So I'm looking for a good demo saw. Local guy says go partner / husky, or makita (sacks-dolmar). He also wants to sell me a reconditioned k750 for $500. I'm partial to stihl on my chainsaws and weed eaters, but have heard that the demo saws are not perfect. who else on here has demo saws and what do you run? Experiences with the partners also appreciated.
Stumpjumper, I've had a few different demo saws, now all I have is Partner. I have 3 K750, and 1 K950, and won't have anything else. I had stihl before, but I never thought they started very easily, flooded way to easy. I bought a Dolmar cut off saw (PC 7435), and a chainsaw (PS 7900) last year. I had problems with both, had to replace the jug on both, twice on the chainsaw. They run the same mixture as my Husky saws ( I have 5 Husky), and partner, and still haven't had any problems with huskies or partner's. The other thing I didn't like about the Dolmar was they cut pretty well at high rpm's but when the rev's dropped the saws really got to be dog's. This is just my opinion for my experiences, hope it helps.
I personally like the partner saw for demo of all types! i have an old one but still works great! I don't use it everyday so for my use it's great!
I used to have a Stihl ts 400 hated it for sure...overpriced hard starting blankety blankety blank!!! these days it's husky all the way!
Husky Husky Husky!!!!! There is no better when it comes to cut off saws. We run ours cutting mortar for 10 hrs a day and up to a month at a time everyday and you cannot kill them. I have Stihls also which arent bad, they are just hard to start, break pull ropes, and are a bit more sensetive to dust than the Husky. Hands down i would buy the Husky every time! I cant say one bad thing about them..... period
i like my stihl no prolems what so ever
I Like stihl chainsaws alot and there starting is spot on. but the TS 400 I used at work was an awful starter. Flooded easily and had (Imho) way too many controls for fuel, choke, decompressor etc, If you did'nt get it on the first pull it would fight you all the way. I've used sevral Makitas in the past, and would reccomend them. To put this into perspective I did a course on grinders and cutoff saws. And I was the only person who'd ever used a petrol cut off saw. Everyone started it with ease.
Go with the Partner/Husky. I bought a used partner from a rental store about 3 years ago and It been a great saw for me. I've used the stihl and I don't like them. I think the partner/husky is better balanced.
We run Shindaiwas. I know they are hard to find but we love em. Once you start them the first time in the morning they'll start the first pull the rest of the day. Also, they'll put a Stihl in the dirt for power and speed.
Partner is the best which is now Husquvarna. Light, powerful, filter last a long time. Parts easy to get. I have 4 as a mason contractor. They are just excellent. Few pounds make a huge difference when using them for hours or holding them up on a wall.
I am on my 2nd partner. The first was a used one that I bought from a rental store. Both have been good saws and start reliably. I have Stihl chainsaws and they have a technique for starting so I can understand how people find them hard to start.
Stihl has pretty much got the market cornered for chop saws. We had one partner saw and i thought it was cheap and had wierd features like spring loaded head. I find I like my 420 better then the 720 we use at work. Bigger isnt always better.
Took the partner k750 home, 14" model so I guess I'll see if I like it. It starts easier than any stihl chop I've ran, one yank and its going, maybe two if its cold.
I've run huskvarna, parter, and now a dolmar, liked them all, the only problem I've had with the dolmar is dust plugs the air filter more often than the others, but if you run water, that solves the problem.
Partner makes a good saw. I think you'll be happy with it. The only bit of advise I would offer to anyone shopping for a new saw is to buy something that they can get parts for on short notice.
Had a great ts 400 started great and ran awesome till an operator ran it over. We demoed a 14'' and 16'' husky/ partner 14'' was alright 16'' horrible but it looked like a well used rental. The blade bounces to much IMHO. Good way to ruin a $400 ductile iron blade. They both took twice as long to to cut through a piece of 16'' ductile. Bought a ts 900 I think , the 16'' one. Its light powerful and great for cutting, starts every time if you know what you are doing with it.
Over here in UK most places I've worked seem to use Stihl,pretty much the generic name for saw's over here,but my own saw is a Partner,didn't get it through choice but I prefer it to Stihl now,most cutting done bending over and I think the handle much easier to use?
I have three partners and used to have one sthil. they were all used equally under the same service conditions. well the partners are still going while the sthil is in a box above my office in pieces pretty much junk. Pretty much the only thing i use them for is cutting steel decking.
Although I have Partner or Huskavarna now I always send the saw to a job with an extra pull cord assembly ready to just swap in. I hate playing with it on the job. Usually you can see trouble coming with wear but not always as the spring can break. Plus and filters in a box also.
