neiln

choke sticking slightly closed? would cause it to run rich, fast idle but slowly coke up at idle making it stall after a while. Is the strop thing a bit of a mislead, orientation not the problem, just that it doesn't normally idle long enough at other times to coke up.

Lol! we are all the same aren't we....hopeful and sometimes foolish!

Ah, ooo. I thought what I'd found sounded too good to be true. cheers.

found some more reading, if anybody is interested http://www.arboristsite.com/community/threads/huztl-farmertec-ms-440.304856/ http://www.arboristsite.com/community/threads/huztl-farmertec-ms360-kit-build.308735/ and lots more on farmertec/hutzl bits on that site. Hmm, I'm tempted.

Anybody got any experience, good or bad, with farmertec parts for stihl saws? I've just come across complete saw kits on ebay, build your own famertec MS660/066 for £220.40, or 044 for £215, 361 for £200. Husky saw too. I've also found a you tube video which suggests the copies are rather decent Anybody here tried their parts or the complete (jig)saw?

i just split a few rounds id got hold of, very easy splitting, lovely.

clever trick but its easier to just clang to splits together. If they sound like skittles/bowling pins then they are dry

resurrecting an old thread.... how's the Mcculloch going now? Asking as I'm considering a CS50 S, which I believe is largely a husky 450 (or 450e possibly)

Agreed, similar with a bar. equally a brand new chain and bar means nothing. Think I'd be more impressed with a used chain that is well sharpened, it would suggest the user new a bit at least. Oh and I forgot, I'd check the oiler worked too.

I bought a pack of 3 for my ms180, 3 cost about the same as 1 stihl chain so I thought i'd try them. They seem ok, one was very very grabby when first used, it dug into a bit of ash so deep it stalled the saw and i had to take the bar off, get some thick gloves on and tug really hard to unjam it. However a few minutes later I blunted it hitting buried barbed wire and after a sharpen it was fine. I gave one to my brother and I need to ask how he has got on but the other 2 I rotate along with 2 stihl chains and don't notice which is which. Seem ok...although I don't like the stories of snapped chains, so fingers crossed.

That sounds a better price. I reckon the buyer would still be very very pleased at that sort of price. I would be if I were after that sort of saw (but I'm not really, I can't justify it for just cutting a bit of my own firewood). Best of luck.

bmp, I agreed already that I've realised the forum users are mainly pros and not likely to use homeowner saws. I'm not asking for specific failures of this model, I meant do others agree that the lack of coils and carbs probably sends a greater percentage of cheap saws off to the bin, I wandered if the want of any other parts also contribute to a large number. Not sure local adds are as much use to me, there aren't a lot of chainsaw users in zone 3 south london. However thanks for the views about (I presume) ebay. With ebay you are also basically buying the seller, you have to trust the seller and what they say as you only have their description and some photos to go on. That said, thanks Peatff, that looks a tidy saw, very few scuffs although he says the bar has been repainted. Its now on my watch list. I've never thoght before what I'd look for if assessing a used saw. I've only used my own little stihl. My thoughts now would be: 1. visual appearance - does it look abused or worked hard 2. bar rails - worn to f*** or ok? 3. chain - sharp or? olly or ? 4. chain brake - work? 5. Does the chain move ok and is the tension ok? 6. pull out and check starter rope 7. does engine turn over ok as starter rope pulled slowly? 8. Is saw fueled and oiled? go to view with both mix and oil in case seller has none. 9. does saw start? does it idle? does it rev freeely? 10. does it cut ok (run ok under load)? may need to take a log or 2 as you go to view 11. listen for strange noises and look for excessive smoke I guess I'd weed out some lemons but I know I'd miss a lot too, i don't have experience with enough saws.

afraid i can't help on what is a fair price, but as someone interested in getting a larger saw than i currently have I'd be interested at that price. Although to be fair my gut feel is that is a low price for a true lightly used 550xp

bmp you point at the 3rd post...I'd love a 036 for £120, but that is an absolute steal. I'd be suspicious about any saw on Gumtree, either that saw was nicked or it was a non-runner at that price surely? and also don't know enough to determine what might be or might not be seriously broken with a non-runner, or with a runner for that matter. That poster admits to CAD (=Chainsaw Addiction Disease) so probably knows a lot more than I do.

