I bought a clone MS200T kit, along with all the OEM recommended parts. $300 plus into the project. Try to assemble the crankcase and find that the crankshaft is almost .030 wider than the inside of the crankcase. The needle bearings are seated correctly, so it seems as tho the needle bearing bores weren't made sufficiently deep. Bought a MS211 for less than I have into the kit saw and it is fine. Live an learn. Never again.
Holzfforma saws
- Thread starter Paul Silvestri
- Start date
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These subjects are subjective. Think of it a game of statistics. 
OEM tends to give better reliability and performance but cost more, SOME of the AM saws give decent performance and last long enough for the hobby home owner type and are worth their cost. No absolutes here. Politics plays as well as if you object to Chinese or German products no matter how good or how cheap they are you won't be interested in their success. I look at some of the OEM saws and their life span is no better than some of the better AM saws. Flame away but it's just the way it is. Both the major brands have had their "albatross" saws. So my advice is always are follows....if you even question this, go OEM. Spend the money and even if you buy a POS at least you have recourse. If your curious and like fixing things, engineering things...and do the research or don't mind DOING the R&D some of the AM kits and saw are the best Bang per Buck there is short of a pile of worn out Husqvarna 385/390 or Stihl ms660 carcasses from a logger....
AND another thing, one bad Stihl or Husqvarna doesn't mean they all are. Same with the AM models. Some of the kits are terrible and should be avoided even for the inclined. Some not. I have had both success and fun developing the 660 based kits. That wasn't a week end effort! Although now I can build a pretty solid 660 in a few hours from what was learned over a few years. Not as much with the 372's, but they are "OK" and for many they would be fine. My "standards" and definition of win are more stringent than most.....and it goes down hill from there.. Not certain yet on the 361 clones but had reasonable success with the 038 clones. Things like that will spill out into online discussions.
OEM tends to give better reliability and performance but cost more, SOME of the AM saws give decent performance and last long enough for the hobby home owner type and are worth their cost. No absolutes here. Politics plays as well as if you object to Chinese or German products no matter how good or how cheap they are you won't be interested in their success. I look at some of the OEM saws and their life span is no better than some of the better AM saws. Flame away but it's just the way it is. Both the major brands have had their "albatross" saws. So my advice is always are follows....if you even question this, go OEM. Spend the money and even if you buy a POS at least you have recourse. If your curious and like fixing things, engineering things...and do the research or don't mind DOING the R&D some of the AM kits and saw are the best Bang per Buck there is short of a pile of worn out Husqvarna 385/390 or Stihl ms660 carcasses from a logger.... AND another thing, one bad Stihl or Husqvarna doesn't mean they all are. Same with the AM models. Some of the kits are terrible and should be avoided even for the inclined. Some not. I have had both success and fun developing the 660 based kits. That wasn't a week end effort! Although now I can build a pretty solid 660 in a few hours from what was learned over a few years. Not as much with the 372's, but they are "OK" and for many they would be fine. My "standards" and definition of win are more stringent than most.....and it goes down hill from there..
Not certain yet on the 361 clones but had reasonable success with the 038 clones. Things like that will spill out into online discussions.There are two threads of over one hundred pages each that tell you how to simply build one and avoid the problems as they appear.
noodlewalker
ArboristSite Guru
200t kits are absolute trash, which is unfortunate. I built two. One of them I just gave away, I think he welded a chain to it and used it as an anchor for his new John boat.... At least that's what I told him to do with it anyway!
I just paid $325 for a lightly used 034 in fantastic shape, with a 20" B&C. It needed a spark plug, and still needs a fuel cap gasket.
I'm just not seeing the appeal of the Chinese kits.
I'm just not seeing the appeal of the Chinese kits.
noodlewalker
ArboristSite Guru
I have 6 china built 365/372
And a huztl kit I built the only issue's I've had
We're the fuel and pulse line's failing
After a few month's.
I'm running farmertec 268 and 272 pistons
With popups
Comps in the 170s with dual port mufflers they run very well
For 225.00 saws
I've cut a lot in the last three year's with them.
The chainbrakes are aggravating on a couple of them
They tripped to easily so I reworked or removed them
I don't sell them.
I don't recommend anyone buying them
Or any china parts anymore
As they may need some work out of the box
Worth it to me not anyone else.
Some stihl trimmers saws and owns the zama carb factory there. Look around your house, garage. Bet most of what you use is from foreign countries.
Blower and trimmer I just did for some locals said assembled in Mexico.
Even so called assembled is USA smaller saws and trimmers say made with foreign and domestic parts.
Stihl China plant turns out these for north of the border.
Blower and trimmer I just did for some locals said assembled in Mexico.
Even so called assembled is USA smaller saws and trimmers say made with foreign and domestic parts.
Stihl China plant turns out these for north of the border.
Holzforma bars are junk. I bought one for a 372 and it was supposed to be 58 gauge but a 63 gauge chain was a sloppy fit in the rails. One side of the rails was higher than the other so i had to dress it before i could even try to cut with it. It was the worst chinese bar that i have seen.
It's crazy how there is so much variation in their products. I bought a 25" bar for the 660 kit and it is a surprisingly good bar.
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