Stihl or Husqvarna

[Gator6x4]

I currently have 9 Stihl's....what's a Husky?

The larger Husky's are great saws, but stay away from their smaller stuff, they are re-badged Poulans and the quality is not anywhere near the standard of the "real" Husky's. Stihl makes all their own saws and even the small home owner saws are decent. I'm still running my first Stihl, an 024Super that I bought new in 1984 and that is the saw that sold me on them...it's never needed anything that was not my fault.

Your 14 year old 036 is a great saw, why not have a qualified tech go over it? You may find it's not really tired, but only needs a fuel line, impulse line, filters and a plug. Of course if the cylinder is scored it will need a complete re-build w/bearings.

I agree. A new jug and piston and the 036 would probably outperform one of its young modern day siblings.That is unless the back is calling for something lighter on a cold morning.

 

[Storm56]

I own 2 Stihl chainsaws. An older .036 with a 24 inch bar and a small limbing saw. I've had no problems with the .036 for 14 years. It is tired though. I'm thinking about a Husqvarna just not sure if it can match my Stihls for durability. Any recommendations?

Liked my older Stihl's, newer models not so much. So I have expanded my horizon a bit. Now own some other models to include Dolmar, Husky, and Echo. If you are looking to replace that 036, the Echo 600P is an excellent 60cc range saw and can be found online for around $400-$450. A best buy. It is indeed every bit the equal of my 360 Pro Stihl. Just be sure to remove those limiters and fatten up the H/L settings, they are a bit on the lean side from the factory. As LD1 mentioned the 6400 series Dolmar/Makita will put a smile on your face for a few dollars more than the Echo.

 

[bigbull338]

we ran the husky saw for over 15yrs with no probs what so ever.the piston finally seized up on it an it died.then i got in a hurry an got a poulan nothing but a peice of junk.here awhile back i finally bought a stihl farmboss 260.have yet to run the saw,but its here when its needed.

 

[YesDeere]

I'm a Stihl fan since I was a kid. My father gave me my first one when I was 12-13 I think. I still have it, an 020 av and it runs great still. It is around a 1975 model. The other old one I have is an 041 that my dad gave me as well, years later when he said it was too heavy and he had quit burning wood. Thought to be a 1983 model. Again a strong runner, starts every time i ask it to. Lacking a mid size saw I decided to purchase a 290 farm boss last year and have been really happy with it so far. Inbtween these I have tried mccullough and poulan and it always seems that you have to tinker with them. They were used and cheap so it was easy to part ways. I also have a stihl trimmer that I purchased in high school that is still in service, although limited these days. The reason being I bought the 4 mix 90 kombi system. Its heavy but man is it nice to use. It is hard to switch brands when you have had such great service from them. But I would be willing to at least look at a Husky because I have heard great things about them. I have several friends that swear by them and use the crap out of them. They claim that they are lighter and more powerful, producing higher rpm's and chain speeds. Ah who am I kidding, I like my tractors green ,my saws orange and my tool box snap on red. I am an admitted brand *****.;-)

 

[studor]

The saw repair shop I go to sells and services both Husqvarna and Stihl-- I don't know how but they have been doing it forever! They might tell you to stay away from a particular model from time to time but otherwise they remain indifferent to which it is they are servicing or selling and I figure the two old guys that run the place have more experience than I will ever get or want. I like my tractors working, my saws cutting and my tools organized and unbroken --other than that, I am pretty much colour blind:2cents:

 

[RSKY]

While shopping for a new saw a few years ago I had two long time dealers tell me the same thing. If you're going to use it every day, buy the Husky. If it sits a couple months between uses, buy the Stihl. I don't think you could go wrong with either brand.

 

[RobertN]

I have both Husky and Stihl. 99% of the time I grab a Stihl first. The Husky's are nice, but I like the feel and ergonomics of the Stihls. Different saws fit different people, well, differently.

Really have to try them both. I know saw shops near me has "test logs".

As much as I like Stihl, and then Husky, I would have to try a Dolmar if I was shopping...

 

[s219]

You can't just compare by brand -- both Stihl and Husky make awesome pro saws, but they also make low-end homeowner saws that are not that great. Some of the Husky homeowner saws are just re-branded Poulans nowadays (the box store models) and I wouldn't even take one for free.

If you care about getting a good saw, look at the pro models in each brand and find the saw that works best for you. I don't think you can go wrong either way. But you can definitely go wrong if you buy a homeowner model of either brand and expect it to last forever.

The modern equivalent of your 036 would be the new Stihl 362. It's quite a nice saw.

Any of the Husky XP models are good, though they often have different characteristics than Stihl for the same cc range.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

I have a Husquvarna 51 that is 16 years old and still running good. I cut about 4 cords a year with it. My mother bought a Poulan, and I can't see any similarity between the Poulan and Husquvarna store models. The Poulan is a lot heavier and harder to use, but it's reliable enough for general around-the-farm use.

 

[jwstewar]

F-I-L bought a new Stihl a couple of years back to replace is old tired chainsaw from some place like Wal-Mart that had done well, but finally had worn out. He hates this new saw. He can never get it started when he needs it. He takes it back to the dealer and they keep it a couple of days and it'll start again. Then he goes to use it again and it won't start again. Each time costs him $50 - $75 to "fix" it. Back when we had the storm at the end of June I tried to get it to start and couldn't. Back to the dealer. I think he is ready to go by an Echo after seeing the service I've gotten from my Echo string trimmer and the fact it has a 5 year warranty.