Old vs New Husqvarna and Stihl saws ?

Arborist Forum

Help Support Arborist Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
alabama xl

alabama xl

ArboristSite Operative
Joined
Aug 9, 2007
Messages
145
Location
alabama
Why do folks prefer the older saws to the newer ones? Yes I'm new here.

My friend who has a few old ones like the metal bodies on the old ones because he thinks they are more durable. I like metal over plastic also, but I've never used anything but the newer saws.

Others prefer the old saws perhaps because they are easier to adjust, given that new ones have all sorts of workarounds on the carb adjustments to keep us from meddling with them and keeping them running their best in order to help ensure clean air to breath. I'm sure that has stopped about none of the people on this forum from finding ways to adjust their carbs, but it is a pain to have to find expensive tools, or to make your own.
 
Joined
Oct 19, 2009
Messages
29,521
Location
MN
Several reasons such as these

-To save $$ buying used vs new

-Proven technology

-Metal vs plastic

-There's also a subset of every group that likes to use "old" stuff rather than new.

Personally I would still be using my dad's old Husky 65 as my main saw but felt safer having something with a chain brake for most of my cutting and was wisely referred to the 2165 by AS members. The 65 is reliable and has plenty of power for the size/species of wood that I cut so I always have it ready with a sharp chain just in case and also use it for stumping.
 
chucky da WC

chucky da WC

ArboristSite Lurker
Joined
Aug 12, 2013
Messages
5
Location
North Carolina's Piedmont
Why do you think folks prefer older to newer?

My thinking was that like with cars, the older ones had better metal and more of it, as well as being easier to work on and or tinker with. I can see Alabama's point about the newer saws being more efficient also having better power to weight ratios generally speaking. And breathing better as a function of design rather than of tinkering and also having lower harmful emissions. No burns please, just my best uneducated guess.
 

TK

Addicted to ArboristSite
Joined
Jan 3, 2011
Messages
3,877
Location
Maine
You have to be buying a pretty stinkin old saw to be getting a metal tank over a plastic one..... Just sayin.
 
WhistlePunk99

WhistlePunk99

ArboristSite Member
Joined
Jul 7, 2013
Messages
53
Location
Earth
Old Versus New

There is some of the older saws that can outdo the new saws for torque.Also some of us have a nostalgia problem and want saws that have history and are rare muscle saw from a bygone era. Old muscle saws are heavy but oh so much fun buried into a log:msp_thumbup:
 
El Quachito

El Quachito

ArboristSite Operative
Joined
Mar 21, 2012
Messages
411
Location
California
As a cutting tool, I think saws reach a point where they're all pretty good. I don't mind old saws, but I don't like using a worn out saw compared to a new one.


Any saw was nicer when it was new, before it became old.
 
workshop

workshop

Addicted to ArboristSite
Joined
Mar 10, 2013
Messages
2,513
Location
Nixa, Mo.
I have a little of both, old and newer. And, yes, I usually go to my newer stuff to cut with. The reason new generally does better is new technology that older saws don't have. They hadn't thought of this stuff 20 or 30 years ago. I have a Homelite model 17 that was built in June of 1956. Is it going to run and cut better than my MS260? Not a chance! Because they didn't have MS260 technology back then. I get tired of hearing that old saws aren't very good, they were good enough back then.
 
WhistlePunk99

WhistlePunk99

ArboristSite Member
Joined
Jul 7, 2013
Messages
53
Location
Earth
The is some nice creature features on the newer saw lacking in old saws. There is few older saws that are hard to find a modern replacement for,Like the Stihl 090.
 
Oliver1655

Oliver1655

Addicted to ArboristSite
Joined
Jun 26, 2010
Messages
1,195
Location
Central Missouri
I like the feel & control I have with a top handle saw. You don't find many if any 40 +cc saws in top handles any more. So I have old saws with metal tanks & top handles. I also have a new Jonsered CS 2139T. Yeh, I do have a couple of loaner Poulans with rear handles.
 
Philip Wheelock

Philip Wheelock

Finis Origine Pendet
Joined
Nov 8, 2012
Messages
1,332
Location
The Blackstone Valley
The older generation pro saws that are still popular have all the bugs worked out and are proven technology. The repair techs tend to know them backwards and forwards. They can often be found used in good shape on the market for a good price.
 

Latest posts

Top