Chainsaws, off-brand

[Edward Weber]

Has anyone bought or had any experience with any of the off-brand or import chainsaws?
I have a Stihl and I love it but I need something much larger for occasional use. I don't know if they're worth it or not but the price looks hard to beat, at about 1/3 the cost of Stihl or Husky.
Thanks for any input you may give

[Jim Becker]

Can your current Stihl handle a longer bar for occasional use or are you talking "really big"? I've gone inexpensive for my electrics, but the very reason I bought the Stihl long ago was burning up a lesser saw on a single maple tree. I did put a larger bar on it too, although only 2" larger.

[Jack Frederick]

I chose to not buy a larger saw. I went to the rental place and picked one up there. I had to buy a chain for it but the chain hung on the wall of the shop and I’d rent the saw as needed and mount my chain on it. That worked out pretty well for me.

[Jim Becker]

That's a really good idea, Jack.

[Edward Weber]

My Stihl is maxed out at 20", and yes I need to go 36", so price is a factor. Not to mention, at times, a longer bar (single cut) can save wood.
I have quite a bit I need to slice or cut "cookies" off of that are in the 32"+ range, along with rough cutting for handling, if nothing else.
The log on the left is 32"-36" in dia, (one of a dozen or more) even the burls are getting too big for my Stihl
511889511890
Santa needs to bring me some bigger tools and bigger muscles. Some of these logs are kicking my butt.

Jack, I never thought of renting one, I'll have to look into that and see if the costs are worth it.

[Dan Barber]

i like the thought of renting that Jack mentioned. I will say when it comes to big saws, it hard to beat a Stihl. Take a look on eBay, I've bought a couple of pro graded Stihl's for pretty decent prices. I think sometimes guy's buy the pricey saws and then when times are tough, they sell them.

[Richard Coers]

Never bought an off brand, have never regretted my decision. Husqvarna 3120 with 36" bar. This things sounds like a dirt bike and is basically unstoppable in big wood. Set the bucking teeth and pull with both hands!
.511893511895

[mike stenson]

Yea, I like my Swedish import saws.

[Edward Weber]

Well, I did look at Ebay and for the prices I saw, ($1k and up) I would just buy new and avoid other peoples problems.
Richard, nice saw and log but I did say occasional use. I don't think I can justify a $2k saw for a couple days of use per year. At least not now.

Thanks for all the input, we'll see what happens.
BTW, the knock off I'm looking at can be had for roughly $450, so I'm still undecided.

[Richard Coers]

See, a big saw is a good investment. I paid $965 for that Husqvarna about 20 years ago.

[Edward Weber]

See, a big saw is a good investment. I paid $965 for that Husqvarna about 20 years ago.



Good one, :D

Now, if I could just borrow someones Time Machine

[Jim Becker]

My local rental place is actually a Stihl dealer and while I didn't specifically look up the rental cost, they do rent out a lot of Stihl tools of so many types.

[Steve Jenkins]

Why don’t you put a name to the knockoff you’re looking at. Maybe someone has one and can give you an opinion.

[Edward Weber]

why don’t you put a name to the knockoff you’re looking at. Maybe someone has one and can give you an opinion.

farmmac f660vw

This is a clone of a Stihl 660. The good thing is, that if something does break, I can replace a piece at a time with OEM.
Believe me, I know if I buy one of these I'm taking a slight risk but, it may be worth it.

[Mark Wedel]

I bought a holzfforma g660 (which I think is basically the same as that farmmac) - works fine - slabbed my ash tree without an issue. I also got mine with a 36" bar. It is a bit of a pain to get started, but once you figure it out, not that bad.
As far as rentals, I looked at that option. The rental places in my area maxed out at around 24, maybe 28" bars. So I could have rented one of those for a day, and bought by own bar and chain - at that point, I'm just saving on the head unit, which was $300. The rentals were ~$100/day. Maybe this is just where I'm at (suburbs) so the need for people renting with 36" bars is not going to be the same as more rural areas? But the economics to me just didn't look good.
I made some money back by sawing up some pieces for a friend of friend so she could do some bowl turning. And I've used it a few times more since then, so arguably have come out ahead vs renting. Though I'm thinking I may buy a shorter bar for it - unless I'm slabbing out wood, I don't need 36" - 24" would be more than enough in most cases for dealing with bowl cuttings and the like, and be easier to handle (that saw with a 36" bar is a bit of a beast). Plus when I need to replace the chain because I hit some piece of metal in the log (not that uncommon when dealing with these suburb trees it seems like), those 24" chains will be cheaper.

