stihl 03x whats your opinion?

[jbone]

Im looking into buying another saw. Ive been looking at a wide range of the stihl's. Im curious to know what peoples opinions on any of the 03x models. If you could only have one which would it be? I know it does depend on what its going to be used for. But put that aside, in general who well built are they, any common problems, power/weight, etc.? Ive searched around and didnt find too much of a "review" so to speak on any of them.

 

[SmokinDodge]

????

Are you asking about saws like the 034, 036, 038?

If that is the case I can highly recomend either the 034 or 036, which I have spent some time behind. The 038 is no slouch but I believe it is a little older saw design and I've never had the opportunity to run one. I beleive the 034 & 036 are a little larger on the displacement as well.

I've done the muffler mod and swapped to 3/8 chain on my 036 and for an average wood cutter I'm happier than a pig in slop.

 

[Justsaws]

031=old, sometimes slow and certain parts are getting hard to find N.I.B. which means expensive. Highly respected saw with a strong older following.

032=old, sometimes slow but no points. Not as respected and the following does not seem to be as old.

034=not so old and as long as it is a Super(60cc) not so slow. I like it for a limbing and thinning saw with an 18" bar and .325 chain. Did not like it at all with .375. Only complaint would be that the choke lever is built to snap into the plastic gas tank and when that area wears thin or breaks it is a pain to fix and usually means new gas tank. Sometimes it is possible to use a thicker rod and snap it into place but still a weak area. Easy saws to work on.

036=034 Super as far I can remember. Only ever ran one for a couple of days. People love these saws. Easy saws to work on.

038=The biggest of the bunch so far(+70cc). Bigger and heavier. That being said, I have been using an 038 Mag II and an 038 Super this week and really enjoying them. I find them to be quite easy to toss around and with a 20" bar and 3/8 chain quite task handy. Easy saw to work on but parts seem to be hard to find from Stihl. This could be dealer issues, hard to tell.
New Stihl chain break flag=$35.00
New Stihl front handle=$45.00
Priced some parts a while ago.

I like to use the 038s the best and then the 034 Super. The 032 and 031 are for the collection.

 

[Justsaws]

I will add that after market air filters can be had for all those saws but the quality is not the same as the Stihl O.E.M. and the choke parts may need to be swapped from the old filters to the new ones as some of the after market filter's choke parts are of poor quality(fit and finish).

 

[jbone]

those were exactly the answers I was looking for. Thanks!! I may be able to get a good deal on an 034 or 036 which is why I asked but I thought maybe one of the others was more preferable. Thanks again

 

[SteveH]

My two most recent saws were the 034 and the 036 Pro I now use. I ran the 034 with an 18" bar for about ten years, and it was a wonderful saw. I now have the 036 with a 20" bar, and it is even better. I've had it since 2001, used a lot, and have had zero issues with it. I cut maybe five cords a year, plus various other chores [tree falls across the county road at a neighbors, etc.]. It is powerful enough for my needs, and that's stock, no mods. I believe there might've been a version of the 036 that didn't have the "Pro" designation. I don't recall what my dealer told me, he lead me to the Pro. If there is a significant difference [and if there is a "non" Pro model], I expect someone here will know and tell you the difference, if you want to lean toward one or the other.

Find a nice 036, though, and you'll love it.

 

[adkranger]

I don't think you can go wrong with either one, provided they were cared for. Have used 034s and 036s both are excellent saws though my personal nod goes to the 036 with more grunt IMO. I bought my 036 the first or second year out, was no "Pro" then. I believe, but certainly could be wrong that the 036 just evolved into the Pro with addition of decomp valve, maybe something else. I don't think there is a big difference between Pros and non except age, maybe Lakeside or another Stihl guru will clarify. My 036 has been a beast for the last 12+ years and still runs and looks excellent, highly reccommended.

An 038 Super or MagII if found in good shape would be an excellent find as well. Yes long out of production for US, but they are bulletproof and were the workhorse saw for nearly every tree crew I worked with during the 80s. A tad on the heavy side compared to modern saws, but the wieght is carried well, an ergonomic design for me. Big brother to the 028 my favorite Stihl.

 

[jbone]

ive been told that if I were to go with an 034/036 that I may as well go to an 046 b/c of the weight of th 034/036. I doubt thats true but out of curiosity how much more does an 046 weigh?

 

[SawTroll]

036=034 Super as far I can remember. Only ever ran one for a couple of days. People love these saws. Easy saws to work on.

