chinese made stihl?

Stihl MS 382. I guess it is a redesigned version of the 038. This Amazon sight says country of origin is CHINA. Would anyone have more knowledge on this saw? I know you would have a hard time getting one in America due to the EPA emissions stuff. Just curious if anyone knows. I tried pasting a link from some other foreign country on Amazon, but it won't let me. Sorry about that.

 

There are a lot of youtube vids of the chinese clones. Some say they work ok and some say they are full of issues. The prices make them look like a great deal, but keep in mind the country of origin...

I have had poor luck with chinese chainsaw parts. Soft pistons, warped/bad cylinders, seals that don't fit, etc... I have decided to go oem in all future saw parts/repairs. It is better to cry once and have a good working saw than to spend cheap and sabotage your saw.

 

i watched the youtube vid about the fake ms460. it looked like it had good power but the recoil broke on their first trip out.

 

I have heard mixed reviews and watched the you-tube videos on them , like anything else you get some good with the bad.
Personally not for me.

I am guilty of being a fan of the Harbor Fright " Predator Motor " though.

 

The MS382 is the current generation of the 038. It is still manufactured by Stihl and sold in Asia and South America (maybe other areas too). There was one on ebay a few months back (new) and i questioned the seller about it. His was genuine and priced as such. Somehow he got his hands on them and had sold several.
I think there are Holzforma blue and Chinese "Stihl" copies of it.
Its comparable to a 462 cc wise.

EDIT: clicked the link and it seems like the real deal. I didnt do the conversion to US dollars. Price should be close to a 462 though.

 

I have a love/hate relationship with small engines, when they don't work my blood pressure seems to climb fairly rapidly, first thought is usually "hulk smash"
I generally have limited time to do firewood work, so things have to work properly
I don't think I would ever rely on a Chinese saw to be my primary saw, maybe a 4th or 5th in the lineup
Heard too many mixed reviews

 

If you listen to the guys that move a LOT of saws through their shops, they will tell you what they think of the aftermarket/rip-off stuff.

Aftermarket Cylinder Quality

 

another.......

 

This might come across as a real ignorant statement, but I personally avoid the Chinese made stuff as best I can.
I'll splurge for American / German.
But... some items are just seemingly impossible to find made stateside.

 

I see no ignorance in your statement.

 

Thanks for the education. That was what I was looking for. I don't buy chinese parts usually very willingly. I do like the predator engines and generators from harbour freight as they work great. In truth their cheapo air compressors seem to last me much longer than the three big bore makitas that I've owned.

I'm not going to buy a holzfforma saw, but I did get a clone of the 200t for a trade in a partial glulam beam.

 

92cc Holzfforma® Blue Thunder G660 Gasoline Chain Saw Power Head Without Guide Bar and Chain Top Quality By Farmertec All parts are For MS660 066 Chainsaw

might as well go all out

 

Not me.

 

Lots of folks have bought them in pieces and have been pretty good saws. One of our members here has several and some detailed assembly and usage videos. 94BULLITT

 

I can relate. Im not good at diagnosing or fixing them and small engine repair is not my cup of tea. (or big engine repair) Im with you as when i want to cut wood, i want to cut wood, not curse at a problematic saw.
Of course with me it usually happens when its hot out, im tired, overheated and have little to zero patience.

 

Glad to help. I was tempted to buy the 382 at the time. Years back when i first got my 460 powerhead and was going through the steps of getting it running, i bought a Chinese carb off ebay and had it put in. The saw ran fine...for a while. Brought it to the Stihl dealer. Guy asks if i had the old carb which i did, He shows me later the Chinese carb and it had an extra hole for nothing to attach to it! Old carb just needed a tune up kit and the saw has been flawless since.

 

And I have bought plenty of Chinese carbs for various things. Sometimes you have to make something work or swap it from the old but for the like $5-10 to the house plus the extras I can do that. Now have I installed a Chinese carb on any Stihl saw...no. would I...maybe? Just things like echo weedeaters, mowers, other hand held lawn equipment etc . My stihls I have rebuild the original carbs. I did have a carb on a Chinese saw I couldn't get to work I rebuilt it, went back into it and still didn't work. Ordered a new car. For like $10 and it worked flawless. Sometimes they get crud in them that if you don't pull all the welch plugs and drill the things out or whatever to get to the passages you can't get clean.

 

Thats what my brother got …he had to change the clutch drum immediately but now he swears its best deal he ever got…. it hasnt been threw 5 tanks of gas yet and hes bragging…i told him id wait till i got threw a couple cords of firewood to make all these statements, seems like hes really setting him self up

 

I mean I have a few Chinese saws. Still have two earthquake saws from when that was the cool thing on the forums. I have run a bunch of gas through the 40 and 30cc saw. I use the as truck saws, and have cut many a big saw out when it was pinched. Neither even seems like it will fail any time soon. Had carb issues with one, nothing to do with the Chinese saw just carb luck. Did a primer ball and fuel lines. But been good saws for the years I have had them. I'd buy them again for the $30-40 I have in each one. Really worth double or triple what I have in them. There a copy of a pro saw style....there RedMax copies. Any interested you can search here earthquake chainsaw. There is probably quite a few mentions of them.