You guys often mention 'homeowner saws'. What kind of saws do people without homes have? Or what about 'renter saws'?
Typical Homeowner saw
- Thread starter bcorradi
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As a homeowner saw user, my primary concern is that the saw works when I want it to work. Power and performance and air filtration and antivibe are all well and good, but if it doesn't tolerate at least a little bit of neglect then I have no patience for it.
Back in the days when I lived in an apartment and my saw use was much less frequent than it is now, I had a pair of saws - an MS290 and a long-term-loan-from-a-buddy CS3000. The little Echo would sit for a year between uses, stale gas and all, but it would start up every darned time it was asked to start up. It was regularly put away wet and dirty, but it just kept working. Heck, it still works as reliably as can be, though its maintenance is given more attention nowadays. For most homeowners, this sort of tolerance of neglect is the mark of a "good" product and frankly I can see where they're coming from on that perspective.
Back in the days when I lived in an apartment and my saw use was much less frequent than it is now, I had a pair of saws - an MS290 and a long-term-loan-from-a-buddy CS3000. The little Echo would sit for a year between uses, stale gas and all, but it would start up every darned time it was asked to start up. It was regularly put away wet and dirty, but it just kept working. Heck, it still works as reliably as can be, though its maintenance is given more attention nowadays. For most homeowners, this sort of tolerance of neglect is the mark of a "good" product and frankly I can see where they're coming from on that perspective.
RED-85-Z51
Addicted to ArboristSite
Funny this thread would be up....
I picked up a Wild Thing from a customer today, he bought it in 2004.
After Ivan, it failed to crank.
He went up to the local Stihl Dealer and bought a New MS260 I beleive it was...
He loves the saw..but it acted up within the first week, and the dealer refused to service it, as they had "older customers to attend to first"....
So he got the Wild Thing going with some adjustments and dropped and chopped 32 trees ranging from 6" to 30", a few were nice sized white oak.
But the little Wild Thing did it all...the Stihl wouldnt start.
After a few months he took it to the dealer, and they had it for a few days, and he came and got it, and it worked fine, no explanation as to why it failed.
But he admits the Stihl is nicer, and it vibrates less, runs smoother, has more power...but he says he will keep the W/T until he cant get parts anymore...
Id say a homeowner saw is a saw the is a saw you can reach for occasionally to do some light work, and also do some firewood cutting as needed. It will likely be at or under 50cc's, and have a bar no longer than 20".
I picked up a Wild Thing from a customer today, he bought it in 2004.
After Ivan, it failed to crank.
He went up to the local Stihl Dealer and bought a New MS260 I beleive it was...
He loves the saw..but it acted up within the first week, and the dealer refused to service it, as they had "older customers to attend to first"....
So he got the Wild Thing going with some adjustments and dropped and chopped 32 trees ranging from 6" to 30", a few were nice sized white oak.
But the little Wild Thing did it all...the Stihl wouldnt start.
After a few months he took it to the dealer, and they had it for a few days, and he came and got it, and it worked fine, no explanation as to why it failed.
But he admits the Stihl is nicer, and it vibrates less, runs smoother, has more power...but he says he will keep the W/T until he cant get parts anymore...
Id say a homeowner saw is a saw the is a saw you can reach for occasionally to do some light work, and also do some firewood cutting as needed. It will likely be at or under 50cc's, and have a bar no longer than 20".
lazermule
ArboristSite Operative
+1 for the Wildthing
I think I posted this thread before, but the old Wildthing has never let me down. When I bought it, I was going to choose between it and I think a Woodshark? of a similar size. I had a buddy with me that was a complete city boy and knew nothing about chainsaws and he said "cool!, get that Wildthang! that thing is sweet". Well, I think the Wildthing had a longer bar and a bit more cc's, and a included case, so I decided on it. Now, I am happy I bought it as it has been and continues to be a great saw.
I remember when I first got it, I brought it up to deer camp to cut wood with the boys before the season. When I pulled it out there were a lot of laughs and some poking fun at it. My oldest more comical brother called it "The Nickelodean Saw", which we all had a good laugh over.
That weekend, the Wildthing proved itself well. We were cutting up 10 cords of lengths that we had dropped at camp. Pound for pound, dollar for dollar, it kept up with and out paced some getting the job done. This all happened 10 years ago and the Wildthing is still running strong.
I really dont take the best care of it, but I do run a good moto cross premix oil in it. It gets a steady diet of very large hardwoods. Just last weekend I did some milling with it and basically held it wide open in the cut for a full tank of fuel on a long rip with the full bar buried in a large oak. Yes, this is a bit much for it, and I wanted to see if it would take it which it did.
Since I bought Wildthing, there are now 3 other guys at deer camp that showed up with one.
This post is definately not to say that the Wildthing is the best saw out there, but hopefully you can read between the lines and see that they are a pretty good value. I also have a Husky 61 that I like very much as well.
