Which brand saw?

[LD1]

Husquavarna used to have a great saw,

They still do

but they succumbed to the volume sales approach at the expense of quality following in the footsteps of Poulan and others.

They didnt succumb. They have been doing it for years. Actually, the parent company on husqvarna is also the same parent company of poulan. And yes, they do make lower end saws, but that dont mean their higher end saws (xp saws) are any less quality.

I call it smart business. If you only appeal to a select few (IE: higher end loggers) you are only getting a fraction of the business. Appealing to the homeowner opens up a whole new market.

 

[Bluegill2]

Husquavarna used to have a great saw, but they succumbed to the volume sales approach at the expense of quality following in the footsteps of Poulan and others.

Like LD1 said, ya have to learn a bit about the different models. Husqvarna is making some of the best saws ever made, in the XP models and also the 353, 359, 365, 555. You will find these at a real saw dealer, not the big box stores.

Husqvarna is now the parent company and owns other brands such as Poulan, Redmax, etc...

 

[saltbranch]

That is a heck of a price for both the 5100 (probabally NOS), and the 420. Just be sure they tune the 5100 right, or do it yourself. For that matter, do they have a 5105?? Might be worth the little extra to not have to worry.

Also....what in the heck is a stihl dealer doing with two new dolmars???


QUOTE]

they brought the Dolmar line in to try and sell. Dolmar name is not known around here and they have not sold very many. These are the last 2 Dolmar saws they have. The guy I am dealing with, which is one I have delt with on equipment I buy for work, says they never have had much problems with Dolmars as far as repairs/returns. That they can do repairs /warranty work in house if I do buy one of these. He said the fact that there is no name recognition down here really hurt the selling of the Dolmars.

 

[PhilY]

You can get a Stihl 261, their smallest pro saw at 50cc, for about $575. The prices go up from there. The 261 can handle an 18" bar with authority in hardwood, and pull a 20" fine in soft wood. Next would be the 362 (60cc, 20-25" bars) then 441 (70cc, 20-28" bars). Beyond that you're talking over a grand for bigger Stihls and getting into some heavy powerheads. For the record, I have a Stihl 261 and a 461. Of all the saws I have run over the years, the 261 is my favorite saw by far.

I've got the MS261 with an 18" bar and love it. I have been using it for the past year to cut about 12 cord of wood and it is going strong. I would highly recommend it to anyone. It's light and has a ton of power, and the anti-vibration mounts in-between the handles and the rest of it really make it a smooth running unit. For me, the weight was a huge factor in selecting my saw, and this one is about 11.5 lbs. It slows down just a little when cutting 22 inch red oak, but then again the whole bar is cutting as the tree's wider than it is. However, with it not being all that heavy, I can run it for a full day without getting whipped like with some of the bigger models. This makes a big difference too if the trees you need to take down are in an over-grown woods and all get hung up as you need to cut from bottom up at chest height to take chunks out of it until the tree comes out of the canopy.

 

[JoeBuyer]

I've got the MS261 with an 18" bar and love it. .

Good to hear. That is exactly my next saw and bar length. Sounds like a great saw.

 

[sea2summit]

If you only need a saw once or twice a year to cut up a 5" limb that fell out if the tree......you dont need a $500 saw to do that.

Don't tell that too my wife.

 

[Bluegill2]

The ms261 is a fine, solid saw, but (for me) it's just too big for a 50cc saw. I was goin to buy one until I got one in my hands, it's basically the same size as a 357xp. That's one reason I've stayed with the 346xp.

 

[jpm1]

Stihl . . . .with out a doubt! People complain about the new gas caps but they work well if you give-um a chance. I've got 3 stihls and if they die i'l buy more of um . . .John

 

[kenmac]

My husky rancher has served me well for 10 yrs. Never been the shop for any repairs, adjustments, etc,

 

[xyz123]

Don't tell that too my wife.

LMAO :drink:

 

[DieselnHooters]

LD1 knows about chaisaws, as usual his posts are sharp , they really cut it. :thumbsup:

 

[LD1]

LD1 knows about chaisaws, as usual his posts are sharp , they really cut it. :thumbsup:

awe:cloud9:

 

[phlintlock]

I have purchased the MS261 this past summer after having a Jonsred for 25 years that finally gave up the ghost. I couldn't be happier. It starts easy, handles like an extension of my body. I'm not a logger but do keep woods in trim, firewood and cut for feeding my wood chipper.
Would highly recommend the MS261.

