Is the Stihl MS 660 CLONE/Holzfforma G660 Worth it? You might be surprised! Review VLOG
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- Опубліковано 1 лют 2022
- Today we go over a commercial customers Stihl MS 660 Clone chainsaw made by Farmertec, The Holzfforma G660, after half a year of everyday use.
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My name is Bre. I took two years of small engine repair at the local college. When I left school, I fell into a wonderful job at a local small engine shop where I worked the counter for a couple years. In 2010 my husband and I opened up our own small engine shop in central Arkansas where I am able to work alongside my family and best friends. We see over 2,000 pieces of small engine equipment every year, and answer 1,000's of small engine questions. We specialize in brands such as Briggs and Stratton, Kohler, Echo and Shindaiwa, but work everyday on MANY other brands like Stihl, Husqvarna, Honda, Craftsman, Remington, Red Max, Troy Bilt, Scag, Bad Boy, Hustler, World Lawn, Poulan, Mantis, Etc.. Hopefully, my experience I share, will save you Time, Money and Frustration in the future!
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Wow,the chain you used to cut that wood was DULL. It was throwing powder instead of shavings!
Absolutely!
That was a very first thing I saw as well, I'd be embarrassed to post a video like this if I was in the business of actually repairing chainsaws!
Yep I thought the exact same thing
Yeah, you'd think a pro mechanic would know that. That's embarrassing.
Dull indeed. I'd like to see more chips flying and less saw dust lol.
Just got the MS660 kit as a gift this past December and it's been pretty damn solid. Carb needed a little tweaking at first and again after the first few tanks, but has been great since. The kit actually came with a legit NGK plug and the powerhead itself went together easily with everything lining up and seemed of decent quality. 24" bar and chain combo (really 25" with 84DL) with full skip, semi skip and full house has gone through everything I've thrown at it. End of year deal had it at 179 plus the 65 for bar and three chains. Downside is shipping, roughly 75 bucks, but even with all of that and tax together, getting a powerhouse like this for less than $350 is absolutely nuts. The kits are "not to be used to build a complete saw" or some garbage like that, but the kits have everything needed for a complete saw so, why not? However, because it's not meant to be built in its entirety, it doesn't come with assembly instructions, parts manual, pictures...nothing. But that's what Google and YT are for! Getting more because they're just fun as hell to build. Also thinking of producing some step by step videos and/or literature with color photos of various kit builds.
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I own one of these G660s and I love it. I run a 32 inch bar without any problem in hard and soft wood. But that is my experience with the saw. These saws do take extra care for the break-in over OEM saws in my opinion.
As the owner of several pro model Stihl and Echo Chainsaws, I definitely didn't need any more saws. However, my curiosity about these Chinese Chainsaws finally got the best of me and for $ 80.00 I decided to take a chance and buy one. To my surprise it actually started and ran quite well. After several hours of heavy cutting without any problems, I bought two more. I keep one in the Gator, one in the truck and one for when a neighbor needs to borrow a chainsaw, and if they get destroyed, stolen or simply blow up, I won't be out that much. This also allows me to save my pro saws for the really large demanding jobs. I especially appreciate the ease of starting. When I am in the bucket or in a tight situation, these 74 year old arms and shoulders really appreciate the easy starting. Like all chainsaws, their cutting ability is based on the condition of the chain, so I always keep a well sharpened blade on them.
Those saws are not 80 dollars lol
@@jonnysnipes3123 You're right. After checking my records they were $79.00
Chainsaws are too dangerous to muck around with inferior componants. You are lucky to be alive.
what the hell where do you find good chainsaws for 80 bucks??
@@jonnysnipes3123 sorry. When I bought mine about three years ago they were $79.00 on eBay.
This is the best Chanel ever for my 2 strokes,u explain everything so well and you are a good person
Love the review! In case anyone else is wondering, I own the Ojenas, which is another Chinese branded knockoff of the 660, and it has done well with a 36" bar on an Alaskan mill running through massive Ash logs. I have had to replace the starter coil, a bar mounting screw (I overtightened it and sheered it off), and my recoil starter has pawls that are getting stuck.
You need to be strong to operate this saw safely as it is heavy and powerful. I let my uncle borrow it and he said he was scared to use it. Without the proper safety equipment, everyone should be.
I’m a die hard stihl guy I worked at a lumber yard and had to cut full drafts of lumber for 20 years. I have them for home use now and I feel they are worth the money. And your channel has just become one of my favorites keep the great content coming. .
