Stihl carbs.

[Cato]

Just thought I'd mention this as quite a few on here have, or work on Stihl gear.

A customer unsurprisingly didn't want to pay £80 - £90 for a replacement carb so I ordered on of the Chinesium copies. At just under £20 inc delivery for the carb, fuel hose, spare bulb, air filter, spark plug and adjustment tool I wasn't holding out much hope. It appears my scepticism was unfounded though. I only needed/fitted the carb, but it runs sweet as, obviously no idea of its longevity. This is the seller I bought from, but there are others.

 

[Nomad]

A few months ago I did similar - needed a new barrel & piston for a commercial 40cc strimmer. My local repair shop quoted near £200 for the bits, I took a gamble on an unbranded kit (including bits I don;t need) for under £40 delivered and it's working fine.

Sometimes you get what you pay for, sometimes you get lucky.

 

[tom2207]

I bought a pack of fuel filters and hose / primer sets
I think I got 5 for about 8 quid , Ive fixed a few things and still have a couple left over ,, they seem grand and they work.
often its cheaper to buy a carb complete than a gasket set , how does that make sense. But worth checking the price of things before starting to rebuild carbs.

 

[Cato]

A few months ago I did similar - needed a new barrel & piston for a commercial 40cc strimmer. My local repair shop quoted near £200 for the bits, I took a gamble on an unbranded kit (including bits I don;t need) for under £40 delivered and it's working fine.

Sometimes you get what you pay for, sometimes you get lucky.

I do wonder if they've cottoned on to the fact that the tat the were sending out of China a few years back was unsustainable? I know a lot of people who won't touch the stuff now but they seem to have upped their game.

 

[Cato]

I bought a pack of fuel filters and hose / primer sets
I think I got 5 for about 8 quid , Ive fixed a few things and still have a couple left over ,, they seem grand and they work.
often its cheaper to buy a carb complete than a gasket set , how does that make sense. But worth checking the price of things before starting to rebuild carbs.

Exactly that, it would have cost more in labour to strip and rebuild the carb than the replacement cost, and genuine rebuild kits would double the price again.

 

[winchman]

I chap we know fits one of these carbs to every saw he sells and has had no issues

 

[tom2207]

I chap we know fits one of these carbs to every saw he sells and has had no issues

after half a day of grief wrestling a saw , give up ,,, order a twenty quid carb , and screw it on , by now it wont take long as you will have had the old one on and off a few times , and stripped and built a few times , and looked on the floor for the bit that fell off ,,,, more than once ,, pah
screw on the 20 quid carb and very very often they start first or second pull and done even need as much as the tickover tweaked , they are a no brainer.

 

[Rannsachair]

Just thought I'd mention this as quite a few on here have, or work on Stihl gear.

A customer unsurprisingly didn't want to pay £80 - £90 for a replacement carb so I ordered on of the Chinesium copies. At just under £20 inc delivery for the carb, fuel hose, spare bulb, air filter, spark plug and adjustment tool I wasn't holding out much hope. It appears my scepticism was unfounded though. I only needed/fitted the carb, but it runs sweet as, obviously no idea of its longevity. This is the seller I bought from, but there are others.

Funny I did the same on my brother's Stihl strimmer at the weekend. Original Stihl carb was made in China too. I was shocked when it started first pull.

 

[Migmac]

I’ll keep rebuilding my carbs when I need to. The Chinese stuff does appear to be getting better though

 

[Cato]

I’ll keep rebuilding my carbs when I need to. The Chinese stuff does appear to be getting better though

It's my first preference, partly because (rightly or wrongly) I have more confidence in my checks and work, but also because it uses more of my productive time i.e. I get paid. The copy carbs do offer a handy alternative to "Oh I can't afford that." though so it's a useful cheaper option.

 

[tom2207]

It's my first preference, partly because (rightly or wrongly) I have more confidence in my checks and work, but also because it uses more of my productive time i.e. I get paid. The copy carbs do offer a handy alternative to "Oh I can't afford that." though so it's a useful cheaper option.

also a very fast check that the issue is actually the carb in the first place

 

[frank horton]

never had a prob with thise Chinese carbs and I've fitted a lot........
I'm pretty sure thats where they ar all made regardless what it says on the box.......
Have found even a Ultra sonic wont always get em clean enough......****ee fuel.....

 

[Cato]

also a very fast check that the issue is actually the carb in the first place

With stihl carbs and the like I start with a quick pressure test, 90% of the problems will be found with that.

I'm pretty sure thats where they ar all made regardless what it says on the box.......

Walbro carbs fitted to a lot of the other brands are made in Mexico. No idea why but it always strikes me as an odd place to make carburettors.

 

[Morrisman]

I chap we know fits one of these carbs to every saw he sells and has had no issues

I can't remember what carb it was, but a guy I know ordered a cheapie knock off copy carb from China and was amazed to find that the genuine spare parts he had in stock all fitted it perfectly.

 

[8ob]

I can't remember what carb it was, but a guy I know ordered a cheapie knock off copy carb from China and was amazed to find that the genuine spare parts he had in stock all fitted it perfectly.

This is true, they shamelessly rip off the original design, it also means the repair kits they sell fit both. It’s a win win for them with little to no chance of any legal challenge or repercussions over copyrights.

Bob

 

[Cato]

This is true, they shamelessly rip off the original design, it also means the repair kits they sell fit both. It’s a win win for them with little to no chance of any legal challenge or repercussions over copyrights.

Bob

They're following the Japanese and Taiwanese example from the '60s and '70s which worked out pretty well for them.

 

[8ob]

They're following the Japanese and Taiwanese example from the '60s and '70s which worked out pretty well for them.

If the big name chainsaw manufacturers were not so silly with their spares pricing these cheap ripoffs would never be a viable proposition. With Stihl pricing I reckon a £300 saw must be well over 1k in oem bits, they need to get their house in order.

Bob

 

[Cato]

If the big name chainsaw manufacturers were not so silly with their spares pricing these cheap ripoffs would never be a viable proposition. With Stihl pricing I reckon a £300 saw must be well over 1k in oem bits, they need to get their house in order.

Bob

Yup, and everyone including customers can see that along with what they get charged at the approved agents/dealers. More expensive and most people will wear it due to the 'genuine' label, more than four times the price (£86 vs £19:98) and everyone realises that they're taking the ****.

 

[roofman]

Been buying Chinese copies for a couple of years now and product quality is like night and day from say 5 years ago...I can get a new GX390 carb and gaskets for £11 to my door and put it on the machine with zero problems,even the idle is set right. I have just bought and fitted a piston kit for the same engine which includes piston,rings,pin/clips,conrod,and all the needed gaskets for £34, the motor is almost 400cc so a fair lump of a piston too, i know the quality is spot on as they get used in my 200bar interpump pressure washers and work hard all day on the roof cleaning.

 

[angellonewolf]

ive used them a few times they are ok ive used them to repaire a few carbs and pistons

i put a china carb on a echo hedge trimmer used it for 2 years before selling it on was fine still when i sold it

i think i had to ajust the carb every so often more than original i think