Phlintlock

 

[PILOON]

Stihl, Johnserad or Husky BUT nothing from big box stores
Best yet is to visit a CHAIN SAW dealer of those brands and I'm sure you will find satisfaction.
Fact is many 'consumer' saws are jobbed out and only carry the recognized brand name.
While not all that common, Tenaka and Makita also have some good saws.

 

[RobertN]

Stihl and Husky Pro equipment have worked well for me. I still lean towards Stihl though; the ergonomics and feel of the Stihl are better for me.

My wife has a Husky sewing machine that works very well; aint found Stihl or Dolmar in that market

When I am ready for another saw, I'll check out Stihl, Husky, and Dolmar.

There are more Stihl saws and cut-off saws on the Engines of the local fire districts than there are Husky... They have to start and reliably run at 3am on a snowy night with people trapped in building or car...

 

[treman]

I don't want to start a war but asking that is like asking JD vs. Kubota. they are all good saws but the one caveat is that you stick with a reputable dealer(not a farm or box store) and if your serious buy the pro model. Stihl, Husky, Dolmar(makita) are all good saws. It is just a matter of what you can find in your area and what you like as far as feel and balance. I've used all of them and like them all as well. If I were to buy a saw I would most likely go Husky. I Know the dealer and trust him more so than any other. He knows his product and is a good mechanic. He is also my BIL so the family discount helps.

 

[RobertN]

Not sure why people even mess with the JD vs Kubota thing; my NH would walk all over those two

As I mentioned, I have a mix, but tend towards Stihl. Part of it is the overall feel.

The saw shop near me carries Husky and Stihl. They also have logs available for test runs.

Best thing to do is try them all if you can; I know it may be hard to find dealers with a pile of logs behind the store though. What is comfortable for one person may be the opposite for another person.

I don't want to start a war but asking that is like asking JD vs. Kubota.

 

[LD1]

As I mentioned, I have a mix, but tend towards Stihl. Part of it is the overall feel.

Bingo.

They ALL make excellent and reliable saws. Just different fit and feel to them. Anyone serious is a fool not to lay they hands on several makes before deciding on a brand.

I have no problems if someone chooses a stihl or a husky over my personal favorite. But what I cannot stand is the occasional bashing and bias from someone who has only ever ran one make, and then preach about it being the best because thats what his daddy, and his daddy before him ran:laughing:

 

[Tollster]

I just got my 2nd husky in 16 years, a new pro XP550. Its digital and I love it, hard to beat a 10 pound 50 cc saw running at 14 K for a long day in the field. I did look at stihls, but the size, weight, and ergos turned me off. It really is twice the saw of my older 51, which is still fine. My back isn't what is was and I have arthritis in my hands. I use the 51 for dirty wood now.
The 550 is my first pro model, I choose it because of the weight, and all the extras that cam along with it, decompression, no loss bar nuts, adjustable oiler, quick side adjust chain tensioner, quick air filter access, and a few others. I looked at the XP346, but for 80 dollars more settled on the digital technology of the 550...it was 589 with an 18" semi chisel. I put on the full chisel stihls when I brought it home and have not looked back...

HUSQVARNA 550 XP® - XP® saws

 

[arrow]

STIHL!!
I used to do a small firewood business. We started out with 2 saws. 1 was a husky rancher 550. And the other was a stihl farmboss. After the first 20 coards the husky was getting repaired at the saw shop. While that was down for a week i went out and bought a stihl ms 390. Im still running that stihl today. Not for the firewood venture. But on occasion. We got the husky back and ran it for about a month and decided to put it out of its misery by running it over with the Hough loader. Best thing to ever happen to that saw...lol

I think you mean a Husky 55 as the 550 is their new recently introduced saw. The 55 was a great saw but hard to start as it had alot of compression and no release. The other aspect of the saw was that it always needed a precise oil/gas mix. If it got even the slightest overage of oil, it got all gummed up and would be even more difficult to start. I still have a 50 given to me by my best friend 27 years ago just before he passed away. I use this saw every season just to remember my buddy.