Anyone run both the OEM 372xp and the clone side by side.

[edrrt]

There's so many reviews here and vids of guys cutting wood with the clones.

I put a cheap Chinese top end for a time on my 357xp... And it also ran fine and cut wood. I thought it was great. Until I went back to OEM. The performance is noticeably better, but I wouldn't have noticed if I didn't have experience with both top ends.

So many of the vids racing the clones and OEM aren't valid imo. Many of them are not stock. Guys have replaced a lot of components including the top end and carburetor. At that point you might as well just buy OEM.

The impression that I get from most of the guys posting YouTube videos about their Holtzforma G372 is that they have never run a OEM one. It starts, it cuts wood, they think it's great.

To me though they don't look and sound like a Husqvarna XP in wood in the vids. They bog down, stall out, seem lower rpm, less power... They look a lot like my 357 with the garbage top end.

Yet most of the videos proclaim they are identical.

Has anyone owned both a stock 372xp and one of the clone G372's?

How close do they perform stock?

The only objective YouTube vid I could find was a guy who wasn't much into tinkering with chainsaws or even adjusting the carburetors. He bought a clone 372 and an OEM and was climbing with them running them side by side. It was very clear the clone was a dog compared to the OEM. The comments blamed it on the carburetor just being too rich. But if you didn't have an OEM right next to it, most people probably wouldn't have noticed.

Anyone run both?

 

[bwalker]

Don't buy Chinese junk.

 

[holeycow]

I'm pretty sure it's not exactly junk at this point... it's a way to keep the good old saws running, for one thing.

oh, and regarding the side by side comparisons. It is quite evident in many that the results are skewed by tuning. By both sides of the argument..

oh, and what would you call it when a multitude of professional saw hands can't even start their fancy saws in the winter. Or in the extreme heat of summer? The problems of tech in name-brand saws haven't completely gone away...not by a long shot.

I'm pretty happy with my two recently acquired chinese saws. They seem really good at the price. I know what a pretty good saw feels like and runs like. The wee top handle runs reliably, workmanlike. I see no reason why it wouldn't for a long time. The big saw rips! We'll see how it holds up in my limited use. I'm one who would sell one of these modern Stihls or Huskies if you gave it to me. I constanly have my eyes open for the older ones tho, like a ton of folks who have seen the progression.

 

[bwalker]

For syarte

I'm pretty sure it's not exactly junk at this point... it's a way to keep the good old saws running, for one thing.

oh, and regarding the side by side comparisons. It is quite evident in many that the results are skewed by tuning. By both sides of the argument..

oh, and what would you call it when a multitude of professional saw hands can't even start their fancy saws in the winter. Or in the extreme heat of summer? The problems of tech in name-brand saws haven't completely gone away...not by a long shot.

I'm pretty happy with my two recently acquired chinese saws. They seem really good at the price. I know what a pretty good saw feels like and runs like. The wee top handle runs reliably, workmanlike. I see no reason why it wouldn't for a long time. The big saw rips! We'll see how it holds up in my limited use. I'm one who would sell one of these modern Stihls or Huskies if you gave it to me. I constanly have my eyes open for the older ones tho, like a ton of folks who have seen the progression.

For starters the 372 is still being sold over season, so that argument is BS.
Saws tech and tuning are extremely basic. Morons do abound though..
And Chinese knock off are indeed junk and the cheap bastards that buy them deserve what they get.

 

[holeycow]

Hahaha.

it's not about being cheap whatsoever. In my case I have little use for a great big saw and little use for a wee saw. I'm sure I will get decent use out of both for me.

you are just trying to protect your turf as the goal posts are moving...

the boys are still having troubles with the fancy ones. The big two should get their **** together.

 

[Boleclimber]

A OEM 372 has better port timing numbers than a clone cylinder. Thus the oem will out run the clone. Match up all the port numbers, proper tuning, matched coils, and proper functioning carburetor will provide identical performance from oem or clone. Realistically, oem has quality control an materials on its side.

I’ve run a 372 clone and a 365. The 365 had more power.

 

[holeycow]

How is the ms380 clone? Anyone know?

 

[bwalker]

Hahaha.

it's not about being cheap whatsoever. In my case I have little use for a great big saw and little use for a wee saw. I'm sure I will get decent use out of both for me.

you are just trying to protect your turf as the goal posts are moving...

the boys are still having troubles with the fancy ones. The big two should get their **** together.

Buying two pieces of **** for under the price of one isn't being cheap?
And the goal posts are not moving. I've always maintained the Chinese saws are nothing but garbage and they absolutely are.

 

[holeycow]

Perhaps you should have a better look.

