Cheap but more than cheerful.

[Mesterh]

Just wondering what good experiences anyone has had with non Stihl/Husky saws.

 

I know most will be about to type "You get what you pay for, buy cheap buy thrice, save up etc etc etc." but just stop and think for a minute.

 

I buy plenty of non top of the range power tools, ie angle grinders, cut off saws, drills, air tools welders bench grinders blah blah blah. Most of these are usually B&Q specials or machine mart bargains, they all get hammered OK not every day but last really well, do the job and on average cost 1/5 of the top models.

 

So, are there any saws that do the same?

 

There must be by now, they can all be total junk surely!

 

Tbh I'm prob not going to buy anything else other than Husky/Stihl as I do hammer the tools quite a bit, but I thought I would post this so it may help others either getting into the game and need a start and a hand or for the more unfortunates, who have had a visit from the 5 finger tax dodgers and had there most prized lifted.

 

Any info much appreciated.

 

Actually helpful info not "I bought a Chinese junk from ebay and it was pants" please.

[armchairarborist]

once bought an efco 152 chainsaw, and it was pants.. paid £270 for it and gave it some hard abuse, looking back it spent a good amount of time on most jobs in bits, was going to stick the engine on my mountainbike but it needs a coil and hasnt run for at least 5yrs.. it sat in the garden for over a year hoping to get stolen but nobody bothered so its back in the shed as easy picking bait..

[jrose]

I've heard a lot of good things about Sanli chainsaws, about £100 for a 37cc model. I think they do a bigger one about 50cc but not sure what the price is. May well be worth it as a backup saw, just in case one breaks down on a job...

 

Pitchcare: Magazine: Thumbs Up for Sanli Chainsaws From Professional Tree Surgeon

[rxe]

Honestly, I'd rather get a second hand Stihl and rebuild it! For example, I got most of a 460 for £120 on eBay. A box of parts, some missing. After spending about £130 on new parts, I basically have a brand new 460 - yes, a bit scratched up outside, but the innards will probably out last me.

 

I've had very good experiences with Kawasaki brush cutters, and echo blowers, so I'd be inclined to trust them as brands. The problem with most of the Chinese stuff is that while the visible brand might be the same, the underlying bits may be totally different. I looked at a little generator in B&Q once - £99, what could go wrong. Well, the allegedly identical models on display....had totally different engines, which will make spares a bit of a challenge.

 

You mention cheap angle grinders...every cheap one of those I've had has died within weeks. My old black and decker from about 1992 (when Black and Decker was good) is still going strong....

[John Barleycorn]

Just seen a 50cc saw with 18in bar in Aldi for £79.99

Oregon bar & chain.

Guarantee

Dont know how they do it.

[White Noise]

Some of these cheap saws will be ok for for the odd job . Its really a parts thing . If you cant get parts you scuppered . Mind you I bought a Solo tophandle saw and its mint . Had the exhaust ported and tuned and cuts better than the stock 338 and 020 . Sorry ms200t .

[Mesterh]

Some of these cheap saws will be ok for for the odd job . Its really a parts thing . If you cant get parts you scuppered . Mind you I bought a Solo tophandle saw and its mint . Had the exhaust ported and tuned and cuts better than the stock 338 and 020 . Sorry ms200t .

 

 

Thats what this thread is about.

 

Re the angle grinder post, true some cheap power tools are really really poor BUT some are actually very good value for money. With regards to your black and decker lasting out well thats great, its not a top of the range ie expensive model but has served you well.

[detritus21]

I've had a ryobi chainsaw in the past it wasn't very good. Mind you it cut wood well when it was sharp. Just underpowered for the size of bar.

 

I've had a gardenline ALDI hedge trimmer which did about 5 years of my own hedges and was pressed into service recently due to a very blunt set of Husq ones. For 80 quid and used by your average bod they do the trick. Just didn't like the 25:1 mix. Only problem they've had is a faulty on off switch.

 

I've got a warrior 3 in 1 pole pruner set. Chinese copy of something or other. It is a great little machine and gets some serious hammer. Parts are easy to come by as well. Pole pruner when sharp will do 4 inch braches comfortably, The hedge trimmer is good for 20mm and the strimmer runs a blade. Well worth it at 250 quid.

 

Also run two Makita saws one 40cc and one 90cc. I love Makita saws and would happilly buy many more.

[log supplier]

I got a hedge cutter from homebase 75 quid? its no good on connies but it loves the rough hedges and the likes. engine gets beasted, thrown and dropped around, and i would buy another.

and for the fine topairy cutting,fuji robin beats all others hands down.

[arbaholic]

I thought they`d be alot more mention of makita saws in this thread. . I thought they were the up and coming thing?