chainsaws

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chainsaws

Post by northdude » 23 Apr 2022, 6:17 pm

So its time to buy a new chainsaw, I'm talking budget saws as it will realistically get light use. I'm a husky fan and old faithful husky 40 is still sitting in the back of the shed but I dont want to spend anymore fixing it but cant bring myself to throw it away. had a mculloch as well it went ok but didn't really impress me. I live in town now so it will get used for pruning, firewood and taking away camping. would like a husky again but the 120 and 130 which is the price range I'm looking at don't get good reviews. The next one on the list is an oleo mac gsh40 any one had one of those. I know some will say I should spend the bucks on a decent husky etc and I would If I still had my lifestyle block but It wont get the use where I live now so a budget saw will do me for now..
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Re: chainsaws

Post by bladeracer » 23 Apr 2022, 7:03 pm

northdude wrote:So its time to buy a new chainsaw, I'm talking budget saws as it will realistically get light use. I'm a husky fan and old faithful husky 40 is still sitting in the back of the shed but I dont want to spend anymore fixing it but cant bring myself to throw it away. had a mculloch as well it went ok but didn't really impress me. I live in town now so it will get used for pruning, firewood and taking away camping. would like a husky again but the 120 and 130 which is the price range I'm looking at don't get good reviews. The next one on the list is an oleo mac gsh40 any one had one of those. I know some will say I should spend the bucks on a decent husky etc and I would If I still had my lifestyle block but It wont get the use where I live now so a budget saw will do me for now..


Since we got the AEG 18V 12" we've used the Oleo Mac 20" just once in the field. Hate trying to start petrol engines that spend weeks sitting between uses. When all the trees came down last year we couldn't get the OM to run so took it in to be sorted (again!) and bought the battery saw as a stop gap, but it's just amazed us from day one. A couple extra 9Ah batteries and it'll last longer than I want to be cutting wood in one session. A wild guess would be that I've done at least a hundred hours of work with it so far, including trees far wider than the 12" bar. It's missing some teeth and I keep a file and a spare chain on me, but it's still on the original chain. If we need to get stuck into a really big fallen tree we use the OM 20" but so far that's only been a single 24" cut last month. We use the 600mm swingsaw to cut firewood after we cart the limbs back to the house. I want to get the AEG 58V 20" saw as well.
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Rose's dad ran saw mills here on the block in the early days and we have probably a dozen saws in boxes in various states of disrepair. Plus we have four modern saws that still work just fine, but other than the 20" OM we just don't use them anymore - and we cut firewood for three hours every Monday to run the stove 24/7 through winter to heat the water and the house.
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Re: chainsaws

Post by GQshayne » 23 Apr 2022, 7:50 pm

The battery powered saws have some advantages. I have a small one for camping. No noise, no hard starting, no fuel to carry. Even a small one will cut enough wood for a few days camping on one battery charge.
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Re: chainsaws

Post by northdude » 23 Apr 2022, 8:03 pm

I think there's something wrong with me. I can see advantages of electric but I like the smell of the exhaust the noise the servicing revving it etc. Plus if I get an electric one that's quiet don't need to mix fuel and can be hard to start the mrs will claim it :cry:
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Re: chainsaws

Post by Pudlux » 23 Apr 2022, 8:08 pm

I have the baby 2 stroke Husky and it is great to have in 4wd for travelling and camping. FWIW, I also have a 25 odd year old OleoMac 951 that still starts just by looking at it. Wouldn't know how many ton of household firewood it has cut but would buy another if it ever expired.
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Re: chainsaws

Post by northdude » 23 Apr 2022, 8:15 pm

what's the husky you have
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Re: chainsaws

Post by NTSOG » 23 Apr 2022, 8:25 pm

G'day,

Stihl [Farm Boss] for me though Husqvarna is rated as good or better by pros I believe. I cut up so much heavy fallen timber, much of it Red Gum, that I need a good strong saw. I can see the benefit of battery-powered tools in certain circumstances, but not out in the paddocks for big jobs.

