All time worst chainsaw

[Bret4207]

I had a Jonsered2055. Never could get that thing to run right, start good, cut well, or do much of anything else. It ran long enough one day to seize up. I still have no idea why as once I started tearing into it and got a load of the clamshell design I just decided I wanted nothing more to do with it. It may just have been that particular saw, but it certainly didn't make me want to own another one.

Had a Homelite Super 2 plastic job that had no endearing qualities too.

 

[Big Red Oaks 4 me]

Mac 47.

 

[Colt Marlington]

I got the wife the echo 58 Volt, it's actually better then I thought and probably better then you think.

That Echo 58v battery is heavy.
I got their 58v weedeater a few years ago, and it is well built and powerful. And I don't mind the weight so much on a weedeater, but it's heavy.
Think I'd rather have one of the Makitas with the two 18v batteries on a chainsaw.

 

[Analyst Man]

 

[s sidewall]

View attachment 687115

Might want to tighten your chain, no tell where it will go when it slings off.

Steve

 

[mountainlake]

Nothing wrong with a Wild Thing if properly tuned, it usually the operator.

Steve

The trouble with a newer Poulan you tune them good and the next day they're out of tune BAD. I wont even bother with them anymore. Steve

 

[NSEric]

The worst saw re: build quality: 1990 - 2004 Homelite clamshell. Terrible carb, plastic you can see through, Loose AV that causes throttle up just by moving trigger handle, Hard plastic pull handle. I cringe just thinking about this saw.

View attachment 686731

I picked up one of these dirt cheap not knowing they're garbage, it started easy, ran ok but was slow as hell and stingy with bar oil. I was bored and wanted practice porting saws so I ported it, it's not bad power wise now but the oiler quit and im not fixing it.

The trouble with a newer Poulan you tune them good and the next day they're out of tune BAD. I wont even bother with them anymore. Steve

I had the same issue with mine, gave up on poulans and went with a Chinese saw, cost the about same as a poulan but works night and day better.

 

[s sidewall]

Buy a Echo, problem solved.

Steve

 

[joe25DA]

The poulans are still made in the USA, and if your buying a lower end consumer grade husky or jonsereds, you have an orange or red poulan pro. Not bad saws at all.
Now, Homelite, Mccolluch, and Remington are zombie brands, in other words the companies are gone and the name was bought. Homelite is Chinese for sure, Macs were made in Mexico for a bit not sure now but certainly not made in Los Angeles like my PM 700. Same for Remington. I’d lump all those newer one together as box store garbage.
It is a shame as I have a few old Homelites and macs that are real high performance pro saws.

 

[RandyMac]

the stihl 050/075 series had serious design flaws as well as being overweight, underpowered and fragile.

 

[Husky Man]

The poulans are still made in the USA, and if your buying a lower end consumer grade husky or jonsereds, you have an orange or red poulan pro. Not bad saws at all.
Now, Homelite, Mccolluch, and Remington are zombie brands, in other words the companies are gone and the name was bought. Homelite is Chinese for sure, Macs were made in Mexico for a bit not sure now but certainly not made in Los Angeles like my PM 700. Same for Remington. I’d lump all those newer one together as box store garbage.
It is a shame as I have a few old Homelites and macs that are real high performance pro saws.

My Dad's old Mac SP 60 was a damn nice saw for the 1970's, after Black & Decker bought Mac, the quality really fell

I wish that I had known Dad was selling his SP 60 before he did, I would have really liked to have had that saw, it's the saw I learned on, and cut a lot of firewood with.


Doug

 

[Ted Jenkins]

the stihl 050/075 series had serious design flaws as well as being overweight, underpowered and fragile.

I have a 075 and 076 and have yet to have any problems. Yes they are more weight than a 066, but they are easy to work on. Makes points with me.

I have yet to get my MS 270 to start twice in a row. After two new OEM CDI boxes. $500 later in parts she still sits proudly on a shelf starring at me. I would have taken my splitting maul or sledge hammer to it , but just too busy right now. Thanks

 

[Hand Splitter]

First saw was a Poulen 2050, what a POS! Was in the shop for warrentee work more than I had it. Luckily Menards finally honered the warrenteed and gave me my money back.

Went an bought a Stihl 391, used it for awhile then traded it for a 260 and been going with Pro saw's since!

 

[Cliff R]

Plastic Poulan box store saws and any of the "re-badged" Poulan saws marketed by Sears or Husqvarna. They absolutely HATE me so I refuse to work on them no matter who drives up here and throws one on the counter for repairs!.......Cliff

 

[s sidewall]

I figured the new Poulans would be a money maker.

Steve

 

[Jacob J.]

I guess the worst chain saw would be the one that's a b****r to start,runs pig sick ,dull chain poor oiling, & wont stop due to a faulty kill switch, made by most if not all brands

Stihl's version was the 019T. It was a poorly designed, poorly executed, badly performing saw that was miserable to work on and maintain. Out of the 20 or so that I handled, only two were fairly reliable and even at that - needed much more maintenance than other equivalent-sized saws. I would much rather have a Wild Thing than an 019T any day.

 

[Cliff R]

"I figured the new Poulans would be a money maker.

Steve"

If you charge a decent rate for your time, plus materials, anything but a very minor repair will quickly exceed the cost of replacing the saw.

The other problem is that once you touch it, you will be "married" to it, and every time it refuses to start and/or run well, and it will, you'll get it dumped right back on your counter with the owner expecting for you to repair it for free......been there and done that!

If you are in business and work on stuff to pay the bills, you have to learn to pick your battles.....or....you will be very busy and have an empty wallet!....FWIW.......Cliff

 

[joe25DA]

"I figured the new Poulans would be a money maker.

Steve"

If you charge a decent rate for your time, plus materials, anything but a very minor repair will quickly exceed the cost of replacing the saw.

The other problem is that once you touch it, you will be "married" to it, and every time it refuses to start and/or run well, and it will, you'll get it dumped right back on your counter with the owner expecting for you to repair it for free......been there and done that!

If you are in business and work on stuff to pay the bills, you have to learn to pick your battles.....or....you will be very busy and have an empty wallet!....FWIW.......Cliff

I don’t own any plastic clamshell saws of any brand. I’ve had and resold many though from just about every manufacturer. And aside from a few I’ve gotten them all to run and eventually on to a new home sometimes given away. Now the plastic ones have only needed fuel lines and a carb clean. If the saw needed more I’d toss it.
Poulan’s last pro saw was the 330. Some had a slight air leak in the carb gasket that caused tuning problems but we figured it out on the site here and those saws screamed. 14,000rpm no problem, mag case bolt on jug adjustable Oiler and a great layout to handle. Only reason that saw is gone was cause husky didn’t like a $300 Poulan “cutting” into there semi pro and pro line. That’s a fact. Also true that the 330 is a better saw in every way than the 450 and 460. The both live under the same unmbrella so one had to go. Kinda like back in the 80s when a Buick grand nationals were destroying corvettes.

 

[SmellyPirateHooker]

I have this poulan, 505 pro. 91 date I think, manufactured in Sweden by husky on their behalf. Pretty decent saw though heavy. I would snag a 655pro in a heartbeat if I came across one.

 

[scottfarm]

Stihl is the worst. It's a nickel plated sissy saw. Cost 1/3 more than the competition and you get a lesser saw. Real working men use Huskies.