A few weeks ago I put up a video comparison between a 'brand-name' chainsaw and a Chinese knock-off that found the latter to be a pretty useful tool. Unfortunately, it looks like not all Chinese chainsaws can make the same claim. The Telegraph reports:
Nearly 1,000 chainsaws imported from China with a host of faults have been seized at one of Britain's main borders.
. . .
They were found to have three crucial faults, including a failure of the chain brake test, which measures the force needed to move the handle.
Trading standards officers also said that when the engine was running the brake failed to work, regardless of how hard it was activated.
Tests showed that although the engine kill switch worked, it took longer than anticipated. Normally, it should stop immediately, but tests found it took about five seconds.
There's more at the link.
I did a bit more research. The offending chainsaws are sold under the brands Powerhaus and Kraftwelle (the latter even offers a German web site to suggest that they're made there): but despite their use of German-sounding names, all are made in China. In 2010 the European Union issued a safety warning and product recall about them. Looks like nothing's improved since then . . .
I guess it all boils down to "buyer beware": do your due diligence and check carefully on any product before you buy it. I won't be buying one of these!
Peter
EVERYTHING is buyer beware today... sigh
ReplyDeleteThese are the people that in order to make more profits, the big grocery stores are starting to get vegetables, fish and soon meat from. Do we really want to buy Chinese products?
ReplyDeleteFor a few bucks more just get a Poulan Pro. If you look you can get them on sale cheap. Decent saw for the money.
ReplyDeleteNever trust the label "Made in Germany", however it reads. It seems that the rules for that claim are VERY loose, and bear no relation to reality.
ReplyDelete