Here’s the list of products reviewed. More details in the video description. Thank you! FARMMAC (high end version): amzn.to/3rIPUdE Stihl MS-661: Available at Stihl Retailers
Once you have to clean up a pile or two of (used/dirty/smelly) cat litter after a cheap garbage bag splits and spills its contents on your floor, you tend to buy the premium garbage bags. That said, I agree, I'd like to see a test of them, and the "weight of wet cat litter before busting" test would be a great thing to include.
I have a farmertec g660, and I'd say your test results are pretty accurate. I went ahead and put a (modified) dual port muffler on mine, which helped. I've run close to 10 gal of fuel through it. It slowly improved over the first 5 gal or so, but so would a Stihl 660. I would never say that mine will beat a Stihl in a head to head match up, but the $1,000 I saved makes for one heck of a consolation prise 😂
@garythayer9673 I do most of my own work on my saws. If you buy a clone, you need to be willing and able to wrench on them. Oftentimes, you'll need to replace a couple of parts pretty quickly, especially the screws/bolts that attach the handle and felling spikes. Those should be replaced before the saw is even assembled. The starter pawl is often weak. Sometimes, you get one with a bad clutch and/or oil pump.
I just bought the ms250 because of the other video you did showing it as the winner. I love it! had a stack of firewood from a fallen tree in no time. Thanks for your great videos!
Bought a MS 250 new, had it tuned and run from a Stihl dealer, ran it dry, stored it in AC for 2 yrs, and played hell getting it to run, when I finally got it started, I cut about 15 minutes of logs and it burnt up..talk about pissed. My Craftsman way outlasted my Stihl, well wouldn't take much..15minutes.. honestly, I abused that Craftsman and it finally melted..years later and many trees, and roots, ha.. I truly had a bad experience with my Stihl.. am afraid to purchase another.. so, 450$ for the Farmac.. how can you go wrong.. we never know what parts are going into our products these days, anyway.
Wow! I just noticed you're almost at 3 MILLION subs!!! Let me just say that you've earned every one of those subs with your fair, accurate & unbiased testing methods...good job Todd! Let there be no doubt, hands down...YOU ARE THE MAN!!
Of course there's a price difference, the Chinese didn't have to do any R&D, they just take a western design and copy it shamelessly. The more we support this by buying the "cheap" product, the more Western companies products will cost, and the less of them there will be, until this industry looks like power tools, batteries, and so many others where there are no real western options any more.
Same here. And sometimes I can't even get the same brands he has access to in the US, but I simply love the content. Dude is really knowledgeable and charismatic
haha! Same here, I bought a DeWalt electric based on his review and it's fantastic. There's no chance I'll even get something this big but my weekend is not complete until I watch the latest PF vid.
Having ran both a real 660 a 661 daily and having the farmer tec 660 at home. To me the biggest difference is the 661 has the spring antivibe instead of the rubber grommet antivibe. Also I think the 661 leans a little more into the hp/ revvy side than the torquey side compared to the older saws. For the price it’s hard to beat the Chinese saws if you don’t mind working on them a little more
This comes down to the design of the engine, aspects like blowdown degrees, transfer port height, exhaust port height, when they created the 361 they shifted from low rev torque to high rev power because of one thing... emmisions, the changes they made directly influenced the amount of low end torque they made, on the 361 it really works but on the 461, 661, 462, 662 it turned the ol great torque monsters into "you better not get bound otherwise you wont have the balls to throttle out of it" Stratified transferports are the big one, lower transferport velocity requires lower muffler flow and a late tranfer port opening just to keep some unburnt fuel from going out the muffler they completely changed the entire way these saws are designed and every change is in a harmful way for how a saw should be designed. Ignition timing must be advanced due to the leaner mixtures and poor piston blow down Mufflers became much more restrictive ( not only do they harm your low end torque but the muffler limits your top end dramatically) Couldnt pay me to use one of those saws... i love my 361 because knowing how it runs i can keep up with my buddy with a farmertec 660 yet use less gas, less vibration and a lighter saw. I also ported and practically blueprinted this 361 and the 660 farmertect is bone stock lol
No clue I got 3 G660, and they were all pretty nice out-of-the-box with RPM 12.5k-13.3k unlike his which is under 10k. They probably messed up his carb settings, or sometimes it can be fuel related. I mix my fuel myself and here in Europe we have only 95 and 98 octane (not going to use 100+ racing on a chainsaw)
I use a chainsaw occasionally and have a Homelite 16" that ~20 years old. With the exception of a few primer bulbs, plugs, and chains it's been exceptionally reliable. I use non -ethanol and synthetic 2 stroke oil. If I needed a saw this big (arms stretched way out) I'd snap up that off brand in a second! What a fantastically thorough and brutal test!!! Once again you have our undivided attention!
@@LitheInLitotes oh obviously. Still running and working perfectly after 20 years in the state of Florida. Total garbage. You must be some kind of Super Jenius.
@@_BAD_MERC_ 33 year old Homelite XL. Great little saw--has never failed me. Have replaced the fuel lines and rebuilt the carb once, that's it. Crazy thing is that it's lighter than my Makita rechargeable.
I tune the carb on every small engine I own. Chainsaws, blowers, lawn mowers, dirt bikes and rc cars. You can greatly improve performance and efficiency if you know what you are doing. Then you can get into replacing the jets on certain carbs. I notice with high performance or modded engines (like the ported Zenoah brand engines in my rc cars and rc boats) that even temperature and air quality greatly effect the tune. Or change in elevation will effect any engine.
Todd adjusted the carburator AND used the Stihl chain. You can adjust a carburator and the ignition timing by listening as long as you have some experience in tuning. 😉
Very well done! I am glad you swapped the bar and chain around and fixed the tune. Nothing really debatable left on the table. That is what my chainsaw dyno shows, the clone 660 are always a fuzz behind where the oem 661 in power output. They have a place for sure. Even after porting and modification the clone 660 struggles to match the 661 in power/cut speed. Thank you for doing this test.
Have you matched the clone’s compression/squish to the 661? Just based on the pull cord it seems that the 661 has that advantage going for it. It would be interesting to swap parts back and forth and see exactly which part of the Stihl offers the extra power.
I spent about 15 years trimming trees in my younger years and wished I could have afforded the Stihl as vibration hurts your hands . Great video again!
For trimming trees you really can't go wrong with an electric saw. Basically no vibration, and cheap. I use a $100 corded 10" worx polesaw/chainsaw I got from lowes 5 years ago and it's fantastic. Felling trees is a different story.
This man is a saint. He has very high production value yet, he still shows you all of his mistakes. He buys all the products he tests to avoid biasing the test results. He's ingenious with some of the ways he tests things. There's a big difference between lab testing and testing out on a farm.
I would like to see how that clone performs with a a couple minor upgrades. Carb, air filter and muffler. The way it sounded in the cut just sounded like an air/fuel problem. Another great video! We can always count on you for quality content with zero bs.
Yes, thank you for adjusting the carb in this video. It obviously made a huge difference in performance. Id be curious about the no load speed after adjustment. Adjusting the carb was a big improvement in this video test compared to the previous saw tests.
Just with a better chain, and a minor carb adjust, it already performs almost as good as the stihl. Adding that fact saving $1200, good enough for odd jobs.
I have an F660V. It turns 12500rpm since I got it. It eats wood quite quickly. I've purchased a Dual port muffler which seems to have helped also. The V model has a Walbro carb, Italian coil, NGK spark plug. The stock chain is full chisel which is surprising because if you read the ad it says semi chisel. I would highly recommend the saw to anyone wanting Sthil power without the price. Will it last as long? Probably not but a replacement cylinder that's quality is about $120. Cheap ones are $40 ish but I wouldn't recommend them.
Great test as always! The Farmmac saw is definitely a ok saw for the price and its great saw to have for those trees that are to large for your regular saw.
Awesome video, have used a farmertec 660 saw for about 2 years now and has never skipped a beat. Will always take my stihl 660 as back up just incase. I found with the farmertec the carb was a bit off as mentioned, so I put on a stihl 660 carb from an old saw and goes good as new. Definitely vibrates a bit more than the stihl. But for firewood cutting and beating on a saw the saw the farmertec is the go
I've had the farmmac for about 8 months now. Had a few problems with it and replaced those parts with Stihl parts. All I use it for is milling. Considering it's 1/4 the cost, it's a workhorse. Hundreds of boardfeet with very few issues.
@@shawnthomas7404 maybe it was a different brand, it's been a while since I saw that vid but it makes sense to me cuz the guts are what take all the abuse.
@@chrimony Don´t be so sure, maybe if you work with the chainsaw for only a couple of months a year, but if you work every day with the chainsaw reliability is a big thing, not to mention situations where you can not carry a spare chainsaw
@@antoniosemedo5640 Horses for courses. But even in the professional setting, it's probably worth having a backup saw, and putting a cheap one through its paces could be a worthwhile test.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, ideas and videos. Having used Stihl chainsaws in the past I can definitely testify that final chain speed can make a big difference. Was wondering if you tested the chain speed after the tune, was it improved or just more power. If the speed is limited by governor action makes me wonder if the knockoff was detuned to increase lifespan. Can it be sped up and if so would be interesting to see a side by side comparison running to destruction. Which saw die’s first. Wishing you and your family the best
A lot of 2 stroke engines come from the factory running very lean, causing significant power loss, plus terrible overheating issues....right out of the box they need adjusted for best performance...its all about satisfying the EPA idiots so they run them as lean as possible. Run both saws on regular gas and see which lasts longer LOL.
