What older model chainsaw has the most durable engine?

[North by Northwest]

Skip tooth is the only way to get it done !!! My dad was a faller and swore by them. I also had my first saw at 9yrs old . A little machulloch , abnoxiously loud little saw but it was alot of fun

It allows faster cutting within smaller cube saws & quicker sharpening in the field . On larger commercial saws with longer than 36 " bars it really makes cutting more efficient & smoother cutting for the operator !

 

[Ed Penney]

As with saws, so went the world - everything from refrigerators to pickup trucks is built with over-complicated, low-bidder garbage that was engineered by MORONS these days. Zero regard for those tasked with keeping them running. If I didn't know any better I'd say they're doing it on purpose, just to put small guys out of business, and put the product to scrap sooner, all in the name of the most $$$ as fast as possible. It's a hell of a time to be alive!

My line of thinking is, anything built before 1995 is guaranteed to be of better quality than ANYTHING you can buy new today. The older, the better ...

 

[Ed Penney]

As with saws, so went the world - everything from refrigerators to pickup trucks is built with over-complicated, low-bidder garbage that was engineered by MORONS these days. Zero regard for those tasked with keeping them running. If I didn't know any better I'd say they're doing it on purpose, just to put small guys out of business, and put the product to scrap sooner, all in the name of the most $$$ as fast as possible. It's a hell of a time to be alive!

My line of thinking is, anything built before 1995 is guaranteed to be of better quality than ANYTHING you can buy new today. The older, the better ... to a point!

All in the control everything plan

 

[HuskyShepherd2016]

Agreed. The term obsolete doesn’t always mean ineffective. Oftentimes obsolescence has nothing to do with quality or how useful something is. It could mean phased out because production and cost issues, logistics, various reasons that have nothing to do with an actual superior end product.

Mosin Nagant rifles, Mausers, and square body pickup trucks, are all obsolete but they are still darn good products that are still effective and still fare well to this day when taken care of right. 1080-1095 and 5160 steel many consider obsolete but it still hangs in there with some of the best new stainless tool steels as far a hand tool

 

[Bob Hedgecutter]

I would happily walk over a dozen Mosin's to pick up a Lee Enfield.

 

[BCreiner]

Best older saws IMO. Husky 066, 272, 372 and 394. Stihl 028, 034- 056. Having said that I would not turn down a newer Stihl 461.

 

[HuskyShepherd2016]

Best older saws IMO. Husky 066, 272, 372 and 394. Stihl 028, 034- 056. Having said that I would not turn down a newer Stihl 461.

That 066 is a screamin’ mi-mi alright! More like a banshee! Little devil devil will take you by surprise!

 

[LuDookie]

Best older saws IMO. Husky 066, 272, 372 and 394. Stihl 028, 034- 056. Having said that I would not turn down a newer Stihl 461.

I have a 395. It feels like a very old build, but very smooth. I bought it with the intention of running it forever. It hardly gets ran more than 20 hours a year.

I also have an Echo 680 that is pretty vintage in design.

I know these aren’t as old as the metal framed saws previously discussed, but they are actually still in production. The Husqy 395 and 3120 are close to being 2 series saws.

 

[82F100SWB]

Those 325's are awesome for sure. Damn shame Electrolux raped and pillaged Partner like they did then just discarded them.

It is a really nice running saw, but, it has a much larger combustion chamber than the earlier saws on the chassis, my 590 Jred outcuts it every time.

Hows the weather out North , hope your not still receiving any of those snow storms from out west ?

I could use another of those! We came staight out of winter, and into what I think is going to be an active forest fire season.

 

[HuskyShepherd2016]

I have a 395. It feels like a very old build, but very smooth. I bought it with the intention of running it forever. It hardly gets ran more than 20 hours a year.

I also have an Echo 680 that is pretty vintage in design.

I know these aren’t as old as the metal framed saws previously discussed, but they are actually still in production. The Husqy 395 and 3120 are close to being 2 series saws.

I’d sure love a good 2100! Got a 480CD, which is a really nice saw but my only tiny gripe about it is that it’s not a 2100! They periodically pop up for sale on the bay but they all look like they were beaten like a rented mule, have very little life left in them, and the prices are almost up there with a newer XP saw.

 

[Ed Penney]

It is a really nice running saw, but, it has a much larger combustion chamber than the earlier saws on the chassis, my 590 Jred outcuts it every time.



I could use another of those! We came staight out of winter, and into what I think is going to be an active forest fire season.

We could use some rain here. They will be shutting Lincoln National pretty quick if we don't. No measurable rain going on 2 months. Three more weeks of dry they will shut down them woods.

 

[Bob Hedgecutter]

I’d sure love a good 2100! Got a 480CD, which is a really nice saw but my only tiny gripe about it is that it’s not a 2100! They periodically pop up for sale on the bay but they all look like they were beaten like a rented mule, have very little life left in them, and the prices are almost up there with a newer XP saw.

So find an 1100CD instead- same rear two piece handle as your 480, but pretty much a 2100 without the manual oiler assist.

