Anybody running the Chinese Stihl knockoffs?

[The Shooters Apprentice]

This is the one I have run the most. It’s also the one I had the recoil spring issue with rig he out of the box.
It was 25 below 0 when I got home from work today and I bored and needed to get some wood cut. Grabbed the saw out of the ingested shed, fired off on the 2nd pull and off I went.
I’ve also started the JonCutters at -10 on 3-4 pulls.
They are pretty danged good saws for the money.

 

[LoneOak]

View attachment 963901
This is the one I have run the most. It’s also the one I had the recoil spring issue with rig he out of the box.
It was 25 below 0 when I got home from work today and I bored and needed to get some wood cut. Grabbed the saw out of the ingested shed, fired off on the 2nd pull and off I went.
I’ve also started the JonCutters at -10 on 3-4 pulls.
They are pretty danged good saws for the money.

Make sure to fix your chain before you go cut wood the next time!

 

[The Shooters Apprentice]

Make sure to fix your chain before you go cut wood the next time!

Lol, I forgot it was backwards in that photo. If you look closely where the chain is wonky a few of the teeth actually are pointed forwards. Now this was a serious dumbass moment for me as I had spun a chain up at 115 links and the Tsumura bars use 119 links so I just added a few links to the chain. Being in a hurry I put those extra links in backwards and my best guess is that I must have been linking at those links when I put the chain on the saw.
But it’s all good. First time in 15 years I’ve ever mounted a chain backwards.

 

[RCamo]

He is not ruining firewood,, he is making Swedish Campfire Candles,, very useful,,

 

[KarlD]

First time in 15 years I’ve ever mounted a chain backwards.

…better than me, I do it 15 times per year

 

[LoneOak]

I too am guilty of a few WTFs, specially when I'm in a hurry to swap chains.

 

[RedneckChainsawRepair]

I too am guilty of a few WTFs, specially when I'm in a hurry to swap chains.

He has more then that going on. Wouldnt be so bad if just on backwards.

 

[GrizG]

Make sure to fix your chain before you go cut wood the next time!

Maybe having some extra rakers scrubs the kerf and helps it cut faster?

 

[link]

Not a stock Farmertec this one but it's based on a kit, absolutely rock solid reliable.

 

[user 183458]

So I built a big bored 440 from China, put a max flow and a bark box exhaust. Just to make a fun (very unnecessary) saw. And I will say it is the meanest saw I've ran, other than our big bored 660. But after that we built a couple 460s and other than missing some random little parts in the kit. They go together super easy and run very good!!

 

[Zaedock]

Pulled the trigger on a G660 w/ full wrap. Dark grey and orange. May paint it up a bit with some TSC grey to really clone it up. I bought it last week and the package tracking already has it in NYC this morning. The original date was April 7th, but I'm hoping to get it sooner now that it's state side.
My wife and I are building a new garage this year and a she-shed for her stained glass. I've always wanted to get into milling but always had other hobbies and kids filling my day. We'll be an empty nest this year with my youngest in college. My oldest is getting married too (outside in the woods), so there's plenty of opportunity to make some very nice pieces. I'll post up some pics when it arrives.

 

[Alanmurphy6912]

I've seen what appear to be Chinese Stihl clones for sale online. Is anyone running them? Any good?

Somewhere along the line, I saw a thread talking about someone who was getting the Chicom Stihl knockoffs, then replacing the parts that were substandard and/or critical and then reselling them...can anyone direct me to that thread or person? Or, can anyone tell me which parts on these saws should be replaced with Stihl OEM?

Thanks in advance.

I'm not sure on the Cicom or whatever brand you said for the knock off saws but I've bought and built quite a few farmer tech and neo tech stihllnock offs same as holzfforma etc. And there not bad I have a stihl 660 that I built and used all the chinese parts and it runs fine and the guy I built it for loves it for the price. I also built one for myself and used a meteor pop up piston, an oem gasket kit and oem chain tensioner. Changed the recoil rope,and just small odds and ends. I've got some time on mine and has been fine. It has 180 psi of compression. Oh yea p.s always bu an oem decompression switch at least for the stihl clones because if the chinese one falls apart which they've done before it will destroy the cylinder. In the side mount Huskies not so much.

