Chainsaws, off-brand

[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/40455101525...5172f13a1f2512

$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.
IMG_1062.jpg

[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
20240104_160533 (800 x 600).jpg

[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
Taryl Fixes All may be a total goof ball but he knows his stuff.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2C...FakV7ChvU_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.