HuskyShepherd2016
ArboristSite Operative
Yeah
Poulan vs Stihl
- Thread starter Kansaswoodpile
- Start date
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HuskyShepherd2016
ArboristSite Operative
Yeah I hear ya. I have a Stihl Ms290 or 291, I always forget when it’s not in front of me. It’s a decent saw. Ive had much worse than that. But I sure wish I was allowed to bring my both 041’s or my Husky 480cd to the job. All three of those saws are way better performing, especially in torque, than that 290/91…..and all three of them together cost me as much as that one Stihl ms 290/91 cost my employer brand new.
Id love to get an 041 but its like the prices of the old poulans now a days. Seems like the older stihl saws I own have no issue doing their job where as the newer non mag case ones dont like to. Same goes for the husky. My ms290/390 are in the same place as my husky 450. They do not perform like the older mag case saws or reed valve saws. To think an 051 could be rev limited at 8000rpm and hold that with the bar buried is something crazy to ask from a newer plastic saw unless you spend a fortune.
HuskyShepherd2016
ArboristSite Operative
I’ve got a third Stihl 041 that I’m looking to sell for a little Christmas cash. I like it a bunch but I just don’t need it. Two of them are enough. A third one isn’t really doing much more than taking up room.. Not a show pony but she’s a performer.
When I was shopping for my first homeowner chainsaw many years ago, I was comparing various models and brands. I didn't know much about them, but of the brands I recognized, available in a suitable size and weight and what felt like nice balance were the Stihl 025 and a hardware store McCulloch that was little more than half the price. Both had the same consumer warranty period.
Stihl claimed the 025 had some fancy oil saving control system that would pay for the cost of the saw, fine print stating that was based on 25 hours use per week. The McCulloch manual recommended certain annual maintenance, fine print stating that was based on 25 hours use per year. That spoke to me about the respective design philosophies.
Several years later, well out of warranty, something happened with the oiler on the 025 and oil was pouring through almost as fast as I could fill it. I had moved and took it to the local Stihl dealer, who I had never dealt with before, mentally preparing myself for a big bill. They fixed it that day, no charge, under some sort of goodwill program. That also spoke to me.
I still have that saw. Plus one or two more. And one for each son. And a brush trimmer, a hedge trimmer, a concrete saw and a backpack blower. Other brands might be just as good as a Stihl, but I know just how good a Stihl is.
HuskyShepherd2016
ArboristSite Operative
Stihl is a VERY good product. This is true. Please don’t think I’m knocking Stihl because that’s the last thing I’d want to do. I just don’t really have a favorite brand, because I’ve seen good and bad in quite a bit of stuff. I use a Stihl at my work and I have three of the older ones from the early 70’s. Stihl Weed eater too! Fine machines! Very satisfied with all of them! But as I say this I need to be fair and just make mention of the broad horizons I see. I’ve also got Husqvarnas that are every bit as good of a performer, and every bit as durable as my Stihls. And my very first job as a self employed contractor 20 years ago, I ran a Poulan 306a bow saw and a 5200 bow saw for a couple of years, before the owner of them accidentally backed over them with his pickup truck drunk one night….I’m glad they weren’t mine but still it was disheartening, because then came the plastic Poulan saws that I’d have to throw away after one or two seasons of use. The older vintage saws were every bit as good as any Stihl I’ve ever run, and better than the new Stihls I’ve run. So good that I got me a 245a and looking for a second one.
I’m glad you like what you like. Stihl is the cream that rose to the top. I like a multitude of brands from yesteryear. When I say yesteryear I mean older than I am. Before the normalcy of chain brakes and EPA emissions neutering standards….when torque took precedence over high rpm’s. Iron sleeved McCullochs! There were a bunch of fine makers back then. Even Sears, JC Penny and Montgomery Ward had their hands in fine small engines!
