Anyone run the black craftsman 55 cc???

[slipknot]

Why waste the money, on that garbage, when the same money could buy a nice used husky or stihl that will blow it away & last 5 times as long.

Just my 2cents.........

Yes.. your right in some sence, I've purchased a husky 455 rancher after I got this saw, not exactly light years ahead! All I'm sayin is this is crapsman's best saw in years!

I've done alot more research and M/N 316.350840 comes back as ryobi, I thought ryobi didn't make chainsaws of this size.....well the 55cc ryobi is only available in europe! I only wish this saw had as much rpms as the rancher, other than that maintenence is a breeze air filter is like that of the husky's screen as opposed to poulan's oilbath foam!

 

[Chris J.]

Not sure about Ryobi saws, but I have heard that Ryobi power tools don't hold up well under pro use.

 

[trimmmed]

Not sure about Ryobi saws, but I have heard that Ryobi power tools don't hold up well under pro use.

Not true Chris. They make a tablesaw that has a cult following I can tell you that the cordless stuff is very good and about half the price of Makita or Dewalt. I have six sets of the 14.4v drill/saw/flashlight combo's, that work everyday. I've broken some but have yet to wear any out. And at $99 a combo, I like them plenty

 

[Cut4fun]

MTD owns Troy-bilt. Does it look anything like a efco? Because efco makes the Cub Cadet saw for MTD. Just a thought of mind that could be wrong again. I dont even know if efco makes a 55cc.

 

[whatsnext]

They look nothing like an EFCO. They look just like the MACs except they're black. Black cubes with a couple of handles and a bar.
John.....

 

[Lawn Masters]

I truly despise working on these things. if they were built like the Poulan 2000 series saws,I'd like them a lot more, those are well engineered saws. I just like the 2000 because fixing them is EASY, everything is accessible with the removal of a mere 5 screws and one bar nut. now if all top handle saws were this easy to work on.

 

[Chris J.]

Trimmed, glad that you're happy with your Ryobi tools. I based my statement on what I've heard, & what my neighbors say. One neighbor is an electrician who does mostly industrial work (BTW he also says DeWalt cordless tools aren't what they used to be), & the other neighbor is an all-around handyman (you-name-it-he's-done-it). Now I gotta admit that most of my power tools don't get used daily, & they're a mixed set (Skilsaw, Makita, Craftsman, & Hitachi) as most were purchased used.

Wife & I were out yesterday checking local pawn shops for guitars & whatever. To my surprise, I found two chainsaws worth a second look--a Makita DCS540 listed for $179.00, & a really heavy Milwaukee elec for $249.00. I might check back next week to what their best out-the-door price would be.

 

[slipknot]

no they're not oleomacs, those are tied in with efco, looks like they make the BIGGEST cub cadet commercial, may be wrong cause I don't have any #'s to go by! I did confirm by looking at the airfilter cover they are the same as McCulloch
so now we have 3 brands names of the same saw, troy bilt, crapsman, mcmulloch! The thing I don't understand is.... why does sears have the 55cc but no one? Maybe its like my craftsman/poulan? It says 36 cc on the pullstart but then the engine label says 42 cc, now d@mn it to hell.....which is it 36 or 42? those are the biggest vapor-locking POS! Its was my first saw though so all well!

 

[slipknot]

I came up with my own verdict on this saw! yesterday I went on a cutting spree because I am trying to clear land to put a pond. I cut down, limbed,and bucked quite a few trees, while in the process all hell broke loose and I lost all respect for the saw! While the saw was running I sat it on a log that was on end so I could move my timberjack down for more cutting. It vibrated it self off the log and fell 18" and broke the chain break handle, and devolped a fuel leak! I continued to finish up and something came loose in the muffler(its louder and it rattles) and now the handle has come loose(antivibe spring missing), and I think the oiler quit too, not sure! All this crap just cuttin firewood!
The moral of this story is... the pros on this site have a darn good point, don't buy cheap saws, spend the same amount of money on a used good one if you are cheap like me! I just wonder what the warranty will do for me I got the 2 year instead of 1!
oldsaw-addict if you read this... you were right they suck profusely!

for now on...if it's not orange I'm not touchin it, i'm afraid I will break it! It only fell 18" the size if one fat log on end!

