Chainsaw?

kevthegaff

Well girls and boys, wondering about a chainsaw for the farm. i wont be cutting big trees that often, mainly just firewood and bits and bobs. I was thinking of a husqvarna 445, what ye think? dont wana spend too much on it either maybe 250-350.. I kno a lad with a very bix pro saw and a small one and he uses the small one 90% of the time. What cc should i look for too?

sh1tstirrer

I bought an aldi chainsaw for the same use as yourself and it does the job fine. It cost €100 with 3 years guarantee. You wouldn't cut down a forest with it but it's fine for light work.

ootbitb

30-40 cc, 16in. bar

I used stihl for many years then changed five years ago to Jonsered.

next saw will be another Jonsered.

karrimor

sh1tstirrer wrote: »

I bought an aldi chainsaw for the same use as yourself and it does the job fine. It cost €100 with 3 years guarantee. You wouldn't cut down a forest with it but it's fine for light work.

but it is impossible to get part for a aldi chainsaw

reilig

karrimor wrote: »

but it is impossible to get part for a aldi chainsaw

3 year warranty is tempting though. €100 is a small investment for something that you are guaranteed 3 years out of. Don't have one myself, but bought an electric aldi chainsaw for a relation lately and its a pretty sturdy machine for €70.

JohnBoy

karrimor wrote: »

but it is impossible to get part for a aldi chainsaw

wasnt it the case that last year the aldi chainsaw changed, and it was a mcullogh in aldi clothing, and parts should be no bother for them.

iverjohnston

Hi kevthegaff,
lots of good saws out there, for €250 you will be restricted to smaller new saws. The most important thing in my opinion, is a top class supplier and backup. He will often have a selection of good used saws, that he will stand over.
You will use a small saw a lot more than a 65 to 85cc "Pro" saw. I have a stihl 044 and a little Stihl 170. The 170 is the perfect tool for fencing, cutting ivy off trees, clearing back scrub etc( and only €100 off ebay).and you can carry it all day. If you are doing firewood sawing mainly, a bigger one will be easier on itsself.
Just dont get caught by one of the Chinese copy "stihl" or "Husqvqrna" currently being flogged around markets and car boot sales. Looked at one in Cavan car boot sale last sunday, and only I have a genuine MS170 Stihl at home, I wouldn't have known the difference. I would be happy with Husqvarna, stihl, jonsered,Echo,Solo,Makita.

One other point, most makers have a few lines. home use, semi-professional (or farmer) and professional. Best to stick to the semi professional. And buy a pair if chainsaw boots, and a pair of "Type C, class 1" trousers. A neighbour recently cut his leg above the knee,right through the bone. He lived and kept the leg, but €100 looks cheap now. Iver in Cavan

ootbitb

very good point about the safety trousers, found this:

Chainsaw protection trousers are defined by EN 381-5. There are three types of leg protection:
Types A and B are intended for professional chainsaw wielders during usual wood harvest duty. Here, chainsaw protection is primarily limited to the front side of the legs.
Type C is to be employed by persons who usually do not use or are only expected to use chainsaws under exceptional circumstances.
Here the protection covers both front and rear side of the legs.
Chainsaw protection trousers are divided into 4 classes -
Class 0 - 16m/s
Class 1 - 20m/s
Class 2 - 24m/s
Class 3 - 28m/s

9935452

reilig wrote: »

3 year warranty is tempting though. €100 is a small investment for something that you are guaranteed 3 years out of. Don't have one myself, but bought an electric aldi chainsaw for a relation lately and its a pretty sturdy machine for €70.

If you only need a small saw buy the aldi one. If you only do a small bit of work it will do you a lifetime. if you do a lot it will breakdown within the 3 years and they will give you your money back, then buy another one and off you go again.
I have bought a few husqvarna 61 off ebay over the last 6 months, great chainsaw, powerful, old but very well made, they can be bought for 100-150 delivered to your door

Richk2012

reilig wrote: »

3 year warranty is tempting though. €100 is a small investment for something that you are guaranteed 3 years out of. Don't have one myself, but bought an electric aldi chainsaw for a relation lately and its a pretty sturdy machine for €70.

