Chainsaws you had to use and didn't like.

[a. palmer jr.]

Don't know what the Apples are...Oranges, I guess are Huskys and Stihls?

 

[RandyMac]

My point of reference is only the chainsaws I have used, which means those made in the '60s, '70s and a couple from the '80s. I haven't run very many newer chainsaws. In my experience stihls from that period were lacking in the power to weight ratios and were far more expensive to operate.

 

[Trx250r180]

My point of reference is only the chainsaws I have used, which means those made in the '60s, '70s and a couple from the '80s. I haven't run very many newer chainsaws. In my experience stihls from that period were lacking in the power to weight ratios and were far more expensive to operate.

what, ran no plastic saws ? say it isnt so

 

[RandyMac]

what, ran no plastic saws ? say it isnt so

Does a 346 count?

 

[Eccentric]

No Stihl man here. I just used the 290, which isn't highly regarded here, as an example. I spent many days running them homelites and macs. Much rather use some old partners, huskys, jonsered, or stihl.
My buddy has xl12's and a sxlao that are in good shape and tune. It's almost painfull to watch him cut. Tank for tank they put considerly less wood on the ground. The only homey i don't mind using is a super ez auto.

If it's "almost painful" to watch you buddy cut, then he's probably running old chipper chain and/or can't sharpen chain and/or set raker height for #### (and/or his saws aren't as healthy or correctly tuned as you believe). I have ran more than a few 029's and MS290's, and they're not the huge leap ahead of the Homelites and Macs that you're making them out to be. Believe what you want however....

 

[Trx250r180]

Does a 346 count?

i hear they are ok ,never ran one myself the new saws are kind of like the new dirtbikes ,old ones did the job ,but the newer ones dont wear you out as bad and still do the job

 

[PLAYINWOOD]

pioneer P28
038 magnum
Husky 353
Homelight XL

 

[DSS]

pioneer P28

038 magnum

Husky 353

Homelight XL

You didn't like any of those saws??

 

[CJ1]

1st had to be a homelite 410, what a joke never ran the same when or if it ran. Next was the XL 12, lotsa noise and not much done, but it did run. The 034 super was next, slow, heavy just did not feel right but very reliable. CJ

 

[albert]

If it's "almost painful" to watch you buddy cut, then he's probably running old chipper chain and/or can't sharpen chain and/or set raker height for #### (and/or his saws aren't as healthy or correctly tuned as you believe). I have ran more than a few 029's and MS290's, and they're not the huge leap ahead of the Homelites and Macs that you're making them out to be. Believe what you want however....

He uses sharp non saftey semi chisel and full chisel, saws are sound and tuned well. If you or I, each take a mint xl12 and a good 290 to the woods, and you believe the xl12 will have as much or more wood cut up in say 2 hours? The 290 is not a huge leap ahead, thats why I used it for an example. Plus you will still have feeling in your hands when you are done.

 

[Eccentric]

Typed up a long response TWICE and it got lost somehow.... Third time be the charm..

He uses sharp non saftey semi chisel and full chisel, saws are sound and tuned well. If you or I, each take a mint xl12 and a good 290 to the woods, and you believe the xl12 will have as much or more wood cut up in say 2 hours? The 290 is not a huge leap ahead, thats why I used it for an example. Plus you will still have feeling in your hands when you are done.

Yes. BTDT with my SXL-AO cutting with guys that had those Stihls. Also ran those stihls myself. You mentioned SXL's in your "would cut circles around" statement. Now you say the 290 isn't a huge leap ahead of these Macs and Homelites? Then what does "cut circles around" mean? I've NEVER seen a significant performance or reliablility 'edge' with those particular stihls over the old Homelite and Mac saws in question.

I'm not saying that all newer saws aren't better than these 40 year old designs. That'd be silly. Was just addressing your "so you'd rather fix your saws than run them" and "even the lowly 290 Stihl would cut circles around any XL12 or SXL" comments. That's IT. Not taking old-vs-new, US-vs-European, or addressing other factors (vibration, etc). I asked you why you made your "so you'd rather fix..." comment and you never answered, other than throwing the "cutting circles" statement out.

You mentioned that the 290 would do all that 'cutting circles around' stuff while surviving the abuse of morons (paraphrasing here)................well what do you think those Macs and Homelites have done? They've survived 3-4 DECADES of such abuse, and MANY are still out there makin' wood. Many more of them could be gotten off the shelf and revived with only a fuel line, a carb kit, and a sharp chain. How many of those plastic stihls will still be cutting wood 40+ years after they were built (without a complete rebuild)? I'd bet that # would be MUCH less than the numbers of these Homelites and Macs that are out doing work decades after they left the assembly line...