I'm rewatching this trying to make a decision and I noticed something and just wanted to say. "Thanks for wearing protection on your legs and mentioning ear protection and such". Most youtubers and stuff when doing chainsaw reviews don't wear protection on their legs or hearing protection and I noticed you do and I appreciate that. I also appreciate the video but glad you took the time to be safe as well. The little extras are always important.
I grabbed a 92cc clone just needed to adjust the high and low fuel adjustment and it rips through 20" trees making a mess of curly chavings under it, it's a holtzforma with 20" bar full chisel, love it for $400
@ProjectFarm holzfforma pro. I hear mixed opinions on it. Supposedly they're parts are interchangeable with stihl. If you ever do another saw video that'd be a good one to see
It was definitely running too rich. 1/4 turn adjustment on the carb was probably all it needed. You can not test a saw if it's that rich. Not to mention neither is broken in yet,which also makes a significant difference... More on some engines than others which again makes comparisons unreliable.
One of my favorite series of yours was the engine oil championship. Have you ever thought about doing something similar for 2 stroke oils or hydraulic transmission fluids?
Your ability to engineer test methods and operate the instrumentation while recording the results accurately is absolutely amazing. This world needs more men of your caliber.
My farmmac took some adjustment from the get go and made a world of difference. After a few weeks of running it seem like it started to get broke in and run better. I would like to see this retested after more break-in and more adjustment
Seems to be the issue with many Chinese import gas tools. I hate the ones that have the smooth-headed carb adjustment screws with the admonition that "this engine is not adjustable". BS--after a little twiddling the thing runs tons better.
i agree. The factory tune is really rich on the farmmac. I had to lean it out after the break in and the saw came to life. My neighbor brought over his Stihl 660 and I had my G660 and it we were both impressed. These saws do need some work over time. I had to change my tensioner and I broke a clutch spring. But as long as you are handy you can have fun with the saw and put it to work
Was very impressed that you re-did some tests after stalling the saw and even went further than that. Adding more accurate data to these tests by doing multiple passes to reduce the user error, very good stuff. Keep it up man!
It always depends, for what you need it. If you need a chain saw only once in a while, the Frammac will do it, but for professional use, the Stihl saw is the perfect joice.
Think about how the farmmac would perform if you replaced the filter with a stihl air fileter, stihl bar and chain and tuned it. It wont be equal to the stihl but at half the price its performance seems close enough. There is a difference between tools that get run all day most days and tools that get run ocasuonally.
Amazing video. My suggestion would be comparing hatchets/ axes / splitting mauls. And another video comparing fencing pliers. Might not be a tool used a lot in the States, but here in the UK they are fairly prevalent. Keep up the great work!
I bought a long hatchet, nearly an axe, that was all one forged piece of metal. Worked great, but it disappeared. :( Probably fell in a barrel unnoticed. Worked much better than the legacy stuff my dad had in the workshop. The neck was narrow up to the grip, which works great when you miss by a bit. It is not going to go clunk and break the handle or lose the head.
I've got two of these "knock-offs" - a 38 and a 66 for about 5 years. Both want the first couple tanks at higher oil for brake-in. The 038 I have had no problems. The 66 is very temperamental. Had to mess with ignition multiple times. If considering any of these types of saws, do these two thing first. Toss the spark plug that came with it. Get NGK or BOSCH. Then check the wiring and the air gap of the ignition coil. The 66 was way too close and caused a lot of headaches.
Thank you for the video! I have followed the clone saw market intensely. The clones have been around a long while now and every year they get a little better. The biggest drawback I see is the lack of consistency and seeming erratic quality control. I finally became convinced they were for real and bought into two of the big bore Husqvarna clones from Holzzforma. Knowing the reputation for some of the shortcomings in these saws I determined to tear down, inspect and do upgrades immediately without running them. The upgrade costs were reasonable and I now have powerheads that will easily match the name brand for performance. I did not find significant quality issues with these two saws, I changed the cylinder piston assemblies and carburetors to Aftermarket/Oem respectively since these were areas most frequently mentioned as being a problem. The final cost was modest, still keeping total cost far below the name brand saw. Obviously this all suggests that these saws are probably best owned by those able and willing to tinker where needed. They are not the same as name brand quality out of the box but cost is a big consideration and if you can live with making your own inputs to enhance quality and performance then these saws are a cheap base unit to do just that. To be honest the thing that appealed to me was to be able to get new saws in the second and third generation of Husky lines, a sort of sweet spot in the design and engineering of power saws, gets you away from later designs that incorporate new features that are troublesome and especially the advent of fuel injection and computer controlled saws now on the market in fifth generation designs.Even if you do not go the the level of upgrades that I did a person has to ask themselves...is the extra cost worth a little slower, less powerful saw? Carburetor tuning is everything on the two strokes and I suspect there may yet be more performance in the clone you tested, but even if not the question begs, is the lesser performance worth the cost difference. Longevity seems good over a 5 year span and there are many reports of hard daily use of these clones.
@@laserflexr6321 they pretty much are anyway. Stihl and husky are likely to die off as most people progress to electric saws in first world countries (in part due to tightening regulations and in part because they are super convenient for most users) and most users in third world countries will be more than happy with the current clones. The small percentage of professional users like loggers that actually need the top end gear just wont be a big enough market to support further development. So expect little to no meaningful improvements in their ranges and for other brands to slowly eat the market share from under them.
I've tested a LOT of chainsaw brands and wound up liking Stihl the best. I have a Stihl MS290 and 461R and have had them for many years, using them in the harsh wilderness of Northern Maine where I had an old farm.
I’m curious what the rpm came up to after the carb adjustment. By the way I want to say thanks for the hard work and time put into your unbiased reviews. Keep up the good work.
@@mikemaddy6710 honestly im almost sure its not even possible to tune the 660 to the same rpm as the stihl unless the engine internals were seriously modified. Reason being those cheaper chinese chainsaws usually have not the greatest balancing of engine internals (hint why it vibrated more) and overall usually the heads are poorly ported as well comparing it to a stihl head . A lot of times people really underestimate the importance of how far a proper ported head will take you.
@@thedude2278 I have a farmmac 660 I left the factory tune on it for break in. After a couple tanks I leaned it out it definitely runs over 12k rpm. Not sure how long it will live but I’ve cut over 2 cords so far.
I have always used Stihl chainsaws because of their reliability. My oldest chainsaw MS250 is almost 18 years old and whenever I reach for it it starts and performes perfectly. However, buying a saw with similar performance at 1/4 of the price is tempting. Maybe in the future you can compare the two saws and test their reliability and breakdowns. As always thank you for your excellent reviews.
Fair to assume the clones aren't going to be as durable, and definitely won't have any kind of warranty. I'd go for the name brand if you'll be using a tool professionally, but for casual use, the cost savings here are pretty impressive.
A comparable Husqvarna in the mix would be interesting. My 345 is 20+ yrs old, and had a lot of use on the ranch. One major ice storm was 14 loads on an 18ft flatbed trailer.. Took two days to clear my 250ft driveway to get to work. That N TX storm took out about a 1/2 mile section of our power lines. No power for 9 days. Further east, and into Arkansas, no power for 30 days. Reinforcement utility folks came all the way from Florida.
Another fair and equitable study. Thank you. Since this is subject is about cutting wood how about one for splitting wood? A lot of the ranchers and small lad owners around here are looking at electric lof splitters. No PM requered to speak of, a lot smaller footprint and lighter than the big gas splitters that you have to tow, and a few can really can split the standard 16-20" logs just fine. The key things I look at are cycle speed, amp requirements (I put a small generator in the back of the UTV) ability to split seasoned wood along with hard woods.
One test I'd like to see added to all chainsaw reviews is how much bar oil is leaked over maybe a weeks time. Especially with small handheld cordless 8-12 inch pruning saws where you may be hauling them around in a vehicle. Keep up the awesome reviews!
I have several 40 volt Greenworks tools. The little chain saw is the most impressive but for years I've been annoyed at how much it lets the oil run out when stored. Only recently i discovered their instructions say to pour the chain oil out after use. I guess i can up my rating to 5 stars now
I have a pruning saw I use for carpentry. I spray the bar and chain heavily with silicone/graphite spray lube and let it dry. Every once in a while. Works great for occasional cutting.
Windshield washer fluid has really gone up! Love to see you compare different brands with each other and then compare them to homemade concoctions. Thanks for all the wonderful education!!!
definitely one of your most entertaining, yet informative videos yet... I'd like to see the fake Stihl put against other brands of saws after it's been broken in some more, to see if it has improved then vs now.
I sincerely love your reviews. Sometimes I need lots of details to help me fall sleep, so I’ll search four a now video of yours and find myself snoozing away. I mean this as a sincere compliment. Thank you for helping me sleep!
Despite the price difference it's just not describable how much the workflow differs when you work with a quality tool. The time saved is in fact huge. You get a lot more done by the end of the day
But you could also buy and equip 4 people to work with the Farmmac for the same price as 1 Stihl - so if you've got the family out cutting firewood on the weekend you could have 1 person doing all the cutting work, or 4, for the same price. 18% slower but roughly 4 times as much cutting.
@@offshack minus vibration , minus exhaustion, minus constant adjustment becuase cheaper tools seem to e.g. loose tension, minus uneven cuts, minus more probable tool failure which will postpone your work for a day or two until the tool is repaired etc etc... It's a miles difference of the "workflow" and is hard to describe in words once you have a qualty tool in your hands. The best I can come up with is that with quality tool you have way less to no other variables at all in the equation: "pick up the tool - work with it fast and efficient until you're tired - put away the tool - come back the next day and repeat". It's "just work - no bs" - kind of feeling.
