Chain Saws

Hi ladies and gents,
McCulloch chain saws... any good?
Get the impression they are pretty much next in line to Husqvarna and Stihl but any experiences would be much appreciated!

Many thanks!
Roy

 

Royster ,my father has one which he uses on a 150 acre farm .My brother and I borrow it a lot to cut all the timber for our own wood burning stoves :D .Had it over 15 years now and apart from chains and spark plugs which you will need to replace on any chain saw it has given no problems .Some times can be a little hard to start but has never let us down yet.

 

Thanks for the info Beefy!
I think I'll make the investment then. They seem to appear on ebay relatively regularly so that's the place to have a look first.
Kind regards
Roy

 

I bought a new McCulloch Mac 338 (14") last year to log up Leylandii trunks.

Goes like a good'un but as Beefy has said, can be tricky to start when cold. Only problem I find is the choke control isn't very positive and can slip while your trying to start it leading to either misfire or flooding.

At 118dB it's noisy so proper ear defenders are a must as well as all the other ususal safety gear.

 

That is exactly the problem Frogesque .Its hard to set the choke but after a little practise you will know what it needs.

 

ALDI had some electric chain saws at only forty quid ..... mite be worth looking at.

 

Ta Frogesque for the info!
Lady Gardener, I get the impression that electric stuff in the garden is far from ideal. I should justify this statement. Not only reams of wire that can be cut and as such may be a hazard as well as a pain in the proverbials but the power factor is much less than the petrol driven and I have heard of many an electrical engine burn-out. Sure, electical garden implements have their place though so Aldi's chain saws are well worth a look for many a gardener. Besides, their food goods are fantastic value!

Many thanks!
Roy

 

I swear by Stihl. Look around, they can be very cheap from some dealers - really do hunt about! Never heard much good about McCulloch but am encouraged by the first hand accounts here. Do be careful with 2nd hand 2-strokes of any provenance though, especially those with a reputation for cranky starting when newish.

 

Sure Jazid, I would swear by Stihl and Husqvarna but although as you say you can get them at bargain prices the bargain prices are just a bit beyond my budget right now.

I'll give McCulloch a go and hopefully this will pay off in the short and the longer term.

Kind regards
Roy

 

Hi Royster,

did you get the McCullough? Keep us informed - how you rate it, all good news to us!

 

Yes Jazid I got the McCulloch but I think I may not have put it together properly cos the chain doesn't seem to go round like I think its supposed to do I ain't used a chain saw in some years neither so this doesn't help.

I don't have a manual either and this is a burning question - where can I lay my hands on such a thing for a McCulloch chain saw? Model 335.

I assembled blade and chain etc in my flat and started the engine without any problems but there was so much smoke that it set the fire alarm off and everyone had to evacuate the whole flippin building

Oh well, its all in a good cause

Thanks for asking!

Roy

 

Err - possibly not wise to wave chainsaws around in flats, might get the neighbours feeling uncomfortable!?

Sorry you've got probs, obvious points; did you use 25:1 2-stroke fuel, did you put some chain oil in? After that, did you put the chain on the wrong way round - the sharp side of the teeth moves away from the body on the top of the blade and towards it on the bottom. Is the chain the correct size - does it fit snugly into the blade,but still with free movement along it?

Also crosses my mind that if it was brand new, or serviced to sell, then the servicer/manufacturer might have put a drop of engine oil in the spark plug hole to keep it the piston free moving (well we did that sort of thing way back when anyway). If so that would burn and release oodles of vile smelling smoke for the first 20 seconds or so.

Hope this helps..

PS. Don't want to nag but these things are a tad dangerous, so do wear proper safety clothing, also always check that the chain brake operates.

 

No worries Jazid, the neighbours neither saw nor heard the saw at work so nothing to be concerned about there. Anyhow, they know I fiddle about in the horticulture trade so I wouldn't think they would be jumping to any "Chainsaw Massacre" conclusions.

I'll check out the points that you have mentioned and try to see what's what.

In honesty, before going to college for the first time, some 20 years ago, I was comfortable using chain saws of all sizes (and shapes ). After entering college I remember they showed some videos of, well, chainsaw massacres. I mean, people who had been seriously injured because of misuse of the chainsaw. It makes me nervous now to even think about using chainsaws purely because of what I saw on those videos!

Royster

 

A word of warning!

Chainsaws can be very dangerous, you do need to use the protective clothing (expensive) or you could finish up like a chap I knew, nearly cut his arm off.

I used to work for H.M. Forestry Commission and the bow saw still takes some beating for anything up to 9" diameter. Over that the two man cross cut is best for safety.

 

Thanks LarkShall,
I shall say that I am amazed by the lackadasical attitude of so many that utilise chainsaws. Its a boys toy after all and recently this guy saw me hand sawing a small tree and next thing I knew he was charging towards me with his 24 inch Sthil chainsaw reving it to the full. Needless to say, no protective clothing whatsoever. Fair enough, the job was finished off in no time but at what potential cost I wonder?!!

Royster