Cheap Chainsaw worked Good Craftsman S185

[Whitenuckler]

I bought this at "Princess Auto" a discount store. $169.99 CAD on clearance. Just got the cutting and splitting done before the
ground thawed. I only had that one job to do, so I didn't get a brand name saw. First time I ever bought the cans of premix gas and a bar tip greaser.
Broke it in, and it ran perfectly. One of the few that has a primer bulb. When I did some research it looked like an Echo clone. The only part of breaking it that I was careful about was the chain oiler. I added oil myself till I could see the level of oil go down in the tank. I tried to get it to spray oil on the snow but it must have been too cold as nothing sprayed. My gas station here still has non-ethanol fuel I can use, or I might just keep getting the deluxe cans of gas if it's only getting used a few times a year.

 

[stoveliker]

I got me echo ca4910 for only $100 more.

But for most folks cutting only 2 cords per year any cheap saw will likely be economically advantageous compared to a "good" saw -imho.

 

[Whitenuckler]

I got me echo ca4910 for only $100 more.

But for most folks cutting only 2 cords per year any cheap saw will likely be economically advantageous compared to a "good" saw -imho.

The closest I could find to your saw was this: Almost the same as mine.

Echo 50.2 cc 2-Cycle Gas Rear Handle Chain Saw With 18-Inch​

UPC
743184022467

Online Sku
1239151
Model Number
CS4910-18
$599.99 /EA CANADIAN

 

[stoveliker]

My memory may have been wrong; it might have been $379.
20" bar tho.

 

[Mutineer]

Those cans of premix are several times the cost per ounce of mixing your own. I can get ethanol free gas locally, I fill my 1 gallon plastic can and add a 2.6 oz bottle of 2 cycle oil, shake and bake. Even if you don't run more than a half dozen times per year the gas won't degrade the saw if you stick with the ethanol free gas. I do use the mix in all my saws, my snowblower, leaf blowers and weed wacker so I probably go through 15-20 gallons a year of my own mix which costs me maybe $60-80 but using the canned stuff would run to the $200-$300 range. Not to mention all that excess trash from the containers going into the landfills if the garbage recycling people aren't on the ball to snag those steel cans.

 

[Murray01]

IMHO Craftsman products aren’t bad for quality. I have a 30 year old lawnmower that I burn old gas and/or old premixed fuel that I want to get rid of. Oil change, new spark plug and air filter yearly, it starts 5-6 pulls every time, added bonus is the 2 cycle oils helps with mosquitoes.

 

[Whitenuckler]

Those cans of premix are several times the cost per ounce of mixing your own. I can get ethanol free gas locally, I fill my 1 gallon plastic can and add a 2.6 oz bottle of 2 cycle oil, shake and bake. Even if you don't run more than a half dozen times per year the gas won't degrade the saw if you stick with the ethanol free gas. I do use the mix in all my saws, my snowblower, leaf blowers and weed wacker so I probably go through 15-20 gallons a year of my own mix which costs me maybe $60-80 but using the canned stuff would run to the $200-$300 range. Not to mention all that excess trash from the containers going into the landfills if the garbage recycling people aren't on the ball to snag those steel cans.

I might be losing my supply of ethanol free gas soon. The only place I can get it here is at Petro Canada. The only reason I think it is ethanol free is that by law they need to put a sticker on the pump. I really only bought the can to break the saw in. I did buy a small jug and have oil.
I sure hope I can still get E free gas in the future as I have a snowblower and lawnmower too. Do you get it at a special place like a marina or airport?

 

[bigealta]

No e free in NJ, that i know of, but almost every gas station in Utah has it.

 

[Whitenuckler]

No e free in NJ, that i know of, but almost every gas station in Utah has it.

I might be missing something here, but did the government really need to allow this in our gas with no choice?
Sorry if I crossed the line into politics, however I don't want water in my gas (even in my Jeep)
Utah is kinda far for a cottage?

 

[Whitenuckler]

I might be missing something here, but did the government really need to allow this in our gas with no choice?
Sorry if I crossed the line into politics, however I don't want water in my gas (even in my Jeep)
Utah is kinda far for a cottage?

