Redmax G5000 First Impressions

[clarksvilleal]

Well, I got my G5000 yesterday, unboxed it, and (tried to) put the bar and chain on the saw. First problem: Couldn't get the (plastic) bar cover off after removing the two nuts . Scratched my (balding) head, looked at the parts diagram and saw that the cover was not just a cover, but actually included 32 parts, most of which were associated with the chain brake and the chain tensioner, both built into the cover assembly. Played around with the cover a bit more, still couldn't get it off, then called Tony at Amick's. He told me that the brake was engaged, so I should pull back hard on the (plastic) hand guard to release the brake. Pulled pretty hard and it wouldn't move. Tony said pull harder, don't worry about breaking it, so I did, and it did release the brake and the cover came off. First chainsaw I ever used where the cover was not just a simple cover (and the first where the cover was plastic).

So, I put the bar and chain on, turned the chain tensioner screw to tension the bar & chain. Next stepped on the (plastic) handle and started the saw after four or five pulls (expected for a new saw, I suppose). Blade didn't move. Revv'ed it up, but the blade still didn't budge , and some smoke was coming out from under the cover. Stopped the engine, scratched my (still balding) head, and called Tony again. He knew right away what was wrong - you have to be careful to line up the bar with the "rim", which was "floating" on the clutch drum sprocket. Tony said the floating rim is used in Pro saws to make it simpler and cheaper to replace if necessary, but that means a little fussier attention to detail when putting the bar and chain on.

Next noticed that very little if any oil seemed to be coming off the chain, so looked for the oil adjustment screw, which was a little hard to find at first. The bar oil icon & adjustment markings were right next to a 3/4" deep hole on the (plastic) bottom of the saw that looked like a hole described in the manual where the adjusting screw should be, but turns out there was no screw at the bottom of the hole . Now starting to pull hair out of my (even more balding) head, looked around some more, and finally found the screw, not in the hole near the adjustment markings, but about an inch and a quarter away on the side of the (metal ) casting near the clutch & sprocket assembly (accessible from under the saw in the space between the chain cover and the casting).

Found that the adjustment screw was m/l at the center of the range, so turned it up a bit and got a reasonable amount of oil to spray off the chain. Finally was able to start cutting. Cut a few 8"-10" pieces off of a sweet cherry tree trunk. Using the stock anti-kickback chain for now; will try the more aggressive Oregon 20LPX072G once I get used to the saw.

Overall impressions:
1) Owner's manual leaves too much to the imagination for someone who hasn't used this saw before;
2) Too much plastic;
3) Other than that, I like the saw. It is light, well-balanced, and seems to have a lot of power for its size. But not having really stressed it yet, will reserve judgment on the power until later.

When I complained to Tony about the complicated cover with the built-in brake, he said that's the way a lot of the saws are designed now, including the Huskies. When I complained about all of the plastic, he said that it was not just plain old plastic, but special plastic reinforced with fiberglass or something like that, and could actually stand up to more abuse than some metal parts. I'm skeptical; we'll see ...

I must say my first impression was not good and I was having a bit of buyer's remorse (i.e, maybe should have bought the 346xp for the extra $160?). But once over the new-user-ignorance-not-helped-by-the-manual issues, I am beginning to like the saw. And Tony at Amick's was a good guy, very helpful and reassuring that he would take care of me if I had any problems with the saw.

 

[bass_on_tap]

What did you pay for it? Saw a new 346xp at the dealer for $489.00 today. Is it too late to ask the dealer for a refund? Hope all works out.

 

[nicksterdemus]

Hope it all works out for you.

I was gonna start a thread, "Why shouldn't I buy a RedMax Chainsaw GZ3500T-14?"

289 clams delivered and pushing 2hp in a TH might not be bad since my 334T, for 350 bucks, plans were blown out of the water.

450 clams for a j-red and a few more fins for the 338XPT might not be worth it to a feller that ain't gettin' paid for cutting.

