Stihl 210 Gutless??

[THALL10326]

I am not a fan of the Poulan built Husky's either. I work for a Husky dealer and we have seen a lot of problems with them, particularily carburetion. The 340 is the smallest Swedish built model available here and is a great home owner saw..
E-lux owns both company's and there is a lot of cross badging going on. They also own McCulloch of Italy and sell the Poulan overseas under that brand. At least we have not seen a European built Mac disguised as a Husky. Yet.

Are you saying McCulloch's sold in Italy are acually Poulan's with the McCulloch name on it?

 

[JPP]

Weird how companies do that...but they do.
The same company that owns MTD also owns Cub Cadet and White. So all the riding mowers are basically the same internally, but have different names on them.
They make a 'cheap' product and let the 'name' sell it.
Electrolux sells in Walmart, Kmart, Home Depot, Lowes, etc.
Massive production and distribution.

 

[THALL10326]

Weird how companies do that...but they do.
The same company that owns MTD also owns Cub Cadet and White. So all the riding mowers are basically the same internally, but have different names on them.
They make a 'cheap' product and let the 'name' sell it.
Electrolux sells in Walmart, Kmart, Home Depot, Lowes, etc.
Massive production and distribution.

I knew about the mower companies doing that but I didn't know Husqvarna was allowing Poulan to make their small saws. I recently worked on a small Husqvarna and I told the customer this thing looks exactly like the Poulans over at Wal-mart. He replied it better not be. I pulled out a junker "Wild Thing" from under the table and we looked it over and boy he was pisssssssssssssed. I still wasn't sure but I am now. I can't beleive Husky would do that but I guess Electro Lux calls the shots.

 

[JPP]

I knew about the mower companies doing that but I didn't know Husqvarna was allowing Poulan to make their small saws. I recently worked on a small Husqvarna and I told the customer this thing looks exactly like the Poulans over at Wal-mart. He replied it better not be. I pulled out a junker "Wild Thing" from under the table and we looked it over and boy he was pisssssssssssssed. I still wasn't sure but I am now. I can't beleive Husky would do that but I guess Electro Lux calls the shots.

Yes, all Craftsman stuff is Electrolux.
Craftsman saws have been made by Poulan for years.
I personally have no beef with Poulan, but I sure as heck would be pissed also if I paid over $200 for a 'Husqvarna' if I could have gone to Walmart and bought the same Poulan for $139!!!

I doubt Husqvarna calls the shots, they are owned and operated by Electrolux. So their marching orders come from Electrolux.

THALL, I used to live in Chantilly, VA. I used to know Leesburg very well back in the early '90's.

 

[THALL10326]

Yes, all Craftsman stuff is Electrolux.
Craftsman saws have been made by Poulan for years.
I personally have no beef with Poulan, but I sure as heck would be pissed also if I paid over $200 for a 'Husqvarna' if I could have gone to Walmart and bought the same Poulan for $139!!!

I doubt Husqvarna calls the shots, they are owned and operated by Electrolux. So their marching orders come from Electrolux.

THALL, I used to live in Chantilly, VA. I used to know Leesburgh very well back in the early '90's.

Well I knew Sears Craftsman were Poulan's but I didn't know for certain those small Husky's were Poulans too, I sure thought they looked exactly the same and now I know why. Your right about the pricing, thats why the customer was ticked. Learn something new everyday. I got no beef with Poulans either but I have to admit cheap made is the kindest way I can describe them. Not bad for what they cost I guess but people would expect more of out a big name saw like Husky. Thats decieving as hell buying what you thought was a big name saw only to find out its over at Wal-mart for almost 100.00 less.
Leesburg in the 90's was growing. You ought to see it now. Loudoun is growing leaps and bounds and traffic is a nitemare, grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Where did ya move to?

 

[JPP]

Well I knew Sears Craftsman were Poulan's but I didn't know for certain those small Husky's were Poulans too, I sure thought they looked exactly the same and now I know why. Your right about the pricing, thats why the customer was ticked. Learn something new everyday. I got no beef with Poulans either but I have to admit cheap made is the kindest way I can describe them. Not bad for what they cost I guess but people would expect more of out a big name saw like Husky. Thats decieving as hell buying what you thought was a big name saw only to find out its over at Wal-mart for almost 100.00 less.
Leesburg in the 90's was growing. You ought to see it now. Loudoun is growing leaps and bounds and traffic is a nitemare, grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Where did ya move to?

I was originally from Central NY, moved to NoVA for work and moved back to Central NY in 1997.
Now I live in Western NY outside of Rochester.
I heard Loudon is TOTALLY different now.
I'm going back to VA to visit friends in May.

 

[THALL10326]

I was originally from Central NY, moved to NoVA for work and moved back to Central NY in 1997.
Now I live in Western NY outside of Rochester.
I heard Loudon is TOTALLY different now.
I'm going back to VA to visit friends in May.

You heard correct. The housing boom in Loudoun has been going strong for the last 6-7 years. There are so many homes and new sub divisions in Loudoun your not going to beleive it. Rt 7 and Rt 50 in the morning is bumper to bumper for hours now. When you come to see ya friends your gonna be amazed, trust me...

