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Chainsaws

D

Determined

Well-known Member
Getting to be time for a new saw.
Have been using a Stihl 038 AV for the past 20+ years and though it has been a great saw the time has come to turn it into a back up machine.

See the Husqvarna's are on sale right now and I am considering the 455 Rancher with an 18 inch bar.

20 years ago My Stihl with 20 inch bar was almost twice as much as a new Husqvarna is on sale for now.

Anybody have anything good or bad to say of these?
Not sure what to think of what they call a consumer grade saw, is it overpriced offshore junk or are they worth the money?

Looks like Stihl offers a similar line.

Saw gets used for clearing fence lines and a few cords of firewood a year so is the professional line worth the extra dollars?
 
A good saw is always worth the money. That's why I
went to Dolmar saws. I can cut all day with them. I
just bought the neighbor an Efco as a birthday
present. She says it has my Dolmars all beat when
it comes to vibration. When I bought it my saw man
told me not to test it out as I would end up throwing
away my good saws and buying Efcos. I have to
say I think those Dolmars are about the best
running saws with the least vibration.

With that all blabbed - buy a saw that's a better
grade than you think you need as long as it doesn't
make it too heavy. No one will ever tell you they
bought too good a saw. Buy the oil and double the
warranty.
 
We have a rancher at work. Don't use it a lot but it
seems to be a really nice saw I still prefer my farm
boss though. It's all about preference and price.
Don't be afraid to go see how they feel in your
hands. It only has to please you
 
I have a 445 husky good machine had to recut the chain so it would bite a little more. Now it really
makes the chips fly.
 

I had a Husqvarna 345 for about 10 years until it finally gave out. I replaced it last year with a Stihl MS 250 which is similar in size and power to the Husky. I'm not too enthused with the Stihl - lot harder starting than the Husky and just a bit heavier.

My son worked at a job where they used both makes. He said by the end of the day the Husky was the one most of the guys chose. I realize these are probably smaller than what you're looking at but that's my comparison. I use the saw for cutting and pruning a large planted shelterbelt around our farmyard.
 
Husky saws are good but if you don't have a husky dealer to do any servicing that you might need forget it. I went to Stihl because they have a good network
of dealers. Around here we lost Husky dealers when husky started selling them through big box stores.
 
(quoted from post at 19:14:58 09/19/16) Husky saws are good but if you don't have a husky dealer to do any servicing that you might need forget it. I went to Stihl because they have a good network
of dealers. Around here we lost Husky dealers when husky started selling them through big box stores.
Click to expand...

That's why I went to Stihl this time, our good Husky dealer closed up shop.
 
No one mentioned Jonsered! That's my choice, but they come out of the same mold/factory as Husqvarnas. I have 4 of them, from 44 years old to only 6,
and they all run well. Our son bought a Stihl just to be different, and he gets a lot of exercise starting it! My newest Jonsered has a primer bulb,
that is important on the newer saws as they are set so lean. I think most of the newer carburetors can still be adjusted to make them start better, if
you make the right tool.
 
You already have the answer in your hands, the pro model stihl that has lasted and performed for 20
years. The way I look at it, buying the best tools I can afford is always a good investment, the
most important thing that dependable and reliable tools save me is time, the one thing I cannot get
any more of. I am a stihl owner of over 40 years so to be truthful I am biased towards stihl.
 
Dad loves his Dolmar as well. A local tree trimming service tried those Efco's, and ended up the dealer took them all back and gave them theirone back after about 6 months. They had nothing but trouble using them commercially. I myself have a 576xp Husky. It's a good saw, takes about 5-6 pulls to start, has good power.
 
If saw was hard starting you should take it back to dealer before its warranty runs out. If you get pro saws they have compression release. My MS 461 (6 HP) starts as easy as the little MS 170 (!.7 HP).
 
12 years agp I bought a used Stihl chain saw with a 20 inch bar , I have no idea how old it is. I bought it to cut up and remove some old hog houses, not recommended as it is pretty hard on chain saws. It still starts on the first pull.
 
I worked at a sawmill for about
3years. They had saws over 70cc. Our longest bar was 38", we used Stihl and Husqvarna saws.I liked
both brands, however the Stihl
is a saw built to take more
abuse then the Husqvarna. And as
stated in other posts there more
service centers readily
available
Untitled URL Link
 
I bought a economical Stihl 180C, I think it is. I believe it is only rated as a home-owner's saw. Has been a real horse, though, I cut firewood, trim trees, prune thousands of berry plants at times. Will cut big BIG tree trunks if you cut both sides, in fact I have quit using my big Stihl Farm Boss, this little 180 does it all, and much lighter and easier. Friend had a big oak die, the trunk was probably 24", and this little baby cut it all up over several weekends.
 