Lazer
I think I posted this thread before, but the old Wildthing has never let me down. When I bought it, I was going to choose between it and I think a Woodshark? of a similar size. I had a buddy with me that was a complete city boy and knew nothing about chainsaws and he said "cool!, get that Wildthang! that thing is sweet". Well, I think the Wildthing had a longer bar and a bit more cc's, and a included case, so I decided on it. Now, I am happy I bought it as it has been and continues to be a great saw.
I remember when I first got it, I brought it up to deer camp to cut wood with the boys before the season. When I pulled it out there were a lot of laughs and some poking fun at it. My oldest more comical brother called it "The Nickelodean Saw", which we all had a good laugh over.
That weekend, the Wildthing proved itself well. We were cutting up 10 cords of lengths that we had dropped at camp. Pound for pound, dollar for dollar, it kept up with and out paced some getting the job done. This all happened 10 years ago and the Wildthing is still running strong.
I really dont take the best care of it, but I do run a good moto cross premix oil in it. It gets a steady diet of very large hardwoods. Just last weekend I did some milling with it and basically held it wide open in the cut for a full tank of fuel on a long rip with the full bar buried in a large oak. Yes, this is a bit much for it, and I wanted to see if it would take it which it did.
Since I bought Wildthing, there are now 3 other guys at deer camp that showed up with one.
This post is definately not to say that the Wildthing is the best saw out there, but hopefully you can read between the lines and see that they are a pretty good value. I also have a Husky 61 that I like very much as well.
Lazer
bcorradi
Arboristsite.com Sponsor
Good post Brandon. The most common neglect a homeowner exposes his or her saw to is fuel related neglect. I think there is a misconception that people tend to think "pro" saws will be able to withstand this neglect more than "home owner" saws, but that is not the case.As a homeowner saw user, my primary concern is that the saw works when I want it to work. Power and performance and air filtration and antivibe are all well and good, but if it doesn't tolerate at least a little bit of neglect then I have no patience for it.
Back in the days when I lived in an apartment and my saw use was much less frequent than it is now, I had a pair of saws - an MS290 and a long-term-loan-from-a-buddy CS3000. The little Echo would sit for a year between uses, stale gas and all, but it would start up every darned time it was asked to start up. It was regularly put away wet and dirty, but it just kept working. Heck, it still works as reliably as can be, though its maintenance is given more attention nowadays. For most homeowners, this sort of tolerance of neglect is the mark of a "good" product and frankly I can see where they're coming from on that perspective.
sawinredneck
Addicted to ArboristSite
The wildthingy is a great way to go here. Around here you can rent either Stihl, 290 with a 20" bar is as big as it gets, or Makita with a 20" bar also. But this gets pricey fast!!! Call around if you don't believe me, you could pay for a wildthing prety quick!!!
Now for the Wildthing, it is the truest most perfect form of geniues to ever come from Polaun!!!! It's painted brite, it has wild silk screening on the bar to arouse the testorone, it's priced so it's disposable, and has just enpough power to do 90% of what any homeowner needs to do! If you leave it over the winter and it wont start, sell it in the garage sale after you buy a new one! It's perfect for most of the population!!!!!
Need/want a lttle more saw? I recomend the Husky 350, still a reasonable price, and it's twice as durable as a wildthingy.
Now you want more than that, you are now addicted to chainsaws
THALL10326
The Champ
He went up to the local Stihl Dealer and bought a New MS260 I beleive it was...
He loves the saw..but it acted up within the first week, and the dealer refused to service it, as they had "older customers to attend to first"....
After a few months he took it to the dealer, and they had it for a few days, and he came and got it, and it worked fine, no explanation as to why it failed.
But he admits the Stihl is nicer, and it vibrates less, runs smoother, has more power...but he says he will keep the W/T until he cant get parts anymore...
Good story. Took it back after a few months huh, patient man he is, hmmmmmmmm.
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andrethegiant70
Addicted to ArboristSite
LAZERMULE has done some good posting here..... if you needed a glimpse of what MOST folks think when they're trying to get work done, you've got it right there. A Wildthing CAN indeed be the right tool for the job. I do have to say, though, that people who buy the nicer tools are always going to have one thing in common.... they don't JUST care about getting the job at hand out of the way, they need to see intrinsic value in the items they own. Call it pride, vanity, appreciation or whatever you like. People who understand that if you're in it for the long haul, buying a cheap item has pitfalls.
Buying cheap tools may not even make financial sense.. if you buy 4 Wildthings instead of buying one Stihl, you probably haven't saved money. The bottom line? People can be grossly EXPEDIENT. Purchasing a Wildthig is an EXPEDIENT thing to do. At least most folks would think so. I think expediency is also a tendancy that extends way beyond the area of retail purchases. I'm obviously generalizing, but people who just go buy the first thing they see on the shelf (a wildthing at Walmart) are also less likely to care about supporting the local economy, devoting to time to understanding important issues, voting in the next election, etc.
