Chain saw advice wanted

[WWBC]

Looking to buy a new (larger) chainsaw for back yard work and fire wood mostly.

Ive been looking at the Husky 362xp but have no experience with that saw and limited experience with saws in this class.

intersted in hearing experiences and options on what mid size saw is best and what you’ve used the saws for primarily

thanks

[S.W.A.T.]

Husky rancher is going to be your best friend. Have been using mine for 5years now. Cut approximately 20 cords a year plus yard work

[Citori54]

Do you mean the 365XP, 562XP or the 372. I don't believe they make a 362. For back yard work and fire wood I don't think you need the 365 or 372 which are both 70cc saws. The 562XP is 60 cc and is a great all round saw. I have the 555 which is 60 cc and does all that I need and can take up to a 24" bar I believe. The 555 X Torque is a professional model but not the next step up which is the XP series (562XP is the same but in XP). Personally I would stay away from the lower level series of Rancher, the X Torque or XP are abetter quality. As the saying goes, buy once, cry once. I bought a professional model 266 in the early 1980's, put hundreds of hours on it and it never failed for 30 years until it finally packed it in.

[Hank Hunter]

I also use the Husky 555 with a 20" bar for firewood. Does everything i need, starts easy. No problems with it

[Harv]

im a faller on the north island, I've used huskies and stihls. i don't have a lot of experience with the little saws, but i can say that with the bigger ones from my experience stihls out class huskies by far, i had to carry a lot of spare parts running huskies and work on them weekly, stihls, i pull the cord and go to work with no problems. that being said if your not running them that much, id imagine both brands will be good

[westcoaster]

https://www.arboristsite.com/community/forums/chainsaw.9/ would be the better place to be asking about chainsaw advice...

I'm partial to the husqvarna 55 (55 rancher) size saw as well. Nice balance between weight and cutting power. While the husqvarna 55 is not considered a "pro" saw it has served me faithfully since 1997.

I guess, the next logical question is how much firewood do you plan on bucking up in a year? 2-4 pickup loads? 30-40 pickup loads?
edit: and what diameter tree?

[hawk-i]

Been using my 034 stilh since the early 90's. .
.changed the spark plug for the first time this year.

[Wild one]

I use a stihil 261c with 22 inch bar to cut about 30 truck loads of firewood a year, work on my property, and clear blow down out hunting/fishing. No issues what so ever and plenty of power for my needs

I have used huskies and don’t find them near as comfortable to work with. The arborists and fallers I know say the new stihils are more reliable then the new huskies but husky is still second choice

The main thing is don’t buy a cheap model if you want quality out of either brand

[Johnny G1]

Have been using Stilh for yrs 036 and 034 with 20" bars, 036 is for sale, like new condition with spare chain.

[S.W.A.T.]

I put a 24" bar and skip tooth on my 55 rancher. Starts first or second pull every time even at -20. Great saw for the price.

[Boner]

First question I’d ask is how much you are willing to spend on a chainsaw.

[Sunzuki]

I have an 028, 038, 048 and a Husky 240.
The Husky I have finally gotten to run at a decent pace.
Needed the 21 pin carb adjusting screw driver.
Had to order it in from Ebay and China.

Take a close look at the carb setting screws.
If they don't look normal, don't buy the saw.

My favorite is the 028.

[bigredchev]

Can't beat a stilhl saw. Your son will thank you when he inherits it in 30 years and it still runs.



Husky are Ok, nothing wrong per say but a stilhl Is better for user manners, maintenance and longevity

[Pemby_mess]

If you see any Dolmar saws 50-80cc(makita), don't hesitate. Stihl quality at a bit of a discount. Top notch saws.

[Downwindtracker2]

If you can ,don't buy gas with ethanol . The ethanol washes oil from the cylinder walls. My brother wondered why his Stihl died with just homeowner use. The repair shop asked if he had used Husky gas. Lesson learned.

[allan]

If you can ,don't buy gas with ethanol . The ethanol washes oil from the cylinder walls. My brother wondered why his Stihl died with just homeowner use. The repair shop asked if he had used Husky gas. Lesson learned.
this is excellent advice for all small engines

[SaintSix]

ive got a husky rancher (55 i think) and have been using it for 3 years to cut fire wood and house yard trimmings. Starts on 1-2 pulls runs great. never used a stihl so cant compare. also i find my 20' bar a great size for firewood.

[Hank Hunter]

Kind of a Chevy/ Ford topic. Everyone has their opinion. I think if you buy the higher end Stihl or Husky you will have all you need for firewood

[338win mag]

If it hasn't been mentioned.....the newer huskies below the pro models are made in China. Not sure about the other models but I bought a used 365 recently and it was an exellent saw. Then I realized the adjustment screws (high-low) were unadjustable without a special screwdriver, so I Mcgivered my own tool for this. Not like they used to be when I was falling, I had good luck with the big huskies,,, but I have been told the Echo is a pretty good saw for around the farm.