I'm still annoyed about all of the blown up huskies and the unjustly served guys that ran them who got no help from husky, and stihl to a lesser extent. And echo, in the case of non-pros. There is no brand loyalty anymore by the wisened.

and no, it's not being cheap whatsoever. It's being wisened.

let's see. I paid about 675.00 for a 25cc top handle, a 92cc "660", a 12" bar, a 24" bar, a 36" bar, and 5 chains to suit. I probably forgot something. They run great. In the case of the 92cc saw, it rips! Now given that the last big saws I ran back in the day were a 181 and a 281 (or was it a 288?). I have no real reference. I just know that a saw that has instant throttle response that I could tune to rev to the moon (it feels like) and has fat power in the middle might just be ok. I don't know, but as I said I would be stupid to spend 80% more for a machine that will see light use.

they might be junk. I doubt it. And btw, there were and still are shitloads of husky and stihl junk on offer for way more than they are worth. And they struggle to supply saws and parts. Both of those manufacturers tarnished their names big-time to the point where the seasoned pros would rather run old saws if they were available. Guess what? They nearly are.

when corporate greedy bastards decide to outsource a huge part of their manufacturing and technology to someone else in order to pad their profits, thereby giving jobs away, and their know-how, what does anyone expect to happen?

get real, you are merely protecting your turf. I don't have anything in the game. I realize I didn't buy a Stihl or a Husky or a nifty japanese saw. I didn't need that. Unfortunately I have learned that their offerings can't be trusted either.

 

[Hatchville Homesteader]

Guilty of Treason did this on his YouTube channel.

 

[holeycow]

I saw that. He's guilty of being a bit of a shill too. The chinese saws did better than they expected. And those west coast guys are kind-of saw snobs anyway, to a point. And they were comparing to a "built" saw. Maybe they shoulda got out a stocker.

 

[holeycow]

he was really funny when he was running the little "Chainsaw" chainsaw. The zenoah clone.

 

[holeycow]

I gotta say, the chinese compression release valve buttons are complete junk. You gotta get rid of that.

afleetcommand said it well in that other chinese saw thread running currently. People have learned a lot from the chinese junk. I'm hoping I don't have to...since I am semi-handy I'm not overly concerned.

 

[holeycow]

Oh, and in the case of husky, a large part of their line isn't even their own design. They are japanese. husky bought them. Another corporate strategy; if you can't beat them, buy them. Not very original.

the heyday of husky, and stihl, ... is gone. They are scrambling to fake innovation and progress when reinventing the wheel continuously causes everybody problems. Everybody.

 

[edrrt]

Yes thats

Guilty of Treason did this on his YouTube channel.

That's what prompted my post. In his vid the the clone is clearly not doing well.



They are available for $250 and I was going to try one but not if they don't run even close to a 372.

The farmertech 372 top ends look good aweful inside.



I suspect they will not perform that well as they look the same as my clone 357 top end that did not. It's how bad the transfers are is my guess.

Something I have observed, and has been already repeated here, is that people buying the new models that just came out like the G395 seem to be getting better performance. We know better top ends are being made now. I wonder if the new models coming out have top ends closer to OEM now.

Meaning avoid the clone 372, get some else like a 365 and it will out perform it as states above. Idk if there is truth to this. Has anyone had one of the newer models appart and compared it to the 372?

I was hoping that the better components would have made it into the g372's being sold now but idk if that's the case. They may have made an awful lot of them like that.

So much so that they can be special ordered with better top ends and walbro carbs but at that point might as well buy OEM.

A big question many had from the above vid was was it just a carb adjustment problem?

 

[edrrt]

I gotta say, the chinese compression release valve buttons are complete junk. You gotta get rid of that.

afleetcommand said it well in that other chinese saw thread running currently. People have learned a lot from the chinese junk. I'm hoping I don't have to...since I am semi-handy I'm not overly concerned.

I can attest to this. I could not get several to stop leaking right out of the. Box. Def not worth ruining a top end with a cheap decomp.

 

[ammoaddict]

I have a Chinese 660 and 372 that I built from the early kits. I had several problems with the 660. Decomp, pull rope, fast idle not working, chain tensioner stripped, fuel cap leaking. After working through those problems, the saw runs great and has plenty of power. The 372 was a much better kit. Replaced decomp, pull rope, and the oil pick up tube. It was too stiff and wouldn't stay down in the oil with the saw on its side. Replaced with used OEM. That saw rips. Never ran an OEM 372 so I can't compare. That saw does everything I need it to do for a fraction of the cost of OEM. I would have never bought OEM saws of that size because I don't need them. I bought them to play with and for the building experience.

 

[ElevatorGuy]

Don't buy Chinese junk.

Or Husky junk.

 

[holeycow]

The big two's pro saws have a top end power surge that proper two stroke tuning lives for. Definitely not a "farm saw" powerband..

 

[holeycow]

Stihl has some junk too. I'd rather buy junk at a fair price than buy junk at a premium price.