Maybe nobody cares...but I'll explain it a bit....
If you look on the backside of the plastic parts you will see a standard notation describing what the plastic is. In many Stihl parts you will see something like this: >PA6 30GF< What this means is simple to me as I deal with it every day, but most poeple don't. It mean the part is made from Nylon 6 (PolyAmide 6 = PA6) and that it is 30% glass filled (=30GF). Glass filling does 2 things: increases strength and stiffness dramatically and reduces cost as glass is cheaper than plastic (chew on that for a second, those who like to say "cheap plastic"...).
Nylons are great plastics. They are very strong, have good (not great) impact resistance, are very solvent-resistant, and are also fairly low-cost at the same time. That is a combination that is not common. You usually pay for performance. A lot. But Stihl (for example) is able to make the entire handle tank assy out of 2 parts molded from Nylon 6,6. I know this as I am rebuilding a 660 (not exactly a homeowner saw) right now that got crushed by a tree. Think aluminum can stand up to a 24" oak? No sir.
Plastics are not
stronger than metals (well, until you hit the extremes of both materials, in opposite directions). They never will be. But they have many other advantages which is why they are used. The biggest one is the ability to mold-in very intricate details in plastic parts, IMHO. It allows you to get rid of other parts by consolidating them into one more complex part, but wihtout all those extra screws and/or joints. Another key one is that they are LIGHTER. Bingo! These are the 2 main reasons they are used in saws. I examined the tank handle assy on the 660 and the engineering and thought that went into it were very impressive. If this was required to be all metal to meet the Manly-Man test, the saw would weigh 25 lbs. Instead it weighs like 16-17. That's like 40% lighter! So weight doesn't matter? Of course it does. Some of you bleating about "plastic handles" would be compaining about how heavy that "old tech" saw was if that was the case. Some people just like to complain...
There are plastics that can withstand 600 deg F. There are plastics that can bend into a pretzel without breaking. There are
transparent plastics that can stop bullets that no glass can. And you can still see through them. Heck, bullet-proof vests are plastic (Spectra or Kevlar). So are your chain saw chaps (Kevlar is a relative of Nylon, in the plastic world). Technology has come a long way in the last 50 yrs...
There is a lot more technology in that "plastic" 362 saw than you give it credit. from the handles and tanks to the new strato carbs. There is a reason saws are not all metal today, and it is actually a good one, IMHO.
/soapbox exit/
opcorn:
Dude, you are an idiot, plain and simple. Take your trash somewhere else. If you and your pops keep breaking handles, its time to learn how to properly use a chainsaw.
