Any real experience with aftermarket Stihl Engines

[nell6355]

Aftermarket stihl engines are available  for $100 to $200 like 034 and 044 replacements. They're all over Ebay and Amazon.   Has anyone here personally used these engines in hard applications?   I am rebuilding the occasional engine on older Stihl saws and it costs a little more.  My mind tells me a cheap Chinese engine is a waste of money.  Tell me how you know these engines are good replacements.  The guy that's all happy his saw makes noise again doesn't mean much to me.  How do the engines compare really?

[beenthere]

Nell
Pls fill out your bio so your location, at least in general, appears with your posts. Thanks, as it will help in answers and understanding.

[ZeroJunk]

Since you mention 034 and 044 I assume you are talking about cylinder kits. I have used a bunch of them and I think the ones built now are pretty good overall. I try to use Meteor, but I have used the no name kits. I have read some horror stories, but I have only had problems on a couple. bunch of plating flashing that needed to be cleaned, brittle rings that would break during installation, and excessive squish. One of each out of maybe thirty kits. The rest all worked like they were supposed to. I decide how much I want to spend based on the condition of the saw, lipstick on a pig type thing. But, for $150 or so Meteor is hard to beat.

As far as the motors for 029's, MS290's 310's etc. I have only used OEM. But, I don't think I would have a problem trying one of the Hutzl or whatever considering what the saw is worth.

[HuckFin]

I think the op was talking about complete engines. I just seen on e-bay, complete new 034/036/360 Stihl motors for $135. Also 066/660 and 044 motors on there as well.

[ZeroJunk]

Yeah, I just looked. Guess I have not been paying attention.

[Spike60]

2 things to be aware of.

1st, there is no consistancy with this stuff. Two guys can order the same part number from the same seller and each get something from a completely different factory. (even if in the same colorful box). Too many people involved between "here" and "there" to ensure any measure of consistant quality. I've seen too many examples of flaking chrome and cockeyed ports to recommend them to most guys.

2nd, on sites like this there is a disconnect between the reality here in the saw enthusist world, and that which is out in the real world. Most of us here giving advice have a silly amount of saws. (myself included) So, these kits go on a saw, and it runs fine of course. But few guys put enough time on any of these saws to draw a definitive conclusion about the long term durability of many of these kits. There are certainly some stories where these kits have lasted a long time, but plenty of bad stories also.

However these kits may be a viable option for the guy with several saws who wants to bring a dead saw back to life at reasonable cost. But probably not a good way to go for a guy who will depend on it as his only saw. And no way would it be a good idea to send such a saw into a commercial environment where it will see daily use.

[deerslayer]

I agree with the previous poster about the lack of a meaningful amount of hours put on rebuilt saws. Actually that would apply to using oem parts as well. ie, many of us don't run enough hours on a particular saw to put a significant amount of wear on it.
That being said, the same can be said of many of the rebuilt saw's customers.
I have never purchased an entire Asian engine but have used a lot of top end parts. (cylinder kits and piston kits). I have never known of a failure of any of the saws I put together with these kits but don't follow most of them when they leave my place. I do know of one Stihl 029 turned into an 039 that has seen two years of heavy use and is still going strong. It is used by a firewood cutter who cuts and sells wood. He doesn't cut wood all day long but uses the saw more than most people would. He has been very pleased with it. I have had it back here for a check up after a year and then after the second year. Inspected the piston both times and it looks fine. I have done a number of saws with these kits and have put a fair amount of time on them but not all on the same one. I'll continue to rebuild saws with these imported parts because it puts them back into play and they would be unaffordable to repair with Stihl parts. Would I use these parts on my own saw if I was making my living with it? Yes.
Keep in mind, the above is concerning top end kits and I have no experience with the cranks or whole engine assemblies. (although I have used the bearing and seals from China.)