 

[Lawn Masters]

oldsaw-addict if you read this... you were right they suck profusely!

for now on...if it's not orange I'm not touchin it, i'm afraid I will break it! It only fell 18" the size if one fat log on end!

Yep, I kinda thought they'd be crap for heavy use. I prefer my good ole 670, or my plain ole 70E for that kind of work. heavy duty saws for heavy duty use.

 

[bluegoose]

Ryobi's power tools rank about par with those made by Skil and Craftsman - decent enough for most homeowner chores, but I've yet to see any "pro" using them in the field. Porter Cable is making some of the best cordless drill/driver units out there - Panasonic makes decent drills also. Milwaukee has consistently made great industrial stuff, but had a reputation for battery problems. Their new 24v line should improve in that area. DeWalt makes pretty good drills too - the biggest complaint I've heard about them is premature brush wear. Ridgid tools - owned by the Emerson electric tool company - is headquartered in either China or Taiwan. Their tools are turning heads in the construction industry (yes they've expanded from their pipe wrench only days). I have one of their compound miter saws - works great - and I'd buy their table saw if I had a spare $600. Given current world economics, the quality of goods coming from the Asian countries is only likely to increase.

 

[scottr]

warranty

I came up with my own verdict on this saw! yesterday I went on a cutting spree because I am trying to clear land to put a pond. I cut down, limbed,and bucked quite a few trees, while in the process all hell broke loose and I lost all respect for the saw! While the saw was running I sat it on a log that was on end so I could move my timberjack down for more cutting. It vibrated it self off the log and fell 18" and broke the chain break handle, and devolped a fuel leak! I continued to finish up and something came loose in the muffler(its louder and it rattles) and now the handle has come loose(antivibe spring missing), and I think the oiler quit too, not sure! All this crap just cuttin firewood!
The moral of this story is... the pros on this site have a darn good point, don't buy cheap saws, spend the same amount of money on a used good one if you are cheap like me! I just wonder what the warranty will do for me I got the 2 year instead of 1!
oldsaw-addict if you read this... you were right they suck profusely!

for now on...if it's not orange I'm not touchin it, i'm afraid I will break it! It only fell 18" the size if one fat log on end!

slipknot , the warranty does not cover accidents . Do you normally leave your saws running where there is a possibility of them falling ?

 

[slipknot]

slipknot , the warranty does not cover accidents . Do you normally leave your saws running where there is a possibility of them falling ?

that was where I screwed up! I did find out the official manufacturer for troy bilt, this craftsman and mc culloch saws! JENN FENG, i got this info from another thread on this site! 'who owns mc culloch now'?POS

 

[Lawn Masters]

thus the reason I'd much rather run my 670, less vibes and it cuts a LOT better.

 

[whatsnext]

slipknot , the warranty does not cover accidents . Do you normally leave your saws running where there is a possibility of them falling ?

It's Sears, don't tell them anything. "Really sir, I was just running the saw and it fell apart". And don't forget "this leaking gas would seem to be a liability issue, what if it caught fire?".
Maybe you can trade up to a Husky 350 or a Rancher.

 

[slipknot]

It's Sears, don't tell them anything. "Really sir, I was just running the saw and it fell apart". And don't forget "this leaking gas would seem to be a liability issue, what if it caught fire?".
Maybe you can trade up to a Husky 350 or a Rancher.

the only problem with that is...I have purchased 3 saws from them in the past
1 1/2 months one 18" poulon/craftsman I took back to trade up to this POS 55cc and then they have my 16" poulan/craftsman 36cc, it vaporlocked everytime I went to refuel...they said its for accasional use, sir...its only ment to cut every now and then! I told them there wasn't anything in the manuel that said anything about how many trees your allowed to cut down, no quota or anything, so they said they would send it to their repare center in columbus oh!
I started to feel tension arguing with lady who sells appliances and just happens to have a few saw in her store! She knows nothing about them!

Murphy's law would reak havoc on me if I lied to them...trust me!

