# TOP handle redmax



## Small Job Tim (Mar 30, 2009)

dropped my trusty craftsman top handle while in the tree this weekend....still runs fine, but made me realize it is time for a new saw...
looking at the Redmax G3100 with a 12" bar....found it online for $199.....good deal for a climbing saw, but is it a decent machine?
thanks for the input folks....


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## Blakesmaster (Mar 30, 2009)

Small Job Tim said:


> dropped my trusty craftsman top handle while in the tree this weekend....still runs fine, but made me realize it is time for a new saw...
> looking at the Redmax G3100 with a 12" bar....found it online for $199.....good deal for a climbing saw, but is it a decent machine?
> thanks for the input folks....



I've never used the craftsman and wouldn't cause I'm a saw snob. Methinks for that price you could find a used 192 or even a 200 stihl. I bought a used 200 last fall for a hundo, spent another 215 on anti vibe mounts, chain brake, bar, chain, air filter, plug and a general working over at the local shop. Voila! Only $315 spent and I gots another prom queen in my stable.


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## Small Job Tim (Mar 30, 2009)

*redmax*

blakes,
i'm retiring the craftsman, mainly because it is unreliable in the tree and has no chainbrake....

the real question is....how do these REDMAX top handle saws hold up??


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## treemandan (Mar 31, 2009)

Small Job Tim said:


> blakes,
> i'm retiring the craftsman, mainly because it is unreliable in the tree and has no chainbrake....
> 
> the real question is....how do these REDMAX top handle saws hold up??



Make sure you can get it fixed at your saw shop. When people bring those kinds of saws into the one shop I go to they say they don't work on them.

Also if you are planning to order it from some obscure catalouge... don't. You best value is a saw bought from a store that has a competent shop as well. You get the warranty adjustments and whatnot. Its going to need work eventually, save money go with something common.


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## tree md (Mar 31, 2009)

treemandan said:


> Make sure you can get it fixed at your saw shop. When people bring those kinds of saws into the one shop I go to they say they don't work on them.
> 
> Also if you are planning to order it from some obscure catalouge... don't. You best value is a saw bought from a store that has a competent shop as well. You get the warranty adjustments and whatnot. Its going to need work eventually, save money go with something common.



That's the main reason I go with all stihl saws. Sure there are some great huskies and others but stihl is king around here (and nothing beats the 200T). easy to get parts and service for. Your climbing saw is not a piece of gear you want to have down for long periods waiting for parts or service.


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## MonkeyMan_812 (Mar 31, 2009)

tree md said:


> That's the main reason I go with all stihl saws. *Sure there are some great huskies* and others but stihl is king around here (and nothing beats the 200T). easy to get parts and service for. Your climbing saw is not a piece of gear you want to have down for long periods waiting for parts or service.



I would have to disagree with the great huskies part. The first saw I ever bought was a husky. Ran great. Would really eat some wood. Two months later, she catches on fire from a chainbrake malfunction. The brake band was rubbing the clutch. Friction prduces heat, heat causes flame. Husky told me it was my problem. Warranty? What warranty. They screwed me. DONT BUY HUSQVARNA!


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## Mama Tried (Mar 31, 2009)

MonkeyMan_812 said:


> I would have to disagree with the great huskies part. The first saw I ever bought was a husky. Ran great. Would really eat some wood. Two months later, she catches on fire from a chainbrake malfunction. The brake band was rubbing the clutch. Friction prduces heat, heat causes flame. Husky told me it was my problem. Warranty? What warranty. They screwed me. DONT BUY HUSQVARNA!



Wow....


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## Small Job Tim (Mar 31, 2009)

*stihl thinkin about it*

I do plan on buying a high end stihl tree saw in the next few years when finances are more steady. I just need a dependable top handle saw to last the next year or two that won't run me an arm and leg like stihl, husky, and jonsered would.
Has anyone used these Redmax top handles???


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## UrbanLogger (Mar 31, 2009)

I have 3 Redmax saws (look below) and have no real complaints with them. The G3100T is made by Efco, its a 132S. If you are going to buy a Redmax, go to a local dealer and buy it, then you can take it back for warranty and/or service, parts......

Most of my local Redmax dealers dont carry saws, but can get then (they tell me they dont carry them cus they cant compete with Stihl/Husky) but what ever, if you want one/like them, I say go for it.


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## pdqdl (Mar 31, 2009)

MonkeyMan_812 said:


> I would have to disagree with the great huskies part. The first saw I ever bought was a husky. Ran great. Would really eat some wood. Two months later, she catches on fire from a chainbrake malfunction. The brake band was rubbing the clutch. Friction prduces heat, heat causes flame. Husky told me it was my problem. Warranty? What warranty. They screwed me. DONT BUY HUSQVARNA!



