Thread: Budget chainsaws

Originally Posted by Pappy

Chief,

Have a look at "Bigger Boyz toyz"

My concern about buying from a site like would be there is no physical address or telephone number provided. Payment is possible to a PO box but that doesn't mean jack. I got caught buying a $400 video projector globe from a business that only had email contact and did my dough.

Originally Posted by Chief Tiff

How can I be "stuck" in QLD, when even staunch athiests refer to this state as "God's Own"? Of course, if I wanted to live on sand, get blown around by the wind and be surrounded by Poms I would have stayed in WA !!! Good to hear from you again Willie, and pass on my regards to your 3 delightful ladies.

Back to business; I had a play with a Makita in Bunnies; 33cc with a 40cm bar and it's all solid thermoplastic. Apparently they are made by Dolmar? Anyway, I quite liked it so on Monday I'm going to phone around a couple of suppliers and see what price they can do one for; and on Tuesday a man called Jim is going to remove the three biggest most awkward palms so I can pick his brain on chainsaw use and maintenance.

Yes Makita brought Dolmar and all saws are made in Hamberg Germany for now no doubt that will change. You can also try "the mower docter" at 1 walker street hes got some cheap saws around there and he ll fix it if it stuffs up. I am a WA escapee as well miss it heaps still but lifes what you make it I ve also got 2 cube of Camphor laurel slabs as well.

FWIW I got a Husky 18" from a local seller on ebay a while ago. 3 month warranty.

Grey import; much cheaper than local.

Has run faultlessly.

Your mileage may vary.

Originally Posted by itsposs

I did have a huge Iron Bark slab but it had an accident with a lucas and a planning attachment.
Ended up using it for fire wood.

There's got to be a story in that to share with us?

there was a little twist in the slab it hadnt been stored flat

I have been having trouble sourcing parts for my old Stihl 048...although I have finally got what I need. In the meantime I bought a Shindaiwa 757 (77cc beast) off ebay for $325 and it is a pearler, great compression etc. There are a couple of dealers who sell their tradeins under a different name to their actual business. They come up with some really good saws for great prices

I've got a second hand Baumr (I got it cheap, almost thrown in with a pile of other machinery I bought). It does leak bar oil but it is a reliable starter and it goes hard. I plan on upgrading but because of how well it's surprisingly performed I don't have to get a new one for a while. Maybe it's a diamond in the rough but it's one of the best buys I've made since setting up my workshop. I've done a lot of cutting with it, hardwood and softwood. It's a winner.

Well I'll say it again, I bought the cheapest 52 cc 24" saw off ebay some years back. Sharts easy cuts well nothing has gone wrong. Don't use it often but at the price I could chuck it tomorrow and be ahead. As a mate said it cost about as much as a service on his stihl.

If your palm eats it chuck it. If it breaks chuck it. It's almost when it goes dull chuck it. They are just that cheap. Provided it does not bite you it's fine.

Stihl, shindawa and tanaka are all good machines. I think the baumr's are overpriced, similar quality to what I bought but dearer. Wouldn't touch mccullock.

2c.

I bought the 72cc Baumr recently. Comes with a 24inch bar that actually measures 26 inches from the casing to the tip. I went with the 72 as though the bar on this machine is far longer than what I need, I was worried that the chopstick chainsaw would be low on grunt. I was wrong. This thing is an animal. It starts within two or three pulls, idles, doesnt leak, and revs hard. I paid $199 for it including delivery (brand new).

First job with it I knocked over two young oaks at my place (bout 5m tall each, 15-20cm DBH) and chopped them up for transport. I noticed the weight of the saw doing this job as I was swinging the saw around a fair bit.

Next job was to knock over two substantial dead eucalypts on a mates property. These would have been 15m and 20m and around 40cm DBH...so much more of a test. The saw made short work of both trees, including cutting into firewood.

Thirdly as a test, a mate of mine cut through a fallen eucalypt at its base where the whole blade was needed to make the cut - so about 66cms. The saw did it easily, at full power without losing revs...I have to admit I was surprised as this was not a small ask.

Most recently, i used it for some pruning on some trees in the backyard. Nothing to write home about in terms of difficulty, but the saw did lots of idling over a period of about 30 mins as I cleared branchs and manouvered into position to take subsequent cuts etc. It never stalled once...(my old homelite would have stalled 30 times in the same period).

The most obvious fallback on the saw is the plastics, they are cheap and nasty. The fuel and oil filler threads in particular are horrible. Still, given how little I paid for it and the work it has done already...I consider my 199 paid off. i couldnt have hired saws to do those jobs for that price.

I notice that the same company I bought mine from (they still have it for 199 with free deliv) have the 66cc version with a 20 inch bar for 129 including free delivery. If its anything like the saw I have then this is incredible value.

PRO 62CC 20" BAR CHAINSAW CHAIN SAW +TRIPLE SAFETY PACK | eBay

Anyone heard of Ross chainsaws? My local Jim came round yesterday to destroy the bigger palms and when he returned the cherry picker to the hire shop he saw they were offering Ross saws for $180. These have 45cc motors, 20" Oregon bars/chains and come with a 12 month warranty. Apparently they are manufactured in Japan instead of China. He had a play with one and said they have a proffessional "feel" to them.

I think the only saws worth the money are husky and sthil and echo, If you look after them they do not stop. If you buy any of the cheaper ones, it will end up costing more becauce they will need fixing, same with anything, costs a bit to start with but there will be no regrets.
regards John

Stihls, Huskys and Echos are nice saws - no doubt. But for the sort of person looking for a budget saw they do not represent good value. The stihl equivalent of my $200 saw is $1400. Even if it lasts ten years before it needs work (which it will, none of these brands are immune to piston and ring wear) I would still be ahead buying a $200 saw every 2 years and throwing it out if/when it breaks.

I bought a secondhand 009L Stihl from cash convertors for $150. Had only used one chain. Minimal wear on the bar. No scratches even. A new fuel line and plug and she runs perfect. This represents far better value than a new badly made saw from another brand.
I had to wait a few months and hunt around patiently before I found what I wanted but I think the wait was worth it.

Originally Posted by 19brendan81

Stihls, Huskys and Echos are nice saws - no doubt. But for the sort of person looking for a budget saw they do not represent good value. The stihl equivalent of my $200 saw is $1400. Even if it lasts ten years before it needs work (which it will, none of these brands are immune to piston and ring wear) I would still be ahead buying a $200 saw every 2 years and throwing it out if/when it breaks.

I doubt it