SilverKing
ArboristSite Guru
had never heard of one,but saw one on the bay.Going by the box it looks legit,but the saw itself looks a bit off.Starter cover decal is "crooked".But if these are legit are they an upgraded 038?
Stihl 381?
- Thread starter SilverKing
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big t double
Addicted to ArboristSite
A 381 is pretty much an 038mag...whether or not the one you seen is legit I cannot say
I'm no expert, but I'd bet my collection that's a fake...
Not a correct Stihl model badge, cheap looking plastics & stickers, no spec stickers on lower part of rear handle, not a normal Stihl bucking spike, not a normal orange plastic tool pouch, Stihl carb screwdrivers have orange handles, I've seen other knock-offs come with the white oil/fuel jug, bar looks fake based on the sprocket nose & rivets, the box may be real, but it's different than all the ones I've seen in the 'States. I'm sure there's even more, but that's what all jumped out to me....
Not a correct Stihl model badge, cheap looking plastics & stickers, no spec stickers on lower part of rear handle, not a normal Stihl bucking spike, not a normal orange plastic tool pouch, Stihl carb screwdrivers have orange handles, I've seen other knock-offs come with the white oil/fuel jug, bar looks fake based on the sprocket nose & rivets, the box may be real, but it's different than all the ones I've seen in the 'States. I'm sure there's even more, but that's what all jumped out to me....
windthrown
361 Junkie
The MS381 is still sold in Oz, Brazil, ZA, NZ, Mexico and some other places, mainly in the southern hemisphere. It basically an updated 380. I looked at one about 5 years ago? Guy brought it up from Mexico. Interesting saw, it has larger displacement than a 440, but a 440 has a tad more power and is lighter.
harrygrey382
Addicted to ArboristSite
yeah they're pretty popular saws here - pro 70cc Stihl for the price of a 261... They sell very well at our local dealer. They are an 038M with a couple of modern gimmicks
SawTroll
Information Collector
Yes, and the power rating is a little higher than the 038MagII and the 380.
Chinese fakes are quite common, so be careful if buying one!
Stihl working hard
Is it Friday yet
The ms381 is a great seller in Australia a great saw for cutting hard woods I personally have 1 and have had it for 18 months no issues with it this saw is made in Brazil but it is not sold in the USA because it doesn't meet your emission standards
Stihl working hard
Is it Friday yet
You need to watch out when buying on flea bay in Ozz we get a few knockoffs of the ms381 the first thing you notice is that the ms381 is offset to the stihl badge on the pull start let alone any of the other points mentioned
Since the saw on eBay is clearly a fake, but is advertised as a Stihl I sent the seller the following message. It's my understanding misrepresented counterfeit items are not allowed on eBay, so I'm going to reply suggesting that they update the auction or I'll be reporting them.
"Just so I'm clear, this is a genuine OEM Stihl chainsaw, bar, chain, and tool kit?"
This was the response:
"This is an exact copy made in china,so the parts are interchangeble with ms380 sthil."
All the knock-off proponents seem to only focus on part interchangeability . . . It's really amusing to me.
"Just so I'm clear, this is a genuine OEM Stihl chainsaw, bar, chain, and tool kit?"
This was the response:
"This is an exact copy made in china,so the parts are interchangeble with ms380 sthil."
All the knock-off proponents seem to only focus on part interchangeability . . . It's really amusing to me.
windthrown
361 Junkie
The two 381s I see listed here on SleezeBay in the states are both obvious knock-offs. One is clearly listed as not OEM but an 'exact copy' and it looks like they updated the post after being challenged on it. Looks like they even knock-off the box it comes in (or they used a real one for the photo). The other is listed as made in China under license from Stihl. Like the 090 and some other Stihl saws, they do crank them out there, but the quality is questionable, like the parts for Stihl saws listed on Ebay that come from there (Forester and Zama in particular).
Twisted Priorities
ArboristSite Operative
Found this Stihl type. It's only a MS380, couldn't find a 381.
I saw the same one and it said under the item details that the country it was made in was China.
SilverKing
ArboristSite Guru
Like Windthrown said,the guy has changed the item description from when I first saw it listed.Gettin called on somethin made him do some rethinking I guess.I was always a fan of the old 038s.Just wish I could find a genuine Stihl.
SilverKing
ArboristSite Guru
one more thing.As close as these knock-off saws resemble an actual Stihl,you would think Stihl would be suing the crap out of somebody
Twisted Priorities
ArboristSite Operative
You would think that there would be patten infringement and legal matters would presume.
windthrown
361 Junkie
Its a China thing. China does not recognize western patent and trademark rights. Nothing you can do but scream at the Chinese gov't, and they just stonewall you. A lot of this stuff happens because Stihl and other companies have stuff made for cheap in China (legit). The factory will then have x number of good products that pass muster get the brand label and are sold worldwide, and then there are x number of sub standard ones left over that they sell locally, or overseas using direct sales channels like Ebay. Earthquake saws come to mind here. Another thing that happens is that they reverse engineer most western made products in China, especially the good ones. Then the knock-offs get knocked off again. There is no control there for copy protection, or even knock-off protection. The factory designs and runs are duplicated and cranked out. There is no end to the replication process in China, and that is a main driving factor in their growth seen in the past 30 years.
When I was an engineer at a tech company in the Silicon Valley, we sold them two computer systems thinking they would buy more. In the end they tore one down and left the other as a working prototype, and reverse-engineered the systems. They mass produced them for use in China, in the hundreds of thousands. That is typical business in China. The other thing that is happening with Stihl is they have good saw designs that are now outlawed in the US and EU. So they have moved production of good quality saws like the 381 and 361 to Brazil from Virginia and Germany. They have their own secondary saw markets in Oz, NZ, ZA, Brazil, etc. for saws that are good, cheaper but well made.
El Castor
ArboristSite Lurker
Hello everyone! Im new here, i had an ms 381, great saw in the 70cc range, very reliable never a problem, is not an ms 460 but too less expensive. This is a very popular saw here in Argentina, its made in Brazil and there is a version with low compression engine wich use any kind of crappy fuel. China copies and clones are very common here, BEWARE!
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