Why have chainsaws got worse?

[crawley park]

They aren't lower quality, more thought, design and time goes into new models than the previous models, but shaving a gram here and there makes parts less robust.

 

Carburettors will always have problems, but they always have too, just people didn't have the internet to bleat about it on.

 

Surely if by making parts less robust that amounts to lower quality, yes more thought and design in new models but do not make them so they are less robust and not user friendly when it comes to adjustments.

[adw]

We have also to consider peoples expectations, they want lighter saws, more powerful saws, less vibration and so on, that mixed with EU emission laws,and what do we get, great saws that work faster, safer, and lower fuel consumption, if saws were produced like they were before nobody would buy it, just get on Arbtalk and tell everybody what terrible machines they are, big,bulky shake your teeth out etc.

[Sub Arb ltd]

The fact is i'm not harping on about the "good old days" when saws were made entirely of steel and cost more than a mortgage. I'm talking about the last pre-emissions regs saws that were, quite simply, better. The Husky 540 broke the dominance of stihl in the pro tophandle market because it was the lesser of two evils, not because its particularly good. The 201t is biblically awful, whereas the 540 is just not quite as good as the old 200t.

Emissions regulations are a poor excuse to provide a poor quality product, given we know what these manufacturers can produce. Can you give an example of any new saws in the past three years that have been better than the previous models they replaced? Thought not

[shillo]

Emissions and vibration regulations is what is driving it.

 

My 550xpg is one of the best saws I've owned and I've had a few.

 

Funny, my 550 2012 was the worst saw I've ever owned!

 

Stihl 441 not as good as 440

Agree, anything 4 mix is terrible

anything without carb adjustment is terrible.

 

Thankfully managed to get a new 660 before they ran out! i will repair my old one.

[Mick Dempsey]

The fact is i'm not harping on about the "good old days" when saws were made entirely of steel and cost more than a mortgage. I'm talking about the last pre-emissions regs saws that were, quite simply, better. The Husky 540 broke the dominance of stihl in the pro tophandle market because it was the lesser of two evils, not because its particularly good. The 201t is biblically awful, whereas the 540 is just not quite as good as the old 200t.

Emissions regulations are a poor excuse to provide a poor quality product, given we know what these manufacturers can produce. Can you give an example of any new saws in the past three years that have been better than the previous models they replaced? Thought not

560xp

[TIMON]

It's exactly the same with trucks.. The later the model the worse they get.

Look at the new transit. It looks like a Chinese copy of the last LDV. Plastic crap.

Having said that I love my 540 and my 560

[Mick Dempsey]

It's exactly the same with trucks.. The later the model the worse they get.

Look at the new transit. It looks like a Chinese copy of the last LDV. Plastic crap.

Having said that I love my 540 and my 560

 

If there is one thing that is getting better (and cheaper) it's commercial vehicles.

[Brushcutter]

The fact is i'm not harping on about the "good old days" when saws were made entirely of steel and cost more than a mortgage. I'm talking about the last pre-emissions regs saws that were, quite simply, better. The Husky 540 broke the dominance of stihl in the pro tophandle market because it was the lesser of two evils, not because its particularly good. The 201t is biblically awful, whereas the 540 is just not quite as good as the old 200t.

Emissions regulations are a poor excuse to provide a poor quality product, given we know what these manufacturers can produce. Can you give an example of any new saws in the past three years that have been better than the previous models they replaced? Thought not

 

550 > 346

560 > 357

390 > 385

 

Had a go on the new 201T with the STIHL auto tune and that was good. At least as good as my 020T.

[TIMON]

If there is one thing that is getting better (and cheaper) it's commercial vehicles.

 

 

Sorry Mick, I really can't agree with you there. Modern 3.5t might drive better (more like cars) but the engines are getting smaller and smaller. Manufacturers are cutting costs wherever they can (delivering value to shareholders) at the expense of quality and durability. Try reversing a fully laden new transit tipper up a steepish driveway without smoking the clutch (just one example)

 

Sorry for the derail of this thread

[Mick Dempsey]

That's crazy, I have a 98 tranny and a 2008 one, the recent one has 6 gears, is much more powerful and economic.

I love the older one but it just doesn't compare, the newer one will pull a full load and a chipper without a murmur. Overloaded of course but that's not the point.