, he didnt say anything other than,"wanna take a ride to the husky dealer?"

after a day of cutting i finally asked him about the knockoff.
"biggest POS ive ever wasted money on. starter cord broke right off the bat. downhill from there."

Real1shepherd · April 18, 2022, 11:56:18 AM

Quote from: teakwood on April 16, 2022, 10:13:27 AMAdd this one: I don't care helping the Chinese steal more technology from OEM Companies which have invested millions in research to deliver a quality product!

That's a point often overlooked. The Chinese have done nothing in R&D to produce saws. They have reversed engineered what was already out there. And they're flaunting EPA regs. Seems to me if they're allowed to sell saws over here, they would have to comply like everyone else.

It all comes down to the US consumers and price. Make it cheap enough, have shiny paint, make outrages claims and it will sell. There are millions and millions of peeps out there that want to say,"Yeah, I paid about a third for this saw of what the big houses are asking. Best saw I ever ran!"

Kevin