Jonny Quest here...just wanted to say hello.
I found this site after a little "google" action. Nice to have a place like this to help us non-lumberjack types out.
I'm paying for a previous mistake. I did what Joe Average Homeowner typically does: Go to Sears and buy a cheap chainsaw. I bought a p.o.s. Craftsman 18" Model 316.350840. This is the 55 cc saw made in some Asian country (probably Taiwan). I bought this saw to do "good deeds" and help out the poor folks following Hurricane Katrina & Rita. I went to Louisiana and spend several days on tree removal squads. The saw spent 4 or 5 days (12 hours per day) cutting up big oak trees that were felled by the storms.
I went out the other day to fire the saw up and cut some firewood for the Boy Scouts, but I only got about 5 minutes of run time, then the saw stopped and would not re-start. Upon closer inspection, it was obvious that the saw had almost NO compression. Can't believe that it would fail so quickly. Fuel was good. Oil mix was good. (I used to turn wrenches for a living, so I know a thing or 2 about gasoline engines).
So, I found this site and got the feeling that most folks here don't have a very high opinion of the cheap-o department saws. After a little looking, I found a nice little Husqvarna 353 for $325 (including tax & shipping). My extra bar & chain from my p.o.s. Craftsman should work well with the Husky, too. I have an extra Micro-Lite pro 18" and a couple of chains.
Think I'll take the Sears "power head" out to the pistol range this weekend and have some fun.
Lesson learned: You get what you pay for.
JQ
I found this site after a little "google" action. Nice to have a place like this to help us non-lumberjack types out.
I'm paying for a previous mistake. I did what Joe Average Homeowner typically does: Go to Sears and buy a cheap chainsaw. I bought a p.o.s. Craftsman 18" Model 316.350840. This is the 55 cc saw made in some Asian country (probably Taiwan). I bought this saw to do "good deeds" and help out the poor folks following Hurricane Katrina & Rita. I went to Louisiana and spend several days on tree removal squads. The saw spent 4 or 5 days (12 hours per day) cutting up big oak trees that were felled by the storms.
I went out the other day to fire the saw up and cut some firewood for the Boy Scouts, but I only got about 5 minutes of run time, then the saw stopped and would not re-start. Upon closer inspection, it was obvious that the saw had almost NO compression. Can't believe that it would fail so quickly. Fuel was good. Oil mix was good. (I used to turn wrenches for a living, so I know a thing or 2 about gasoline engines).
So, I found this site and got the feeling that most folks here don't have a very high opinion of the cheap-o department saws. After a little looking, I found a nice little Husqvarna 353 for $325 (including tax & shipping). My extra bar & chain from my p.o.s. Craftsman should work well with the Husky, too. I have an extra Micro-Lite pro 18" and a couple of chains.
Think I'll take the Sears "power head" out to the pistol range this weekend and have some fun.
Lesson learned: You get what you pay for.
JQ
Welcome!!!
