Holzfforma saws

[Paul Silvestri]

I've been reading some about these saws and the kits. Wondering if anyone here has any long term review or comments about them? Are they decent for the price? Or do you get what you pay for? I'm interested in one of the husky clones maybe, just for fun. Any helpful comments welcome please!

Thank you

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[Bobby Kirbos]

Cliff's notes version:

• Kit parts are hit or miss, more miss than hit. Most who build them end up replacing the internal engine components (piston, rings, wrist pin, bearings) with OEM, or at a minimum, quality aftermarket like Meteor or Hyway for pistons, Caber for rings.
• No warranty.
• Zero support from the mfgr.
• At the end of the day, with all of the parts that you swapped out, you would have a better runner if you started with a parts saw and rebuilt it.

I was planning to go the blue clone route for a 660. This China virus has really made me want to avoid "made in china" more than ever. Instead, I went the rebuild route. I will be about $500US into it and have an actual Stihl MS660, not a second rate clone.

 

[Paul Silvestri]

Cliff's notes version:

• Kit parts are hit or miss, more miss than hit. Most who build them end up replacing the internal engine components (piston, rings, wrist pin, bearings) with OEM, or at a minimum, quality aftermarket like Meteor or Hyway for pistons, Caber for rings.
• No warranty.
• Zero support from the mfgr.
• At the end of the day, with all of the parts that you swapped out, you would have a better runner if you started with a parts saw and rebuilt it.

I was planning to go the blue clone route for a 660. This China virus has really made me want to avoid "made in china" more than ever. Instead, I went the rebuild route. I will be about $500US into it and have an actual Stihl MS660, not a second rate clone.

Well said, I agree.. maybe after all said and done it's not worth the hassle. The price looked appealing.

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[ammoaddict]

Well said, I agree.. maybe after all said and done it's not worth the hassle. The price looked appealing.

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If you can find a saw to rebuild, that's the way to go. Unfortunately bigger pro saws are non existent in my neck of the woods. I went the kit route. I have one of the earlier 660 kits. It had a few issue I had to work through. It runs good but a little stubborn to start sometimes. It's completely kit parts except for the decomp and control lever. The kits coming now are much better, they are continuing to improve them. I also built the Husqvarna 365 kit. I used an oem decomp, everything else is kit parts. It runs awesome. Cranks good, oils good, runs like a scalded dog. I am completely satisfied with it. There are tons of reviews and threads on these. Some good YouTube vids too. Afleetcommand has some unbiased reviews on these kits and also some of the complete saws.

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[Paul Silvestri]

If you can find a saw to rebuild, that's the way to go. Unfortunately bigger pro saws are non existent in my neck of the woods. I went the kit route. I have one of the earlier 660 kits. It had a few issue I had to work through. It runs good but a little stubborn to start sometimes. It's completely kit parts except for the decomp and control lever. The kits coming now are much better, they are continuing to improve them. I also built the Husqvarna 365 kit. I used an oem decomp, everything else is kit parts. It runs awesome. Cranks good, oils good, runs like a scalded dog. I am completely satisfied with it. There are tons of reviews and threads on these. Some good YouTube vids too. Afleetcommand has some unbiased reviews on these kits and also some of the complete saws.

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I've started to watch many allfleetcommand videos and he does a great job with details and explanations. Thank you for the info!!

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[Deleted member 117362]

@Scott chandler what do you have to say about those saws?

 

[ammoaddict]

I've started to watch many allfleetcommand videos and he does a great job with details and explanations. Thank you for the info!!

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You're welcome, that's what this site is intended for, to help each other out.

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[Vintage Engine Repairs]

Stay away is my advice. Every Chinese part I have owned is junk. I now won’t touch Chinese am parts with a barge pole. It’s quicker, easier and less frustrating throwing your money straight into the bin rather than giving it to companies like Farmertech / Hultz.

 

[CR888]

Stay away is my advice. Every Chinese part I have owned is junk. I now won’t touch Chinese am parts with a barge pole. It’s quicker, easier and less frustrating throwing your money straight into the bin rather than giving it to companies like Farmertech / Hultz.

Nah its more fun to think the required part to have your saw fixed and back cutting wood is in the mail and will be here soon. You wait...wait some more sometimes it never comes but the ones that do arrive won't just bolt on and work...oh no, you need to now start working on the new part to make it work. Finally if your lucky you might have a saw that functions and cuts wood (if your lucky and spent an hour fixing the new part) but most likely you have just forked up your saw more by fitting junk to it. Are China parts cheap & appealing to the vulnerable? Yes big time! Are China parts worth either the money or time made to make them right? Most often they are NOT! If & this is a big 'IF' you are a super calm person who don't get frustrated, is happy to spend YOUR time making a part work (that should work right out other box/or plastic China bag) go for it support the China copy train. But if you have a busy life and your time is $$ then forget it, buy OEM, support local jobs and get a part that will bolt straight on, have you cutting immediately and add value to your saw. I say don't get suckered in to their 'special price for you' parts trade of falsehoods & broken dreams.

 

[67L36Driver]

I’ve built three Farmertec 660s with no serious issues. [emoji106]

You have to keep your head out of your ass and be cautious about every part.

