How long should a Husky 240 chainsaw last?

[saskwoodburner]

Hey guys, just got into wood burning last year (all my progress from clueless to know what he's doing! on this site). Anyways, I had bought a little Husqvarna 240 38 cc/ 16" bar chainsaw from the local dealer. It's basically a plain jane homeowner saw, meant for limbing and pruning.

Now, with most things in life, I try to maintain them well and not abuse them, although I'm not sure the difference between abuse and run it like a mule lol Meaning, keeping the chain sharp, tight, air filter clean/premium fuel and not dropping it out of trees or anything.

The saw was set a touch lean from the shop, but I remedied that after I eventually knew what I was doing regarding carb settings. I have the rakers down a bit much, she's aggresive but pulls along pretty good (I think) for what she is.

I had planned on upgrading in the spring, but I had actually cut all my wood for this year, so that's why she's still the only one. I'm thinking Husky 455 series for the next one.

Anyways, how many cords would you expect a little homeowner saw to put out before it dies? You read all kinds of reviews of this n that on the internet of small saws. Things like,"It works great, I cut down 7 trees" "Cut all my firepit wood no problem"

My swag is 5-7 cords on my little saw. Shouldn't it be ummm.......dead?

 

[TreePointer]

If by "dead" you mean it won't start or won't stay running, all saws can run into those issues very early in their expected lifespans. An assembly mistake or dealer mishandling can cause an air leak, which can kill a saw within minutes. Lean carb settings or ethanol issues can occur within a year. A worn crankcase on these inexpensive saws can happen after a good while of running it hard and leaning on the bar with a lot of pressure.

I'd certainly expect a 38cc homewowner saw to outlast the 2-3 year warranty period, even if making 5 cords per year. Well, that is if one isn't leaning on it or attempting to mill lumber. Some small displacement saws marketed to homeownres, like the Dolmar 420/421, are built like professional saws and could last well over a decade of heavy firewood use.

 

[Jags]

I used to run a Homey 240 - about the same grade/size of saw you have. I have at least 30 cord (4x4x8) cut with that saw and it still runs. I don't know how it runs, but it does.

 

[saskwoodburner]

Seems promising already. I am guilty of running hard through some big stuff (big stuff being 16-18" poplar) once I start I run through without stopping, but that's not my typical log. I also don't dog or pressure my saw through wood, as it's easier to have a smoke break and touch the chain up. Trying to force it to cut makes the saw vibrate much more and seem like work.

It seems people absolutely hate these saws?? I think it will be great for a back up once it's retired.

 

[TreePointer]

I have a 38cc Earthquake chainsaw saw that I got for $32. Although it has a weak chain tensioner and seeps a little more oil than my other saws, it has spring antivibration, and it's a fun little bugger to run. On smaller diameter wood, it's just as effective as my other saws that cost more than 10X, and I don't mind loaning it to "that one neighbor" or my brother-in-law!

 

[dougand3]

I guess people hate them because they are the bottom of the Husky barrel...along with 136,137,141,142 genre. Another reason may be you pay more than a same size Poulan price and they basically are the same saw. Only saw I bought new is a Craftsman 42cc in 1994 and it still runs fine with ~40 cords under it's belt. If you treat a homeowner clamshell properly, it will last a long time.
1. Tune carb richer. Keep air filter clean.
2. Use non ethanol 91 or 93 octane
3. Mix at 40:1 with good 2 cycle oil. I like Lucas semi-syn but plenty of good ones
4. Get a good chain - 91VXL is real good (yellow), 91PX is good in green chain. Don't get 91VG like you see at Wally, Lowes, HD as S56 or S62.- has such big shark fins that I wonder how the cutter sees any wood.

 

[Jon1270]

I try to maintain them well and not abuse them... Meaning, keeping the chain sharp, tight, air filter clean/premium fuel... The saw was set a touch lean from the shop, but I remedied that... I also don't dog or pressure my saw through wood, as it's easier to have a smoke break and touch the chain up.

You're a lot more careful than most saw owners. In my experience saws are most likely to end up on the scrap pile after sudden failure resulting from abuse or lack of maintenance; relatively few ever see the long, slow process of wearing out. If you avoid storing it with ethanol-laden fuel in the tank and carb, keep the chain sharp and stop to fix whatever's wrong if it starts acting funny then it should last a long time.

