Chainsaws....

[91stranger]

To each their own. I like full chisels. U do u boo boo.

 

[ranger1911]

This was one of those blister pack saws that hang on the shelf, i used it when it was new. You had to rev it hard before laying into even a tiny peice of wood. Im sure pulan makes good stuff, but the cheapo saws from box stores suck... a year later running nothing but tru-fuel in it and it still bogs down if you tilt it sideways before getting it to full speed or before hitting wood. And in sappy pine it gets gummed up quick and stalls.

Im by no means a good wood cutter but my old crappy homelite that I rarely use will shred compared his pulan.

I don't cut wood at my place, i get it delivered in rounds and split it. My brother in law cuts his wood/trees.

You know why they call it poulan right? 'Cause you have to keep poulann on it to get it started '

I like my husky 390xp. Gives me a workout when I use it, so I make it cut mesquite so it gets a workout

 

[Dirtman]

Shhhhhhhh

 

[Uncle Gump]

Well I finally got a look at my Mac 3200 yesterday...

Primer bulb cracked the instant I touched it. I pulled over with the plug out and she has spark so... I just ordered a primer bulb, hoses, fuel/air filters and a new plug. I guess I get to see what a pita these hoses are to change when the parts get here. I vaguely remember running it out of fuel last time I used it... and the tank was empty. Hopefully this saw doesn't fight me all the way. I don't use it much at all... but when I need it... I sure don't want to have to fool with it every time.

 

[91stranger]

Primer bulbs should be sold in bulk packages. I just bought a bunch of small engine fuel line for my stock at home. Sucks spending $2/ft for gas line especially when you realize there are 2 fuel lines that are the same size but have different I.D.'s. Bought a pack that has 5' of all common sizes for small engines for the price I would have paid for 3' locally. Definitely going to save me some frustration when I go to replace gas lines on stuff this year.

 

[8thTon]

Well I finally got a look at my Mac 3200 yesterday...

Primer bulb cracked the instant I touched it. I pulled over with the plug out and she has spark so... I just ordered a primer bulb, hoses, fuel/air filters and a new plug. I guess I get to see what a pita these hoses are to change when the parts get here. I vaguely remember running it out of fuel last time I used it... and the tank was empty. Hopefully this saw doesn't fight me all the way. I don't use it much at all... but when I need it... I sure don't want to have to fool with it every time.

I probably have some pictures of when I tore mine down, they might help a little. I’ll try to find them tonight.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Primer bulbs should be sold in bulk packages. I just bought a bunch of small engine fuel line for my stock at home. Sucks spending $2/ft for gas line especially when you realize there are 2 fuel lines that are the same size but have different I.D.'s. Bought a pack that has 5' of all common sizes for small engines for the price I would have paid for 3' locally. Definitely going to save me some frustration when I go to replace gas lines on stuff this year.

And if it is newer... don't forget to use the low perm fuel line so you don't commit a felony!

 

[MIseeker]

I cut 15 chord over the last year with a stihl ms 251C; I have had this one 5 or 6 years. Never had one problem. I watched a lot of you tube videos on sharpening my own chain ( by hand) and my sharpening costs are almost nil. In my experience sthil is far superior other saws i have used, and the extra i may pay for stihl chains, bars, etc is well worth it considering how much i cut, and the amount of downed trees i have on my property. I also have the advantage of living a mile from a dealer, who i have known for 50 years

The easy start feature is great as far as im concerned. y back is in pretty bad shape and yanking a starter rope on a stiff engine is a no no for me.

At the time of purchase, this was the biggest saw i could get with the easy start feature.

 

[MIseeker]

Nice saw Rusty, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised with it and won't regret it. I don't think you did too bad for a new saw at all. Good saws aren't cheap but they are less problematic no matter what everyone else tries saying. If you're like me you want to be able to just grab the saw and get to work and not have to worry about issues. Like I said before I won't even bother taking tools with me whenever I go cut wood because it never needs worked on. The tool-less gas/oil caps are nice too. Never realized how nice they are until you go to open the cap on another saw and realize you need a damn screwdriver or pliers lol. haters.

Yep. all that stuff makes a world of difference for me too. Due to the previously mentioned bad back, standing in one spot causes pain, so its nice to be able to gas and oil up, AND change chains without having to stop and sit for 5 minutes in the middle of it. The light weight is a plus for me here too..I can spend more time cutting and less time taking a break. Same with the higher revs, the chain just moves faster through the wood. Until my back got into its current shape, i always had a Poulan around so i could swap saws when the chain got dull etc, but all around the stihl just enables me to get thru about 20% more wood in a given amount of time without the frustration of having to take a break. The EZ start features on these saws are a serious difference for me, when all my saws got stolen i didn't bother with getting a conventional start because i could no longer DO it. I borrowed my neighbors MS 660 ( the big new one) with all electronics and a jug pressure release and i could use it too. The new tech is worth the price for me. its the difference between cutting my own wood and hiring it done or buying it. No way I could start the poulans i used to have.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

My dad has two Poulan saws, a little 16” one that has been easy to start and reliable for years. Oddly enough, at one point it didn’t want to run anymore, so it sat in the shed for a couple years. Pulled it out, new gas and it hasn’t stopped working since. Guess it just wanted a break, lol. The other one is a Pro with a 20” bar and it’s always been a little rough to start and weak on power. Had a guy work on it and it’s better, but still just about worthless.

I have two saws of my own, an older Craftsman (aka Poulan) with a 20” bar that is an absolute beast. It’s heavy and noisy but it will fling the chips and it could care less if you lean on it or not. My other is a little Stihl MS-170 with a 16” bar. It’s a cute little thing and Rural King always has them on sale cheap. Took about 2 gallons of gas through it before it started running decent, but it’s nothing like the Craftsman for power. It is a nice little saw for limbing and small cutting though which is about 80-90% of my cutting. I’d love to get another big saw at some point, but I’m almost leaning towards finding an older one instead of this new stuff. Of course, a Milwaukee is on my list, but not so much for cutting trees as doing notches in posts when I build a deck or something.

 

[bf750]

 

[91stranger]

Geez.... Do you use them saws or just stare at them. Doesn't look like they ever seen a tree trunk.

 

[8thTon]

@Uncle Gump - I forgot to post these:

 

[8thTon]

I did not realize they were selling these, or the details of what was in it until I read a post about it. If you want a nice small saw, this is the one: https://www.lowes.com/pd/CRAFTSMAN-S160-16-in-42-cc-2-cycle-Gas-Chainsaw/1001239334

 

[Uncle Gump]

@8thTon

I didn't even realize Amazon zero'd me on the parts for my saw...

I've had a couple other things going on and the saw was waiting it's turn. Guess I will have to find a different source.