I’ll still take my Holzforma G660 for that big saw. Only cost me $320. in both instances, the Clone saws were not setup and tuned correctly. I’m pretty sure I over cut my height gauges.
I'll never tell anyone not to buy one of these if they want one. Not a fan of thier place of manufacture however so they are off the table for me.
It would be interesting to see a longevity test for the knockoff saw. Plenty of 661s in circulation to have the data on how they hold up and perform over time. I have a feeling they would not last full time use the way a 661 or equivalent husky would. They are priced accordingly though, and for somebody who uses it a handful of times a year it probably doesn't matter. I won't buy one of these for many reasons but its your money spend it how you like.
Well after building one of these clone 660's from a kit/box o parts, I can say with 100% certainty that their QC sux, so if you get a good one, it may be fine for a firewood cutter, but I doubt a commercial guy would be happy for long...mine has been fine after I worked all the issues out, but I also don't use it a ton either...kinda why I decided to chance it...
Exactly...long-term use and reliability are in question. The same reason I prefer to buy a quality firearm over some of the inexpensive and cheap imports. You get a good US, Italian or Japanese made gun and they will last. Turkey is making and exporting A LOT of guns lately and some are good but most are only mediocre. The fit and quality of metals and their heat treating are not so great. I have the same doubts about these knock off saw brands. Occasion use they are probably fine. My 2 cents. Sent from my SM-S536DL using Tapatalk
I got in on a group buy, but geez, that's been what, 6-7 years ago now, haven't heard anything about similar lately, may still be out there though....
Following this thread with interest, thanks everyone. My Ms250 has been a good saw for years and lately it definitely is in need of some TLC. I have some very bad back issues and will replace the 250 anyway and am in the market for a 40-50cc saw that is much lighter for limbing and small wood. I was thinking of a MS261 but this discussion has me leaning towards the Husky 543. I blinked and a mint MS241 @$600 a couple hours from me is gone. You snooze ya loose. Again,thanks all for the info and expertise. The MS290 has also served me well for many years and dead nuts reliable but too heavy anymore for the small stuff. For larger wood my newer MS 400 gets it done quickly so less time carrying the saw around.
The MS180C seems to be my go-to saw for the most part. . I will typically cut a tank of fuel worth of wood and then split it. The MS362 is my main workhorse And the full stable includes the Holzforma G660
Stihl owns Zama. I'm pretty sure a real Zama carb vs a knock off zama are completely different in regards to quality. In fact I know from personal experience that most of the chicom rip-off carbs won't work well. Only the Hippa brand have I had good results with. Even knowing this, I wouldn't put one on a piece of OPE I care about / rely on.
That’s the factory carb there and the replacement straight from the dealer was the same way. so stihl is sourcing the parts from China and putting it on their own equipment.
Stihl OWNs the zama carburetor company. Its their company. They are sourcing them from their own company located in China. There are vast quality differences between a product being produced by a company like stihl, Husqvarna ect in China vs a Chinese counterfeit of thise products. STIHL Group builds new ZAMA production facility in Huizhou, South China