Then you are not a die hard stihl fan
Learning about new products or new repair kits are all over the place. I had to learn how to set points in cap and rotors now I can tune most cars with a snap on scan tool or my laptop so she is an echo dealer she can six dang near any. Change with the times or get lost to the pack
Nice honest review, we have one of these clone 660 saws and it has a 36" 144 tooth full chisel chain. our saw will blast through 20+" hard seasoned oak like butter with the 36" bar so its a beast to tote around when that big bar isnt needed so we also have a 20" with semi chisel chain.
The recoil starter has give me a little trouble and I plan to replace with a Stihl setup, but other than that we've had great reliable service from this saw so far after close to year.
Keep up the great work Chickanic gal...
I've been using my Holzfforma G660 for two years on a farm we just bought. Cut some really big trees. Not a problem in the world. Starts, runs and cuts perfectly. Lots of power!
Very true
Power wise how do you compare it to stihl?
I run the g660 on my Alaskan mill with a 36 inch bar. I’ve run it through red oak, white oak, maple, it’s done everything I’ve needed it to do. This is a GREAT chainsaw. Yes, some parts I anticipate not lasting forever, but it’s already paid for itself and I wasn’t required to drop $1600 on a stihl
Saved a few bucks and gave the little yellow intellectual thieves that are sucking the rest of the world dry with their cheaply made products that they played no part in creating. They stole it. These saws should be crushed in the port upon arrival for being made by a dirty people with no pride. Get yourself a stihl.
i run mine on an Alaskan mill too. if you havnt done it , put a small boat winch on the mill with a return pully at the end of the log. its a game changer.
@@jason3211 HARBOR FREIGHT $30
Same here, 36" bar setup for the Alaskan mill. Sometimes I also use it for felling and bucking trees that are too big for my friend's smaller saws using full chisel skip chain. Great running saw, but the carb does seem to go out of adjustment more often than my real Stihl saws. I just throw the tach on every few times I use it to keep it dialed in. Did have the chain adjustment screw break but that was a cheap and easy fix with a real Stihl replacement part. I have run the saw hard milling big 30" white oak slabs and it takes it like a champ. Make sure to run the right fuel/oil mix...these Chinese saws need more oil than the newer Stihl saws call for (read the manual).
Man, I need xactly this because I have an 35 " wide oak to mill..... what kind of chain did you use?
Thanks for your positive feedback on these saws. I believe that these machines are well worth the money for anyone who needs a heavy saw to make a living. No they are not a Stihl, but they are a dang good copy. Good job Chickanic, love your videos gal!
Buying one of these saws is buying the weapons that will soon destroy our nation so no I must disagree with your view and I urge you to stop supporting such hypocrisy
@@jasonblanton9156 ok, go out in your garage and go through all your stuff! Now throw away anything made in China, if you can't do that you might question the use of the word hypocrite. Have yourself a nice day!
With a 440 magnum, an 044 and an 036, I bought the 660 clone to keep a 32 inch bar on a year ago. My issues are the recoil (seems most common problem), oil leak if sits and alot of carb adjustent. Can't complain though considering price! Thanks for the vids!
Why would you need one if you have a ms440 and 044
I really appreciate your candor. You call 'em like you see 'em...Keep up the great work!
I’ve never had one of these clone saw, but I’ve used all of the aftermarket parts except piston/cylinders, bearings, seals etc. the parts always worked fine.
I built one of those from Farmertech 4 years ago. I used still gaskets and seals. It idled to fast so i put a tilts carb on it. I did a higher quality after market cylinder big fore kit. My saw has been used 99 percent of time on my Alaskan sawmill with 28 inch bar and rip chain. I did blow stock clutch apart and installed Oregon hub etc. But I have ripped allot of lumber with my china steal parts kit. I did have one other issue with jug bolt loosening up and I heard it running lean. I shut down inspected cylinder it was fine and re loctited jug bolts. She is still running strong. I have put it tru more cut time than most homeowners will in there life time. Thinking i will order another just to have it on hand.
Some of the YT reviews from a couple of years back had concerns about the quality of the decomp valve. If your customers have run 'em hard commercially for 6 months that has probably been addressed by Farmertec.
Bought 2 of these thru Farmertec when they had a big sale about a year ago, think they were right at $560 incl shipping for both. Have only taken one out of the box but it fired up on about the 3rd pull and saved my bacon as my backup on a job where my trusty 35+ yr old 034 suddenly began cutting crooked [yup, bar was badly worn and when I tweaked it in a pinched cut it became useless without some hammering/grinding and a new sprocket tip].
Had a brand new Forester 24" bar on the G660 with an Archer chisel chain and it ate happily the rest of the day without a resharpen. This was in pure lodgepole pine ranging from 6-18" dia. Really didn't notice a huge jump in performance from the 034 but didn't expect to in small, dead pine. Like others have commented, these beasts only really start to show their merits in bigger stuff.
