Edit: Really surprised at how well the second runner up did. With that much performance at that price point, there is ZERO reason to ever loan out a saw. Just tell people to go buy one.
Project Farm compares Stihl and Chinese saw
- Thread starter OM617YOTA
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Edit: Really surprised at how well the second runner up did. With that much performance at that price point, there is ZERO reason to ever loan out a saw. Just tell people to go buy one.
davefr
Addicted to ArboristSite
I like his videos but he really needs to run a few tanks of fuel thru each saw to break them in, then tune the carbs properly (especially the Chinese saws) and then repeat the tests. I'm sure the Stihl comes out of the factory better tuned and possibly not needing as much break in run time.
I agree, and at the same time, almost anyone who buys those saws is going to pull it out of the box, fire it up, and run it as-is. I definitely understand why he tests the way he does.
Hopefully the Stihl dealer fired up + tuned the Stihl.
Hopefully the Stihl dealer fired up + tuned the Stihl.
I call dibs on the $100 fake stihl lol
Repeat test in 10 years and report back.
I like the guy, but that test was pretty useless. Hope he tunes his own two strokes every once in a while...
I hope he re-does the test using a Stihl knockoff instead of some random Chinese chainsaw. I like his videos, but unfortunately that one was totally useless. Orange and white doesn't make it a knock off. A much better test would have either been the G260 vs MS261, which the 261 should comfortably win, or compare a G255 with an MS251 which is a Stihl saw that he's tested against before.
Karrl
ArboristSite Operative
He seems like a good dude but outside of certain situations his tests are more entertainment than educational. It’s kind of annoying to me but there’s some good info if you know what is what.
As an engineer who's spent the past 25 years designing, building, and working on automated equipment in addition to 6 years spent as a general contractor doing residential construction, and another 4 years working as a general machinist, I'd say that MOST of his content is pretty good. None of his content really dives into the fine details like someone would need to do if they are making a living with a tool. Then again, his goal isn't to provide the viewer with a complete education. His goal appears to be to demonstrate what you get for the money you spend and how those items compare to the competition. Basically, if you don't know a ton about a type of tool, but need to buy one, his 15 minute video will provide you with enough information to make a reasonably educated purchase and prevent you from wasting your money on pure junk.
While I found this particular video to be mostly useless, it DOES answer the question of how a new $100 saw compares to a home owner grade Stihl of similar size. Trying to make a more relevant comparison would require a lot more knowledge of what's actually available on the market and it would cost him significantly more capital to acquire the tools. Even the Farmertec stuff is going to cost $200 - $360 per machine depending on which model.
While I found this particular video to be mostly useless, it DOES answer the question of how a new $100 saw compares to a home owner grade Stihl of similar size. Trying to make a more relevant comparison would require a lot more knowledge of what's actually available on the market and it would cost him significantly more capital to acquire the tools. Even the Farmertec stuff is going to cost $200 - $360 per machine depending on which model.
You need to tinker with and tune chinese saws, if you're willing to do this they're alright and once dialed in you're done tinkering. Those clones need to be tuned to about 12500 not 11000rpm, this would make them a lot stronger and faster.
If you want to take the saw out of the box and cut with it, get a name brand saw.
If he tried one of the better china saws. IE a supmix 6200 or joncutter 5800(both are 54.5cc), they would have smoked the stihl without any tuning as they're tuned closer out of the box but people wouldnt like seeing that.
If you want to take the saw out of the box and cut with it, get a name brand saw.
If he tried one of the better china saws. IE a supmix 6200 or joncutter 5800(both are 54.5cc), they would have smoked the stihl without any tuning as they're tuned closer out of the box but people wouldnt like seeing that.
Karrl
ArboristSite Operative
He’s pretty popular so I definitely think he makes well over 200-360 a video, but you’re right that it’s more of a what can this 100 dollar saw do compared to a stihl.
And I think you’re totally right about it being a homeowner level test though. I wouldn’t have any problem if he had titled his chainsaw sharpening video “Best Sharpening kit for novices” instead I got…
Not a huge deal but I think if he would have spent more time learning and maybe asking questions from experts he would have gotten different results. That’s why I say it’s more of an entertainment thing. And I realize he’s more educational than 99% of professional YouTubers but it’s just not up my alley.
Karrl
ArboristSite Operative
Also when he does the weighted test with the chainsaw it’s a weight that’s hanging on the left side of the bar. To me it seems like he’d be having to constantly adjust to the uneven pressure, which would make different tests slightly inconsistent. Just little stuff like that but I’m kind of over YouTube in general so if you like his stuff go for it.
