New chainsaw, quality concern

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  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 32,906
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    motorhead43026 wrote: »
    Tony should be the go to guy on which saw is the best. Don't the Italians use these to dismember the opposition/competition?

    Nah.....too much splatter with a chainsaw. Wood chippers work best but are a bit noisy and hard to get to those undisclosed locations. Better to just keep them whole and buy a bag of lime, drop in a sewer and forgetaboutit. ;)
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  • hochpt21
    hochpt21 Posts: 5,423
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    This thread is incredibly timely. I live on a fully wooded lot and needed a small saw to clear various small trees etc.

    Budget was limited at $200, so ended up with a 14" Echo. Just brought it home today. :)

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  • mdaudioguy
    mdaudioguy Posts: 5,165
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    Put some goggles, gloves, and a helmet on him and put him to work!

    My dealer sells Echo and after the first experience, I almost went with one. I think they're likely pretty good, too.
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  • mdaudioguy
    mdaudioguy Posts: 5,165
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    The Echo does offer a better warranty.
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  • dromunds
    dromunds Posts: 9,984
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    Well, if its anything like my Dad's Echo you'll be using the warranty a lot. When its running good, its a good saw but its been broke a real lot, and then it takes a few weeks to get it fixed because they have to order some plastic part. VERY frustrating. Last winter was the first time it ran well all winter. If it breaks down this winter its going.
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  • ken brydson
    ken brydson Posts: 8,650
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    Stihl dealer doubled my warranty on my blower with purchase of a 6 pack of their oil...
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  • hochpt21
    hochpt21 Posts: 5,423
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    dromunds wrote: »
    Well, if its anything like my Dad's Echo you'll be using the warranty a lot. When its running good, its a good saw but its been broke a real lot, and then it takes a few weeks to get it fixed because they have to order some plastic part. VERY frustrating. Last winter was the first time it ran well all winter. If it breaks down this winter its going.

    I'm hoping I get lucky. $200 isn't a very big budget, so I figured this was better than a Poulon Pro or the likes.

    It won't get a ton of use, just some smaller trees and some minor lot clearing. Hopefully, it holds up.

    I've had a buddy and his dad out here twice and I give them $50 each both times, so I figure 4 cutting sessions and I have the thing paid off .. lol!
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  • jeremymarcinko
    jeremymarcinko Posts: 3,785
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    Echo makes a good saw. I think you'll be happy with it for many years.
    Oh, Listen here mister. We got no way of understandin' this world. But we got as much sense of this bird flyin in the sky. Now there is a lot that bird don't know, but it don't change the fact that the world is happening to him all the same. What I am tryin to say is, is that the course of your life, well its changing, and you don't even see it- Forest Bondurant
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  • gmcman
    gmcman Posts: 1,759
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    tonyb wrote: »
    mdaudioguy wrote: »
    Who knows.... When I returned it a little over an hour after buying it, the guy asked me if I remembered to add the oil to the gas. I told him it was still running on the fuel they had prepped it with. They had sold it to me with a nearly full tank. I hadn't added anything.

    Surprised they sold you something with gas in it.

    Stihl dealers are required to initially fuel the device and make sure it runs correctly. They possibly grabbed a can of gas without oil, but they made good on it so that's great.

    I like both Husky and Stihl, I prefer Stihl blowers and trimmers but Husky saws.....their anti-vibe is legendary. All their pro saws are great, both companies. Stihl IMO is typical German engineering.....generally over built but well built....Husky is simple and their XP saws just run and run well.
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  • motorstereo
    motorstereo Posts: 2,052
    edited October 2016
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    Don't worry about ethanol-gas in 2 stroke motors. It's all we have around here and I've never had a problem with any of my 2 stroke motors over the years. If your gas has to sit over the winter (like mine does) add some Sea-foam to it and you'll be good to go in the spring.

    But do worry about not getting the fuel-oil mixture correct or worse yet using low quality mix oil.
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  • muncybob
    muncybob Posts: 2,972
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    Non ethanol is hard to come by here and where they do sell it the price is thru the roof(like $8/gal). I've been cutting wood with my Jonsered(aka Husq) for many years now and run Startron additive in it...no problems.
    Yep, my name really is Bob.
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  • jeremymarcinko
    jeremymarcinko Posts: 3,785
    edited October 2016
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    It don't think it would have never started with straight gas. The air fuel ratio would have likely been too rich and fouled the plug.
    Oh, Listen here mister. We got no way of understandin' this world. But we got as much sense of this bird flyin in the sky. Now there is a lot that bird don't know, but it don't change the fact that the world is happening to him all the same. What I am tryin to say is, is that the course of your life, well its changing, and you don't even see it- Forest Bondurant
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  • mdaudioguy
    mdaudioguy Posts: 5,165
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    Oh, 2-cycle engines will start and run without oil in the mix... just not for long. They'll die especially quick at higher RPMs or under load.
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  • mdaudioguy
    mdaudioguy Posts: 5,165
    edited October 2016
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    So, yesterday I decided to pull my old Stihl, model 015L, out of its case and see what was up with it. I think it might have been my grandfather's, but my memory of where it came from isn't really that good. Also, I hadn't really used it in perhaps MORE THAN 16 YEARS! I'm sure I drained the old fuel out of it when I last used it (that's what I normally would have done). I added a little fuel mix and gave it a few pulls on full choke - lo and behold, it sounded like it might start. So, I flip it off full choke and it starts! Of course, there was some smoke at first (just for a few seconds), but it ran and sounded pretty good. I used it a good bit yesterday.

