US shame

[snowman]

I saw a tiny homelite in home depot the other day for like 60 bucks yeah. Had that tiny chain and everything, looked like a toy. I may buy one to keep in wifes car when we go to town. 3 miles of dirt road with nobody living up there but us on new place im building. Seems like theres always something across the road, work fine for that I expect.

[Cut4fun]

If you guys are going to go on about consumer saws like the homey being made in china or USA.

The consumer Poulans say Made in USA right on them.

But you guys started off about Pro saws, not homeowner saws so I never said anything .

[Al_Smith]

 I get a big kick out of people that ramble on about their  so and so Stihl professional saw ,of how good it is and blah ,blah ,blah .

Then they mean mouth a Poulan of which 90 percent have never even seen ,fewer have owned and fewer yet ever used . Truth be known most of them other than the plastic cased Craftsman specials are not that bad of a saw  for it's intended use .

However no saw ever made can sit in the corner of a garage with a tank full of funky fuel for 360 days out of the years and be expected to run correctly .

Somebody once made some wild statement they were only made to run about 20 hours .Where in the world did that come from ?

I've got few Poulans in the shed that get used rarely .Never really had much problems with them to tell the truth .

[beenthere]

A lot of truth in what you say Al.

I try to just support what I do like, and let others find out how well they like a different brand.

However, that said, I had a woodcutting partner that I felt real sorry for, as he had a Poulan. I'd be cutting with the Stihl and he'd be pullin the starter rope whether it was a cold saw, or worse, when it was warm and wouldn't restart. But then, maybe it was easier to pull on the starter rope, rather than cutting wood.. ;D ;D ;D

Like you stated so well, the care given the saw is likely the primary reason a saw will run good, or not. Less to do with brand than anything.

Received a Bailey's catalog (flier) today, and noted I didn't see one "Made in USA" comment on any of the items listed. Maybe that is not pc this day and age. But surely something in that catalog flier was made in USA, or Canada... : : :

[snowman]

I bought a Homer in 1980 for a pre commercial thinning job.Logging was shut down kinda like now and that was only job I could get. I only had big falling saws so I bought cheapest little saw i could for thinning. It actually worked great for one summer, then it blew up.They are not made for steady use. If you want a saw for firewood, casual stuff around the home they are probably fine.

[Al_Smith]

Oh I'm a bigoted so and so about made in the USA but give Canada the same status .As much stuff comes  hither as goes yon ,even Steven .I don't have much problem with Europian stuff either .Pacific rim or Mexico I only tolerate .

[SwampDonkey]

snowman, that must a been hard on the back thinning with a chainsaw. I tried it once for a week, 8 hour days and I only cut an acre. That's what brush saws were made for I figured afterward. Can cut up to an acre in natural and a acre and a half in plantation with a brush saw. :D

[snowman]

I had too google brush saw. :D Dang, 1st snippers, now brush saws, no wonder chainsaws are near obselete. Actually though I don't think that would work in thinning around here, steep rugged ground and FS and state like 6 foot spacing, white pine considered in visible.As for my back, I've planted trees too, thats even worse!!!!! Hmmm maybe a machine for that now too? Ill google it. :D

[mike_van]

All 3 of my Homelites were made in the USA - The last one about 1972 -     I run 'em most everyday.  A few weeks ago my daughter told me I was lost in the 60's - I can't understand why?  :D

[ErikC]

  The first saw I actually owned was a homelite 450. It was dad's, and he got a new stihl and gave it to me. I was about 15. It was pretty old, but a really good saw. I finally couldn't find a part I needed and had to give up on it. But the motor never failed and it had plenty of power. I think It had a 32"bar on it. They used to be good. Had stihls ever since.

[Al_Smith]

 I'm tellen ya some of those old Homelites will run forever and still do a days work .

You probably wouldn't want to run one in a professional type situation but for occasional use they do just dandy . Depending on the size and class saws they aren't heavy as lead as most think .

For example taking 4 large saws Stihl 088 ,Husqvarna 3120 ,Homelite 2100 and McCulloch Sp 125 --they all weigh within a pound or two of one another .

[ladylake]

 I have been around a modern Poulan and Mac, friends and BIL saws. I could never make either one run right, tune them up right and cut for a little and they wouldn't start or run good again.  Maybe it was a case of bad gas but the friend with the Mac only used 92  with no ethonal.  I talked them both into better saws the run good without constant fussin.    Steve

[Al_Smith]

 Well modern to me is less than 20 years old but everybody has their opinion . :D

I've tuned a few that were maybe 5 years old ,Poulans which model numbers escape me at the moment . Those had limiter caps on the carb screws  42-46 ccs' or so .

