Occasional use and durability period

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Liazard

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Stihl classifies their saws as "Occasional Use" (more recently "Homeowner"), "Farm and Ranch", and "Professional".

On the model tag of some Poulan Pro saws it says "Durability Period 125 hours".

What distinguishes these different kinds of durability? Are these saws even worth trying to fix, and what kinds of problems are not worth fixing?

Stihl "Occasional Use" and the Poulan 125 hour saws seem to get to a point and after that they stall often and/or start very hard if at all, even with actual occasional use.
 
I will take a stab at this one.

The conditions the saw is operated under, quality of fuel and mix oil type used, and the care it received will much more accurately determine how long it lasts than any estimation from the manufacturer. There are guys who process 5-10 cords a year and run a 25-30 year old "homeowner" saw that still runs great. On the other hand if a guy goes out and runs a saw with a dull chain they can wreck it within a couple of outings.

If you are seeing saws that are hard starting or stall then there is a good chance they have fuel system problems rather than being truely worn out. Or it is possible they have low compression from being overheated.
 
That number is for EPA compliance, basically the manufacturer has certified that their equipment will remain within EPA limits for the rated operating hours. It has absolutely nothing to do with the lifespan of the equipment and most will continue to operate for a very long time after the compliance period.

As for the starting problems that usually has to do with the carburetors and fuel lines being degraded due to ethanol and stale gas. Ethanol breaks down fuel lines and causes the diaphrams in the carbs to harden and stale gas causes build up that restrict fuel flow. Proper maintenance and fresh ethanol free gas will prevent this issue and keep the saws running as they should as will cleaning the air filter and changing the spark plug.
 
As far as I have understood the average life is estimated to be

Home = 500 hrs
Farmer = 1000 hrs
Pro = 1500 hrs

Of course this is highly dependent on user maintanence and can easily be prolonged.

7
 
ill lean in on this one....o would say the occasional use saws are kind of like instant coffee mix and go but not so great. Iv only fixed a few but the big let down is that they lack potential to be improved you can make some more power and surley put a good bar and chain on one but they have a limit to how good they can be....I don't think they could be modded up to the old time "farm saw " standard. I think most farm saw of today if set up correctly and cared for can last a long time....The pro saws yet another level of quality....I feel things have changed a lot. Farm saws were once somewhat detuned or pro saws without as many bells and whistles but generally of the same quality...I don't think it quite like that anymore by any means!

the can
 
... Farm saws were once somewhat detuned or pro saws without as many bells and whistles but generally of the same quality...I don't think it quite like that anymore by any means!
I totally disagree on this one!
Husqvarna is doing just this! The 545, 555, 565 are only detuned 550, 560, 572 saws. Just like in their previous line with the 353 and 365 that were a detuned 346 & 372.
The same with dolmar, they have the model 500, 6400(01) & 7300(01) that are only detuned model 5000 (5105) & 7900(01)!
So if one cares to look, then one recognizes that some brands have just that and take care of the needs of their customers.

The problem is more that everyone in these forums is screaming "pro saw is only sufficient if modded", that most people have lost the perspective for reality. And the reality is quite simple, if you give JoeAverage a pro saw or a detuned pro saw, at the end of the day the piles of cut wood will be the quite the same. And that a bunch of guys is jerking of in a fantasy world...

7
 
I bought three Husky 460's a few years ago and really like them. I knew that they were not pro saws. I have used them as hard as possible and they have stood up well. When the start to wear and need a new piston or cylinder they may get tossed. From my point of view when ever they fail they fail. They worked for awhile and move on. I have a 056 super AVE that I bought new and it has been faithful with several hundred cords behind it and it got new bearings awhile back. So why does it matter how long your saw will last? You know that a pricey saw will often outlast a cheap saw. The seals gaskets and hoses are better on a high quality saw compared to Poulan that you paid $198 at Lowes because they were on sale. Thanks
 
Iv only fixed a few but the big let down is that they lack potential to be improved you can make some more power and surley put a good bar and chain on one but they have a limit to how good they can be....I don't think they could be modded up to the old time "farm saw " standard.
Lol. We're now confusing which category of emissions testing some company decided to pay for with marketing and advertising terms like "homeowner" or "farm and ranch" that don't really mean anything.

The bits of metal and plastic these things are all made of don't know and don't care. You really think changing the port timing and compression and modding the muffler won't work if some marketing guy decided it's not "pro"?
 
As far as I have understood the average life is estimated to be

Home = 500 hrs
Farmer = 1000 hrs
Pro = 1500 hrs

Of course this is highly dependent on user maintanence and can easily be prolonged.

7

1500 hours is about 285 days of work. by then even a 660 would be clapped right out lol. by 400-500hrs most saws are past there prime.
 
1500 hours is about 285 days of work. by then even a 660 would be clapped right out lol. by 400-500hrs most saws are past there prime.
**** man.
I have broken the bottom weld on the full wrap, wore off the sticker on the gas tank and busted out the trigger lock on my first day. And that was just in the hotel room. Lol
The lighting can be poor in those cheap hotel's
 
1500 hours is about 285 days of work. by then even a 660 would be clapped right out lol. by 400-500hrs most saws are past there prime.
It's probably about right that you could get that out of some like you say the 660. I would suspect 1500 if needed and 1200 for ported 372 at 5.5 per day but it's pretty much a saw a year across the board on average even on a sort year.
Lots of guys are into the PR thing with their saw shop and drop their saws off for reg service between shifts even if they seem good. Guys don't have the mechanical ability so they want to ensure reliability. When It needs something, they need a new saw. It's smart.
 

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