Instead of borrowing friends and relatives chainsaws I was thinking of picking up a small saw for limbing and cleanup around the yard. Saw the other day on the HD website that they have reconditioned saws starting at $69.97
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Ryobi-Reconditioned-14-in-37cc-2-Cycle-Gas-Chainsaw-ZRRY3714/207078512?cm_mmc=Shopping%7cTHD%7cG%7c0%7cG-BASE-PLA-D28I-PortableOutdoorPower%7c&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI0tXR4OGs1wIVxLXACh1e6wU_EAQYASABEgKPTPD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds&dclid=CPnAp-PhrNcCFZJpwQodXoQGuw
Any feedback on Ryobi chainsaws?
Ryobi Chainsaw
- Thread starter Picky1
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I have no personal experience with that particular saw, but I do have experience with Ryobi and other box-store branded OPE. Don't expect it to last more than a season or two. For $70 though, if it helps you get some yard work done without much hassle, I'd say go for it. I'm in the same boat as you, as in I don't need a saw for heavy use, just occasional. I'm looking at the Stihl MS170/180s as I've had great service out of Stihl and I have a great dealer nearby.
For the price, and if you only need it for around the yard, it should be fine. I have a few customers with those and they seem to like them. I do recommend running the pre-mix ethanol-free fuel that comes in the can at home depot if you use it only once in a while, that way you avoid any carburetor issues from sitting.
Originally Posted By: jeepman3071
I do recommend running the pre-mix ethanol-free fuel that comes in the can at home depot if you use it only once in a while, that way you avoid any carburetor issues from sitting.
Give the saw a good workout when you first get it and if that goes well, its probably going to be a good saw for a while. Keep the chain sharp too, the narrow chains on the little saws can cut pretty fast in the small stuff.
In chainsaws you get what you pay for. I would get a professional model Stihl and be done with buying saws. I would still have my AV 32 Stihl if someone hadn't stolen it. Cry once and be done with it or just buy a bow saw for $15.
Originally Posted By: JohnnyJohnson
In chainsaws you get what you pay for. I would get a professional model Stihl and be done with buying saws. I would still have my AV 32 Stihl if someone hadn't stolen it. Cry once and be done with it or just buy a bow saw for $15.
If the OP will use the saw a few times a year, a home owner grade machine will be perfectly fine. It's not like he will be going out and cutting 1000 trees down with the thing. For $70 vs. $500 they will both be fine and probably outlast what he needs.
Originally Posted By: fenixguy
I have no personal experience with that particular saw, but I do have experience with Ryobi and other box-store branded OPE. Don't expect it to last more than a season or two.
No reason it shouldn't last longer. I still have my Poulan Green chainsaw I bought with my house in 2002. It was my only saw for awhile and I cut alot of wood with that saw. I put a new bar and chain on it last year and except for regular maintenance it's still cutting.
Take care of the saw, don't run rediculas high oil/ gas ratios. Use only TC rated oil and it will last.
I run all my saws 32:1 regardless of what they say. Even my new Echo Weed eater gets 32:1 even though it says 50:1. My last Craftsman weedeater lasted 23 years. So I'll take my chances with the warranty.
For that price and the good reviews I don't see any reason to not pick one up.
Originally Posted By: Picky1
Instead of borrowing friends and relatives chainsaws I was thinking of picking up a small saw for limbing and cleanup around the yard. Saw the other day on the HD website that they have reconditioned saws starting at $69.97
Any feedback on Ryobi chainsaws?
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Originally Posted By: Rock_Hudstone
Originally Posted By: Picky1
Instead of borrowing friends and relatives chainsaws I was thinking of picking up a small saw for limbing and cleanup around the yard. Saw the other day on the HD website that they have reconditioned saws starting at $69.97
Any feedback on Ryobi chainsaws?
Poulan Pros are garbage. The cheaper Green Poulans are better than the yellow ones which is ironic.
I own two the 5020s. I bought one blew up and rebuilt it and the other one off a guy for $70 running.
I rebuilt the blown piston in the one for under $10. Parts are cheap.
They don't make the power for a 50 cc.
The stock bars and chains are junk.
You would be better off with a Chinese Chainsaw off eBay which for a $100 are pretty darn good.
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Originally Posted By: Panzerman
Poulan Pros are garbage. The cheaper Green Poulans are better than the yellow ones which is ironic.
I own two the 5020s. I bought one blew up and rebuilt it and the other one off a guy for $70 running.