VEVOR 58CC 20" Gasoline Chainsaw Gas Powered Wood Cutting Engine Gas Chain Saw | VEVOR CA

Shop VEVOR 58CC 20" Gasoline Chainsaw Gas Powered Wood Cutting Engine Gas Chain Saw at lowest price, 2-day delivery, 30-day returns. Shop now at VEVOR.

www.vevor.ca

Check this out! Super cheap 20". There are only a couple of different manufacturing plants in China producing all the saws. Depending on what label they put on them, they will have different parts/specs.

 

[Mutineer]

We have at least a couple of brands of gas station here in Ohio that sell the ethanol free gas, Sheetz and some Circle Ks. It is usually about a buck more per gallon though, so they have an incentive to sell it. Some smaller or independents also sell it, most of it comes from the same big storage tanks as everyone else. There's a wholesale fuel distributor with 10-12 big storage tanks near me that I see all different brands of fuel tanker trucks going in and out of.

 

[Murray01]

I might be missing something here, but did the government really need to allow this in our gas with no choice?
Sorry if I crossed the line into politics, however I don't want water in my gas (even in my Jeep)
Utah is kinda far for a cottage?

It’s a provincial thing. I emailed the Coop people asking about their premium fuel since one gas jockey said all their fuel was ethanol, another said premium was ethanol free. Corporate’s reply was the provincial government decides if ethanol can be used in fuel or not and how much. Personally I don’t think potential food(corn) should be used to supplement/dilute gasoline.

Pure-gas.org - ethanol-free gasoline in the U.S. and Canada

Pure-gas.org is the definitive web site listing stations that sell pure gasoline in the U.S. and Canada.

www.pure-gas.org

 

[Whitenuckler]

It’s a provincial thing. I emailed the Coop people asking about their premium fuel since one gas jockey said all their fuel was ethanol, another said premium was ethanol free. Corporate’s reply was the provincial government decides if ethanol can be used in fuel or not and how much. Personally I don’t think potential food(corn) should be used to supplement/dilute gasoline.

Pure-gas.org - ethanol-free gasoline in the U.S. and Canada

Pure-gas.org is the definitive web site listing stations that sell pure gasoline in the U.S. and Canada.

www.pure-gas.org

I agree it's the law that they must blend. I guess Petro Canada will have to do it here in PEI eventually. I'll be watching for the sticker on the pump. All gas must be blended (all octanes). However, they can't make gas for airplanes with it (and perhaps marine applications). I am going to ask around this summer at some of the places that sell gas for boaters. I have no problem if they use corn to make corn sugar as I use that to make beer. However, to make ethanol to add to gas ruins the gas. Also they make High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) which is poisoning the population (also allowed by the government). Also driving up the price of food from corn.
Quote:
In 2010, Canada released the Renewable Fuels Regulations, which mandated that gasoline producers ensure 5% of their fuel was renewable. This meant that a gasoline mix of 95% gasoline and 5% ethanol, known as E5 fuel, has become common. However, many provinces have gone further than E5. For example, Ontario’s Cleaner Transportation Fuels regulation raised the required renewable content in gasoline to 10% (known as E10) in 2020, and this will climb to 15% (E15) by 2030.

 

[Eman85]

Pure-gas.org - ethanol-free gasoline in the U.S. and Canada

Pure-gas.org is the definitive web site listing stations that sell pure gasoline in the U.S. and Canada.

www.pure-gas.org

Ethanol free gas finder web site.

 

[Asmodai650]

Craftsman saws aren’t Echo clones, they’re part of the Husqvarna family along with WeedEater, Poulan Pro, Electrolux, and others. It looks like it definitely did the job though!

 

[GG Woody]

I am also lead to believe that there is no more ethanol free gas in Canada other than race fuel, Av gas, or ethanol free jugs bought inside the saw shop or automotive parts stores. It is in legislation.
I really do believe I have had problems with boat/farm/marked fuel from a local station. I have had 4 different fuel petcocks leak in a short amount of time on older dirt bikes and quad. I now steer clear of boat/farm/marked fuel and just use premium. I want to think that it must be something added to the boat fuel to prevent the hygroscopic qualities of the ethanol. But that may very well be something brewed under my tin foil hat...

