# Shindaiwa vs. Stihl



## Brian (Apr 23, 2002)

I am looking at getting a new saw and want to know the experts opinion on these saws. I am debating between the shindaiwa 488 and the stihl 260/360. I have heard from many people that the internal components on the shindaiwa are much better tha stihls parts. Shindaiwa put metal where Stihl put plastic and the weights are the same. Which one so I go with? I always have loved Stihl for looks and handling, but when your spending $400 plus you want quality over looks! Thanks for the replys.

Brian


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## confused (Apr 23, 2002)

check out a 346XP Husky just a thought (real screamer from what i have read)

Otherwise i would go with the Stihl, 046, professional saw, for professional people. Or nimrods like myself.

026 will work too.


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## jokers (Apr 23, 2002)

*Well that depends...*

on who you would buy the 488 from. There are seven Shindaiwa dealers listed in your area, but how many of them actually stock anything, or are capable of providing support. I live in New Haven, and have dealt with virtually every one of the dealers on that list for one thing or another, and couldn`t recommend any of them for a saw purchase with the exception of Carl`s Mower which is actually Commercial Cutters Direct. Only problem there is that where the Shindaiwa display used to be at Commercial Cutters, you will now find an Echo display. They will also tell you that they were primarily into the powerbrooms and trimmers anyway, same deal as most of the other dealers listed there. Or they are just carrying the line to stock their rental fleet. Other than all this bad news about the Shindaiwa reps in this area, the 488 is possibly the best PROVEN saw in this class. The 026 is very good, nothing wrong there by any means, just the 488 is reputed to run for about 100 years or 4 re-rings, which ever comes first. Pitt Electric is the wholesaler for this area and they are offering a 10% discount through 5/15 I believe. List price on the 488 is $379.99 - 10% = ~ $342, a little cheaper than an 026. I have a Walkerized 346xp that is a phenomenal performer but it hasn`t been around long enough to really know what it is made of. My two cents, Russ


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## Brian (Apr 23, 2002)

*Confused!*

After talking to a few dealers today I really have no idea which saw to buy. Weather it is a stihl or a shindaiwa. All of the dealers in my area are blowing smoke up my rearend about why one is better than the other. I even had one dealer say," well, how many shindaiwa saws do you see out there"? I said that was an unfair question because some companies don't feel they have to advertise like stihl does, and many people will buy whatever there buddy has when they get there first saw. Kind of like sheep following the heard. With that statement I am not saying stihls are not good saws, they are! I told this guy that a dealer who sold both stihl and shindaiwa recomended the shindaiwa because the internal parts are stronger and most of his commercial tree trimmers buy the shindaiwa saws. Boy did this piss this dealer off,he became rude and wouldn't even give me any specs. to base my decision on other than stihl pro. saws are the best out there. This is what I call very poor buisness sence. The dealer could have given me specific pro's and cons to the two brands and with that honesty I would be able to make an educated decision. And what kills me is this guy probably moves the most stihl units in the area and he treats potential customers like this.Let me know what you guys think!


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## buckwheat (Apr 23, 2002)

Each saw will have its proponents and its detractors. Mechanically, I believe that all of the "pro-brands" shake out evenly when weighing the strengths and weaknesses of each.
So what it comes down to is service. I think you need to base your decision on a combination of what a "base price" for a particular saw is, and then make an educated decision on how much you are willing to pay above that for the level of service that you desire.
For instance, I run Stihl because there are three dealers within 10 miles of me. One of those is within 5. All have a reputation for being pricey, but the one has a better service shop than the others, so they get my business.
If there was a Jonsy or Husky shop nearby with an equal rep, they would be just as apt to get my business. 
If you depend on a saw to make a living or heat your home, service becomes critical.


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## sritzau (Apr 23, 2002)

I hear you on this one. I was recently looking at all the saws you're looking at and found that my nearest Stihl, Husky, AND Shindaiwa dealer all sucked hard. A dealer was important to me, because I am a nubie and feel better with a guy who can service the saws, etc.. I ended up with the 026 because in the round of next-closest dealers, only the Stihl guy was solid. One key thing that I liked was that he said - "all of [those saws] are more or less on the same level, and it becomes a matter of preference and of service..." 

The guys who use these saws all day long can tell you which one cuts better. Frankly, I'd like one of each. If a dealer is important to you, hang in there for a good one.

Steve


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## chainsawworld (Apr 23, 2002)

i am in the process of buying a 488 to put to the tests. the cheapest i have found is a bit steep for a 2.9 saw. no dealer is willing to lower the price when they find out how i test the saws. funny, if they are so good why not be more than happy to come along with the saw to see the results? or to make sure the testing is fair? looking at them, testing would be my only use. to be fair to all brands it has to be done. marty


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## che (Apr 23, 2002)

I picked up my Shindaiwa 488 for $340...so sales tax as I'm using it for farm use.

