# Opinions on John Deere J3816



## BUNYYAN JR (May 13, 2002)

Dennis...thought I would start a new thread. Don't know how many people really want to read through 2 pages of posts just to reach the end!
Does anyone have any experience with the John Deere model J3816?? It is a 16 inch gas saw with chain brake, quik-fire advanced start, quik-tight chain tensioning and runs at 38cc.


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## Dennis (May 13, 2002)

Bunyyan...you dont need to re read allthe posts each time..when you get a second or tenth page for that matter...you can click on the "last page" or number of the page you want...we try to stay on topic...but hell, like that happens..lol...you read Greffardized...

I cannot honestly comment on the John Deere saws...never torn one apart...I will openly commend one saw I never would have before...the Solo 651...great mid saw...built very strong...just sent rbtree's home with Robert and of course Rob had to try it...forgets to put the mix oil in.....you know the rest....so apparently i am doing another one....


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## BUNYYAN JR (May 13, 2002)

*Geffardized was like War and Peace*

I guess I am a simple man who like simple pleasures. Reading Geffardized was like sorting through War and Peace!!...But thanks for the tip on hitting the last page link. The John Deere saw scares me. A lack of information is not a good sign in my opinion. Maybe it is just too new??...After reading many posts, I am leaning toward returning the John Deere and buying either a Stihl or a Husky. Do you know where Stihls and Husky's are manufactured??/...Also are parts readily available for both???


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## WOLF_RIVER_MIKE (May 13, 2002)

*forgets to put the mix oil in*

what?


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## Dennis (May 13, 2002)

Mike..lol...remember the BS part?? 

Bunyyan....Husky, Stihl and Jonsered all have good warranties and dealers pretty much everywhere...ease of parts, especially with this forum is second to none for any of the big manufacturers....husky and jonsered are built in Sweden and Stihl is built in Germany....


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## BUNYYAN JR (May 13, 2002)

*Thanks Dennis*

Thanks for the info Dennis...what about price?/
Husky or Stihl, do they cost about the same for the same type saw??


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## stihltech (May 13, 2002)

*stihl*

A lot of the stihl saws are now built in Virginia Beach , Virginia. It will sat on them. I believe up to an 036. Buy American!


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## eyolf (May 13, 2002)

That Deere is the same saw as a homelite, available in many chain stores. Deere dealers in many markets refused to carry them, and Deere hasn't actively catalogued them for about two years, having switched over to an Italian-made import that goes a lot farther towards keeping up with the quality image Deere hopes to project.

There isn't anything really "wrong" with that Homelite saw, but be forewarned that it isn't a pro-level model. My Step-dad has one that's several years old and has served him fairly well, within it's designed limitations. You'll likely have trouble getting parts for it in a few years, and getting major service may be a problem in a few years as well...these saws were designed to be used by the folks who only use them sporadically. The biggest problem they will face is likely to be that the saw needs a carb overhaul becausae it was stored with old gas.

Also be forewarned that You will find this model and it's homelite branded cousins for sale at low prices here and there. Your JD dealer probably knows this, and is hoping to get out from under his remaining stock before he cannot sell them, except at a loss. THis saw can still represent good value for you if the dealer is willing to honor the warranty, and willing to guarantee to provide service for some reasonable term.

Then the question is do you want to spend $175 to cut down a few trees, spend more $$(Stihl, Husqvarna, etc) and have a saw that will last longer, etc? Either one will get the job done. How much do you want to spend for the extra status of owning a name connected with professional-strength appeal?


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## BUNYYAN JR (May 13, 2002)

*Thanks Eyolf*

Thanks for the info Eyolf. I will be returning the John Deere and getting either a Husky or a Stihl. Thanks again for the heads up.


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## ABIDAD (May 13, 2002)

I got a pretty good chuckle out of all your posts. Glad they weren't as tough on me when I was looking...well maybe a little bit. But anyway I bought a JD62 and love it. It is not made by the same manufacturer as the JD38 and Home Depot can't get it. None of my reputable dealers are carrying it yet either but I think it is going to do well.


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## BUNYYAN JR (May 14, 2002)

Glad you got a chuckle. I guees the problem with the JD J3816 is that it isn't considered a pro level saw. I want a saw that I can rely on and will be able to use and get replacement parts for years to come. From what I have learned about the JD j3816 is that it is a Homelite saw in disguise. I think I want to go with either a Husky 357xp or a Stihl 026. I have heard from David(DDM)that he recommends Stihls. Others recommend the Husky. Not sure which saw to get and why at this point.??