Used ~ 20:1 mix in those first few tankfuls with the stock plug and had no fouling issues, idled fine right out of the box. Definitely heavier than the 034 but I'm 70 yrs old now so may not be quite the stud I imagined myself to be 30 yrs ago...
Still only have about 10 tankfuls thru it but I'm as happy as a pig in poop so far. Thanks for the tip about locktiting the dawg nuts! Also glad to hear the cylinder still looked good.
Just purchased the 660 with a 32" bar to cut down a 65" diameter Ash. It ran great but the other day would not start. I tried numerous things and then searched for help on UA-cam and found your channel. Thank you for the sparkplug tip. Replaced the plug and the machine started right up. I would not have thought that a new plug would be junk. Great channel.
I have worked on weed eaters, and chain saws, I had to replace a few carburetors, and got a new plug with the kit, those were junk, I kept having problems with a chain saw. So as a last resort, I changed the plug went to a Champion ( I really don't care for Champion) and it solved my running problems and I was able to get the carburetor adjusted properly and it runs great with the aftermarket carburetor.
It's a Poulan saw 16/34 poulan pro.
I watched your video on starting the chainsaw. I am using a McCulloch 7-10 Automatic made in the 60's and I do not have problems starting it at all anymore. Thanks to you
What a woman! We all Love to save time, money and frustration with our Chicky baby!🐣
Thanks again for watching Fred!
@@Chickanic,
Your Fans Love you! You have a created a great community.
An important consideration on speed of cut with any saw is a good sharp cutter chain, with properly adjusted rakers (no matter how sharp the teeth are, if the rakers are too high it won't cut well). I have a Husqvarna 395XP I normally run a 24" bar on (it will still scream with a sharp 36" bar/chain)...it has enough power I can still cut 24" to 32" blocks pretty fast with a dull cutter if the rakers are not too high, but you have to engage the dogs and keep heavy pressure. But with a sharp cutter the weight of the saw will drop thru a 24" block with no effort, and if you can manhandle the saw, it will get really hungry if you knock the rakers a little lower than recommended (I never use a raker gauge, I just hit them about 4 strokes with my flat file every other time I hand file my cutter teeth).
On the other hand, An underpowered saw will bog down on you if you have a dull cutter chain and try to force the cut...and don't even think about taking the rakers down lower than the gauge calls for.
...Serious point here...watching the chips fly as you cut with the big blue saw, it looked to me like the cutter teeth were a little dull or the rakers a little high (the chips looked fine and closer to saw dust than chainsaw chips), so before passing final judgment on how well it will handle a 36" bar/chain set-up, run it in some big blocks (24" to 36") with a sharp/properly adjusted cutter chain. Then You'll know really quick how well the powerhead can handle it.
That's exactly what I noticed. I saw sawdust, not chips. Good chain and I bet it will cut very fast.
I haven't bought the stihl clone, I have to say it was surprised to see you start it and immediately get sawing without letting the machine warm up.
I like your content thanks
I can tell that you clearly know what you're talking about. I appreciate the knowledge
I like your honesty, stihl is a great product but money is tight for some, it's just like the Honda knock off , motors take care of it and it will last, I have a 39 year old honda harmony, that honestly is the best mower I ever owned.
Yup! Thanks for watching!
@@Chickanic I love you 😘💕❤️
I have a 94 model Honda Harmony with the 11 horse rear engine. Absolutely a great Mower and it may will outlive me. 30-inch cut
I own one too, I've used it as my first chainsaw mill powerhead. The thing was powerful, I can't complain. I've drowned it a few times (user related). Until lately it ran fine. On a low gas tank, the gas started to boil and the carburator blew out. Replacements are cheap if you don't mind the waiting time. Other than the dogs issues that I also had, the saw repaid itself with the job it has done and more.
Use oem stihl replaceme t parts ... yes a little spendy but immediately available...
I bought a FarmMac F660 about 4 months ago. Heavy use with 36" Oregon bar and chains...milling big white oak logs. It's a beast! I'd rather have the Stihl...but for nearly 3 x the cost!!!
Mine only need carb adjustment...and that's it. I really like your channel! Keep it rolling! :-)
Good review Ms. Chickanic !! I'm going to order one based on your review ! a big thank you ! saved a ton of money !
I have used my husqvarna 455 rancher for years but have a few dozen logs that are way too large for it so this past Christmas i got the holtzfforma G372xp with a 28 inch bar and chain and praying that i got a good one
From what I’ve heard, a lot of people locktite EVERY bolt on those saws that hold it together. Like the crankcase, cylinder, muffler, anti vibe and of course the dogs. But yes they are good saws for pros and beginner pro alike
I have this exact saw, I bought the powerhead on Amazon and I bought a 36 inch bar and use Oregon oil. I bought a 36 inch bar because I used this as a chainsaw Mill to cut massive sugar maple slabs. no issues, and for regular trees such as a sweet gum it cut through it like butter even with the 36 inch bar. the key is to have a sharp chain as others have mentioned and it throws shavings like there's no tomorrow. it was definitely the right purchase for me.