[Edward Weber]

Thanks Mark, this is pretty much where I'm at, very similar situation. Thanks for sharing

[Bill Dufour]

If you are doing this at home a drag saw can be had for less money. Slower, fun to watch it do all the work. I like my power hacksaw patented in 1912.
If you are doing this with a tractor I wonder if a hydraulic chainsaw would be easier and cheaper on the used market?
Bill D

[Richard Coers]

My local rental place is actually a Stihl dealer and while I didn't specifically look up the rental cost, they do rent out a lot of Stihl tools of so many types.
Renting out a 3120 would be an insurance risk for them due to the 23 pounds, 8.3hp and 36" bar. You might have to prove you know what you are doing to rent a professional saw.

[Bill Dufour]

My brother bouhgt the biggest Sthil saw. It had a warning label, this is a big saw. Are you sure you need this big one. Maybe a smaller one will do?
Bill D

[Warren Lake]

im not interested in that offshore. You can look at Chickanic and Project farm you tubes both of them have tested those look alike things.

Ill keep my US made Senco old stuff any day. Used machines have done me well Italy, austria and England and in time some German so I can see what all the fuss is about. I have many years hard use on a Stihl MS 250 and it still works great. Came 16 bar I think and put 18 on often enough. No complaints and thought would have toasted it long ago. Compression can still whack me from time to time. Last thing a 90 foot spruce down that was bent back over a cottage. Friend is a climber so roped and lowered me cutting on the ground to keep busy in between him needing me. When he was down we were talking I told him that chainsaws are safer than table saws, my view. He didnt talk he just looked at me and didnt know to say. Still feel that way about them.

[Mark Wedel]

If you are slabbing a tree, you will probably need a big saw - it depends, but I think I measured out that my Alaskan mill max cutting width is 6+" shorter than the bar. So if you have a tree that is 24" in diameter, you are needing at least a 30" bar. And at the time I did research, for slabbing, you really want as much power as one can reasonably get. A lower HP saw with a very long bar for it might work, but might also take quite a bit longer on each cut.
OP did not say what their use case was. Used can be hit or miss (you might end up installing a bit of time/effort getting it to working standards). If I could have rented a chainsaw with a 36" bar for a day, I probably would have done just that, but as Richard noted above, there may be safety/liability reasons renting out such big saws. It might also be the case that the rental companies know they might only be able to rent out such a saw a few times a year, which also doesn't make it affordable for them - it is probably a bit of a specialty audience that would need a saw with 36" bar for a single day.

[Larry Edgerton]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/404551015251?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-213727-13078-0&mkcid=2&itemid=404551015251&targetid=4580428016871241&device=c&mktype=&googleloc=&poi=&campaignid=603247657&mkgroupid=1229254994528356&rlsatarget=pla-4580428016871241&abcId=9316139&merchantid=51291&msclkid=7dfa1789058e1cbbea5172f13a1f2512

$350. I'd try it? What the hell........

I have an 066 and one of the previous posts made me look at used values. I could sell it for more than I paid for it new eons ago. But I'm not going to.

[Brian Hall]

Echo 590 Timberwolf is a great saw for $399.00 it will take a 24" bar. I've always used a 20 inch on mine.

[Ronald Blue]

I don't know how long the clone chainsaws have been on the market. The clone Honda engines have shown to be pretty reliable. I put a HF clone on a go kart for a friend. Started first pull and runs great. They are on Amazon and I didn't read the fine print but presumably you have the same return options that other items have.

[Edward Weber]

My brother bouhgt the biggest Sthil saw. It had a warning label, this is a big saw. Are you sure you need this big one. Maybe a smaller one will do?
Bill D

It's not so much that, I want one, it's what the job requires to get it done safely and properly. Nibbling away at a large chunk with a saw that's too small, will only make more work, time, fuel, noise and will put unnecessary wear on the smaller saw.
Here is a photo of some of the chunks/logs I have to work with. The saw has a 20" bar on it for size reference.
511927

[Edward Weber]

OP did not say what their use case was. Used can be hit or miss (you might end up installing a bit of time/effort getting it to working standards).
Post #5

I don't anticipate having any trouble getting a small engine/saw tuned and tweaked to my liking but it is something to consider when breaking in a new tool.

