2101xp/ top all time muscle saws!!!!!!!!!!!

[masculator]

Well of the two brands you mentioned Stihl is the only one i have respect for Huskie on the other hand have bought out all the competition and then proceed to turn that saws name to crap pity really what are they gonna do next buy out all the chinese crap as well because thats the way they want to control market domination

iS THIS THE PIC YOUR TALKING ABOUT

Thats Jamie Allison from Dungog who won that event all we had to run was an old Mac 250 he also flogged a Homelite 750 by miles

I recall the first prize was a brand new in the box McCulloch SP81e and 50 ft of SPR370 saw chain.

Yep thats the pic I was talking bout Bob. I also thoroughly agree with what you are saying about the way huskies are doing business and it is one of the reasons I only run stihl saws nowdays. Part of huskies problem is the same as what happened to the mac they were bought out by electrolux and conglomerated with many others, i.e. poulan, mac, redmax etc. and as such they are not the same company that they were 30 years ago. Stihl is still Stihl, excuse the tongue twister, and haven't been bankrolled by a parent company or companies that sell everything from sewing machines to vacuum cleaners and everything in between.

anyway back to the pic, at least you can see I do my homework, and although I may be a bit of a one eyed stihl man, I only talk what I can back up.

Travis.

P.s. my old mans pro mac 650 oil pump came good after I ran a couple of tanks through it for him, she now sings again, got a new 20 inch oregon bar and chain for her and gave her a good birthday. Although she isn't a MS660 she ran a treat and bucked quite a few stringybark logs that I then ripped up with the 660 for horseyard rails for him.

 

[RandyMac]

Cool good info. Thanks. My first thought was the Stihl contra, but was'nt sure. From what I have seen, and heard I would say muscle saw! Don't know how long of a run it had, but for a 1959 design pretty ahead of time I would say, and a A PLUS FOR EFFORT.

Think again.

 

[masculator]

Think again.

Yep stihl had some good saws before the contra...lol


so did solo!!

what were you thinking of randy?

 

[RandyMac]

Yep stihl had some good saws before the contra...lol


so did solo!!

what were you thinking of randy?

And so did Dolmar. There were many makes of chainsaws, some were great, others...well what can one expect from water pump companies.
However, the subject is muscle, something that cannot be defined by displacement alone. Certainly the cut-off is 100cc +-, but there is the character of the saw itself. Take for example the lackluster 'Vettes of the late '70s and '80s, a guy buys one, thinks he is all that, until he gets taken down by a kid with a 600cc bike. Fire up a '68 Stingray, you will notice that you feel part of the machine in all ways. If you want the total fire bellowing monsters, you will have a North American brand from the mid '60s on to the late '70s. Stihls, while a fine make of saws, lack the essential brute strength projected by the Homelites, Macs and Pioneers of that period. I will give the new plastic wonders their due, but they are plastic, nearly characterless and not all that interesting. Good tools, appliance like.
The old Contra/070/090s are big, have power, but are not the hotrods they are made out to be. I whipped an 090 with a 103cc McCulloch, yes the guy was suprised, he bought the hype.
Before you ask, yep, I ran many stihls, even owned some, couldn't get past that nasally whine. Oh and the very high cost of parts. My expirience with Huskys is practically nill.

 

[masculator]

And so did Dolmar. There were many makes of chainsaws, some were great, others...well what can one expect from water pump companies.
However, the subject is muscle, something that cannot be defined by displacement alone. Certainly the cut-off is 100cc +-, but there is the character of the saw itself. Take for example the lackluster 'Vettes of the late '70s and '80s, a guy buys one, thinks he is all that, until he gets taken down by a kid with a 600cc bike. Fire up a '68 Stingray, you will notice that you feel part of the machine in all ways. If you want the total fire bellowing monsters, you will have a North American brand from the mid '60s on to the late '70s. Stihls, while a fine make of saws, lack the essential brute strength projected by the Homelites, Macs and Pioneers of that period. I will give the new plastic wonders their due, but they are plastic, nearly characterless and not all that interesting. Good tools, appliance like.
The old Contra/070/090s are big, have power, but are not the hotrods they are made out to be. I whipped an 090 with a 103cc McCulloch, yes the guy was suprised, he bought the hype.
Before you ask, yep, I ran many stihls, even owned some, couldn't get past that nasally whine. Oh and the very high cost of parts. My expirience with Huskys is practically nill.