@@cccpredarmy I've bought both, I would prefer and always buy 4 cheaper tools over the one expensive. The one breaks and you're out of work until you can find the one repair place 50 miles away to get you the special part. Buy 4, use one for parts, and have 3 running all the time, and if you blow it up there it in the dumpster and don't worry about it and keep going because it was cheap. I used to buy snap on tools, now I buy Kobalt. I used to buy hilti and Milwaukee drills. Now I buy DeWalt and craftsman.
@@TD75 I wouldn't set the repair costs as high since cheap tools also have accessibility for spare parts. But cheap tools indeed break more often and the worst thing about it imo is the break of "workflow". All that time spend for repairs, maintenance, adjustments, the tool won't start properly so you need another 3 minutes to manipulate the starter or gaspump or whatever... It's the time you spend NOT doing the work you intended to do, so you have to make your worday longer, then loose the scheudle , come back home more exhausted, even demotivated ... Stihls also break, but once properly repaired you forget about repairing them for long time.
@@ProjectFarmwould it be possible for you to put a clean stihl intake onto the Farmac and do a brief test? Like maybe even just an RPM test? I would love to know if it makes a significant difference! And it would test the cross-compatibility of the product! Annnddd it would make a good TH-cam short 😉
@@smallingkyle I don't know about these Farmmacs', but my Farmertecs' come with legit Walbro carbs. Almost No port matching to the cylinder needed..which btw is an Italian made Tech Nikasil Cylinder, & a Meteor Piston & Ring by Caber 😎👍
I’ve got the holzfarma g660, pretty much same thing as your farm Mac, and I just recently bought a Husqvarna 395xp. I’ve definitely noticed the torque difference and the anti vibration system is way better on the Husqvarna, but you can’t beat the knock off saw price
I think the anti vibe is better on all the newer saws. I have an older Stihl 038 Magnum a MS250, and a MS361. The antivibe on the MS361 is soooo much better than either of the other two older saws. And as Todd mentioned he could definitely feel the difference with that 661.
I bought the farm mac because it was a big cheap chainsaw. But after two weeks i returned it. It was just too unreliable. I felt like I spent more time messing with it then running it. I eventually saved up enough to buy the Stihl one, I haven’t had a single problem with it since I bought it.
Glad to see this test, I just picked up the Hoff Pro version, already had a Sugi-Hara 36" bar for it. It would have been nice if you had set the carb on the Hoff at the same RPM or close to the Stihl with a chainsaw tach, you said you leaned it out, but would be interested on how close they were.
The Chinese COPIES, are getting much better but Copy is the operative word, Stolen Research and Technology, So for that reason and political Reasons, it will be a cold day in hell before I buy any of that junk even if I have to save my money for a lot longer and spend 1200 bucks more, Just my opinion, it really does not mean much.
Those copies are because the patents have expired on the models they copy. Stihl has gone crazy expensive and cost prohibited for alot of people. I love stihl's good saws I have owned several , first was a 041 farm boss in 1980......... lasted along time15 yrs or so
I purchased a top handle Holzforma as a spare for my Stihl 201tc. It's heavier than the equivalent 200t (more iron, less aluminum), but runs well enough with carburetor adjustments. I can't speak for the longevity of the saws, but the China made saw chains are just as good as an Oregon or Stihl chain. I recommend them, especially if you're cutting stumps and ruining chains all the time. Long story short.. these China saws will never replace your German made Stihl or Husqvarna. Cheap as dirt tho!
Excellent product testing as usual PF! Given the fact that the Frammac is one quarter the price of the Stihl and performed pretty well, I would definitely choose to save the bucks and purchase it. Thanks for doing these no nonsense, fair & unbiased videos! 👍👍
Ever wonder why the Chinese military has gotten so great over the past few decades and why the Chinese now have more war ships, and Chinese hypersonic missiles are currently out performing those of the US? I’d be looking beyond the tip of my nose and viewing my cheapskate ass with great concern if I were you!
And you'd buy 3 to do the same work as one Stihl. You would also have to stop and fix it many more times. In the long run you would pay more and be supporting a bunch of commies!
Hats off to a eminently successful channel that has earned every subscriber and every compensation. Most people can’t begin to imagine the work that goes into your posts. Constant camera positioning, editing, presentation graphics and the testing itself. No small amount of physical effort as well; setting up tests and yanking all those ropes. And in return we viewers get vital and honest consumer information with more than a few myths dispelled. I have worked in at least 6 laboratories doing in-process testing, durability analysis and chemical composition. ASTM and DIN design the lion’s share of the execution, documentation and standards for process and materials testing. As early as the 1990’s Taguchi DOE (Design of Experiment) was required training in upper QA programs - your creative approach to testing would have surpassed all obstacles that DOE disciplines presented to us. When taken in conjunction with the biased and proprietary status of most consumer reporting your work here is ground breaking. I sincerely hope your subscriptions double in the next year.
I do love this channel. ❤❤❤❤ I live in the UK but it’s still a good example of what is available and tested. I think I was watching this since the start of the videos.
It would be interesting to compare the longevity of the 2 saws. Using the saws multiple times a week for 6 months to a year. The Stihl, especially pro saws are made for hard and consistent use. I wonder if the off brand saw could stay with it long term.
The "funny" part is you could replace anything that failed on the Chinese copy with a true Stihl part. It would be interesting to see how it faired over the long run, and what costs in parts builds up over a year or so. Some years back I somehow ended up watching a lot of videos about these Chinese copies. I remember that the Farmmac saws were among the better and most compatible copies. But there were are few parts that they recommended replacing immediately with a Stihl original. If I remember correctly the fuel lid and the plug for the chain oil tended to break or leak. There might have been some problems with the return spring or the entire mechanism. But the carb, cylinder, piston and all that seemed mostly fine. On one hand I think it's interesting to see and compare a copy like this to the original, but at the same time it's pretty scummy that they sell such close copies. Now something I found interesting was that a few years back there were some talk about them not being able to import the complete saws, so you could buy a complete "spare part" set for the saw in question. It included a crankcase, cylinder, piston, crank and every single gasket, screw and bot needed and you got to build your own saw from the parts kit. Now I could actually see building one of those just to see how it all go together. For me that would be fun even if I never actually used that saw again once I had it running. It would also be an opportunity to check the machining quality and the fit and finish of everything. I saw several videos of people building these kits and most seemed to get them working without any major problems.
@@blahorgaslisk7763 very interesting. China are known to be excellent at taking existing designs and making exact copies, some things they make can be high quality.
You've got the best channel on youtube. Your thorough testing leaves no doubt and it's greatly appreciated. Another very nice touch is you read responses and actually reply.
Great video! The rounds that came off that tree look really cool and gave me an idea. You ever thought about testing different brands of pour over epoxys? Testing their hardness, working time, how easy it is to get bubbles out of the finish. How even they spread. How well do they soak into the surface at different sanding finish levels. You could make some cool tables or signs out of those round. Edit: better idea. Do a comparison of cordless routers (they’re awesome) and inlay some lettering into the rounds. Epoxy over them. Bam. New signs for the channel/shop
Interesting!👍 I wish evaluations of saws and other tools could include a decade or two of use. The FARMAC is no Stihl or Husky, but I could see it for a guy who only occasionally needs a big saw, and doesn’t have extra money to throw around. Thanks for the test!
Yes, and he is objective, taking into consideration things that matter, unlike some other big publications, like consumer report for example..occasionally, he will fail to take a point into consideration or miss the mark, but it is rare, and usually corrects any failings...
out of all the tools i have bought in my life....the best, hands down.....is stihl. i have a saw, a weed whip, and a limbing extension saw. perform way better than they should, whether i have used it yesterday or whether it has sat for the last 6 years without being used. it isn't even something i need to think about. as of late, milwaukee tool has come out with a lot of interesting and useful tools i love.....but stihl is proven over time. best money i ever spent on tools.
I work in electronics repair and would love to see comparisons on the various double sided tapes such as tesa 61395, tesa 51965, 3m 4194 vhb, amongst others. Useful things to know would be initial tacking strength, initial repositionability (sometimes repairs are fiddly and misalignments happen), bond strength after 10 minutes, 1 hour and 24 hours. How they respond to small shear forces over extended periods of time (such as a curled flex cable acting as.a spring trying to push the bond apart), whether heating can improve the bond, and finally if they can be removed/reworked with heat (for future repair jobs)
*Excellent review and your comment on price difference vs performance is so true. We all would like a Stihl in the garage but at $1,100 dollars difference, ya really gotta think about that.*
That's why I have a Troy Bilt 20" chainsaw instead of a Stihl LOL. I don't use it often enough to justify the ridiculous Orange/white price tag. Although, here soon I'll be doing quite a bit of cutting with that Troy Bilt, we shall see how that goes...last time I used it I overheated it. I need to adjust the mixture on it, but didn't have the right tool at the time. They set them extremely lean from the factory to appease the EPA. The problem is you shorten the lifespan of the engine by doing so.
The only channel I know that can conduct a useful comparison while being so entertaining and funny! The Farmabago pulling the tree down was hilarious 😂
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Excellent review. I laughed pretty hard about cousin Eddy's thinking that whole trunk of the tree was a good size for his campfire. Shame the Farmabago doesn't make a better log skidder though!
I'd really appreciate it if you could provide a review of suitcase-style mechanic tool sets. I'm planning to buy one for a friend who's just starting to work on his car, but the options are overwhelming. Your reviews are my go-to before making any purchase, and I can't thank you enough for saving me time, energy, and giving me hours of enjoyment. Thank you for what you do!
The obvious argument is that regardless of the price difference the Stihl will ultimately outlast the cheap saw. This may be true, however, I've owned a cheap "Chinese" 22" saw for approx three years and thrash the living bejedus out of it on our property and it has performed flawlessly..