[Edward Weber]

Just thought I would update.
I did as much searching, reading, watching of trusted sources (and some complete idiots) and did buy a Farmtec saw.
Mine is a Stuhl 660 clone, with 36" bar. All OEM parts will fit, so that's a plus, should I find the clone part/s not up to standards.
I got this on Amazon, with a coupon for about $420, which is a bit less than a third of a genuine Stihl.
What I received was, the power head, bag of parts, bag of tools, and a small booklet on basic operation. The extra parts are nice and tools seem to be decent quality.
Having some common sense on how things (chainsaws) go together is helpful, as there is no assembly instruction included.
I needed to attach, the dogs, the wrap handle and chain guide, not to mention the bar and chain which came in a separate package, simple enough but just FIY.
So far, I've only given it minimal use but have no complaints. The saw has plenty of power and basically works like it should. It does seem to be leaking a bit of bar oil from the cap (not uncommon) but I'll see what I can do about that, certainly not a deal breaker.
Just a sample
513241

[Mark Wedel]

One note, in this day in age, if one needs help/instruction assembling the saw, there are lots of youtube videos on it. When I was assembling mine, there were some parts where the manual was not particular clear, but a youtube video clarified things nicely (watching someone actually put the things together was really all that was needed).

[Daniel O'Neill]

I'm set with another guy to use one of the off brands. He's retired and out of town but he has milled up a lot with the FARMALL saws.

Where do you guys source your logs from?

[Edward Weber]

One note, in this day in age, if one needs help/instruction assembling the saw, there are lots of youtube videos on it. When I was assembling mine, there were some parts where the manual was not particular clear, but a youtube video clarified things nicely (watching someone actually put the things together was really all that was needed).

Thanks, Mark, I should have mentioned that, I just don't always like to recommend videos. Someone always has an issue with something :rolleyes:
Taryl Fixes All may be a total goof ball but he knows his stuff.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2Cd9kKYXFakV7ChvU_rjKw

As for wood sources, get in touch with a tree servide.
They would rather drop things (logs and wood chips) at my house when it's closer, rather than going back to the shop. It provides me with almost free things I need and saves the company time and fuel. (I do tip the drivers)
Dare I say, everybody wins.

[Mark Wedel]

This also depends on where you live. I live in the suburbs.

My first log was an ash tree on my property that the city removed (at my note) because it was diseased. The crew removing it were happy to leave the big pieces behind - less work for them.

My second was a neighbor was having a dead cypress removed - the quality/size of that wasn't great, but his neighbor took the opportunity to hire the crew already there to remove a plum tree, so I grabbed that wood.

Third was a friend knowing I'm into wood turning - he was having an olive (not much good wood on that - not sure if I took much) and a podacarpus removed, so I grabbed some of that.

But as another hobbyist in the area noted, there are always trees being removed - I've not gone out hunting yet (still have a pile of ash and podacarpus to deal with), but probably about once/month, there is some tree in the nearby area being removed. When I get to the point of actually needing (and having space) for more wood, I'll probably put a post on nextdoor, asking folks that are having trees removed to maybe keep the big pieces for me for woodturning (I'd likely give them a bowl after I'm done as thanks) - I'm not sure how well that will work in actual reality.

But for that matter, whenever I hear a chainsaw running, I could wander over and see what is being cut down (did that a few days ago - it was just someone pruning on a pine tree - not big enough to be useful, and not sure I'd want to deal with all the pitch in pine anyways).

But I'm in a relatively high density area (1/6 to 1/8 acre lots) so lots of different homeowners in the area. If I was in a rural area, other than trees on my own property, I'd need a different strategy.

[Steven Cooper2]

I have one of the clone 660 kits that I built for milling. It was a lot of fun and runs great.

I put a 52 inch bar on it and it pulls out fairly well with skip .

