TORNADOS7

Put my Makita EA3201s/14" bar (Dolmar PS32) up against my mates Husky 236 today cutting wood upto 15" in diameter the little Makita done me proud, never missed a beat, started 1st pull every time only used 2.5 tanks of fuel in 4hrs of work (cutting almost constantly) and the ole arms felt as fresh as a daisy come the end unlike my mate who filled up at least 4 times and then had to pull his lungs out trying to start the bloody thing again, could barely lift the bloody saw come the end and complained on several occasions of having numb fingers and arm pump, my next saw will most certainly be a Makita/Dolmar !...

Is it a particular saw or just power tools in general, if it's a particular saw then how old is the saw cos if it's getting on a bit and done a fare bit of work then I'd suggest that the main bearings or big end may possibly be on the way out which would cause an increase in vibration, other causes of vibration could be the need for a service or the carb may need tuning as a poor carb set up will cause poor running/performance and increased vibration !...

I went to have a look at a 'Stihl' or two last wknd with a view to buying a 170/171/180/181 but to say I was disappointed with the quality these days is an understatement so personally I'd go for a 'Husky' and make it the 135 not the 236 as the 236's rear handle feels a bit flimsy to me !...

A lot of the problem is that a lot of companies these days want fully trained staff but are unwilling to contribute towards that training and this is because they are finding that in the past they've invested a lot of time, patience and money in a trainee just for the little scrote to up and feck off on their own as soon as they get their qualification therefore 'understandably' they are unwilling to take an apprentice on !... This leads onto the next problem which is that the people (like me) who are reliable, hard working, honest and loyal to a point don't get a bloody look-in, surely you would be better off taking on an older/more settled/married bloke with a family to provide for who is less likely to just up and do one than you would be in taking on some bleary eyed 17yr old who's more interested in texting his mates about who he shagged in the back of his slammed 'Golf GTDI' or how much he drank last night, you know the type they usually have Monday morning syndrome !...

Well I have to say that as of today my opinion of Stihl has dropped through the floor, I went to my local dealer looking for a possible purchase and to say I was disappointed is a bit of an understatement !... Sat on the shelf looking rather sorry for itself with un-trimmed plastic mouldings and oil dripping from around the bar oil filler cap was a brand spankers 'Ms170' a model that I've spent many a happy hour snedding and logging with, what the feck has happened to the Stihls of old !... Looks like 'Husky' for me from here on in then, or at least until Stihl get their finger outta their arse and start doing a bit (actually read that as a lot) of much needed QC !...

Black smoke means it's working hard, blue smoke will be piston rings, worn turbo if it has one or valve stem seals if it's on the over run !... Course the black smoke could be due to poor servicing (clogged fuel/air filters) or some bodies turned the fuel pump up (more poke) so I would suggest a good thorough service and run some injector cleaner through the fuel system for a couple of tank fills and see how it goes first, the problem with buying an engine that's been stood for a good few years is that the seals and belts could very well need replacing and probably will that and if it's been left with the old/used oil in it then the main bearing shells could also need doing before to long as used oil turns acidic over time which will eat away at the phosphor linings 'take heed, you have been warned' other than that the choice is yours !...

My point exactly !...

Yep +1 for the above or you should be able to get a 'Husqvarna 236' or a 'Stihl 170/171' for that kinda dosh, my local dealers are selling the 'Husky 236' for about £185-190 and another is selling a 'Stihl 170' for £179 and the '171' for £199 !... Ps, the husky will be a 15" bar and the Stihl a 12-14" bar...

Living in a massive forest sounds good to me, would beat all this 'rat race' bullshit any day of the week !...

With electronic ignitions it's a bit of a case of either it sparks or it don't so I'd suggest it's either the coil (can't see it being the coil though trusting that he really has replaced it of course) or the wiring somewhere, shouldn't be to hard to find a dodgy wire being as there ain't much of it in there !...

Uhhh, I may have to put this on hold for a year or two now as I've just signed up for college again for level 3 green keeping 'bummer' but at least it'll give me time to get a bit fitter (or fatter, one of the two) so that I can consider whether im capable of doing my climbing cert or not !...

Quite agree it's his choice, never said it wasn't I was merely trying to establish whether something else maybe more suitable !...

Who said I was judging him or questioning his choice of saw, I just asked what the intended use was outta interest !... Sometimes using a saw that's to big for the task can be just as much hard work or just as dangerous as using a saw that's to small for the task in hand !... You wouldn't drive a thumb tack in with a 14lb sledge hammer would you, or maybe you would !...

Those are a couple of fairly serious saw's for a bit of home logging, what exactly will you be cutting ? From personal experience and if it's anything like the huskies I use then the 365 is gonna be a bit of a beastie if you're gonna be using it for any length of time, I've got a Makita EA3201s which I know ain't quite in the same league but it's a beauty of a saw to use smooth, light, fairly pokey and cuts real well (makes mince meat of the equivalent Stihl) so if this is anything to judge by then the 'Dolly' should be a good'n !...

Voted other, as long as it's clean/new I don't think it makes any real difference unless you're using summat daft like 3-1 or Duck oil, I just use what we've got at work which is the 50wt motor oil we use for the diesel machines, never had any complaints/issues with bars/chains wearing out any quicker than when we used to use the proper stuff besides I ain't payin for the replacement bar/chain so I ain't fussed either way !...