Personally i think Aldi are a bit of a hit or miss job .
Iv bought bits off them over the years such as sets of spanners , a trolly jack and an air compressor which are all still working fine , (touch wood) .

However i bought a wallchaser and screw gun at the same time and they were total rubbish .
Burnt both of them out in a two week peroid .
Having said that , once you keep the receipt its a refund , no issues .
So i suppose buying some of the work-gear is worth a gamble

sh1tstirrer

karrimor wrote: »

but it is impossible to get part for a aldi chainsaw

Parts can be got from the UK. It's the 45cc model I know of a few people that have them a few years and have no problems with them. For €100 you can't go wrong even if it gave up after 3 years that's €33.33 a year plus maintenance and running costs, it will hardly break you.

CJhaughey

FFS whats your time worth?
You get setup on a good day to do some work with a saw, with a good saw you can work all day and the saw won't miss a beat especially if you have several sharp chains.
You try the same thing with a POS Aldi or Lidl saw and after an hour or two it gives up the ghost.
Yeah sure you can go and get your 100 euro back but what about the job?
Is your time worth so little that you can afford to stop work for the day forget the setup and go and get your money back from the Supermarket that you got the chainsaw from?
If you have need for a saw at least make it a good one not some lump of **** that will break down in 6 mths.
Plenty of good older saws around that have years left in them, not months.

sh1tstirrer

CJhaughey wrote: »

FFS whats your time worth?
You get setup on a good day to do some work with a saw, with a good saw you can work all day and the saw won't miss a beat especially if you have several sharp chains.
You try the same thing with a POS Aldi or Lidl saw and after an hour or two it gives up the ghost.
Yeah sure you can go and get your 100 euro back but what about the job?
Is your time worth so little that you can afford to stop work for the day forget the setup and go and get your money back from the Supermarket that you got the chainsaw from?
If you have need for a saw at least make it a good one not some lump of **** that will break down in 6 mths.
Plenty of good older saws around that have years left in them, not months.

True if you want to cut down a forest on the other hand if you only have small bits and pieces like the op has the aldi chainsaw will do fine.

CJhaughey

sh1tstirrer wrote: »

True if you want to cut down a forest on the other hand if you only have small bits and pieces like the op has the aldi chainsaw will do fine.

Last I looked he was a Farmer. Thats a profession not a hobby.
If he can afford to feck about with mickey mouse stuff then that says a lot about the kind of operation he runs.
This is the Farming/Forestry forum, people that come here asking for advice should be at a certain level.
If they want advice on gardening theres a forum for that.
I've rebuilt lots of saws over the years, Huskies,Stihls,Solo, Shindaiwa, Oleo-mac etc.
The cost difference between a good secondhand saw and a POS is negligible and the power and longevity is huge.

kevthegaff

What about something like a husky 435 with a 16" blade?

JohnBoy

CJhaughey wrote: »

Last I looked he was a Farmer. Thats a profession not a hobby.
If he can afford to feck about with mickey mouse stuff then that says a lot about the kind of operation he runs.
This is the Farming/Forestry forum, people that come here asking for advice should be at a certain level.
If they want advice on gardening theres a forum for that.
I've rebuilt lots of saws over the years, Huskies,Stihls,Solo, Shindaiwa, Oleo-mac etc.
The cost difference between a good secondhand saw and a POS is negligible and the power and longevity is huge.

Jeesus CJ, relax yourself.


Are you aware that some farmers have only got tillage crops which for a lot of the year require nothing to be done to them?

Or suckler lads with nothing but dry cows to be fed and checked for the winter?

Hell even a good dairy farmer in all year round milking should be relatively free and easy during the afternoons in non peak times.

Not everyone is chasing their tail all day long, nor is everyone interested in rebuilding saws.



