Is new and improved BETTER ?

[wood rat]

I'm asking you old timers what has been your thoughts on the new and improved "saws" made today .... what has been good, what has been done in the name to make money ?

Plastic is my main gripe, don't weigh much more than alum , and in the long run is it better ?

IMO if a saw manufacturer made a excellent light durable last forever PRO saw they would sell.

As it is all I see in new and improved models is made cheaper to make more profits .

Or am I wrong ?

 

[Austin1]

I'm asking you old timers what has been your thoughts on the new and improved "saws" made today .... what has been good, what has been done in the name to make money ?

Plastic is my main gripe, don't weigh much more than alum , and in the long run is it better ?

IMO if a saw manufacturer made a excellent light durable last forever PRO saw they would sell.

As it is all I see in new and improved models is made cheaper to make more profits .

Or am I wrong ?

I am not a old timer!
But I like the look and feel of the older saws and the power and anti vibe of the new ones. It would be nice to get both worlds but with the cost of material and labor now it just wont happen. A all metal modern saw made with modern alloy metal and fitted real nice sure would be nice but it is like having a Bentley parked in the driveway most of us could not afford it!
If there was a demand for it and people would spend 2500.00 on a saw then they would make it but could you see Bill Gates using a chainsaw for cutting wood for the fire place? People with lot's of money have all there tree cutting done buy people like you and me.

 

[romeo]

The "NEW AND IMPROVED" days are done.

Now its the "NEW AND EPA APPROVED" days.

 

[SteveH]

Whether I'm an old timer, I don't worry about it [not too far from six decades on earth]. Been cutting over thirty years, and my first saw was bought new back in the early seventies. All metal, solid, lasted me almost 20 yr. of hard use. [Echo]. It always started, easy to work on, etc. Also had zero safety features.

My newest saw is a Stihl. All the safety stuff. Some plastic, of course. Starts every time. Is quieter than that first Echo, gets better "gas mileage" even though it's a larger saw.

All in all, while I had no gripes about the older saws [have also used ancient Mac's, etc.] and they ran fine and did the job without complaint, I will stick with the newer ones for my work. I admit I had that first saw fall a few times, or maybe I even tripped and dropped it, don't recall, and it never had a scratch. All the Stihls I have had have ended up with a crack here or there in the plastic. My brand-new 036 Pro took about two weeks til it fell off a stump [my fault...hit it with a limb I picked up to move], cracked the air filter cover and it is still, 7 yr. later, cracked.

 

[oldsaw]

Whether I'm an old timer, I don't worry about it [not too far from six decades on earth]. Been cutting over thirty years, and my first saw was bought new back in the early seventies. All metal, solid, lasted me almost 20 yr. of hard use. [Echo]. It always started, easy to work on, etc. Also had zero safety features.

My newest saw is a Stihl. All the safety stuff. Some plastic, of course. Starts every time. Is quieter than that first Echo, gets better "gas mileage" even though it's a larger saw.

All in all, while I had no gripes about the older saws [have also used ancient Mac's, etc.] and they ran fine and did the job without complaint, I will stick with the newer ones for my work. I admit I had that first saw fall a few times, or maybe I even tripped and dropped it, don't recall, and it never had a scratch. All the Stihls I have had have ended up with a crack here or there in the plastic. My brand-new 036 Pro took about two weeks til it fell off a stump [my fault...hit it with a limb I picked up to move], cracked the air filter cover and it is still, 7 yr. later, cracked.

I've got to agree. As a fairly recent convert to modern saws, there really isn't any comparison. Lighter, smoother, and faster, vs heavier, more vibration, and more torque.

The "good old days" are just ending now, being killed off by the EPA. But, hey, with my track record with saws, it will be years and years before I need to buy one of them.

Mark

 

[spike60]

Boy, I hope I have a way to go before I fit into the old timer group.

Every company is looking to reduce manufacturing costs. And you can only take out so much cost without taking out a little quality as well. So the question becomes, How far over that line does a company go?

I think that most people have too much of a knee jerk reaction to the word "plastic". Plastic is the main reason that saws have gotten lighter over the years. And looking back at the 575 and 441 threads, guys don't like heavy. I've seen a lot of older saws that spent a good deal of time on the garage floor, the bottom of the metal case all eaten away. Then there is all of the oxidation that occurs inside of a metal fuel tank working it's way into the carb. Yes plastic is less able to take a hit, but again, nobody wants to carry around a few extra pounds for the sake of durability.

As far as all of these new strato engines are concerned, it's all still emerging technology. So now we have those bugs to be worked out, along with the usual ones that can accompany any new model saw. My personal feeling is that I would stick with the real 2 cycle stuff while you can still get it, and give the new stuff some time on the market before trying it.

 

[SawTroll]

The "NEW AND IMPROVED" days are done.

Now its the "NEW AND EPA APPROVED" days.

Sad, but true, in most regards.....