Next to no experience with chainsaws here, but I had a Stihl concrete handsaw for over a decade, which is basically the same machine with a different cutter attached. Not only did it cut well, I don't recall a single instance in all that time, even though it might be MANY MONTHS between uses, where it took more than a handful of pulls to start. All the issues I had with it in that time were either normal wear components like the fuel bulb, or actually my bad, cause I got mud from the cutting into something like the pull start mechanism.
I have a little stihl saw at home for firewood, I can toss it in the shed for the entire spring/summer months then drag it out when the cold sets in and it still fires up on a couple of pulls, that saw, which wasn't new when I got it, has never missed a beat, I still use it to this day and its older than my children 😅 cheap knock offs are probably perfectly fine short term but I doubt they'll out perform my Stihl. As my Grandad used to say you get what you pay for❤️
Old Husqvarnas have a very solid reputation. Can’t comment on newer ones, as my 30+ year old Huskys are still working like new, just with lots of visual wear and tare.
I was skeptical of the clones all over Amazon! Recently I needed to replace a bar and chain and it was $55 I found a stihl clone with 20” bar for $89 I decided at that price I had to try it! Let me tell you it performs as good as my authentic Stihl! I was shocked to be able to buck out a 30’ hickory tree that fell in the last storm! I did run a file over the chain and tuned the carburetor b4 I started but I do that with any new saw!
I've found that my medium size Poulan does everything I will ever need a chain saw for. Actually, after considering the gas / oil mixing, tune-ups, etc, one of those battery powered ones seems like a better deal for myself. I'm getting too old to tote a chain saw, etc., etc. And a problem I've had for a while with this channel just got fixed by going to the settings and turning the play speed down to .75. I find that I can hear him much plainer and I can listen fast enough to keep up with him, which makes it very well worth the effort. Thanks for the videos!! : )
You did a great job on this video. This is a more apples to apples (oranges) comparison to your last one. The Clone saw has lots of potential for the right person that is willing and able to do their own work and tuning. Good job once again, always love your channel!
indeed, especially after running it much leaner - likely should have cheeked the temperatures. It was said that the adjustment was still rich enough, so I am positive the channel host did that
I use another brand (Farmertec) along side all my real Stihls & Huskys, & honestly, they're pretty worthy. I really thought I'd have lost a bottom end by now, but I've yet to, & believe me when I tell u, I don't baby ANY of them😉👍
There are at least 2 other main brands of clone saws, Farmertec and Holzfforma. I hear good things about the Holzfforma clones. Be interesting to put those up against a real Stihl or Husqvarna (they make Husky copies as well).
Great test. Unless you are a pro, I would rent something that big because the need is rare. In that case I would buy the stihl. I believe it will be more reliable year after year.
Father owns a variety of STIHL Saws from when he worked on the Mountain cutting timber. Watching their reliability as a kid I knew what brand of saw I would get. I currently own the smaller ms180 and ms250 saws. They have been very reliable and fulfill my needs for doing work around the home, cutting firewood for the stove, etc.
Unless you do some serious modifications to the chain, there's a good chance an 881 is slower than a 661 in average size wood. The 881 takes over when pulling 40+ inch bars.
Spend the money and buy the Stihl,I've been in the tree service business for over 30 years and every time I bought a cheap Chinese saw it was a nightmare they last a fraction of the time as the Stihl and it's not worth the headache and high blood pressure
another great test. It would be better to measure the noise level behind the saw where the operator would be instead of out in front at the business end. Once again, I would bet that the price difference will show up in reliability and durability. I'd like to see a re-test after a year or two of heavy usage on both saws (easy for me to sign you up for that much sawing).
I used to have a big Stihl and loved it. Bought a notably smaller 62cc Salem Master for $160 a few years ago. It has been great! Cut down and cut up numerous trees works great. Even after being used to a bigger Stihl with more power, this was not disappointing. This size puts it between MS362 and MS391 Stihl models, =$720-$1000. I would still rather have a Stihl just for the sake of not buying anything Chinese, but at the time could not see my way to paying 5 times as much.
Here’s the list of products reviewed. More details in the video description. Thank you!
FARMMAC (high end version): amzn.to/3rIPUdE
Stihl MS-661: Available at Stihl Retailers
I'd love to see a test on garbage bags. I never know if the premium ones are worth the cost!
Thanks!
Once you have to clean up a pile or two of (used/dirty/smelly) cat litter after a cheap garbage bag splits and spills its contents on your floor, you tend to buy the premium garbage bags.
That said, I agree, I'd like to see a test of them, and the "weight of wet cat litter before busting" test would be a great thing to include.
@@jayschafer1760💯 You took the words right out of my mouth.
I first realized I was an adult when the words, "that's a good garbage bag right there" came out of my mouth
I like the idea of testing garbage bags and using a "bag can hold x pounds of cat litter before busting" metric.
Best channel, no bs, no time waste, unbiased straight to the point
Thank you!
Truth
Agreed! The summary at the end is always the best. His format is the original.
I agree with you
As well as humor.
I have a farmertec g660, and I'd say your test results are pretty accurate. I went ahead and put a (modified) dual port muffler on mine, which helped. I've run close to 10 gal of fuel through it. It slowly improved over the first 5 gal or so, but so would a Stihl 660. I would never say that mine will beat a Stihl in a head to head match up, but the $1,000 I saved makes for one heck of a consolation prise 😂
Thanks for sharing.
There's a guy on here Aaron lynch who will work your saw and tune it for only a few hundred bucks
@@garythayer9673He only paid a few hundred bucks!
@garythayer9673 I do most of my own work on my saws. If you buy a clone, you need to be willing and able to wrench on them. Oftentimes, you'll need to replace a couple of parts pretty quickly, especially the screws/bolts that attach the handle and felling spikes. Those should be replaced before the saw is even assembled. The starter pawl is often weak. Sometimes, you get one with a bad clutch and/or oil pump.
@@ProjectFarm😮😮
I just bought the ms250 because of the other video you did showing it as the winner. I love it! had a stack of firewood from a fallen tree in no time. Thanks for your great videos!
You are welcome!
I just bought the ms391 and I love it. Absolutel beast. But now I want the ms250 also
Bought a MS 250 new, had it tuned and run from a Stihl dealer, ran it dry, stored it in AC for 2 yrs, and played hell getting it to run, when I finally got it started, I cut about 15 minutes of logs and it burnt up..talk about pissed. My Craftsman way outlasted my Stihl, well wouldn't take much..15minutes.. honestly, I abused that Craftsman and it finally melted..years later and many trees, and roots, ha.. I truly had a bad experience with my Stihl.. am afraid to purchase another.. so, 450$ for the Farmac.. how can you go wrong.. we never know what parts are going into our products these days, anyway.
I’ve purchased the FarmMac F380W and it’s a beast of a saw with 25” Bar.
Wow! I just noticed you're almost at 3 MILLION subs!!! Let me just say that you've earned every one of those subs with your fair, accurate & unbiased testing methods...good job Todd! Let there be no doubt, hands down...YOU ARE THE MAN!!
Thanks so much!
This video is definitely an exception to the usual testing standards.
I agree
Good job as always
Why are you worshipping people online?
I'm noticing a decent difference in performance between the two saws, but there's a huge difference in price. Glad you mentioned that at the end!
Thanks for sharing!
Of course there's a price difference, the Chinese didn't have to do any R&D, they just take a western design and copy it shamelessly. The more we support this by buying the "cheap" product, the more Western companies products will cost, and the less of them there will be, until this industry looks like power tools, batteries, and so many others where there are no real western options any more.
@@ProjectFarm battle of the Chinese saws? Farmer tec vs husky vs stihl and farmmac
i think the farmac needs a high adjustment
Likely the Stihl would last a lot longer
I'm not even in the market for any tools... but for some reason I still watch the Project Farm videos. Nicely done, as always.
Thanks! Thanks for watching!
Same here. And sometimes I can't even get the same brands he has access to in the US, but I simply love the content. Dude is really knowledgeable and charismatic
Same
haha! Same here, I bought a DeWalt electric based on his review and it's fantastic. There's no chance I'll even get something this big but my weekend is not complete until I watch the latest PF vid.
Having ran both a real 660 a 661 daily and having the farmer tec 660 at home. To me the biggest difference is the 661 has the spring antivibe instead of the rubber grommet antivibe. Also I think the 661 leans a little more into the hp/ revvy side than the torquey side compared to the older saws. For the price it’s hard to beat the Chinese saws if you don’t mind working on them a little more
This comes down to the design of the engine, aspects like blowdown degrees, transfer port height, exhaust port height, when they created the 361 they shifted from low rev torque to high rev power because of one thing... emmisions, the changes they made directly influenced the amount of low end torque they made, on the 361 it really works but on the 461, 661, 462, 662 it turned the ol great torque monsters into "you better not get bound otherwise you wont have the balls to throttle out of it"
Stratified transferports are the big one, lower transferport velocity requires lower muffler flow and a late tranfer port opening just to keep some unburnt fuel from going out the muffler they completely changed the entire way these saws are designed and every change is in a harmful way for how a saw should be designed. Ignition timing must be advanced due to the leaner mixtures and poor piston blow down
Mufflers became much more restrictive ( not only do they harm your low end torque but the muffler limits your top end dramatically)
Couldnt pay me to use one of those saws... i love my 361 because knowing how it runs i can keep up with my buddy with a farmertec 660 yet use less gas, less vibration and a lighter saw. I also ported and practically blueprinted this 361 and the 660 farmertect is bone stock lol
No clue I got 3 G660, and they were all pretty nice out-of-the-box with RPM 12.5k-13.3k unlike his which is under 10k.
They probably messed up his carb settings, or sometimes it can be fuel related.