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## dbabcock (May 14, 2002)

Bunyyan,
I think you are heading down the right track with your leaning toward a Husky or Stihl. Many years from now, when you can still take out the saw and use it productively and get parts for it, you will be happy that you made the choice to spend a few extra bucks to do the right thing. Over the course of your pro saw's decades of life, the couple of hundred extra bucks you spend now will end up being trivial. My 1987 Husky 266 SE (same basic class as the 357 XP) has been flawless for 14 years. Last year I changed the spark plug for the first time. I'm probably in the same basic league as you when it comes to use: Certainly not an rbtree or Gypo, but not a backyard shrub trimmer either.

Whether you choose Stihl or Husky will probably come down to dealer proximity and your initial rapport with them. Stihl's are usually a little more expensive than Huskys, but not too much. Better, though? You'll get both sides here. Hey, I never thought of this, but....why not?....


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## BUNYYAN JR (May 15, 2002)

Thanks for the help Doug....from looking at your list, looks like you like Huskys. I noticed that you didn't list any Stihls. I beleive I will visit some dealers(smaller local places where I can get service over the life of the saw and my life as well!)this weekend and get to see Stihls and Huskys up close. I have a cousin in Indiana who swears by Stihls. Other people I have talked with have basically said to me, get either a Husky or a Stihl and you won't go wrong.


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## treeclimber165 (May 16, 2002)

A couple of guys have tried to point out that you are NOT a professional, and perhaps you might not be able to appreciate the difference between an expensive pro saw and a less expensive one. I doubt many of us who work with saws for a career started out with a pro level saw as our first one. I'm glad that my first saw was a garage sale special, because my lack of knowledge and experience caused a LOT of wear and tear on the saw. I didn't buy a GOOD saw untill I knew how to run and maintain one properly. 
This has nothing to do with intelligence, or lack thereof. Experience and training are the keys to proper saw use, and keeping that brand-new $500 saw from becoming trashed in 6 months.
Keep the JD, learn with it. Consider it a 'training saw'. When you get through the better part of the learning curve, then you might consider your next saw purchase.


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## sedanman (May 17, 2002)

Bunyyan, It is not wise to ask for peoples help/opinions the beat them up for what they have to say. Most people cannot express with the written word the full range of subtlety that conversational speach has. You could easily paint yourself into a corner here. If you want to come up to where interstate 84 crosses the Hudson, you're welcome to run my saws. There is a town clean-up area we could go to to buck logs up to 30" but we can't fell anything there.


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## Newfie (May 17, 2002)

BUNYYAN JR.


You are the one who seems to have the story! You come stomping into an established community of people who razz each other every day. You seem to lash out in a retaliatory fashion at whomever if they haven't stroked your fragile ego.

You wouldn't know Tony since you have only been posting for less than a week.

Why buy the Deere and then ask for advice? Why not ask for advice and then buy a saw.

I'd take the Deere back and get another electric saw. Without the electrical cord you are liable to get lost in the woods. Be sure to be extra abusive and condescending to the sales staff at Home Depot.

If you do buy a pro saw buy the largest one you can afford with the longest bar possible. You will probably be dissappointed with any choice because there isn't a saw big enough to make up for whatever inadequacies you are compensating for.

I know you are wisened in the ways of the wood but a little advice can go a long way. What you don't know can kill you, what you don't know you don't know will get you everytime.


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## Darin (May 17, 2002)

Ok, boys don't want to get in this game but I cut out any directed cut downs except the ones that say "don't start swing until you know where the guy is coming from" (basically this is what the ones that remain say in essence). This all started with Tony's Paul Bunyan remark, which I feel was very harmless. It's a joke, and coming from Jersey, I would think you could have a little thicker skin from such a harmless joke. I don't want this thread to go any further unless it has to do with chainsaws. If you wrote something and I edited it or deleted it, don't get your panties in a bundle, I just was trying to keep the community clean as possible. I wasn't trying to make you mad. 

People if you don't have a sense of humor please go to the other forums.


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## eyolf (May 17, 2002)

Bunyan Jr shows up not wanting to look like a greenhorn, and embarasses himself a little anyway. Too bad for him. 

Some jump all over him, embarassing themselves, too. 
Life's too short. Easy, there. 

When i was a kid, we burned wood to heat the house; dad had an old Homelite with the carb that turned sideways to fell, regular to buck. Dad would buck logs to 6' long unless they were small, then we'd split them and block them up with a big circular buzz saw. Limbs under 4" were sliced off with an axe. Far cry from modern high speed chain saws that can block up a big old oak tree in an hour.

