They are over priced, IMHO. $600 for a 35cc saw is rediculous. But they have the corner on the market and can get away with it.
I've heard guys refer to them as their "money maker". That reputation, earned by it's power and reliability, is why they sell for what they do.
Gotta pick on you Brad, you did step in it this time!
Now what saw is somewhat comparable? The Husky 335/338, right? Now you are a man that mods saws, so what would it cost to mod one of these to run with a 200t? Even a Dolmar or Echo? With the price of the saw and the price to mod it, what's more expensive now?
Also, have you ever modded a 200t?
I know several that have, but at a GREAT cost and little gain, unless they went plumb stupid and made a saw for nothing but show and short runs of go! As in a two piece head and a pipe. Play with one some time if you have the guts! I sure know I don't! I don't even like cleaning the carb on the finicky damn thing!
Now I own both, a 200t and 192t, yes, the 200 is easily twice the saw! I even did a muffler mod on the 192 and it still won't even compare! The 192 died on me one day in a tree, would only run at full throttle. Really pissed me off having to come down, jack with the saw then finally grab another and climb back up the tree to finish the job! I've rebuilt the carb, now it has now fire! It's sat on a shelf in the garage for the last three years and can rot there for all I care!
I had a lot of overtime a bonus and won the monthly drawing for perfect attendance, so my work paid for my 200 before they laid me off. But I did two jobs one Saturday, either one paid for that saw, and that was before I got laid off!
Now if someone would make a saw with 3/4 the hp, without that stupid damn carb that cracks and plugs up, I'd probably pay the same price for it! Yes, they are that good!