The $89 50cc Chinese Chainsaw Is Here! What Does $89 Buy??

[shoot-n-lead]

For $89? your kidding, right? The box also has a book in German looks like much better quality than the english so they must sell into Europe. It is a Benzin-Kettensage saw.

As for replacement parts...IDK. Probably take some looking but they must make a million of these things so I think you could find something online for it. They call it a clone saw and it looks all the world like a Husky 55 or close. sorta.

It is also this saw http://www.ebay.de/itm/Benzin-Ketten...-/261769962859 and marked Viron. Looks like they sell to a lot of companies. If that is the case then you should be able to come by parts.

Here is a youtube on the Viron Saw which is what I have https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbvDjY6y9ks

I am not sure about this saw, but most of the clone machines match others that have parts available without much trouble to find.

[Thumbcocker]

As I understand it Chinese manufacturers will produce whatever the customer wants in terms of quality. If you want top notch stuff they will make it and price accordingly. If, however, all you care about is the cheapest product they will gladly produce a cheap product with less quality. I think some of the blame for shoddy products has to be laid at the feet of the importers. They set the terms in the contract and could easily inspect samples and take other steps to raise quality; at a higher price of course.

[starmac]

I am not sure about this saw, but most of the clone machines match others that have parts available without much trouble to find.

How many parts could a guy justify buying for an 89 dollar saw?? Use it for what it is, get what you can out of it and pass it on when it breaks.

[bdicki]

One of my other interests is in British pocket watches from around the beginning of the twentieth century, when the typical Swiss watch was a cheap and very inferior article. Then the Swiss wised up. It happened with the Japanese, and I see no reason not to expect it with the Chinese.

There certainly are rubbishy Chinese tools still, but they aren't building their ICBMs with those. There are also, on eBay particularly, who don't know much about what they have found a good deal on. But some of the products are as good as anybody's. What they know about high speed steel is that nobody is likely to commission a chemical analysis to get his $10 back. But if you are only going to machine mild steel, you can be as well equipped as anybody in the golden age of British and American gunmaking. My favourite jewellery tools man clearly knows what he is about.

Parts and support depend on having done a deal with the right sort of firm to import and service them. But I know of machine tool firms with which that works really well.

I was in China in the early 80's, installing a paper machine, the tools that they were using were top notch, as good as any we have here. Although the staging and ladders were bamboo, but quite sturdy.

[2wheelDuke]

As I understand it Chinese manufacturers will produce whatever the customer wants in terms of quality. If you want top notch stuff they will make it and price accordingly. If, however, all you care about is the cheapest product they will gladly produce a cheap product with less quality. I think some of the blame for shoddy products has to be laid at the feet of the importers. They set the terms in the contract and could easily inspect samples and take other steps to raise quality; at a higher price of course.

That is a good point. Several years ago, there was a motorcycle imported called the Thumpstar. It was a knockoff on the Honda CRF 50, but made as a 125. It was more like a knockoff of a Honda with a Takegawa big bore kit installed.

There was a spec racing class for the Thumpstar 125's, so I bought one. It was definitely of a higher quality than many of the Chinese clone bikes I'd seen before.

[pressonregardless]

As I understand it Chinese manufacturers will produce whatever the customer wants in terms of quality. If you want top notch stuff they will make it and price accordingly. If, however, all you care about is the cheapest product they will gladly produce a cheap product with less quality. I think some of the blame for shoddy products has to be laid at the feet of the importers. They set the terms in the contract and could easily inspect samples and take other steps to raise quality; at a higher price of course.

This is exactly what happens. The Chinese can build you anything you want if your willing to pay for it.

[jonp]

Just idled the second tank of gas through it. I adjusted the carb idle down as it was running high but other than that it purred right along until the gas was gone like any other saw. '

it recommends 25:1 gas. I'll tell you that it blows a cloud of smoke at that mix. Sounds a bit rich doesn't it?