I don't know about Stihl...but what allowed me to go ahead was the 'no questions' one (two?) week return policy....their brochure says even if I just didn't like the color...I could return it.

I haven't used it alot.....one gallon of gas. I got it at the wrong end of the season. But I can tell that for MY use....it's as big a saw as I need. It's very well balanced, felt really good.

Che


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## rahtreelimbs (Apr 23, 2002)

*Hey Brian*

I am a little biased when it comes to Shindaiwa saws. When I started in this business the only name I knew of was Stihl. I have owned alot of Stihl products. The 020T, 026, 044,046,056, and the 066. Of that list, the only saws that I still own are the 020T and the 066. And the only reason is that Shindaiwa doesn't have a top handle saw that will comes close to the 020T in terms of power, weight, and how the saw handles. As far as the 066 is concerned, Shindaiwa doesn't make a saw of that size. The biggest they make is the 757 ( I have one of these ) and it is only 4.5 cu. in. I need a saw of the 066's power. During the time that I was running strictly Stihl's, I attended the local tree jamborees. The only saw co. that was there was Shindaiwa. I test drove these saws alot before I made my purchases. The Shindaiwa rep. handed me a few comparison guides that Shindaiwa put out, after looking at the specs. I was impressed at how they build their saws. Currently I'm running Shindaiwa's 357 ( heavy, but a good backup to my 020T ), 360, 377, 488 and 757. The real clincher was PITT AUTO ELECTRIC, they are the distributor for my state and 7 others. They are only 10 minutes from me, and the dealer that I deal with ( I'm lucky, this guy bends over backwards for me ) is only 5 minutes away. How a dealer treats you and how far away he is would be my main concerns. As far as the 488 goes, I can't say enough good things about it. Good luck.


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## treeclimber165 (Apr 23, 2002)

Thanks for the input, Rich. I haven't commented before on this thread because I have never run a Shindawa saw. Can't say as I've ever seen one. But I've heard good things about the 488. The only concern I would have is that the 488 is an unknown quantity FOR ME. I'm aware that there are stronger, cheaper saws than the 026. But I also KNOW that my new 026 will pay for itself hundreds, if not thousands of times over in it's many years of dependable service. I wouldn't even know where to buy a Shindawa without cruising the yellow pages, but can name off 5 or 6 Stihl dealers within 20 minutes of me. 

I guess what I'm saying is that I might be more willing to buy a 488 if I saw more of them in the field AND my local dealer carried them. But I'd still keep my 026 'just in case'!


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## Treehugger101 (Apr 23, 2002)

Brian,
Don't sweat it too much. They will both last you a ridiculously long time with a little care. In our family tree business we have two 026's (one almost 10 years old) and 2 488's. They all have seen a ton of use with almost no problems. The 488's get used more often as they cut a little faster, are great for limbing, they are kind of a high rpm saw. They 026's are a bit less buzzy and have a bit more torque. We use them the most up in the trees when we need to send a medium size saw up. 
As far as build quality goes, well, I am no mechanic to speak of internal differences. I know I have put well over a 1000 hours of use on both models with no problem. We have yet to rebuild any of ours, and one of the 488's has almost no paint left on it! The 488 has a more robust build in the details as far as I am concerned. The on/off switch and choke linkage are bulletproof, versus the somewhat wimpier master control lever on the 026. The 488 has a better air filtration system as well. 
Which way to go? Well, buy a Walkerized 346xp and leave the other two for dead!!! (one of our 488 is Walkerized as well . . really nice! A walkerized muffler on an 026 is night and day as well, also a bargain! )
Seriously, find a dealer that you can handle. It is really important to have that support if you need it. If that is not possible, I'd have to say that I think the 488 truly has the edge (a small edge) in performance and build quality. Either one will make you happy.


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## Brian (Apr 24, 2002)

*Thank You!*

I thank all of you for your replys. I would love to buy one of everything out there. But I think I am going to try a Shindaiwa. If all else fails I can allways sell it. Thanks for your time in responding to my post!!:alien:


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## Tony Snyder (Apr 25, 2002)

*Japanese saws*

In my experience it is difficult to find a bad Japanese saw. They are all pretty well made. I've serviced a lot of Echos and I have not seen one honestly worn out. They usually go down because of some kind of accident or abuse or near total lack of care.

Husky/Jonsered, ans Stihl have built their share of poor saws (not durable, overweight or hard to service). Their model lineups make it somewhat difficult for the less experienced to sort out the fair ones from the good ones.

It would be hard to go wrong on a Japanese saw,or on Solo's, Olympycs/EFCO/John Deere, or Dolmars.

Stihl and E-lux need to be honest and make it perfectly clear to the consumer what are their heavy duty models and what are their medium duty and so forth. The have done that to a certian extent in their brochures, but when the dealers get in on the act there is sometimes less than good recommendations made.

Maybe conspicuously labeling the models "heavy duty", "medium duty", or "light duty" would help.


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