 

[jfp]

Thanks for all the replies, and good suggestions.
My 210 is still new, about three tanks, and his Husky 142 is new with about 5 tanks. It could very well be our cutting style, but when I tried his Husky it seemed to have a lot more giddy up. Could .2 HP really make that much difference? Also, his 142 seemed to spit a lot more oil on the chain.

I spent a lot of time looking at saws before purchasing the 210, and I really do like it. I like the light weight of the 210 and wanted something a little better than a MS180.
Fortunately most of the dealers in my area carry both Stihl and Husqvarna, and every time I was checking out the Husqvarna 142 they steered me towards the Stihl 210 as a better unit.

As far as cutting technique, when using my 210 I have to keep it screaming at max rpm and just let the weight of the saw make the cut. When it starts to slow I actually have to lift just a bit to keep it from stalling.
When I used his 142 and I could hear the motor start to slow, I could just grab more throttle and it would power through. On my 210 I have to keep max throttle, and on his 142 I could feather the throttle depending on perceived load.

I do realize these are both low end, inexpensive homeowner saws, so I guess I can't really be too picky.

There was one post that mentioned that MS230 as a comparable unit, but I don't think that is available in Calif., as I never saw any at any dealers, or npeco.com. Are the 230's not available?
At the MS 230 price point (and weight) I am probably really close to a MS250.
My buying criteria was light weight, 16", and around $200.00. $240.00 max

What's cool is my dealer says if I am not happy with the 210 I can bring it back and try a different saw. Nice service, which is rare these days.

I guess I am just having apprehensions about my choice. The Stihl folks here are making me feel better and the Husqvarna folks are suggesting I should have gone with the Husky. So what's new....

The tree's are not a Juniper tree's but Cypress tree's, I think.

Thanks again everyone, you are all a fun and interesting group. I just wish I had more time to contribute. Between golfing, motorcycling, teenage daughter, wife, work, etc. You know the story.

JP

 

[JPP]

You heard correct. The housing boom in Loudoun has been going strong for the last 6-7 years. There are so many homes and new sub divisions in Loudoun your not going to beleive it. Rt 7 and Rt 50 in the morning is bumper to bumper for hours now. When you come to see ya friends your gonna be amazed, trust me...

It's sad to hear that.
Man, was there GREAT deer hunting outside of Leesburg when I lived there!!!
I saw tons of big bucks....

 

[THALL10326]

Thanks for all the replies, and good suggestions.
My 210 is still new, about three tanks, and his Husky 142 is new with about 5 tanks. It could very well be our cutting style, but when I tried his Husky it seemed to have a lot more giddy up. Could .2 HP really make that much difference? Also, his 142 seemed to spit a lot more oil on the chain.

I spent a lot of time looking at saws before purchasing the 210, and I really do like it. I like the light weight of the 210 and wanted something a little better than a MS180.
Fortunately most of the dealers in my area carry both Stihl and Husqvarna, and every time I was checking out the Husqvarna 142 they steered me towards the Stihl 210 as a better unit.

As far as cutting technique, when using my 210 I have to keep it screaming at max rpm and just let the weight of the saw make the cut. When it starts to slow I actually have to lift just a bit to keep it from stalling.
When I used his 142 and I could hear the motor start to slow, I could just grab more throttle and it would power through. On my 210 I have to keep max throttle, and on his 142 I could feather the throttle depending on perceived load.

I do realize these are both low end, inexpensive homeowner saws, so I guess I can't really be too picky.

There was one post that mentioned that MS230 as a comparable unit, but I don't think that is available in Calif., as I never saw any at any dealers, or npeco.com. Are the 230's not available?
At the MS 230 price point (and weight) I am probably really close to a MS250.
My buying criteria was light weight, 16", and around $200.00. $240.00 max

What's cool is my dealer says if I am not happy with the 210 I can bring it back and try a different saw. Nice service, which is rare these days.

I guess I am just having apprehensions about my choice. The Stihl folks here are making me feel better and the Husqvarna folks are suggesting I should have gone with the Husky. So what's new....

The tree's are not a Juniper tree's but Cypress tree's, I think.

Thanks again everyone, you are all a fun and interesting group. I just wish I had more time to contribute. Between golfing, motorcycling, teenage daughter, wife, work, etc. You know the story.

JP

Well you should be happy to know least you got what you bought. Though the little Husky, no, I mean the little Poulan spanked ya butt rest assured that Stihl will be running long after the little Husky, no I mean little Poulan is in chain saw heaven. Yes the MS230 would be a more fair race and its not likely that little Husky, no I mean that little Poulan is going to do much with it. Damnnnnnnnnn these inbreed chainsaws require alot of typing.

 

[THALL10326]

It's sad to hear that.
Man, was there GREAT deer hunting outside of Leesburg when I lived there!!!
I saw tons of big bucks....

Odd you would mention that. The roads around here are covered with car hit deer. You would not believe how many deer are laying on side of the roads in Loudoun thanks to all these new people and no new roads. No need to bring a rifle, just bring a good bumper and you'll get your deer. They have stopped alot of hunting in certain areas of Loudoun because of all the new homes. The good ole days of going huntin are about over around here. Heck I sold my last deer rifle a few years ago since its so hard to find a place to hunt anymore.......

