nmurph
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- Joined
- Nov 26, 2007
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If you want a good running saw for 10 years buy a plastic case saw. I have seen clam shell saws only last 8-10 years with only weekend use during camping season and a bit of firewood cutting. My 032 has been cutting wood for over 30 years with only the chain, bar, and spark plug being replaced. This saw is a homeowner saw but built to todays pro standards, if you want your saw to last a few lifetimes it is best to buy a pro model, that is why people recommend them over the plastic clam shell home owner saws of today. I have saws that are are 40 and even 50 years old that run as they would brand new and none of them are made of plastic so there must be something to this all metal pro construction. I am a weekend warrior, not a pro, but my saws are.
I suspect the reason you don't see 40 year old plastic saws is bc they weren't using plastic in saws that long ago. There are lots of very durable clamshell, plastic saws that are felling and bucking trees everyday of their lives. Their durability is just as good as magnesium cased saws. Just about every tree service and right-of-way company is running 290's, etc..... They are cheaper to build, not more cheaply built. Every modern pro saw has a plastic tank and handle assembly. A plastic clamshell saw has the crank supported in a metal base (I know, there are a couple of exceptions) The pro saws are designed to be taken apart for service. I suspect that if manufacturers could figure out how to make a totally plastic-cased, pro-style, non-clamshell saw, that is as light as a Mg-cased saw, that you would see them on shelves everywhere. And while there are lots of very nice, great running old saws, I will take a modern saw everytime, if my livelyhood depended on it, even if it were a plastic-cased clamshell.