They ran okay after a little reworking of the limiters . Of course like most "modern " saws they had very restrictive mufflers so that is a big factor on how they do .

Going back to what I said though .Most sit around with a tank full of old gas and the carb innards get stiff as a board .

I would say that 90 percent of all saws people drag into me to repair have screwed up carbs ---or the breather filters are packed full of sawdust and peple wonder why they won't run ,mercy me .

[SwampDonkey]

snowman, 6-7 foot spacing here to. Anything over 35% and I don't even want a chainsaw in my hand. We thinned Blue Bell mountain last year, well 90 acres of it. It was like thinning on a cow bell. :D

[timber tramp]

>>Anything over 35% and I don't even want a chainsaw in my hand.

   We've got parks steeper than that :D :D. 

Don't blame you though, steep ground is a different animal altogether. TT

[sunriseseamless]

Has anyone used ECHO saws?  A local shop sells this brand.  A friend bought one there and loves his.  I bought a leaf blower there and it hasn't given me any trouble for three or four years.
Their website says they are made in Illinois. 
If they are good quality and US made, maybe we should rally behind them?

[Ianab]

The Echo saws seem to have a good name in the smaller range saws. They are popular here for pruning and thinning size machines. (30-40cc).

The bigger saws appear to be perfectly OK, but just dont really compare with the best that Stihl, Husky and Dolmar have to offer.

Ian

Although I'm not really sure why you would need a Camo Chainsaw  ???
http://www.echo-usa.com/product.asp?Model=CS-330MX4&Category=CHAINSAW

[cheyenne]

So you can sneek up on the tree....Cheyenne

[SwampDonkey]

Possibly to deter theft. Those orange saws are kind of easy to find at times.  ;)

As far as brush saws, the Echo has a better warrantee than the others on pro models.

[Rocky_J]

Ahh, warranty. That piece of paper valued by those who don't own a screwdriver and pay somebody else to do all their mechanical work on everything they own with a motor.  ;)

In 43 years I cannot recall ever making a warranty claim on anything outside of minor defects discovered in the first week of ownership. Therefore when buying something I ignore the warranty and instead look at the quality and value of the item. For people like myself warranty means less than nothing.  So forgive me if I never mention warranty when offering an opinion on a piece of equipment.

[SwampDonkey]

Well it makes a difference when its a day's pay lost and a angle gear costs over $200 or a clutch spring over $100 and handle bar close to $150. We keep old saws for parts, but some stuff you have to replace and old clutch springs and angle gears from spare saws are usually warn bad if your cutting any amount a ground. I mean 80 + acres, not 4 or 5. Warrantee means a lot to me when I'm on the end of one of those $1400 saws.   Our dealers have been the best to deal with, not fits or double talk, just go at it, fix it and your off in less than 30 minutes. I never had to leave a saw yet, if I did I'd be offered this one over here until I got back the end of the next day. ;)

[Cut4fun]

Isn't warranty on you commercial cutters only 90 days anyways?

[Brian_Rhoad]

I have never made a warranty claim on a chainsaw, but I think the length of a warranty tells you something about the saw. If the manufacturer gives a longer warranty they must feel they have a better product. The longer the warranty the more chance there is of having more claims and loosing money for the manufacturer.

[SwampDonkey]

Isn't warranty on you commercial cutters only 90 days anyways?

90 on  Sthil and Husky, 1 year on Echo. Thus my comment above. Many of us in the thinning business buy new every year, sometimes every other. Those with a lot of old saws on the same model may work one as long as 3 on spare parts. The trouble arrives when the old model is discontinued and your inventory of parts are no longer of use. :

As to Brian's comment, usually yes, but in this case I can't bash Sthil or Husky. It's just that their warrantee doesn't even carry for a season.

[zackman1801]

it will always amaze me what people will pay to get warantees or free stuff when they buy things. People will choose lesser power saws, just so that they can get a free case, or a free hat, or make sure that it comes with such and such length warantee, your better off just getting what you need and not worrying about what stuff comes with it.

Its really a shame that all of the companies gave up and sent their jobs overseas. Ever since McCulloch, Poulan, and all of the other older name brand saw companies sent their plants to china the quality has of course seen a huge plummet.  It seems that most companies these days are worried less and less about the consumer and more and more about the quick money that they can make by selling cheapo junk for much much more than they are making in for.....capitalism is sad :(