I've milled about 3000 board feet with it so far and the only issues I've had are the so so tensioner and some assembly mistakes(which were mine). I might buy another to have a a spare as well as something ready to go with a28-36 inch bar when my 026 is out of its league.

[James Baldwin]

I have two Dolmar (Makita now) saws. One that will handle up to a 24" bar and one that will handle up to a 36" bar. I just picked up a Poulan Wildthing at an Estate Sale for $10. All the fuel lines were shot and I had to replace the carburetor and sharpen the chain so I'm into it for $40. It fills a nitch between my other saws.
Every once in a while a big Stihl or Husqvarna or Jonsered shows up on Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace around here for a descent price. Sometimes Shindaiwa (Japanese Jonsered) show up also. I don't have much need for anything bigger than a 36" bar although I did put eye prints on a new Shihl with a 42" bar at my local farm and ranch store. The $2300 price tag kind of put me off though.

Have you looked into something like these? They might work if you're not doing commercial work. They're probably not as good in the long run as Stihl or Husqvarna

https://www.amazon.com/NEO-TEC-NS892-Chainsaw-2-Cycle-Gasoline/dp/B0BKQ51HYK/ref=sr_1_3?crid=CCWQ1W79NUUO&keywords=dolmar%2Bchainsaw&qid=1704636198&refinements=p_89%3ANEO-TEC&rnid=2528832011&s=lawn-garden&sprefix=Dolmar%2Caps%2C307&sr=1-3&th=1

https://www.amazon.com/2-Cycle-Chainsaw-Handheld-Cordless-Gasoline/dp/B0CML98Z1B/ref=sr_1_27?crid=20D3279HN1M5A&keywords=chainsaw&qid=1704636980&refinements=p_n_feature_browse-bin%3A58126258011%2Cp_n_feature_fifteen_browse-bin%3A2410496011&rnid=2410483011&s=lawn-garden&sprefix=chainsaw%2Clawngarden%2C180&sr=1-27

[Edward Weber]

I have two Dolmar (Makita now) saws. One that will handle up to a 24" bar and one that will handle up to a 36" bar. I just picked up a Poulan Wildthing at an Estate Sale for $10. All the fuel lines were shot and I had to replace the carburetor and sharpen the chain so I'm into it for $40. It fills a nitch between my other saws.
Every once in a while a big Stihl or Husqvarna or Jonsered shows up on Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace around here for a descent price. Sometimes Shindaiwa (Japanese Jonsered) show up also. I don't have much need for anything bigger than a 36" bar although I did put eye prints on a new Shihl with a 42" bar at my local farm and ranch store. The $2300 price tag kind of put me off though.

Have you looked into something like these? They might work if you're not doing commercial work. They're probably not as good in the long run as Stihl or Husqvarna

https://www.amazon.com/NEO-TEC-NS892-Chainsaw-2-Cycle-Gasoline/dp/B0BKQ51HYK/ref=sr_1_3?crid=CCWQ1W79NUUO&keywords=dolmar%2Bchainsaw&qid=1704636198&refinements=p_89%3ANEO-TEC&rnid=2528832011&s=lawn-garden&sprefix=Dolmar%2Caps%2C307&sr=1-3&th=1

https://www.amazon.com/2-Cycle-Chainsaw-Handheld-Cordless-Gasoline/dp/B0CML98Z1B/ref=sr_1_27?crid=20D3279HN1M5A&keywords=chainsaw&qid=1704636980&refinements=p_n_feature_browse-bin%3A58126258011%2Cp_n_feature_fifteen_browse-bin%3A2410496011&rnid=2410483011&s=lawn-garden&sprefix=chainsaw%2Clawngarden%2C180&sr=1-27


I bought one, post #27 in this thread

[James Baldwin]

This one showed up on the local Craigslist. If I bought it I'd be out cutting down the 100' tall Blue Spruce in our front yard. The only thing is I don't think that I could pick the thing up with the 54" bar on it. Jim

https://boise.craigslist.org/hvo/d/nampa-stihl-ms-880-chainsaw/7699549470.html

[Derek Kessler]

I've tried this brand called IMOUM, but I only tried their mini chainsaw. It has a pole included for branches up top. It works nicely for me so far, I only had it for 3 months now. It does the job for cheap.