Thread: Cheap Chainsaw

Originally Posted by 953

If everyone drove around wearing a helmet, statistically the death rate would be reduced, but thats not gunna happen. Its all about common sense.


Cheers Dean.

Yeah the airbag debate is in another thread lol

The thing about common sense though Dean is that it isnt all that common these days....

Originally Posted by mcrover

Yeah the airbag debate is in another thread lol

The thing about common sense though Dean is that it isnt all that common these days....

Maybe chain brake is a bit like air bags, If you use your saw correctly, their is no need for it........................

Maybe to put a different angle on things, cheap equipment concerns me not because of quality issues (they all need to meet specific standards to be sold anyway), but the fact that they become affordable to a market that ordinarily would not have purchased the item in question.

For example, a man who works white collar and lacks any practical/DIY sense* might have paid a tree removal business $300 to chainsaw fallen trees on his block rather than spend $500 on a chainsaw and do it himself. If the saw is $99, and sold at a store as generic as Bunnings, then it is likely to appeal to that consumer who then might purchase the product and attempt to use it without meeting appropriate safety pre-requisites.





*that is an example, not a generalisation. Be sure you know the difference.

Originally Posted by B92 8NW

Maybe to put a different angle on things, cheap equipment concerns me not because of quality issues (they all need to meet specific standards to be sold anyway), but the fact that they become affordable to a market that ordinarily would not have purchased the item in question.

For example, a man who works white collar and lacks any practical/DIY sense* might have paid a tree removal business $300 to chainsaw fallen trees on his block rather than spend $500 on a chainsaw and do it himself. If the saw is $99, and sold at a store as generic as Bunnings, then it is likely to appeal to that consumer who then might purchase the product and attempt to use it without meeting appropriate safety pre-requisites.





*that is an example, not a generalisation. Be sure you know the difference.

Nope, that's just natural selection at its finest

In the entirely unlikely event a chain link should fail ( I have only seen it once and heard of it twice - in the 2 1/2 years I was a traveller with McCulloch chainsaws) the chain will throw off the bar forwards. Funny thing to see. Also most chainsaws since the late 70's have a mandatory chain catcher - its a lug usually on the lower part of the clutch cover.
Throw in "safety chain" usually on the smaller consumer saws and they are darn safer than a circular saw or angle grinder IMHO.

Originally Posted by B92 8NW

Maybe to put a different angle on things, cheap equipment concerns me not because of quality issues (they all need to meet specific standards to be sold anyway), but the fact that they become affordable to a market that ordinarily would not have purchased the item in question.

For example, a man who works white collar and lacks any practical/DIY sense* might have paid a tree removal business $300 to chainsaw fallen trees on his block rather than spend $500 on a chainsaw and do it himself. If the saw is $99, and sold at a store as generic as Bunnings, then it is likely to appeal to that consumer who then might purchase the product and attempt to use it without meeting appropriate safety pre-requisites.

*that is an example, not a generalisation. Be sure you know the difference.

Very good point, but it begs the question is this a recent phenomena or does it go back to when the ordinary guy could afford a horse- or car?

I bought a 1800w no name electric chain saw for use around the house - sort of the equivalent of the cheap petrol one. I have used it for everything - trees, sleepers, dry and green - it is still on its first chain and because it is cheap I have no issues with cutting into a bit of dirt as well - just sharpen the chain.

Now I would never use this for major work - why? Not because it is cheap but because it was not designed for it - for what it is designed it works exceptionally well.

It is a matter of the right tool for the job - a Stil maybe great for a lumberjack but for around the house or for light firewood these cheapies are great.

I recently had three large trees removed in my backward by a tree surgeon - his main saw was a Stil but the one for cutting the smaller stuff was a cheapie - GMC I think. He was happy with it.

Garry

Originally Posted by mcrover

We dont get Jonsered or Poulan saws in aust through any dealer network, and they havent been more than assembled in the US (and thats the big ones only) for about 20 years, they were made in Japan for a long time buy Echo but now Echo is the only manufacturer of saws in Japan and the rest are chinese or European (Husky/Stihl and a couple of unheard offs in Aust).

A 20' roll of .325 chain from Oregon (cheap chain) is $230 at trade price so on say a 16" bar makes it about $23 per chain, add a bar @ $48 your getting the rest for $29........I wouldnt trust it.

It is not worth relying on a saw like that, all that needs to happen is the anti kickback not to work and your dead, not bruised or cut a little bit but more than likely dead.

Add to that that how many people on here own a pair of chaps or wear them, wear any upper body protection when using a saw or head protection, I would rather rely on the saftey features built into the saw.

If anyone would like to know how to use a chainsaw and sharpen a chain properly should go and do a chainsaw course, it is cheap in comparison to stuffing up your equipment or even worse doing yourself some damage plus it is something else to put on a resume and means you can use a saw for organisations like DSE and Parks vic or a council.

Regardless if they are fully made or assembled in the US, if you go to any store that has a few brands of these small saws you will notice all come from the US and are almost identical. All of the Poulan/Homelite/ Ryobi/ GMC etc saws are the same bar a few small differences in the plastics, same deal with whipper snippers of the same engine CC. This is just what i have noticed .