 

[skwerl]

jfp-
Now that you've run a few tanks of fuel through your saw, why not take advantage of that infamous 'Stihl Quality Dealer Support' and bring it back for a fine-tuning on the carb adjustment? Sounds like you might be running too lean and therefore not getting the power you should. Running a two-stroke lean will also lead to early engine failure. Any dealer worth his salt will adjust your carb for free while you wait (which is about 10% of them).

 

[buck futter]

Always cut with full throttle unless it is a small limb 1". It is ecspecially critical on such a small saw because they work off revs. Definately go back to the dealer for a tune and maybe they can give you any obvious tips that may help.

Buck

 

[SawTroll]

Are you saying that little Husky is really made by Poulan? Hmmmmmmmm, interesting.

It is made by Poulan, but it is not a rebaged Poulan model.

The Husky 141 and the first 142s were rated at 2.6 hp, so it is no wonder if they beat the MS210.

.......
While my little Stihl starts and runs well, that little Husky kicked it's butt!
We both paid about the same price for our saws. $229.00
Unless the Husky is going to blow up and fall apart in a few years, is seems like the 142 is a great bang for the buck. Am I wrong?

It seems like those days are gone, as the 142 has been downrated to about 2.2 hp some time in 2005 (in the US, that is).:jawdrop:

 

[sawn_penn]

From a professional perspective, the crossbadging is pretty badly done. I've seen (obviously) the same saw with McCulloch and Poulan branding, priced at between $aud250 and $aud401. From earlier posts, it seems that they sell under this model under the Husqvarna name too.

The Husqvarna rep I've been dealing with insists that McCulloch is "made by Husqvarna." With elux shuffling brands, the real truth of this is hard to judge. When does Husqvarna stop being Husqvarna and become Poulan? Where is the line between Poulan and McCulloch?

This is dilution of the Husqvarna brand name. It seems to work well for the first year or so, and the executives give themselves a pat on the back (not to mention a pay rise.) Over time the goodwill and brand value that existed gets run down to nil. The executives think they are hot shots, but they are just cashing out years of hard won customer loyalty.

I bet their annual reports don't show the sliding goodwill.

 

[bump_r]

I'm a bit surprised no one touched on this possibility: Are you SURE you didn't "ground" the chain when cutting? Just a nip of dirt can knock the bejessus out of a "new" chain's cutting edge in very short order. Take a good look at your cutters and make sure all of them are clean and distinct in shape - no rolled-under burrs, nicks, chips, or other irregularities.

How did your chips look? Big hampster-cage bedding type or small dusty sawdust type? Your saw should throw chips, not dust.

 

[jfp]

Thanks,
The chain appears to be sharp and in good shape. And there is really nothing wrong with the way it cuts. I was just comparing the difference to a Husky 142 for the same price. The little Husky had noticeable more power.
As a lite homeowner user I am not too concerned who bolts the thing together (Poulan), as long as the quality control is there, and there are internal distinctions that make it a Husqvarna. Otherwise I could save money and just buy the Poulan.

JP

 

[geofore]

little saws

Thanks,
The chain appears to be sharp and in good shape. And there is really nothing wrong with the way it cuts. I was just comparing the difference to a Husky 142 for the same price. The little Husky had noticeable more power.
As a lite homeowner user I am not too concerned who bolts the thing together (Poulan), as long as the quality control is there, and there are internal distinctions that make it a Husqvarna. Otherwise I could save money and just buy the Poulan.

JP

Get it tuned up, you will notice the way it runs better. Taking it back for a thing as minor as a tune up may make you feel silly but while you're there have the dealer show you how to tune it. It will run better.

 

[wagonwheeler]

Get it tuned up, you will notice the way it runs better. Taking it back for a thing as minor as a tune up may make you feel silly but while you're there have the dealer show you how to tune it. It will run better.

Get it tuned to ensure you don't smoke your investment. The fringe benefit will likely be a stronger running saw and definitely a longer running saw.

Dunno how adjustable the ms210 carb is, though. That's the dealers problem. Make them cut with it.

This exact thing happened not long ago w/ someone running a new ms361 that was set too lean from the dealer. Absolutely gutless.

Once the carb was tuned it came alive.:greenchainsaw:

 

[SawTroll]

Thanks,
....... As a lite homeowner user I am not too concerned who bolts the thing together (Poulan), as long as the quality control is there, and there are internal distinctions that make it a Husqvarna. Otherwise I could save money and just buy the Poulan.

Poulan has been making the less costly "homeowner" saws for Husky since 1991 (the 41 and 36). As I said, the saws are different from the Poulan labeled saws, and made exclusively for Husky labeling. The saws are said to be engineered by Husky, and quality is better than the other similar size saws made by Poulan.
I think about the same is the case with the Poulan made Jonsered

Outsourcing production of their cheapest saws was not new to Husky in 1991. In the 1970s and -80s they were made by Emab in Canada, and a couple of models by Solo in Germany.