My G660 needed a new oil pump, and the screws that hold the handle and felling spikes on wouldn't stay tight. The e-clip on the drive shaft also wasn't tempered correctly (ie it was fully annealed). When I took it off to put the rim, bar, and chain on (I run .404, not .375), the clip didn't spring back. It came off while I was trying to adjust the (non functional) oil pump and the saw ended up eating the clutch a minute or two later. Keep in mind that the reason I bought this saw was because I lost the top end on my 064, and had a pin oak laying in my yard that was around 60" across at the base. I needed a big saw, I needed it quick, and I really didn't want to spend a ton of cash on it because I wanted to rebuild the 064. So to have an oil pump that couldn't sling oil on a 28" bar, let alone feed the 42" bar waiting in the shop, and then loose the clutch in the process; I'd say I'd have a pretty decent reason to bash on the clones - but I don't. I love my G660. It still has the clutch from the 064 in it, and the 064 is still sitting under my bench (with a new clutch still in the box) waiting on a top end. I still need to replace the master on/off switch, but it works. Just takes a little fiddling when starting. I also installed a DP muffler from Hyway, but that was a want, not a need. If any of my saws die on me, I'll be replacing them with something blue, but that's just me. Not what I'm recommending for the OP unless he's willing to turn a wrench. He might get something that's good to go right out of the box. He might get something that needs a part or two replaced. IMHO, its worth the cost either way, but you need to know the risk and be willing to do the work up front.
Chosing saw for new property and possibly milling
- Thread starter JKope88
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I've heard the "dealer support" comment/argument a lot over the years. My experience is that you can count on your local dealer to order/sell you parts and that's about it. I've taken 4 saws to 4 different Stihl dealerships, and was told the same thing every time. Cheaper to just buy a new saw. For reference, that would have been somewhere between $700 and $1,600 depending on the saw. None of them ended up costing me more than $100, and one of them just needed a new spark plug. I thought it was a carb issue, and I didn't have time to mess with another @#$%@#% ZAMA carb. Dealer told me that the top end was shot, no compression. Did a compression test when I got home and it was 150psi, which was exactly what the compression was when I bought the saw almost a decade earlier. Plug looked like crap (same plug that was in it almost a decade ago), and it's been running great ever since.
Dealerships have to meet a quota to keep their dealership status, and the OEM normally wants to increase those quotas every chance they get to make the share holders happy. Also, dealerships don't generally pay technicians enough to raise a family on. So you either get a young (inexperienced) tech, or some guy who isn't technically competent enough to make more money doing something else. So at most dealerships, they can bolt on a new carb and tune the saw, install a new air filter, and replace an oil pump and/or clutch, but that's about it. On rare occasion, you find someone who makes their money somewhere else or some other way, and works on saws because they WANT to. That's the guy you want working on your saw, whether they happen to work for an OEM dealership, or out of a shed in their back yard. And while I'm on this tangent, automobile stealerships are not all that different. Read the code, look the code up in the book, replace what the book says to replace, charge the customer what the book says to charge. Gone are the days of being able to expect the ordinary person to THINK. So, if you REALLY don't want to turn a wrench on your saw, or get hosed by a dealer, you might want to stick to battery powered saws....
I've heard the "dealer support" comment/argument a lot over the years. My experience is that you can count on your local dealer to order/sell you parts and that's about it. I've taken 4 saws to 4 different Stihl dealerships, and was told the same thing every time. Cheaper to just buy a new saw. For reference, that would have been somewhere between $700 and $1,600 depending on the saw. None of them ended up costing me more than $100, and one of them just needed a new spark plug. I thought it was a carb issue, and I didn't have time to mess with another @#$%@#% ZAMA carb. Dealer told me that the top end was shot, no compression. Did a compression test when I got home and it was 150psi, which was exactly what the compression was when I bought the saw almost a decade earlier. Plug looked like crap (same plug that was in it almost a decade ago), and it's been running great ever since.
Dealerships have to meet a quota to keep their dealership status, and the OEM normally wants to increase those quotas every chance they get to make the share holders happy. Also, dealerships don't generally pay technicians enough to raise a family on. So you either get a young (inexperienced) tech, or some guy who isn't technically competent enough to make more money doing something else. So at most dealerships, they can bolt on a new carb and tune the saw, install a new air filter, and replace an oil pump and/or clutch, but that's about it. On rare occasion, you find someone who makes their money somewhere else or some other way, and works on saws because they WANT to. That's the guy you want working on your saw, whether they happen to work for an OEM dealership, or out of a shed in their back yard. And while I'm on this tangent, automobile stealerships are not all that different. Read the code, look the code up in the book, replace what the book says to replace, charge the customer what the book says to charge. Gone are the days of being able to expect the ordinary person to THINK. So, if you REALLY don't want to turn a wrench on your saw, or get hosed by a dealer, you might want to stick to battery powered saws....
Yes, unfortunately the best dealer in your area may be buying an Echo from Home Depot and returning it to the store if there are issues.
Actually, the best support around here are a couple of old retired guys that work out of their respective detached garages. Next best is to do it myself. I normally settle for next best
Yeah I don't expect a local dealer to be able to fix anything for me if they're just a dealer. Now if they sell all kinds of small engine equipment from a bunch of manufacturers then maybe I would trust that more. But the local ACE is a Stihl dealer and what I know about that is I'm going to pay full retail and probably get zero after purchase assistance.
I'll be looking for someone once I move that is competent at repairs and tuning and my son is interested in learning so maybe he will wind up being my tech lol.
In all seriousness I'm super tempted to pick up the 80v atlas electric from harbor freight for when I just need to clean up around the yard or limb.
Probably going to get something second hand for my first purchase maybe a 261c if I can find one that is not asking new price with tons of wear.
If you like issues with you saw, no warranty, and no shop wants to work it, go ahead and buy a clone. Three came to the shop in the last month that did not make a week of use.
So how much money did they save.
Buy a brand name with a shop to repair it. Unless you do not need such things.
So how much money did they save.
Buy a brand name with a shop to repair it. Unless you do not need such things.
If you don't have experience with chainsaws, maintenance, and sharpening, I'd highly discourage you from considering chainsaw-milling.
It's taking a back seat for the time being just didn't want to try and alter the title.
Not really going interested in allocating the time or funds to it at a new residence for time being.
I took a two day bucking and felling class last year up in north Georgia. The national forestry employees were getting the class. They let folks that maintain trails in the national parks attend. Most folks just wanted the bucking class so they could help keep trails clear. I audited the felling class after I was done with my bucking class. Some dangerous folks out there wanting to run a saw. I might have been a goof up if I had taken the felling test. A fair bit of time spent talking about reading the tree, falling path, wedges, exit paths, plunge cutting and on and on.
The head instructor was a fellow who was getting close to retirement age. He taught a lot of companies. He also did some international instruction. In any event I learned a lot, and forgot too much of it.
Note that finding that class is challenging. The assistants were there to get more experience to become class instructors. I had been looking on and off the past 10 years. One of my friends mentioned he was taking it. I glommed on.
The head instructor was a fellow who was getting close to retirement age. He taught a lot of companies. He also did some international instruction. In any event I learned a lot, and forgot too much of it.
Note that finding that class is challenging. The assistants were there to get more experience to become class instructors. I had been looking on and off the past 10 years. One of my friends mentioned he was taking it. I glommed on.
This exactly what I'm looking for. But as you mentioned they're hard to find.
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