Honestly, I think that's why most on AS have a fairly dim view of Wildthing purchases... most of us have a little thing inside us that says, "Good, God, man, ya' bought a Wildthing?! Don't ya' care about ANYTHNG?" Don't you all agree that its a joyous occasion then a Wildthing convert posts to the site by saying, "Jeese, I'm really loving the whole quality-tool bit!" Imagine what would happen if the same thinking were applied in other areas.
BTW, I'm NOT saying that the Wildthing doesn't have a place... for some, a well-considered Wildthing is the best bet. I'm just saying that many, and possibly most, don't really spend much time thinking about what they do or buy... bright colors and a kitchy names do MOST of the selling these days.
Here's a toast to you folks on AS! Congratulations on keeping the bar high!
Buying cheap tools may not even make financial sense.. if you buy 4 Wildthings instead of buying one Stihl, you probably haven't saved money. The bottom line? People can be grossly EXPEDIENT. Purchasing a Wildthig is an EXPEDIENT thing to do. At least most folks would think so. I think expediency is also a tendancy that extends way beyond the area of retail purchases. I'm obviously generalizing, but people who just go buy the first thing they see on the shelf (a wildthing at Walmart) are also less likely to care about supporting the local economy, devoting to time to understanding important issues, voting in the next election, etc.
Honestly, I think that's why most on AS have a fairly dim view of Wildthing purchases... most of us have a little thing inside us that says, "Good, God, man, ya' bought a Wildthing?! Don't ya' care about ANYTHNG?" Don't you all agree that its a joyous occasion then a Wildthing convert posts to the site by saying, "Jeese, I'm really loving the whole quality-tool bit!" Imagine what would happen if the same thinking were applied in other areas.
BTW, I'm NOT saying that the Wildthing doesn't have a place... for some, a well-considered Wildthing is the best bet. I'm just saying that many, and possibly most, don't really spend much time thinking about what they do or buy... bright colors and a kitchy names do MOST of the selling these days.
Here's a toast to you folks on AS! Congratulations on keeping the bar high!
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Bowtie
Gearhead
im just a homeowner that does odd saw jobs and cuts firewood. I absolutely didnt need a 441 for what I do. But I WANTED it! And I LOVE IT! I have to admit that when I purchase a tool, I want the highest quality tool for the job. I grew up in a poor family and we usually couldnt have nice things, so maybe I over splurge now that I can afford it. I just cant see buying the cheapest tool for sale, unless you are limited by budget. Just my opinion.
lazermule
ArboristSite Operative
I guess I forgot to add in my post that when I bought the Wildthing, it was pretty much what I could afford at the time. To tell you the truth the flashy color scheme kind of turned me off and almost swayed me away from it. I was just out of college not making much money and trying to afford a house. 10 years later it still works well for me. I have been pretty fortunate with chainsaws though as my neighbor gave me a Husky 61 that I went through and overhauled and modded a bit. It runs real good and cuts great and I use it for milling. In the next year or so, I will probably buy another saw (new this time). I am leaning toward another Husky as they seem to be a well built saw. I am thinking bigger this time in the 65+cc range. So what Husky should I be looking at? I will be doing a fair amount of milling with it. Can I get one around $500-$600.
LAZER
LAZER
oldsaw
"Been There, Milled That"
Hmmm, are you guys telling me I need to buy a "homeowners" saw? I'll put it on my "list" for next year. My budget is shot for the rest of this year.
Mark
Mark
oldsaw
"Been There, Milled That"
All my saws are homeowner saws......
.
I was going to say that, but went the other direction with this.
Yep, a friend of mine was doing some cleaning up with his "SearsThing", and I pulled out my 066. He just about soiled himself. Then I pointed at the 3120 still in the hatch of the car. I think he did it then.
Mark
outdoortype
ArboristSite Guru
Not everyone is a saw buff like us. I'm not saying it's wrong to spend money on pro features. But at the same time, there are lots of woodcutters who would much rather just buy what gets them by. And that's why the farm boss's & ranchers are so popular(except here). Andy and lazermule can both attest that homeowner type saws can do the job.
joatmon
Addicted to ArboristSite
Yep. Just follow my lead and I'll follow yours. I really want a reason to have a 3120 w/ 16" bar.
May your cut never end in soil,
Joat
Yep. Just follow my lead and I'll follow yours. I really want a reason to have a 3120 w/ 16" bar.
May your cut never end in soil,
Joat
16" is what I run on my 3120....
.
LarryTheCableGuy
Addicted to ArboristSite
LarryTheCableGuy
Addicted to ArboristSite
Here it is in PNW Full wrap ........With the Norway big wood bar on it...
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