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10th July 2019, 09:50 AM #16GOLD MEMBER
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10th July 2019, 03:03 PM #17SENIOR MEMBER
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I always thought Poulan was a Canadian company? Never thought much at all for their product honestly. I know that Makita bought the German Sachs Dolmar power tool division a few years back. This worked well for both entities. Dolmar effectively acquired Makita's extensive power tool expertise in corded & cordless motors, and Makita (at last) finally learned how to actually make a half-decent chainsaw.
I've also tried Makita's twin battery saw too. I think it's a bit big personally. Just like the DeWalt & Milwaukee. Waaay too heavy, too: over 2.3 KGS heavier than the '200' Stihl. That's ridiculous! It also uses 'old school' 3/8" P type chains. In my opinion it's positioned some 5 years behind Stihl's range in terms of technology. The Milwaukee, with it's monster double-sized 12.0AH 20!! cell 18V battery is well over TWICE the weight of the biggest Stihl.
I DO like Makita's electric saws. They are one of the very few mnf'rs. to offer a true 'inline' motored electric. Almost all others (Stihl included) only offer 'sidewinder' electric motors. I had a superb, extremely well-made light, long & skinny Husky 2,000W 321EL for years & years until it was nicked. It was replaced by Makita's Euro-market only UC4051 which is also another 3/8" P 2,000W inline saw. Almost, but not quite, as good as the Husqvarna was. That Norwegian-made Electrolux motor in the Husqvarna just had astonishing torque available. Makita's saw is, significantly, also marketed as a Dolmar ES2141TLC & surprisingly as a Husqvarna 420EL! The older Husky/Jonsered/Electrolux design has been long since discontinued.
But they're not Stihls. The German company's big 2.2KW MSE220/E220C saw are big, old, powerful & tough enough to be a hire industry favourite. Now also long since discontinued. Stihl's newer electrics are much lighter, less powerful & (I suspect) nowhere near as robust. The only Electric saw that Iv'e ever used that was more powerful was an extremely old, extremely heavy & extremely dangerous cast alloy caged 3-phase 415V Stihl E30 back in the 70's. It was an old saw even then!
Stihl's cordless range is successful due to their overall synergy. They make their own uniquely cordless-specific ultra low-energy absorbing thin-kerf saw chain to match. They've bought in or subcontracted the world's best brushless EC motor tech (from Metabo is my guess, but I honestly don't have a clue; Metabo's 36v 9" grinder is similarly Germanically powerful). They have world class-leading Sanyo Panasonic cells in their batteries. Just like Metabo & Robert Bosch. Nobody else comes close to their huge storage capacity. Certainly not Makita's somewhat dodgy Samsung cells anyway. That's always been Makita's failing in my opinion. Well designed & made power tools with fabulous cordless EC motors let down with abysmally performing & unreliable 'el cheapo' battery cells.
I bought my Stihl MSE200 ever so slightly used for about $300 as a naked tool. Batteries, especially good ones & chargers will always be a significant expense. Used intermittently, and with the most powerful (fastest) charger, I can get by with just the 2 '300S' batteries. With the lower capacity Makita batteries, you'd need about 6 or even 8 batteries in order to use the saw as intensively as the Stihl, and at least one or even 2 dual-bay chargers as well. Making the big Stihl a bit of a bargain in my opinion. Both Stihls use the latest specialist "cordless optimised" saw chain.
The 'big 3' power tool mnf'rs saws (Mak, DeW & Milwauk) will always struggle to drive those thicker, wider 3'8" P chains on their oversized 16" bars, especially in hardwood. Even more so in dead, dry firewood! To this end, the chain speed is effectively geared down to compensate. Big mistake: it just makes for a frustratingly slow cut! The Stihl is much faster & lighter, and simply doesn't need to suck anything like the same power from the batteries as the big 3 do!
I haven't tried the '160' Stihl at all. From their website, the '200' is slightly heavier (by 200g), more powerful, has a 2" longer bar, described as 'professional' (whatever that means) & costs a mere $70 more. Given that it's the batteries & charger/s that will actually compromise about 2/3 of the overall actual expense of any cordless saw, why would you not spring for the better/best saw anyway? The lesser model just seems like false economy to me personally.Sycophant to nobody!
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10th July 2019, 03:25 PM #18GOLD MEMBER
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Ratbag you have just sold me on the Stihl 200 !! You make such a strong & convincing case. Where can I buy one quickly before they sell out!!!
THANKS
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10th July 2019, 06:10 PM #19GOLD MEMBER
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Yes sorry you are right it was Dolmar not Poulan I was thinking of.
For me, the chainsaw is just an addition to my range of cordless Makita gear so starting with a seperate brand is not an attractive option and only complicates the issue.
If you are happy with the limited range what others like Stihl offer that might be a better way to go for some.
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10th July 2019, 10:17 PM #20Senior Member
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Can't give specifics - however the thinner the cut the less load on the motor -the greater thr motor watts (output -not input) the better(chinese are sneaky about this -look up indipendant reviews) sharp chain always good. And reliabillity -seek reveiws and don't beleive all you read - Go with the gut feeling as a lot of tyhem are dodgy -see chinese.
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10th July 2019, 11:31 PM #21Senior Member
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- geelong
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By the way tried hard to buy what was clearly a heavy duty 240V chainsaw from the bottom of the Dandenongs (where I lived at the time) Wouldn't give me a price and I diddn't know that it worked -had a strange 240v kinda plug- not the normal -still wouldn't guive me a price - had a 2'6+ blade on it and + was closer to 3'. Always hated the sales dude as I could have direct wired the thing if I couldn't find the fittings -Had a feeling that they looked ang then sold for $2o or some such crap. Could have had this vertically mounted baisicly being my personal sawmill. -
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11th July 2019, 12:44 PM #22GOLD MEMBER
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Here is a pretty good comparison of some of the cordless 36V chainsaws we have been talking about.
36V Cordless Chainsaw Shootout Comparison Review
I've decided on a Stihl but will wait until I can see them at a good price . Thank you ALL for your comments
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11th July 2019, 09:27 PM #23Tool addict
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- Perth
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I've got a DeWalt Flexvolt chainsaw, and whilst I haven't used it extensively, it was absolutely golden on a recent camping trip. Admittedly a lot of pine, but it has done well going through some jarrah.
Apparently has an issue with maintaining chain tension, mine did let the chain pop off the bar just after I finished a cut and put it down, but stayed true from that point onwards (touch wood).
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