Husqvarna 455 Rancher

[Ductape]

Thanks, i didn't know it was available from the factory with a 24. My dealer told me to go no larger than 20...... but in reality, how often would i use the whole length of the 24??!! I'd like to have it available when needed. I too have a smaller saw, a Stihl MS 210 w/ 16" bar. It was a great little saw for me, but i suspect i've burned up the rings. I'm contemplating replacing it with a Husky 350 or 346xp. Anyone have recommendations on a smaller saw for me?

 

[nolefan]

I have a Stihl MS 290 Farmboss with a 20" bar for the big logs but it will wear you out over an extended period. Great saw for the money. For a smaller lightweight saw I highly recommend the Echo CS-340. I wanted a saw I could "one-hand" and this saw with its top handle and throttle control fit the bill. I know that some bad rap the Echo's compared to the Stihl's and Husky's but I have used this saw on a variety of woods from locust( a step down from steel ) to pine and from cutting 20" diameter logs to general limbing and it has never failed me. Lightweight, rugged, with plenty of power I would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone. I run a 16" bar on it but you can run smaller.

 

[hayden]

Thanks, i didn't know it was available from the factory with a 24. My dealer told me to go no larger than 20...... but in reality, how often would i use the whole length of the 24??!! I'd like to have it available when needed. I too have a smaller saw, a Stihl MS 210 w/ 16" bar. It was a great little saw for me, but i suspect i've burned up the rings. I'm contemplating replacing it with a Husky 350 or 346xp. Anyone have recommendations on a smaller saw for me?

I've got a 346XP (along with a 262XP, and a 385XP) and love it. It's small, light, yet still packs a real punch.

 

[bigballer]

I have a 2yo Stihl MS310 and it has been a great saw so far, no problems and with a sharp chain it will cut so easily it's almost fun to use!! At 13lbs (w/o bar), it can get a bit heavy after extended use and isn't really good for limbing. For that I am thinking of something smaller, maybe an echo or another Stihl, that way I can use the same fuel/oil mix...

cheers,
bigballer

 

[knute_m]

Thanks, i didn't know it was available from the factory with a 24. My dealer told me to go no larger than 20...... QUOTE]

The 455/460 manual specified bar sizes of 13 to 20 inches.

 

[HRS]

I have a Stihl MS 290 Farmboss with a 20" bar for the big logs but it will wear you out over an extended period. Great saw for the money. For a smaller lightweight saw I highly recommend the Echo CS-340. I wanted a saw I could "one-hand" and this saw with its top handle and throttle control fit the bill. I know that some bad rap the Echo's compared to the Stihl's and Husky's but I have used this saw on a variety of woods from locust( a step down from steel ) to pine and from cutting 20" diameter logs to general limbing and it has never failed me. Lightweight, rugged, with plenty of power I would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone. I run a 16" bar on it but you can run smaller.

Not such a surprise to hear you recommend the Echo. The Ace store I've been looking in have as many Echo's as Husy. Will probably look at the Stihl tomorrow before I make a decision.

 

[hayden]

In my perhaps simplistic view of saws, I first bucket them into weight classes. They tend to fall in the 10-11lb range where the 346XP lands, then 12-13lbs where the Stihl 310 and Husky 455 land, then 15-16lbs when you get into the high end stuff. My personal approach has been to pick the weight class I want, then select the most powerful saw in that class. When you use a saw for any extended period of time, the power to weight ratio really matters. The 346XP is a good example. It has the same power as the 455, yet is in the next lighter weight class (about 2 lbs lighter than the 455). In the 12-13lb class, the new 362XP looks nice at just about the same weight as the 455, but around 30% more power.

 

[turnkey4099]

I have a 2yo Stihl MS310 and it has been a great saw so far, no problems and with a sharp chain it will cut so easily it's almost fun to use!! At 13lbs (w/o bar), it can get a bit heavy after extended use and isn't really good for limbing. For that I am thinking of something smaller, maybe an echo or another Stihl, that way I can use the same fuel/oil mix...

cheers,
bigballer

Same here (ms310). It is my main bucking saw. Rest of my stable is:

Husky 51 (rescued from a pawn shop) - great small limb/trim and small bucking saw.

Stihl 041 w/24" bar - falling and bucking large stuff.

It is amazing how much faster and lighter saws have gotten over the past 20 years!

Chains. Get them in a saw shop. They make them up from rolls of chain. There is no need to find a 'husky' chain for a 'husky' saw.

Harry K

 

[JimR]

Husqvarna is a good as they get!
I have the 350 and no complaints. I do wish chains and such were easier to find though.

Go to 18" Timber Champ from Baileys-online.com for your bars and chains. I just bought two 18" Carlton bars with chipper chains for $48.85 delivered from CA. to Ma. You can't beat that. As for the 455 I really can't say. It replaced the 55 Rancher which I own two of and love them both. I bought one of them brand new a few years ago and bought the other one used last year for $100.00. I took on a tree job recently to clear my neighbors property. My brother and I have been pushing those 55's real hard and they keep right on kicking. I use my Husky 262XP for the really big stuff.

 

[HRS]

Took a quick look at the Stihl 310 Friday evening, got there right before the place closed. So now I'm interested in it also. But then I walked into a second ACE and they had the Rancher for like $349, best price I've seen by $15. I was very tempted, but I really want to look at that Stihl again, even though it would be like $60 more.

After all this, I found one of those super stores on the web that advertise the Rancher for like $330 with the 20 inch bar, and they through in shipping, a t-shirt, second chain, and couple gallons of mix. Now it really has my interest. It is coming in at like $80 under the Stihl.

But then I tried Ebay. Wow! A huge selection of Stihl saws can be found there. There is something like 200 on auction. The other makes have just a few.

You know what I'll be doing this coming week.