Ok... It would seem that this p@@sing contest is going to continue.
As such, let me pour a little more gas on the fire.
Let the flames begin!!
Theoretically, the 2 stroke engine should have a long, long service life, as once again, "theoretically", the piston doesn't actually touch the walls of the cylinder much, if at all. It's the rings that contact the cylinder walls, and they are held away from the cylinder walls by the microscopic layer of oil, emulsified in the mist of the atomized fuel from the carb. That's one of the nice things about a 2 stroke.. It always runs on dead fresh lubricants, not swimming in it's own by-products of combustion like a 4 stroke. Hence, it's life expectancy would seem to be determined more by the quality and amount of lubricants used, than by the metallurgy of it's components.
Clutch components, fuel lines, exterior plastics, may of course, vary from one manufacturer to another. Undoubtedly, a Stihl high end saw will be more likely to withstand an "oops", than a cheaper Chineesium saw. That being said, When you get down into any saw that is worth less than $300.00.. There is no longer ( IMHO) comparison to ANY brand of pro saw. Just because it's orange, doesn't mean that it's an old school Stihl. Just because it's green, doesn't mean that it's an old school John Deere.
Here... let me give you an example of what I mean..
https://kooybros.com/stihl-ms-170-chainsaw-30-1cc-with-16-bar
Yup.. $199.00 CDN.. What's that in USD? It's less than $150.00 USD.. So.. let's break that down a bit, shall we?
Retail always has a mark up .. Let's do this in CDN dollars, so w can start with the $200.00 figure..
The Dealer will make a minimum of 50% on the sale.. So, now it's a Dealer cost item of maybe $100.00 to $150.00. Max.
That means that Stihl also made a profit on the sale of the saw to the dealership of at least 25%.. So now the manufacturers cost, out the door to the Dealership, is in the $75.00 to $100.00 range.
Stihl also has to pay it's employees, and pay them far , far more than a Chinese employee, they also have to contribute to their pension plans, pay their Workman's Comp premiums, amortize the costs of depreciation of material assets ( building, equipment, etc..
Arguably, the cost of manufacturing a $200.00 saw is around $50.00 or less. At that cost of Manufacturing, do you really think that a "Chineesium" saw, without all that bloated infrastructure, is really less well constructed than a cheap Stihl?
IMHO, when it's cheap, it's cheaply made, no matter by which manufacturer, or where they are located.,
Comparing a $200.00 "Chinesium" saw to a $1,500 Stihl, is an apples to oranges debate.
To be fair, compare them on a "Bang for the buck" basis.. Even the playing field..
Let the games begin!!