Arborist Saw Insanity

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MrWhoopee

MrWhoopee

Minister of Fire
Sep 27, 2011
692
Shingletown, Northern California (elev. 4000 ft.)
MrWhoopee said:
My Stihl 009L has become so popular for limbing with my cutting partners (I have a hard time getting my hands on it) that I decided to look for another arborist saw. I've been watching CL and eBay and seeing some crazy prices. This one takes it:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Brand-New-Stihl-Ms-200t-/271253158142?pt=US_Chainsaws&hash=item3f27f2b8fe

Over $1000 for an MS-200T?!! WTF? Can anybody explain this to me ?
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I think that saw sells for $600 new at the dealership. Do you need a pro saw? My 192 was only $400 with accessories and extra chains and case.

$1,000 is an awful lot when you can buy directly from a local dealer for a lot less and get support.
 
The MS 151 is my next saw. 6 pounds. Awesome...everyone lusts after the big saws and ignores the featherweight models allowing you to work without fatigue for extended periods.
 
The 200T is no longer available and the holy grail for in the tree professionals .......the type of guys that can make a grand in a mornings work.

It has been replaced by the stratofied 201T with bad reviews from the pros.
 
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Oh and its worldwide shipping. In Germany its cheaper to buy here and have it shipped.
 
HittinSteel said:
The 200T is no longer available and the holy grail for in the tree professionals .......the type of guys that can make a grand in a mornings work.
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Kinda like a Stradivarius.
 
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MrWhoopee said:
Over $1000 for an MS-200T?!! WTF? Can anybody explain this to me ?
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Those ads are targeted to people overseas, who generally pay 2x what we do for chainsaws in the US (yes, we get to buy chainsaws cheap here). The 200T is no longer made and they were very popular arborist saws, so they want a ransom for any new ones. If you want that size saw, get the newer 201T (they are not that much different than the older 200T).
 
I guess I should have said that I'm not looking for a new saw. I thought I paid too much for my low mileage 009L with a new carb at $175. A similar one just closed on eBay for $162 + $40 shipping. I may have to readjust my expectations or tell my friends to get their own. Maybe CL is a better bet.
 
I'm building an MS170 for my youngest son (he's 12) so he can start learning the basics on our tree jobs.....he's ready.
They are relatively cheap and easy to get parts for......look around fleabay for one that needs minor repairs.
 
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Scotty Overkill said:
I'm building an MS170 for my youngest son (he's 12) so he can start learning the basics on our tree jobs.....he's ready.
They are relatively cheap and easy to get parts for......look around fleabay for one that needs minor repairs.
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Good point. I'd kind of gotten fixated on an arborist saw, but it doesn't have to be. Just small, light and relatively powerful.
 
MrWhoopee said:
My Stihl 009L has become so popular for limbing with my cutting partners (I have a hard time getting my hands on it) that I decided to look for another arborist saw. I've been watching CL and eBay and seeing some crazy prices. This one takes it:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Brand-New-Stihl-Ms-200t-/271253158142?pt=US_Chainsaws&hash=item3f27f2b8fe

Over $1000 for an MS-200T?!! WTF? Can anybody explain this to me ?
Click to expand...
I really like my little Echo CS 346 , 7.5 lbs ,got it off CL for $60
 

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I've seen new in the box 200Ts go for $1500. The reason is the same as it was for the MS440. People resist change. It's human nature. The 200T was a proven performer and the 201T in stock form offers little if any improvement over the 200T other than fuel economy and emissions. It has been proven however that the 201T can easily be made to out-perform a 200T. But out of the box, it's not the fireball the 200T was.
 
Just get another brand...... stihls really hold their value without much reason as compared to other quality brands.
 
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My Husky T435 top handle limbing saw has all the cheap plastic feel of any Husky, but more cc's in a 7 lb. package than any Stihl you can buy today. $400 new.
 
I had an Echo CS 2000 for several years, but that thing just fell apart on me over time. I got tired of fixing it. You can bash Stihl all you want, but their saws last forever if taken care of as compared to other brand saws that I have owned (including Husky, Echo, Tanaka, Poulan, Mac and Olympic).
 
There's are very lengthy thread over on arboristsite about the Echo 355T. It's not as good as the 200T or a modded 201T, but it can be had for about half the cost and seems to perform well.
 
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HittinSteel said:
Guess the rest of the saw companies should just close their doors
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That would be like saying all car companies but Mercedes should close their doors.

(ducking and running)
 
HittinSteel said:
Just get another brand...... stihls really hold their value without much reason as compared to other quality brands.
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Two major players in this game, both have enough financial resources to market their product adequately. One handily outsells the other day in and day out, even without the help of the major home centers. Haters will hate but the proof of the puddin' is still in the eatin' and if it was sour, the current sales lead Stihl enjoys would have evaporated a long time ago.

Husky is very popular with saw enthusiasts for good reason but not everyone treats their equipment with the same reverence. Mufflers vibrating loose, relatively fragile rear handle/fuel tank assemblies, short-lived crank seals, are all minor annoyances to the enthusiast crowd but cost real money to those who use the saws day in and day out.
 
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HittinSteel said:
Guess the rest of the saw companies should just close their doors
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I could care less what they do, really. From my personal experience having owned I dunno, a hundred or so saws, I only have one saw brand left after buying and using and offing the rest over the years. Here in the wild west in the land of big trees, there was only one saw brand I ever saw at logging camps in the woods, and that was Stihl. Day in and day out, the fallers choice of saw. Also by a huge majority, the arborist saw of choice here is also Stihl. Like it or not, that is the way that it is. They are the preferred saw for professionals in these parts. There are also more than 10:1 Stihl chainsaw dealerships to any other saw company here as well. This is Stihl country.

So here in the PNW at least, it would really not matter if the rest closed up shop or not. The one (yes, ONE) Husky dealer around here that has any pro saw inventory is way across town. I have bought many saws from them. There are no Dolmar dealers around here that have any kind of inventory. I looked into becoming a Dolmar dealer here once, but the PNW distributor is a really bad company to work with. Echo, Redmax and the rest are here and there, but you really have to hunt around to dig them up. Or you can get the low end cheapie stuff at the big box stores. Or take a chance and buy on FleaBay. No thanks...
 
I don't think stating there are other quality brands out there besides stihl and commenting that the used prices are high is bashing them. Heck, I have 3 stihls right now, a little 170 and 2 dinosaurs (031/041), I've owned a 260, 036 and a 660. But as far as personal saws I like the Husky XP's. Lower weight, better ergonomics and anti vibe and I have found no data, besides outliers that show they are any less durable than the stihl pro saws.

Your free to only own stihl. But when someone is asking about there outlandish prices and looking to buy used, there just may be other options out there.
 
HittinSteel said:
Your free to only own stihl. But when someone is asking about there outlandish prices and looking to buy used, there just may be other options out there.
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I would think a NIB 346XP, or 372XP (the 74cc version) would fetch a nice premium.....
 
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