I rebuilt the blown piston in the one for under $10. Parts are cheap.
They don't make the power for a 50 cc.
The stock bars and chains are junk.
You would be better off with a Chinese Chainsaw off eBay which for a $100 are pretty darn good.
Originally Posted By: boraticus
A cheap saw with a good bar and chain will out-cut a pro saw with a bad bar and chain.
On my way home from work I stopped into Sears and found a decent deal between the sale price and the coupons that I had so I picked up a Poulan 952802026 33cc 2-Cycle 14" Gas Chain Saw for under $100 out the door:
http://www.sears.com/poulan-33cc-2-cycle...mp;blockType=G5
Plan on using it tomorrow, just hoping it warms up a bit as today it was only 34 degrees and very windy!
I've run Ryobi chainsaws for a few years. Most have Zenhoa (SP?) engines. They like to rev. That's fine for a small saw doing limbing work, etc.
I run 32:1 in all my saws (I have BIG saws, antique saws, race saws). Home brew 2-stroke oil. But any good premium oil will be fine.
Get the carb adjuster tool for that carb. As I recall, it's a "D" tool, but might be splined ... Set the high jet ("H") so it just 4-strokes a bit when not in the wood at RPM. Set the idle jet ("L") so it will actually idle. When in the wood and under load, it should clean right up and 2-stroke hard. That way it can not ever get too lean 
Chain tension should be tight enough so that when you pull up on the chain at mid-bar, you get maybe a 1/2 a drive tooth showing. Grease the roller bearing in the nose with a push-in pencil greaser. Usually every other tank full.
In the winter, you can run used crankcase oil in the oiler. In the spring and summer, you need heavier hi-tack oil. In dry wood you need to have a coffee can of used oil to dip the bar in for extra oil as the wood sucks it away fast.
Get a spare chain. If it starts to wander in the cut, you have contacted something (old nail, barb wire in the wood, etc.) and you have lost one set of cutters on one side. Put on spare chain. Flip the bar over about every 4 hours of run time.
As long as the chain is throwing chips, it's sharp enough. As soon as it starts throwing saw dust, it's done. Swap chains.
This is good little limbing saw. No, it's not a strato charged self-tuning Husky ... But it will run for years and work hard. As long as it does not get lean, or run to hard with a dull chain (HOT) ...
Chain tension should be tight enough so that when you pull up on the chain at mid-bar, you get maybe a 1/2 a drive tooth showing. Grease the roller bearing in the nose with a push-in pencil greaser. Usually every other tank full.
In the winter, you can run used crankcase oil in the oiler. In the spring and summer, you need heavier hi-tack oil. In dry wood you need to have a coffee can of used oil to dip the bar in for extra oil as the wood sucks it away fast.
Get a spare chain. If it starts to wander in the cut, you have contacted something (old nail, barb wire in the wood, etc.) and you have lost one set of cutters on one side. Put on spare chain. Flip the bar over about every 4 hours of run time.
As long as the chain is throwing chips, it's sharp enough. As soon as it starts throwing saw dust, it's done. Swap chains.
This is good little limbing saw. No, it's not a strato charged self-tuning Husky ... But it will run for years and work hard. As long as it does not get lean, or run to hard with a dull chain (HOT) ...
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Originally Posted By: Picky1
On my way home from work I stopped into Sears and found a decent deal between the sale price and the coupons that I had so I picked up a Poulan 952802026 33cc 2-Cycle 14" Gas Chain Saw for under $100 out the door:
http://www.sears.com/poulan-33cc-2-cycle...mp;blockType=G5
Plan on using it tomorrow, just hoping it warms up a bit as today it was only 34 degrees and very windy!
I have a ryobi 42cc? that cuts pretty good.. it doesnt idle once hot.. and its just ok.. of course I paid around $50 for it IIRC. I got more workout in restarting it than cutting.
I did adjust it and it was better.. but weather dependent.. seems like it needs adjusted for temp.. which is a total pain.. I'm not talking 0f and 100f... more like 40f and 75f.
I also have an echo cs-590 chainsaw and the only thing that momentarily slowed it down was some 20 year dead standing black locust.
Everything else I was cutting upto 12" was hot knife through butter.
anyone looking for a nice prosumer saw I'd go the echo 490 which is 3lb lighter
I did a few larger cuts and love the cs590 but its so strong I'm thinking I might have preferred
the cs490's lightness. It starts on 2 pulls, idles well, never stalls. It is abit loud.. make sure you wear hearing protection for sure.
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