Petcocks went bad in 04 Yamaha WR450, 07 Suzuki DRZ125, 01 Kawasaki KX65 and 1996 Yamaha Big Bear 350 all within 2 years, easy to tell with the marked fuel. The Suzuki fixed itself with just switching fuel.

 

[Whitenuckler]

I am also lead to believe that there is no more ethanol free gas in Canada other than race fuel, Av gas, or ethanol free jugs bought inside the saw shop or automotive parts stores. It is in legislation.
I really do believe I have had problems with boat/farm/marked fuel from a local station. I have had 4 different fuel petcocks leak in a short amount of time on older dirt bikes and quad. I now steer clear of boat/farm/marked fuel and just use premium. I want to think that it must be something added to the boat fuel to prevent the hygroscopic qualities of the ethanol. But that may very well be something brewed under my tin foil hat...

Petcocks went bad in 04 Yamaha WR450, 07 Suzuki DRZ125, 01 Kawasaki KX65 and 1996 Yamaha Big Bear 350 all within 2 years, easy to tell with the marked fuel. The Suzuki fixed itself with just switching fuel.

My Ariens snow blower fuel shut off failed. I was using ethanol fuel in it for years. Also the carb needle stuck. I really hope I can continue to get ethanol free from now on. Sometimes I wonder if Petro Canada is playing games with me here but I don't seethe label on the pump and at Shell, Irving yes. I think certain sectors were/are except due to safety issues ie airplanes and boats?

 

[GG Woody]

My Ariens snow blower fuel shut off failed. I was using ethanol fuel in it for years. Also the carb needle stuck. I really hope I can continue to get ethanol free from now on. Sometimes I wonder if Petro Canada is playing games with me here but I don't seethe label on the pump and at Shell, Irving yes. I think certain sectors were/are except due to safety issues ie airplanes and boats?

Airplanes yes, boats no from what I've figured.
We also had a pump here without a sticker for a while and I thought I was getting non ethanol, looking back I believe it all has it and the store employees were just a bit naive on what fuel they are selling. I've asked about the marine fuel down the road and I don't believe the store worker knows or cares whether it has ethanol or not.
I'm fine with the ethanol only cause I have to be... I'm avoiding the marked/boat gas now though.

 

[bigealta]

I'm pretty sure AV Gas has lead in it. You don't want your face in that exhaust cloud.

 

[Whitenuckler]

I'm pretty sure AV Gas has lead in it. You don't want your face in that exhaust cloud.

Yes, I think you're right. I remember now. They are the only ones allowed lead to increase the octane. That was one complaint people had about the Cessna's that were flying circuits for a flight school where I used to live. Lead fall-out.

 

[danrclem]

If a pump doesn't have an ethanol content sticker on it, don't assume that it doesn't have any ethanol. I got some gas from a pump that didn't have a sticker on it and did the test below on it. It definitely had ethanol in it. If you watch until the end, this guy shows how to make your own ethanol free gasoline. I don't know if it would be worth doing it though.

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[GG Woody]

If a pump doesn't have an ethanol content sticker on it, don't assume that it doesn't have any ethanol. I got some gas from a pump that didn't have a sticker on it and did the test below on it. It definitely had ethanol in it. If you watch until the end, this guy shows how to make your own ethanol free gasoline. I don't know if it would be worth doing it though.

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You can pull the ethanol out but the ethanol is responsible for higher octane ratings. If you pull the ethanol out you will be left with much lower octane fuel.

 

[Whitenuckler]

If a pump doesn't have an ethanol content sticker on it, don't assume that it doesn't have any ethanol. I got some gas from a pump that didn't have a sticker on it and did the test below on it. It definitely had ethanol in it. If you watch until the end, this guy shows how to make your own ethanol free gasoline. I don't know if it would be worth doing it though.

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Yes I think I saw that before. I asked the person in the gas station, and they didn't even know what ethanol was.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/pei-gasoline-fuel-regulations-ethanol-1.6912658

There is something going on here in PEI, but I'm not sure. Probably since I used that canned pre-mix to break it in, I should get some more.
I have an electric chainsaw too for small trimming. Until a tree blows over, I don't need the gas saw anyway. I was looking at getting an older model Stihl on sale/clearance, but I'm glad I grabbed the Craftsman if I'm only going to use it once and awhile.