Tophandle Oleo Mac GS 260/ Efco MT 2600 (pic heavy!)

[7sleeper]

I know my thread will be totally uninteresting with everybody now focused on the new Husqvarna line but I would like to present my newest aquisition. It is a tophandle Oleo Mac GS 260(same model as the Efco MT 2600) 2010 model. I have wanted a TH for some time now but prices have always scared me away and the elcheapo chinese models were out of the question. Oleo Mac/Efco is a rather unknown company and I haven't had a lot of experience with them yet. I bought a small saw(Efco gs 350) for my FIL to keep at his place since it is kind of a pain always taking the equipment along. I was quite surprised about the build quality. So for me the risk was rather small when getting the Italien saw. I don't have any experience in TH saws so I cannot compare the cutting speed to the famous 200/201 or others. Here are some pics.

side adjustable chain tensioner, one bar nut and choke
View attachment 247429

covered on/off switch(don't know how long that is going to last), oh yeh the price in Euro's
View attachment 247430

adjustable oil flow, I find the line attachment a little weak...
View attachment 247437

outside clutch (don' know if good or bad? many will chime in here and give comment)
View attachment 247433

chain brake and tensioner
View attachment 247434

see more in part two....

 

[7sleeper]

Priming bulb and real small holes for refilling
View attachment 247438

How does it cut? Since I have no experience and nothing of similar cc/hp I used my weakest saw a Stihl 180 for comparison. The wood is sophora japonica. The dark center is very hard. It is used as "tool wood" in asia besides the health aspect.
[video=youtube_share;L8wCsa5fcOQ]





















How much I really paid for it!
View attachment 247439

I have now about 4 refills gone through. I can't say that I have noticed an improvement, but then again I am very happy with the performance. I have cut a lot out of it's league(up to about 8 inches) just to use it some more. I am very happy with my buy!

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[Showme]

Nice looking saw.

 

[jus2fat]

Just by going from the the pics..it looks to be very cheaply made..

Got to ask..what did you pay for it and do you have local dealer service is needed..??
(I would have absolutely NO dealer support for me in my area)

I hope you got it for cheap and that the saw works well for you..!!

J2F

 

[7sleeper]

Just by going from the the pics..it looks to be very cheaply made..

Got to ask..what did you pay for it and do you have local dealer service is needed..??
(I would have absolutely NO dealer support for me in my area)

I hope you got it for cheap and that the saw works well for you..!!

J2F

As you can see on the last pic I got it for half price, so I paid 214;99- €. There is no dealer where I live but there is one at my parents place about 1 hr away. But since I go there often I am not worried. I donot go conform in the constant recomendation for having a dealer close by. Chainsaws are very primitive tools so any small engine mechanic should know his way around(maybe since the introduction of the "electronic controlled carb system" something is bound to change). I have a very good Stihl dealer (he also sells echo and a few other brands) and he services all my equipment. I have a FS120, KM 85 with multiple attachments, Makita 5001, Solo 644, Stihl 180 etc. So if I need a spare part I can order it online. And I donot make a living out of wood cutting so if a saw is down I would just get another one. Although I have never needed anything besides chains, blades, spare airfilters and 2 stroke / chain oil.
Since I have no experience about other TH saws I cannot say how it compares to other semi pro models like the 192t, the dolmar/makita or the echo line. The introduction of polymer constructed tools in todays world will not go away and modern plastic can be extremely tuff as we all know. Just read here how the Fiskars line is adored with their plastic grip. (Just think about a fellow austrian who revolutionized the handgun market and supplied practically all of the US police departments!) If you read how THALL describes how easy it is to put in a new topend in a 290, the "clam shell" design looses it's negative aspect.

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[Chris-PA]

I kinda like it, and I enjoy seeing something different. It's got a horizontal cylinder too. Thanks for the good pictures. I bet if you change out the safety chain it will be considerably faster.

 

[Vibes]

Not real impressed with the performance in that video, but I'm not at all familiar with that saw. How many cc's is it? At least it wasn't bogging out. Maybe a little muffler work would egg that thing on a little.

