Requiem For The Chusky Chainsaw

  • Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.

    We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.

    We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
Status
Not open for further replies.
BrotherBart

BrotherBart

Modesterator
Staff member
Nov 18, 2005
33,399
Northern Virginia
www.243rdfreighttrain.org
As followers of this series will remember I bought a 52cc Chinese chainsaw off of eBay for $94 shipping included to see if they are as bad as everybody that seem to have never owned one says they are.

Three cords or so into cutting fresh green big red and white oak the clutch spider came apart. Replaced the clutch for twelve bucks off of eBay. An hour into running it after that the Carlton chain broke. Twenty minutes after replacing the chain today the saw locked up. Cursory inspection tonight without a complete teardown tells this old pro-class go kart racer that the rod bearing is history.Probably taking the crank with it.

The long and short of it is that the sucker was a lot of fun to cut with. Not something ya want to recommend to your father in law or parole officer reliability wise.

Actually I think I am gonna order another one. I have three more to go through before I have invested the money that a 52cc Husky would cost. ;)

Said I would tell it good or bad, and it ain't good.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ScotO
It is what it is........... As the saying goes.......

If it's cheaper that way and it does what you need? Then I see no Prob...

Good luck BB... May the next one last much longer ;)
 
I only needed a lighter saw to get through this four cord mess my neighbor had dropped in his yard. Hundred foot red and white oak yard trees. Knot and crotch city. Needed something lighter than that beast I have been hefting for twenty years. It got most of that done and answered a question. Sometimes ya just gotta play. ;lol The only downside is that it made me really, really want one of those light saws you guys have that I will never cut enough anymore to justify buying the thing. And along the way maybe somebody saves from not buying one of the Chinese saws based on this.

That twenty year old 65cc Poulan/Partner saw I have will, as I say often, rip a Pontiac in half. Problem is it weighs as much as a Pontiac. :confused:

I didn't get any surprises and can afford to play every once in a while. :) Just wanted to update.
 
Bigg_Redd said:
It might have been a steaming pile but at least you had to fix it a couple times before it sh_t the bed for good, eh?
Click to expand...

Lasted the average life of a loaf of bread. With more maintenance. ;lol
 
  • Like
Reactions: ScotO and MasterMech
Only 4 cords though... I mean, I could rip through that with my lightly modified Stihl 260 and have no issues... resharpen the chains a few times, refill the gas and oil tank, and that is it. No broken anything.

Another option would have been to buy a used Husky 346xp and blow through the wood, and then resell it for what you paid for it. Money ahead that way too... with far less risk.
 
Thanks for documenting your trial of the Chusky BB. You ran that thing more than most homeowners ever run a chainsaw, so maybe not such a bad deal for cleaning up the odd downed limb or something like that. If the chain doesn't break & take off an appendage on the way out.
If you do it again would you swap-out the chain? I think I'd be too freaked about the next one breaking.
 
I pulled Old Yaller out today and fired it up and will finish the job with it and the lil 142's. Stripped the covers off the Chusky today. There is a suspicious hole through the air cleaner element and rocking the flywheel back and fourth seems to have freed it up. It will be a hoot if it sucked a little piece of wood through the carb into the crankcase. Won't find out for a while. Too much other stuff to get done.
 
stranger things have happened.
 
Maybe the next one should have orange & white plastics on it? Should last forever that way..... ;lol
 
Good report.
Thanks BB. You gave a real nice eulogy!

I like to add:
"Though it would've been a nice to have saw, if you don't have a back up & you have the need to cut you good saw out of a tight bind." :)

May it RIP

Or at least "rest in a recycle bin some day"

PS: When's the "members only" memorial service ?
 
midwestcoast said:
Thanks for documenting your trial of the Chusky BB. You ran that thing more than most homeowners ever run a chainsaw, so maybe not such a bad deal for cleaning up the odd downed limb or something like that. If the chain doesn't break & take off an appendage on the way out.
If you do it again would you swap-out the chain? I think I'd be too freaked about the next one breaking.
Click to expand...

Did you read the part were it sh_t the bed for good after cutting 3 cord?
 
  • Like
Reactions: ScotO
Most Homeowners may use a chainsaw 1-2 times a year for only 1 hour. So in that case that saw would be ok. Should last them 10 years or so.
 
