Rate your Chinese chain saw?

[joe25DA]

If it’s open for opinion, you might not like them all.

 

[frank_]

heh, this is a thread/poll that has little to do with chainsaws
predictably

 

[awful knawful]

A name brand top handle is $600+ here. My joncutter was less than 1/3 of that.

 

[Maintenance supervisor]

Clone 372xp's are right on par with the quality control out of the Vikings, and much better than the ones you find at Lowe's. The ability to modify the new/clean saw is a real attraction and makes them very appealing. I highly doubt that I would take the top end off my OEMs saws to tinker with.
I rate them very high for the mechanical type of person.
As always its best to rummage through your local scrapyards first and possibly find an original to bring back to life first.

 

[Bob Hedgecutter]

I almost thought I might be able to come play in your sandpit Bill, recently got another 066 as part of a horse trading type deal, externally it is mostly Farmertec, but sadly internally it is still Stihl- so no dice.
The one important piece of the 066 puzzle it has that is NOT Stihl, but soon will be is the carb. The Chinese carb looks new- is as light as a feather, one of the top cover screws was in place- but not holding by more than half a thread maybe, the L bend at the bottom that press fits into the vacuum hose protruded that far it fouled the bottom of the air box trying to remove the carb (dammed if I know how the last owner got it in there! Possibly the same way I got it out- large lever and a prayer nothing got damaged), diaphragm is like tissue paper and the metering lever is that soft it can be bent via telepathic messaging!
On the plus side- as far as I can determine, the rest is not too bad, but it is things like mufflers, covers (except cylinder top cover- that is original), front handle, oil pump and clutch- so not real critical stuff and some of it is mix and match (Farmertec oil pump, Stihl worm gear- Farmertec clutch pack and Stihl drum.)
One day I will own one maybe and be able to pass a more honest opinion, but most of my dislike for the things stems from other owners showing up wanting them fixed because the local Stihl or Husqvarna shops won't touch them.

 

[Canyon Angler]

Folks knowing they are buying ripped off and cloned saws are the ones that would sell out friends and family.

I guess instead we could sell out the country to ComChi via "The Big Guy" who gets 10% and then sell paintings...

(I agree in principle, but in the grand scheme of things, buying a cloned saw is a drop in the ocean. Personally, I'm a bit more concerned about gigantic companies like AppleIntelMicrosoft offshoring the manufacture of things like microprocessor chips and phones to the Chinese intelligence services...what could possibly go wrong with THAT arrangement???)

 

[Stihl99]

You're so pure and great. Go preach somewhere else.

Pure and great enough to go out of my way and spend more money to assure anything even remotely possible I purchase is not made in china, can you say that yank?
How pure are you china lover, what steps and effort do you or anyone else reading this take to not buy china crap?

 

[Stihl99]

I guess instead we could sell out the country to ComChi via "The Big Guy" who gets 10% and then sell paintings...

(I agree in principle, but in the grand scheme of things, buying a cloned saw is a drop in the ocean. Personally, I'm a bit more concerned about gigantic companies like AppleIntelMicrosoft offshoring the manufacture of things like microprocessor chips and phones to the Chinese intelligence services...what could possibly go wrong with THAT arrangement???)

Microsoft and apple are totally different playing fields of Stihl, Husky, Echo, etc. but yes I hate them with a passion as well just like all cloned manufacturing companies of china holz what ever the frig they are

 

[awful knawful]

Pure and great enough to go out of my way and spend more money to assure anything even remotely possible I purchase is not made in china, can you say that yank?
How pure are you china lover, what steps and effort do you or anyone else reading this take to not buy china crap?

I bet nothing you buy is made in china?

 

[greenwood1]

Have two chinesium saws, a 440 knockoff and a 200t. The 440 quickly became the main felling/bucking saw and the 200t is the new main tool for pruning the orchard.

Bought them as kits and had a lot of fun putting them together. Wouldn't recommend buying them in kit form if you're not familiar with small engines though since there's no manual or instructions, so the box of screws and parts can be a little daunting to sort out if you don't know what you're doing.

Anyhoo - both saws work great and tbh can't tell them apart from the Stihl counterparts.

I have a Farmertec 440 kit and a Stihl 440 OEM I bought new in 2007...big difference in quality, durability and performance in my opinion but to each their own.

 

[greenwood1]

They are good beater or loaner saws. Low quality plastics - low quality everything really. But easy to take apart and parts are easily available. And if you damage, lose or get one stolen it's no big deal.

I've bought four over the last year. 52cc, 58cc and, allegedly, 62cc. Three were used ones in good condition for less than £20 / $28 each and one was brand new, missing oil and fuel caps, for £27 / $38.

It does pain me to support Chinese industry though.

Agree 100%.

 

[greenwood1]

John cutter top handle has been flawless. Probably 20 tanks through it. I'm quite impressed, even though it tried to kill me.
View attachment 930166View attachment 930170

Hope you healed up good. Top handles are tricky and I use my Stihl 192c. little guy on the ground..it has the rear handle. Be safe and Happy Holidays.