 

[ElmBurner]

Pretty much agree with the above.

I'd expect anything from Husqvarna to do the job pretty much indefinitely, as long as you treat it right. Smaller saws just take longer.

 

[saskwoodburner]

You're a lot more careful than most saw owners. In my experience saws are most likely to end up on the scrap pile after sudden failure resulting from abuse or lack of maintenance; relatively few ever see the long, slow process of wearing out. If you avoid storing it with ethanol-laden fuel in the tank and carb, keep the chain sharp and stop to fix whatever's wrong if it starts acting funny then it should last a long time.

I try to treat equipment decently, as abusing things will never make them run better or longer. The one thing I worry about in regards to saw life, is the original dealer setting of the saw. It ran pretty good, but would lean out on a cut around a half tank of fuel. Now, I don't ever run a full tank until empty but I hope it didn't affect the saw too much. It sure pays to know how to tune a saw.

 

[Jags]

Like one wise person once said - "You can tune a saw, but you can't tuna fish". Or something like that....

 

[saskwoodburner]

Like one wise person once said - "You can tune a saw, but you can't tuna fish". Or something like that....

So.....you're saying......depends?

 

[computeruser]

You should get many, many cords of use out of it if you do your part. Almost all saw failures come down to user error or poor maintenance, at least until the things have a S-ton of hours on them.

Why people hate them, well, I think a lot of that comes down to the idea that there are better options at the same displacement or weight/bulk level. More power, more durability (e.g. metal crankcase versus plastic engine cradle), easier to fiddle more power out of them, etc. To use a common example, for some time there were essentially three ~50cc options from Husqvarna that shared a lot of parts - 350, 353, and 346xp/xpg. Did you get a fair bit more power out of the 346 versus the others? Yes. Did it cost more? Yes. Does that matter? To some folks, it does, and I think it is from that sentiment that the "hatred" derives.

When you do upgrade, give the 555 some serious consideration. It is a fair bit more saw than the 455, without gaining weight/bulk. And since it is clear that you take care of your gear, the investment in a better machine will likely pay off for many, many years to come.

 

[wildlingabovethebridge]

I was laughed at by my wood cutting friends when I got my 34cc Poulan Pro, "put down that tinker toy and get a real saw" they said. Well like you I have taken care of it and ~15 cord later I think it runs better than right out of the box. It doesn't do the heavy lifting anymore but its still my go to saw for small stuff and limbing. I will say though, that when I upgraded to my 460 it was like going from a dirt bike to a Cadillac. The small homeowner saws will work if you take care of them, but you'll never do the same work, in the same time, with the same ease as you will with a large mid-level or pro saw.

Now as to the Husky 240 specifically; I wouldn't buy one for the simple reason that you're paying more for the orange plastic and a little metal data plate. The <41cc current model chainsaws branded in Husqvarna, Poulan, Poulan Pro, Jonsered, and Craftsman are for all intents and purposes the same saws. They are built in the same factory with the same parts, the only differences being minor like covers, wrap handles, and chain brake

 

[BrotherBart]

I have cut virtually everything I burn around here since 2007 with two lil Husky 142's. I run the crap out of them and they ain't acting like they want to quit anytime soon.

 

[saskwoodburner]

Thanks for the thoughts and input here guys. I'm definitely ready for an upgrade and retire this one to back up/ light duty next year.

Has anyone noticed a trend on what time of the year chainsaws seem to be on sale?

 

[TreePointer]

Has anyone noticed a trend on what time of the year chainsaws seem to be on sale?

It seems that fall firewood season and spring cleanup are the two seasons I see sales, but it's only for a particular homeowner or midgrade model. For instance, right now TSC has the Jonsered 2255 on sale for $349. Stihl dealers have discounted the MS250 to $299, but it looks like it's because that saw is being cleared from their product line. The rule for Stihl is the price listed on their website is the price you pay at their dealers.

 

[slayer7]

I have that same saw, bought in 2008 and at the time it came with an 18" bar. It had a hiccup in 2009 where the oiler stopped working but a saw shop fixed it under warranty (after a very long wait) and it has been cutting along just fine for the last 7 seasons although it isn't the fastest saw as someone noted. We burn about 4 cords a year so it gets a decent workout. I'm not thinking it will blow up anytime soon but have my eye out for a good deal on a bigger saw only to speed up the processing a bit.