Chain saws?

Mike
Its up to you which one, but MHO is for the Mac, if only because it is backed up reasonably well through a dealer network and I dont know what if any the Tallon has.

There is no tool in the world today more dangerous than a chain saw, so its comforting to know that you can get parts for one and not have to "make do" to repair it.

I sold Sachs Dolmar saws for many years and as such were also agents for Mac, which are now handled by Masport i think, and Mac has been in the saw industry since it started. They are domestic saws I know but they still do understand what is required of a saw.

On Patrol

I've got a mate who's got one, looks like a toy, but goes hard. He keeps it on his boat, starts straight away, seems to go as well as my stihl. Only get used every month or so for fire wood while camping on shore.
Dave

when we go camping theres 2-3 of the tallons with us.
all get a flogging and all perform real well.
2yr waranty as well.
wait till bigw have a 15%of everything sale.
cheers

My wife used to work for Talon. Their warranty process is, by all counts, pretty good.

The McCulloch is made in the same factory as the Talon, and both companies are owned by a common parent company. There is no difference in their quality apart from branding and market direction.

Mike,

I have had a few chainsaws over the years and have gone back to Stihl.

Most of the cockies around here swear by them,.,not at them.......

Why don't you get a new small one for yourself and give him your old one?

About 9 months or so ago I bought one of the smaller Stihls with the recoil starter and easy adjust chain. One of the best buys I have made.

So far this winter have cut about 40 odd tonne of firewood and it has not missed a beat........(bluddy thing probably wont start next weekend now!!)

Anyway just a thought

Regards
Michael

Mike.

Up here on the central coast, with tree lopping contractors, two names are mentioned

STIHL..........HUSKVANA. (spelling)

Cheers Axle.

Mike several local chainsaw repairers I've spoken to normally want nothing to do with them as they said parts are hard to source & even a quality bar & chain replacement would be almost half the price of the entire saw.
Here's a list of repairers for the Talon saws, 117 accross Victoria so you should be able to get some sort of service with them. That said spend the extra $$ & buy a real saw. Your son would no doubt be worth the extra safety features.
Cheers Craig.........

Make of this what you will...

Last time BigW had these 38cc Talons on special ($164.00 from memory), I thought "Can't go wrong at that price", so went to Bunnings to see if I could get one on their "beat it by 10%" policy... Alas, they were a step ahead & had 'em marked down to $163.00...
So I bought one, took it home, and my first thought when I took it out of the box was "oh well, can't expect much for that price, I suppose"..........
Anyway, I assembled it, fuel & oil in the tanks, & went to start it...
2nd pull, the engine "coughed", then on the next pull the spline (if you can call it that!!) in the flywheel/starter pulley stripped bare... Pulley simply spun on the shaft.. (Bugga!!!)....
Took the cover off for a closer look, & it's cheap pot-metal CR@P!!!...

I promptly took the saw back to Bunnings for a refund, and will never look at a Talon product again... ever!... This may have been a one-off, but then again............

FWIW, I've been working with chainsaws (on & off) since my late teens (& currently own 3 Stihls), so I have a pretty good idea what constitutes a decent chainsaw.. The Talon does not fit into that category IMO.. (YMMV).....

I have owned a couple of McCullochs, & was not dis-satisfied with these, & sold each of 'em for more than I paid!! (adding to the satisfaction;-)))...
I think these are now made in Italy (by Electrolux), so IMO would be a far better bet...

Like I said, Make of it what you will......

Regards, Ed. C.

A long time ago I was given a piece of advice:

Always buy the best tool for the job even if you have to save up for it. (This was pre credit cards) You'll have less less pain from the injuries not inflicted.

He was talking about sockets, spanners, drills etc, so I guess that goes doulble and tripe for chain saws.

BTW I use a Husqvarna 55 which all the fencing cotractors seem to use around here. (they cut iron bark posts all day long)

I recently brought a 36cc 16" Poulan Pro as a first saw from the local mower shop. It had a real good workout during the past week in the bush cutting the wood for our huge warmth fires. It performed perfectly and was a delight to use for my unexperienced self.

Hi Mike,
$194 for a 38cc saw is cheap..but how long will it last?.If it was me I would give my old stihl to my son and buy a new one for myself..as one of the other blokes suggested..I have 8 saws myself 6 stihls and 2 husqvarners,in my opion the stihls just a little better than the huskies....the word amongst the tree felling comunitie is stihls in the trees and huskys on the ground.As allways it comes down to what you can afford,now that Ive said that,I think $194 for a 38cc saw is cheap and I would lean towards the Talon at that price when it brakes buy another one.
I hope the only limbs he cuts are wood!
Hope this helps.
JD

Fair Dinkhum, let's get back to the original question. It was about a chainsaw for a bit of camping, not to cut down enough timber to rebuild the bridge over the River Kwai.

I've had a 35 cc (now 38 cc) Talon for nearly two years. It set me back the princely sum of $160. It has done around 20 camping trips and we are always warm around a fine campfire. It's also done a fair bit of work at home.

All I have ever done is fuel it, keep the chain bar oil filled and sharpened the chain (with one of those little red 12 volt carborundum sharpeners). I haven't even had to change the spark plug.

If it dies tomorrow, and there is no sign of it expiring, I've done well. By my calculations, it has cost us about $3 per night to have a roaring fire. That's cheap, considering firewood is $20 a bag. It has also saved my back. Swinging an axe or fighting a bow saw is just too hard.

I reckon it has got plenty of life left in it. It suits the purposes your Son needs. No question.

Why spend over the odds for a tool that is designed to to a job that far exceeds your needs?

Jim.

Thank you people; as usual, an excellent and informative set of replies.

Mike Harding

Buy him a chain saw course at a TAFE or college. Get him trained in correct usage. Then buy him some Chaps, steel boots, a good helmet and earmuffs. then get him the chainsaw. He will own his body parts for a lot longer.

Regardless of what brand of saw you choose there is a golden rule to be observed --- NEVER lend your saw or your wife/girlfriend etc etc as you willl find that they will both come back in the same condition ie -- worn out! Regards G.T.