I hear some of what you are saying randy I recently smoked an 090 with a brand new out of the box ms660 with a 36 inch bar on each in wood that used all but the tip of the cutters on the end of the bars. You mention the nasally whine, I must say it annoys me much less than the "TING TING TING " ringading huskies and has much more throat and body and a lot less WHHHHAAAAAA, buuuuhhh, than the huskies have.

Honestly in todays market there are only really a few competitors and really the market is controlled by 2 of them. one is a company that is solely based on making power tools the other is a company that makes good sewing machines and vacuums. Although there are others out there that make a quality product their marketing and support are severely leaving them behind in the race and despite the fact that they are realizing this it is becoming a case of too little too late.

 

[RandyMac]

One man's music is another man's noise.

It is a sad state when there are only two major brands with some runner ups. You have to take whatever they give you, little recourse these days. I'm glad to be out of it and not be subjected to that. The World has lost it's edge, the dull blandness has settled in, we should nuke ourselves and get it over with.

 

[tdi-rick]

[snip]

.....the other is a company that makes good sewing machines and vacuums.
[snip]

I never get this argument.

They were separate entities under a corporate umbrella.


Anyway, Husqvarna and the entire OPE division was spun off by Electrolux in 2006.

Husqvarna is a separately listed public company, traded on the Swedish Stock Exchange.

 

[tdi-rick]

One man's music is another man's noise.

It is a sad state when there are only two major brands with some runner ups. You have to take whatever they give you, little recourse these days. I'm glad to be out of it and not be subjected to that. The World has lost it's edge, the dull blandness has settled in, we should nuke ourselves and get it over with.

:msp_ohmy:

I was going to be really flippant in reply, but re-reading it I actually agree with what you wrote.




Oh naa, stuff it, I'm not ready to go yet Randy, there's still good times to be had, they may not be the same as before, just different

 

[RandyMac]

:msp_ohmy:

I was going to be really flippant in reply, but re-reading it I actually agree with what you wrote.

I'd be disappointed if you didn't.




Oh naa, stuff it, I'm not ready to go yet Randy, there's still good times to be had, they may not be the same as before, just different

Yeah, I'm guessin' I'm not ready yet either, there are still vaginas to be filled.

 

[NORMZILLA44]

It's too bad. I wrote this thread hoping people would swap good stories, and saw tales, and learn some good info. It seems to always turn into a pissing contest. I wrote some really heart felt replies, and some people just come back with the this brand is better or this one smoked that one? Thats too bad. But since a few guy's hammered Stihl, and husky I will ad that if you back up a few threads, and see what I wrote, and admired Mac's, and Homelite's too, and dindn't hammer them. I grew up first running Mac, and Homelite did for years. And some of the muscle saws mentioned of that era, the older generation was still running. Then I noticed sthil everywhere that was all I saw. These guy's who ran the mac, and homelite muscle mentioned, parked them for stihl's, and never looked back or complained. When asked what they buy, run or you should run they all said Stihl, everyone every time. Thes are all timber faller's logger's, and production cutter's. They are harder on saw's than any I have ever seen. There was alot of big tree's cut out there, record size. I also come from big timber country. You can pick up any logging book of any area, and the towns I live in an come from you will see in there in any book. I would rather make friend than enemie's any day, but when My proven Stihl, and Huskie's get picked apart I just gotta tell the truth. I have Stihl, Husqvarna, and Echo in my shed. I am willing to try any brand as long as they provide a good price, and outstanding quality. I would love to throw some other brands in my lineup!!!!!!!

 

[mdavlee]

If you check out the high climbers and timber fallers book they're seem to be a lot of the 2100/298/2101 saws in the pictures from the 80s.

I've never ran one but would like to. I think they would probably be a great big wood saw especially in our hardwoods.