They're both good saws BUT a 18 inch chain on Stihl is NOT the same as a 18 inch chain on a Husky. The Stihl uses a larger chain.
 
Like notjustair and rboots, I absolutely LOVE my Dolmar. I have never purchased such an excellent piece of equipment in my life. Made in Germany, bought out by Makita a number of years ago, Makita and Dolmar are the same saw with different paint, I've heard the Dolmar name will be going away soon to be only Makita. I used it last night and I have a 510, what a beast! Dolmar invented the chain saw...
 

I was a Husky/Jred dealer. Sadly, Husky is not the saw it was 30 years ago these days until you get into the pro line and they are outrageously expensive. If you want to buy new and want a saw comparable with the 038, then I'd first look at saws in the 65-70cc range from Echo or Dolmar/Makita. Stihl would be my 3rd choice not because they aren't as good or better, but they are simply much more expensive for what you get.

In truth, you will be hard pressed to find a saw that will give the service your 038 has.
 
Unless you bought it used that 38AV is over 20 years old, grins. A replacement of equal quality from Stihl or Husy is going to set you back close to 1K. I dont enjoy cheap tools but that's just me. I like Stihl and Husky pro saws but if I were to step down to mid range Echo gives a person a lot more bang for the buck than either STihl or Husky IMO.
 
The 455 Rancher is a homeowner grade saw. That is why it's only half the price of your professional grade Stihl.

Depends on how long you plan on using it. If you're in your early 70's and don't figure on cutting wood for more than a few years, the Rancher will serve you well. Save yourself some money and go for it. If you're looking to get another 20 years out of a saw, look at something else.
 
I am an Echo guy but I was talking to my dealer the other day and he was saying the American made Husky saws are the junk home owner ones. The good ones I think he said were made in Sweden.
 
I bought a new Stihl 251C 2 years back. One of the first that the dealer sold. It has easy start on it. Once I finally got used to just easily pulling the starter cord out I love it. No more having to be Paul Bunion to start a saw. As far as performance it will feed it'self down through a 20" maple with no effort at all. I like full chisel chains, and keep the rakers cut down and there is no effort to blocking logs. I see some people who think they need to use their saw like a hand saw and try forcing it through a log. I don't like to work that hard.
I also have a 180C which is a great little limbing saw, but after haveing the easy start on the bigger saw, I tend to grab it for limbing also.
Loren
 
I have a Husqvarna 455 I got at a yard sale for $125 a few years ago. It is a good cutting saw. Only problem - as I see it - it is "homeowner" saw with a plastic
crankcase and is not meant for hard, steady use. Husqvarna still makes pro saws with metal crankcases but they are priced very high.

As far as I know - I think Stihl still uses metal crankcases on all their saws in this size range. So does Dolmar-Makita, and EFCO.

I've got two 56 cc EFCOs with John Deere green on them that have been the best saws I have ever owned. I got them on Deere-dealer closeouts when Deere stopped selling
them. Italian professional saws and I find their quality to be amazing.
 
Not all Stihl saws have metal crankcases. Their low end saws have plastic cases but seam to hold up good.
 
I guess it depends on the definition of plastic crankcase. It is actually aluminum, but can't be removed from the plastic saw body.

I have one of these saws I got out of the scrapyard. It had the ring all gummed up and no compression. I haven't put a lot of run time on it, but it is a nice running saw and with a full chisel chain will do some cutting.

That said.. I like my stihls. I have several professional grade saws with no complaints.
a238041.jpg
 
(quoted from post at 19:31:52 09/19/16) No one mentioned Jonsered! That's my choice, but they come out of the same mold/factory as Husqvarnas. I have 4 of them, from 44 years old to only 6,
and they all run well. Our son bought a Stihl just to be different, and he gets a lot of exercise starting it! My newest Jonsered has a primer bulb,
that is important on the newer saws as they are set so lean. I think most of the newer carburetors can still be adjusted to make them start better, if
you make the right tool.
Click to expand...

Model for model,J'red will match any saw brand out there.
 
