In loving memory of Kenis D. Keathley 6/4/81 - 3/27/22 Loving father, husband, brother, friend and firewood hoarder Rest in peace, Dexterday

Efco chainsaws best deal for the money

Discussion in 'Chainsaws and Power Equipment' started by shane brown, Jan 11, 2015.

?

anyone try an efco?

  1. never tried one

    24 vote(s)
    82.8%

  2. love the saw

    5 vote(s)
    17.2%
Multiple votes are allowed.
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  1. PullinMyPoulan

    PullinMyPoulan

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    If you like the muffler coming off melting through the case.Dang near did mine in.I got tired of mine its in pieces.I think the 350 is a POS
     
    PullinMyPoulan, Jan 12, 2015
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  2. Cut4fun

    Cut4fun

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    Having to rebuild a 350 right now for a guy. Muffler came loose, plastic clamp POS warped and intake basically fell off back of intake. Figure she is scored but havent set it on the bench yet.
    They had some flaws.
     
    Cut4fun, Jan 12, 2015
    #62 Top
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  3. HoneyFuzz

    HoneyFuzz

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    Nonono ! Mines 15 years old. Used it as my only saw for about 10 of those...only had antivibe breaking issues... But that was mostly my fault :). This was used for firewood selling.. Averaged 15 cord per year for 6 years. I got my moneys worth from the saw ! I guess i dodged a bullet with other issues !
     
    HoneyFuzz, Jan 12, 2015
    #63 Top
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  4. shane brown

    shane brown

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    Yep! Aside from my cover melting near the muffler, my saw had a 20" on it. That too was my only issue. In fact I ended up selling it after 6 years only cuz I bought a jonsered. The guy is still using it today. Mainly on weekends.
     
    shane brown, Jan 12, 2015
    #64 Top
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  5. shane brown

    shane brown

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    Hey fuzz, how is that pioneer farmsaw? Heard good about them but have only ran a 1074. Liked it, light and a strong runner!
     
    shane brown, Jan 12, 2015
    #65 Top
  6. shane brown

    shane brown

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    I love this club! I know I am new here, but I like getting to talk saws with members who know and share a common interest!:pete::rootintootin:
     
    shane brown, Jan 12, 2015
    #66 Top
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  7. Pallet Pete

    Pallet Pete Moderator

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    Now I want to see some vids….

    I see most tree companies around me with Echo and Efco. They swear mainly by Echo but there are some Efco mixed in. We too had an Efco dealer for about a year and he went bankrupt literally. Sad as we have Husky, Jred, Stihl, Echo and a Dolmar dealers all within 50 miles of us. I am very much in the Echo camp but boy do I want a Dolmar 7910! I ran one a while back and boy that was nice…..
     
    Pallet Pete, Jan 12, 2015
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  8. raybonz

    raybonz Moderator

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    Brand recognition is important to anyone selling or buying.. You can make a Hyundai look like a BMW but the BMW is what turns heads and has good resale value.. The Hyundai will always be a Hyundai.. Husky and Stihl will be around forever but Efco? Who knows? Dolmar I hear about on occasion but never see them.. I like Echo for good value and good quality.. Parts are available and they don't need them often..
     
    raybonz, Jan 12, 2015
    #68 Top
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  9. milw saw

    milw saw

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    My Efco 165 runs great. It doesn't have the torque of a Husky 266 or the rpms of some others. The real wildcard is the bearings, did they put in good ones or spec out crap for China to build. I guess I'll find out. I have read a lot of good things about Efco, hopefully they are working on learning how to pay for dealer repairs.
     
    milw saw, Jan 13, 2015
    #69 Top
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  10. shane brown

    shane brown

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    Well , so far they have covered my warranty work. I spoke with another efco dealer 30 miles away and he has been with them for 16 years. Hadn't had any problems to date. They are revamping the company to really put the name out. Advertising should be much better. And parts are readily available in our area. Customer I sold a saw and trimmer to was a stihl man. Now he likes the efco brand. Hard for me to believe but, he and his son fight over who will run the saw! Lol!:handshake:
     
    shane brown, Jan 13, 2015
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  11. Hedgerow

    Hedgerow

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    Yes... 52 "Randy"/ 56 "Stumpy" / and 81 "AWOL"... In green color..
    All very snotty saws...
    And built to work... not just play..
    Really like the side chain tensioner on the 52..
     
    Last edited: Jan 13, 2015
    Hedgerow, Jan 13, 2015
    #71 Top
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  12. Hedgerow

    Hedgerow

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    They did have some issues... But for those in the know, they can be a 10lb bag of whupass too...
    Scott Kunz built an open port 350 a couple years ago that flat out hauled the mail.
    Everything is relative I guess...
     
    Hedgerow, Jan 13, 2015
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  13. HoneyFuzz

    HoneyFuzz

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    Id like to hear more about that !!!!
     
    HoneyFuzz, Jan 13, 2015
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  14. Cut4fun

    Cut4fun

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    Know all about them ;). Seen and almost bought one running on alky/nitro once. Stock appearing class.
     
    Cut4fun, Jan 13, 2015
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  15. milw saw

    milw saw

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    A 350 with a Walbro is a helluva saw. Its a shame the bean counters had to get at a muffler support.
     
    milw saw, Jan 13, 2015
    #75 Top
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  16. Woodchuck

    Woodchuck

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    Must be a design flaw with the Husky 350 as I see a pattern forming. My BIL had a 350 that the muffler fell off and the chain "nicked" a hole in it.
    Upon inspection, we noticed the case was melted around the heat shield. Was able to weld the muffler and get it back together. This was my first experience with
    Husqvarna saws and my first impression wasn't good. I am sure the pro saws are built better, but this thing seemed flimsy and cheap
     
    Woodchuck, Jan 13, 2015
    #76 Top
  17. MasterMech

    MasterMech The Mechanical Moderator

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    The are well known for the mufflers falling off, frequently destroys the threads in the cylinder too. The fix is usually to install the muffler support off the 346XP . The ones without the dished piston ran pretty good tho and they were priced pretty good for their time as well.

    Want a better impression of Husqvarna? Try a 272XP, 288XP, or 390XP. Or better yet, a 545/550XP, 555/562XP.
     
    MasterMech, Jan 13, 2015
    #77 Top
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  18. shane brown

    shane brown

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    I agree. The 272 is a monster to a saw. Haven't found much that could bog it down. Solid construction.
     
    shane brown, Jan 14, 2015
    #78 Top
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  19. Hedgerow

    Hedgerow

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    The 372 gets my vote for best of all.. We got logging crews around here that got down right indignant when the local shops said they wouldn't be making them any more... Tried to replace em with the x-torque models, but just not the same.. They don't like change, but for the bargain price, many switched over to the 365XT.
    They still pizzin and moanin about it...
     
    Hedgerow, Jan 14, 2015
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  20. shane brown

    shane brown

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    I don't blame them. Seems like every time a manufacturer builds a solid machine and gets customers on board, they change this and that. Sometimes you end up ok, other times you get the short end of the stick. They should leave well enough alone.
     
    shane brown, Jan 14, 2015
    #80 Top
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