 

[Tim Carroll]

If it's "almost painful" to watch you buddy cut, then he's probably running old chipper chain and/or can't sharpen chain and/or set raker height for #### (and/or his saws aren't as healthy or correctly tuned as you believe). I have ran more than a few 029's and MS290's, and they're not the huge leap ahead of the Homelites and Macs that you're making them out to be. Believe what you want however....

+1

The only thing that a 029 has on my dad's old Pro Mac 55 is that the 290 has anti vibe (although not the best anti vibe) Other than that, the old Mac will out preform the Stihl and I have lots of time on both saws. I consider this an apples to apples comparison between saws of roughly the same dispalacement from a Mac from the 70's to a Stihl from the late 90's.

PS Don't get me wrong my old 029 has served me well over the years, it is just not the kind of machine the old Mac is. Of course the Mac did not have a choked up muffler to meet EPA regs but the build quality of the old mag case saws was hard to beat.

 

[deye223]

the biggest pos i owned was a 262XP power to weight was poor not much lighter

than a ms 460 but gutless, just enough grunt to run a 18"b&c and was allways

out with the screwdriver that was the only good thing about the saw it taught me

how to tune, it was a bi tch to start i had it for 9 years

and it wasn't just the one that i had because i ran another one and it was the same

thank god the 390XP i have now is the direct opposite

 

[Overtrained]

Have not yet had the pleasure of working with a crappy saw, but I'm finally doing a Small Engine Repair course where I hope to rehabilitate a Mac 2116AV with a bum oiler. Maybe then?

post scriptum
anyone else using Chrome browser on a Mac (the computer not the saw)? and getting a mixture of Swedish and English? Doesn't happen with other browsers.

You have to take a small engine repair course to replace a piece of rotted oil hose?

 

[arborealbuffoon]

the biggest pos i owned was a 262XP power to weight was poor not much lighter

than a ms 460 but gutless, just enough grunt to run a 18"b&c and was allways

out with the screwdriver that was the only good thing about the saw it taught me

how to tune, it was a bi tch to start i had it for 9 years

and it wasn't just the one that i had because i ran another one and it was the same

thank god the 390XP i have now is the direct opposite

I suspect you may find yourself in the minority with the ol' 262's. From what I have seen, they continue to be a very desirable saw among both production folks and collectors. Since my 262 has been run so much, it is the next saw that is gonna get some lovin' around my stable. I am looking forward to finding out just how well a 262 can run without grinding it within an inch of its life. Might even (gasp!) shoot for a NOS approach. Depends on the parts I find.....

All of which is to say.....send ME your old unwanted 262's and I will save you from the suffering!

 

[Macman125]

I cut firewood anytime I have spare time. As far as my most hated saws it would have to be any of the old mini macs or mac eager beavers. You could have every thing right on those saws and they were still harder than all be got to get started.

As far as the echo cs360t goes I have one and use it quite frequently and I have never had an issue with it. It was gutless at first but this was due to a muffler with catalyst in it. I removed the catalyst and opened it up a bit and adjusted the carb and viola a great little top handle saw.


As far as the macs go you cant beat the raw torque of a sp125 or super 797 with any of the new saws produced today And they are reed induction.

 

[Macman125]

Well this one died.:msp_sad:

 

[timberland ts]

Was on an off road climbing crew got a husky 334 top handle broke down more than it ran brand new then got a 192 stihl no problems

 

[furb]

Husqvarna K760s, brand new they're junk and after a couple hundred hours they are worthless. No balls, clutch side front av mount breaks off the case, won't start and when they do they won't shut off. The old ts400s, older partners with almost no compression start easier and seem to run better. AV is the only good thing about them. They are that bad nobody I work with will buy a Husqvarna anything. Its a shame they don't know what they're missing while they brag about good their farm boss is...

 

[albert]

550xp, Hard to restart and did not want to idle most of the time. Don't know how the dealer sent it out new like that. Owner had it back same day, still on the dealers fuel. Had it back numerous times, and went without for 3 plus weeks. Same way when he got it back, long story short dealer, replaced the saw. New saw would not restart hot from day one, 2 more trips back to dealer. Seems ok now, he never got a straight answer to what fixed it. It was not a fun day when we took the original saw on it's first job, only small saw, had to limb with a 395. He still takes his trusty 026 now just in case.