I mix my fuel myself and here in Europe we have only 95 and 98 octane (not going to use 100+ racing on a chainsaw)
I use a chainsaw occasionally and have a Homelite 16" that ~20 years old. With the exception of a few primer bulbs, plugs, and chains it's been exceptionally reliable. I use non -ethanol and synthetic 2 stroke oil. If I needed a saw this big (arms stretched way out) I'd snap up that off brand in a second! What a fantastically thorough and brutal test!!! Once again you have our undivided attention!
Thank you very much!
Hom-lites are junk
@@LitheInLitotes oh obviously.
Still running and working perfectly after 20 years in the state of Florida. Total garbage.
You must be some kind of Super Jenius.
@@LitheInLitotes Old Homelites were great saws
@@_BAD_MERC_ 33 year old Homelite XL. Great little saw--has never failed me. Have replaced the fuel lines and rebuilt the carb once, that's it. Crazy thing is that it's lighter than my Makita rechargeable.
Crazy how a carb tune can pit up a 75% cheaper saw so competitively! I would love to learn about how you went about adjusting the carb.
I tune the carb on every small engine I own. Chainsaws, blowers, lawn mowers, dirt bikes and rc cars. You can greatly improve performance and efficiency if you know what you are doing. Then you can get into replacing the jets on certain carbs. I notice with high performance or modded engines (like the ported Zenoah brand engines in my rc cars and rc boats) that even temperature and air quality greatly effect the tune. Or change in elevation will effect any engine.
I try to reduce things in my diet, like potatoes and bread! (bad joke, I know)
@@anthonycomeaux1804 get out
Todd adjusted the carburator AND used the Stihl chain.
You can adjust a carburator and the ignition timing by listening as long as you have some experience in tuning. 😉
U just have two jets u can adjust. Every new saw will need this to run at its best unless u get a new saw with auto tune
Very well done! I am glad you swapped the bar and chain around and fixed the tune. Nothing really debatable left on the table. That is what my chainsaw dyno shows, the clone 660 are always a fuzz behind where the oem 661 in power output. They have a place for sure. Even after porting and modification the clone 660 struggles to match the 661 in power/cut speed. Thank you for doing this test.
My pleasure!
This guy knows what he is talking about!
Have you matched the clone’s compression/squish to the 661? Just based on the pull cord it seems that the 661 has that advantage going for it. It would be interesting to swap parts back and forth and see exactly which part of the Stihl offers the extra power.
@@athhud Generally the squish is larger on the clone saws, they do wake some if the base gasket is deleted.
out of curiosity, have you dynoed a clone 660 against a 660?
I spent about 15 years trimming trees in my younger years and wished I could have afforded the Stihl as vibration hurts your hands . Great video again!
Thanks! Thanks for sharing.
those fine details, like vibration mean a lot if its something that is a daily Tool.
For trimming trees you really can't go wrong with an electric saw. Basically no vibration, and cheap. I use a $100 corded 10" worx polesaw/chainsaw I got from lowes 5 years ago and it's fantastic. Felling trees is a different story.
This man is a saint. He has very high production value yet, he still shows you all of his mistakes. He buys all the products he tests to avoid biasing the test results. He's ingenious with some of the ways he tests things. There's a big difference between lab testing and testing out on a farm.
Thanks!
I would like to see how that clone performs with a a couple minor upgrades. Carb, air filter and muffler. The way it sounded in the cut just sounded like an air/fuel problem. Another great video! We can always count on you for quality content with zero bs.
Thanks for the suggestion.
Yes, thank you for adjusting the carb in this video. It obviously made a huge difference in performance. Id be curious about the no load speed after adjustment. Adjusting the carb was a big improvement in this video test compared to the previous saw tests.
Just with a better chain, and a minor carb adjust, it already performs almost as good as the stihl. Adding that fact saving $1200, good enough for odd jobs.
I have an F660V. It turns 12500rpm since I got it. It eats wood quite quickly. I've purchased a Dual port muffler which seems to have helped also. The V model has a Walbro carb, Italian coil, NGK spark plug. The stock chain is full chisel which is surprising because if you read the ad it says semi chisel. I would highly recommend the saw to anyone wanting Sthil power without the price. Will it last as long? Probably not but a replacement cylinder that's quality is about $120. Cheap ones are $40 ish but I wouldn't recommend them.
I have a couple of the nock off top handle chainsaw and I don't regret it they start around the first pull every time even in sub zero temperature...
Great test as always! The Farmmac saw is definitely a ok saw for the price and its great saw to have for those trees that are to large for your regular saw.
Thanks! Thanks for the feedback.
Awesome video, have used a farmertec 660 saw for about 2 years now and has never skipped a beat. Will always take my stihl 660 as back up just incase. I found with the farmertec the carb was a bit off as mentioned, so I put on a stihl 660 carb from an old saw and goes good as new. Definitely vibrates a bit more than the stihl. But for firewood cutting and beating on a saw the saw the farmertec is the go
I've had the farmmac for about 8 months now. Had a few problems with it and replaced those parts with Stihl parts. All I use it for is milling. Considering it's 1/4 the cost, it's a workhorse. Hundreds of boardfeet with very few issues.
I've seen people do the same thing with the icon tools from harbour freight, they will put snap on guts into the icon ratchet and it works great.
Thanks for sharing!
@@bdkj3e snap-on will not fit the icon.
@@shawnthomas7404 maybe it was a different brand, it's been a while since I saw that vid but it makes sense to me cuz the guts are what take all the abuse.
Dang, You're using the clone for milling and it's lasted 8 months? That's awesome, brother
Great job of testing as usual but once again. reliability and longevity are valuable qualities which are very difficult to measure.
Thanks! Thanks for the feedback.
Considering that you could buy 4 of the knockoffs for a single premium brand, it's probably worth the gamble.
I have a ms 250 that I bought right around the turn of the century, use it on the farm regularly, never once failed to start and do a good job.
@@chrimony Don´t be so sure, maybe if you work with the chainsaw for only a couple of months a year, but if you work every day with the chainsaw reliability is a big thing, not to mention situations where you can not carry a spare chainsaw
@@antoniosemedo5640 Horses for courses. But even in the professional setting, it's probably worth having a backup saw, and putting a cheap one through its paces could be a worthwhile test.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, ideas and videos. Having used Stihl chainsaws in the past I can definitely testify that final chain speed can make a big difference. Was wondering if you tested the chain speed after the tune, was it improved or just more power. If the speed is limited by governor action makes me wonder if the knockoff was detuned to increase lifespan. Can it be sped up and if so would be interesting to see a side by side comparison running to destruction. Which saw die’s first. Wishing you and your family the best
A lot of 2 stroke engines come from the factory running very lean, causing significant power loss, plus terrible overheating issues....right out of the box they need adjusted for best performance...its all about satisfying the EPA idiots so they run them as lean as possible.
Run both saws on regular gas and see which lasts longer LOL.
I'm rewatching this trying to make a decision and I noticed something and just wanted to say. "Thanks for wearing protection on your legs and mentioning ear protection and such". Most youtubers and stuff when doing chainsaw reviews don't wear protection on their legs or hearing protection and I noticed you do and I appreciate that. I also appreciate the video but glad you took the time to be safe as well. The little extras are always important.
Thanks!
I grabbed a 92cc clone just needed to adjust the high and low fuel adjustment and it rips through 20" trees making a mess of curly chavings under it, it's a holtzforma with 20" bar full chisel, love it for $400
Thank you for sharing!
Same, that thing rips.
@ProjectFarm holzfforma pro. I hear mixed opinions on it. Supposedly they're parts are interchangeable with stihl. If you ever do another saw video that'd be a good one to see
We found out that when a tree falls on Cousin Eddie..........Cousin Eddie doesn't make a sound. 😳😵💫🤣
It was definitely running too rich. 1/4 turn adjustment on the carb was probably all it needed. You can not test a saw if it's that rich. Not to mention neither is broken in yet,which also makes a significant difference... More on some engines than others which again makes comparisons unreliable.
A compression test would have been interesting here. Thank you project farm, as always you're the best!
Thanks for the suggestion.
One of my favorite series of yours was the engine oil championship. Have you ever thought about doing something similar for 2 stroke oils or hydraulic transmission fluids?
He has done one on 2 stroke i think
Your ability to engineer test methods and operate the instrumentation while recording the results accurately is absolutely amazing. This world needs more men of your caliber.
Thanks!
My farmmac took some adjustment from the get go and made a world of difference. After a few weeks of running it seem like it started to get broke in and run better. I would like to see this retested after more break-in and more adjustment
Thanks for the suggestion.
Seems to be the issue with many Chinese import gas tools. I hate the ones that have the smooth-headed carb adjustment screws with the admonition that "this engine is not adjustable". BS--after a little twiddling the thing runs tons better.
@@tubastuff It's so they can credibly claim that you voided the warranty, even though it's absolutely necessary for it to run properly.
Might be a good idea to run it a little rich for a couple of tankfuls then lean it out.
i agree. The factory tune is really rich on the farmmac. I had to lean it out after the break in and the saw came to life. My neighbor brought over his Stihl 660 and I had my G660 and it we were both impressed. These saws do need some work over time. I had to change my tensioner and I broke a clutch spring. But as long as you are handy you can have fun with the saw and put it to work
Was very impressed that you re-did some tests after stalling the saw and even went further than that. Adding more accurate data to these tests by doing multiple passes to reduce the user error, very good stuff. Keep it up man!
Thanks, will do!
It always depends, for what you need it. If you need a chain saw only once in a while, the Frammac will do it, but for professional use, the Stihl saw is the perfect joice.
Thanks for the feedback.
Or buy the smaller 2nd name brand one
Think about how the farmmac would perform if you replaced the filter with a stihl air fileter, stihl bar and chain and tuned it. It wont be equal to the stihl but at half the price its performance seems close enough. There is a difference between tools that get run all day most days and tools that get run ocasuonally.