Thank you for the links on the carb tool kit as well as the tach. Got both a few days ago and already used them. They are great to have and definitely saved time and money.
Good Review. Some advice when showing a chainsaw, make sure it either has a brand new chain, otherwise sharpen it. This saw is very powerful, and it looks slow because the chain is not cutting optimal. I own the same saw, and I know how it cuts with a sharp chain, it absolutely chews through the wood.
I agree with you. Mine is over a year and a half , a little tweeting on the carb after I got it but it runs great , people shouldn’t demo a saw with a dull chain to be honest , this thing is a very powerful beast ! I love it and all my other saws are stihl etc.
Yeah, I thought the saw handled the 28 inch bar OK. The chain however looked really blunt..
I agree, I've ran one for 2 years as a milling saw with a 36" bar. I do use Husky bar and fuel mix but that's the only lubs I've used for years. Other than the carb crapping out after one tank of fuel, same issue I had with their 372 clone, they are very good saws for a fraction of the brand name. I have several Husky and Stihl saws but so far these Farmertec saws have paid for themselves and are making a profit.
@@beenzer1109 a dull chain is a dangerous chain. I always have 3 or 4 sharp spare chains on hand in the truck. I run Oregon chains and bars on everything and typically a quick round with a file is all I need but keep spares in case I catch a rock or a nail.
@@DaveJohnsonad5nm totally agree, I always keep a spare chain, and a spare bar in the vehicle, like you, I always ran oregon bars and chains, still on the oregon chain, but using husky bars now..
I bought a g660 4 months ago ive had some minor issues but ive been running a 36" bar and stihl skip chain and its been an absolute beast, if you hear anymore issues i would like to know so i could further upgrade my chinesium saw
It's kind of nice to get a mechanics view on this. I have seen quite a few good things about these saws, some have their quirks and very minor initial issues but after that everyone seems to say they are good saws.
I built the huskey 372xp clone from there kit. Honestly best saw for the buck I have ever owned. Three winters of cutting wood with no problems. I did decide to upgrade to the husky carb, and clutch assy.
Sweet and honest review. Great video Brie, thank you for sharing 👍🏻
Well I have four saws first and foremost 1050 Homelite #2 a Super XL Homelite #3 Husqvarna 61 #4 Echo sorry can't remember the model but it handles a 20 inch bar no PROBLEM! All of these saw still go to the woods and earn their keep!!!
Maintenance is the key of LIFE!!!
I have bought one and have had it for at least 8 months or more and haven't had a problem with mine. I own 4 stihl, 2 husqvarna, 2 poulan and a Mac 10. Most of these I bought at a yard sale and fixed them but I have own the Mac 10 since I was young.
Thank you for the honest non biased review .
Thanks for watching Del!
Something that might be important with this saw is running ethanol-free. Chinese-made saws have seals that are inferior to other brands, and ethanol in the fuel eats the seals away rather quickly. That's something I learned when looking into buying my kids a couple of Tao Tao ATV's. Chinese stuff can work well if you take the time to do the extra maintenance. And parts are cheap and available everywhere.
I always enjoy your vids. Just my thoughts. A 90cc saw won't show it's power difference from a 60 or 70cc saw until you get into bigger wood and then you have to really use the dogs to properly load the saw. A good chain will self feed nicely on smaller wood but when you get to 16" + wood you really need apply pressure to properly load a 90cc saw. My hopped up 660 clone is tuned to 13000 but i like to load it to around 10000 in the cut. Wood under 12" just won't load a 90cc saw properly and chain speed on a 60cc saw will be about the same as a big saw so you won't see much difference but move up to some 24" wood and you will see a massive difference. Also on longer bars i like to run full chisel non safety chain. Cuts faster. YMMV.
@@joehead1294 full . I can bury a 25" bar in seasoned ash and it will pull it with an 8 tooth rim sprocket too. Full chisel cuts faster than semi cheisel. I don't have any skip chain.
If you need to dog in to reach peak torque rpm without leaning on the saw your rakers are too proud. Knock them down a bit, it'll change the way you delimb and buck
@@7eis yep I keep my rakers gauged with my teeth and my saw pulls itself through anything it put it on and Fast
@@7eis i run my rakers between .030 and .035. I run a mower shop and i have a pretty nice chain grinder and i sharpen a lot of. Chains. My 361 and 660 wear the same 25" bar. I have a dozen chains for them. I sharpen some different for different wood. Bucking 24" ash or hedge you have to dog in and give it some pressure to load a big saw. I can buck 24" stuff with the 361 but i can't lean on it like the 660. I have to keep the chain speed up. No sense limbing with a 90cc saw. I have 3 others that are much lighter. My back likes that LOL.