And would you care to post some tips on what someone with little/no experience of chainsaws should look for to identify a "good" second hand saw?

iverjohnston

Hi, kevthegaf, a Husky 435 or 445 would be excellent, but your not going to get a new one for under €400 I think, or a good bit more for the 445. Super saws though! I have a Husky 61 my dad bought new in 1984, typical farmers use, a few days hard work a year, then nothing for months. It has had a new carb about 15 years ago,( the guy using it reackoned himself an expert, and buggered up the adjustment screw seats) and a secondhand silencer some a few years later. Its had a tree fall on it, bounced around in a pick-up, and generally used and abused. still a powerfull saw and allways starts on 7th pull. (6 with choke out, then choke in, and away it goes) No chain brake on it, however. I have never used an Oleo-mac, but I have one of their strimmers, and thats been good for me. Still reackon your better dealing with an expert saw guy, rather than the local Co-op or wherever. Iver in Cavan.

iverjohnston

Hi again Kevthegaf,
If you are a bit of a gambler, have a look at this
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/STIHL-MS028-AVEQ-Wood-Boos-SUPER-18-Chainsaw-024-MS240-026-MS260-TOP-Working-/300786657253?_trksid=p4340.m1982&_trkparms=aid%3D555001%26algo%3DPW.CURRENT%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D29%26meid%3D2522142369423545859%26pid%3D100009%26prg%3D1013%26rk%3D4%26sd%3D251159773537%26

Super saw, if you win the auction, you will have a better saw than any supermarket model, and if it has undisclosed problems, at least you will get to know your nearest dealer!
Iver
PS Stihls with a white handle, are professional grade models, black handle one more for the home owner, light occasional user.

kevthegaff

theres a 435 with a 15" bar at mcquinnans in dublin for 416inc vat what ye think?

sh1tstirrer

JohnBoy wrote: »

Jeesus CJ, relax yourself.


Are you aware that some farmers have only got tillage crops which for a lot of the year require nothing to be done to them?

Or suckler lads with nothing but dry cows to be fed and checked for the winter?

Hell even a good dairy farmer in all year round milking should be relatively free and easy during the afternoons in non peak times.

Not everyone is chasing their tail all day long, nor is everyone interested in rebuilding saws.



And would you care to post some tips on what someone with little/no experience of chainsaws should look for to identify a "good" second hand saw?

Charlie must have got out the wrong side of the bed this morning, he's very ratty

kevthegaff

kevthegaff wrote: »

theres a 435 with a 15" bar at mcquinnans in dublin for 416inc vat what ye think?

Well lads what ye think of this?

iverjohnston

Well Kevthegaff, It should be a fine machine.Going to cost a bit above your original budget, but you would have a tool that should last decades. Husqvarnas website show it at about 430 plus vat, so you are about spot-on with price, allowing discount etc.
A new farm saw tends to be very heavily used for a month or so, and then the work tails off to occasional use. If you use good 2 stroke oil and mix it carefully, your engine should last thousands of hours. Iver in Cavan.

kevthegaff

iverjohnston wrote: »

Well Kevthegaff, It should be a fine machine.Going to cost a bit above your original budget, but you would have a tool that should last decades. Husqvarnas website show it at about 430 plus vat, so you are about spot-on with price, allowing discount etc.
A new farm saw tends to be very heavily used for a month or so, and then the work tails off to occasional use. If you use good 2 stroke oil and mix it carefully, your engine should last thousands of hours. Iver in Cavan.

sound iver gona buy it monday morning:)

iverjohnston

Kevthegaff, congratulations,

Please price protective trousers and boots, they might do a deal for you. (don't go bidding on thr Stihl trousers I'm after on ebay!)
Best of luck, and stay saffe.

Iver in Cavan

iverjohnston

http://www.acresinternet.com/cscc.nsf/58ec3441cc7c095d88256cfa001be33a/4dd78966a42572ee88256cfa004db71a?OpenDocument

tinofapples

Anyone any experience or opinions on either a Proplus 20" 50cc saw at €169 or a Homelite 20" 51cc one for similar money ? Impossible to get any details on the Proplus and I believe the Homelite is an American saw. Looking to get one within a €250 budget for light domestic use. If the lidl or aldi one was available soon I would probably take a chance on one of them.

Any opinions or recommendation ? I would consider 2nd hand but would be unsure as to how well it may or may not have been looked after.

sully123

lidl have an electric on on sale now. 70 yoyos i think.

tinofapples

sully123 wrote: »

lidl have an electric on on sale now. 70 yoyos i think.

