Nostalgic

[Tony Snyder]

A few saw models stand out as favourites of the ones I have sold over a 25 year span.

Echo 302S, 452, 750 and 550
Stihl 038
Jonsered 70E and 510SP
Husqvarna 133 and 161
Partner 500, 5000, S55, 7000 and P70

My current favourites are the 2159 Jonsered and the 940 and 956 EFCOs

But, I must also remember my most hated, the Power Mac 6. That was surely the favourite throwing saw ever made. They also made good targets.

Many times these really problematic saws would get abandoned at my shop. I'd take them to the range and sit them at the base of the 100yd back stop. Every time I brought a saw I didn't like the boys would have fun over it. They would help me destroy them. Then I cleaned up the mess. I guess it was my way of giving some bad press to the mechanical creations that wasted some of my time.

It would be interesting to hear from those who have had the opportunity to use and work on a broad range of saws to hear what were the best ones and the worst one. Subjectivity! I know, but it might be a little fun.

 

[Whistler]

I agree with you 100% on the 70E , most reliable and , easiest saw I have ever started .
Whistler

 

[rupedoggy]

I think the two I have worked on, and now will not work on them any more, are the mini-mac and that little Homelite xl. You can spend a lot of time and not get those saws fixed. The way they are assembled requires three hands to hold them in alignment. After you have spent four hours on the darn things the customer won't come an pick them up and they aren't worth anything used.
On the plus side I feel the 2100 Husky gives the best satisfaction for me. They are a bit weak in the ignition department but every one I have assembled has turned out to be a strong and useful saw. Why did Husky ever stop making this gem? Mike

 

[Dagger]

Rupedoggy...2100 chassis saws just had too long of a stroke to reach the rpm's that the market was demanding..piston speed was too high to be durable enough. In the last years we had lighter pistons.(2101).(298), and changed porting somewhat..but in the end,,we needed slower piston speeds and higher rpms to compete...which meant shorter stroke...which meant new chassis.

 

[rupedoggy]

Yea, a new chassis like the 394 right? What a pig! That cumbersome chassis puts your hands so far apart you feel like there is little control and I am personally going to attest that is it a saw which will tire you out faster, and still not get the work done for a man using it. I suppose you had a hand in designing that one? Bring your best one to the Revival and I will blow its doors off with a 2100. The engineers that design this stuff should be required to work with it for a month alongside the old design and then try to justify their paper results! To this day you have not built a better saw than the 2100 and you pencil pushers with your facts and figures have had almost 30 years to do it! Mike

 

[WOLF_RIVER_MIKE]

I agree with your post. Now your driving up the cost of 2100's all over the country.

 

[rupedoggy]

Hey Wolfie, It ain't me that's driving the 2100 prices. Take a look at the post on 920 Jonsered muffler. It's KD the 2100 hog! Why I called him the other day to try to buy a handle bar for one and he said no. Mike

 

[WOLF_RIVER_MIKE]

he said no

Jeeeez, It's getting bad. Black market 2100 parts, I can see it now.