Full Chisel Chain 👍👍
What you're calling Non Safety Chain I been calling it LAWYER CHAIN , dumbest crap ever come out .
Wondering what DUMBASS SNOWFLAKE split their head open and sued the chainsaw manufacturer ??
Thanks for the advice. I'm going to buy one.
I bought 1 about 3 years ago. I run a 32inch bar on it. Yes I've had a few little problems but for what I have put it through I can't complain.
I've build a few of these 660's and they have no issues pulling a 36" full skip. I did do some transfer work, decked it to .025, high flow filter and a bark box. It screams through wood. Plus they are fun to build lol
the chain she was using definitely needed some work no way I would run a saw with a chain that bad I would have to stop and sharpen it.
Where do you get/what brand high flow filter and bark box do you run?
@David Ward I got the hyway from wolf creek sawshop. Was like 15$ shipped. There are others, max flow and uni but they are way more and require filter cover mods. The bark box I made based off of west coast saw. Just didn't want to pay that much when I made it for free
I always use compression release, on any saw they are mounted on, easier on the arm after thousands of pulls, but, more importantly, easier on the starting components.
My G666 it's a whole lot easier on the body when release is down when it's warm, I can't pull mine cold starting. I can easily start all my others saws except the G666 and the 661 Stihl. I have 50cc up to 78cc
@@kerrysirry1206 Got a Stihl ms 880, feels like trying to pull start a 350 chevy, but , if you have had your wheaties, you'll get er going.😆
My guys kept breaking the pull cord on the 460...showed them the compression release and all is good
I’ve got an Oregon, I bought in a pinch. Chinese made POS !!!!!!!! Still have it but have repaired my Stihl.
I just watched a video from Papa's saw shop, he sells the Neo Tech. He goes over what modifications he does before he sells them. A good video
Love your videos. I repair all my own equipment and run a small landscape company. It is always good to have "continuing education " as there is always something new to learn. I was wondering what oil mixture your customers run in these saws. On the web they recommend 25:1 and some say 40:1 after 10 hours of use. I personally use only Amsoil Saber at 50:1 and non-ethanol gas and have never had any problems in all my varied types and brands of 2-stroke equipment. No burned or scored cylinders or carbon buildup at the exhaust or sparkplugs. Secondly what do you think of the upgrade they offer with the carbon fiber look. They claim it comes with a Walbro carb, Italy tech Nikasil cylinder, meteor piston, Caber ring, NGK plug , tank guard, larger, stronger sprocket cover and a large D handle starter handle. Your thoughts are appreciated. PS. Glad you came through your covid 19 and seem to be doing fine. Stay healthy!!
I run Amsoil's Sabre at 100:1 in my saws and love it. Made a mistake and refilled my woods mix jug with straight gas. Didn't notice a difference in the saw all the first day, wasn't until I filled the saw out of the straight gas jug at the truck on the second morning that the saw died. So when Amsoil claims equipment will run normally at 200:1 and even just lose a little of the end of it's life at 300:1, I kind of believe it.
What fuel mixture do you recommend in the G660. The manual has a sticker over the original requirement and it shows 32:1. Kinda a pain to keep multiple mixes but don’t want to hurt the engine. I run a 36” bar on mine and it does pretty well.
If you read the manual it probably siad 25:1. Different bearings need more lube...
If you go to 32:1 check the warranty still applies....and in any case use a very goold 2 stroke mix oil....
I’m a logger my 462 worn out so I bought the G660 with the full wrap handle I replaced the plug and this run great.
Awesome iam glad you have this for me to get to my customers
I own a Ms 066 and a G666 and they're both cut about the same I the issue I see with the G666 is the chain adjuster I enjoyed your review
Can you elaborate?
Excellent review, especially about the bar size 👌
Thanks Mike!
Bar size and engine size is meaningless if the chain is dull and this sawchain was very dull
As a Stihl dealer I love it when ppl go to UA-cam to get advice about buying Chinese junk!
My kid will be going to an top league school! 🤣
I have been running a FarmerTec/Holzfforma parts kit built MS660 with 42" Oregon bar on an Alaskan style mill. Only issue is the high idle position on the choke/run lever is tricky to click into place and the plastic overmolded knob on the compression relief popped off. I made an aluminum press fit replacement knob in a few minutes. When I bought the kit, I added extra piston/jug kits and common parts like seals, bearings, clutches, sprockets to the order for inhouse repairs.