Today however, yes Stihl is about the best….them and Husqvarna. They both make the finest small engine power tools of today. And they also produce lines of junk….and Husky produces a bigger line of junk because they own Poulan, Troy Built, RedMax, Craftsman, the design for the Ford Pinto, and and several others that they intentionally produce and sell as lower end quality homeowner stuff. They don’t put the same effort of workmanship in these as their orange Husky saws on purpose, to try to tout their orange saw is the ultimate badass. I like Husqvarna chainsaws a bunch, but I’m not really that crazy about their business model, in fact I don’t like their model at all…..basically when a buyer thinks they are purchasing from a competitor, they’re really just buying another Husky Product in disguise. Seems like they do this just to promote their signature Husqvarna line as the top quality product, and they intentionally build the other brands they own with inferior quality. I own a few newer plastic Box store Poulans and I have some Huskies and the build and performance difference difference is like air vs earth, night vs day.
Stihl does this too, but at least they keep it within their own brand name. They don’t mislead buyers with other brands they own. They build top of the line stuff and they build lesser stuff too but it consistently bears the Stihl name. They don’t own ten different brands and mislead you into thinking you’re empowered competitively like Husqvarna does, by owning all the competitive brands and reducing their quality on purpose. But the orange Husqvarna pro line is right on up there with Stihl’s best saws.
I’m not really that concerned with warranty on my personal stuff because I like to fix things myself when they go wrong. But as far as the Stihl saw at my job, I’m glad there’s a repair shop in my neighboring town because for liability reasons, I’m not allowed to mechanic on my work saws. I wish my local stihl shop was as service oriented as your stihl repair guys. Yes they’ll work on stihl stuff, but it’s definitely warranty based here. Repairs that are beyond warranty aren’t cheap. Also, I heard some consistent stories of local customers needing service work on their weed trimmers, the shop made some adjustments, but missed problem, and then stuck the customer with a bill….they did this once with my work chainsaw, so it wasn’t just gossip. Hopefully this is not standard practice and it was just a couple of isolated incidents with bad employees that didn’t last.
I’m not speaking for all stihl service places. I’m glad yours did you right. That’s how it should be.
I’m not trying to change your mind about anything. I’m just sharing with you the experiences I’ve had with lots of brands. Some were awesome, some not so much. I love my Stihls! But it’s safe to say that I really don’t have a favorite brand. As long as the particular tool in my hands aren’t junk and they prove themselves, I’m happy with it!
Cricket
ArboristSite Operative
Truth, but also - if you're only going to use something once a year, a saw/tool of any sort that only lasts twenty uses may be all you'll ever need.
A friend bought me a Craftsman bottom of the line saw a few years back - I'd go downstairs and check the numbers but I'm having a lazy day - and it was the most infuriating thing I ever ran - weird balance (though actually pretty good for taking out elderberry bushes), chain would not stay tight - it *did* generally start - and over all felt like the Easy-Bake oven of the chain saw world. But if I only cut once or twice a year, cutting up a couple of limbs that came down easily accessible in the driveway or some such, it would have been... I hesitate to say fine, but doable. And it was *cheap*. If that's all someone does - and they're more likely to toss it than go to the trouble of selling it later - I guess they work.
Thats what i did with my pole saw. I have one of those remington gas pole saws. It was cheap but its not like I trim trees every day with it. Trim a branch or 2 in the spring so i can mow the lawn or get down my driveway and trim some bushes once a year. Its a nice tool to have and yeah the stihl one would be way cooler but at its price point its not worth it. Firewood saws are different. Ill pay for quality because so far this year wood has been my main source of heat. And also dealing with a couple hundred ash trees that suddenly died and needed to be taken down and cleaned up i didn't have time to be MFing a box store saw that breaks every other use because I'm abusing it.
What do you think your Husky 142 is?
HuskyShepherd2016
ArboristSite Operative
I wouldn’t touch a Poulan from the mid 80’s up till now either for the most part. If anyone thinks poulans have been garbage saws for their entire existence, that’s highly inaccurate, but that’s fine by me. But one wants to loop the Poulan 306a, 245a, the 361, and the 3400-5200 in with the likes of a newer plastic Poulan/ homeowner Husky, then that’s their prerogative, but it does not stop the older ones from being some of the best saws ever made….more for me!
This saw is a Poulan Pro 475 has a 32" bar. It was a Partner design. Made in 1993.
HuskyShepherd2016
ArboristSite Operative
Is that the saw that’s on your avatar?
The saw in the Avatar is a Poulan Pro 395. Made around mid 1980's.
HuskyShepherd2016
ArboristSite Operative
Won’t lie. I don’t have a whole lot of experience with these. If there were complaints I definitely would have heard about them over the years but I haven’t. So that’s obviously a good thing!