Definately go the husky or makita. Have racked up over 100 hours of solid cutting on husky, makita and stihl (all 16" blades) The stihl is quite heavy and awkard to hold after long periods, it is also very moody in australian climate (cold weather in the morning, hot in the afternoon) and often has trouble starting. Husky is regarded as our old faithful, starts first time every time, and has a very good water system on it (good connections, quality hoses running to the blade) I think makita is now the market leader, it is reliable, strong, and very high quality, our saws are tossed around alot and do some hard cutting for hours on end. Whatever deal you can get on the husky or makita with best after sales service (eg warranty and parts) run with that.
Older thread but it has good information. I am looking to buy another demo saw and I am leaning towards the Husky K 760 . I have a Makita but it needs a new cylinder and piston due to a former employee...:Banghead It's going to cost almost 1/2 the price of a new one to repair it, so I am leaning towards a new saw. So I thought I would bring this thread back up and see if anyone else had any opinions.
For the chainsaws, Dolmar makes the makitas- the only difference is the color of the plastic. I'm guessing that they also make the demo saws? When I was in the FD, we used partner. The partner saw had plenty of power and started always started easily when it was needed. Dealer support is pretty important on the small equipment. Some retailers can sell you the saw, but they may not have a mechanic that knows how to dial in the saw so that it's performing at its maximum. As for your makita (again, verify the dolmar cross reference #s), you should be able to buy a piston and cylinder kit on ebay or elsewhere on the internet for about $150 (maybe less, but I don't know what model you have). If you have the time to rebuild the top end yourself, it's a good way to save some money. The forestry guys who build their own chainsaws will be the best sources of info on this.
CM, Go with the Husky/partner and you will be happy. I have an old Partner, a newer Husky/partner, and then I have a Sthil provided by the company. Any day of the week, I would rather use the Husky or Partner. The Sthil doesn't turn the RPMs, and its heavier. They are all reliable, and as long as you have a dealer near by, they have good service. Just like the ford chevy dodge debate, it comes down to personal preference
Joispoi I think the Makita cut-off saws are Dolmars as well. Yeah I have been looking on Ebay, for $150-170 with free shipping I can get a head and piston kit. I would have to send it to a local shop to have it repaired and that would add couple $100 in labor, I don't have the patience or skill to go that deep into a repair on a small engine. So I am looking at spending another $400-450 to buy a new saw or spend $300-400 to fix my Makita. Still haven't made a decision yet. That's what I have heard elsewhere Turbo that the Husky/Partner is a better saw than the Stihl and a little cheaper. RSC, Sunbelt and Hertz are the local dealers in my area with several locations a piece around town.
I have 3 partners and one husky. I like the partners day in and day out.
CM do as you please, but if it were me I'd lean pretty hard to a new one, whatever you have for dealers nearby that can actually fix things and keep them running, to me dealer support is way more important than any brand or its operating charatistics. I"m not sure how old your old one is or how much you use it yearly but to have a newer model with parts more readily available would be a big plus to me. The dolmar saws are I'm told the maker of the makita saws, even the cut off saws, I like my dolmar a lot, I'm told the newer models have better air filtration on them so you don't have to clean the air filter as often, but my dealer told me thats about the only difference between new and the older models, that and parts availabilty on some things. Best of luck on whatever you decide to do, either way I'm not sure you will go wrong, I"ve dumped plenty of money into an older item just because I liked it so much I didn't think I'd find other newer one that would be as dependable as what I had, that or I was afraid I'd end up with a lemon that didn't run right and was constatly broke down.
If you're not interested in making the repair yourself, you can always sell your makita as is. It's worth something to somebody. Even if you get $150 for it, it will help offset the cost of a new saw.
Thanks all for the input.:thumbsup I will probably put the Makita on Ebay and seeing what I get out of it. My wife has an account and anything is better than nothing since if I buy a new saw it won't be a Makita. A friend of mine I went to high school with is the local Sunbelt Rentals manager, I think I am going to call him and see what kind of price I can get on a new Husky. I have a demo job coming up but I have a couple of weeks to make a decision.
Having a warranty is good peace of mind- you can pretty much guarantee that nothing will break until the warranty expires.
Or you get a Georgia warranty - When it breaks you get to keep all the parts...
They don't give you any warranty on a new saw?
Shindaiwa is the bomb. Once you use one you'll throw rocks at everything else.
Nah, I was just kidding. I have heard good things about Shindaiwa as well. There is a local dealer for the yard tools but I don't know if they have cut-off saws.
Shindaiwa does not make any saws anymore. They used to sell a Shindaiwa saw, but it was a rebranded Echo. Echo and Shindaiwa mergerd in 2010 and the Shindaiwa brand only carries yard tools now (and makes one of the best weedeaters I have ever used.) CM, why are you moving away from Makita? I have been looking at the Dolmar and Makita saws vs the Stihls and am about to try out a Dolmar. The Dolmar saw and parts prices were substantially cheaper, appear to be easier to work on.
