Cheap as chips chainsaw.

[Dave and Verity]

Item no. 381118562977 on the bay of E. Now I know a lot of people will say this is a load of old crap. Personally I don't know, but for the price of a new chain and a service you gets an awful lot for your money.

Dave

[Dexter's Shed]

thank god others are seeing the light

similar to my one, I'll will add though, that although I found no problem with using the 20" bar, swapping it for a 14" has made it much more user friendly

[SimonFisher]

Item no. 381118562977 on the bay of E. Now I know a lot of people will say this is a load of old crap. Personally I don't know, but for the price of a new chain and a service you gets an awful lot for your money.

An awful lot of what though?

Personally I wouldn't go anywhere near it. With something like a chainsaw, I'd like the confidence of a brand with a reputation to protect. Some will say that buying the likes of a Stihl, you're paying for the name. Yes, that's exactly what I'm doing. I buy a Stihl because they've been developing and building respected chainsaws for more years than I've been alive and I trust that they don't cut any corners, they build to a quality point and everything has been wear-tested to make sure it's not going to fail at a critical moment. Do you think a unit that sells for less than £70 can compare. It's been built to sell cheap and I don't want to be the one who finds out.

[Dexter's Shed]

do you remember the SKODA and the jokes it used to receive, skip on wheels etc, a cheaply made car

I get where your coming from simon, and it is a valid point, but, there's always a but.....

let's just consider, 20 plus months ago, this would have been the post that I started as ratcatcher, that went on for quite a few pages from members telling me I was mad, or was it a joke/april fools, I was told it would kill me on it's first or second use in the woods, well here we are and mines still going strong, better than my husky in fact, which I had bought after being told how I would be maimed

in the gun world, we go around telling everyone that gun's don't kill, it's the person holding it that kills, I think the same can be said for any item, including chainsaws, if you have common sense and a respect for things that could kill you, you'll be fine in this world, if your a numpty, then your days are numbered, of course us chinese chainsaw users maybe the latter, only time will tell

[Dave and Verity]

My Stihl has leaked chain oil, from the day I bought it. I know I should have had it looked at under warranty, but sometimes life get's on top and you have other priorities.

It's also a bit of a bugger to start....

... and it's been back to the shop, because the pull cord refused to budge.

Just saying like.

I still use it regularly, but am seriously tempted by one of these as a back up, or even a replacement next time mine dies. They have been recommeded to me by someone who's been using one for 12 months now with no issues.

I've also in the past had two Volvo XC70's which both cost an absolute fortune in break downs and repairs (both pretty new, and far from cheap). Just about everyone I know raves about Volvo's bomb proof manufacturing. Since then I've had all Asian cars, Subaru, Toyota, Lexus (6 years and never even replaced a lightbulb), Infiniti and Suzuki, all have been absolutely fantastic reliability wise. I've now got a Land Rover Discovery, we won't go into that.

Dave

[SimonFisher]

do you remember the SKODA and the jokes it used to receive, skip on wheels etc, a cheaply made car

It's hardly a valid comparison. Those early cars still had to meet certain criteria to be allowed on the roads and when they got to be a few years old, the MOT would weed out the ones that were rusting to a point where they became dangerous. Skoda became part of the Volkswagen Group which I suspect is what brought it along leaps and bounds and made it the car it is today. I'll get onto Stihl right away and see if they're looking to buy the LANDMASTER brand any time soon

in the gun world, we go around telling everyone that gun's don't kill, it's the person holding it that kills, I think the same can be said for any item, including chainsaws, if you have common sense and a respect for things that could kill you, you'll be fine in this world, if your a numpty, then your days are numbered, of course us chinese chainsaw users maybe the latter, only time will tell

We're not talking about the operator here, we're talking about the equippment. If something snaps, shears or otherwise fails on a chainsaw, there's little the operator's going to be able to do about it.

You own guns/firearms? You buy reputable brands? Would you buy one at 20% of what most reputable brands sell for from a name with no background?

[oldclaypaws]

I probably have several Chinese made consumer devices in my house, the computer, mobile, kettle and others. They are though from branded US or European names who need to maintain a reputation for quality. Also, critically, these are static devices without moving parts that don't have the capacity to kill me when in use. We all know how an increasing majority of our goods are made in the Far East by the cheapest contractor, but there are certain pieces of kit where safety is paramount.