Can't beat Stihl. I'm still running my German made 041 and 038 I bought back in the early 80s. We have a truck full of saws and my go to is the 038 , we even keep little 271s in the equipment for limbs, the g660 pro is holding its own. But liked you said it slowly falls apart. Replaced the oiler,pull start, put a walbro carb.oem pull start.
Try to use some old Macs super pro 81 for example, you'll be surprised too
@@olivierj.2435 I'd love to. Any old saw is nice, I still have a couple of homelite xls, and a pair of homelite zip's in my office. I'll look for a mac 81 pro to add.
@@ajpsawmill4314 I just find it here in France for 40€, electronic version SP81E only built in 1977. I'm very happy with it 💪🏾
Thanks! I was looking at picking up one or two for occasional milling. My husky 460 just gets pushed a little too much on 20" milling cuts (minute a foot), even with pine and fir. The other option is tricking out a 6 HP lawnmower engine to run it all, but at some point you're switching over to nearly a full bandsaw mill setup. These G660's look decent, and buying a pair of them to assemble isn't bad. I'll need to tweak the carb for elevation anyways, and hopefully some adjustment there will help gain some power. But a friend's Stihl 660 was pushed on a ~26" milling cut of a pinion pine (a harder pine), so milling can be tough on most things.
I bought the g372 xp husqvarna clone 3 month ago ,cutting daily in my woodyard ,no issues at all. I'm buying more.
Had mine 3 yrs only had to replace ignition coil. Dual ported the muffler she's a weapon
Actually, I think the de-comp valve is put there to make it easier on the plastic starter assy. than it is for your arm...
The pulley and chain tensioner problems are common. I've had mine 2 years. cuts like mad and if anything goes bad the Stihl OEM parts fit, so I think it was a good buy compared to a Sthil 66 at $1400
I'd gladly pay $1600 for a Sthil Ms 660
They are running close to 3grand in my country
Close to 5k for a 880
@@rayban5737 what country is this?... yes, msrp stihl dealer prices is ~ $1500-1600+ depending on bar length, AND if the dealer has it! Alot are out of stock or backorder (for months)!
Thanks for your honest assessment. Will keep watching your channel.
YAAAA!...I bought one of these...haven't had a chance yet to try it out...and still gotta get a bar and chain for it...Chickanic! Thank you a bunch!.. you've confirmed the other reviews I looked at before I pulled the trigger on this deal. Take care
I've had one of their saws for about 3 years. The only issue I had out of the Box was the switch that pulls the choke and turns it off was broken out of the Box. They did send a replacement out right away. The one I bought came as a kit. With assembly required. It took me about 4 hours to put it together without any Instructions.
I use mine a lot, about 20 gallons of fuel a year. If you take care of it it will last a long time.
I've got that same saw, runs fantastic. Bought the 25" bar and chain, decided to up it to a 36" b/c and it eats wood all day long. It's definitely not for a novice tree cutter but it's the real deal.
I saw your channel somewhere and have watched a few videos. I've noticed that you wear full PPE, eyes, ears, legs, boots, etc. while most men don't. Thank you. We need more professional and amater mechanics and DIYers to wear safety equipment. Keep leading by example. Thanks too for the great content.
Just purchased the ms880 clone for milling. The pull handle seems to be a common thing. My saw came with 2 additional pull handles and ropes.
Second the spark plug and good oil comments. So far, so good but its not really even broke in yet. I limbed one log to set up to slab. If the rain holds off thats todays plan...
Thanks for the review.
Great review. I bought the 660 2 years ago to take care of some large trees and process some larger logs into firewood. So far I have not had a single issue with that saw other than the bar oil leaks out when it is stored, just like the 4 OEM stihl saws that I have. Definitely not running it commercially, but have about 25 tanks of gas through it in some big wood and have done a fair amount of noodling with it with no issues. I have no illusion that this is a genuine Stihl saw. Honestly I wasn't expecting much when I ordered it, but have been pleasantly surprised with the performance of this saw. I paid about $260 delivered to my door at the time I bought this saw and feel like I have already gotten my money's worth if it blows up tomorrow. I think if I take care of it, it will definitely last me the rest of my life no more than I need to use a saw of this size. 32" Full comp, full chisel, fully buried in dry elm is no problem. After I played with this saw, I got curious about the other cheap saws on the market. I ordered a no name, chinese, 25cc top handle, 12" bar. It is a turd, even after muffler mod and tune, but starts every time I need to trim a small branch. Also bought an X-bull 62 cc saw for $69 delivered. That came with a 20" bar with .325 chain. Has been reliable and have cut a lot of wood with it. After muffler mod and retune, it will hang dead even with my ms 361...both 20" bars, both out of the box stihl chain. ms 361 runs 3/8s chain, however. I then bought a Jon Cutter g3800, which is a 38cc clone of the zenoha saws. After mm and retune that saw screams, and is my favorite saw for cutting anything under 14". Very lightweight, and handy saw. Finally I bought a Holzfforma g444 just recently. So far I only have about 5 tanks through that one with no issues. That one is well on its way to becoming my go to firewood saw...not much heavier than my OEM ms 361, but on a completely different planet when it comes to power. Time will tell how well they hold up compared to the name brand saws, but so far I have no major complaints with any of them. I am not brand loyal, and own and run saws from Stihl, Husqvarna, Echo, and now several chinese knock offs...so far, I have had no more issues with the chinese saws than I have had with any of the big name saws.
