A question for Spudulike

[lowerforest]

I've only been reading these forums for a short while, but it appears that Spud is 'the man' people ask/go to on here when it comes to chainsaw repair/maintenance.

 

So, (if he doesn't mind my asking!) my question for Spud is:

 

Irrespective of their specific purpose (lopping, felling etc) which particular chainsaws, (new models or older ones) in your personal opinion, would you consider to be the most reliable and 'unbreakable' (ie - ones that are regularly used but not abused, with some home maintenance thrown in, un-modded etc) and would be on your 'best-buy' list?

 

I ask purely out of interest, as I am surprised at just how many models are mentioned within the Chainsaws forum, leading me to think that very few models are without some kind of inherent fault!

 

anybody else want to recommend their favourites?

[Sam Thompson]

Stihl 460/440/046/044

Husky 346XP and 357XP

[WoodED]

husky- 346xp, 576xp, 395xp, 3120xp,

stihl- ms200, ms200t, ms361(these 3 are not sold anymore)

[spudulike]

Stihl 460/440/046/044

Husky 346XP and 357XP

 

 

 

This list could be really long - the old Huskys 262,266, 268, 50, ranchers are pretty unburstable, very solid engineering.

 

346/357 - great machines but suffer from inlet boot issues - I have tuned both now and are really excellent.

 

066/MS660 are solid machines as are 372s........

 

Probably better to ask for relaibillity, state a budget and the general use for a saw and that way you will get a concise answer.

 

My favourite saw in my personal collection is the 346XP and probably followed by my 357XP, both ported and are light and quick - just depends on what you want to do with it - home use, a bit of logging and on a budget, 266 huskys are strong and cheap:thumbup:

[agg221]

I think it's less that they all have inherent faults, more that there are actually quite a few different purposes, so you get a number of different models to fulfil these roles.

 

There are also factors of budget - so Stihl and Husquvarna are highly rated but high priced.

 

From the Stihl side, which happens to be the way I went, the 026, 044 and 066 were very long-lived models, as they are pretty reliable and span the range of ground saws from small stuff through to large rings.

 

Alec

[Stubby]

Husqvarna ground saws Stihl climbing saw .

[lowerforest]

hi Spud - thanks for the reply.

 

Looking at the list, including the saws mentioned by Sam and WoodEd, the 346/357 seem to be up front as a good choice. My mate and I do all our groundwork, or logging/crosscutting with 254, 262, 266, MS230, 024AV and a recent addition of an MS460. I don't have the luxury of being able to afford brand new saws, so any advice as to a good robust (secondhand) model to look out for is always welcome.

 

Up to now, I've also been fortunate never to have had a saw self-destruct whilst in use, and it has been remarked to me (more than once!) that I don't work my saws to their max - maybe that's why they are still running without any major failures??

 

Do you reckon that running them almost flat out, as often advised (or tweaking them to extract even more performance) is likely to decrease their usable working life - a bit like the old 2-stroke 70s motorcycles I was discussing recently with Blazer? Or is using/running them on the 'gentler' side likely to have an adverse effect, too?

 

(the decision to buy the 460 was taken after reading all the 460-related threads on here, BTW. It's going great guns, too - so thanks folks!)

Edited March 14, 2012 by lowerforest

[spudulike]

Saws are designed to be run flat out, that is their function and the design of their carbs and tune etc, using them mid throttle can cause issues.

 

There are a few facts on tuned saws, one of the US guys measured the temperature of a standard 026, then ported it and did it agian and the temperature had dropped, this is because the exhaust gases are flowing out of the engine better.

 

I can't really comment on the wear to the components that make up a saw but would think that any extra power would have some detrimental effect to the life of the parts but my saws are for my pleasure and enjoyment so will probably last me years.

 

It is important to ensure saws are well maintained otherwise any saw will fail in time, main reasons for failure will be old fuel mix causing seizure or airleaks and bad carb settings doing the same though carb issues are also common!

 

Tuning is a personal choice - just depends on how fast you want to go:thumbup:

[lowerforest]

thanks for your comments, Spud - more for me to think about!

 

I think I'll recommend the 254/262/266 - we've had them a loooooong time now, and they've been very faithful and reliable servants. I'll certainly be on the lookout for another good 2nd-hand one (a bit too early to comment on the 460, methinks!)

[spudulike]

thanks for your comments, Spud - more for me to think about!

 

I think I'll recommend the 254/262/266 - we've had them a loooooong time now, and they've been very faithful and reliable servants. I'll certainly be on the lookout for another good 2nd-hand one (a bit too early to comment on the 460, methinks!)

 

All those old Huskys ar unburstable and will do many years service, they have got lighter and faster and time will tell on very long time reliabillity but even the old ones still demand good residual prices for good reason.