Please don't take this wrong, I'm not trying to pick a fight.

Chain brake bands are generally considered a "consumable" item. If you managed to catch it on fire, it was either locked on or improperly aligned. 

I would bet that it got some junk under the band or got pinched during a hasty installation of the chain cover. Then it only rubbed enough to get really hot: Poof! You have a fire. Remember the first part of your comment? "The first saw I ever bought..." That suggests the possibility of inexperience and operator error.

If I was a saw manufacturer, I would only warrant broken parts on a chain brake mechanism, not heat damage of any sort.

Husqvarna has too many professional users deeply loyal to their product. It's not really fair to say "never buy..." unless the entire product line is crap and the manufacturer has a bad rep too.


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## VINIFIREWOOD (Apr 6, 2009)

If you have a Dolmar dealer near by go check them out the 3410 is an awsome saw and reasonably priced compared to Stihl or Husk


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## Bearcreek (Apr 6, 2009)

Take a look at the echo saws. No comparison to the stihl 200 but sure better than a craftsman.


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## dbotos (Apr 17, 2009)

You anywhere near Wilkes-Barre? Stihl online pricing says you could throw another hundred or so down and get yourself an MS 192 T C...

http://www.stihlusa.com/chainsaws/MS192TCE.html

P.S. Please elaborate on "dropped". As in "onto the ground" or "strap swung it back into the tree"?


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## Small Job Tim (May 17, 2009)

*fell*

dbotos,
when i say fell, i mean i dropped from about 40' up......smashed off a rock....time to call it quits on that saw anyway...it was a hazzard!


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## Tree Pig (May 17, 2009)

A less then adequate saw bogging down when making technical cuts up in a tree can get you hurt. Find the best saw you can afford spend a little more and get the one better then that and in the end youll be happy you did. 

I have a echo 330t and a stihl 200t for the money the 330t does a decent job but its nothing compared to the 200t.


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## dbotos (May 17, 2009)

Small Job Tim said:


> dbotos,
> when i say fell, i mean i dropped from about 40' up......smashed off a rock....time to call it quits on that saw anyway...it was a hazzard!



With your next saw, get one of these:







I have the yellow one with the two rings and one loop. Loop makes a girth hitch around your saw's lanyard ring, the ring on the far end goes first into a non-locking paddle carabiner on the belt of your saddle (with the gate facing out and the big end down), and the ring close to the loop (and your saw) goes in that carabiner too. When you're ready to cut, simple take the ring close to the saw out of the carabiner and go to town (leaving the other one in of course in case you need to let the saw hang low or you butterfinger it.


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## Tree Pig (May 17, 2009)

I use the same and it can come in handy to walk the dog in a pinch too.


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## dbotos (May 18, 2009)

Stihl-O-Matic said:


> I use the same and it can come in handy to walk the dog in a pinch too.



Don't want the dog to fall out of the tree either. Must be taking it for a _limb walk_. Har har har. :yoyo:


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## stihlhere (May 22, 2009)

I've never used one, sold on 200t, but the solo top handle seems to have some good features and equal displacement to 200t not sure of price 350.00 maby check baileys. Also if you were to order you would have gooood customer support. that being said i would go 192t. o yea better compare weight on solo altho probly lighter than crapman.


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## TreeClimber57 (May 22, 2009)

Stihl-O-Matic said:


> I have a echo 330t and a stihl 200t for the money the 330t does a decent job but its nothing compared to the 200t.



I agree, and I have both. The 330T works its little but off .. but when all is said and done the 200T can outperform it.. but then it did cost more so more is expected from it. For the money the 330T is a good little saw.


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## Nailsbeats (May 22, 2009)

Yup, right, what everyone else said, get a 200t.


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## treesquirrel (May 22, 2009)

Bearcreek said:


> Take a look at the echo saws. No comparison to the stihl 200 but sure better than a craftsman.



+1, they seem to be a good value for the money. But I'll keep my 200T.


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## markct (May 22, 2009)

for about 10 years i had a stihl 020av it was real old, got it for free cause the bar holding stud was stripped outa the housing and had been helicoiled then striped again, installed a threaded bushing after some machine shope work and it was a great saw, used it some for tree trimming but was used mostly for bucking up 3 inch and under firewood on the sawbuck. it finaly died and i was in the market for a new saw, couldnt afford a ms200t for the amount i use it, so being cheap i went with the ms192t, dont regret it one bit! got decent power, and is so light to use up in a tree its amazing


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## fishercat (May 23, 2009)

*i have the 192t and 200t*

i love them both.i hear the dolmar is between the 192 and 200.i would like to try one.i did hold one and didn't like the balance.the Stihl's are center balanced.