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Re: chainsaws

Post by northdude » 23 Apr 2022, 8:31 pm

yea sthil vs husqvarna is the chainsaw version of ford vs holden :D
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Re: chainsaws

Post by Blr243 » 23 Apr 2022, 9:31 pm

I have both still and husk still have a gtreat Rep regarding service. Huskservice useless. In the Bush with clearing tracks I’ll choose a petrol evevrytime over battery. More grunt forever u can’t run out of fuel as quick as u can run out of battery
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Re: chainsaws

Post by cz515 » 23 Apr 2022, 9:33 pm

You need to ask this question on internet forums.... and things go crazy.

Firstly I assume you are wanting to spend 250-299 range. Honestly I would recommend getting a Chinese saw from ebay. Yes it pains me to say this. Got one from Edison for 139. The only issue is you need a better chain, and i dropped it and the handle broke which is $35 to buy. They are usually stihl clones.

Battery saws by the time you get a couple of batteries and the saws you are looking at 500-700 range. Speaking to some arborists they have started to use and prefer the battery over petrol for climbing saws. These the the top handle ones, lightweight and over 1k. The cheaper battery saws they don't rate.

My favourite, and you can usually find them for 500-700 on Facebook marketplace used (they are 1499 new) is the Stihl 261cm. It's the auto carb model, very very powerful and light enough to carry around. (The farmboss 271, 311 & 391 do not compare) I have a 16inch bar on it as well as a 20". On the 16inch it just annahilate gum trees. So much so I just it for nearly everything excluding trunks. So I can in essence cut 30-32inch wide

Now in stihl there is the basic cheap ones that are trash. Then farmboss or landowner then the professional ones and the ms261 is the smallest one in the pro range. But power to weight it's the best.

In Husky land the 120 and 130s are the toys.. get the 50cc or above. The XP series are slightly more powerful. The 550xp to 572xp are just beasts (according to a Husky logger I spoke to)
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Re: chainsaws

Post by northdude » 24 Apr 2022, 7:13 am

Im looking up to $550 and wont buy chinese s**t
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Re: chainsaws

Post by cz515 » 24 Apr 2022, 7:30 am

Hey a good used saw then. The 261cm. Just unscrew the muffler and look for scoring on the piston/cylinder walls. (YouTube it to get an idea)

Ohh there is a 261, it has carburettor adjustment screws, it's the older generation model and I find they have less low end torque (so you have to keep them higher revs if using a 20 inch bar).
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Re: chainsaws

Post by cz515 » 24 Apr 2022, 8:48 am

northdude wrote:Im looking up to $550 and wont buy chinese s**t


Funny how I said Edison and did a search for chainsaw. Excisions start popping up in my ads.

Plenty of people saying Chinese crap.. never having used it. But those who have there were lots of posts saying how it's lasted 3-5 years. You can get 2 of these chainsaws and they will last you your lifetime.

Or you can buy the cheap stihl/husky/or any other battery chainsaw which is made in China
Last edited by cz515 on 24 Apr 2022, 10:14 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: chainsaws

Post by Blr243 » 24 Apr 2022, 9:34 am

Last time I visited cape York in very sandy country there were dozens and dozens of trees blown over The tracks due to the lousy root system having no purchase in the sand ... I spent so many hours cutting and log dragging and winching clearing tracks it entered my mind that I may have to give the owners a bill. I’ll never be there again without a petrol saw there’s simply to much wood to move any other way
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Re: chainsaws

Post by JimTom » 24 Apr 2022, 11:30 am

I carry my Stijl mini boss when I go out and about mate. Hasn’t missed a beat since I have had it, being a few years now. I am certain there would be better out there and I have thought about the electric saws. Reckon I’ll try one for my next purchase.
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Re: chainsaws

Post by northdude » 24 Apr 2022, 1:08 pm

cz515 wrote:
northdude wrote:Im looking up to $550 and wont buy chinese s**t


Funny how I said Edison and did a search for chainsaw. Excisions start popping up in my ads.

Plenty of people saying Chinese crap.. never having used it. But those who have there were lots of posts saying how it's lasted 3-5 years. You can get 2 of these chainsaws and they will last you your lifetime.