I'm an engineer and know enough about engines and 2 strokes to know what might break, but I don't have experience fixing them nor the knowledge on a range of saws to know what to look for to avoid buying a pup, which is why I'm not keen on bidding a few hundred quid on a used...errr ...ms027? ms036? or some variant. Point me at a deal on a 50cc or larger Stihl (preferably) or Husky, for £200ish, in guaranteed good nick other than a coil, plug, fuel line or carb and I'd be interested. Knowing I could get the spares to get a simple failure on a saw, or rather to get it fixed, rather than have to bin it for the want of a coil, length of fuel line or a carb (i'm guessing 3 of the most common saw failures), is a bit different to being willing to strip a saw and replace bearings or a piston damaged because its been run lean. as for which saw, maybe you are right bill, this was part of my reasoning for starting this thread, is it asking too much from a cheap saw to pull a 18" bar and not break? When I found the poulan pro 5020 getting good reviews from users I was sceptical. Have a look though, arboristsite.com has numerous threads on the saw and although its not perfect it seems to pull a 20" bar ok and be reliable. I'd rather have a nice used stihl though, yes indeed.

returning to topic, if i go to fr jones and enquire about spares for the CS50S, what is a fair spares list to be able to get hold of? I'd assume plug, fuel line, starter rope and probably air filter can be easily found as not saw specific, also probably coil. Carb and or carb refurb kit, essential. pistons, pots plastics would be pretty impressive and maybe unnecessary for a cheap saw. Is there something that is perhaps an essential spare that I've missed?

while conversations about how fuel can kill a saw* are useful, unless Aspen can double the power of my ms180 it wont give me a saw capable of pulling an 18" bar. I'd love to here that its fuel problems that kill 100% of cheap saws too, in which case I'd buy some China special and a gallon or 2 of Aspen and be happy, but i think thats too optimistic. *just for completeness, standard fuel does several things that make life tough for occasional use engines. first the volatile components which aid starting evaporate, making it hard to start a saw on older fuel. combat by using aspen or using fresh fuel or ensure fuel is stored in an air tight and metal canister, as the volatiles are small enough to diffuse through plastic cans. Next problem is the aromatic compounds in regular fuel which slowly degrade to form gums and varnishes which clog carbs etc. combat by using aspen or store your saw empty. fuel stabilizers also help, they slow the rate of aromatic breakdown. finally ethanol in fuel can be a problem in 2 ways, attacking some rubbers and plastics destroying fuel lines etc and by absorbing water. if enough water is absorbed the ethanol settles out of the fuel as a jelly, striping octane as it goes and clogging fuel lines with the jelly. combat by using aspen or by avoiding ethanol containing fuels. 95 ron contains ethanol (IIRC ir 10%) by law. The law doesn't apply to premium fuels and although the exact amount varies by brand and location, they generally contain none, or a lot less. Plus of course, store the saw empty. Finally Aspen may also deliver other benefits such as health. However Aspen costs 3 times or more what pump fuel costs and isn't as freely available. Think that covers it

I was waiting for Aspen too. I've read about fuel problems. I always always store my stihl empty. I buy 99 ron fuel as it is usually ethanol free (dad has a classic motorcycle and some members of his club have researched this in detail). I add fuel stabilizer and i use the stihl green 2 stroke oil which i believe contains another stabilizer, and fr jones recommended when i bought the saw. I also store my fuel in an aluminium can to reduce the loss of volatiles vs storing in a plastic container. So far Ive not had any trouble, fingers crossed. I process 6 to 7 m3 of firewood and run my ms180 through around 3 litres a year, that's about 10 to 12 hours use. No i won't wear out a decent saw in many years, but I do want to be able to pull the saw from the shelf, fuel and oil it (actually i store it full of chain oil, I read that was better) and use it. I don't want to find it won't start or run. If it dos suffer trouble, a blocked carb or degraded fuel line, I want to be able to get a new line, a carb kit or replacement carb easily and cheaply. Beyond that what might I need? a replacement air filter, a coil, a spark plug, some rope for the starter, these won't be a problem to get I'd hope, as these aren't specific to the saw. However it would be annoying if something saw specific broke or got broken and couldn't be replaced. If i do go into fr jones and ask about the mccolloch, what spares should i ask if they are able to get? if it needed a replacement piston or pot would I bother? not sure. Oh and I noticed in the specs of the poulan pro, its EPA rating is (IIRC) 'intermediate- should be emissions compliant for 50 hours'. I dont know whether that just means after that sort of time it needs some servicing and a retune, or if the thing is starting to get worn out in that time. I'd hope the former.

Thanks shavey. good to know parts should be obtainable. I might enquire with my local dealer (f r jones are only a few miles from me) about it. what i know is, poluan, craftsman and mccolloch, (and others) are all part of husky. In the US all 3 brands have sold a saw that is basically the husky 450 or 450e but with different plastics and a few other cheaper bits. The poulan version is called the poulan pro 5020. its been around since 2011 or 2012, its commonly rated as the best sub $200 saw, its not a great saw but it is great for the cash. it is a bit heavy, has a weird 20 inch bar ( that can be changed), but its capable to pull a 20" bar ok, and its reliable (plus spares can be got). the 5020 has recently been updated, it seems to be minor tweaks that look to be improvements. The mccolloch cs20s looks to be that newer version. it is described as one of the 2017 range of saws and seems new as I've not found any buyer reviews from uk sites. If it is as reliable as the poulan etc have been in the US, and I can get spares when needed, £215 seems quite tempting. It won't be a match for a 50cc saw from stihl or husqvarna, but then they cost more like £500+, and i just want a saw that can pull an 18" for a 2 or 3 hours a year. I do want to be able to pull it off the shelf, fuel it, oil it and use it though, an to be able to do that for say... 10 years. That is quite challenging i guess. is there such a thing as 'a better quality saw mad in the land of the rising sun'? that is the golden egg really isn't it?

