Chinese chainsaw "wemars"

[JA600L]

Hi guys,
I used to have a Poulan Pro 5020av and it bit the dust. I planned on buying a better saw but ended up on Amazon. Temptation won and I got a $120 Wemars 62cc with a 20" .
I had very low expectations for this saw but boy was I wrong. It is an incredibly powerful and reliable saw. It sliced up a 35" red oak trunk without bogging. I've had it now since February and got a lot of cutting in. I absolutely love how it feels and cuts.
A few months ago I got a good deal on a Stihl MS250. The Stihl is a fantastic saw for lighter cutting. However, the Wemars eats it for breakfast when it comes to power and performance.
So I considered the idea of getting a Stihl Pro saw but the Wemars sort of fits the bill. Has anybody else had similar experiences?
I wish I could find out more information as far as replacement parts and service. It appears like some Chinese company is making these saws and they are being sold in different variations and brands. Had anybody dug deeper?

 

[peakbagger]

Lots of threads on chinese saws. Some are good most are bad. Good luck on parts and durability.

 

[salecker]

Hi guys,
I used to have a Poulan Pro 5020av and it bit the dust. I planned on buying a better saw but ended up on Amazon. Temptation won and I got a $120 Wemars 62cc with a 20" .
I had very low expectations for this saw but boy was I wrong. It is an incredibly powerful and reliable saw. It sliced up a 35" red oak trunk without bogging. I've had it now since February and got a lot of cutting in. I absolutely love how it feels and cuts.
A few months ago I got a good deal on a Stihl MS250. The Stihl is a fantastic saw for lighter cutting. However, the Wemars eats it for breakfast when it comes to power and performance.
So I considered the idea of getting a Stihl Pro saw but the Wemars sort of fits the bill. Has anybody else had similar experiences?
I wish I could find out more information as far as replacement parts and service. It appears like some Chinese company is making these saws and they are being sold in different variations and brands. Had anybody dug deeper?

View attachment 286302

It's a husky clone...
Most Husky parts will fit it

 

[DodgyNomad]

They will work. You'll have to tinker with it more often, and you will see some durability issues as it ages. Keep ethanol free fuel in it and check all the fasteners from time to time, as they have a tendency to back themselves out.

 

[SpaceBus]

Lots of threads on chinese saws. Some are good most are bad. Good luck on parts and durability.

The issue with the Chinese saws is that machine operators, for whatever reason, try to get more life out of a tool than it really should be providing. Die grinder bits get worn out, drills get dull, so on and so forth and some of the parts, or maybe the whole saw, are out of spec and things don't work. Going by reviews of Chinese products about 15% of customers end up unsatisfied, and usually the manufacturer/Amazon/the vendor will make it right.

 

[JA600L]

The issue with the Chinese saws is that machine operators, for whatever reason, try to get more life out of a tool than it really should be providing. Die grinder bits get worn out, drills get dull, so on and so forth and some of the parts, or maybe the whole saw, are out of spec and things don't work. Going by reviews of Chinese products about 15% of customers end up unsatisfied, and usually the manufacturer/Amazon/the vendor will make it right.

That's the thing though... The saw I got is definitely not a throw away saw. I have had zero problems with it. My question about support is valid for the quality of the product. Chinese or not it is a quality product.

 

[SpaceBus]

That's the thing though... The saw I got is definitely not a throw away saw. I have had zero problems with it. My question about support is valid for the quality of the product. Chinese or not it is a quality product.

I have plenty of Chinese stuff, very few appliances, tools, etc. are made outside of China these days. Even American brands have a lot of stuff made in China, but they have tighter QC than an all Chinese outfit. Sounds like you are one of the 85% that got a solid product. Most of the stuff I get from China works pretty well, but isn't durable. In that case I replace the worn out stuff with higher quality parts. A lot of guys like to buy the chainsaw castings from China and put OEM Stihl or Husky parts in them.

 

[peakbagger]

It's all about quality control and tolerances. Quality control has to start at the material supplier. If the raw material is crap then the parts made from it will have defects. If the tooling and operators are not good the tolerances will be wide. A good assembler can pick through a pile of parts and find the good ones and build a good unit. Unfortunately, those out of tolerance and defective parts need to be used as the margins are slim. Maybe during the initial delivery of the product to the wholesaler the factory will send only the good ones so they get future orders but at some point the ones made out of the crap parts have to go somewhere. They may get mixed into the next shipment or they may get repainted and sold to a secondary market.

