So whats the most durable saw?

[DavesMower&Saw]

I'll keep to stuff I work and see on a regular basis.

Older: Stihl 041's the Achilles heel of these saws seems to be intake air leaks. They have 4-5 gaskets, and spacers on the intake and have tendency of developing air leaks. But other that these old saws keep on cutting forever.

Newer: Stihl 025/ MS 250's and the 1123 series of saws. I know it's heresy, to say a clamshell/ modular,what ever you call it saw is durable. But these saws seem to last forever, except when people don't realize the chain brake is on and rev the saw. They heat up the clutch, melt the worm gear, and side of the plastic engine cradle. I rarely have any of these saws come in that are beyond an easy repair.

 

[pioneerguy600]

:agree2: I just dont believe the 044s hold up as good as the 281/288s. Seems most around here are 044 with 440 gas tanks.

LP,..do you have a 288 with 3000 + hrs on it? I would really like to see some picts of one, any of the pro huskies with high hours on it.

Pioneerguy600

 

[ZeroJunk]

:agree2: I just dont believe the 044s hold up as good as the 281/288s. Seems most around here are 044 with 440 gas tanks.

Might be right. I picked up an 044 free a few weeks ago with a brand new flippy cap tank. One third of the flywheel fins were missing. Muffler holes were wallowed out. Crankcase was broken. But, it still had good compression and ran well. I found a good crankcase and will make a good saw out of it.

Some people can tear up anything, and do.

 

[dieselram]

The saw that comes to mind is a friends Stihl 034..... I have seen that saw fly 30 feet into the field when it didn't run right... I mean he has thrown that poor saw a lot when he first got it. How it never broke any plastic I don't know but it still is running today and has never been torn down for a rebuild either... The only thing he did to it was put a new carb on it. She runs great now. I have never abused any saws like that or ever will but it has shown me how tough that saw really is...

So I vote for Stihl 034....

 

[056kid]

:agree2: I just dont believe the 044s hold up as good as the 281/288s. Seems most around here are 044 with 440 gas tanks.

44s are tough saws, but I think you are right saying the 288 is more solid. I haven't seen as many 288s as I have seen 44/6s but I have never found a 288 that felt lose like an old 44. & yes, the gas tanks are easy to kill on the 44s, not so with a 288. .

 

[little possum]

LP,..do you have a 288 with 3000 + hrs on it? I would really like to see some picts of one, any of the pro huskies with high hours on it.

Pioneerguy600

No sir
I was just noting a week point on the 044. They are great reliable saws for sure, and have laid many a piece of bacon on a table.


But seriously, I dont think there is a more durable saw than a wildthing, you have to think of the kind of homeowner abuse they get put through all the time. :monkey:

 

[slipknot]

Are those any good? Found one in allegedly running shape, 60 clams plus shipping. Do those have a chainbrake, or just a knuckle duster? And they do an old school conventional rebuild, just a hone and ring(s)?

$80-120 on ebay i various condition. Parts saws go for around 70. The 57cc piston and cylinder are kinda sought after and sorta rare.

 

[teacherman]

Stihl 031. Old school, points, 30 years of use by my friend Rich, 10-12 cords per year, plus general clearing/cutting.

 

[teacherman]

44s are tough saws, but I think you are right saying the 288 is more solid. I haven't seen as many 288s as I have seen 44/6s but I have never found a 288 that felt lose like an old 44. & yes, the gas tanks are easy to kill on the 44s, not so with a 288. .

044 tank is easy to repair. Link in sig.

 

[pioneerguy600]

No sir
I was just noting a week point on the 044. They are great reliable saws for sure, and have laid many a piece of bacon on a table.


But seriously, I dont think there is a more durable saw than a wildthing, you have to think of the kind of homeowner abuse they get put through all the time. :monkey:

I am trying to find a Husky with 3000 + hrs on it to compare to my two 044`s that have more than 3000 hrs. on them. I have yet to see a husky with over 1500 hrs on them. At one cord per hr on average then my 044`s have cut more than 3000 cords of mostly hardwood. The 30 plus year old saws that cut 10 or so cord a year for a homeowner only add up to 300 cord in their lifetime, no comparison at all. I have run my 044`s and MS 440`s for 12 years or more and have not broken a rear handle.

Pioneerguy600

 

[MO-Iron]

Few years ago, I attended the estate sale of one of our local chainsaw traders. The "good stuff" was sold off of tables out front of the shop. Out behind was about 250 junk saws lined up. A can of mix gas was available for anyone who wanted to try one of the junkers. I could not believe how many of the old XL-12
saws fired up and ran. I'm a 50/50 Stihl/Husky man, but if the only criteria is durable, the old XL saws may be it.

MO-Iron

 

[046]

seems ALL of the 0 series pro saws are super tough!!!

026, 044, 046, 064, 066, etc .... all are super tough and durable !!!!

 

[OhioGregg]

My vote would also go with the Poulan 3400/3700/4000 series saws. This is my 3400 I bought new in 1986, still a dead nuts reliable saw.

Gregg,

 

[MS460WOODCHUCK]

My vote would go with the 306A-245A poulans. They have been around for over 40 yrs and still tons of them putting wood on the truck.

 

[056kid]

044 tank is easy to repair. Link in sig.

I didnt read the link, but when you break a chain and one end ends up inside the tank, haha, well its kind of kaput. That is until the JB weld gets on the scene LOL.

 

[DangerTree]

Lucky brand

Lets talk durability.....whats the most durable specific model of saw out there? Im not talkin longest running....im talking which saw could fell a tree get stuck and flung down a mountain and survive...kinda like that dirty jobs scene...if ya havent seen that go check it out...lol. Im sure ol cream sickle has a dog in this fight.

Well I don't think there is one saw better than the other. If you drive over it with a truck or skidder or post pound it with the butt of a tree it's gonna break something. I did have my trusty Husky 357 squeek from my hands about 40' up a fir tree and land on the handle with the bar facing straight up. I figured it was done for but the ground was mushy enough to cushion the blow. So thats why I say the toughest saw is the lucky brand!

 

[ridgerunner97]

My vote goes for Old Iron, Poulan 306/361/3000-5000 series saws Husky 288xp, Stihl 038, 044 Homelite XL series saws, McCulloch 250. And a new "####ty" saw has to be the clamshell, Husky 36/Poulan Woodshark/Craftsman xxxx I pulled one out from under a motorhome that had sat for 3yrs in the elements, hit the primer bulb, chain was rusted to bar and it fired on rancid fuel. I cleaned it up, put fresh mix in, ported it a bit and its my go to limbing saw now, I reach for it more than my 024.

 

[hotshot]

My vote for the 306A Poulan series too. Dad still runs his every fall for cutting firewood & I guess it's over 35 years old...he's 75!

He's complaining this weekend about it finally needing a new air filter, but they're already long gone from stock. Anyone have any AF leads?

 

[Cedarkerf]

Simple answer look in the back of crummies. Loggers aint gonna use anything fragile that easily breaks. stihl 460,660s dominate crummies out here.

 

[eMGunslinger]

Simple answer look in the back of crummies. Loggers aint gonna use anything fragile that easily breaks. stihl 460,660s dominate crummies out here.

This ^^

And trust me I have seem some very well "hillbilly" to say the least tree guys down here and if they can't break a 460 then its almost can't be broken. I saw one guy cutting cypress put his 460 UNDERWATER!! to finish the cut (needless to say saw drowned) but wasn't broken