Then again...

 

[hiluxxulih]

I think I have the Chinese clone of the Redmax , it runs pretty good so far .

 

[mountainlake]

Sounds like your getting it figured out fast, don't judge the power untill you have at least 8 tanks run through it. Even the best ones are doggy on the 1st tank. Steve

 

[Taxmantoo]

I should point out that the 346XP also has an outboard clutch with the brake in the cover, and it also uses a pro style rim sprocket.

If you had purchased a 346XP or a G5000 from a local dealer, it would have been assembled and prepped for you by the dealer, which would have either bypassed much of the trouble, or delayed it until the first time you took the chain off.

 

[SawTroll]

I should point out that the 346XP also has an outboard clutch with the brake in the cover, and it also uses a pro style rim sprocket.
......

Both the brake and the tensioner in a plastic cover + the tensioner also being plastic makes me a bit sceptical though.....

Afaik it is a discontinued model, replaced by the 5300 (that is the Husky 353 in all red).

On all my saws but the Dolmar, the clutch cover is Mag, and I like it that way! Husky use a sturdy Mag one on their better "homeowner" saws, as well as on the pro ones.....

The sturdiest ones are on the saws with the brake band in the cover (the smaller saws).

 

[SawTroll]

Kind of like a clam shell motor with half the clam missing!

.....

Those are the cheapest of the cheap ones!

 

[porsche965]

Congrats on your new saw. I agree, give it a few tanks of fuel, get aquainted with the owner's manual and things will get better. The price will be right once things work out. AS site can answer all your questions.

Nothing like getting a new saw!

 

[clarksvilleal]

What did you pay for it? Saw a new 346xp at the dealer for $489.00 today. Is it too late to ask the dealer for a refund? Hope all works out.

I paid $300 for it. Originally sold for about $400, I believe, but this was a closeout since it was a discontinued model. The Husky 346xp was available from another dealer in CO for $460. But I think I'll get to like it as I use it more. I did toy with asking for a refund, but decided to give it a go. I can always sell it later, but hopefully that won't be necessary. Would have preferred a mag clutch cover as someone said the pro Huskys have, though.

 

[SawTroll]

I paid $300 for it. Originally sold for about $400, I believe, but this was a closeout since it was a discontinued model. The Husky 246xp was available from another dealer in CO for $460. But I think I'll get to like it as I use it more. I did toy with asking for a refund, but decided to give it a go. I can always sell it later, but hopefully that won't be necessary. Would have preferred a mag clutch cover as someone said the pro Huskys have, though.

The Redmax 5000 has a pretty good reputation, so I wouldn't worry too much - just use it!

 

[clarksvilleal]

relax and enjoy it. Plastic is everywhere.

Some of it is indeed very tough. The small Husky's have plastic lower crankcases with the main bearings being supported only in plastic. Kind of like a clam shell motor with half the clam missing!

Nice post, I will rep you as soon as I can...used it all up already today...

Thanks, Stephen. At least the G5000 has a mag crankcase. In the end my main concern with the plastic on this saw is the durability of the cover/brake assembly and the tensioner, wondering just how long they will hold up. I imagine I'll have to be careful not to abuse my new baby as much as I did my 35-year old Echo (may the ol' girl rest in peace), at least if I don't want to be replacing the cover and related parts too often.

 

[SawTroll]

Thanks, Stephen. At least the G5000 has a mag crankcase. In the end my main concern with the plastic on this saw is the durability of the cover/brake assembly and the tensioner, wondering just how long they will hold up. I imagine I'll have to be careful not to abuse my new baby as much as I did my 35-year old Echo (may the ol' girl rest in peace), at least if I don't want to be replacing the cover and related parts too often.

None of the better brands have used a metal brake handle since Husky quit using them in the late 1980s. At least that is nothing to worry about, unless it is low quality plastic (not likely)!