Chainsaws kill and cause numerous horrific injuries every year. They are probably the single most dangerous tool you can legally buy. While in many instances this will be down to operator error, reputable Chainsaws have carefully designed built in safety features to minimise the risk to the user. A Chainsaw chain flies along at 20 metres per second. If there's a problem there should be an internal feature to catch the chain. You've also got the Chain brake to lessen the risk of kickback injury, safety switches and centrifugal clutches. Comfortable and sturdy ergonomic features such as the anti vibration system and handles are designed to ease the wear on the user, as a tired or uncomfortable operator is as dangerous as a failed machine. Wherever there's a critical component, like a bolt, brake, handle, screw or switch, European saws have been rigorously tested to ensure they conform with high standards and minimise user danger. They also have lower cleaner exhaust emissions which are potentially toxic to the user. Without these checks and features, you are literally gambling with your life. If a small nut shears or a handle breaks on a cheap saw, you can lose an arm or have it fly in your neck or face. Cheap Chinese saws are renowned for bits failing or dropping off and fundamental safety features not working correctly.

Look at the case of the Chinese baby milk scandal when plastic resin was put deliberately in milk to pass as protein. 300,000 babies poisoned, 54,000 hospitalised, 19 killed. The Chinese don't buy their own baby milk now, they want our brands as we have rigorous standards.

Sorry, but chainsaws are something which you just can't sensibly afford to gamble on. There's no way the cheap Chinese ones currently have a fraction of the reliability and critical safety features that reputable American or European or Japanese ones do, its a economy that could cost you very dearly if they fail, as many do.

You get what you pay for, and personal safety is something you just shouldn't take chances with. That also applies to medicines, food, industrial moonshine and tyres- cheap knock-offs and 'bargains' can potentially cost you very dearly, in the case of safety its where the higher costs that come with Western or Japanese bureaucracy, regulations and quality control are very welcome.

[Dexter's Shed]

You own guns/firearms? You buy reputable brands? Would you buy one at 20% of what most reputable brands sell for from a name with no background?

yup, but funnily enough there is gun snobbery too, you get those that buy the best at thousands of £££'s, wont take them out of the gun slip if it looks like rain, me, I buy from Turkey, both rifles and shotguns that are made for farmers, they are cheap, no frills basic tools, made to last and can take a few knocks, they get taken out by myself in rain or shine, get covered in mud,crud and blood and carry on working, when you mention their name on any shooting forum you instantly get the brigade who own the "good stuff" jump on the post and tell you how they will blow up in your face and kill you.
no matter how much you say they are worth having, they always get the bad posts, because of one or two early models that suffered problems,
this is how I see it, we will always have this for and against argument with chainsaws and guns, and probably a lot of other products out there, it's a bit like the MARMITE debate, me I can't stand the stuff

[Dave and Verity]

It's a moot point at the end of the day, you pay's your money and takes your choice, but ANY electrical appliance in your home has the potential to kill you and/or burn your house down.

Dexter, I have a Hatsan or two kicking about, not the prettiest or the slickest, but down right functional. As you say not one to worry about in the mud.

Dave

[Wendelspanswick]

In my opinion if you use your chainsaw infrequently, and I mean by that maybe an hour or two per month and you cannot justify the price of a respected brand then by all means buy a cheap Chinese saw. You may get a good one or you may get one that falls to bits after a while, its a gamble.
On the other hand if you are relying on your saw as a source of income or using it regularly you need a reliable saw with an excellent spares source so if something does fail your saw is out of action for a minimal amount of time.
As a case in point the on/off switch failed on my 25 year Husquavarna saw and I called in at the local dealer who had a replacement on the shelf for £10.

As for the Stihl being a bugger to start it still amazes me the amount of people who have never read the operators guide that comes with the saw and used that little orange screwdriver that comes with the saw to tune it!
Its a small 2 stroke engine choked to death by emissions regulations so it will need tuning if-
The air filter becomes clogged.
You use it at a different altitude.
You use fuel with a higher % of methanol.
As the plug becomes eroded.
As the engine wears.
If you use your saw in summer then winter.
All these things affect the running of a 2 stroke engine and it takes 2 minutes to correct the tuning of saw.

You also need to know how to replace the starter cord and carry a spare length, if you travel to your wood and the cord goes on the first pull you are then without use of your saw when for less then a £1 and 5 minutes work you could have had your saw running again.

Again in my opinion, its a good reason to do the basic chainsaw and maintenance course which teaches you the above as well as cleaning the filter, checking and setting the oil flow rate, sharping and setting the chain, filing and cleaning the bar, setting the plug and checking and cleaning the chain brake band.
All the above need doing whether your saw is cheap and Chinese or a more expensive known brand.