I finally did it. I got me a saw, a real saw! I've been using a 42cc Poulan for the last couple of years a have 8 cords of so under my belt. Unfortunately for me half those cords were Red Oak 24" sized trunks. The saw worked well on Maple and Birch but would dull very quickly upon meeting Red and White Oak. A week ago a 26" diameter Red Oak fell into my lawn taking the top off another similair sized tree. The thought of bucking up 2+ cords of Red Oak with the little saw made my hands hurt. I'm still pretty young at 32 but years of landscaping when I was younger has brought out arthritis in my hands and wrists. Last year it became very noticeable and painful after using the saw. That's my excuse for buying the saw and I'm sticking to it!
I can't wait for Sunday when I can introduce J'red to some Red Oak. I thought I was buying the saw with the standard 16" bar and chain. I asked if I could get a chisel chain instead of the safety and the kid said, no problem. After the new chain was installed and it was fired up it was handed to me. I'm no genius but that is a pretty big bar for 16". I mentioned it but he didn't care and said I could have it that way if I wanted. He ended charging for a an 18" bar/chain I found out later but it was only $5 more so who cares. I'm going to sell the Poulan and try to recoup some of the money I spent on her. I bought a circa 1970's Poulan at a tag sale on Monday to advantage of Jonsored "stimulus" trade in Program. I spent $5 on the saw and got a $90 credit towards the 2255 Jonsored. It is basicially a Husky 455 Rancher with different plastics and a couple upgraded pieces. Too small for me to notice. All in all I got the saw with a 20" bar and chisel chain for $425 with tax and 6 gallons worth of Husky 2 stroke oil.
I went back and forth between the 455 Rancher and the MS290. The tradein brought the Husky/Jonsored saw to the same price point as the Stihl. I choose it over the Stihl because the dealer is a small shop and I can talk to the same guy every time I go in there. They are both just a couple miles away from me but the Stihl dealer is a very large hardware/power equipment store and I knew I would never get a break from them. Last summer when the spring in my Poulan starter unraveled (????) the little shop fixed it for ten bucks. It would have cost me at least $40 at the hardware store. I knew it only took 5 mintues to fix as I tried to do it myself but it was a real PITA. That little event ended up being the deciding factor.
If you're looking for a Husky 455 Rancher take a ride to a Jonsored dealer. The 2255 is the same saw but without the couple of crappy parts the big box store versions end up with. AT $380 it is pretty good deal and a great saw. I plan on getting a 16" bar a couple of replacement chains soon to really rip through the smaller stuff. Thanks for reading.
I can't wait for Sunday when I can introduce J'red to some Red Oak. I thought I was buying the saw with the standard 16" bar and chain. I asked if I could get a chisel chain instead of the safety and the kid said, no problem. After the new chain was installed and it was fired up it was handed to me. I'm no genius but that is a pretty big bar for 16". I mentioned it but he didn't care and said I could have it that way if I wanted. He ended charging for a an 18" bar/chain I found out later but it was only $5 more so who cares. I'm going to sell the Poulan and try to recoup some of the money I spent on her. I bought a circa 1970's Poulan at a tag sale on Monday to advantage of Jonsored "stimulus" trade in Program. I spent $5 on the saw and got a $90 credit towards the 2255 Jonsored. It is basicially a Husky 455 Rancher with different plastics and a couple upgraded pieces. Too small for me to notice. All in all I got the saw with a 20" bar and chisel chain for $425 with tax and 6 gallons worth of Husky 2 stroke oil.
I went back and forth between the 455 Rancher and the MS290. The tradein brought the Husky/Jonsored saw to the same price point as the Stihl. I choose it over the Stihl because the dealer is a small shop and I can talk to the same guy every time I go in there. They are both just a couple miles away from me but the Stihl dealer is a very large hardware/power equipment store and I knew I would never get a break from them. Last summer when the spring in my Poulan starter unraveled (????) the little shop fixed it for ten bucks. It would have cost me at least $40 at the hardware store. I knew it only took 5 mintues to fix as I tried to do it myself but it was a real PITA. That little event ended up being the deciding factor.
If you're looking for a Husky 455 Rancher take a ride to a Jonsored dealer. The 2255 is the same saw but without the couple of crappy parts the big box store versions end up with. AT $380 it is pretty good deal and a great saw. I plan on getting a 16" bar a couple of replacement chains soon to really rip through the smaller stuff. Thanks for reading.
![[Hearth.com] I got Jonsored!](/talk/data/attachments/18/18741-cf088f2e194065a89efea6bf847d6e20.jpg?hash=-XGYFvnE5w)
Jonsered is a quality line of Husky though.