After dad was gone, I still made wood for mom that way a couple of years. A cord of wood, cut split and stacked is a full day's work like that. I thgought that's how a "real man" did it. I didn't know better, and never learned better until working for a local farmer, cleaning up after a storm, the guy had a fairly new Homelite Xl...what a machine!

The farmer's son and I had the driveway clear, the wood stacked, trassh raked up, and looking good in two hours.

But I had to start somewhere. the farmer didn't say a word when I laughed at his little "pee-wee" saw, and he didn't say a word when I was proven obviuosly wrong.


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## Darin (May 17, 2002)

> Some jump all over him, embarassing themselves, too.



Wish I said it!!!!!


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## armyguy (May 17, 2002)

eyolf, been following this thread. Pretty interesting stuff. Pretty good scrap for a while. Your story made me reminisce about when I was growing up. My granny cooked with a wood stove. My uncle would usually initiate getting up firewood by firing up an old Pioneer on a Saturday morning after everyones firewood stock had got a little low. We would all converge on the site and commence to loading an old trailer pulled by a Ford 8N tractor and all the boys would try to out do each other splitting wood. We had a darn good time. My uncle would always get everyones load before getting his. Those were the good old days and I kinda miss them. Oh well, time stands still for no one.


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## tony marks (May 17, 2002)

*pleas read the end before reacting*

what in heck happened to my post . 
darin surely u could tell i was just cuttin up. i would have to agree the man needs to liten up a little. by deleting my post it sounds like u also thought i was meaning some kind of offensive thing.
which i did not intend. lifes to short to walk around with a long face. shees.
by the way ,no offence intended bunyon.
thats not my game. iive offended people cause i believe in sayin what i think,instead of stroking folks an telling them ,what they want to hear.case in point ,when huskyman pointed out that the 266 husky was 15 cc bigger than the
028. ididnt mind admitting that with that information i was probably wrong about the 028 being as strong as the 266.didnt have a thing to do with pride just what i determined to be the truth.an truth will set u free. and shouldnt be wrong cutting up w somebody.again im sorry u took it wrong. dam just read your last post darin. this startin to get funny aint it.
so i plead guilty to jumping the gun,sorry again


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## Darin (May 17, 2002)

by deleting some of the posts, I just thought we could get rid of the junk from this post. Nothing was really too offensive, I just thought if the stuff to argue was gone maybe we could get back to the point. I left most of the stuff that said basically lighten up. I mean Bunyan is a good name, actually when tony said it I thought it would have been a compliment. Paul Bunyan isn't a slap in the face, now Pauly Shore, that may be. Again, tony wasn't trying to make people upset by removing posts but that was the only way to clean this up. Don't stop having fun guys.


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## tony marks (May 17, 2002)

thanks darin . i think we all appreciate the good job u do. it aint always easy ,i know.i dont know what bunyon jr said as i missed it ,but i really was playin with the famous story.bunyon ,u are new ,no hard feelins here.


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## WOLF_RIVER_MIKE (May 17, 2002)

I don't know the history behind this whole post. I probably read the last page of it. But I do know as long as I've been on this list Tony Marks has been a model poster. Always with a response and never negative. I don't know what went on here, and I've typed too much now to start over, ...all I'm saying is like gypo or somebody said, "whe're all brothers of the chainsaw" whether we fall trees, trim trees, or work outside trees, working at computers whatever. We've got something special going on here. All the knowledge that is on this list coming from all different sections of the country, Jeez, Ya'll lighten up.


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## mikey (May 17, 2002)

*JD3816*

Hello Everyboby,I have enjoyed your threads the short time I've been involved.But, I must say,This is by far the Best I've read.I have Laughed so hard my eyes watered and my wife thought something was wrong with me(besides all the regular things she's use to). I have really enjoyed. Thanks, MIKEY


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## BUNYYAN JR (May 18, 2002)

Sedanman..thanks for the offer to come up and run some of your saws. After I have had a chance to visit some of my local dealers(Husky and Stihl)I will let you know if I'm going to make the trip up your neck of woods. As for painting myself into a corner, I don't exactly see that I am doing that. AS Dennis has pointed out, you often have to wade through a lot of crap on this site before you get to anything of substance. If I do "paint myself into a corner" then I guess I will just wait for the paint to dry!!!!!!!!


