Help me choose a saw

In a way I agree with Mike on buying a good saw, but in another a cheap saw to start with makes sense also. That way leaves money for the safety items and other items. Experience once gained though, a professional grade saw is the best investment and longer parts availability generally.

My xp saws are what I pick up first.

NE WOOD BURNER said:

http://www.husqvarna.com/us/products/professional-chainsaws/545/


If I where you!

I have husky 266,350,371xp,372xp
my 266 is from the 80's
350 is my brush saw with a stihl chain instead of safety chain.

So whatever you do buy, just make sure the bar and chain can be upgraded to the big boy teeth. cheaper than a new saw. if you start small. also you can find many homeowner saws on craigslist for 40 bucks poulans,echos, etc.

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Nothing wrong with lo kickback 325 or even pico if it's sharp and dressed properly. Big boiy chain, 404 or square tooth, takes big power and big power, even used costs big bucks.

I run 404 skip tooth on my 075 but it's not a 40 dollar powerhead either.

Mike Fromme said:

The ms362 is awesome

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It is if you don't care what you say. Too bad it's not the saw it replaced, the MS361.

I have a saw almost identical to the last one from eBay that you posted. It is NOT my favorite saw, but if I was left with it as my only saw it could certainly do just about all of the work I needed it to.

I have one complaint about it and that is the chain. It is NOT the best chain I've used, BUT it was some kind of super chain that lasted forever before needing a tuneup. I've never been able to get the edge on that thing back, though. Not sure why.

So, you got a lot of good advice, but I will say that it can be possible to buy a cheap saw and take care of it and get by just fine. YMMV, though, and you may have to learn how to work on saws real quick! Good news is that (like the saws) the parts are plentiful and cheap.

I got my Husqvarna 455 off craigslist new in box for $325 last year. Does everything I need it to. Check CL daily and throw out a few low ball offers, you may get lucky. Stick with Stihl or Husqvarna if you can.

claydogg84 said:

I got my Husqvarna 455 off craigslist new in box for $325 last year. Does everything I need it to. Check CL daily and throw out a few low ball offers, you may get lucky. Stick with Stihl or Husqvarna if you can.

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Really? Why (other than your opinion) which may or may not be valid......

SidecarFlip said:

Really? Why (other than your opinion) which may or may not be valid......

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Why stick with those brands? Both well known manufacturers that most tree guys use, availability of replacement parts, and also local dealers. Cheaper brand saws are usually fine, until you have a problem and or need parts.

But the point is that there is Echo, Makita/Dolmar, Efco, Jonsered... Why limited to ONLY two brands?

Danno77 said:

But the point is that there is Echo, Makita/Dolmar, Efco, Jonsered... Why limited to ONLY two brands?

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Out of all the tree guys I've known I've yet to see anyone use anything aside from those 2. Does that make them the best? I would speculate yes - these guys use the saws every day for their line of work. Its liken to someone telling me a craftsman ratchet is the same as a snap on. I lied now that I think of it - one old timer tree guy has a couple Jonsered, but they appear to be 25 years old.

claydogg84 said:

Why stick with those brands? Both well known manufacturers that most tree guys use, availability of replacement parts, and also local dealers. Cheaper brand saws are usually fine, until you have a problem and or need parts.

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I have to say that in almost 40 years of chainsaw ownership. otherr than sparkplugs and fuel/oil filters, I've never had to worry about 'replacment parts' and if I break a saw it's usually because I've run it over with the truck, or lost it up in a tree and so it's junk anyway. Consequently, unless it's a really cheapo saw, replacement parts are a non worry IMO.

Of course that don't include bars or loops but those are universal fit.....

claydogg84 said:

Out of all the tree guys I've known I've yet to see anyone use anything aside from those 2. Does that make them the best? I would speculate yes - these guys use the saws every day for their line of work. Its liken to someone telling me a craftsman ratchet is the same as a snap on. I lied now that I think of it - one old timer tree guy has a couple Jonsered, but they appear to be 25 years old.