 

[fields_mj]

Both saws mention was such a pain for me. Every truckload of firewood I would fix something the 041 lock up the 028 I traded for a Jonsered. Both saws are hard to find

Sorry to hear you had such bad luck. Dad bought his 041 in '78. We cut about 5 cords a year and he ran it until '93 when he traded it in for a new 028. The 041 still ran strong but the sprocket and clutch were getting worn, it needed another bar, and it was time to replace the chains again. By the time he added it all up, he was going to be into it for quite a bit. Everything was general maintenance, but it all happened to hit at once. I graduated in '93 so I think he saw the writing on the wall and was already planning on replacing both the fuel oil furnace and the add on wood furnace with a NG system in a few years since he was loosing his "slave labor" He just needed something big enough to feed an occasional camp fire and keep the lanes cleared on the property that we hunted. The owner was a good friend and was in the early stages of Alzheimer's at that point. The owner had a relatively new 046 that dad could use for bigger stuff if he needed it, but the 028 would be enough for 99% of what he needed. He still runs the 028 today. It never had any major issues aside from the time I pinched the bar while felling a tree. We took the power head off which was good because the bar ended up looking like the S on superman's chest by the time we got the tree on the ground. I've met 3 or 4 other guys who've used the saws with the same experience.

I will say, it really sucks to spend the money on tools that are supposed to have a good reputation and end up having nothing but problems with them. Been there, done that. Burned the darn T-shirt. I wouldn't wish those kinds of experience on anyone.

 

[junglejohnny28]

Once upon a time most chainsaws made in America or Europe we’re pretty much top quality small engine powered tools. Stihl, Husky, Poulan, Homelite, Lombard, Mcculloch, Echo, Jonsered, Dolmar, Danarm, Castor/Alpina, and even many generic store brand saws really were all built very well! Homeowner grade saws were built to similar if not the same quality specs as their larger professional grade ones.

Over the years I have heard a bunch of personal testimony and anecdotal claims about what saw was the very best. But one thing I’d like to know. What brand saw actually had the most durable engines, cylinders, pistons, crankshafts, bearings and internals? Did it matter if the cylinders were chrome lined or iron sleeved?

By the looks of it, it looks to me like the more robustly built ones were made by Mcculloch, and some of the older Husqvarna chainsaws like the 480CD and the 2100 type saws. The ones I have feel significantly heavier than my Stihl’s and older Poulan/Dayton saws of that class and era, and their magnesium bodies are thicker and heavier. But that’s just my eyes. Does anyone here have any objective knowledge on who’s chainsaw’s parts were indeed the most durable?

I’m just curious.

Thanks!

 

[junglejohnny28]

Once upon a time most chainsaws made in America or Europe we’re pretty much top quality small engine powered tools. Stihl, Husky, Poulan, Homelite, Lombard, Mcculloch, Echo, Jonsered, Dolmar, Danarm, Castor/Alpina, and even many generic store brand saws really were all built very well! Homeowner grade saws were built to similar if not the same quality specs as their larger professional grade ones.

Over the years I have heard a bunch of personal testimony and anecdotal claims about what saw was the very best. But one thing I’d like to know. What brand saw actually had the most durable engines, cylinders, pistons, crankshafts, bearings and internals? Did it matter if the cylinders were chrome lined or iron sleeved?

By the looks of it, it looks to me like the more robustly built ones were made by Mcculloch, and some of the older Husqvarna chainsaws like the 480CD and the 2100 type saws. The ones I have feel significantly heavier than my Stihl’s and older Poulan/Dayton saws of that class and era, and their magnesium bodies are thicker and heavier. But that’s just my eyes. Does anyone here have any objective knowledge on who’s chainsaw’s parts were indeed the most durable?

I’m just curious.

Thanks!

I would say after about 100 saw rebuilds that any of the comercail line saws from top manufacturers would b equall at the time of being made . Stihls seam to have better hardware than husky . Jonsered is out and used to make comercail line of husky before being overtaken . Dolmar made most of makita s saws , great stuff . But material back then I believe we’re tad higher quality so

 

[Squareground3691]

King of the Woods ,

 

[North by Northwest]

That 066 is a screamin’ mi-mi alright! More like a banshee! Little devil devil will take you by surprise!

I have a 066 Redlite that is captive to Milling , saw is a beast , deadly reliable for its age .

 

[Bob Hedgecutter]

I have a 066 Redlite that is captive to Milling , saw is a beast , deadly reliable for its age .

They are talking Husqvarna 066- so guessing they mean just 66 with no 0.
But yes, the flat top 066 from Stihl is a stout robust example.

 

[Ed Penney]

I would say after about 100 saw rebuilds that any of the comercail line saws from top manufacturers would b equall at the time of being made . Stihls seam to have better hardware than husky . Jonsered is out and used to make comercail line of husky before being overtaken . Dolmar made most of makita s saws , great stuff . But material back then I believe we’re tad higher quality so

Worked at Home Depot Tool Rental as a tool tech for a few years. We had 3 Makita gas saws and 2 corded Makita electrics. Being a Stihl and Homelite user most of my life I must say if I was going to buy a brand new saw aside of Stihl it would be a Makita. We had the same saws for several years. Rental tools are abused something fierce. I did have to replace a couple of clutches and covers from thrown chains, but that was the extent of fix em repairs. One thing good about all that is those used bars and chains fit my saws. 3/8 20" haven't bought a new one in 7 years or more, had 100's of them barely used.

 

[North by Northwest]

They are talking Husqvarna 066- so guessing they mean just 66 with no 0.
But yes, the flat top 066 from Stihl is a stout robust example.

Yeah Bob lol , the 66 cc Husquarna 66 1980 era . No , my Stihl Red lite 066 is a 1991 era " Arctic " model with the heated full wrap handle & carb . It came with the 13,500 limited coil . In 1998 I changed the flywheel to Polymar & installed the unlimited coil . I put the stock undamaged oem flywheel & Redlite coil away in my cupboard . I may install a decompression on it at a later date if I buy another cylinder & do a little port work . Its been a trouble free milling unit for over 30 yrs running 32:1 premix . lol.