Or you can buy the cheap stihl/husky/or any other battery chainsaw which is made in China

Must be a reason the forestry guys dont use chinese saws?
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Re: chainsaws

Post by northdude » 24 Apr 2022, 3:11 pm

Went and had a look at a few today ended up with a husky 120 bought it home and got straight into what I needed to do and it was perfect started wasn't all boggy sat there and idled when I was clearing branches could pick it up and use it straight away without the stalling bs stopped it and it would start again hot. Man the most enjoyable sawing I've done for a while. Picked it up brand new for $320 so got a spare chain 2st oil and some files for under $400. Happy with it for that price..
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Re: chainsaws

Post by cz515 » 25 Apr 2022, 7:43 am

Good luck mate, I didn't realise you were in NZ.

Didn't get your comments about forestry guys not using what chainsaws?
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Re: chainsaws

Post by northdude » 25 Apr 2022, 8:10 am

over here the forestry guys don't use chinese saws. for the 320 I paid for this saw you'd be at that price or really close by the time you buy the chinese saw then put a decent quality bar and chain on it. Then over here they don't have spare parts unless you buy another new saw for parts. electric saws over here are pretty pricey as well, you can just about buy an entry level quality pro saw for what you pay for basic electric one and then it would pay to have a couple of extra batteries.

While on the same topic now I have a running saw I have a husky 40 I want to rebuild. Parts seem a bit limited for these are these the same as any other model as far as getting a gasket and seal kit for them? carb kit is easy to get hold of..
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Re: chainsaws

Post by northdude » 30 Apr 2022, 12:15 pm

saw has tackled the yard tidy up effortlessly just got some fore wood to do now. As far as electric equipment goes I do have an electric chipper shredder that I use to get rid of the stuff that's to small for fire wood and as long as you don't over load it its great just for urban yard work.
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Re: chainsaws

Post by bladeracer » 30 Apr 2022, 12:28 pm

northdude wrote:saw has tackled the yard tidy up effortlessly just got some fore wood to do now. As far as electric equipment goes I do have an electric chipper shredder that I use to get rid of the stuff that's to small for fire wood and as long as you don't over load it its great just for urban yard work.


I pulled the petrol engine off our chipper mulcher last week to look at swapping in an electric motor in instead.
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Re: chainsaws

Post by on_one_wheel » 30 Apr 2022, 6:11 pm

northdude wrote:Went and had a look at a few today ended up with a husky 120 bought it home and got straight into what I needed to do and it was perfect started wasn't all boggy sat there and idled when I was clearing branches could pick it up and use it straight away without the stalling bs stopped it and it would start again hot. Man the most enjoyable sawing I've done for a while. Picked it up brand new for $320 so got a spare chain 2st oil and some files for under $400. Happy with it for that price..


Can't go wrong, I've got 3 huskies, all of them start easy every time and purr like kittens at idle, the newest one I have has 10 years on it now, it's done a bit of work... it's on its second bar, worn out about 5 chains and it's only just needed it's first tune ever last year.
A mate of mine was into sthills. All of his saws have been dogs to start, probably because none of them have had manual primers.
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Re: chainsaws

Post by cz515 » 30 Apr 2022, 7:19 pm

on_one_wheel wrote:
northdude wrote:Went and had a look at a few today ended up with a husky 120 bought it home and got straight into what I needed to do and it was perfect started wasn't all boggy sat there and idled when I was clearing branches could pick it up and use it straight away without the stalling bs stopped it and it would start again hot. Man the most enjoyable sawing I've done for a while. Picked it up brand new for $320 so got a spare chain 2st oil and some files for under $400. Happy with it for that price..


Can't go wrong, I've got 3 huskies, all of them start easy every time and purr like kittens at idle, the newest one I have has 10 years on it now, it's done a bit of work... it's on its second bar, worn out about 5 chains and it's only just needed it's first tune ever last year.
A mate of mine was into sthills. All of his saws have been dogs to start, probably because none of them have had manual primers.


Funny how half the people you speak to will say stihls are s**t and dogs to start and half day Husky are that. Almost like Ford vs Holden.

Personal experience Chinese water pressure pumps (had 6+ over the years) Chinese chainsaw (3). Stihl chainsaws (4) and stihl blower all are OK to easy to start.