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No offense, but I wouldn't trust any of the tree guys around here for anything more than making a bid and doing a job. Not a one of them knows anything about saws other than where to buy them and where to have them fixed. They know how to use them, and some of them are pretty good at that, too. Maybe the tree guys there are different, but here if I asked them how many ccs the saw they were using had, they wouldn't know.

I started with an craftsmen electric chainsaw, then went to a pioneer when I ran out of wood within the cord length, then to the 266.

the 266 was plenty for years, but as wood processors where getting the good wood, I picked up the 371xp for much larger diameter narly stuff. the 372xp I got off of facebook last year. My son started with a Poulen that he got as a gift and he cuts next to me on the log pile and it cuts good and he was comfortable with it. I buy Husky with stihl chains because I have dealer/parts in any direction from my house so I am not making a special trip.
Honestly been around saws my whole life, never was concerned with cc just sharpen and run them.

I bought many stihl chainsaws for cutting line. they run from dead stop to wide open all day with very little load on saw, they hold up well too and In my experience where better on fuel. So they all run well just depends on your needs and what your local suppliers have on hand for parts if needed.

Because displacement isn't as important as how it pulls a loop. Candidly, I don't even know what the displacement of my saws are and don't care.

Returned 2 Husky's in under 90 days. The last one the trigger just kind of imploded and parts were literally falling out of it. I was really disappointed based on their reputation. I gave them 2 chances. Went to a small local shop where I got some good guidance from someone who sells and services chainsaws after returning the Husky and bought a Stihl. That was yesterday. So far so good. Time will tell. For the record my fathers Craftsman cost a third as much as the Husky or the Stihl and it never lets him down.

FWIW Electrolux owns Husqvarna, Poulan, Poulan Pro, Jonsered, bluebird, Mcclluch, and craftsman saws to name a few. I am a dealer and order parts on a daily basis for anything from an old "Wild thing" to 395xp's Please do yourself a favor and buy from a dealer, you'll pay 15-20 bucks more but most are like me and put any service work from big box stores to the back of the line. Unless you plan on buying the chinese saws and replacing them rather then repairing. Whichever suits you I suppose

Gee, I thought Jonsered was Husky.....

Far as Poulan is concerned, back when I owned a professional tree business, I bought a couple (from a dealer btw) and they were junk. Hard starting vapor locking junk.

Kept my 075 as a reminder of back then..... Still as good saw, but heavy. Should have kept the 90G too.

Electrolux used to own Husqvarna, but now Husqvarna is its own company. Husqvarna owns Jonsered and Poulan/Poulan Pro. Craftsman saws are essentially rebranded Poulans, but Sears owns the brand.

BrotherBart said:

FYI Electrolux distributed stock and spun off Husqvarna as a separate standalone company in 2006. Husky is listed on the NYSE. Stock symbol HUSQ

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BB... Is Jonsered Husky or what? Always though they were....

Now, I tought Electrolux was a vacuum cleaner.....lol

Interestingly, my little Tanaka is a dead wringer foe a Mini-Mac

BrotherBart said:

Yep. Jonsered is a Husqvarna brand.




Husky started out making muskets and later started making sewing machines.

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Back when I was young and dumb(er), I used to ride a 400 square barrel Maico motocross bike. Loud sucker. Found out later that Maico also made hearing aids.... Must have used their bikes to test people who tested the hearing aids..... Husky made motocrossers too. Had a bud with a 400 CR. and the made hunting rifles, I have one, a Husquavarna in 308 (7.62 x 54). Nice bolt gun.

BrotherBart said:

FYI Electrolux distributed stock and spun off Husqvarna as a separate standalone company in 2006. Husky is listed on the NYSE. Stock symbol HUSQ

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For some reason folks keep feeling compelled to mention the Electrolux connection . . . as if this is something bad . . . I mean it's not like Husquvarna dealers were going door to door selling their saws and showing just how powerful they were by sawing up a cord of wood for free and then sawing through a bowling ball.

I figure there are many, many, many companies that have many, many different associated companies that may or may not be directly related to the products that they are best known for . . .

BrotherBart said:

FYI Electrolux distributed stock and spun off Husqvarna as a separate standalone company in 2006. Husky is listed on the NASDAQ. Stock symbol HUSQ

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I stand corrected.