Chainsaws

[RizzoTheRat]

Keeping an eye on a couple of second hand Stihl's on ebay as an alternative to keep borrowing a mates Ryobi, but I've seen several ads for Woodfield saws which seem ridiculously cheap (£70 for a 61.5cc with 20" blade, or £90 with an Oregon bar and chain). I'm thinking if it looks to good to be true there's probably a reason, anyone got one?

[RizzoTheRat]

Stihl would be my preference as it's what my father's always had, but wondering if a cheapy one is going to be good enough for the job of chopping up firewood every year or more hassle than it's worth. The Ryobi I've borrowed isn't great but it gets the job done.

[RizzoTheRat]

That's a fair point. It's a choice between a second hand Stihl or a new cheapo one really.

[RizzoTheRat]

I did wonder about an electric one but then I'd still need to borrow a petrol one to dismember trees to a size I can fit in the car. you can even get rechargeable ones these days but no idea how powerful they are and 20 mins battery life could get frustrating.

Got my eye on a Stihl MS170 on e-bay that's collection only (so hopefully keep the price down and unlikely to be stolen IMO) and looks to be in good condition. Only 30cc and 12" cut but probably enough for what I want. However earlier comment about people only getting rid of them when they're a problem has got me wondering if it's worth spending double on a new one knowing I can always sell it for a decent price. It sounds like several people have had cheap ones without major issues too.

My main trouble is I'm a skinflint and don't want to spend too much cash on a saw in order to save money on gas central heating

[RizzoTheRat]

Well having watched a few second hand ones on ebay they do seem to go for silly money. I've just seen a second hand Stihl MS170 go for £30 less than I can buy it new in a local dealer!

Think it's going to have to be a toss up between a factory refurbished McCulloch for £100 or £180 for an entry level Stihl new.

[RizzoTheRat]

I can see why they're more dangerous, but what's the advantage of a top handler?

[RizzoTheRat]

Timmy40 said:

treehack said:

Funny you should say that, we were in a saw shop yesterday looking at a pair of Stihl chainsaw trousers wondering why they were so cheap(£80). Looked durable bet felt very light, asked the guy in the shop and he said " there no good for you boys, wouldn't stop your saws, they are more for a home owner!!"
Now we don't use anything that anyone from here couldn't go and buy which we sort of thought was rather worrying

Strange. My ones feel very solid, I bought them 4 years ago though so perhaps they've changed suppliers.

Probably due to the different specs available, Type A only cover the front of the leg while Type C cover the whole leg, and then there are different classes for different chain speeds. An occasional home user is generally using a slower chain than a pro and therefore doesn't need as high a level of protection.

Edited by RizzoTheRat on Thursday 29th January 11:31