 

[greenwood1]

What a topic to even think about let alone consider buying a china saw.
Folks knowing they are buying ripped off and cloned saws are the ones that would sell out friends and family.

We all have our temptations at times with friends and family . I bought 440 kit for plastics and I busted my handle on OEM StihlMagnum440 I bought new in 2007. Every little piece that was Stihl I used vs Farmertec parts. You can bet no Farmertec hoses etc were used. I even changed the starter pulley, pawls and elastostart handle and rope on the Farmertec starter cover to Stihl OEM. I am not paying Stihl prices for clutch and starter covers and handle and plastic. I replace Farmertec handle to have Stihl throttle, choke, linkage,kill switch, gas vent, AV. No comparison StihlMagnum440 vs Farmertec in quality, durability, performance and resale value. Show up to a crew with a clone and they will think you are a eunuch. Happy Holidays

 

[Huskybill]

I’m on the fence which Chinese saw brand to buy I been collecting macs, Stihl s, Poulans, remingtons and mainly 2 & 3 series huskys.
I installed the German designed farmertec saw chain on my sons 920//570 Jred and husky. So far so good. I do not expect Oregon quality. But it seems to hold up.

I purchased the rainsman 404”/.063 / 100’ rolls for my bigger power heads. I’m moving slow now had a bad fall. Need to start PT soon.

 

[Pythagorus]

If it’s open for opinion, you might not like them all.

On the comments about Chinese junk and the 'sell-out my country' (I'm not a Trump supporter by the way...very much the contrary) and 'sell out my workforce' ...would you have seen 'over there' that a very competent Real Property agent was sacked
just recently, in Australia for saying he preferred Australian made, in buying, to Chinese. 14 or 14 Chinese made a complaint. The sanctimonious hypocrites of 'anti-discrimination' saw him 'on his bike'. You can learn more about the Australian involvement in the World Domination conspiracy along with China here "4 Corners "Degrees of Deception". Recently the Victorian premier tried to sell Vic out to China....Do you know the real history behind the American war of independence (Central Banker revenge) ...of Civil war...of Jekkyl Isrland ...of WW1 and WW1...of world-wide turmoil. USA gives appalling example to these places...Only by changing immensely to being a Nation of thoroughly good example and morality can US overcome the present Chinese threat.
On the 'stand up for yourself' aspect...Chinese saws and components may be great, or some may think so, knowing no better unlike us older Engineers and Tradesment but I say...forget price..as soon as you see "RPC' on the tool put it down. I know it's hard to find replacements these days but if you just 'buy American made' your people may be inspired to 'tool-up' again.

 

[MacAttack]

With globalization the way it is, I would be surprised if there was any chainsaw made today that didn't contain some Chinese components, even if it was just hardware or fasteners. Even a top of the line saw, I would bet once you dug deep enough into it, you'd find components like electronics, etc, from China.
I try to buy domestic, but sometimes it feels like a lost cause. The closest I have to a Chinese saw is an old Made in Taiwan McCulloch that must have been at the end of McCulloch's time in business. It needs fixing and parts but would probably run.

 

[Bronco]

I really like my Farmertec top handle-G2500 with 12in bar, Stihl yellow chain..... Liked so much bought a 2nd one. The settings were pretty much spot on, and muff was fine also... First tank, 30:1, and now 10 tanks later running 40:1 Echo FD rated oil... Starts on 1st or 2nd pull (cold) and hot starts right up. Conscious here is they copied the older Zenoah Jap blueprints/reverse engineered pretty well, and that the Japanese zehoah was just that good. I've some issues with a stihl 381 copy, took several adj to get running properly, even after replacing carb with 038 mag one. Just can't get the idle spot on. But does crank, and run fine though.

 

[capetrees]

I bet nothing you buy is made in china?

Not on purpose. I do everything I can to NOT buy it if it's from China. Cost a little more? Yup, but I'm not supporting them if possible.

 

[Huskybill]

I’m going to collect a few farmertec chainsaws. So far they offer the cloned husky 272, 372, 288. Im thinking when it fails it’s either a parts saw or fix it with husky parts.lol the saws are cheap now.

 

[Pythagorus]

Have two chinesium saws, a 440 knockoff and a 200t. The 440 quickly became the main felling/bucking saw and the 200t is the new main tool for pruning the orchard.

Bought them as kits and had a lot of fun putting them together. Wouldn't recommend buying them in kit form if you're not familiar with small engines though since there's no manual or instructions, so the box of screws and parts can be a little daunting to sort out if you don't know what you're doing.

Anyhoo - both saws work great and tbh can't tell them apart from the Stihl counterparts.

Thought to comment that it's likely Chinese chainsaws will work...they have , like Israel, been stealing patents for decades. Whilst I have written elsewhere in support of US and Europe geting back to manufacturing in their own countries that nations using underage, alternatively effectively 'slave' labour ( being paid even less than so many slave-labour rate Americans...) need saleable products to be able to put even bread on their tables whilst the wealthy of other nations accumulate sometimes vast sums, live in often disgusting excess and wastefulness. My second thought on all this is that assembling one's own chain saw likely removes all possibility of warranty or more importantly, insurance, for almost all involved if a claim is put to the test.