 

[ammoaddict]

Stay away is my advice. Every Chinese part I have owned is junk. I now won’t touch Chinese am parts with a barge pole. It’s quicker, easier and less frustrating throwing your money straight into the bin rather than giving it to companies like Farmertech / Hultz.

It's impossible to stay away from Chinese products. I have a Stihl trimmer and after researching, the parts were made at the Stihl factory in China and shipped to Virginia Beach, VA to be assembled. I'm also posting this from my made it China Motorola phone while drinking coffee from my made in China Yeti mug, that was brewed in my made in China Mr. Coffee maker.

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[Paul Silvestri]

It's impossible to stay away from Chinese products. I have a Stihl trimmer and after researching, the parts were made at the Stihl factory in China and shipped to Virginia Beach, VA to be assembled. I'm also posting this from my made it China Motorola phone while drinking coffee from my made in China Yeti mug, that was brewed in my made in China Mr. Coffee maker.

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Haha!!! DAMNIT China!! They got is with having their name on so many things!! You are right @ammoaddict , it's impossible to stay away from China parts.

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[CR888]

Parts from China that OEMs use are a totally different ball game, they control they quality to a large extent as their business model relies on delivering working products. On the other hand Joe bloe who sources his parts through Ebay China sellers or Hutzl or whatever are purchasing from distributors that are rewarded for having the cheapest product on the market. The cheaper they can make/sell it the more units/profit they make. Its a race to the bottom. China is totally capable of producing OEM quality saws and parts but they dont as they use price to penetrate the market. If your $1-200 MS660 kit was made well and cost $5-600 the sales volume would decrease by 95%+ over night. The ONLY reason consumers buy these kits is all PRICE driven. While some have made working saws out of these kits that cut wood, when you add the time & expertise they have put into these saws there hardly a bargain. Couple that with the general poor quality of every component and the total lack of any part meeting safety standards, its hardly a proposition to use one of these saws in a professional context. But they can be a bit of fun and teach folks a lot about building a saw. There just not for everyone.

 

[ammoaddict]

Parts from China that OEMs use are a totally different ball game, they control they quality to a large extent as their business model relies on delivering working products. On the other hand Joe bloe who sources his parts through Ebay China sellers or Hutzl or whatever are purchasing from distributors that are rewarded for having the cheapest product on the market. The cheaper they can make/sell it the more units/profit they make. Its a race to the bottom. China is totally capable of producing OEM quality saws and parts but they dont as they use price to penetrate the market. If your $1-200 MS660 kit was made well and cost $5-600 the sales volume would decrease by 95%+ over night. The ONLY reason consumers buy these kits is all PRICE driven. While some have made working saws out of these kits that cut wood, when you add the time & expertise they have put into these saws there hardly a bargain. Couple that with the general poor quality of every component and the total lack of any part meeting safety standards, its hardly a proposition to use one of these saws in a professional context. But they can be a bit of fun and teach folks a lot about building a saw. There just not for everyone.

Of course it's the price. That what sells everything. The same reason that Stihl and all these other companies have factories in China. They can take advantage of cheap Chinese labor and put more money in their own pockets.

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[Paul Silvestri]

Of course it's the price. That what sells everything. The same reason that Stihl and all these other companies have factories in China. They can take advantage of cheap Chinese labor and put more money in their own pockets.

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Truth[emoji3595][emoji3595]

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[ammoaddict]

Truth[emoji3595][emoji3595]

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Here is the Husqvarna clone I built. OEM decomp and decals. Also a pic of the muffler mod. I just used it a little today. I put choke on, pulled 2 times and it was running, I quickly pushed in the choke and it stayed running. I have an old Husqvarna 50 and a pretty new 545. It usually takes 4 or 5 pulls to get them running from cold.

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[Vintage Engine Repairs]

It's impossible to stay away from Chinese products. I have a Stihl trimmer and after researching, the parts were made at the Stihl factory in China and shipped to Virginia Beach, VA to be assembled. I'm also posting this from my made it China Motorola phone while drinking coffee from my made in China Yeti mug, that was brewed in my made in China Mr. Coffee maker.

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Chinese Aftermarket...

 

[toadman]

I have a few clones!!
I have 2 husky kits that I built, and ran for an hour and now I need to disassemble & revisit. One husky that's good.
I have 3 (044 Stihl copies) that have hundreds of hours on them, with only very minor issues.
I plugged the de-comp's, put factory control switches, and put caber rings in the 044's when building the kits.
kit parts= everything else.
The husky 372 clone kits have been more miss than hit for me, But I do have the one 372 that has been a stelar saw.
I Built it for me to try, but Its used exclusively by someone else, who borrowed it a couple years ago, and comments on how great it is every time I ask for it back... lol.

 

[toadman]

Good learning tool, I learned a ton about how these things work, but I would not recommend any of them for anyone who does high production tree work. Buy an OEM for that...

 

[ammoaddict]

Good learning tool, I learned a ton about how these things work, but I would not recommend any of them for anyone who does high production tree work. Buy an OEM for that...

I agree.

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