How many hours to expect out of a chainsaw?

[Diesel JD]

I know this question can vary widely with different brands and qualities of saw, but, I know stuff like boat motors have a typical expectation of about 1500 hours, gas 4 stroke engines in cars about 150K miles, diesels about 300K and so on, any comparable figure fro saws or too many variables? Take care now,
J.D.

 

[Vman]

not sure if there is a "dead-nuts" answer here.
IMO, if it is a quality saw, if you use a good mix oil, keep the saw clean (sawdust, grime, airfliter, clutch, and all that good stuff), stay on top of maintenance and give it some TLC, you should not need to worry about your question.

this is coming from a home-owner user.......a pro using the saws everyday may have more insight for your question.

as far as a cheap saw, it is hit or miss...it may last a few good years, or it may last a few hours.

for the most part i'm gonna say that key is maintenance, maintenance, and maintenance.

 

[12guns]

Too many variables. Yes, brands and quality make a huge difference, but maintanience does too. My toyota 4x4 has 213,000 and still kicking w/o burning a drop of oil, but i've also heard of dodge and chevy doing the same w/ proper maintanience. I do know on a previous thread, someone mentioned that a pro saw should reach at least 1500 hours...sounds about right to me.

 

[pinus]

Too many variables. Yes, brands and quality make a huge difference, but maintanience does too. My toyota 4x4 has 213,000 and still kicking w/o burning a drop of oil, but i've also heard of dodge and chevy doing the same w/ proper maintanience. I do know on a previous thread, someone mentioned that a pro saw should reach at least 1500 hours...sounds about right to me.

I have seen only the Oleo-Mac presented dada about their pro grade 2-stroke products, for which the 1500 hours is proper value. For some brushcutters only 800 hours was done, etc.

 

[Lawn Masters]

as has been said, it depends on how well the saw is taken care of. if you treat it like a king, it'll last many many long faithful years for you, but if you treat it like crap, its not gonna be too long before you're replacing it with a new saw.

the figures can be anywhere from 1- 10K hours, depending on how well you treat the saw, and whether its a high revving Husky, or an old slow but strong mac.

 

[Mange]

HVA once told this to be the general rule about the runtime expected of a saw.
Pro: 2000hrs
Semipro: 1000hrs
Hobby/consumer: 20-100hrs

 

[cbfarmall]

the figures can be anywhere from 1- 10K hours, depending on how well you treat the saw, and whether its a high revving Husky, or an old slow but strong mac.

Do you have any 10,000 hour saws?? Are you speaking from experience? I have some that almost look that beat-up, but more than likely rode around in the back of a pickup for years.

Chris B.

 

[Dadatwins]

HVA once told this to be the general rule about the runtime expected of a saw.
Pro: 2000hrs
Semipro: 1000hrs
Hobby/consumer: 20-100hrs

Does not say much for homeowners with saws, but it makes sense to me. Most homeowners let them sit for weeks or months with fuel in them and crank them up when needed, run them hard usually with partially dull chains, since they have nothing sharp to compare it to. There really are a ton of variables to useage hours and something as simple as running a chain to tight all the time will blow out a seal and cause failure.

 

[pallis]

Some of the old Homies like the XL12 must have been built to last 30,000 hours or 30 years, whichever comes first.

My S10 Blazer's odometer quit working at 198, 000, and that was about eight years ago. It is still going strong.

 

[Bob Wright]

I can't say if this is true, its just what i found a few years back. I don't even know what or where to find "Chainsaw Age". My Echo 60s saw looks to have 10,000 hours on it, its well broke in...Bob
http://www.pppkl.com/CS-60S Model lef & right images.htm

 

[Lawn Masters]

Well, with regular maintainence, and re ringing the piston a few times, most any saw can be made to last awhile. My 10K hour figure, is for older low revving saws, or the XL12, which I hear is the most bulletproof saw out there.

 

[smokechase II]

I don't believe the 10,000 hour thing on a chain saw.
Additionally, certainly not on an older saw model of any kind. Compared with the quality chrome impregnated cylinders/pistons and mix oils of the best saws in recent years.
But, I do believe the Toyota thing. Hey, if getting a million miles on a big trucks engine is standard. {OK; but Toyota builds a great gas engine}
Let’s bring in slipknot and free the people from oppression. Diesel saws for all.
At least until lasers are affordable.

 

[Mike mandry]

I presently own 2 Toyota vehicles.

A 93 previa van with 190K & a 92 Corolla with 183K

I just changed the oil in the van yesterday.

Neither one of them use oil.

I change oil in them every 5k & do not add any betwen changes.

Now yes, it of course will "Use" some oil, but it isint much more than a few ounces.

I have seen Toyotas go well over 300k without any major trouble.

Nope, not me, I don't beleive it. Then again I don't beleive a Toyota pickup truck can have over 200k miles and not burn a 'drop' of oil either .[/QUOTE]

 

[jokers]

Let’s bring in slipknot and free the people from oppression. Diesel saws for all.
At least until lasers are affordable.

Like this diesel Jonsered from the 50`s?

Russ

 

[kf_tree]

Like this diesel Jonsered from the 50`s?

Russ

what is the weight of that thing? if a big block chevy is around 635lbs and a 5.9 cummins diesel is around 1,000lbs then that must be a 50lb saw.

 

[jokers]

Ken,

I think the bucking spike on that saw weighs fifty pounds!

That particular saw has a glow plug system powered by batteries in the handle. There is also a propane preheated model of the same saw.

Russ

 

[spacemule]

Nope, not me, I don't beleive it. Then again I don't beleive a Toyota pickup truck can have over 200k miles and not burn a 'drop' of oil either .

I've got a '93 Buick with 212,000 miles, everything original besides normal maintenance items, and it burns no oil. That's not that uncommon. Many 18-wheelers go well over a million miles before their first rebuild. Not everyone is hard on their stuff, Dan.

 

[twistedtree]

And about 2000 hours a year with a 40hr work week. If pro's feel they need new saws each year, then 1500 hours sounds about right (the saw isn't run 8 hours a day).

 

[DDM]

This is an interesting thread.I took my 4-1/2 yr old 046 In last week to have it checked out.It was getting hard to start when cold.Considering it gets run about 15 Hrs a week
I was sure it was time for a piston and jug.The service tech told me Nope just needs a carb kit Jug & Piston Look fine. 15 X 52 X 4.5 = 3510 Even at 10 hrs a week would still be 2340.My oldest MS200T is 2.5 yrs old and its getting 30-35 Hrs a week.I wish Chainsaws had hr meters.

 

[2Coilinveins]

Wouldn't be hard to add one.

http://www.jackssmallengines.com/hour_meter.cfm

RPM's wouldn't be accurate, but hours would be. Not much weight at all.

Edit:

This one would work fine:

http://www.yamaha-motor.com/sport/accessories/acscitemdetail/5/3/376/1983/all/1/1932/0/detail.aspx

If I'm not mistaking, most single cylinder 4 stroke engines fire the plug on every revolution anyway; one spark gets wasted. It just happens that on a two stroke every spark does something. Are these meters different at all?