I would say the only thing you will have to replace is the g444 recoil pull, my one broke very quickly, i thought people might be abusing them pulling with compression button up, but nope mine broke with nothing bad happening to it, and i mean exploded inside
I'll stay with my Husqvarna and old Sthil saws.
I've had the g444 for about 2 years love cutting firewood with it. I just recently got the g888 122cc and I love that thing with a 42 inch bar it rips.
Is the g888 heavy?
1st time(happenstance) viewer!! Saw the ECHO logo, and teared up. My dad wuz a MkCulluck man, so as a teen-ager, I went Poohland. BUT, I went on a commercial job for 4 yrs mid-1970's/used a 12"-14"(cant rem for sure, but it was TINY), the entire 4 yrs(Right-of-way trim-back), dropped several 24+" trees(I didn't say cleanly). Other than normal maint, it run 5days wk, 52 wks yr. Then bosses put it in equip auction w/o mentioning it to me. I mourned to find out that I would never see my baby again!! But I still had my Poohland to hug. And my dad and I still got to laugh @ my younger brother who went Stihl crazy(but only for a few years). If anything happened, rain, snow, sunshine, sun went behind a cloud, wind increased, clap of thunder, jet overhead, cow bellow, or the stock market changed, my bro wud hav to stop, and work on the Stihl. He finally inherited a Homelite from his father-in-law, and has been happy ever since. TY!
I'm becoming addicted to these Chickanic videos, well done! ...if I can say, in this one the blade seemed dull on the test, the RPMs seemed way too high for the rate of the cut, comparing it to the rate of cut with my Husky 562XP, 20" .
That's what I thought too.
Me 3. I have a 288 husky clone and I took out q 42 "elm last week. The saw was great but the chain got dull pretty fast. 3 or 4 sharpenings on that tree. It ran a 28 inch bar without problem. So I may switch to a better chain. But all in all the saw paid for itself in the first job. Nor to try some milling with it.
Yup, dull chain.
File the chain and/or rakers and then put it into wood. If my chains were that dull it would take forever to cut logs no matter which saw I used … just like the one in this video.
Blade?
I have two of them and love both of them. They pull a 28 inch bar just fine if it's sharp. Unlike the chain that was on the one you were using. It was also 4 stroking a little bit and could have been leaned out a little.
I've been a logger for over 40years years and decided to try one out. Since I have had such good luck with mine. I don't think I will ever spend the big money for a OEM Stihl again.
Exactly lol.. I was quite surprised how dull that chain was and then blame the saw as it's screaming with power but cutting dust hah.
Thanks for the information. Good tips. Times the way they are it’s good to know we have budget options. 👍
Ive been concidering buying one..thanks for your input
I have several saws from farmer tec , I would rather send the money directly to China than pay three times the price to another company that has their parts made in China and assembly in Mexico with packaging and labels done in the states. Most of mine came with chain and bar from china. Two were bought from a stateside reseller for less than the saw and shipping from China and delivered in less than a week. I haven't had any problems with spark plugs. One of the top handle saws had a problem with the switch but both of the Stihl saws of that size had the same problem.
I actually have this saw and I run a 36” full comp chain. I however run a max flow air filter and West Coast saw’s Bark Box muffler. That saw is a beast! I was showing it to a logger friend of mine, he literally cut through 2 18” walnut trees at the same time. The saw never missed a beat. It’s a purchase I don’t think I will ever regret.
I have one with a 42” bar for milling and it’s pulls it great no complaints
I got a clone two years ago after a thunderstorm I was quoted a price of 1200 dollars . I grabbed one of these saws and tore it up !, thing runs great still .
I've had mine for over a year and use it mostly for chainsaw milling. I didn't want to drop over a grand on a saw to mill with so went this route. I've been quite pleased with it so far and I've milled many board feet of slabs with it. My only caution is to buy from a dealer in your country. Not Amazon, but a dealer. There are dealers in nearly every state in the US. Usually the dealers will go through the saw and loc-tite the common bolts that like to come out and properly torque them at the same time. Mine also greased up the chain adjuster and did some porting etc on mine because I was using it for milling. I can recommend them IF you buy from a reputable dealer. Ya know, if you really care what my recommendation is. Be safe out there folks!