038=The biggest of the bunch so far(+70cc). Bigger and heavier. .....

I believe the 034 Super has more plasic in the construction than the 036. The cc for both is 61.5, vs 56 for the ordinary 034.

The 038 was made in 3 cc sizes, ranging from 61 to 72 cc.

 

[TimberPig]

ive been told that if I were to go with an 034/036 that I may as well go to an 046 b/c of the weight of th 034/036. I doubt thats true but out of curiosity how much more does an 046 weigh?

I think you're mixing up the 038 with the 034/036.

The 034/036 is substantially lighter than an 046.

An 038 is much closer to an 046 in weight, but with less power. This is particularly true of the standard 038. The Super is a little better and the Magnum is more like a heavy 044.

 

[Lakeside53]

I believe the 034 Super has more plastic in the construction than the 036. .

Nope - different (slightly) top shroud, but the same basic plastic. Both even has plastic recoil covers for a while (different times), and even plastic clutch side covers (one short run), until everyone got pissed of and Stihl changed them back to mag.

There are other subtle differences, such as heat shields on the 036 muffler, different mufflers, different flywheels, steel inserts in the crankcase for the clutch side bearing support, and an few others, but that none made any practical difference in longevity or performance.. that's why stihl stopped selling the 034S here - it just took away from the 036 sales.

 

[highsiera]

For the money, an 034 may be the best value at the moment IMHO. There are lots of them out there and since they don't have the pro cache of the 036 they trend to trade at a fair discount to their slighty larger displacement brother. Most guys here that own a 34 will tell you it's been one of their favorites because you can get a lot of wood cut with it without the fatigue of some of the bigger saws. This is a real benefit if your an average sized guy.
The real beauty of the 034 to me is if you cook the top end, you can easily build it up to 036 specs w/ a new p/c, slight muffler and shroud mods and a little carb tuning. Parts a re readily available and lots interchange. Lake even has posted a how-to the thread.

Just one guy's opinon.

 

[fishhuntcutwood]

Don't confuse Stihl's numbering system with Husky's. The 03X series really isn't a series. The 031 isn't comparable to the 036, which isn't comparable to the 038.

I'd do the 036.

The 038 Mag II is a favorite of many fallers too.

 

[SawTroll]

Nope - different (slightly) top shroud, but the same basic plastic. Both even has plastic recoil covers for a while (different times), and even plastic clutch side covers (one short run), until everyone got pissed of and Stihl changed them back to mag.

There are other subtle differences, such as heat shields on the 036 muffler, different mufflers, different flywheels, steel inserts in the crankcase for the clutch side bearing support, and an few others, but that none made any practical difference in longevity or performance.. that's why stihl stopped selling the 034S here - it just took away from the 036 sales.

...I expected you to set it right (if I was wrong).........:biggrinbounce2:

 

[Lakeside53]

Yep.. but the more I do this the less you are wrong... :hmm3grin2orange:

 

[fishhuntcutwood]

You two should have a something like a "Saw Knowledge Bee," instead of a spelling bee or geography bee.

The problem with that is that you'd likely agree on things too much to make it interesting.

 

[jbone]

Thanks again for the help guys, the current deal I was looking into fell through, but I am now looking into getting an 026 that a friend of mine found. But I will def. keep looking out for an 034/036. What is the price range for on an 034/036 in decent shape? I know it depends on a lot of variables but I just wanna see what you guys would pay.

 

[chowdozer]

Thanks again for the help guys, the current deal I was looking into fell through, but I am now looking into getting an 026 that a friend of mine found. But I will def. keep looking out for an 034/036. What is the price range for on an 034/036 in decent shape? I know it depends on a lot of variables but I just wanna see what you guys would pay.

I've bought two of them for $100-125 each. If you keep an eye out you'll find them. ebay is the last place I'd look.

 

[Justsaws]

For a good running, good looking one, they usually fetch $200.00-350.00 around here purely driven by condition and peoples crazy love of those saws. They seem to be developing a 031 type fan base, in another 10 years there will be legendary stories about the build and power and their ability to buck 1000s of cords of oak firewood in a month. Parts saws usually fetch $50-100.00 depending on condition. Good luck.

 

[SawTroll]

You two should have a something like a "Saw Knowledge Bee," instead of a spelling bee or geography bee.

The problem with that is that you'd likely agree on things too much to make it interesting.