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## BUNYYAN JR (May 18, 2002)

Tony...no hard feeligs here either. Here is a history on my latest saw purchase. I got a John Deere from Home Depot that I have owned for about a week. As a result of learning from people at this site, I have discovered that it is a Homelite saw "in disguise". I did not want to run the saw, since if I do, Home Depot will give me a hard time if I decide to return it. ( I realize that I am a very honest person and that includes having the willingness to honestly admit to myself and others what I do and don't know. It wouldn't surprise me if someone now posts a reply like,"see the guy buys saws at Home Depot, he is not a professional." That kind of idiotic rhetoric is what makes me laugh. And I can take it in stride and respond to it accordingly.) Anyway,my saw purchase is what brought me to this site. I am more than happy to learn from you or anyone else on this site. And I am more than happy to joke, crack, insult, have fun etc with anyone on this site. That doesn't mean that I am going to put my tail between my legs and just accept when people give me grief on this site, simply because I am "the new guy". I thought we were all having fun and some of us were also making some poignant and entertaining comments along the way. I like this site a lot and will keep returning. I am also a "good soldier" and can accept whatever decisions the moderator(s) make.


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## tony marks (May 18, 2002)

appreciate the kind words mike,and concur with your statements about this forum.just glad we have this type of asset.
jr ,i suspect u are a man that just got started off on the wrong foot..i been their believe me.
my experience is that time will take care of it ,and the paint will dry . later now ,no hard feelings


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## BUNYYAN JR (May 18, 2002)

Newfie...that was a very emotional post. Sounds like you know something about being condescending and abusive. It's ok. I think you are a nice guy, and you think I am a jerk. But wait a minute, maybe we're both wrong!!


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## Toneman (May 18, 2002)

Hey, Bunyyan,

My two cents in this is that you must like and feel comfortable with the equipment you are using for any job. This way you will always feel good about using it and treat it with the respect it demands when using.

Good luck with your choice

Oh, yeah, always keep the chain sharp, and air filter clean!!


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## Dennis (May 18, 2002)

LMAO...this is funnier than pre clearwater...oops...maybe you guys didnt find that funny...I still laugh at john in the hottub..anyway...Bunyyan...welcome to OUR world...where the men are men and the sheep are afraid...(of gypo)...


-"why can't we all just get along?"


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## treeclimber165 (May 18, 2002)

> _Originally posted by BUNYYAN JR _
> *Newfie... I think you are a nice guy, and you think I am a jerk. But wait a minute, maybe we're both wrong!! *



Or maybe you are both RIGHT!


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## stihltech (May 19, 2002)

*opinions*

Bunyan, the only concern I have is this, I believe anyone who runs a chainsaw and does not know how to maintain it properly has no business running it. My advice, find out how. Ask the dealer ( always free). Read books, check websites, and last ,but not least, read the owner's manual. Then, when that little John Deere is still running years later, and you are telling us it is the best saw made, we may not agree, but we will have to respect your opinion.


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## mikey (May 19, 2002)

*JD3816*

I agree with you Stihltech.Knowing how to maintain your tools/ equipment is very important.However,with a chainsaw,knowing correct/ safe operating techniques would be at the top of my list.Some people have trouble listening to good advice.Everbody learns from advice and practical experience or from MISTAKES. In the chainsaw world,mistakes usaully leave leave scars to remind us to listen to those who know.The saw size/ make is never more important than the knowledge of how to properly use it.There is good reason for professional chainsaws and home owner saws.A beginner, that knows it all, with a hotrod pro saw, that knows nothing of falling large trees is in for a learning experience.I'm done now,someone take me back where I came from. Mikey.


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## dbabcock (May 19, 2002)

Wait a minute, Dennis! The reason God created woman was that he found that it was too hard to teach sheep to cook.


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## BUNYYAN JR (May 20, 2002)

My researching of saw types is done for now. I purchased a Husky model 55. The full 55 with decompression valve, not the Rancher model. Saw has a 20" bar and I tested it on an 18" oak and the thing just ate!!!! Thanks to everyone for your input and advice. The John Deere is history. I returned it. And by the way, I am happy to report that I sustained no injuries!!! Very Happy With A Husky


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## ratman36 (Jan 6, 2008)

*3816*

3816 is in fact homelite model.go with a cs 36 or bigger model deere.cs models are built by efco and are good saws and can be bought alot cheaper on internet than stihls.they are just as good of saw,just not well know yet.future will prove that they are good,i'm sure of it.have run my friends cs56 and like it as much as my 357xp.only it cost 252 on ebay.


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