Thanks for the reply buddy but I'm after a petrol one now. I've had a florabest electric and ryobi electric in the past. The florabest stopped working (Receipt misplaced) and I sold the ryobi a few months ago on adverts. Would like the power and portability of the petrol saw now.

jmrc

buy quality and it will always be serviceable.... I still have a MacCullagh Mac1010 in the shed bought new in 1971... a new chain and bar every fer year and away you go again. Always starts on the 7th pull, remember to run the tank dry if your leaving it up for a while and that way you can put fresh petrol/mix in when you need it.

"A lad that cuts his own firewood warms himself more than once"

tinofapples

jmrc wrote: »

buy quality and it will always be serviceable.... I still have a MacCullagh Mac1010 in the shed bought new in 1971... a new chain and bar every fer year and away you go again. Always starts on the 7th pull, remember to run the tank dry if your leaving it up for a while and that way you can put fresh petrol/mix in when you need it.

"A lad that cuts his own firewood warms himself more than once"

Husqvarna 135 with 14" bar on ebay based in louth for €210 + delivery of €15.

Might be best bet.

GY A1

tinofapples wrote: »

Anyone any experience or opinions on either a Proplus 20" 50cc saw at €169 or a Homelite 20" 51cc one for similar money ? Impossible to get any details on the Proplus and I believe the Homelite is an American saw. Looking to get one within a €250 budget for light domestic use. If the lidl or aldi one was available soon I would probably take a chance on one of them.

Any opinions or recommendation ? I would consider 2nd hand but would be unsure as to how well it may or may not have been looked after.

its around september that Lidl have their one,
got one myself 2 years ago and its A1 for occasional use, just added a new bar and chain there, for 100 euro
learn how to sharpen the chain and ur sorted, even better having a spare chain

tinofapples

I'm also considering this one from Amazon:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B005GXR13K/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A2K9CLANJ8L55P

gets very good reviews and at Lidl/Aldi price range.

tinofapples

tinofapples wrote: »

Husqvarna 135 with 14" bar on ebay based in louth for €210 + delivery of €15.

Might be best bet.

Had a look at one oe these locally at the weekend and it's pretty damn small. Back looking :rolleyes:

weekendfarmer

Bought a Husky 455 Rancher . Very heavy on petrol. After about 200 hundred hours the chain oiler cogs went on it.

Husky Dealer told me about a japanese brand .... begins with "T" forget name now. Seemingly a very good saw at half the husky money

iverjohnston

Possibly a Tanaka? If you google it, there are a surprising number of hits for this brand.

moy83

iverjohnston wrote: »

Possibly a Tanaka? If you google it, there are a surprising number of hits for this brand.

We have a small Tanaka for a good few years and couldnt find fault with it . Might be a bit louder than a similar husky or sthil but sure the ear muffs will sort that out

weekendfarmer

Tanaka .... yep thats her .... reminded me of the old husky 61 (now there was a saw)

iverjohnston

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HUSQVARNA-61-PROFESSIONAL-PETROL-CHAINSAW-/130870680327?pt=UK_Home_Garden_GardenPowerTools_CA&hash=item1e78801b07

Here you go, treat yourself to a "new-to-you" Husky 61!
he is only looking £165 sterling for it. Plus postage. It must be a later one, as it has the chain break.
Looks like a 1992 model, from the photo of the ID plate. 21 years old, just broken in!

tinofapples

Can Tanaka be purchased here in Ireland ?

weekendfarmer

Harrys Mowers & Cycles in Ennis do Tanaka

Commish

HI,
Just wondering has anyone here had any experience with Topsun chainsaws?? I went to look at Stihl and Husqy saws today (something with a 20" bar) and they are big money. The dealer then showed me a range he has also which are the Topsuns. They are made by a Chinese company. He had a good supply of spares for them and said the spares are easy come by too. I was looking at the 6220 model which is a 62cc saw with 20" bar. They are around the E350 mark which is fairly affordable. They come with an oregon bar also and the engine is manufactured in Germany from what I can make out. The dealer said he has had good feedback about them and highly recommended them. Im sort of swaying towards it as he could have pushed the Stihl or the Husqy on me where he might stand to make a few more quid but he says the Topsuns are a reliable saw, easy to work on, easy to get parts for and above all a lot more affordable for the semi-professionals. Anyone any views??

woodturner

If your going to choose between the Husqy and the Stihl I'd opt for the Stihl. The brake on the newer Husqies isn't great and you'll be forever bringing it back and getting it fixed.