I'll stick with my old heavy magnesium Stihls. For a measly 200 bucks I have a 72cc saw that will cut and cut and cut and cut. Now it is a bit heavier and a bit slower than the plastic saws of today, but after almost 40 years it's still hammering through the wood. Cut around 25 cord with it last year alone, and already cut around 12 cord this year, mainly with that one saw. You just can't substitute the reliability the old stuff had.........
 
Scotty Overkill said:
I'll stick with my old heavy magnesium Stihls. For a measly 200 bucks I have a 72cc saw that will cut and cut and cut and cut. Now it is a bit heavier and a bit slower than the plastic saws of today, but after almost 40 years it's still hammering through the wood. Cut around 25 cord with it last year alone, and already cut around 12 cord this year, mainly with that one saw. You just can't substitute the reliability the old stuff had.........
Click to expand...

According to an online calculator, $200 spent on a product in 1972 (40 years ago) is the equivalent of spending $1,070 in 2011 (2012 data are not yet finalized). Wonder what you can buy for $1,070 from Stihl these days...

Or were you saying that you spent $200 (on some unspecified prior date) for a used 72cc Stihl?
 
DanCorcoran said:
According to an online calculator, $200 spent on a product in 1972 (40 years ago) is the equivalent of spending $1,070 in 2011 (2012 data are not yet finalized). Wonder what you can buy for $1,070 from Stihl these days...

Or were you saying that you spent $200 (on some unspecified prior date) for a used 72cc Stihl?
Click to expand...

A MS 460 with a 28" bar and 6 pack of oil is about that price..... After tax and everything....

And its in the 70cc category.
 
DanCorcoran said:
According to an online calculator, $200 spent on a product in 1972 (40 years ago) is the equivalent of spending $1,070 in 2011 (2012 data are not yet finalized). Wonder what you can buy for $1,070 from Stihl these days...

Or were you saying that you spent $200 (on some unspecified prior date) for a used 72cc Stihl?
Click to expand...
Thats what I have invested in it, since I bought it and tuned it up three years ago.......
 
Scotty Overkill said:
Thats what I have invested in it, since I bought it and tuned it up three years ago.......
Click to expand...

We should all be so lucky (or so knowledgeable, so as to avoid buying a boat anchor).
 
Old Yaller the 65cc Poulan/Partner saw cost me six hundred in 1989 dollars. Which would translate to a major chunk of change today. As would the eight hundred for the Duerr splitter in 1988.

Things are cheaper these days folks believe it or not.

ETA: Just checked. That would be eleven hundred for the saw and fifteen hundred for the splitter in today's dollars.
 
BrotherBart said:
Old Yaller the 65cc Poulan/Partner saw cost me six hundred in 1989 dollars. Which would translate to a major chunk of change today. As would the eight hundred for the Duerr splitter in 1988.

Things are cheaper these days folks believe it or not.

ETA: Just checked. That would be eleven hundred for the saw and fifteen hundred for the splitter in today's dollars.
Click to expand...


Most folks here would choke at the thought of a 65cc saw for $1100!

$1500 on the splitter doesn't seem so bad tho.
 
Well, keep in mind guys that we pay dirt for chainsaw stateside. In places like Japan, Europe and Australia they pay about double what we pay for them here.
 
MasterMech said:
Most folks here would choke at the thought of a 65cc saw for $1100!

$1500 on the splitter doesn't seem so bad tho.
Click to expand...

Geez... I paid $500 for my first 361 new when they first came out. That is only 59cc though.
 
Here's a link to the converter (nominal dollars to real dollars) for anyone interested. Note that when you get the answer, there are several different choices, depending on what you are trying to measure. The one of most interest for those on this site is the "commodity - real price" answer.

http://www.measuringworth.com/uscompare/
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

R
Saw alert! Husky Husqvarna 240
Replies
16
Views
5K
The Gear
PaulOinMA
PaulOinMA
webfish
  • Locked
Wood Fuel CHAINSAW WISDOM
Replies
0
Views
3K
Articles
webfish
webfish
BrotherBart
  • Locked
Update On The Chusky Chinese Chainsaw
Replies
12
Views
4K
The Gear
mecreature
mecreature
Shari
  • Locked
Dolmar 420 issue.....
Replies
21
Views
6K
The Gear
PapaDave
PapaDave
BrotherBart
  • Locked
Update on the Chusky Saw
Replies
20
Views
5K
The Gear
Jags
Jags
Top Bottom
Back