@@mikehathaway2842Really important to mention. Stihl will run all day I doubt farmmac would
@@movietrailers6149 Didn't mikeathaway mention that?
The professional manner in which you test is so much better and more useful than other sites where opinion and conjecture are the norm
Thanks!
Amazing video. My suggestion would be comparing hatchets/ axes / splitting mauls. And another video comparing fencing pliers. Might not be a tool used a lot in the States, but here in the UK they are fairly prevalent.
Keep up the great work!
Thank you for the video idea!
Yes to the fencing pliers! The ultimate universal tool. I keep a set in my car and use them for everything!
I bought a long hatchet, nearly an axe, that was all one forged piece of metal. Worked great, but it disappeared. :( Probably fell in a barrel unnoticed. Worked much better than the legacy stuff my dad had in the workshop. The neck was narrow up to the grip, which works great when you miss by a bit. It is not going to go clunk and break the handle or lose the head.
@@ChessMasterNate Estwing still makes something similar to what you describe.
Recently bought a Splitting Axe. Somewhere between an Axe and a Splitting Maul. Love to see how it compares to the other two.
I've got two of these "knock-offs" - a 38 and a 66 for about 5 years. Both want the first couple tanks at higher oil for brake-in. The 038 I have had no problems.
The 66 is very temperamental. Had to mess with ignition multiple times.
If considering any of these types of saws, do these two thing first. Toss the spark plug that came with it. Get NGK or BOSCH.
Then check the wiring and the air gap of the ignition coil. The 66 was way too close and caused a lot of headaches.
Thank you for sharing!
Thank you for the video! I have followed the clone saw market intensely. The clones have been around a long while now and every year they get a little better. The biggest drawback I see is the lack of consistency and seeming erratic quality control. I finally became convinced they were for real and bought into two of the big bore Husqvarna clones from Holzzforma. Knowing the reputation for some of the shortcomings in these saws I determined to tear down, inspect and do upgrades immediately without running them. The upgrade costs were reasonable and I now have powerheads that will easily match the name brand for performance. I did not find significant quality issues with these two saws, I changed the cylinder piston assemblies and carburetors to Aftermarket/Oem respectively since these were areas most frequently mentioned as being a problem. The final cost was modest, still keeping total cost far below the name brand saw. Obviously this all suggests that these saws are probably best owned by those able and willing to tinker where needed. They are not the same as name brand quality out of the box but cost is a big consideration and if you can live with making your own inputs to enhance quality and performance then these saws are a cheap base unit to do just that. To be honest the thing that appealed to me was to be able to get new saws in the second and third generation of Husky lines, a sort of sweet spot in the design and engineering of power saws, gets you away from later designs that incorporate new features that are troublesome and especially the advent of fuel injection and computer controlled saws now on the market in fifth generation designs.Even if you do not go the the level of upgrades that I did a person has to ask themselves...is the extra cost worth a little slower, less powerful saw? Carburetor tuning is everything on the two strokes and I suspect there may yet be more performance in the clone you tested, but even if not the question begs, is the lesser performance worth the cost difference. Longevity seems good over a 5 year span and there are many reports of hard daily use of these clones.
Thanks! Thanks for the feedback.
What will happen to the quality of clones after all of the detail oriented originals have gone out of business?
@@laserflexr6321 they pretty much are anyway. Stihl and husky are likely to die off as most people progress to electric saws in first world countries (in part due to tightening regulations and in part because they are super convenient for most users) and most users in third world countries will be more than happy with the current clones.
The small percentage of professional users like loggers that actually need the top end gear just wont be a big enough market to support further development. So expect little to no meaningful improvements in their ranges and for other brands to slowly eat the market share from under them.
Orrr put Biden in another 5 years and we will all starve to death and we won't need tools 😂😂😂
Great work. Your reviews are better than Consumer Reports
Thanks!
I've tested a LOT of chainsaw brands and wound up liking Stihl the best. I have a Stihl MS290 and 461R and have had them for many years, using them in the harsh wilderness of Northern Maine where I had an old farm.
Thanks for sharing!
I’m curious what the rpm came up to after the carb adjustment. By the way I want to say thanks for the hard work and time put into your unbiased reviews. Keep up the good work.
I was thinking the same thing. Should’ve tuned the 660 to the same rpm as the Stihl to have a fair comparison!!!!!
He admittedly left more on the table - Said it was still running fat.
@@mikemaddy6710 yes even aside from the comparison question, you should maximize the RPM to get proper tune from any saw.
@@mikemaddy6710 honestly im almost sure its not even possible to tune the 660 to the same rpm as the stihl unless the engine internals were seriously modified. Reason being those cheaper chinese chainsaws usually have not the greatest balancing of engine internals (hint why it vibrated more) and overall usually the heads are poorly ported as well comparing it to a stihl head . A lot of times people really underestimate the importance of how far a proper ported head will take you.
@@thedude2278 I have a farmmac 660 I left the factory tune on it for break in. After a couple tanks I leaned it out it definitely runs over 12k rpm. Not sure how long it will live but I’ve cut over 2 cords so far.
I have always used Stihl chainsaws because of their reliability. My oldest chainsaw MS250 is almost 18 years old and whenever I reach for it it starts and performes perfectly. However, buying a saw with similar performance at 1/4 of the price is tempting. Maybe in the future you can compare the two saws and test their reliability and breakdowns.
As always thank you for your excellent reviews.
Fair to assume the clones aren't going to be as durable, and definitely won't have any kind of warranty. I'd go for the name brand if you'll be using a tool professionally, but for casual use, the cost savings here are pretty impressive.
@@dc8836 what's warranty worth these days? I've seen them go from a year to 6 months. Tell them it is pro use and you get nada.
Thanks! Thanks for the suggestion.
A comparable Husqvarna in the mix would be interesting. My 345 is 20+ yrs old, and had a lot of use on the ranch. One major ice storm was 14 loads on an 18ft flatbed trailer.. Took two days to clear my 250ft driveway to get to work. That N TX storm took out about a 1/2 mile section of our power lines. No power for 9 days. Further east, and into Arkansas, no power for 30 days. Reinforcement utility folks came all the way from Florida.
1996 stihl 034 runs as great as the when I bought it, same with my 18 year old stihl ms460, great saws, right down to my ms 180s. 👍 to Stihl
Another fair and equitable study. Thank you. Since this is subject is about cutting wood how about one for splitting wood? A lot of the ranchers and small lad owners around here are looking at electric lof splitters. No PM requered to speak of, a lot smaller footprint and lighter than the big gas splitters that you have to tow, and a few can really can split the standard 16-20" logs just fine. The key things I look at are cycle speed, amp requirements (I put a small generator in the back of the UTV) ability to split seasoned wood along with hard woods.
You are welcome! Thanks for the suggestion.
One test I'd like to see added to all chainsaw reviews is how much bar oil is leaked over maybe a weeks time. Especially with small handheld cordless 8-12 inch pruning saws where you may be hauling them around in a vehicle. Keep up the awesome reviews!
I have several 40 volt Greenworks tools. The little chain saw is the most impressive but for years I've been annoyed at how much it lets the oil run out when stored. Only recently i discovered their instructions say to pour the chain oil out after use. I guess i can up my rating to 5 stars now
I have a pruning saw I use for carpentry. I spray the bar and chain heavily with silicone/graphite spray lube and let it dry. Every once in a while. Works great for occasional cutting.
Windshield washer fluid has really gone up! Love to see you compare different brands with each other and then compare them to homemade concoctions. Thanks for all the wonderful education!!!
You are welcome! Thanks for the suggestion.
By me the cheap stuff is $3 a gallon and the expensive is $4.
@@libtrs838used to be 2 for a dollar
Not long ago!!!
Include the gallon jug that Dollar Tree sells, for $1.25 (If it's available at your local store)
you also have the tablets and the concentrates
definitely one of your most entertaining, yet informative videos yet... I'd like to see the fake Stihl put against other brands of saws after it's been broken in some more, to see if it has improved then vs now.
Thank you for the video idea!
I sincerely love your reviews. Sometimes I need lots of details to help me fall sleep, so I’ll search four a now video of yours and find myself snoozing away. I mean this as a sincere compliment. Thank you for helping me sleep!
Thanks and you are welcome!
Despite the price difference it's just not describable how much the workflow differs when you work with a quality tool. The time saved is in fact huge. You get a lot more done by the end of the day
Good Point!
But you could also buy and equip 4 people to work with the Farmmac for the same price as 1 Stihl - so if you've got the family out cutting firewood on the weekend you could have 1 person doing all the cutting work, or 4, for the same price. 18% slower but roughly 4 times as much cutting.
@@offshack minus vibration , minus exhaustion, minus constant adjustment becuase cheaper tools seem to e.g. loose tension, minus uneven cuts, minus more probable tool failure which will postpone your work for a day or two until the tool is repaired etc etc...
It's a miles difference of the "workflow" and is hard to describe in words once you have a qualty tool in your hands. The best I can come up with is that with quality tool you have way less to no other variables at all in the equation: "pick up the tool - work with it fast and efficient until you're tired - put away the tool - come back the next day and repeat". It's "just work - no bs" - kind of feeling.
@@cccpredarmy I've bought both, I would prefer and always buy 4 cheaper tools over the one expensive. The one breaks and you're out of work until you can find the one repair place 50 miles away to get you the special part. Buy 4, use one for parts, and have 3 running all the time, and if you blow it up there it in the dumpster and don't worry about it and keep going because it was cheap. I used to buy snap on tools, now I buy Kobalt. I used to buy hilti and Milwaukee drills. Now I buy DeWalt and craftsman.
