Fireworks ? STIHL vs. McCulloch

[Messenger]

Was out cutting some wood to weight down my truck bed because of a big snow storm coming -- yea, in April... Elm, I believe it was.

Ran my STIHL MS250 & Mac PM10-10. These are NOT my only saws. Just
decided to run them. Chains sharp, etc. Both Ready. [It was hailing on me while cutting, about pea sized...]

I was trying to get 'er done!
Cut a little over half a truck load. Enough weight in my 2WD.

Anyway, MS250 has a 16" & the PM10-10 has a 20".
Both are in sharp tune -- running Full Syn Oil. Both running crisp & strong.

Yea, the MS250 is new-style Hi RPM and the magic popsicle color. [45cc's]
And, the Mac is old, loud, slow?..., and company's been out of business since forever. [54cc's]

Guess how they compared.

 

[Biker Dude]

How do you keep an AS member in suspense?
I'll tell you later..........

I'm going to say the Mac but the only Stihl I've ever run was a POS farm boss. Well, the suspense is killing me!

 

[Mad Professor]

Was out cutting some wood to weight down my truck bed because of a big snow storm coming -- yea, in April... Elm, I believe it was.

Ran my STIHL MS250 & Mac PM10-10. These are NOT my only saws. Just
decided to run them. Chains sharp, etc. Both Ready. [It was hailing on me while cutting, about pea sized...]

I was trying to get 'er done!
Cut a little over half a truck load. Enough weight in my 2WD.

Anyway, MS250 has a 16" & the PM10-10 has a 20".
Both are in sharp tune -- running Full Syn Oil. Both running crisp & strong.

Yea, the MS250 is new-style Hi RPM and the magic popsicle color. [45cc's]
And, the Mac is old, loud, slow?..., and company's been out of business since forever. [54cc's]

Guess how they compared.

That's like asking my super XL homies vs my 028S. More fun to cut with the stihl but the old homie will kick its butt, the homie even does OK. with 24 " bar. I dropped/bucked a 52" ash with that old homie.

 

[Modifiedmark]

I know what happened. There's quite a bit of displacement difference there.

 

[buzz sawyer]

Hmm...Large pieces of hail struck both saws and neither one worked after that. Since you didn't get all the wood cut, you didn't have enough weight in the truck and you are stuck in a snowdrift somewhere and can't finish the story?

 

[MS460WOODCHUCK]

The MAC by far! Not even close in comparison.

 

[Tzed250]

The MAC by far! Not even close in comparison.

The cc's are not even close in comparison...

 

[Brian S]

I'd go with the 025 in wood under 8" and the 10-10 for everthing larger.

 

[Messenger]

Guys, so many posts are written about "new saws" being SO much superior to the older saws that engine size seems of little concern. That's why I did the OP. New saws walk on water..

These Mac's, HomeLites, etc. certainly could not possibly keep up. Old heavy slow pieces of junk religated to the collector shelves -- by many opinions.

Yes, in this comparison the Mac had a bigger engine. So, to many members this couldn't matter....it's a new style, hi-revving STIHL!

The Mac PM10-10 ate the MS250 alive. Not close. I could stop the MS250's chain at times, most anytime. Never on the MAC. It wasn't just a "Torquey" old saw.
No, the MAC was purring! Very strong. Simply cut faster!
[this was Elm, 12"-16"]
I think many times we overlook the importance of the CLUTCH. A MAC clutch is probably workable for an MS880! It keeps putting the power out.

I would submit the PERCENTAGE of RPM decrease is less on the MAC than the STIHL-- from WOT, to WOT in the wood.
[not beating up STHIL, I own [5] more of them]

I have a strong PM10-10 w/ Elec. Ign. , tuned just right.
Very good performing saw.

Would like to test it with an MS290 ! [same size engines]
I have no money available to bet on the MS290.....

 

[rupedoggy]

Wait, one more thing. That 250 is a home owner type saw. The 10-10 was made to work all day every day. Take the dollar value when the 10-10 was new and you might get to buy a 346 husky or 5100 dolmar or 026 stihl pro today. Try them against the 10-10.

 

[BIGBORE577]

I agree with you on many points especially, about many assuming the old saws are so slow. Obviously, not always the case. Certainly not slow enough for the additional torque not to make it competitive. Loud, obnoxious and uncomfortable compared to newer saws? Absolutely. A push over to more modern saws? Hardly.

 

[BIGBORE577]

Wait, one more thing. That 250 is a home owner type saw. The 10-10 was made to work all day every day. Take the dollar value when the 10-10 was new and you might get to buy a 346 husky or 5100 dolmar or 026 stihl pro today. Try them against the 10-10.

Good points also.

 

[Modifiedmark]

Wait, one more thing. That 250 is a home owner type saw. The 10-10 was made to work all day every day. Take the dollar value when the 10-10 was new and you might get to buy a 346 husky or 5100 dolmar or 026 stihl pro today. Try them against the 10-10.

I would like to try what you suggest, but I want to see 20" bars with 3/8's pitch chain on them and buried in some Hedge or twisted up Oak.

 

[RED-85-Z51]

i think I can feel where the oP is coming from with this comparison.

People have the preconcieved belief that new high revving saws with big bars are all that there is, and will not listen to you tell them different.

i had my 08S up at work last year trying to find a new coil for it, it wears an old 18" hard nose bar, but it's a taller bar, big broad tip.

a man brought in his new Poulan Pro Big genital 22" Bad mofo saw and set it down next to the old Stihl and we started shootin the bull...He said he'd never use one of those old dinosaurs, too slow, too loud, and just generally inferior to the new high revving machines.

I took him out back and fired up the shop Echo 802, 24" bar wrapped in .404 full comp...and proceded to show him the advantage to a torquey low rpm saw.

I buried the bar almost completely in the big old knotty chunk of oak we had, and split it right down the center. No wagging the saw up and down, no self feeding, I just laid my weight into it and the saw never bogged once, it cut extremely quickly all the way through and left a huge mound of chips, both boots were more than buried..haha

he still preferred his much smoother saw, but he left with a new respect for the old giants. they are loud, heavy, obnoxious brutes but what they lack in speed thay make up for with an agressive chain and raw grunt.

RPMS are a great thing to have if your saw can maintain them at maximum load...my feelings on that subject.