Compared to a lot of YouTubers he seems to have personal integrity so I respect him for that.
Compared to a lot of YouTubers he seems to have personal integrity so I respect him for that.
Totally agree on the tuning. Then again, most homeowners won't touch the jets on their saws for fear of messing them up. I know that's how I felt when I first started out. Now I have velcro on my tac and on my saw so I can tune it when ever I feel the need.
As far as people not wanting to see a cheap Chinese product do better than an American made product, he has a fair number of videos showing exactly that. A lot of the Stihl products that he reviews do not do very well. Especially their battery powered tools. In that regard, I really appreciate his content.
I totally agree on that. I was disappointed with that video. Same for the knife sharpening video. Having said that, it goes back to the home owner grade product. What can the homeowner expect to get right out of the box. If he's reviewing something that takes some skill to do well, then I watch for entertainment purposes because he does make it entertaining. If it's something pretty straight forward, like which brush cutting blade is best, then its a totally different story. I've made several purchases based solely off of his video, and I haven't regretted a single one. Unfortunately, that's also what frustrates me on the more questionable videos. I've tried LOTS of products over the years and to see him compare products that I've used and end up at a different or even incorrect conclusion is frustrating and disappointing because I know that if he purchased the product and used it for a while, he would end up disappointed with his decision. Still, I applaud his efforts. I give him a thumbs up on every video, but I also let him know when I think something wasn't quite right.
That brings up another aspect of his channel. He responds to almost EVERY comment. Lots of the responses are generic, but I've received reply's that were a direct response to my comment. That's impressive! For anyone willing to go that far, I'll give them the benefit of the doubt every time and cut them some slack when we disagree
I generally like his videos, even if I don't agree with it all the time. The sharpening test was ridiculous, guarantee I could out sharpen any of his gizmos with just a file. On his saw tests, I wish he'd just do a straight drop into the test log, not rocking the saw back and forth.
If I need to buy a tool and don't have time to dive into researching, I'll watch his video and make a decision based on the video. That doesn't always mean I buy what he says comes out on top, either. Sometimes I'll buy his second or third best option, because they perform 90% as well for 15% the price, or that's what I have available immediately and that'll suit the 2x I'll need it just fine. Sometimes the lower cost option does every bit as well or better than the high end option, like Corona hand saws vs. Silky. Other times I go straight to what's best, I have Knipex in my pocket for a reason.
Sometimes I specifically avoid the high-end option, because it's high end in name only. Snap-On is guilty of that a lot of times, though they killed the torque wrench test.
If I need to buy a tool and don't have time to dive into researching, I'll watch his video and make a decision based on the video. That doesn't always mean I buy what he says comes out on top, either. Sometimes I'll buy his second or third best option, because they perform 90% as well for 15% the price, or that's what I have available immediately and that'll suit the 2x I'll need it just fine. Sometimes the lower cost option does every bit as well or better than the high end option, like Corona hand saws vs. Silky. Other times I go straight to what's best, I have Knipex in my pocket for a reason.
Sometimes I specifically avoid the high-end option, because it's high end in name only. Snap-On is guilty of that a lot of times, though they killed the torque wrench test.
I'm not sure what you guys really expect. Comparing 2 products straight out of the box is pretty much useless in itself unless you really only want to run something once or twice, and sell it (or more likely, throw it out). We all know how lowest bidder components hold up over the long term. They don't.
The MS291 ain't nothing special performance wise. But longevity wise they are as good as any homeowner saw. Lots of 20 year old 290's still floating around, half beat to death, still cutting wood.
Like I said before. Repeat test 10 years form now and report back.
The MS291 ain't nothing special performance wise. But longevity wise they are as good as any homeowner saw. Lots of 20 year old 290's still floating around, half beat to death, still cutting wood.
Like I said before. Repeat test 10 years form now and report back.
Interesting
test.
test.
I think I'll stick with the Stihl and Husqvarna saws..
adedeluca
ArboristSite Lurker
I prefer non Chinese saws The are a good value for very occasional users period . Smoothness and reliability are s after I personal know for experience
Black vs. white. Democrats vs. Republicans. Ford vs. Chevrolet. Ask 10 people, get 15 responses. Many people are simply seeking validation for their own personal preferences.
There is no perfect test procedure, nor irrefutable test result.
The answer is: HUSQVARNA
We now return you to your regularly scheduled programming.
There is no perfect test procedure, nor irrefutable test result.
The answer is: HUSQVARNA
We now return you to your regularly scheduled programming.
I have never seen one of PF videos that wasn't a complete goat rodeo.