    Wow - as far as I can tell with a little internet research, this saw is somewhere between 33 and 43 years old! I can only hope the new Stihl is this durable, and I'm getting the feeling it might be.

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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,049
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    That is (and I really, truly mean this as a compliment) a darling little chainsaw!
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  • mdaudioguy
    mdaudioguy Posts: 5,165
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    Lol! It's perfect if you want to do something stupid like climb a ladder and trim a branch, not that I'd recommend doing such a thing, or even try it myself...
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  • Nightfall
    Nightfall Posts: 10,071
    edited October 2016
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    mhardy6647 wrote: »
    Are there any four-cycle chainsaw engines? That'd be a Tim "The Toolman" Taylor kinda chainsaw...

    Honda makes a four stroke 25cc engine for their line trimmers.
    afterburnt wrote: »
    They didn't speak a word of English, they were from South Carolina.

    Village Idiot of Club Polk
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  • Upstatemax
    Upstatemax Posts: 2,623
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    I think I'll fire up the saw this week and head over to my Dad's...

    Got some stuff to clear and Dad has some good bourbon to drink (after the work is done).

    The Totem Fires in the living room don't hurt either.
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  • mdaudioguy
    mdaudioguy Posts: 5,165
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    Sounds like a great excuse!
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,049
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    Got some stuff to clear and Dad has some good bourbon to drink (after the work is done).
    Whew! Glad I read the parenthesis!
    Bourbon & chainsaws do not mix! Darwin Award fodder, for sure...

    ;)


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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,049
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    Nightfall wrote: »
    mhardy6647 wrote: »
    Are there any four-cycle chainsaw engines? That'd be a Tim "The Toolman" Taylor kinda chainsaw...

    Honda makes a four stroke 25cc engine for their line trimmers.

    I have a Mantis tiller with a four stroke Honda engine. It is pretty small, but I don't think it's that small.

    Come to think of it, I shouldn't be surprised by little four-strokes. Silly me. Seeing the above-quoted post, I do now recall from my son's R/C plane days that they even make itty-bitty four stroke engines for R/C planes!

    osmg0900bs01l-lg.jpg

    Of course, you can get these, too :)

    osmg1307-main.png

    https://youtu.be/aDH0egJTMro

    and...

    rxi-b__large.jpg

    Yeah, jet-powered chainsaws! Now you're talkin'...

    ;)
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  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 32,906
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    I'd like to strap a couple of those micro jet engines on a skateboard and see what happens.
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  • Jstas
    Jstas Posts: 14,712
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    Briggs and Stratton has been making small, 4-cycle engines for probably 8 years now. I have a 4-cycle leaf blower that is at least 7 years old and a 4-cycle weed whacker that is a tad older. Both are Craftsman products. I know the weedwhacker is 29cc, I think the leaf blower is slightly smaller.

    Both make a glorious noise! Also, the torque on them is rather impressive. The weedwhack broke it's throttle handle set screw trying to twist itself out of my hand and the leaf blower want to nose up at WOT. Thankfully, you don't need WOT on the leaf blower for it to be effective.

    There are no 4-cycle chainsaw that I know of though.
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,049
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    WOT wide open throttle... took me a bit to decode that one ;)
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  • exalted512
    exalted512 Posts: 10,735
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    Stihl makes great products, but I'm not sure about their consumer line. I'd imagine, like most other things, they're (the consumer stuff) made in the same factory as a host of other brands, but wouldn't be able to confirm that without looking it up.

    +1000 to ethanol though. Try to get ethanol-free or it might be in your best interest to buy the premix stuff at the stihl dealer or lowes/home depot (they have their own stuff). Especially for items that might only get used once or twice a year.

    I recently bought Stihl's Professional KombiSystem. It's a multitool which is essentially a weedeater that you can change out the attachments for. So it's primary duty for me is a weedeater. I rarely have a use for a chainsaw, but one of the attachments is a chain saw. I haven't purchased it yet (its $200 for just the attachment), but I do planning on getting it. The setup is pricey. It was $421 for me for the 'head' and the 'line trimmer tool (weedeater)' and that was on sale. Like someone mentioned, they also doubled the warranty when I bought their oil as well. But it'll last forever. I've gone through a lot of cheaper weedeaters that I got for free from people and fixed them up to where they would work 'okay', but finally got fed up with always having issues with them starting, so I bit the bullet and spent the money on something that I'll hopefully never have an issue with.
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  • mdaudioguy
    mdaudioguy Posts: 5,165
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    Agree on the weed trimmers - I've been through too many cheapos. Next one will likely be a Stihl.

    Non-ethanol gas just isn't easy to come by around here, but I'm a believer in Sta-bil, which I believe makes a difference.
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  • txcoastal1
    txcoastal1 Posts: 13,132
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    I too bought that same little Echo. Ran it about 6hrs on Friday hacking mesquite, cedar, and huisache trees at the ranch, did fine and dandy
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  • Sami
    Sami Posts: 4,634
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    exalted512 wrote: »
    Stihl makes great products, but I'm not sure about their consumer line. I'd imagine, like most other things, they're (the consumer stuff) made in the same factory as a host of other brands, but wouldn't be able to confirm that without looking it up.
    The consumer chainsaws are built in Stihl factory in USA. The pro series are built in Germany.
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  • Msabot1
    Msabot1 Posts: 2,098
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    They are located in Va.Beach Va....I knew a couple of CNC people that took me on a tour of the facility there...Was very impressive..ultra modern..
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  • hochpt21
    hochpt21 Posts: 5,423
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    Getting ready to take my new little Echo out for a spin this morning. Got some fairly light work to do. Hope it performs well.
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