 

[Canyon Angler]

 

[Zaedock]

So, it arrived. It was scheduled for April, but came in about a week - pretty cool. The box was well packaged and there was no damage. The only obstacle was fitting the full wrap handle, which had a weird bend. I was able to muscle (bend) it into shape and screw it on. I pulled the starter and sprocket cover off and painted them Ford lt grey for a more authentic look. I let the paint dry for a couple of days and it's hard as a rock. I did not paint the plastic pieces, only the alloy. I pulled the brake drum off and lubed the bearing with a bit of syn grease as the oil seemed cheesy. I also used Loctite on everything I could. We'll see how it holds up. I'll keep an eye on the muffler as they seem to loosen over time, according to some videos I watched.

I stopped at my Stihl dealer yesterday and picked up a 32" bar, which I think will be a good match for this power head. They didn't have a Light bar in stock, but that was ok. I'm a big guy and it doesn't feel too heavy.
As folks state here and in videos - this thing is a beast. I'll be breaking it in tomorrow on some large ash. The first start was a piece of cake. Five pulls on initial fire. The choke works as well as my Stihls. No awkward cheesiness.
I'll try and get some updates the more I run her.

 

[Canyon Angler]

So, it arrived.

Nice. When I got mine, I tuned it pig rich for the first few tanks. (I also opened up the muffler, which required pigging it out even more.) Best of luck with it.
P.S. Look at the big bar on Brutus!

 

[RedneckChainsawRepair]

One of the US dealers pulled apart one of the white 372 pro they call them. Just as nice as mine.

Then my whole saw.

 

[a. palmer jr.]

Due to our recent world situation I'm lesser inclined to buy a chainsaw from a communist country than I was before, especially since the flea markets and yard sales are full of the OEM versions at much cheaper prices than the knock-offs.. I still help them out a little on parts but I'm working on that..

 

[turbo15479]

I have Husky saws 61,395xp,55,455,and a 51. I have Stihl saws, 036 pro and 044. These are all genuine saws and I have not had any problems except with the 455 being hard on oil pumps. I bought the 455 many years ago when I was still not very knowledgeable about saws. But for a homeowner saw it has really held up and I cut a lot of wood. I bought two of the Chinese knock offs, the 372xp pro and the Blue Thunder 272. The 372xp has many hours on it with no problems. The 272 was a different story. I run a 28 inch bar on it and needed to turn the oil pump up and to do that I needed to remove the clutch. I used a piston stop and when I removed the clutch the piston cracked in half. I bought a Hyway piston from Hl Supply and since have run 20 tanks of fuel through it with no problem. I understand people not wanting to buy from China but face it just about everything you buy has a China connection. I repair my own vehicles and no matter what brand name parts I buy they are made in China. This is especially true with starters and alternators. This is just my experience to give people an idea of what you are buying.

 

[Czed]

I have Husky saws 61,395xp,55,455,and a 51. I have Stihl saws, 036 pro and 044. These are all genuine saws and I have not had any problems except with the 455 being hard on oil pumps. I bought the 455 many years ago when I was still not very knowledgeable about saws. But for a homeowner saw it has really held up and I cut a lot of wood. I bought two of the Chinese knock offs, the 372xp pro and the Blue Thunder 272. The 372xp has many hours on it with no problems. The 272 was a different story. I run a 28 inch bar on it and needed to turn the oil pump up and to do that I needed to remove the clutch. I used a piston stop and when I removed the clutch the piston cracked in half. I bought a Hyway piston from Hl Supply and since have run 20 tanks of fuel through it with no problem. I understand people not wanting to buy from China but face it just about everything you buy has a China connection. I repair my own vehicles and no matter what brand name parts I buy they are made in China. This is especially true with starters and alternators. This is just my experience to give people an idea of what you are buying.

In the chainsaw world buying a chinese saw is like buying a Taurus pistol in the firearm world.
There's never a good enough reason lol
I have several 372 clones got them about 5 years ago now all still running and cutting.
Like 10 year's ago I remember a customer wanting a carb put on a Stihl saw so he brought me one from the dealer made in China it said I told him I'd bought dozens from the dealer that were made in china he wasn't having it
So he took it back they showed him all they had were made in china he finally realized that's how it is.
I wish oem companies would stamp the china parts on their saws
That would surprise most here.

 

[9050LX]

I dunno about Taurus, B inlaw has a 92 Early I lust after, lol.