The 395 came from that series of saws that you like. 3400, 3700, 4000. The 395 is basicly the same as the 4000 but has a chain brake and different colors. It was considered as their Pro saw at the time.Won’t lie. I don’t have a whole lot of experience with these. If there were complaints I definitely would have heard about them over the years but I haven’t. So that’s obviously a good thing!
You are right about one thing. Poulan did make some really great saws at one time.
HuskyShepherd2016
ArboristSite Operative
Yessir I would love a 4000 or a 4200!
HuskyShepherd2016
ArboristSite Operative
All this talk about the older poulans being great saws probably has people thinking that I don’t like anything else. Couldn’t be further from the truth. I have three Stihls that are as solid and dependable as anyone could ask for. Same with a couple of my Husky saws.
I’m not a brand snob when it comes to power saws. I like pretty much any saw of any brand that was well made, and I dislike saws from any brand that made them poorly.
And almost most every US, German and Swedish brand, once upon a time, made some really fine saws.
Oh I most certainly agree. I have some Stihls, Husqvarna, Sachs Dolmar, Homelite, and of course Poulan saws.
About like a Honda engine! We are the world's best! For me I never seen a more cold-blooded temperamental engine other than a Tecumseh engine. A Sthil chainsaw is like that for me I bought a couple Sthil saws back in yearly 80s. They ran pretty well a 028 and 041 but every load of firewood some bolt would come lose. I always hear about Sthil having more torque than most saws. For me it was just bog down. I watch an old man back then with some old 42 cc Husqvarna just blaze threw firewood. In 1988 I bought a Husqvarna 50 and still have it and it runs. The best part was I could cut a load of firewood and all the bolts were good. I watch my brother-in-law get a string trimmer Sthil nothing but problems. My old Husqvarna weedwhacker must be 25 years old I did rebuild the carburetor about 10 years ago. For me the world's best is not always the best.
HuskyShepherd2016
ArboristSite Operative
God I sure hope I never run into the same luck as you with Stihls because I’ve got three 041’s! Lol! One is a 041 super, the other two are O41EVQS ones. I haven’t been able to really put the screws to them but they do cut really good for the few little here and there’s I’ve cut.
And yes, it’s true what you say about some little husky saw cutting endless firewood, I got an old dirty beat up white death growing little Husky 141 when I did a trade for a flat bed trailer and some tools one year. That saw was a good 20 years old when I got it and it ran like a little scalded wolverine. I cut enough to destroy three Wild Things and harpoon three Wood Sharks with it. That little bastard still runs like a freak to this day. It even ran a couple of years ago with three year old gasoline sitting in it and ran the next two days afterwards with new gas. That thing has been through hell and back, and run over by a Jeep and it’s still held together fine and still is a little scorcher. It cuts through firewood up to 6 inches like a samurai. But anything more than that, it starts having trouble. But I’m convinced that if I ever get a smaller saw, I’m going to aim for something that husky made in that size and class. If they ever brought back the 141 in a XP configuration, it would be a little award winner based off my anecdotal experience.
Right now I’m working on my three Poulan 245a saws, trying to get them where I want them. Those are some beastly old saws! I used to cut as much firewood and fell as many trees as the day is long the whole summer and a good bit of the fall back in 2002 with a 306a and a 5200. They both had bow configurations and a 20 and 28” bar too.
As for power, my 245a’s and my 041 super are very very close, with the 245a’s slightly edging out the 041 super in rpm’s, power, and torque, but not my much at all. Honestly, most people wouldn’t know a difference at all. 74cc motor vs a 72cc Super, and they all have Tillotson carburetors on them. But I do like the way the 041 super sounds more than the 245a’s. It has a lower based thumping rumble. But that’s got more to do with the muffler than anything.
One of my 245’s needs a new piston, another one needs a bunch of new small stuff like a clutch cover, starter cord, muffler, bar brackets inside the clutch cover. And I’ve got another one that the fuel line in the gas tank got knocked off of the nipple on the ride over here. I need to get that fixed.
Next I’ll be working on my Husky 480cd and possibly opening up my McCullough 200 cylinder and muffler just a little bit.
fun projects! They start adding up! Lol!
