Gripes on saw switches

[turnkey4099]

Is modern technology causing safety problems or is it just my personal preference? Sample:

First saw many moons ago Homelight 360. Verticle toggle switch fairly easy to operate.

Then (and still, but it needs a rebuild) Poulan 4000, toggle switch verticle action. Just drop middle finger down to toggle off. Nice!

Then (and now main saw) Jonsered 625. Small horizontal togggle. Almost impossible to find or operate with gloves on.

Then (and my sorta big saw) Stihl 041. Back to reality, good size verticle toggle in a good location.

Then Husky 51. Even worse, horizontal slide switch that is stiff to operate and again almost impossible to operate with gloves.

I like to be able to shut the saw off as soon as the tree begins to move, not fumble around for the !*&% switch.

If the saws are laid out in age order I can see a distinct regression is ease of operation.

Harry K

 

[John in MA]

I've always like nice big toggles. Older Homelites and Stihls are great for that, even my Poulan XXV has a "wire" swtich that's easy to use. My Jonsey 111S has a tiny toggle, but at least it's easy to find and moves vertically.

Don't like Stihl's newer choke/ignitnion switch/start latch design at all.

 

[Tim Gardner]

I dig Echo's toggle switch. It reminds me of the Poulan top handle saws. Hard to get to when using my left hand though.

 

[JimL]

the worst switch i have ever messed with is on a husky 355 or somethin, the top handle. I have seen two of them and they both were hard to move, like they had a piece of plastic in the wrong spot that you had to push it around.

 

[Tim Gardner]

Jim, the 335xpt switch does suck. If you use your thumb for extra leverage and put it in the wrong spot you shut the saw off and have to restart it. But then you have to restart a 335 all the time anyway.

 

[HUSKYMAN]

Originally posted by JimL
the worst switch i have ever messed with is on a husky 355 or somethin, the top handle. I have seen two of them and they both were hard to move, like they had a piece of plastic in the wrong spot that you had to push it around.

Probably the 335XP. Husky switches and choke controls all suck. Stihls switches suck also. I guess toggle switches are just too heavy for saw makers anymore

 

[Tim Gardner]

Originally posted by HUSKYMAN
Probably the 335XP. Husky switches and choke controls all suck. Stihls switches suck also. I guess toggle switches are just too heavy for saw makers anymore

The Stihl MS 200T Master Control Lever does not suck unless you take it apart. It is not in line with the handle so you can use your thumb for leverage where you need it, the center of the handle. The lever on the husky 335 is right there in the way. The 335 is a small improvement over husky's last top handle, the Poulan 25 that they colored orange and put a husky sticker on. :Eye: :Eye:

 

[Jwoods]

Stihl 011 switch isn't real cool either.

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

How about the echo 3400? As soon as you let go of the pull cord, it slaps the on/off switch right back into the off position. This is not the best position for the switch when you are trying to start it.

Dirt bikes and snowmobiles always have the kill switch right there, so you don't have to let go to turn it off, not a chainsaw though, in a panic situation they design the switch location so you need to let go and feel around for it. Can you say stoopid?

 

[Sethro]

Husqvarna smart start ?

 

[Tim Gardner]

I just picked up one of those Echo top handles and have not noticed the starter handle turning the saw off, or on the Poulan 25 way back when. We used the 25s for ground saws after about six months of climbing with them. I guess I had my knuckles binged up enough early on and subconsciously hold the handle until the rope is fully retracted. I like the placement of the kill switch on the Echo top handles. You can move it down near the spark plug like it is on the 3450.