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## Small Job Tim (Jun 4, 2009)

*red machine*

just ordered the redmax, it's the best deal i found on any top handle saw with that power to weight ratio.....i think i made the right choice... thanks


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## fishercat (Jun 5, 2009)

*good luck!*

keep us posted on how it performs.always interested in new saw ideas.Redmax is good stuff but hard to find around here.


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## Small Job Tim (Jun 23, 2009)

*Ha!!!*

well well,
after ordering my new top handle redmax online almost three weeks ago, it finally arrived....of course with some interesting twists...
after waiting at the door (not literally) for over two weeks for my new toy to arrive, i finally decided to call the company and speak with a real person and to see what the hold-up was. the nice service person explained that the saw was on back-order, and that they'd get back to me a.s.a.p......the next morning the guy calls me back telling me that redmax no longer produced the saw i had ordered and already paid for. I guess this guy was expecting the worst from my reaction and was prepared to work a deal......long story short, I ended up with a top handle pro tree saw (retail $390) for the same price as the one i ordered ($200) with free shipping, no sales tax, and a faster shipping choice than the original plan. The guy also threw in a 14" bar/chain rather than the 12".
Tried the saw out today, runs like a beast and weighs practically nothing. Havent had it out on a job yet, but i can see that smaller companies like redmax are coming out with tools that have the technology and quality of stihl without the outrageous pricing.
I love stihl saws, but I think the days of stihl dominating the professional market are coming to an end....


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## fredmc (Jun 23, 2009)

Small Job Tim said:


> well well,
> after ordering my new top handle redmax online almost three weeks ago, it finally arrived....of course with some interesting twists...
> after waiting at the door (not literally) for over two weeks for my new toy to arrive, i finally decided to call the company and speak with a real person and to see what the hold-up was. the nice service person explained that the saw was on back-order, and that they'd get back to me a.s.a.p......the next morning the guy calls me back telling me that redmax no longer produced the saw i had ordered and already paid for. I guess this guy was expecting the worst from my reaction and was prepared to work a deal......long story short, I ended up with a top handle pro tree saw (retail $390) for the same price as the one i ordered ($200) with free shipping, no sales tax, and a faster shipping choice than the original plan. The guy also threw in a 14" bar/chain rather than the 12".
> Tried the saw out today, runs like a beast and weighs practically nothing. Havent had it out on a job yet, but i can see that smaller companies like redmax are coming out with tools that have the technology and quality of stihl without the outrageous pricing.
> I love stihl saws, but I think the days of stihl dominating the professional market are coming to an end....



yep. stihl sux...


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## Greystoke (Jun 24, 2009)

*Huskies and Stihls*



pdqdl said:


> Please don't take this wrong, I'm not trying to pick a fight.
> 
> Chain brake bands are generally considered a "consumable" item. If you managed to catch it on fire, it was either locked on or improperly aligned.
> 
> ...


Well put. I ran both Huskies and Stihls in my Timber Falling career, and they both make excellent pro saws. Every guy I ever worked around either ran Huskies or Stihls, with an occasional Jonsered in Montana. I currently own two 335 huskies and on 338 california, and the only complaint I have is the mickey mouse plastic spark plug cover on the rear of the saw; one little thump and it breaks. The 200t looks like a dang good tree saw and I will eventually try one when I have the $$$.

Cody


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## BlackenedTimber (Jun 27, 2009)

Small Job Tim said:


> well well,
> after ordering my new top handle redmax online almost three weeks ago, it finally arrived....of course with some interesting twists...
> after waiting at the door (not literally) for over two weeks for my new toy to arrive, i finally decided to call the company and speak with a real person and to see what the hold-up was. the nice service person explained that the saw was on back-order, and that they'd get back to me a.s.a.p......the next morning the guy calls me back telling me that redmax no longer produced the saw i had ordered and already paid for. I guess this guy was expecting the worst from my reaction and was prepared to work a deal......long story short, I ended up with a top handle pro tree saw (retail $390) for the same price as the one i ordered ($200) with free shipping, no sales tax, and a faster shipping choice than the original plan. The guy also threw in a 14" bar/chain rather than the 12".
> Tried the saw out today, runs like a beast and weighs practically nothing. Havent had it out on a job yet, but i can see that smaller companies like redmax are coming out with tools that have the technology and quality of stihl without the outrageous pricing.
> I love stihl saws, but I think the days of stihl dominating the professional market are coming to an end....



maybe it's cause I'm German (heritage, anyway), but something tells me that Stihl will hold it's own in the marketplace...


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