[richbug]

$70 bought a pretty decent used Stihl MS290 with a new bar and chain at an auction Saturday, I'll pass on the mystery saws.

[Traffer]

Now if they would only let us buy those Cheap $89 Chinese Tokarev's again. I have one and would buy more. Mine even has good fit and finish. It is 9x19 the Model 213 Norinco. I would love one in the 7.62x25. Sigh, Maybe President Trump will stop the embargo so we can buy these fine Chinese guns again.

[jonp]

Not to be the bearer of bad news but your saw is put together in VA Beach using a lot of foreign componants. I thought i had made it clear. For a person using a saw once a year spending the money on a stihl or husky pro saw doesnt make any sense. Of course they are better than the cheap saw i bought and if i was cutting 8-10 cords of firewood a year i wouldnt consider buying a cheapo. This is more of an experiment to see how good one is and how long it will last. I dont have the extra money to spend on something that sits in the garage most of the time anymore than i have $3,000 for a zero turn although one would be nice. Same reason i buy some tools at harbor freight i might use once in a blue moon vs hitting the Snap On truck. Im not making a living with them

[jcwit]

I side with you on this one jonp. Plus at my age of 72 I see little need to invest in the top line tools & equipment that I'll only use for a few more years, and my wife will see no increase when auction time comes around.

Remember all those decrying buying a Chinese chain saw are typing on a Chinese keyboard!

[DerekP Houston]

no clue where it was manufactured but I had an electric poulan 16" passed down to me from my grand father. he used it constantly to trim pecan tree limbs and general yard cleanup. I've used it on my 3 live oaks with moderate ease, I would much prefer if it were gas powered. We all thought it would **** out being a cheap knock off but I've burned through 3 chains on it now and still chugging along.

[oldred]

At first I too resented sending money to the Chinese and I complained about people buying all these imports, I also TRIED to avoid doing what I was accusing others of doing but I finally just gave up and decided to roll with the flow! At this point trying to avoid imports and scolding folks who do buy the cheaper products is an exercise in futility and those who THINK they are buying American are mostly kidding themselves since everything and the stinkin box it comes in is made in China! Even the so called MADE IN USA label is a joke anymore because all it means in most cases is that a few imported parts are assembled onto the imported product, it's still just as Chinese as if it had been imported in one piece.

One label that irks me to no end is to see "Proudly ASSEMBLED in the USA" printed on something as if attaching an imported handle or knob onto an imported item means the same as actually being MADE in the USA! The part that bothers me is them thinking we are stupid enough to fall for it and all to often that's exactly the case.

[Mk42gunner]

Its not just the US that this happens with. Yesterday I broke the handle out of my 2' pruning shears. The wood had become dry rotted.

I went to town to see if I could find a handle, since I didn't have a broken shovel handle to reuse. No handles to be found, and I didn't want to spend thirty dollars on an import that didn't look like it would last the summer. Although I did discover they are now making them with compound leverage and 1½" advertised cutting diameter.

When I went to check out, I needed one more dollar to get a ten dollar discount, (I had picked up a couple of 30% off Carhart shirts) I saw another set of compound leverage pruning shears that were supposed to handle 2" limbs for $25.

With the $10 off, they cost $15.00 so I got them. Deeply stamped in the metal is the company name and address in Austria. In very fine print on the sticky label is made in China.

They will cut a 2" limb, both sumac and elm, fairly easily. Mystery metal handles, so no dry rot.

Robert

[ascast]

I bought a Stilh 041 in 1983; appx $440. Last year the oiler went bad. First real trouble I have had. I cut 20-40 face cord per year. $40 and I'm back in business.
Keep me posted on your new toy.

[horsesoldier]

My stihl MS 461 is made in Germany

[jonp]

My stihl MS 461 is made in Germany

Of domestic and foreign parts just like here. I didn't know this was going to turn into a contest of whose saw is bigger and better than the others. I've always found people who put their manhood into what type of object they own being better than others odd.

This comment not directed specifically at you, horsesoldier.