I've been a full-time firefighter for over 30 years and have used a variety of saws for every purpose under the sun. Way back when, when saws were made of metal, the Homelites were king, then we switched to Huskys for a while, but maintenance costs were high. For some time now we have used Stihls. Best saws that I have ever used. When time is of the essence and durability is paramount, I'd pick a Stihl every time. By the way, my saw at home is a Stihl 029 Farm Boss with a 20" bar.
I checked out both the Sthil Farm boss and Husky 455 Rancher before purchasing the Husky,
The 290 Farm boss and Husky 455 Rancher were almost identical machines.
The husky provided less vibe, the anti vibe on the sthil uses rubber mounts the rancher uses Steel springs. Both were close to 4hp, both weigh approx 13 lbs , and engine size for both are almost identical cc's. if I remember correctly chain pitch was the same also.
The 455 provides a decompression valve (makes starting easy), I seem to recall the Farm boss did not.
The 455 provided Air injection , and the Sthil did not. (pre-cleans Air before air filter),
The 455 provided Air purge (makes starting easy) , and the Sthil did not.
I think Sthil 290 Farm boss provided the better Carb (but can be finicky with fuel mix) and larger fuel tank.
In all respects probably couldn't go wrong with either , both are a lot of saw for price point.
I've heard really good things about Dolmar's , but no one in my area carries them so I couldn't try one out.
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