A list of Efco saws made in Italy and China

[SMKS]

Hi there, new member here.

I've been shopping for a chainsaw and was considering Efco saws. I know they make saws in Italy, but I was disappointed to see that some of the saws I was considering are made in China.

I emailed the company and they provided a list of which models are made in China and which are made in Italy. I thought people here might be interested in the info.

I give Efco credit for providing such a thorough answer. I'm very interested in the country of origin of most products I buy and occasionally some companies will be a little dodgy when you ask them where a specific product is made.

Here's the email I received from Efco:

Thank you for your interest in efco! Our saws are made in 2 locations depending on the unit type you are looking for. Our Homeowner models are made in our Emak owned China facility, and our Pro model units and Top handle saw are made in our Emak owned Italian Facility.

MT 3500, MT 3750, MT 4100, MT 4400 are all made at the China Facility.

152, 156, 165, MT 7200, MT 8200 & 132 S are all made at the Italian facility.

Please feel free to browse our website, if you would like a catalog let me know and I can have one shipped out.

 

[Brushwacker]

Thanks !

 

[exSW]

Just to muddy the waters a little.I believe on the 4400 and maybe some of the other smaller Efcos the color combination of the plastic cladding denotes Italian or Chinese made.As a rule the Italian mfcr. seem to be extremely proud of their stuff and never miss an opportunity to point out that it is MADE IN ITALY.

 

[7sleeper]

What is still unclear in the mail is the following, does "made in" mean assembeld or everything made in. F.e. many companies let there equipment be assembeld in china but production is somewhere else.

7

 

[SMKS]

What is still unclear in the mail is the following, does "made in" mean assembeld or everything made in. F.e. many companies let there equipment be assembeld in china but production is somewhere else.

7

Well, the short answer is we don't know. You could contact the company and ask, but I'm not sure the average customer service people there would know the answer.

I can give you some info on the labeling rules in the U.S. If you're in Austria, your country will have different labeling rules.

Without getting too far into the nitty gritty details...

In the US, imported products must be labeled with a country of origin. The country of origin can be considered the last country where there's a "substantial transformation," as Customs and Border Protection calls it. CBP regulates labeling of imported items. Assembling an item in China with parts from other countries can be considered a "substantial transformation," so an item assembled in China with parts from other countries could be labeled "made in China."

But, companies can label items with "assembled in (insert additional info)" if they want. So, a saw built in China with an Italian engine could be labeled "assembled in China with Italian engine," "assembled in China" or a bunch of other variations.

So, there's some wiggle room in how imported items are labeled. In the case of Efco saws, I don't know if the Chinese models use parts from other countries. I would guess they use mostly Chinese parts in their Chinese saws, but I'm just guessing.

The regulations for labeling an item "made in the USA" are far different and more strict, and are regulated by a different government agency, but I won't get into those here.

I can provide some links if anyone wants to wade through some boring government pamphlets that spell out the rules for labeling.

 

[7sleeper]

We have a similar situation here
The country of origin can be considered the last country where there's a "substantial transformation," as Customs and Border Protection calls it. As far as I know here in Austria the "substantial transformation" is only 10% of total work needed. And yes it is cheaper to assemble in china.

7

 

[LarryRFL]

When I discussed this with the NA Efco rep, he said that assembly was done in China from parts manufactured primarily in Italy. Things like filters and fasteners were manufactured in China. Most of the rest of the engine parts of the China assembled units are manufactured and shipped from Italy. They maintain tight quality control at the assembly facility. Again, this was info from the Efco rep.

 

[tmessenger]

Is the 981 no longer in production ?

 

[Franny K]

I note they state pro saws and top handle. Where the advertising material at least for 2011 that I have calls the top handle pro. My pole saw is called pro but upon studying the parts sheets if it is configured as a string trimmer it is one level less.

If you are considering getting an efco saw mail order you could ask what the year of manufacture is.
I have seen as old as 2005 25cc pole saw still offered. If they can't tell you what the year of manufacture is because it is drop shipped or something like that I wouldn't expect to see 2013.

Fran

 

[Miles86]

Thanks! The Multi-Mate landscaping tools are made in Italy.

The handheld leaf blowers are assembled in China, but you really cannot see or feel any difference in quality (Italy or China).

 

[oakcutter]

You said that you were considering an Efco. Just my two cents.... I have an Efco 152 and love it. Couldn't be happier with the saw.