Tempted by the dark side...

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StihlHead

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StihlHead may get another Husky... $475 with the sweet Ti bar (I love my old GB ProTop and Ti bars). Orange on orange. One owner pre-smog big top 372xp:

husky 372.jpg
 
If you get more Huskies than Stihls you'll have to change your name to HuskyHead, and that just doesn't have the cachet.... ==c
 
If you get more Huskies than Stihls you'll have to change your name to HuskyHead, and that just doesn't have the cachet.... ==c

Well, unless Husky starts making more saws with inboard clutches, that will never happen.

If it does happen, I was thinking more along the lines of a name like HusqRat. :p
 
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You know this is some sort of "test" - right?

Yes, Master Jags... I was very tempted by the 550xp, but the evil outboard clutch kept me from straying from the true path.

This one though... fits a growing need. See, my 044 is somewhat vibration prone, and as I get older my preference is toward running smoother saws, like my precious 361s. I have been looking for a nice 441 but they are not that common around here in logging country. All the ones I have looked at were beaters.
 
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In my area you could get an even bigger all-orange saw, and a medium-sized white and orange one to ease the shame: http://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/grd/3929976233.html

Actually I had a 395xpw and sold it. Low end torque monster, it has an evil outboard clutch. Also that 291 in the ad is a true boat anchor.

I also once owned a 346xp second ed., but it also has an evil outboard clutch and the one I had had a weird secondary brake lever that I thought was the worst design idea in a chainsaw. I also had another 372xpw full wrap with a 74cc engine. The 372 71cc is supposed to have better porting than the 74cc model. I do not know that much about it, as I did not have those saws that long and it was a number of years ago.
 
You are right. Oddly worded ad threw me, has the 391 for 385, so I was thinking he was selling a Husky 385... for 391? :oops:
 
Give the black cloaked spy that XP and let's rock. This guy appears to have a stihl. We'll settle it once and for all. I bet it ends with the loser getting his bar pinched.

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I'm a Stihl-guy all the way....except for my older 372XP.......I do love running that saw. Once the new case arrives, I'll be overhauling it and putting it back into service (with a mild port job and my signature dual port muffler, of course)......
 
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I'm a stihl fan too. But the 394xp I had made me decide to sell the ms660. There is no comparison stock vs stock. I'm hoping my new to me 066 mag will be more in the 394xp's ball park... And the 254xp I have is now my new favorite.... Then I'm going to rebuild a Husky 359 with a little port work on the transfers.... And I WANT to turn a 350 junker I have into a 346xp hybrid.

Maybe I've already been turned by the darkside?
 
I'm quite happy with the 288XPW & especially the 2100CD.But they seem like lightweights compared to the big Mac.Its not much heavier,turns almost as fast & has much more torque.They never really advertised it much,but a stock SP125 is said to be between 10 & 12HP.Where as the MC 101B or AA kart engines were 15+ _g & would be installed by dealers upon request.

Would bolt right in to the 125 or Super 797 frame with very little changes.
 
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Husky head looks good...
 
StihlHead may get another Husky... $475 with the sweet Ti bar (I love my old GB ProTop and Ti bars). Orange on orange. One owner pre-smog big top 372xp:

View attachment 106192


I hate to take this off subject but that is the type of bar that came on my 372xp as well. Maybe 14 or 16 cords later there is almost no orange paint but the bar seems good to go. I have almost bought a replacement because I do not know about the quality of those bars. There made in Australia I think? Know anything about it?

As to the 372 xp: I paid $550 for mine used, changed the plug when I got it (it was good). Basically wore out one chain but otherwise fuel and bar oil. I like the saw and would be interested in running a 440 or 441 for comparison (I was was shopping for a 440 or 372 at the time). I am a critical care nurse and have taken care of 2 loggers in the last year, talked with guys that own the companies etc. those xp saws will work every day for a long time, then maybe a piston or pull cord, then back to work. The Stihl saws are the same way, at least based on what I hear.
 
I personally think (from my limited experience with Husqvarnas) that the weakest point on the saw is the felling dog mounts.....I just flat-out don't like 'em. especially the outer dog. cheesy to me.