I had a Husky 440e a pain to start. Got to the point it was flooding so bad that if i pull the spark plug and it would be dripping in fuel. After lots of research found that they do not like to be primed at all (maybe 1 squert) when the manual, the saw and the dealer all said squat it 4 or 6 times every time you start. Very nice to cut, but no where the party of the 261.
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Re: chainsaws

Post by northdude » 30 Apr 2022, 7:46 pm

That's the weird thing I find with priming them It shouldn't need to be reprimed if you've been using it and put it down for a bit and restart it..
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Re: chainsaws

Post by on_one_wheel » 30 Apr 2022, 9:38 pm

northdude wrote:That's the weird thing I find with priming them It shouldn't need to be reprimed if you've been using it and put it down for a bit and restart it..


My generally doesn't need priming after sitting for minutes, if anything ½ choke once cooled.

Small engine Carbs without manual priming pumps rely on impulse priming, so you need to keep ripping on the pull starter to get the fuel moving. Impulse priming is a real s**ty method.
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Re: chainsaws

Post by cz515 » 30 Apr 2022, 10:46 pm

northdude wrote:That's the weird thing I find with priming them It shouldn't need to be reprimed if you've been using it and put it down for a bit and restart it..


That's the thing with the 440e it says prime the heck out if cold, or warm. So after studying arrive I took it to the dealer and they apparently did exactly per the instructions and stated 3rd/4th pull. What hilarious I took it home and it didn't work. So went and bought a stihl. 3 pulls starts every time hit or cold.

Then a few months later I was bored and stared to research and found the issue mentioned by 1 guy. Tried his logic and the bloody thing started easy.

The newer (tech is 10+ years old now) stihls with m-tronic are brilliant have gone through 4 and tbh don't have an issue summer/ winter, hot or cold engine.
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Re: chainsaws

Post by cz515 » 30 Apr 2022, 10:48 pm

northdude wrote:That's the weird thing I find with priming them It shouldn't need to be reprimed if you've been using it and put it down for a bit and restart it..


That's the thing with the 440e it says prime the heck out if cold, or warm. So after studying arrive I took it to the dealer and they apparently did exactly per the instructions and stated 3rd/4th pull. What hilarious I took it home and it didn't work. So went and bought a stihl. 3 pulls starts every time hit or cold.

Then a few months later I was bored and stared to research and found the issue mentioned by 1 guy. Tried his logic and the bloody thing started easy.

The newer (tech is 10+ years old now) stihls with m-tronic are brilliant have gone through 4 saws and tbh don't have an issue summer/ winter, hot or cold engine.
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Re: chainsaws

Post by cz515 » 30 Apr 2022, 10:49 pm

northdude wrote:That's the weird thing I find with priming them It shouldn't need to be reprimed if you've been using it and put it down for a bit and restart it..


That's the thing with the 440e it says prime the heck out if cold, or warm. So after having issues I took it to the dealer and they apparently did exactly per the instructions and stared 3rd/4th pull. Whats hilarious is I took it home and it didn't work. So went and bought a stihl. 3 pulls starts every time hot or cold.

Then a few months later I was bored and stared to research and found the issue mentioned by 1 guy. Tried his logic and the bloody thing started easy.

The newer (tech is 10+ years old now) stihls with m-tronic are brilliant have tested 4 saws and tbh don't have an issue summer/ winter, hot or cold engine.
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Re: chainsaws

Post by northdude » 01 May 2022, 3:38 pm

most of the time on husky but not sure if sthill is the same set up you just pull the choke out and push it back in again and don't touch the throttle,. that usually works if everything else is working properly.
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Re: chainsaws

Post by Larry » 01 May 2022, 4:06 pm

northdude wrote:most of the time on husky but not sure if sthill is the same set up you just pull the choke out and push it back in again and don't touch the throttle,. that usually works if everything else is working properly.


On a sthill you put the choke on for the first pulls with the throttle wide open (locks in position) when the engine makes a splutter you move the choke to the running position throttle still locked open and the saw normally starts next pull or second pull.

I am a sthill guy have 2 of them a 039 and a MS381 I only bought the 381 as the 039 was 25 years old and I wanted a old style new saw as a backup. The electronic ignition just doesn't seem warranted on a 2 stroke. Sometimes the old magneto timing is best in fact nearly Bullet Proof it has no way of changing.
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