I was wondering how much a brand new STHIL one was, i guess not wanting to google for some reason...thinking maybe 500 600. Yeah at a grand, 360 isnt a bad gamble. I seen somebody on tiktok who does a lot of porting ect with chainsaws, doing it on these or simmilar china knockoffs. You get what you pay for, but sometimes people don't need the 1000 dollar plus chainsaw.
I'm a Stihl fan..sorry but milling is really really hard on a saw. So if it's performing as well as you suggest when milling, then that's really a very positive sign. Nice. I'd like to see Chickanic's thoughts on a G111 vs MS200T after 6-12 months with a commercial operator that takes care of their gear. I dearly love my 200T for small stuff and am oddly curious as to the G111.
@@VK2FVAX I've thought about getting one of those top handles for quick limbing. It's all about caring for your saw. Warm them up properly, then let them cool down before shutting down. Quality oil is the key also. I use stihl oil in mine. Had muffler off month ago, piston looks new yet.
I had the 440 version and I have to say the quality was so poor I wouldn't ever buy one again. Right off the bat: flywheel came apart and destroyed the ignition modulal. My new Chinese flywheel broke during shipping. So that was replaced with OEM. The decompression valve fell apart in my hand before installing. Side cover broke (after several years of use) oil pump went out. Oil and gas caps leaked. Gas tank leaked......I think that's it. Needless to say I sold it and bought a real Stihl 462 to replace it
Dang! I have only seen the 660’s. I’ll keep an eye out for that!
The 440 from what I have seen are not worth the money. They have a lot of issues.
@@Chickanic Chinesium ain’t gonna last 1000hrs like a STIHL or Husqvarner
I own a ms211 Stihl, when I get her tuned in right she cuts perfect, but it's Spain in the arse up until that point , plus my crappy gas and oil caps just pisses me off each fill up! Lost gallons of fuel because of their design flaws! Leaks all the time ,even when I brought it home new was leaking now 10 years later still leaking! When it finally locks up, think I'll seriously look at husky!
I got the g444 from Wagners. It runs good. I own a ms460 magnum too. 034 and a 260. But not everyone has 1400 bucks for a 462. Nice saw though.
Great video as usual bought a little Jon cutter top handle it's a cutting son of a gun. But the fuel lines an primer bulb didn't last the winter . Put new ones on no issues since. Think I paid around $ 90.
been milling with g880 , g660, treat like my stihls and they respond like my stihls. 😁👍👍
Looked at these saws and ended up with a Echo CS-590 and love it. Was only $355 at my local hardware store.
Wow, nice, I was just those days looking for an advice from someone deep into that business ! Thanks !
Thank you, came close to buying one a few times. Appreciate your input!
Thanks for watching!
I received my G660 from China 1/5/22. It came with a good sparkplug, NGK.
Runs Great. It will probably out last me. I cut around 5 cord each year. I'm 68 yrs old.
Just came across your channel. I'm now a subscriber. I love the content. Very helpful, thanks for the honest reviews.
I've had mine for 2 years no problem 28in. bar with chisel chain this saw eats through hard wood like butter!
Marty T a youtuber from NZ did a comparison of half a dozen different chainsaws a couple of years ago. He worked in forestry for 15 years and his video is a useful addition to this one.
My dogs came off too. Also. Clutch springs broke and the crank berrings blew out. I put a potted big bore kit on it. Runs great now
Great to se a young lady take on the mechanical bits
I've had that same saw 3 years it still works fine I've cracked the plastic air filter cover . I like your channel your a nice looking woman . I like your no frills work attire if you wore high heels an fancy clothes wouldn't defeat your creditable anyway thanks for your tips an yricks
Glad to hear that you have a positive review on this saw. I ordered one about a month ago. Should arrive in the near future.
Keep up the good work..👍🏻
Great video, thanks for the comparison
I have built 5 of these saws and they a good for the money for sure.
I bought one about a year ago. It had carb problems from day one. The company sent a new carb. I installed it. No problems since. But I dont cut alot. Still seems to be a good saw.
Glad it got worked out! Thanks for watching!
I own a couple of Holzfforma sprocket bar (20"&25"). I use them on my Stihl MS382. Their chain oil inlet holes are better and bigger than Stihl standard bar. I had to enlarge the holes on the standard Stihl bar (25") for it to oil properly. Never had to do that with the Chinese bar.
Thanks Chicanic Love the vids, tutorials and your expert advice. Tom in Ireland.