 

[NORMZILLA44]

Good eye, glad to see I wasnt the only one eyeballing the saw's. I brought that up earlier in the post, because I think it is a good refrence of muscle saw's, big tree's, and some impressive cutting. Until I got that book I had not realized they were still cutting trees like that. Thought they were gone. Some big bastards in there. I grew up, and was born in Sonoma county, and live in Mendocino county now, but thought it was real cool that the book, and the guy's in the book are local. Pretty neat!

 

[NORMZILLA44]

P.S I do agree Randy about alot of things being in a sad stae of affairs. I dont want to get into to much politics, but it is sad, because when I was a kid being made in America meant something, and that is when the Macs, and Homelites were still in the woods too. Its to bad everything turned into a get rich quick thing in the US. Even though my heart is, and always will be with Stihl, and Husky, and alot of guy's I think part of the loyalty is because they were made in the US, and I agree it was a special time, and saweet to of the old time top dogs in saw were made here. I had to give credit where it was due, and Stihl, and Husky, and others are due alot of respect. I always mention Stihl, and Husky, because that is what I own, and have the most experience with. Like I said show me a good saw I'll run it, and through it in the lineup! What would be awesome is if one of the American saw brands could make a comeback!! I'D buy one!

 

[Oldsawnut]

What would be awesome is if one of the American saw brands could make a comeback!! I'D buy one!

I would to... But since stihl employs a lot of us folk and makes a good deal of saws here in the USA they are as close as we can get for now.

 

[NORMZILLA44]

I think so, and I try to be fair, thats why I have Two, and Two a 51- a 2101. I have my good ole 044- then my 660, uh oh got a 372 on the way gonna leave an odd number, and not fair so gotta buy another Stihl? I guess so LOL!

 

[ozflea]

Well the term muscle saws i thought related to American big saws just like the real American Muscle Cars then the also rans wanted in with their woosie euro saws sorry guys American Muscle Saws are just that.

McBob

 

[NORMZILLA44]

Good point, because evrybody probably has there own definiton of a muscle saw. I guess mine woul be a saw that when it was made was ahead of its time, may have had extra or unusual features, but very powerful, and capable of running a big bar, and cutting big wood, for a long period of time. Any brand not necessarly a specific cc or cube size. I would say thought in the upper big timber saw size though maybe 80 plus cc. One that did stand the test of time, had a decent production run maybe a couple years. If it is still able to run along a new model comparable in siaze, and still impress you then I would say even better, that is why the 2101 was one of my pics- for all time not just an era. I would say the 288xp, the 066-660 for sure would be two more of my pics. But there again those are some of mine, and saws I have experience with. I started this wondering what everyone eslse's pic's would be, and yes I guess if everybody had more of the same pic on one certain saw, then that would be nuber one over all. Im sure the older American saw's would still impress me- other saw's, and brands too. Would I say my current saw's are garbage or dont deserve the respect they have earned over the years? And get rid of em Hell no.

 

[RandyMac]

Norm, I'm sorry you might feel that this didn't go the way you thought, we all have our favorites, its good to be enthused.
No-one will argue that a SS396 Chevell isn't a muscle car or a Boss Mustang or a big Charger, but I don't think many would consider a Beemer or Audi as one. It is a matter of personality, while a new car can out perform the vintage autos, there is a lot missing from the experience.

 

[NORMZILLA44]

No it did my friend, because it has been a hot topic for along time! And some good points have been made, one just was made by you, and I respect that, and I have learned a thing or two, and see where you are coming from also. Hell this thread inspired me, and my buddy to get that homelite 750 of his dad's resurected, and dug out a mcculoch or two, one we are going sell to Eccentric for a fair price of course. Remember those sp 81's Randy, my buddy one a saw copetion with it a few years back, though speed on a competition log doesnt always mean best in the woods. When I started with the county about ten years ago I was surprised to see they still had an old 700 pro mac. I dug it out, and cut without it everytime we went out, while I was in that yard. At least you acknowledged me, and even called me by my first name. Im flattered little buddy!

 

[mdavlee]

The pioneer P62 is a muscle saw the same size as the 2101. If you get the chance to run one you will be impressed.