May be a little moreaggressive safety chain would help. I don't know if the nonsafety low profile chains would be good on that saw or not. I tried a loop on my pole saw and it was way to grabby so I went back to the safety chain like the one you have on this saw, and it worked much better.

 

[Tzed250]

I know the Oleo-Mac, Efco, Olympic saws have a reputation for great quality. Thanks for the write up. The saw sounded somewhat rich. After a few more tanks a slightly leaner setting will probably speed things up. At half price, I would say you stole it..

 

[7sleeper]

Not real impressed with the performance in that video, but I'm not at all familiar with that saw. How many cc's is it? At least it wasn't bogging out. Maybe a little muffler work would egg that thing on a little.

May be a little moreaggressive safety chain would help. I don't know if the nonsafety low profile chains would be good on that saw or not. I tried a loop on my pole saw and it was way to grabby so I went back to the safety chain like the one you have on this saw, and it worked much better.

It only has 25cc, 1.2hp, max rpm 12500 and 2.8kg(Stihl has 32cc and 2hp) so comparing the two is kind of difficult, but I didn't have anything else to compare to. The chain is original "untouched" by me on the video after 1 &1/2 refills. I have sharpened(hand filing) it yesterday so I will give it a new run in some other wood the next few days. What I have done on other safety chains is file down a little bit on the "safety" features(no need to throw away good stuff ). Made them much more responsive. Since the saw is new(and I paid for it ) I am going slowly. After a few more refills a little carb tuning and we will see.

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edit: If anybody wants pics from a different angle no problem.

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[blsnelling]

I agree with John. I definitely sounds rich. It may or may not benefit much from being leaned out. It looks plenty torquey for it's very small engine, but lacks in the revs department. Have you looked at the muffler yet to see how it could be modded? Does the carb have a H needle? As rich as it is, I'd mod it even if not.

 

[procarbine2k1]

Very nice looking saw. Like seeing pics of the Oleo-Macs (even if they are rebadged, or same as the Efco), just because I dont see them here.

 

[pgg]

it'd never beat an echo

 

[Miles86]

Thank you for the pics. I love anything efco or oleo mac. I wish oleo-macs were sold in the USA, but that just because they are orange. I would like a set of red efco and orange oleo-mac.

 

[Jlhotstick3]

Nice write up, it's nice seeing different stuff from time to time:msp_thumbsup: looks comparable to stihls ms150t which isn't sold here, but about the same size.

 

[7sleeper]

I'll try reinserting the video here because above it is not working.



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[Matt81]

Big difference in cutting time! I guess it cuts alright for 26cc and 1.2 hp.

The 2.8 Kg dry weight is a big feature though. I can see how this would be useful just for pruning if you don't need a heavier saw in the tree for thicker limbs and trunks.
I would love a lighter smaller cc climb saw just for pruning but cannot justify it as my 338XPT is not heavy and can do so much more.

 

[7sleeper]

Big difference in cutting time! I guess it cuts alright for 26cc and 1.2 hp.

The 2.8 Kg dry weight is a big feature though. I can see how this would be useful just for pruning if you don't need a heavier saw in the tree for thicker limbs and trunks.
I would love a lighter smaller cc climb saw just for pruning but cannot justify it as my 338XPT is not heavy and can do so much more.

Of course the Oleo was on it's first filling while the 180 is already well used. And 10cc mean a lot in this class where 10 cc increase almost means a 40% increase in overall power! But then again you are the pro and know best what you might need.

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[Matt81]

Of course the Oleo was on it's first filling while the 180 is already well used. And 10cc mean a lot in this class where 10 cc increase almost means a 40% increase in overall power! But then again you are the pro and know best what you might need.

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Yes indeed! A few cc's in a smaller saw makes a huge difference. Also broken in vs a fresh saw is as you say is a little misleading. A bit unfair to judge it from the video too as in the real world a small top handle like that would likely never be used for wood of that diameter or anything other than just small diameter pruning. For that it is a perfect saw! Like i said, a saw like that would be really useful and i would use it, but i just can't personally justify it when slightly heavier saws with a few more cc's are so much more capable. I do believe in the right tool for the job however. I don't lug a MS880 up a tree for some light limb work! For a job of detailing or pruning small dead limbs a saw like this is in a class of its own!