generally the cheap saws dont hold up, nor can you get the spares to maintain them, over here at least. Its why started my research on the american sites where i knew they have so many more homeowners with saws and homeowner brands. I was still surprised to find such a well recieved saw as the poulan so cheap, its $179 and some times on sale for less! If i could verify the mccolloch we get is the same as the US mccollloch and not made somewhere different to poorer QC then I'd buy it, even at £215 as I'd be confident it were reliable and I could get spares if needed, even if they had to be soured from the states.

I'd be very happy with an older used Stihl second hand so long as it had no major problems. However I'm too busy to buy a fixerupa and learn to fix it, and not knowledgeable enough to know what to look for to ensure I didn't buy a saw with problems! As you say, I guess no one here has used the mccolloch. Most people here seem to be pros using higher end tools and the mccolloch is probably not the type pf tool they usually look into. I shan't be buying it though, the info I'm getting from others is that mccolloch are poor and spares aren't available so when they break you bin them. It's possible the CS50S is a better saw, but I'm not going to risk it unless I start to hear good reviews from the UK users.

No comments from anyone? I thunk I'm taking that as, 'Mccolloch are rubbish throw away saws, best to avoid.' In that case I will avoid. I might try and remember to keep an ear out though, since none of the selling websites seem to have any reviews of the CS50 S I guess its new. I know its the updated Poulan pro 5020 (just a few minor tweaks i think), so perhaps there wasn't a Mccolloch version of the older saw in the UK....or perhaps Mccolloch over here is not the same as in the states....same saw but built in a different part of the world can often mean a drop in quality. Looks like I'll stick to my small stihl and going patiently on bigger logs.

Anybody got experiences of this saw? I understand McColloch is owned by Husqvarna and understand from reading some US sites that this saw is the same as the newer Poulan Pro 5020, but with a different bar. I don't know but would guess at an Oregon bar. I know the older Poulan pro has been around about 5 years and is thought of as an excellent saw for the cash, a bit under US$200 for a 50cc saw that pulls a 20" bar/chain ok. A bit heavy but actually quite reliable, sharing a lot of the parts with a Husky saw...err...the 450 i think. Many of the Poulan parts are even stamped with the Husky mark. It seems the Poulan pro is a great homeowner saw for what it costs. If all that applies to the McColloch then it seems tempting. I say that as I can't find the Poulan on sale this side of the pond and although I've found ebay sellers that ship internationally shipping is £50+, as is import taxes, so the Poulan pro ends up approaching £260, however I found the McColloch for £215, plus it may be a better bar (the poulan gets an odd 20" bar which takes an odder 70 link chain, so although i know nothing of the mccollochs bar it can only be better). What i don't know though is if the Mccolloch sold here is the same as that in the US market, and hence the same as the Poulan I get arb waste from a local tree surgeon and process my own firewood, about 6 or 7m3 a year. My little Stihl ms180 copes ok for that but I do get a few larger crotchety bits from time to time that are harder work with a small saw! Since I have a load of Ash like this currently I've thought about a bigger saw capable of a 18" bar. It would probably only get used 2 or 3 hours a year so although I'm a fan of good tools I can't justify a larger stihl or Husky, and I'd rather make do with just patience and my little stihl than buy a cheap pain in the rear, unreliable piece of rubbish. However if the McColloch is something that could be relied upon for its work for many years I might stretch to it. So anybody got experience or knowledge on it? Thanks

As a stove owner scrounging up and processing by hand whatever arb waste I can get, I have found myself really questioning the value of hardwood. Yes it is about half as dense again so you only need 2/3rds the volume to process and to store, and of course to feed into the stove. However when sat in the room by the stove a softwood log every 40 minutes is no more hassle than a hardwood log each hour and splitting the softwood is often far far easier. Also hardwood needs to be stored for 2 or 3 years to season, soft can usually be split in the spring and burnt the next winter. I guess I'm sold on a mix, softwood for ease and for instant high heat, a bit of hard for longer burns particularly if, as occasionally happens, you get lucky and some of the hard wood is easy to split, but I'd be happy if i got nothing but soft.

Robinia pseudoacacia, native of North America where is commonly known as black locust or simply 'primo firewood'. I read over the it is rot resistant and makes great fence posts. However the 2m౩ of it that i picked up the other day from, a dead standing tree, had the middle rotted out and is dry as a bone. Hope it splits ok dry. I'm looking forward to chucking it in the stove next winter