[B.C.Boy(100%)]

For back yard, personal firewood you can’t find a better happy medium than a 50cc - 60cc saw.
Stihl or Husky can’t go wrong. Anything else is a waste of time and funds.
At CanTire or at Princess Auto you can find bar and chain packages for dirt cheap for the smaller Husky’s.

I run MS461 32”, MS661 with 36”, 390XP 32”-36”mostly for work.
When I’m not bucking 4’+ wood I like my AV028WB and MS340 with 20” bars.
Heck on Friday I had the choice of an MS661, MS461, or MS170, I took the little one with 14” bar and had a blast bore cutting and notching boom sticks.

I had never used such a small saw before, it surprised me, did better than I thought it would.

[sako79]

I inherited a shindaiwa 488. Been a great saw for me the last 10 years now. I dont know how there new stuff is thou

[lip_ripper00]

If you can ,don't buy gas with ethanol . The ethanol washes oil from the cylinder walls. My brother wondered why his Stihl died with just homeowner use. The repair shop asked if he had used Husky gas. Lesson learned.

I spent a lot of years repairing 2 cycle engines, the biggest failure is wrong fuel and wrong mixture. Today’s saws are very for giving as far as adjustments go, if you think it needs adjusting check your fuel/ fuel mixture. My personal saws I run nothing but Aspen fuel, google it. If your saw is not running properly rather than suspect carb or altitude remove the muffler and look at the piston/cylinder, ANY marks or scoring and you have your problem. My 2 cents.

[WWBC]

Thanks for all the advice.

Was looking at some Stihl’s today. Is there a big difference between the pro line and the farm ranch line?
i believe in the buy once cry one philosophy

[Wild one]

Yes in my opinion if your going to use your saw a lot the pro line is more durable

[tipper]

Yes like posted before stay away from ethanol, I use shell 91 I believe in all my small motors. I have 8 huskys and some are good and some are bad..one is made in brazil, a few from Sweden etc The small ones are junk like home depot sells I can't remember for sure but they have either a 50 or 100 hour expected life. I have small echos for packing and they are amazing for how cheap you would think they are.

[WWBC]

That’s interesting to hear about the fuel.
Something I always kinda knew... but never really thought enough about to make a point of seeking out the good stuff. On that same note, I’m going to track down some of that premium pre-mix for my “ATV” saw and the other small ( seldom used) gas equipment in the shed. That way they’ll be ready for when I need them.

[WWBC]

Just picked up the new saw yesterday.
settled on a Stihl MS 362 C-M, put a 20” bar on it and a Full chisel tooth chain. Can’t wait to test it out!

thanks again for the the advice

[Downwindtracker2]

The super premium has the added benefit of making starting easier. On another note, there are two types of 2 stroke oil, one for outboards and one for air cooled. The water cooled engines don't get hot enough to get a truly clean burn and air cooled have to work at high temperatures.

[Ohwildwon]

And run chevron 94, no ethanol, plus 2 strokes love octane!

[lip_ripper00]

And run chevron 94, no ethanol, plus 2 strokes love octane!

not good enough, the 94 will be useless in less than 3 months

[mpotzold]

Just picked up the new saw yesterday.
settled on a Stihl MS 362 C-M, put a 20” bar on it and a Full chisel tooth chain. Can’t wait to test it out!

thanks again for the the advice

A wise decision. :-)Have/had 2 Stihl saws for many years & they have never failed me even in inclement weather. When surveying in the Yukon & northern BC they were the #1 saw for cutting lines.
My smaller saw is mostly used for campfire wood & underbrush.

My hunting partner LT(LOVER 308 ) since '67 loves his Husky( another good saw)

[#49]

I have the opposite opion on saw brands being an interior faller for close to 30 years ,Ive found the Huskys to be better balanced,reliable,easy to work on,and tougher than Stihls.But to each there own.Whatever brand you buy,after a few tanks go over every nut and bolt youll thank yourself cause all brands loosen up.Dont overlook a 266 Husky in good shape,older yes but the 2 series Huskys are unbeatable

[#49]

I have the opposite opion on saw brands being an interior faller for close to 30 years ,Ive found the Huskys to be better balanced,reliable,easy to work on,and tougher than Stihls.But to each there own.Whatever brand you buy,after a few tanks go over every nut and bolt youll thank yourself cause all brands loosen up.Dont overlook a 266 Husky in good shape,older yes but the 2 series Huskys are unbeatable

[Sportster]

im a faller on the north island, I've used huskies and stihls. i don't have a lot of experience with the little saws, but i can say that with the bigger ones from my experience stihls out class huskies by far, i had to carry a lot of spare parts running huskies and work on them weekly, stihls, i pull the cord and go to work with no problems. that being said if your not running them that much, id imagine both brands will be good

I would take the professional fallers advice.

[Takla]

Going on 10 yrs with my Stihl ms 361 and its a hard saw to replace think ill be handing this pro series saw down to one of my sons when im finally done with it.This 60cc class saw Eats wood, out fitted with wrap handle,skip tooth chains by far my fav after owning numerous other huskys and Stihls over the last 40 yrs

takla