Other than that, I am impressed with my 372XP. I think it will be even more badass once I get the mild port and muffler mod done. Wish I had a milling machine......I'd do a squish band removal on it as well.....
 
I hate to take this off subject but that is the type of bar that came on my 372xp as well. Maybe 14 or 16 cords later there is almost no orange paint but the bar seems good to go. I have almost bought a replacement because I do not know about the quality of those bars. There made in Australia I think? Know anything about it?

The bar on the saw in the photo is a GB bar that was definitely made in Oz, yes. That is the older style of them when they were the original company. They have since been bought out by some consortium and the new bars that they produce look somewhat different. Supposedly they closed and then reopened the GB chainsaw bar manufacturing plant in Oz. The newer ones are still labeled as Made in Australia. The paint does come off fast on the older orange Ti bars, but not so fast on their silver colored Pro Top bars. Keeping the paint on the bar is not what I am really concerned about though.

Personally I prefer GB bars to any other, but they are harder to find these days. I got most of mine in a one time deal from a factory rep. I have bent them and they can be bent right back into shape w/o the rails being pinched or cracking. They also have a flatter profile to them and are not as oval as Stihl bars. Mine have held up well over the years.
 
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They also have a flatter profile to them and are not as oval as Stihl bars.

I find this interesting. What would be the dis/advantage of one over the other?
 
I find this interesting. What would be the dis/advantage of one over the other?

I have found that flatter bars are easier to make better face cuts with. They also weigh slightly less than more oval bars, which I find is a good thing. However, there is a lot of talk about having more oval bars for several reasons. One claim is that more bar weight makes the saw more stable, but I have never noticed any difference between the GB and Stihl bars for that. Another claim is that the curve in the bar helps with vibration and cutting efficiency on larger bars. Supposedly the wider curvature of the bar helps keep more cutters in contact with the wood. That claim says that on a flatter bar the chain will pop up off the bar in small sections (creating a wave pattern) that are in contact with the wood, while the other cutters that are staying close to the bar will slide under the previous cut and never take a bite. This chain wave phenomenon is said to be one of the reasons why skip chain on longer bars can be faster then full comp. But my experience has been that skip can cut faster simply because the revs are kept higher on the saw (less drag). Also all chain cutters will rotate when they catch the wood and pop up slightly off the bar, regardless of the bar profile.

From accounts of some loggers that I know that commonly cut with 48-60 inch bars, they say that the more radically oval bars like Cannon Superbars wander in the cut less than flatter/skinny bars and cross cut straighter. From my engineering perspective, this would make sense because a wider bar would be prevented from twisting as much because of the leverage created by the wider width. However, they weigh and cost significantly more than narrower bars, so there is a tradeoff. For smaller bars 25 inch and less and non-professional cutting, I do not think that the bar width makes a huge difference.
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The bar on the saw in the photo is a GB bar that was definitely made in Oz, yes. That is the older style of them when they were the original company. They have since been bought out by some consortium and the new bars that they produce look somewhat different. Supposedly they closed and then reopened the GB chainsaw bar manufacturing plant in Oz. The newer ones are still labeled as Made in Australia. The paint does come off fast on the older orange Ti bars, but not so fast on their silver colored Pro Top bars. Keeping the paint on the bar is not what I am really concerned about though.

Personally I prefer GB bars to any other, but they are harder to find these days. I got most of mine in a one time deal from a factory rep. I have bent them and they can be bent right back into shape w/o the rails being pinched or cracking. They also have a flatter profile to them and are not as oval as Stihl bars. Mine have held up well over the years.


Thanks for the information!
 
The bar on the saw in the photo is a GB bar that was definitely made in Oz, yes. ........................................ Personally I prefer GB bars to any other, but they are harder to find these days. ................................................ Mine have held up well over the years.

I realize you guys have been talking "big" saw applications here, but I wanted to chime in on GB bars. I've been very happy with this 16" .05 Picco one on my 191T to date, only moderate use so far but it was very inexpensive!

191.4.jpg
 
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