Commish

Youre not the first to say that. A lot of people giving out about the new Husqies. Even the die hard Husqy fans are complaining about them.

sh1tstirrer

sh1tstirrer wrote: »

I bought an aldi chainsaw for the same use as yourself and it does the job fine. It cost €100 with 3 years guarantee. You wouldn't cut down a forest with it but it's fine for light work.

The aldi chainsaw is after lasting the winter and still going strong. I cut all the timber for the stove with it, maybe average cutting 10 minutes every second day The only problem I had was the cable for the throttle getting stuck on full throttle, simple fix. I also have a stihl 028 18" saw for the heavier work but it didn't get used during the winter as the carb screws need adjusting. Even if it fell apart right now I would be after getting the value out of it.

clarenman

A Husqvqrna is the only way to go,I have one for the last 8 years with absolutely no trouble,I don't cut a lot timber just enough for my fire.its a small one with a 16"blade a 345 or 435 i think

ootbitb

Commish wrote: »

HI,
Just wondering has anyone here had any experience with Topsun chainsaws?? I went to look at Stihl and Husqy saws today (something with a 20" bar) and they are big money. The dealer then showed me a range he has also which are the Topsuns. They are made by a Chinese company. He had a good supply of spares for them and said the spares are easy come by too. I was looking at the 6220 model which is a 62cc saw with 20" bar. They are around the E350 mark which is fairly affordable. They come with an oregon bar also and the engine is manufactured in Germany from what I can make out. The dealer said he has had good feedback about them and highly recommended them. Im sort of swaying towards it as he could have pushed the Stihl or the Husqy on me where he might stand to make a few more quid but he says the Topsuns are a reliable saw, easy to work on, easy to get parts for and above all a lot more affordable for the semi-professionals. Anyone any views??

Think I would pay the extra e150 or so for a Jonsered. Let someone else do the trialling.

iverjohnston

To be honest, I see no evidence of Chinese saws being anything but crap. Stick to a mainstream brand, and try and get a semi-pro/farmers grade of machine. I would rather give a local dealer (not shop, superstore etc) €330 for a good secondhand, and get an agreement to stand over it, than buy a new chinese saw and throw it in a skip in a months time.

sh1tstirrer

clarenman wrote: »

A Husqvqrna is the only way to go,I have one for the last 8 years with absolutely no trouble,I don't cut a lot timber just enough for my fire.its a small one with a 16"blade a 345 or 435 i think

I have my Stihl saw from new 1987. Nothing major ever went wrong with it. That's 26 years, I used to do a lot of cutting with it in the early years.

ABlur

Anyone have experience of McCulloch chain saws? I see my local Co-op Superstores has a demo day this saturday with the CS340 version available for €267.99.

SKIPPY150

Dont know too much about the new ones but had an old Mac 10 here for years and it was one hell of a good saw. Only thing about it was she was fairly heavy. When she finally gave up I bought an Oleo/mac think it was a 560. Absolutely loved that saw, tons of power and just a nice weight , had it for three or four years till some b*****d lifted it out of the shed on me. Easiest saw I ever started, only needed three pulls to go just make sure you get the one with the decompression switch on it. Shes not the cheapest think its around 600. All that said I have an Ama saw now that the missus got me and its not a bad saw either, not as easy started but you cant have everything:)

iverjohnston

ABlur wrote: »

Anyone have experience of McCulloch chain saws? I see my local Co-op Superstores has a demo day this saturday with the CS340 version available for €267.99.

They are part of the Husqvarna corporation now, the 340 is described as a "garden, pruning" model. See them new on the Net for about €160, plus postage. Dont know where they are built, could be Italy? But I have nothing against Italian stuff, got an Oleo-Mac strimmer, and it has been very good.