I bought a cheap Chinese vise years ago. It was rough casting in spots but in other spots it did not look bad. Over the years I would occasionally hit the vise and frequently a piece of filler would pop out. It finally failed and while I was scrapping it I took a chisel to the casting. It turned out the rough castings were mostly cast iron but someone had taken even worst castings and filled it with something that looked like Bondo and filled all the holes and porosities then sanded it down before painting. It lasted but when I did the autopsy, it was bad threaded shaft inside the vise that failed. I got 20 years off of it before it broke. No doubt if I had bought a Wilton 20 years ago, it would still be ready to go.

 

[brenndatomu]

That's the thing though... The saw I got is definitely not a throw away saw. I have had zero problems with it. My question about support is valid for the quality of the product. Chinese or not it is a quality product.

You got lucky with yours...chinese saws are well known for very spotty quality...some years back I built a farmertec Stihl 660 clone kit, its been fine for how I use it, but I don't use it that much (main reason I was willing to take the gamble) and when I built it I inspected and culled out any parts that seemed questionable...replaced with OEM. The only failure I've had was the chain adjuster, but then even the OEM one didn't fit that well due to a poorly made housing...some shimming fixed that.
If I had to buy one now I'd very likely not do a clone again...I guess my feelings on "copycat thieves" has evolved since then...really trying to "buy USA" now, but that is obviously not always possible...

 

[SpaceBus]

You got lucky with yours...chinese saws are well known for very spotty quality...some years back I built a farmertec Stihl 660 clone, its been fine for how I use it, but I don't use it that much (main reason I was willing to take the gamble) and when I built it I inspected and culled out any parts that seemed questionable...replaced with OEM. The only failure I've had was the chain adjuster, but then even the OEM one didn't fit that well due to a poorly made housing...some shimming fixed that.
If I had to buy one now I'd very likely not do a clone again...I guess my feelings on "copycat thieves" has evolved since then...really trying to "buy USA" now, but that is obviously not always possible...

Are there any USA made chainsaws? Even my 395xp mill saw was made in Brazil, not even a real Swedish Husky. I bet most of the electric saws are made in China, especially the Dewalt models.

 

[brenndatomu]

Are there any USA made chainsaws?

I know some of the Stihls are "built here", probably a few others too...no American owned/built stuff that I know of though...

 

[JA600L]

I consider my Stihl MS250 to be my main saw. There is definitely a difference in quality between the Stihl and the Wemars. The Wemars clearly has more power and is reliable enough that no breakdowns have occurred under heavy use. That tells me that with basic maintenance and care the Wemars saw could last a long time.

 

[peakbagger]

I think my Husky was made in Canada.

 

[Diabel]

I think my Husky was made in Canada.

The only huskies we have here are 4 legged!

 

[salecker]

We get a few Husky 2 legged girls around here...

 

[mcdougy]

The only huskies we have here are 4 legged!

We get a few Husky 2 legged girls around here...

Huskies are most prevelant in the Walmart setting here....

 

[Turbo89]

I’m reviving this thread from the dead! How’s the Wemara saw been holding up? I’ve had the same saw with a 20” bar for about a year and it’s ran great. I’m thinking about putting a 24” bar on it, as it seems to have more than enough power.

Have you been running the stock bar and chain or have you made upgrades?

 

[salecker]

I’m reviving this thread from the dead! How’s the Wemara saw been holding up? I’ve had the same saw with a 20” bar for about a year and it’s ran great. I’m thinking about putting a 24” bar on it, as it seems to have more than enough power.

Have you been running the stock bar and chain or have you made upgrades?

Make sure you run a good mix of oil in it at least 32:1 of good quality oil.

 

[salecker]

I have a 660 clone for the last 4 years...
It`s still in the box it came in as i think that is probably the best way to keep it reliable.
I won it and can`t for the life of me get excited about putting it together. Even got a ported jug and piston for it.
I would rather work on saws from the 40`s and 50`s
As for working saws i have a pile of Stihls and Huskys that i fix and use. Once they have been used for a few loads of wood i sell them.