@@TD75 I wouldn't set the repair costs as high since cheap tools also have accessibility for spare parts. But cheap tools indeed break more often and the worst thing about it imo is the break of "workflow". All that time spend for repairs, maintenance, adjustments, the tool won't start properly so you need another 3 minutes to manipulate the starter or gaspump or whatever...
It's the time you spend NOT doing the work you intended to do, so you have to make your worday longer, then loose the scheudle , come back home more exhausted, even demotivated ...
Stihls also break, but once properly repaired you forget about repairing them for long time.
Great video! Even tho I have no use for a chain saw I love these competitions. How about a wheelbarrow showdown, or even shovels 🎉
Thanks for the suggestion.
One of the only tool-testing videos you have made that did not involve destroying the tools :)
Always entertaining; Always eductional
Thanks!
@@ProjectFarmwould it be possible for you to put a clean stihl intake onto the Farmac and do a brief test? Like maybe even just an RPM test? I would love to know if it makes a significant difference! And it would test the cross-compatibility of the product! Annnddd it would make a good TH-cam short 😉
@@smallingkyle I don't know about these Farmmacs', but my Farmertecs' come with legit Walbro carbs. Almost No port matching to the cylinder needed..which btw is an Italian made Tech Nikasil Cylinder, & a Meteor Piston & Ring by Caber 😎👍
In addition to all the testing I appreciate the priority that Todd puts on having fun with it. Cousin Eddie's participation is always welcome
Thanks!
I’ve got the holzfarma g660, pretty much same thing as your farm Mac, and I just recently bought a Husqvarna 395xp. I’ve definitely noticed the torque difference and the anti vibration system is way better on the Husqvarna, but you can’t beat the knock off saw price
I think the anti vibe is better on all the newer saws. I have an older Stihl 038 Magnum a MS250, and a MS361. The antivibe on the MS361 is soooo much better than either of the other two older saws. And as Todd mentioned he could definitely feel the difference with that 661.
I bought the farm mac because it was a big cheap chainsaw. But after two weeks i returned it. It was just too unreliable. I felt like I spent more time messing with it then running it. I eventually saved up enough to buy the Stihl one, I haven’t had a single problem with it since I bought it.
Cut dozens of cords of firewood with my Stihl. Never a hiccup. Amazing reliability over many years.
A poor man pays twice
Glad to see this test, I just picked up the Hoff Pro version, already had a Sugi-Hara 36" bar for it. It would have been nice if you had set the carb on the Hoff at the same RPM or close to the Stihl with a chainsaw tach, you said you leaned it out, but would be interested on how close they were.
Thanks! Thanks for the constructive feedback.
Agreed
These knockoff saws are actually pretty decent for the price point, thanks for testing!!
You are welcome! Thanks for the feedback.
be carful the piston and cylinder is not very good quality sometimes the elbow link comes undone and grinds in to the cylinder wall locking up the saw
The Chinese COPIES, are getting much better but Copy is the operative word, Stolen Research and Technology, So for that reason and political Reasons, it will be a cold day in hell before I buy any of that junk even if I have to save my money for a lot longer and spend 1200 bucks more, Just my opinion, it really does not mean much.
t@@karlsquire8148
Those copies are because the patents have expired on the models they copy. Stihl has gone crazy expensive and cost prohibited for alot of people. I love stihl's good saws I have owned several , first was a 041 farm boss in 1980......... lasted along time15 yrs or so
Nice test. Did you test the anti-kickback feature (chain brake) which stops the chain to prevent injury?
I purchased a top handle Holzforma as a spare for my Stihl 201tc. It's heavier than the equivalent 200t (more iron, less aluminum), but runs well enough with carburetor adjustments. I can't speak for the longevity of the saws, but the China made saw chains are just as good as an Oregon or Stihl chain. I recommend them, especially if you're cutting stumps and ruining chains all the time. Long story short.. these China saws will never replace your German made Stihl or Husqvarna. Cheap as dirt tho!
Thanks for sharing!
Excellent product testing as usual PF! Given the fact that the Frammac is one quarter the price of the Stihl and performed pretty well, I would definitely choose to save the bucks and purchase it. Thanks for doing these no nonsense, fair & unbiased videos! 👍👍
Ever wonder why the Chinese military has gotten so great over the past few decades and why the Chinese now have more war ships, and Chinese hypersonic missiles are currently out performing those of the US?
I’d be looking beyond the tip of my nose and viewing my cheapskate ass with great concern if I were you!
My pleasure!
And you'd buy 3 to do the same work as one Stihl. You would also have to stop and fix it many more times. In the long run you would pay more and be supporting a bunch of commies!
Hats off to a eminently successful channel that has earned every subscriber and every compensation.
Most people can’t begin to imagine the work that goes into your posts.
Constant camera positioning, editing, presentation graphics and the testing itself.
No small amount of physical effort as well; setting up tests and yanking all those ropes. And in return we viewers get vital and honest consumer information with more than a few myths dispelled.
I have worked in at least 6 laboratories doing in-process testing, durability analysis and chemical composition.
ASTM and DIN design the lion’s share of the execution, documentation and standards for process and materials testing.
As early as the 1990’s Taguchi DOE (Design of Experiment) was required training in upper QA programs - your creative approach to testing would have surpassed all obstacles that DOE disciplines presented to us.
When taken in conjunction with the biased and proprietary status of most consumer reporting your work here is ground breaking.
I sincerely hope your subscriptions double in the next year.
Thanks so much!
I do love this channel. ❤❤❤❤ I live in the UK but it’s still a good example of what is available and tested. I think I was watching this since the start of the videos.
Thanks! Thanks for being a long-time viewer!
Looks like some wonderful epoxy coated tables could be made from those large cut off log slices.
Thank you for the video idea!
I was thinking the same thing, and those usually bring in a pretty good price as well, depending on where you live.
@@EvrttGrnThey should... Epoxy isn't cheap.
Epoxy is the greatest thing ever invented.
Seal that beautiful slab up until a proper woodworker can get to making something useful out of it.
😂
@@jhart7304 Pour hot wax on the slabs, it saves the wood for years. And its easy to remove.
It would be interesting to compare the longevity of the 2 saws. Using the saws multiple times a week for 6 months to a year. The Stihl, especially pro saws are made for hard and consistent use. I wonder if the off brand saw could stay with it long term.
3 month warranty with Stihl if used professionally. No doubling it by purchasing their oil like a homeowner can do.
No way. I would have also liked to see the difference in fuel consumption.
You could purchase 4 of the Farmac saws and have 3 spares.
The "funny" part is you could replace anything that failed on the Chinese copy with a true Stihl part. It would be interesting to see how it faired over the long run, and what costs in parts builds up over a year or so.
Some years back I somehow ended up watching a lot of videos about these Chinese copies. I remember that the Farmmac saws were among the better and most compatible copies. But there were are few parts that they recommended replacing immediately with a Stihl original. If I remember correctly the fuel lid and the plug for the chain oil tended to break or leak. There might have been some problems with the return spring or the entire mechanism. But the carb, cylinder, piston and all that seemed mostly fine.
On one hand I think it's interesting to see and compare a copy like this to the original, but at the same time it's pretty scummy that they sell such close copies.
Now something I found interesting was that a few years back there were some talk about them not being able to import the complete saws, so you could buy a complete "spare part" set for the saw in question. It included a crankcase, cylinder, piston, crank and every single gasket, screw and bot needed and you got to build your own saw from the parts kit. Now I could actually see building one of those just to see how it all go together. For me that would be fun even if I never actually used that saw again once I had it running. It would also be an opportunity to check the machining quality and the fit and finish of everything.
I saw several videos of people building these kits and most seemed to get them working without any major problems.
@@blahorgaslisk7763 very interesting. China are known to be excellent at taking existing designs and making exact copies, some things they make can be high quality.
You've got the best channel on youtube. Your thorough testing leaves no doubt and it's greatly appreciated. Another very nice touch is you read responses and actually reply.
Thanks for sharing!
Great video! The rounds that came off that tree look really cool and gave me an idea. You ever thought about testing different brands of pour over epoxys? Testing their hardness, working time, how easy it is to get bubbles out of the finish. How even they spread. How well do they soak into the surface at different sanding finish levels. You could make some cool tables or signs out of those round.
Edit: better idea. Do a comparison of cordless routers (they’re awesome) and inlay some lettering into the rounds. Epoxy over them. Bam. New signs for the channel/shop
Thanks for the suggestion.
Interesting!👍 I wish evaluations of saws and other tools could include a decade or two of use. The FARMAC is no Stihl or Husky, but I could see it for a guy who only occasionally needs a big saw, and doesn’t have extra money to throw around. Thanks for the test!
You are welcome!
This guy deserves likes and subs he's doing us all a favor
Thank you very much!
Yes, and he is objective, taking into consideration things that matter, unlike some other big publications, like consumer report for example..occasionally, he will fail to take a point into consideration or miss the mark, but it is rare, and usually corrects any failings...
out of all the tools i have bought in my life....the best, hands down.....is stihl. i have a saw, a weed whip, and a limbing extension saw.
perform way better than they should, whether i have used it yesterday or whether it has sat for the last 6 years without being used. it isn't even something i need to think about. as of late, milwaukee tool has come out with a lot of interesting and useful tools i love.....but stihl is proven over time. best money i ever spent on tools.
Thanks for the feedback.
Love your videos! Id love to see balancing beads for tires vs tire weights
Thanks. Thanks for the suggestion.
I think these tests are even better than factory tests. Brilliant as always.
Thanks!
Great episode. The clone did better then expected.
I do wonder how much the max rpm changed after the tune.
ThAn you illiterate
You usually tune these to rpm, so ideally exactly the manufacturer spec
Thanks!