I would recommend ICS it's a chainsaw used for cutting concrete and it is far more capable that any concrete cut-off saw. I haved used them on underground untilities projects and my local Fire Department swears by them. They make them hydraulic powered and gas, when gas they use Husqvarna motors.They will cut through just about anything. Husqvarna makes a model as well the K 970.
After running the partner k750 for a year and a half, Its a great saw. Easy to start, high rpms, good power. No demo saw is fun to run, but it vibrates less than the ts400's and such that I have ran in the past. as for dolmars, no experience or exposure, but good words all around.
No parts available locally and I can't find anyone to work on them without charging Brain Surgeon rates. Sunbelt is our local dealer and service center for Partner. I think our Hertz and RSC branches also carry Husky. I agree. I hate them too but they are a necessity. That's what I have red about the Partners is they have some sort of vibration isolating handle or something like that. No luck with buying a used saw out of Sunbelt's fleet. The rentals they had were all 2010's and they wanted almost what a new one costs...
I have had pretty good luck with my WACKER 1085, And CM1995 have you tried the HOME DEPOT they carry Makita Chain saws and cut-off saw, maybe you can order parts from them???? I have a Makita DSC 6401 and its been a very good saw for the little i have used it.
since were all talking saws here anyone know the best place online to buy partner saw tune up kits?
stens usually carries alot of small engine stuff. Also dont be afrais to search e-bay. They are becoming a good place to buy parts.
I have a husky and a stihl. I prefer the stihl quite a bit, but the husky is good for simple straight up and down cutting jobs like cutting joints in concrete, rebar, etc. whereas the stihl is my prefered tool for sharpening pvc pipe by far. the stihl handle design is like a wrap-around the whole tool so you can grab it as you turn it good, the husky is a lot heavier and bulkier as well
Looking at a Husky K760 14". Pro's and Con's?
Thought I would give an update. Went with the Husky. So far it's been a great saw and has seen quite a bit of use. I bought it at Sunbelt Rentals, they had a deal buy the saw and get 3 Orange Crush blades. The blades have been very good so far as well, still on the first one.
I have not read this Topic but this has been an on going issue for me for the last 4 years. Having 9 demo saws throughout the company i have seen which really stand the test of time and punishment. Ranging from 5 x K750 Husqvarna - All about 4-5 years old...treated with little respect. Absolutely Brilliant. Have replaced a couple of belts and one arm assembly (the bloke tried to tighten the belt without undoing the two lock nuts and broke off the tentioner thing but that's about it. 1 x K760 Husqvarna (1 month old) - Purchased purely because of how reliable the last 5 have been. This thing hasn't changed at all from the K750 only it wont run without any oil in the fuel which i thought was a great 'idiot proof' feature. 2 x TS420 Stihl (2 years old) - Both have had 3-4 new pull cord springs and smaller components inside the pull cord assembly. Run well but can't rely on them wholeheartedly. 1 x TS460 Stihl (5 years old) - Only just retired her as she vibrated herself to bits...wasn't worth the parts to fix it...still runs however which is a shame. 1 x BTS 1035 wacker (1 year old) - Piece of **** has spent more time in their workshop under warrenty because the needle and seat were faulty about 3 times...flooding etc all the time etc. Today just purchased a brand new K970 (16inch) Husqvarna. Sounds and feels like your holding a dirt bike in your hands...Can't wait to see how this one goes. Husqvarna is by far what i've found to be the best around...just the design of the pullcord assembly, Arm design and just all round reliability. Definitely staying with Husky's in the future. Just to add : You can't beat STIHL for chainsaws though...Always have and always will be the best. Recently bought a MS250 chainsaw with the easy start thing (which blew my mind) and effortlessly cut down about 7 large tree's and loved every minute of it.
Partner is a good saw. They have great filtration. I prefer Stihl saws myself. Owned and used everything from a 350 to the 460. Did have a problem with the 400's starting, when they first came out. All in all great product for me. I like the balance more than the Partner for my applications. I am waiting to see how the newer injected saws pan out.
I had to put my two cent worth after reading this post, Husky 760, brilliant saw, it light it's got grunt work all day with out faults, Husky 970 well been through 2 in 12 mouths. Cutting purely concrete and they both fell apart literally, one thing after another, the guard moves so free that tyre wire holds the assembly apart. Everything from scored bores to exauhaust assembly ratling away. Dont get me wrong they Are A powerful saw and open up way to much. Husky should stick to making sewing machines, defenetly nothing like partner used to be.
Well almost a year later and the Husky 760 is still doing well. I am on my third diamond blade that was part of the purchase new. The only problem we have is the recoil start. Sometimes the "kick-out" keys won't kick out and catch the flywheel, you can pull all you want but your not spinning anything. Take the pull start off, manually flip them in and out, put it back on and she's good to go. No rhyme or reason - just does it intermittently.:beatsme
Got a K970 in today via Amazon. I bought the 16" version, which is geared down a more than the 14" or 12" versions. Max blade speed is 4700RPM.