Cheap look alike chainsaw...

[Sidecarflip]

Not that I'd buy one because I have all the saws I need but..

Menards has on sale for 88 bucks a look alike Echo Timber Bear saw with what they state is a 'Craftsman Engine', whatever the hell that is and an adjustable oiler too, The picture in the flyer shows a bar and chain included and sure looks like an Echo Timber Bear look alike (hard to see exactly what it looks like as the picture is small.

In their mid-week flyer that I just got. Says 'Special Order, limited quantities so you better truck over to your local Menards and have a look see before they are gone. I'm gonna trundle over tomorrow for a look see and even though I don't need one, 88 bucks for a real saw is hard to pass up....

 

[thompsoncustom]

didn't the craftsman run poulan engines? pretty sure they worked good tho

 

[Jethro 2t sniffer]

 

[Sidecarflip]

didn't the craftsman run poulan engines? pretty sure they worked good tho

I don't know actually. Only Polan I ever had (decades ago) had a bow bar on it and I sold it long ago. It was okay but nothing to write home about. If I remember correctly, it suffered from hot vapor lock like the Stihl 007 I had then as well. Nothing netter than being in a tree with the little Stihl hanging on a lanyard and going to use it and it not starting. Don't do aerial tree work any more so I have no need for one actually.

 

[WI_Hedgehog]

From what I've seen MTD makes Sears Craftsman saws based on (from what I can tell) a mix of the best Jonsred technology from all Jonsred saw lines. They're decent if you care for them like the girlfriend's cat. Lots of plastic though metal where it counts. If you push them they'll probably break, treat them gentle and you'll get a bunch of hours out of them.

Parts are the downside, they're meant to be like cheap pens: throw them away if they don't work, so getting rings or a piston might be a project. Therefore if you buy one buy another as a parts donar.

They're also slightly underpowered as you'd expect compared to Husqvarna or STIHL, though the purchase price isn't in the same ballpark either.

They aren't production saws though are a good value if they're treated gently.

 

[Sidecarflip]

For 88 smackers + 6% tax but with the Menards 11% rebate, it offsets the tax but but the rebate only applies to store items which is a non issue because we shop there all the time anyway and the in store rebates never expire. I need to get down there and see one, if they have not vanished already. For 88 clams, if it pukes, it can go to the landfill.

 

[Lightning Performance]

For 88 smackers + 6% tax but with the Menards 11% rebate, it offsets the tax but but the rebate only applies to store items which is a non issue because we shop there all the time anyway and the in store rebates never expire. I need to get down there and see one, if they have not vanished already. For 88 clams, if it pukes, it can go to the landfill.

Just get two and pull the plastic covers when you get them to start checking everything over before the parts shake themselves off. I'll donate some locktite to the new victims
Chop up the mufflers before you fuel them. Probably a good idea to remove those pesky base gaskets that can blowout. Then you can file the chain and see if it survives the first tank of fuel with all the bolts locked down

Then test the 80/20 mix
After that it's storm damage

 

[Burning man]

Not that I'd buy one because I have all the saws I need but..

Menards has on sale for 88 bucks a look alike Echo Timber Bear saw with what they state is a 'Craftsman Engine', whatever the hell that is and an adjustable oiler too, The picture in the flyer shows a bar and chain included and sure looks like an Echo Timber Bear look alike (hard to see exactly what it looks like as the picture is small.

In their mid-week flyer that I just got. Says 'Special Order, limited quantities so you better truck over to your local Menards and have a look see before they are gone. I'm gonna trundle over tomorrow for a look see and even though I don't need one, 88 bucks for a real saw is hard to pass up....

They're just rebadged zenoah/redmax clones sold as craftsman and Remington from mtd made by painier in China. They run good if tuned right. These are no relation to the older Poulan saws.

 

[thompsoncustom]

Ya I believe at one time the Husqvarna 42, Poulan, and Craftman all ran the same engine setup.

Ya it was pretty good for a low budget saw sub 100 bucks

 

[Sidecarflip]

Went to Menards last night and alas, they were sold out...lol Maybe they had a couple, but all were gone. Oh well. Don't need one anyway. I did pick up a couple 2.5 gallon jugs of Rotella T6 (5-40). I need to change the oil in the farm tractors and the buggies. Fall is coming as well as winter and my vehicles start easier with 5-40 versus the 15-40. Got that and a couple packs of Lloyds Kansas City style BBQ'd ribs in the frozen food freezer and the wife got a couple 20 pound bags of sunflower seeds for the birdies. Cannot ever go to Menards without buying something...lol

 

[RedneckChainsawRepair]

I was at Menard's yesterday. All they had for $88 was the Black and decker 42cc gas saw. Looked alot like china zenoah clone or MTD saw. Was $88 after 11% rebate.

Had a bunch of them in boxes and 2 on shelf.


https://www.menards.com/main/outdoo...34-c-10109.htm?tid=5733009186766553811&ipos=4

 

[Sidecarflip]

Only have one Menards close by and none to be had. I see it has a roller nose bar with a grease hole as well. Wonder if I can get a rain check on it?... I'll pass, I have everything I need now. Really don't want another MTD (more tools desired) products as it is. I have 2 Cub Cadet ZTR's, one of which is going down the road (trade in) for a Kubota F Series front mount diesel ZTR with a steering wheel instead of the usual oars. My wife has the RZT (Cub Cadet) with the steering wheel and I'm quite fond of it.

 

[HumBurner]

Ya I believe at one time the Husqvarna 42, Poulan, and Craftman all ran the same engine setup.

Ya it was pretty good for a low budget saw sub 100 bucks

Maybe you mean a 40 or 41....?

42/42sp/242/242xp are good saws, not cheapies.

 

[2StrokeFondler]

Maybe you mean a 40 or 41....?

42/42sp/242/242xp are good saws, not cheapies.

Yeah, and sadly the bearings for those are unobtanium.

 

[HumBurner]

Yeah, and sadly the bearings for those are unobtanium.

Check the forbidden forum's 42 thread. There was a source not too long ago.

 

[thompsoncustom]

Maybe you mean a 40 or 41....?

42/42sp/242/242xp are good saws, not cheapies.

Not sure it would have been a older now strato model

Edited: looks like it was the husky 142 which was a basic chamshell design shared with a couple of them with minor differences.

 

[HumBurner]

Not sure it would have been a older now strato model

Edited: looks like it was the husky 142 which was a basic chamshell design shared with a couple of them with minor differences.

Yep, 142 is a whole different saw from the, essentially, pro-grade saws of the 42 chassis.

My buddy has a 136 that was given to him 20-30 years ago. Had been run lightly by a couple with no concept of saws or sharpening.

He's run it mildly to moderately hard (in a firewood/brushing/storm-damage capacity) since he's had it with minimal idea of sharpening:depths or tuning 2-strokes. But he keeps the air filter clean and the clutch area clean, and it barely skips a beat. Could have a thousand hours on it.


It wouldn't survive with daily driving, but has suited most of his personal needs.

 

[jellyroll]

Those cheap zenoah / redmax clones run well with some tuning and a muffler mod. Not the fastest or the most powerful but do a fine job.
The adjustable oil pump and anti vibe is very good though the factory torch plug is junk replace it with a CMR7H NGK. The only real con is the oil tank it is small so keep a eye on it when cutting.