Likely torque was improved.
I wondered the same.
I work in electronics repair and would love to see comparisons on the various double sided tapes such as tesa 61395, tesa 51965, 3m 4194 vhb, amongst others. Useful things to know would be initial tacking strength, initial repositionability (sometimes repairs are fiddly and misalignments happen), bond strength after 10 minutes, 1 hour and 24 hours. How they respond to small shear forces over extended periods of time (such as a curled flex cable acting as.a spring trying to push the bond apart), whether heating can improve the bond, and finally if they can be removed/reworked with heat (for future repair jobs)
Thanks for the suggestion.
~18% lower performance, for ~25% of the price, pretty impressive indeed!
Thanks for the feedback.
Bingo. This is exactly how I looked at it too. Certainly a lot of value for the money.
I don't think the Chinese saw will last long though.
@@jerryschneider145 I hope to see some data on that in the next couple years.
Yea, it would be interesting to see.@@joshuagibson2520
*Excellent review and your comment on price difference vs performance is so true. We all would like a Stihl in the garage but at $1,100 dollars difference, ya really gotta think about that.*
That's why I have a Troy Bilt 20" chainsaw instead of a Stihl LOL. I don't use it often enough to justify the ridiculous Orange/white price tag. Although, here soon I'll be doing quite a bit of cutting with that Troy Bilt, we shall see how that goes...last time I used it I overheated it. I need to adjust the mixture on it, but didn't have the right tool at the time. They set them extremely lean from the factory to appease the EPA. The problem is you shorten the lifespan of the engine by doing so.
Thanks!
I used to run the MS 660 with a 32 inch bar. That thing was a ripper I run Husqvarna these days. Both are top shelf IMO.
The only channel I know that can conduct a useful comparison while being so entertaining and funny! The Farmabago pulling the tree down was hilarious 😂
Thanks!
*spoiler alert* Farmabago didn't pull the tree down.
Thank you so much for making these videos. These really help me make informed decisions. Sometimes pricier IS better.
You are welcome! Glad to hear!
Thanks, you provide an invaluable service with your content. I've based more than a few tool purchases on your tests. It's much appreciated.
You’re welcome! Any time
Glad to hear! Thanks for supporting the channel! I really appreciate it!
Sir, your ability to test product is remarkable and sharing your finding's is great. Thank you for all you do.
Thanks and you are welcome!
Cousin Eddy needs a raise. He is doing some very high risk work.
Lol, great point!
Never cease to amaze me with your tests !!! Awesome work !
Thanks!
Very impressive 🤙🏽
You’re first! Hope you enjoy the video!
I'd love to know which brands of felling wedges hold up the best. Maybe include some homemade from beech, oak or other type of tough wood.
Looks like a great starter saw for the price. Although nothing is better than a stihl.
Thanks for sharing!
As an owner of the farmac, if you replace enough parts, you'll eventually just have a Stihl 🤣
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Buckin Billy Ray enters chat...GET THE GULLET
Excellent review. I laughed pretty hard about cousin Eddy's thinking that whole trunk of the tree was a good size for his campfire. Shame the Farmabago doesn't make a better log skidder though!
You obviously haven’t ever been to one of Cousin Eddy’s campfire cookouts.
I'd really appreciate it if you could provide a review of suitcase-style mechanic tool sets. I'm planning to buy one for a friend who's just starting to work on his car, but the options are overwhelming. Your reviews are my go-to before making any purchase, and I can't thank you enough for saving me time, energy, and giving me hours of enjoyment. Thank you for what you do!
You are welcome! Thanks for the suggestion.
I know it wouldn't be cheap but, I would love to see a showdown of the best 12" sliding compound miter saws.
Thanks for the suggestion.
Best "super glue" test.
Thank you for the video idea!
Just keep Cousin Eddie in the Farmerbago while you do that one . Might end up with the " shi&#$ " being fuller than anyone would ever want .
I would love to see this test if you tuned the saw out of the box. You’re supposed to tune the saw for its elevation every time you use it.
Exactly
The obvious argument is that regardless of the price difference the Stihl will ultimately outlast the cheap saw.
This may be true, however, I've owned a cheap "Chinese" 22" saw for approx three years and thrash the living bejedus out of it on our property and it has performed flawlessly..
Thanks for sharing.
I'd love to see you do a video for the best security bar door braces. Who sells you a piece of junk and who makes your door a fortress.
Thanks for the suggestion.
One of the best things you can do is replace the screws that hold the door to the frame with 2” or longer screws
I've been running chainsaws for 30+ years and in my humble opinion...... you can't beat a Stihl
Next to no experience with chainsaws here, but I had a Stihl concrete handsaw for over a decade, which is basically the same machine with a different cutter attached.
Not only did it cut well, I don't recall a single instance in all that time, even though it might be MANY MONTHS between uses, where it took more than a handful of pulls to start.
All the issues I had with it in that time were either normal wear components like the fuel bulb, or actually my bad, cause I got mud from the cutting into something like the pull start mechanism.
Thanks for the feedback.
I have a little stihl saw at home for firewood, I can toss it in the shed for the entire spring/summer months then drag it out when the cold sets in and it still fires up on a couple of pulls, that saw, which wasn't new when I got it, has never missed a beat, I still use it to this day and its older than my children 😅 cheap knock offs are probably perfectly fine short term but I doubt they'll out perform my Stihl.
As my Grandad used to say you get what you pay for❤️
Having electric is so nice, no exhausting pulling at all
Old Husqvarnas have a very solid reputation. Can’t comment on newer ones, as my 30+ year old Huskys are still working like new, just with lots of visual wear and tare.
I was skeptical of the clones all over Amazon! Recently I needed to replace a bar and chain and it was $55 I found a stihl clone with 20” bar for $89 I decided at that price I had to try it! Let me tell you it performs as good as my authentic Stihl! I was shocked to be able to buck out a 30’ hickory tree that fell in the last storm! I did run a file over the chain and tuned the carburetor b4 I started but I do that with any new saw!
Thank you for sharing!
Wait untill that chain slaps you because of the wonky chain bar 💀 you don't want to cheap out on chains and bars.
I've found that my medium size Poulan does everything I will ever need a chain saw for. Actually, after considering the gas / oil mixing, tune-ups, etc, one of those battery powered ones seems like a better deal for myself. I'm getting too old to tote a chain saw, etc., etc. And a problem I've had for a while with this channel just got fixed by going to the settings and turning the play speed down to .75. I find that I can hear him much plainer and I can listen fast enough to keep up with him, which makes it very well worth the effort. Thanks for the videos!! : )
You did a great job on this video. This is a more apples to apples (oranges) comparison to your last one. The Clone saw has lots of potential for the right person that is willing and able to do their own work and tuning. Good job once again, always love your channel!
Thanks!
@@ProjectFarm my young boys always ask to watch your videos with me. Thanks for what you do and how you do it!
You should test how long the knockoff motor lasts compared to the stihl
indeed, especially after running it much leaner - likely should have cheeked the temperatures. It was said that the adjustment was still rich enough, so I am positive the channel host did that
Thanks for the suggestion.
I think that farmac would really benefit from having a carb adjustment, it sounded very rich in the rpm test
Thank you for the feedback!
Never would I think I would be watching chainsaw compairisons on TH-cam. Super cool idea.
Thanks! Thanks for watching!
I'd be interested to see an update video if you continue to use both saws for an extended period of time.
I use another brand (Farmertec) along side all my real Stihls & Huskys, & honestly, they're pretty worthy. I really thought I'd have lost a bottom end by now, but I've yet to, & believe me when I tell u, I don't baby ANY of them😉👍
There are at least 2 other main brands of clone saws, Farmertec and Holzfforma. I hear good things about the Holzfforma clones. Be interesting to put those up against a real Stihl or Husqvarna (they make Husky copies as well).
I believe performance wise they are the same as the real stuff except you got a lemon.
Thanks for the suggestion.
@@ladam836 You mean he got a lemon in the video? Or that every clone saw is like a Stihl/Husky Lemon?
Great test. Unless you are a pro, I would rent something that big because the need is rare. In that case I would buy the stihl. I believe it will be more reliable year after year.
Thanks! Thanks for the feedback.
Father owns a variety of STIHL Saws from when he worked on the Mountain cutting timber. Watching their reliability as a kid I knew what brand of saw I would get. I currently own the smaller ms180 and ms250 saws. They have been very reliable and fulfill my needs for doing work around the home, cutting firewood for the stove, etc.
Thanks for sharing.
You should test the 881r! I have one for sale at my work and it’s a BEAST
I'll do it if there's enough interest! Thank you
Unless you do some serious modifications to the chain, there's a good chance an 881 is slower than a 661 in average size wood. The 881 takes over when pulling 40+ inch bars.
Spend the money and buy the Stihl,I've been in the tree service business for over 30 years and every time I bought a cheap Chinese saw it was a nightmare they last a fraction of the time as the Stihl and it's not worth the headache and high blood pressure
another great test. It would be better to measure the noise level behind the saw where the operator would be instead of out in front at the business end. Once again, I would bet that the price difference will show up in reliability and durability. I'd like to see a re-test after a year or two of heavy usage on both saws (easy for me to sign you up for that much sawing).
Thanks! Thanks for the suggestion.
I used to have a big Stihl and loved it. Bought a notably smaller 62cc Salem Master for $160 a few years ago. It has been great! Cut down and cut up numerous trees works great. Even after being used to a bigger Stihl with more power, this was not disappointing. This size puts it between MS362 and MS391 Stihl models, =$720-$1000. I would still rather have a Stihl just for the sake of not buying anything Chinese, but at the time could not see my way to paying 5 times as much.
Thanks for the feedback.