The Mac 3818 is the first saw I bought long ago when they were still in production and in some ways it's a pretty amazing saw. I kept one fueled for several years and found in that it starts and runs on stale gas and cuts fir reasonably well for a pico chained saw. To me its a perfect truck saw, not valuable enough that anyone would go through much effort/risk to steal it, but can still get the job done when called upon.
Worst chainsaw ever made?
- Thread starter GeorgiaVol
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Matt Coolen
ArboristSite Operative
I'll second the mini mac... good lord. Bought one for $15, got it going, then had an oil leak....take it ALL back apart....then the points...ALL apart again. Now it's not idling, gonna pull it apart again and put crank seals in it... I do like using it, good power and nimble, but man, so annoying to do minor repairs.
Good thing about these saws is they get thrown out when the least little thing goes wrong with them. The owners don't want to take them apart and the shops won't touch them because of all the labour costs. Very often I find them in excellent condition with nothing more then a simple carb problem.
Matt Coolen
ArboristSite Operative
Was just out in the shop... mines a Mac110. You guys are gonna guilt me into tearing this thing down again....lol
Freudianfloyd
Clinically Diagnosed with CAD
This one!!!
Worst saw ever made is not necessarily the model but my particular Husqvarna 350. I have replaced just about every part in this saw, and it still does not want to run. I finally decided today that it does not want to run and would rather be a parts saw. Some days it would run great, some days it wouldn't start at all, some days it would oil, some days it would not, some days It would start cold on the first pull, and some days it wouldn't start on the 100th pull, some days it would idle smooth, sometimes it would idle at full rpm, sometimes it wouldn't idle at all. Somehow when you tightened the bar nuts, it would tighten the chain, I had to leave the chain sagging when tightening the bar nuts or it would get so tight you couldn't spin the chain. Never the same issue twice in a row.
I have cussed more with this saw than a Navy full of sailors.
Worst saw ever made is not necessarily the model but my particular Husqvarna 350. I have replaced just about every part in this saw, and it still does not want to run. I finally decided today that it does not want to run and would rather be a parts saw. Some days it would run great, some days it wouldn't start at all, some days it would oil, some days it would not, some days It would start cold on the first pull, and some days it wouldn't start on the 100th pull, some days it would idle smooth, sometimes it would idle at full rpm, sometimes it wouldn't idle at all. Somehow when you tightened the bar nuts, it would tighten the chain, I had to leave the chain sagging when tightening the bar nuts or it would get so tight you couldn't spin the chain. Never the same issue twice in a row.
I have cussed more with this saw than a Navy full of sailors.
All my saws have tightened up the chain a wee bit when I snug up the bar nuts. Have to get the right feel for it and leave the chain too loose on purpose, so that when you snug up the bar nuts it's just right.
twostrokeglory
ArboristSite Lurker
Homelite 150 is the worst saw I’ve ever known. Terrible to start, no vibration dampening either. The vibration was so bad it would back the jets completely out and they would drop on the ground, lost forever. It would just wear you out starting and running it. That led to the purchase of an 026, which was terrific.
twostrokeglory
ArboristSite Lurker
I meant mixture screws, not jets.
stihl86
Addicted to ArboristSite
I’ll second the 019. If you could keep it running or in one piece, it had decent power.
Unfortunately you couldn’t finish a cut before something fell off or broke.
It earned its place next to the FS 36 linetrimmer as the best Stihl POS ever made.
Unfortunately you couldn’t finish a cut before something fell off or broke.
It earned its place next to the FS 36 linetrimmer as the best Stihl POS ever made.
Matt Coolen
ArboristSite Operative
Looks a lot like my Mac 110, 'cept someone put The Rolling Stones to it and painted it black!
I think so too!
Definitely a Mini Mac that someone was going to tar and feather before throwing out and couldn't find the feathers.
Either of these make the list? I was planning on getting this pair of Beavers running. 2.1 and 3.4
dougand3
Addicted to ArboristSite
The 3.4 Timber Bear, Eager Beaver, Silver Eagle, ProMac is worth it.
Chris-PA
Where the Wild Things Are
If they have spark and compression they should be an easy fix!
I like how this thread is turning into a "Small McCullochs that we hate but love anyway" thread, haha
Matt Coolen
ArboristSite Operative
r1stgei
ArboristSite Operative
Polish Wild Thang!
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