Thread: Budget chainsaws

I agree with Bobl about the sharpening jigs. I would like to point out however that it will be necessary to have the chain in position on the bar for it to operate correctly. Hard to get the correct angles otherwise. I also do not think that those two magnets will hold the bar still. It looks like the magnets are sitting on ali checker plate.

I also agree about not using the biggest saw possible. I have recently bought a stihl mini boss which is very small and I know I would much rather use that than the 2101 with 28inch bar. Sometimes however the little one will not cut the mustard.

Dean

Originally Posted by Chief Tiff

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.

g'day chief tiff,

i have now went against my own advice and bought cheap the machine looked good 38cc 16" bar, my own advice being by a brand from a specialist shop.

anyhow did about 20 mins work in total and choke broke, couldn't be more flimsy if they dreamt it. took it back and was given replacement no trouble, got home put new saw together ran it up a bit put it to bed then when next i thought yup get serious time found teh new saw had emptied the chain bar lube all over shed floor, so that means anotehr 1 hour round trip to town at 100k's on teh highway reckon i'll take gardenlen's advice get $98 bucks back and go see waht is around though i think off the shopping list as even a 14" bar stihl whatever prob' gonna cost twice at least.

reckon these importers need to get serious if they hope to stay in or progress their business.

while it worked the 1st saw did a good job, very smokey but!


ta

len

My miniboss 170 is the smallest stihl and has a 14 inch bar and 30.1 cc displacement. I paid $299 last year on sale but retail is $399. It has a micro chisel chain which is very thin and as a result cuts very well. I am more than satisfied with it but it has limits of course.

Dean

g'day dean,

yeh i know stihl and husky are good, but they are at least twice the price of this ross thing, simply can't afford it.

the second saw (replacement for the 1st) never cut any wood just assembled it and started it up it then leaked the chain bar tank of oil all over the floor, got my money back now but haven't won at all, even sent e/mail to ross tools co', hopeless excercise that was.

so my own advice to people still stands buy from specialist shop and buy a good brand.

len

My 99 cc 2100 Husky leaks chain oil too. I was told it is just what they do. I try to empty the oil after use now but it does not empty the tank. Just enough to make a mess.

What are the chances of getting a good second hand saw. Where I live we have a dedicated chainsaw dealer with quite a few second hand ones and he at least is good to deal with. Been around for years. I can think of about 6 other places that sell new ones, most also second hand. May not be as easy everywhere though. Big market around here.

Dean

g'day dean,

they aren't supposed to leak oil, would mean there is a problem eg.,. split tank leaky grommet whatever, did your leak from new if so i would be saying that was a warranty fault for a quality machine like a husky, the first ross we had didn't leak. oil does collect under the sprocket area when you use the machine, this oil will leak a bit but not empty the tank has nothing to do with the tank.

not many second hand ones for sale one shop had a couple of large units for around $200 each.

len

One reason saws leak oil is because the oil tank vent valve ( behind the bar near the bar mounting bolts) is blocked. The blocked valve then stops hot air and oil vapour from getting out of the valve so the built up over pressure blows oil out through the oil pump an associated lines. The amount that leaks out before the pressure is equalized is usually 10 - 15 ml any more than this is a result of something else. The vent valve can block even on new saws and cleaning involves removing the bar and vigorously washing the area behind the bar with an organic solvent. If the vent valve will not unblock it can usually be replaced by knocking them out and push fitting a new one. Some vent valves seem to block easier than others. On my 076 I have replaced the vent valve and it blocked up within a couple of weeks and I have not bothered to replace it

Either way all my saws old and new drip so this is why I set up my saws on shelves with drip trays underneath - like this.

Originally Posted by Oldneweng

What are the chances of getting a good second hand saw. Where I live we have a dedicated chainsaw dealer with quite a few second hand ones and he at least is good to deal with. Been around for years. I can think of about 6 other places that sell new ones, most also second hand. May not be as easy everywhere though. Big market around here.

Dean

I would look in the classifieds. It took 3 months but I eventually found my 076 that way. This is a big heavy, but very torqey saw,

bob and dean,

we keep checking bulletin boards got 3 main ones ans 2 others, also check local rag, as well as gumtree.

this ross saw that leaked was brand spanking new out of the box it only cut air for 2 short starts so i could check chain tension.

i have to be aware of gross weight, might have to settle for electric though using it will be loaded with inconvenience. property is 100 meters by 50 meters 1.25 acres.

len

Originally Posted by gardenlen

g'day dean,

they aren't supposed to leak oil, would mean there is a problem eg.,. split tank leaky grommet whatever, did your leak from new if so i would be saying that was a warranty fault for a quality machine like a husky, the first ross we had didn't leak. oil does collect under the sprocket area when you use the machine, this oil will leak a bit but not empty the tank has nothing to do with the tank.

not many second hand ones for sale one shop had a couple of large units for around $200 each.

len

I am no expert myself, just relying on what I have been told by a Husky dealer / repairer. This guy is one of the good ones. Help you out fixing your own, tell you how to do it. He normally has dozens of second hand saws available. The oil feeds thru the lube channels. May be a result of age but the end result was put up with it or drain it. I made up a plastic bottle with a nozzle and hose to suck out the oil. I usually only use this saw for big jobs so it is worth the effort. Most stuff I grab one of the smaller ones. I prefer to cut several trailer loads if I am going to haul it around.

I have not had this saw from new. It is on permanant loan from a friend who does not really want to cut wood any more. He had a prime mover mounted crane and splitter with a hydraulic powered saw. Finished up with a 5ft bar made from 3 pieces of 1/4 inch plate and a 3/4 inch chain. Everything smaller than that just broke from the force. He cut firewood professionally for many years.

I have seen the splitter sitting on a big trailer. Needed a biggish tractor PTO to drive the pump he had on it at the time. The blade was 4 ft wide and had vertical blades to cut up to 4 ft rings into rows of blocks. If the tractor was left out of gear the wood / splitter would push it along as the pile grew high enough on the ground behind the trailer.

Dean

g'day dean,

that then would make your problem servicable and repairable, but your resolve works good enough.

will most likely end up with one of those $298 huskies. rob a bank or something hey lol.

len

Originally Posted by gardenlen

g'day dean,

that then would make your problem servicable and repairable, but your resolve works good enough.

will most likely end up with one of those $298 huskies. rob a bank or something hey lol.

len

I wish you were right about the repair. I should have been clearer about the issue. No repair. That is just what they do. Just Googled the same and came up with nothing that helps my problem. Sigh. One YouTube video explaining how his oil filler cap turned out to be leaking. One suggestion about how storing the saw with the bar pointing upwards fixes the problem and several with something underneath to catch the oil. I recall something about the position the motor stops in but has not made any diff to mine.

Dean

g'day dean,

oh well here's hoping my new saw is not blighted, in all my years as mower mechanic oil freely leaking out of chain bar tanks was never any issue it didn't occur, and realy shouldn't, be like a car leaking its transmittion oil out over night and then need refilling.

anyhow drain the tank after each use.

len

g'day dean,

teh new husky leaks nothing except a bit of residual oil after use that quickly stops, can only hark back to my mechanic days, the issue of saws leaking dry their chain lube tanks should not occur and should be serviceable in better quality machines. hear lots up here from bloke with a profession of using saws all say good things about huskies but can imagine how inconvenient and costly it might be having to empty lube tanks on their chain saws, reckon i would have hear had they have to do this at the end of a days work.

we sold lots of stihl's, as well as mccullochs, echo's and never had this issue. can't even remember having to fix the issue or tell customers to empty the oil out.

the husky chain from new lots sharper than the the ross.

len