 

[scottr]

vapor lock

slipknot , the next time you fill up the 36cc saw try giving it a couple primer pumps to move some cooler fuel into the carb then set the choke to fast idle before cranking . It works on my 38cc Poulan .

 

[trimmmed]

Ryobi's power tools rank about par with those made by Skil and Craftsman - decent enough for most homeowner chores, but I've yet to see any "pro" using them in the field.

Really? What field are you in? I'm not sure what the pro's are using, but I've got 400 plus kitchen installs done in the last 5 years, which is when I switched over to Ryobi cordless. Do you know what a "soft skin" is or why that might be important to someone doing kitchen work? Yup, doesn't scratch. Do you know who came out with that idea first?

Porter Cable is making some of the best cordless drill/driver units out there -

Surely you jest, they are mediocre at best.

Panasonic makes decent drills also.

Actually, Panasonic makes the best cordless tools and you get to pay for that privledge too. Not cheap

Milwaukee has consistently made great industrial stuff, but had a reputation for battery problems. Their new 24v line should improve in that area.

Do you know who owns Milwakee now?

DeWalt makes pretty good drills too - the biggest complaint I've heard about them is premature brush wear.

That's funny, I've been using Dewalt corded 3/8 drills for years, never replaced a brush but all the chucks have failed. Bought a Milwakee this year in protest because of that(and sob, the chuck is goin in that one) Maybe we are just rough on chucks

Ridgid tools - owned by the Emerson electric tool company

You sure about that, I know you said it, but are you sure?

Their tools are turning heads in the construction industry (yes they've expanded from their pipe wrench only days).

Better check your facts, that opinion is dated. They are not expanding anything. Emerson dumped their rigid line of tools back in '04. Yup, they don't make them anymore. Sold to a Taiwan corp, that also has bought a few other big names. Techtronic Industries Co, is the name of the company. They now have Milwakee and Rigid and Homelite. They also happen to be the maker of RYOBI tools. Small world eh?


You were saying?


For the record, the only Ryobi's that I am endorsing here are the cordless stuff, after that I own one router and one sander that are Ryobi and they are both backups. The truth is, that when shopping for power tools, if you are brand loyal, you will have alot of mediocre tools and some good ones. The trick is to pick the right brand in each category of tool.

 

[bluegoose]

Geez Dave - you sure spent some time here in an attempt to blast me out of the water. But what the heck, have at it.

Although I actually own several of the tools I mentioned, I reference most of my opinions from friends in the construction industry that do heavy, intense outside work - such as rough framing and masonry jobs. I don't classify kitchen installs in that category and Ryobi might work just fine for that. I simply don't have an interest in purchasing their products - you do - and you're entitled to do so. I make my tool selections by reading some reviews and talking to people who use that particular tool in an industrial setting. I don't know what a "soft skin" is and don't care.

My brother is a self-employed masonry contractor, who has sampled most of the cordless drills on the market. Mixing mortar is one of the most demanding drill jobs there is. His Porter Cable drills have given him the least amount of down-time. He had been a proponent of Milwaukee's cordless line, but the tools spent too much time in the shop. Contractors I know near me also speak highly of Porter Cable - and their tools receive high review marks. I see a number of Milwaukee and DeWalt drill units here - and as I've said - have yet to see a Ryobi one. Porter Cable mediocre? - I think not - especially when compared to Ryobi - in my opinion.

If you will take the time to look at Ridgid website, you will actually see a "new tools" section. One of the new tools they recently developed and marketed was a solderless, pipe crimping tool. Quite expensive, but a neat, flameless way to perform plumbing work. I wouldn't necessarily define that as stagnant and if a Taiwanese company bought the line from Emerson tool company, I would have difficulty foreseeing anything but expansion. I really enjoy using the Ridgid miter saw I have - it's a heavy, solid performer. I'd thought about purchasing a Porter Cable miter saw at the time, ranked #1 in its class (of course) - but went with the less expensive Ridgid.

I don't know what your deal is "trimmed," but if you want to be the designated site tool guy, that's fine by me. Turn the temp. down.

 

[trimmmed]

Heheh, hey I had a couple of smiley's in there Just busting your chops, bluegoose. But if you are gonna give opinions as facts, that are based on anecdotal heresay............................!~