Chinese Professional Chainsaw from eBay, review

[smokey7]

I just opened this thread hoping to see this saw ran..... I was getting ready to ask if I missed it or something.

 

[Stihl working Hard]

25 hours!

Be lucky if it lasts 25 minutes

 

[Stihl working Hard]

How do the Chinese get away with building and selling non stratocharged chainsaws?

Because there Chinese and don't give a chit

 

[fearofpavement]

So today I tell the wife, I'm gonna go test that saw. I get it out of the truck, fuel and oil it, put on my recently found chaps, put on my Bugzeyes, put on my hearing protection and I'm walking out to the wood pile when I'm startled by a hand on my shoulder. I turn around and there's Groundi with my phone in her hand, I take the call, take off the gear and drive off in the truck. Dang, that was an "almost". I'm gonna fit it in today yet even though it's in the 90s here.

 

[fearofpavement]

Ok, I ran the saw. It fired up on the third "easy start" pull. Idled ok, 4 stroked out of the wood and cleaned up while cutting.
I went to work on a sweetgum log. I cut about 73 cookies out of that and then made a couple cuts in some other wood. So let's say 75 bucking cuts. This would be the equivalent of 75 rounds which is likely more that a typical pickup would hold. The wood was about 9" average diameter.
Sweetgum is a moderately hard deciduous tree. It makes good firewood but isn't popular as it won't split green. (maul just bounces off)
Anyway, towards the end of the cutting session (one full tank) I noticed the saw seemed to not be as rich. ie, 4 stroke less noticeable. May need a tuning tweak. (or could be due to low fuel level?)

The plastic on top of the muffler (like where the knuckles of your left hand are, got very hot to the touch. It wasn't an issue while cutting. Vibration level seemed low (I wasn't wearing gloves).
The chain cut very well and made large chips. Very little stretch and didn't need to be adjusted which is typical of Stihl brand chain. (this cheapo saw came with a pro style Stihl chain)

I noticed the lettering was already starting to wear off the bar. (No worse than a Husky branded bar).

Overall, my impression of the saw is that it looks really chintzy but I can't fault it's operation. It is very early in the testing phase having just run one tank through it, but so far so good.

 

[stihl saws]

My vote is something with the cheap plastic breaks, before the engine quits.

 

[smokey7]

Let's see a video of it cutting! Did it have decent power?

 

[fearofpavement]

Let's see a video of it cutting! Did it have decent power?

I don't do videos. The power was ok, nothing to write home about. Not exactly sure of the displacement. Supposedly 58cc. So I guess it's probably typical for a saw in that class.

 

[smokey7]

I don't do videos. The power was ok, nothing to write home about. Not exactly sure of the displacement. Supposedly 58cc. So I guess it's probably typical for a saw in that class.

I don't do videos either. Glad I'm not the only one.!!! So compare it to a saw some may have ran as far as power. Glad you did this, also does the piston and cylinder seem to have made it thru this unscathed? I've seen some China motors run a dam long time. I got a China yamaha clone generator that has ran a obsene amount of hours still has great compression and is showing no signs of giving up.

 

[CR888]

My guess is that it makes sense that the saw was a little leaner after it had a work out and was low on fuel.....kinda the same as any saw. What a surprise this saw is cutting the mustard! I thought China saws were meant to fall to bits, blow up & self destruct shortly after start up. I know this cause I read it on the innernet.

 

[KiwiBro (deleted)]

My guess is the oiler *s-words itself for want of a drop of judiciously applied superglue.

 

[fearofpavement]

Well, y'all can predict the failure modes. I will say that in all my years of using chainsaws, I've never had one blow up or an engine mechanically fail on me. Oh, I've seen lots of saw carnage but always at someone else's hand. So maybe this will be a new experience for me. I'm not cutting a lot right now so it may take a while to accumulate hours on it. So far it's at about .5 hours.

 

[idiotwithasaw]

Here is the remington at lowes. I stopped at sears and the crapsman was identical. They must all come out of the same factory in china.

 

[idiotwithasaw]

 

[dougand3]

Saw may be crap but Outlaw is an interesting name. If you have the Outlaw - can you steal firewood? Seems like it might be expected.

 

[Terry Syd]

What would be interesting would be to have a 'build off' of that POS. Guys would figure out the weak parts and mod for power, the results could be an inexpensive, but fairly reliable work saw for the average bloke.

I mentioned something similar for a build-off over on AS using the Husky 455/460. A dead reliable homeowner saw, but with plenty of potential - and all I got was negative jibes about "why modify a saw that nobody would use" (LOL, check the sales statistics!). Crikey, blokes will modify a 'Wild Thing', but not one of the most common saws around? - What could they be afraid of?

This saw has some potential. It would be cool to have a build off to see what can be achieved from an inexpensive Chinese POS. - Just my opinion, but if you can't mod a Chinese POS, then you shouldn't be grinding on an expensive professional saw.

 

[merc_man]

Well, y'all can predict the failure modes. I will say that in all my years of using chainsaws, I've never had one blow up or an engine mechanically fail on me. Oh, I've seen lots of saw carnage but always at someone else's hand. So maybe this will be a new experience for me. I'm not cutting a lot right now so it may take a while to accumulate hours on it. So far it's at about .5 hours.

Just like any tool. Ya take care of it it will last. I think it should stand up good for cutting fire wood. I got a chinese top end on my one husky and it has worked good so far probly 25-30 tanks on it.

 

[fearofpavement]

Braved the ridiculous heat again today and ran another tank of fuel through the saw. I was cutting some punky oak, some hard dry oak and some solid, very dry hickory. It cut all of them but not as ambitiously as it went through the wet sweetgum. The tuning returned to normal, the oiling is fine, I touched up the chain (some of the wood is dirty) and bucked up actual firewood logs this time cutting 16" long rounds varying from 6" to 14". I ran out of fuel and energy about the same time so headed for home. (I had already been out mowing on a tractor for some time).

I tried to do a little noodling with it and got some shavings jammed in the tip. I freed it by rolling the chain on the log but noticed the chain was way loose. I tightened it up and cut some more and it seemed fine. I think the jam up moved the bar. That was the only chain adjustment I've made since installing the bar.

Anyway, it's still plugging away after two tank fulls.

 

[Philbert]

Maybe it's only designed to cut Chinese trees?

Philbert

 

[DrewUth]

Maybe it's only designed to cut Chinese trees?

Philbert

Bamboo?