Chinese saw question

Arborist Forum

Help Support Arborist Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

JayC

ArboristSite Member
Joined
Apr 6, 2010
Messages
60
Location
NH
I have a question regarding the infamous 52cc chinese saws that have a million brand names, colors, and can be had for $100. They all look like these:

4543056353_41b7c14bcc_z_d.jpg


Before anyone gets all up in arms regarding the pros/cons of these things, let me say that I have had this saw for two years, and used it almost exclusively for clearing new dirtbike/atv trails at my camp - created/cleared over 2 miles so far. I will NOT ever bring my 036 Pro out there, for those purists. Trail clearing is one of the most brutal jobs a hapless saw can do - beats the hell out of the poor thing. A zillion small trees and brush, the occasional big one, all of which have to be cut flush to the ground. 95% of the cutting is on it's side, the saw gets dragged across rocks and dirt continuously, and the chain invariably gets stuffed into the ground regularly. I'm lucky if I make it though 2 tanks before having to break it down and run the chain through my electric sharpener (cutting trees out of rock beds sucks...). The bashing it gets being strapped to the front of an ATV might even be the worst part. Actually, this is my second saw - the first one was great, but it accidentally fell out of my Kubota L4200 tractor bucket and got run over before it got a chance to age gracefully:

4835493996_b412658801_z_d.jpg

4834884743_473b8b7081_z_d.jpg


Hilarious, I know. Yet another reason to never bring my 036 Pro out there...

Anyway, while still running and cutting great, my saw is suffering one of the common issues that plague chinese machines - inadequate metal hardness in fasteners. The threads stripped off of one of the studs that sticks out of the saw body and holds the bar and clutch cover/ brake in place (I don't know the correct buzz word for them). I put a spacer under the nut to pick up the higher threads, so it's OK for now, but I'd like to replace that stud/bolt. Can anyone tell me how to do that?

thanks - JayC
 
roncoinc

roncoinc

Official Stihl Disser
Joined
Jun 11, 2009
Messages
16,088
Location
N.H.
[
Anyway, while still running and cutting great, my saw is suffering one of the common issues that plague chinese machines - inadequate metal hardness in fasteners. The threads stripped off of one of the studs that sticks out of the saw body and holds the bar and clutch cover/ brake in place (I don't know the correct buzz word for them). I put a spacer under the nut to pick up the higher threads, so it's OK for now, but I'd like to replace that stud/bolt. Can anyone tell me how to do that?

thanks - JayC[/QUOTE]

Look in thru the bar oil tank and see if they are pressed in.
if you see a rectancle flat bolt head in between to raised plasic ridges it is pressed in.
 
Trailtrimmer

Trailtrimmer

ArboristSite Operative
Joined
Oct 18, 2010
Messages
395
Location
Northwest MI
If you are flush cutting that many small trees near the ground you may want to consider a brush cutter. You will be bending over much less making them safer and less fatiguing.
 

JayC

ArboristSite Member
Joined
Apr 6, 2010
Messages
60
Location
NH
If you are flush cutting that many small trees near the ground you may want to consider a brush cutter. You will be bending over much less making them safer and less fatiguing.

If you are referring to a weed-whacker with a saw-blade on it - you are absolutely right.

JayC
 
roncoinc

roncoinc

Official Stihl Disser
Joined
Jun 11, 2009
Messages
16,088
Location
N.H.
Nope its just proving they're made cheap and can't take the abuse to be an everyday saw.

Proves to me they are made pretty darn good to put up with that kind of abuse as well as they do..

let's see them both run over by a skidder then compare replacement cost would be more real world !! :)
 
roncoinc

roncoinc

Official Stihl Disser
Joined
Jun 11, 2009
Messages
16,088
Location
N.H.
KenJax,

I am with you on the cheaper products and they are not made as well as Stihl. However, the video states manufacturing requirements. Is there really a test requirement for how much the rear handle can hold?

Your supposed to be able to bore cut into the side of a tree and ,hook a come along to the handle and lift the front of your BMW to work on it.

for normal use it should hold the weight of the saw with a full tank of fuel :)
 
Mpbowyer

Mpbowyer

ArboristSite Operative
Joined
Apr 21, 2012
Messages
144
Location
Salt Lake Vally, UT
This reminds me of an editorial note from Car & Driver or Road & Track a few years back. They had listed the writers and editors rides, and how many miles they had on them.

One editor had a Lamborghini Guillardo with over 100k miles.

Now I know some people love using a beater as a "daily driver", but I'm with the Guillardo guy. Have a beater, use it for the most destructive 15% of your driving, but don't sit in the Geo every day while the Lamborghini sits in the garage!

Sit in the Lamborghini!
 
Chris-PA

Chris-PA

Where the Wild Things Are
Joined
Jul 9, 2011
Messages
10,090
Location
PA
This reminds me of an editorial note from Car & Driver or Road & Track a few years back. They had listed the writers and editors rides, and how many miles they had on them.

One editor had a Lamborghini Guillardo with over 100k miles.

Now I know some people love using a beater as a "daily driver", but I'm with the Guillardo guy. Have a beater, use it for the most destructive 15% of your driving, but don't sit in the Geo every day while the Lamborghini sits in the garage!

Sit in the Lamborghini!
Because having a Lamborghini is an option for most of us? In fact, if that had been a main ambition of mine I could no doubt have had one somehow, but I have other priorities, like my kids, wife, home, etc. And honestly, I think anyone who spends that kind of money on what is ultimately a machine that will wear out and have no real long term value is a bit of a fool. I drive a 13 year old Hyundai Accent GSi, which works like a top and get 33mpg in commuter traffic.
 

Latest posts

Top