[nell6355]

Those responses make a lot of sense.  I bought the saw new, and wore it out myself.  No one else has ever used it, and I've put over 100 gallons of fuel through it.   You're right that many times it's not feasible to rebuild saws with Stihl parts.  You have to "monster garage" them from several junk saws, or take a chance on aftermarket parts.  I do not use my saws every day, but I do maintain over 100 acres of timber, thinning pines, killing sweetgums, cutting some sawlogs and a 5 to 8 cords of firewood.   I cut a blowdown oak a month ago that took 6 tanks of fuel to cut it up into firewood. The timber on this Georgia farm is very large except the plantation pines.  I got a used crankcase, bearings gaskets and seals from Chainsawr.  I will use a Stihl parts where the price is competitive because I do believe their quality is better.  I work in the tractor business, and sometimes rebuild transmissions.  Never done it before, but I think I can outsmart a 60 CC 2 stroke engine.   Thanks for the suggestions and thoughts.   If the aftermarket parts are poor, I will  find it, and post the results.

[weimedog]

wow... a ditto to my world. I have a 250plus acre farm with 100 or so acres of hard wood to manage. We do saw GTG's here, had a motorcycle race here from time to time. Used to trail ride a lot but age and injury makes it hard anymore. But I pay the taxes by logging the place and selling the timber. Use the tops to heat the house with. I also have a lot of help from some chainsaw collector/enthusiast types as well. Pretty much have replaced the motorcycle racing habit and hobby with woodlot management and the social side changed as well with what I have come to see as some of the best friends I have ever had, and just a great group of guys.

Chinese stuff. Here is the thing. There are different worlds and therefore requirements in this chainsaw paradigm, ours (fools effected by "CAD") and those who share our experience being unique. Typically being the blend of hobby & serious drives us to have multiple saws to both work with and to learn about those things that have become interesting. For my part having been a manufacturing engineer type & having spent most of my life racing things powered by two stroke, this is a turn to the "for real" application of two stroke powered tools to work. Fact is even though the work is real, we can basically play... having both some time and saws to bail ourselves out should we choose.

The "Pro" shop or logger has a completely different priority set.. time is money, and to have to waste the time debugging a finicky saw for either a customer or on the job is both aggravating and can be *DanG expensive. The net for me is for them, those solutions that have the highest chance of both success and reliability over time are worth the price of OEM parts. They make up the difference over AM in so many ways....

The Homeowner/landowner/farmer looking for a deal has yet a different mindset, some always looking for a deal and pushing the sales channels....

In our world we don't mind "saw puzzles" and for that matter that is part of the fun! Saw hobbiest/collector types have similar lax rules of engagement as we do, where the definition of success is simply completing a saw puzzle and then evolving it to a better state over time. For our world, the AM has a place. And in your case, like I have; you might find tinkering with the Asian saws somewhat amusing for a variety of reasons not always about the productive use of saw time. Just understand the information we derive and disseminate can be a bit aggregating to the pro who takes things seriously and see what we are doing as both a waste of time and a distraction. Especially if they have to waste their time convincing a customer to rethink their premises derived from our commentary coming from the hobbyist world. That's got to be a PITA.

Sounds like you are in the "farmer" class peaking over the fence into the Saw enthusiast... and have a good chance of landing squarely in the same place I am when you finish building that first project saw.. SO please sprinkle in some reality resets when you go down this path.

You think about this and you will understand the responses you get. For my part, I ran the course and ended up back to OEM for anything serious. BUT there is sometimes fun to be had in that Asian world! (Huztl "2"(not on video) is named "Cyclops", looks to be an Azz kicker of a saw. But how long will it last? Huztl one worked hard and has had no issues...retired now because it was totally debugged and therefore boring)

Below is a link to a YouTube play list, A video documentation of some AM fun and games starts with a real job & review then goes back through the genesis of the concept.. all with a twist a very few will get with the possible exception of  one person.  :

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtw-MqiEnI4EAI95PNK2R95vn1PLsl2ZL

(PS: This farm I live on is in the North East.. I have another one of similar size in Central Alabama that may some day need the same treatment should there be interest in the family )