New Husqvarna 346XP Yikes

[North West Farmer]

When heading into the woods for falling and bucking I utilize nothing less than something with a 36 inch bar with plenty of power to pull the load in a full depth cut. Take a 24 inch rig in for possibly cutting loose a bound saw or light limbing. This little fella also works o.k. for cutting up fire wood to throw in the truck when you go home.

I don't like falling trees with a larger diameter than the cutting length of the bar, although I will admit there have been times when I have done that rather than going back to lug out whatever saw I have at the time carrying a 48 inch bar. If the tree is bigger than 48 inches it is not usually part of a second growth production falling show so I just take my time and choose the saw that will be the easiest to handle and work the tree down carefully using cross over back cuts and lots of wedges and plates as needed for control. At my age, if the tree needs to be jacked off of the stump, I call in an experienced faller that is really good with the large girth trees and enjoys dealing with them.

I highly recommend not taking on big trees with a smaller saw. That practice pushes safety limits and if you are not accustomed to utilizing multiple cross over back cuts it is very easy to loose control and end up with a barber chair situation, if not something worse. Falling always involves unknowns. That's why some very experienced fallers will put a line on those tough ones and pull them off the stump for safety and control.

Enjoy your chainsaws and always be careful out there!

Nick, North West Farmer

 

[JimR]

When heading into the woods for falling and bucking I utilize nothing less than something with a 36 inch bar with plenty of power to pull the load in a full depth cut. Take a 24 inch rig in for possibly cutting loose a bound saw or light limbing. This little fella also works o.k. for cutting up fire wood to throw in the truck when you go home.

I don't like falling trees with a larger diameter than the cutting length of the bar, although I will admit there have been times when I have done that rather than going back to lug out whatever saw I have at the time carrying a 48 inch bar. If the tree is bigger than 48 inches it is not usually part of a second growth production falling show so I just take my time and choose the saw that will be the easiest to handle and work the tree down carefully using cross over back cuts and lots of wedges and plates as needed for control. At my age, if the tree needs to be jacked off of the stump, I call in an experienced faller that is really good with the large girth trees and enjoys dealing with them.

I highly recommend not taking on big trees with a smaller saw. That practice pushes safety limits and if you are not accustomed to utilizing multiple cross over back cuts it is very easy to loose control and end up with a barber chair situation, if not something worse. Falling always involves unknowns. That's why some very experienced fallers will put a line on those tough ones and pull them off the stump for safety and control.

Enjoy your chainsaws and always be careful out there!

Nick, North West Farmer

Great information Nick about using wedges and the like to fell trees. I also do not cut trees down unless my bar is bigger than the tree. There have been a few rare exceptions to that which was when I didn't have a saw with a 36 inch bar on it. We used a long cable attached to the tree with a come along to make sure it went where we wanted it to go.

 

[LD1]

There certainly are limits and exceptions and everyones comfort level is different, but I personally have no reservations about dropping a 32 or 36" tree with a 24" bar. But you have to know where to cut, and more importantly, when to make those cuts.

I have felled MANY trees bigger than my bar.

Its not the size of the saw that matters, rather how you use it:laughing:

 

[defed]

while it would be ideal to have a bar bigger than the tree, i don't plan on actually dropping FULL trees that are 40" in diameter. the silver maple in question needs to come down in pieces, so it would be just 10' of truck. the cottonwoods i want to take down might be 30" diameter, where i feel a 20" bar should be adequate. they are in wide open areas, so i can drop them in which ever direction will be easiest.

 

[DarkBlack]

The saw does just what it is supposed to do, that is cut wood at high rpm's. Any saw when pushed will slow down. Let this little saw cut the way it is supposed to and it will do just fine. Most of us have a bigger saw for cutting bigger trees.

You are not the first poster to over-hype the 346. I've seen it some years ago on another forum. You opened up your post saying it's "like a chainsaw on steroids"., '"can't be bogged down etc..."That I just don't get. It's 3.7hp at 9,600 rpm's- that's it. 14.7k is no load ( meaning no torque available ).
Every saw in the XP lineup gains a better power to weight ratio ( excluding the newer X-torque models, and the 3120 ) The next model up the 357xp has 4.4hp at the same 9,600rpm, and has a better power to weight ratio.

 

[JimR]

Some years ago the 346xp was not the same saw that it is today. It was a less powerful saw. Yes, I still say that this little saw is like it is running on steroids. I shouldn't have said that it can't be bogged down. I can bog down my 372XP and my 395XP if I really wanted to. I've owned many Husqvarna saws over the years. Model 50's and a few 55's. None of these saws compared to this 346XP. I've also onwed a 262XP and 362XP. This 346XP is lighter than the 50's and 55's that I owned.



QUOTE=DarkBlack;2973484]You are not the first poster to over-hype the 346. I've seen it some years ago on another forum. You opened up your post saying it's "like a chainsaw on steroids"., '"can't be bogged down etc..."That I just don't get. It's 3.7hp at 9,600 rpm's- that's it. 14.7k is no load ( meaning no torque available ).
Every saw in the XP lineup gains a better power to weight ratio ( excluding the newer X-torque models, and the 3120 ) The next model up the 357xp has 4.4hp at the same 9,600rpm, and has a better power to weight ratio.[/QUOTE]

 

[Bluegill2]

The 346xp is not being "over hyped" here.

It's just that it is the best 50cc saw ever made...

Oh, and I've been running one since early 2001, (OE 45cc) have many, many hours on it. Got another 346xp (NE 50cc), a 357xp, 562xp, 359, and a highly modified 75cc 365...

 

[LD1]

I think that the 346xp is a POS. Underpowered, heavy, turd. Just a total crap saw. Heck, a 42cc poulan wild-thing will out cut one of these "best 50cc saws ever".

 

[LD1]

Dont take that seriously. I am just trying to balance out the "over-hype" and get back down to just a normal "pro" saw. All "pro" saws have great power to weight and cut MUCH faster than similar sized "homeowner" versions. Yes, the 346 is a good saw. But so are all the XP's, and all the pro stihls, and all the pro dolmars, etc.

 

[JimR]

I think that the 346xp is a POS. Underpowered, heavy, turd. Just a total crap saw. Heck, a 42cc poulan wild-thing will out cut one of these "best 50cc saws ever".

ROLMAO, I almost spit my breakfast out while reading this one. Thanks for the good laugh early in the morning. Let's add a little more humor to this . Poulan Wild Thing, you make my wood sing.