 

[Whitenuckler]

Hi guys,
I used to have a Poulan Pro 5020av and it bit the dust. I planned on buying a better saw but ended up on Amazon. Temptation won and I got a $120 Wemars 62cc with a 20" .
I had very low expectations for this saw but boy was I wrong. It is an incredibly powerful and reliable saw. It sliced up a 35" red oak trunk without bogging. I've had it now since February and got a lot of cutting in. I absolutely love how it feels and cuts.
A few months ago I got a good deal on a Stihl MS250. The Stihl is a fantastic saw for lighter cutting. However, the Wemars eats it for breakfast when it comes to power and performance.
So I considered the idea of getting a Stihl Pro saw but the Wemars sort of fits the bill. Has anybody else had similar experiences?
I wish I could find out more information as far as replacement parts and service. It appears like some Chinese company is making these saws and they are being sold in different variations and brands. Had anybody dug deeper?

View attachment 286302

I picked up a Craftsman this year on clearance and posted a comment. It did the job that needed to be done, and yesterday I fired it up up again to cut up some big branches. Recently I see Vevor is selling one like yours. Probably the same factory just different part numbers for a few things. For the price I paid I am happy, as I will only be using it only once and while. I have a 120V electric one for small stuff also. For parts, you should just get another saw and have every part, or run two saws and if something goes wrong, you still have one and can search parts then. That is the drawback with the off-brand cheap saws, no product service/parts.

 

[Turbo89]

Make sure you run a good mix of oil in it at least 32:1 of good quality oil.

It’s funny, the saw says on it 50:1, but the package and manual said 40:1. Haha

I’ve been running 40:1 that I mix, but at the end if last season I picked up a can of the pre-mixed ethanol free VP racing 40:1 pre-mix. I tried to put that in for the “last tank” of the day so if it sits for months the gas doesn’t turn to water.

 

[blades]

i find the stuff in the cans at the stores are way over priced. Here i can get non ethanol at the station, which what i use. as far as the mix ratio I am some where between 40& 50 to 1 closer to 50 than 40 . My units have been ok. But If I were to say run a 40 to1 then they have to be re-tuned same for 32 to 1. manuals say 50 to 1 for my my dollies last 20 years But the 112 dolmar and my stilh 084 are from a time when 40 to 1 was prevailent, run the same mix in those two. In the old days we just used regular oil, now we have supposedly better dedicated 2 stroke oils.

 

[Turbo89]

I agree the can stuff is way too expensive, which is why I mix my own (and use an ethanol gas rated fuel stabilizer); but I can’t get ethanol free near here. It’s alright, if it’s getting old I cycle it through the lawn mower blended with regular gas; I just don’t want it to sit in the chainsaw fit extended times.

Interesting thought in using regular oil… I “inherited” about 30 quarts of questionably aged oil, maybe I should start using that!🤣 I just use it in my push mower and log splitter now.

 

[John Mc]

Interesting thought in using regular oil… I “inherited” about 30 quarts of questionably aged oil, maybe I should start using that!🤣 I just use it in my push mower and log splitter now.

I would definitely NOT run regular motor oil as 2 cycle mix oil (I don't care what people did "back in the day"). I might consider using it for bar oil - the worst that would happen there is premature bar wear.

For fuel, if you are interested in non-ethanol options, try some of the small airports. I recommend staying away from 100LL aviation fuel - it's a leaded fuel. Tetraethyl lead is a potent neurotoxin - you really do not want to be breathing in the exhaust from a chainsaw that is just a couple of feet from your nose. Some of these airports carry unleaded aviation fuel which is 94 octane (Avgas octane is measured differently than autogas. By auto gas standards, it's 98 octane.) It's not cheap compared to auto gas, but it's a heck of a lot cheaper than the canned premix stuff.

Here in Vermont, some of our gas stations carry non-ethanol premium fuel. They jack the price up a bit, but it's still a good bit cheaper than Aviation fuel (and a whale of a lot cheaper than the canned stuff). I run it in all of my small engines.

 

[salecker]

I agree the can stuff is way too expensive, which is why I mix my own (and use an ethanol gas rated fuel stabilizer); but I can’t get ethanol free near here. It’s alright, if it’s getting old I cycle it through the lawn mower blended with regular gas; I just don’t want it to sit in the chainsaw fit extended times.

Interesting thought in using regular oil… I “inherited” about 30 quarts of questionably aged oil, maybe I should start using that!🤣 I just use it in my push mower and log splitter now.

Bar oil...