Chainsaws

newtec1, May 22, 5:29pm
Anyone had any experience with small 14" chainsaws for handyman/builder use. Echo,Husky ,Stihl ,shindaiwa ? Most of the small brands are made in china with the exception of a few from japan.
zak410, May 22, 5:52pm
Echo here, from Japan I think, wasn't cheap but have never regretted it.
It can cut some firewood, but can also cut precisely if well maintained.
samanya, May 22, 6:09pm
Hi newt, my Stihl (about 16") has served me well. It wasn't the cheapest on offer at the time, but stihl going strong after several years . not had a huge amount of use, but it starts easily & that's a big plus, for me.
newtec1, May 22, 7:16pm
Sure Stihl is the choice for contractors,although Echo and Husky are still used,but for building type work and price along with a 5 year warranty it's pretty hard to go past Echo which is shindaiwa in disguise.They are real cheap at the mo $325. I was just interested in feedback on these models.
mouse265, May 22, 7:17pm
ive had both stihl and huskies both good saws and the echo is ok too
tegretol, May 22, 7:35pm
Try and buy spares for it. !
tegretol, May 22, 7:37pm
The bars on them are like butter and when you try to buy a replacement, the nearest match is Oregon at 50% of the new machine price.

Me - I'll stick to Stihl.
samanya, May 22, 7:40pm
Yeah . I got sucked in with a cheapie pole trimmer & it was wonderful, until I had to get a new saw blade & couldn't . Bunnings number.
I can't really complain because for the price I paid, I got good mileage from it.
peacebird15, May 22, 10:16pm
The echo/shindaiwa represents the best bang for your buck. I have 4 guys and myself putting serious hours on them without complaint.
lythande1, May 23, 7:48am
BIL bought a cheap brand one. It lasted about 6 uses. Then - literally - started to come apart.
blueviking, May 23, 8:07am
Know 2 arborists that bought the ozito 14in for fill ins when their machines are in for servicing. They loved them. 1 used his so much it crapped out(he is a bit rugged with his gear, rip ,shit & bust) , but got a replacement under the warranty. The other ones still going well after 3yrs
monsieurl, May 23, 9:38am
My old Stihl needed some work so while it was in getting fixed i bought an Ozito for small trees and some hedge trimming at my rental property, thrashed it solid for 2 days trying to break it and then take it back under warranty. That was 2 years ago and i still thrash it now, was definitely worth the $130 or whatever cheap i paid for it.
gpg58, May 23, 9:49am
My little green ozito lasted 3 hours use, before it stripped its drive.
My stihl ms 170 t at 6+ years still goes fine, is light weight and easy to use one handed (Was considered an arborists saw) it was nearly a grand at the time though, but worth it. Updated version is now a ms 201t
https://www.stihl.co.nz/the-new-ms-201-t-top-handled-chain-saw-is-here.aspx
Have a bigger stihl too, for bigger jobs.
But would consider a battery saw for small stuff, now they are getting so much better.
budgel, May 23, 11:24am
I have a small Husqvarna, great little saw!
goose16, May 23, 12:32pm
M180 Stihl. Comes in 14" or 16" bar. Only about $300. Why buy crap when the best is this cheap?
macman26, May 23, 12:50pm
I inherited my fathers sthil 009 14”. Would be 30 plus years old. Besides chains and bars. Carby kit. Few spark plugs. Drive sprocket. A few pull cords and a reed valve. Still going strong. Ive had friends with cheap Chinese brands. Some ok. Most not ok.
bryshaw, May 23, 1:29pm
I have had 2 Mccullochs and they last about two years at most, and had trouble working upside down. I didn't realise what a decent chainsaw cut like until I bought a Husky, it goes through wood like butter.
newtec1, May 23, 8:33pm
Thanks guys,and girls
peacebird15, May 27, 11:37pm
You sure you mean 170 and not 190t or 200t?
The 170/017 was never an arborist saw, its a low level home owner saw thats less than $300 bucks, but a good one
Simply put, Stihl then take the 170 engine and put it in the 019t/190t/193T with different handles and ups the price to $945. Its a good $295 engine but its crap for close to a grand. (even though they give it a more tunable carb)
But the funniest thing is that they then take that 193T and put on a rear handle calling it a 193c, really making it a flash looking 170 and put on a $950 dollar price tag, when you could have pretty much the same stihl for $295.
I have spend tens of thousands of dollars on stihl stuff, I love much of there gear and have come to appreciate what kind of scams they pull on there customers. It pays to have a sense of humour when they charge $327 for a 35cc engines carb
gpg58, May 28, 12:24am
Opps yes, 192t, just checked.handbook.
The t was supposed to stand for titanium content in it, has it any at all? is it really identical to the cheap one i got upsold from? except carb. Typical sales pitch though, cheap saw in adds to get you instore, then upsell you to dearest.

Anyway It is a nice little saw, i find it runs best on number 1 gas(100 octane) like most engines do(tuned), and has definitely outlasted by a country mile, the cheap junk i have had.( mc culloch/ozito)
cantabman1, May 28, 8:48am
I have had two Ozito Electric saws. The first lasted 5 yrs, and the second one has been going great a year. I buy all my chains now from Ali Express.
If you had a dud saw that failed , then it isn't a problem to get it replaced under warranty. I'm sure some fail, as do other brands, but $$ for $$ Ozito are fantastic value for the money, and don't believe anyone who says otherwise, unless you are using your chain commercially.!
pauldw, May 28, 9:11am
More likely T for Top handle. Stihl do have a titanium coating on some chain.
golfdiver, May 28, 10:57am
Tens of thousands? but but but, "You'll only ever need one"?
peacebird15, Nov 6, 8:17am
you misheard, its "Youll only ever need one more"