 

[sunfish]

Plastic chain tensioner would be my biggest concern, those things catch hell.

Should be a decent saw for the money though.

 

[SawTroll]

Plastic chain tensioner would be my biggest concern, those things catch hell.

Should be a decent saw for the money though.

I have actually never seen or heard of a saw with that before, but the model has a good reputation.

 

[Stihl Crazy]

Thanks, Stephen. At least the G5000 has a mag crankcase. In the end my main concern with the plastic on this saw is the durability of the cover/brake assembly and the tensioner, wondering just how long they will hold up. I imagine I'll have to be careful not to abuse my new baby as much as I did my 35-year old Echo (may the ol' girl rest in peace), at least if I don't want to be replacing the cover and related parts too often.

Don't worry over the plastic. I took in 2 5000s that had been run over by a tractor and C4 skidder. The plastic never broke, the mag case did. The 346 that was run over didn't fair as well.


Here are the 5000 weak points.
Chain catcher. When it breaks the lower av mount is loose.
Brake. At around 1200 tanks use it is worn enough that it will trip and engage easily. Brake replacement necessary.
Starter. Pawls need to be cleaned to ensure proper engagement.

Plus side.
One of the toughest 50 cc motors ever built.

 

[Shargoth]

The chain tensioner should NOT be plastic. Both of mine are metal of some sort. And the G5000's that come through my shop have metal ones. Something you should check into. I kind of don't understand the too much plastic comment...but to each his own. Part of why the saw is so light is because it's plastic....look back at all the old Homelites that are literally all metal...make their clutch cover, recoil, top cover, gas tanks, and trigger assemblies plastic and they would weigh less. It's just an improvement. Doesn't necessarily mean it isn't a quality product. Only time will tell though.

 

[Under_Pressure]

I would bet that if you look close at the tensioner assembly, it is metal. I don't necessarily see a problem with a plastic clutch cover- for what it has to do, plastic is probably a decent material. All else being equal I'd prefer mag, but a few of my smaller saws have plastic with no issues. The only real disadvantage I could see is if your chain brake was dragging or clutch otherwise overheated and melted it, but that would be unusual. Other than that, everything you are talking about is pretty much standard for all saws, including pro models from Husky, Stihl, etc. Any saw with an outboard clutch (and that's a lot of them) has the chain brake in the cover. And there is not much metal to be found on the outside of any saws other than the crankcase and cylinder.

 

[Trigger Man]

Cheaper to replace the plastic clutch cover then a mag one I bet.

 

[clarksvilleal]

Correction - Tesioner is indeed steel

The chain tensioner should NOT be plastic. Both of mine are metal of some sort. And the G5000's that come through my shop have metal ones. Something you should check into. I kind of don't understand the too much plastic comment...but to each his own. Part of why the saw is so light is because it's plastic....look back at all the old Homelites that are literally all metal...make their clutch cover, recoil, top cover, gas tanks, and trigger assemblies plastic and they would weigh less. It's just an improvement. Doesn't necessarily mean it isn't a quality product. Only time will tell though.

Thanks, Shargoth and Under_Pressure. You are right. I took the cover off and checked with a magnet. The tensioner pin and adjusting screw are indeed steel. What fooled me was that they were finished with a smooth, somewhat glossy black finish that looked like plastic. I expected them to be unfinished steel color if they were metal. That makes me feel a little better. I'll edit the original post to correct my error.

As for the plastic cover, I would have been happier if the chain/clutch cover was mag, as someone said they are on the Huskys. But I suppose that's one reason I could get this saw for $300. It just looked to me like there would eventually be wear where the tensioner and the brake fit into the plastic cover, and possibly where the inserts for the bar screws are pressed into the plastic, which may cause problems and require replacement of the cover. But obviously I am not a chainsaw expert, so perhaps I am all wet and there won't be any problem.

Anyway, thanks for the correction, advice and encouragement.