Chainsaws

[AMP762]

Hi folks
Looking for a replacement for my recently departed saw.I need a 12 or 14 in. for trim work.What say you all,good bad and ugly.

 

[jhburke]

I had to replace my pro mac after 25 years. I bought a Husquvarna (sp) I am well pleased with it. It is about half the weight of the pro mac.

 

[knucklehead]

Well, I'll be dipped - my Pro Mac stopped running, and I bought a Husky, too. I got a 357XP. Something about that number........

Does yours leak bar oil? I keep a pan under mine when it's on the shelf, and has oil in it. I wonder if Harley supplies some parts...../w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif

 

[jhburke]

Yes it does. Mine is Rancher 55. I go way back with chain saws. My dad had a sawmill and timbering operation. I started out with crosscut saw. Then dad bought a Mall 2 man saw. What a monster, it weighted 85#. My first 1 man saw weighted 47# and this new one weights 11#. What an improvement.

 

[ptonline]

my first pick would be Jonsered(Husqvarna`s upscale version) model 4110 or its equivalent, it is turbo(great feature) it is usually sold with a 16 in. bar but 14 in. would suit it great. 2-- Shindaiwa model 488 or smaller, Japanese made,very reliable. 3--Echo,also made in Japan, not quite as costly as the previous two. PTOnline

 

[Scott_in_WVA]

These products "Rock"
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.stihlusa.com/>http://www.stihlusa.com/</A>

 

[rancar]

Look at the MS260 Stihl. This is a small professional model that'll last a lifetime if not abused.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Stihl or Husky for durability.

 

[RobertN]

My Husky leaks bar oil. But, niether Harley that sits on the other side of the garage do/w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif

 

[Luvbigboytoys]

I just shopped for and bought a new saw on Saturday. My 19 year old Stihl died already. After looking at Stihl, Jonsered and Husqvarna, I bought a Husqvarna. My requirements were a 16 - 18" bar, around 10 - 11 LB in weight and around 3 h.p. I got the model 345 with an 18" bar. Used it yesterday for the first time and was impressed.

I did notice something peculiar, though. Every Stihl dealer had exactly the same price on their saws. The Husqvarna dealers all had different prices, and only had one Jonsered dealer so no comparison. It is almost like the Stihl dealers had no ability to set the price of the saw to whatever they wanted to sell it for. I thought it was a little odd. The nice thing is I bought from a local shop (a one man operation) that sold his saws cheaper than Lowe's. Felt good about buying from the little guy.

 

[knucklehead]

Jonsereds are an upscale Husky? I hadn't heard that. I'd like more info - do they mix parts?

Will the bar oil stop running out if I stored it on it's air intake side with the blade in the air? I could make a quick wooden jig for that. I usually run everything dry, but since I'm not a pro, I sometimes just use it for a few minutes.

 

[fishnhunt365]

Downhere the #1 saw is still Stihl.

 

[ptonline]

both brands are owned by Electrolux of Sweden, Jonsered have more features and have more available models. most if not all of the smaller and more popular Husky models are mass produced in the U.S. and should be avoided,the larger ones are fine. the larger Husky models are great but i would still opt for Jonsered if only for turbo. PTOnline

 

[Hydraman]

I've got an old 056 Super AV Stihl that is like an old Harley-
Lots of weight, lots of torque, kind of a beast to run, puts muscles in places that didn't used to be places. And marks its territory!! But, it just doesn't die!!!!

 

[BigDave]

Chainsaws: I own a 12yr old Husky Practica 61. I abuse the poor thing, I start once or twice a year, I never drain the fuel or put in stabilizer, but is always starts one the second or third pull. Today, it didn't start. /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif The fuel line turned into a rubbery goo, and separated from the carb. A trip to ACE and a whopping 29 cents out of pocket, I was up and running with only three pulls. /w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif It does leak bar oil, but only if I don't store it on it's side. If I were to buy a small saw for trimming, I would definitely look at the Husky 335XPT. It is a small lightweight pro-quality saw for tree climbers. It is probably expensive for it's size, but it's not an entry level saw.

Recipricating saw: Have you considered a recipricating saw for trim work? I have 24Volt Bosch recipricating saw which I use for triming. It handles limbs up to 4" with no problem. I've tackled much larger with it, but I wouldn't recommend anything larger than the blade length for safety sake.