Shindaiwa 488 Questions?

[RON K.]

Hi guys,I'm thinking about buying a Shindaiwa 488 for cutting firewood.I've read great things about their reliability and I have a good dealer in the area.A very knowledgeable person suggested I look at the Husqvarna 351 and the Jonsered 2149 because of their more tractable power band.I'm not looking for a high reving saw like the 346XP.For those of you that have the 488,what do you think?Thankyou for any help you can give me.RON K.

 

[treeclimber165]

Here is another thread, some guys were discussing the 488 yesterday.
http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=5757

 

[rahtreelimbs]

You'll find on this site, alot of guys like the 488. I run primarily Shindaiwas ( with a few Stihls thrown in ). Picking saw brands is almost like picking between blondes, brunettes and redheads, most brands offer good reliable saws. I'd recommend the 488 to anyone. I would be more concerned how dealers there are to service whatever saw brand you buy.







Rich.

 

[RON K.]

treeclimber165,thankyou sir,I read the thread.
rich hoffman,sir do you think the 488 has a broad power range or is it a high rev saw?Thanks,RON K.

 

[rahtreelimbs]

I have 2 488's. One has been a toy of sorts. I put a 24" bar with full-skip full-chisel .325 chain and a heavy duty air filter on it for a lightweight 24" bar saw. The other has an 18" bar on it & the heavy duty air filter. As far a broad powerband, it has speed and good low-end. Be warned: the new saws come with a fixed jet carb. RPM's are about 12,500, power is so-so. I put a fully adjustable pre-EPA carb on all of mine ( cost $51.00 ). Now I'm able to get full power out of them. I get more revs and alot more power with the carb change, well worth the money. Any other questions feel free to ask.








Rich.

 

[RON K.]

rich hoffman,sir thankyou for your help.Do you have any experience with the 351/2149 or the Stihl 260 to compare with the 488?Do you think the 488 is a large enough saw to cut about ten cords to twelve cords of firewood per year?The original idea was to get a 357XP,then I thought a smaller saw i.e.488,351/2149,260 would make a good truck/ATV saw,after looking at the them,I'm considering the smaller saw first.Thankyou again,RON K.

 

[rbtree]

Ron,

My 488 is in the mail from Dennis, after being hotrodded.

It rates the same power as the 026 but most think it is a better saw and lasts longer. plenty of saw to cut wood under 20-24 inches-- all day long. If I only had one saw, I'd get a 357 or Efco 962C though.

 

[rahtreelimbs]

Ron K.

I have to agree with Rbtree. As much as I like the 488, I also appreciate more power for those unexpected big cuts. I'd look real hard at the Husky 55 or 357. Sears now sells Husky 55's for $339.95 I believe.You also get a 2yr. warranty. I don't know if regular Husky dealers offer that warranty. The 357 gets good reviews from the resident hop-up king Ken Dunn.










Rich.

 

[Tony Snyder]

Where do you guys find Shindiawa dealers that have any stock except maybe a few trimmers gathering dust.

I looked on their dealer locater one day, only 3 of 9 had any stock and they were mostly trimmers. Four of 9 gone broke.

People give Jonsered bad press on low dealer availability, what about Shindiawa; signs everwhere but no stock.

I'd make a bet, ride down the road with me, stop where there is a Shindiawa sign, $100 bet on each one whether they got 3 new saws, no make that 2 new saws in stock. I'd make money.

 

[jokers]

Yep Tony, same way around here. The trimmers are hot with the landscapers but you have to order the saws and that`s never a one step process either. Every Shindaiwa dealer I talked to about a 488 this past spring had to call for pricing and then call me back. Too bad, but their loss. Russ

 

[RON K.]

Hi guys.I bought the 488 on Saturday.My Shidaiwa dealer is also a Husqvarna dealer,while he does sell far more Husky's then Shindaiwa's,he does try to stock the 488(he had two in stock on Saturday and just sold another one that week).He does sell alot of Shindaiwa trimmers and blowers.The dealer thought while the 488 wasn't as hi-tech as the Husqvarna,it was more reliable.I would like to thank everyone for all their help,especially Russ.Maybe a 357XP next.RON K.

 

[StIhL MaGnUm]

Ron,


How do you like that 488???

 

[RON K.]

StIhL MaGnUm,I like it.I haven't cut much with it yet,I've ordered some protective chaps and their not in yet.The only other saw I've used was a Stihl 036 and that was a few years ago,so I may not be the best judge of a saw.I did use it on a couple of 24"logs and it seemed to work fine.How is living in New Hampshire?RON K.

 

[StIhL MaGnUm]

Ron,

New Hampshire is a cool place to live lot's of tree's thats all that matters to me I think it's like 75% woods..Other than that it's not much different than everywhere else,but we don't have a sales TAX...Make sure you wear your chaps..

Later Rob...

 

[jokers]

Hi Ron, thank you for the kind words of appreciation. I think you made an excellent choice when it came down to laying down your cash. I`m sure that you will be enjoying the fruits of your research and purchase for many years to come. Russ