A friend of mine owned a Husqvarna and Echo dealership. Back when Husqvarna starting focusing more on homeowner type sales - he had a bunch of bad saws that failed under warranty on his bench. I forget the details - but whatever had bonded the plastic to the aluminum had separated on many. He said that Husqvarna tech said it was from running the saws too long at one time and letting the crankcases get too hot. True or not - I do not know. I DO know that prop-saws have all magnesium crankcases like in my Dolmar, EFCO, and older Sthil saws. As I understand it, all the larger (like over 50 ccs) Stihl saws have all magnesium crankcases. That is, unless something has changed recently. Back when I was a Stihl saw mechanic -all Stihl saws were magnesium. Even the cheap little 011.

I have a Husqvarna 455 Xtra Torque that I got at a yard sale a few years ago as a beater saw. I've used it pretty hard and so far, it's been fine. In fact, better then I expected. Very fast cutter. My only complain is it floods easy when trying to start it in hot weather. Often the only way to start it when hot is to pull the rope when holding the throttle on full. I've used it for a lot of trail-work and I can sit it down for 10 minutes at a time and it keep on purring. Never stalls which is a great feature for a trail or climbing saw. My John Deere CS56s have a lot of metal. Even the bar cover is magnesium. It's a professional saw made in Italy by EFCO. It is the only saw I own that no matter what I do - it starts with one or two pulls hot or cold, can sit and idle forever without stalling, and has great cutting speed. My only regret is that I only bought two on Deere dealer closeout sales. If I had known at the time what fantastic saws they are - I'd have gotten more. 56 cc saw that can keep right up with my 64 cc Dolmar.
 
Way back in the early 1980's I got a John Deere EV55 (ECHO) and it was the best 20 inch saw I've ever used.....and the handiest. My brother's Stihl is okay, but nothing special. The last McCullogh I had, a Timber Bear, was a hard starting POS.....no wonder they lost their market. Another saw I used, a Husky, was okay, but I wouldn't fight anybody for it. My experience with saws goes clear back to Mac 5-49 two man (killer) and 3-25....early 1950's. Before that it was a two man crosscut. Zing, zang, zing, zang.......wedges and a maul.....buzz rig on the Farmall H........buck saw and a sawbuck.....and a double bit axe.
 
I have a Stihl "Farm Boss" which compares equally to the 455 Rancher. My best bud has the 455. We are comparable with what and how much we cut. His "screamer" will be junk long before mine. Why would you switch from what you had good luck with? Price is same. All this crap about this crankcase and that housing being plastic/alum/white metal etc...like you are ever going to tear into it. My Stihl with stihl chizzel chain will outcut his with same chain...and without screaming another 1000 rpm to do it. Mine is over 10 yrs old and not a problem. You know what to get...you know what your gut tells you...quit listening to all the neighborhood "experts".
 
Way back in the early 1980's I got a John Deere EV55 (ECHO) and it was the best 20 inch saw I've ever used.....and the handiest. My brother's Stihl is okay, but nothing special. The last McCullogh I had, a Timber Bear, was a hard starting POS.....no wonder they lost their market. Another saw I used, a Husky, was okay, but I wouldn't fight anybody for it. My experience with saws goes clear back to Mac 5-49 two man (killer) and 3-25....early 1950's. Before that it was a two man crosscut. Zing, zang, zing, zang.......wedges and a maul.....buzz rig on the Farmall H........buck saw and a sawbuck.....and a double bit axe.
 
No doubt someone will correct me if I'm wrong.... but it seems to me that the Rancher is about a 55 cc mid grade saw and the 38 super is a 72
cc pro grade saw. Regardless of the color war, that difference alone will make the Husky look sick if you're cutting big wood.
I don't doubt the 455 is a decent saw but you are comparing it to one of the best Stihl's ever made. Personally I'd go for a Stihl MS362 or
whatever they're branding the pro grade 55cc saw today. They're light and they can cut unless you get into real big stuff.

Rod
 
I broke in a brand new 455 - performance wise for a homeowner that will use it moderately, say annual firewood and similar seasonal work, its a good fit. Mind you, I don't know how they compare in how they are built, like the other brands etc.

I am surprised at how long my MS 390 stihl has performed well, 14 seasons of service and when I had it completely apart, in '13, the cylinder wall still showed cross hatching and or no appreciable wear. I've heard the crank bearings and or races are the weak part of these, but its simple to check, just run a standard envelope between the flywheel and the other part which I forget its name. if it binds or the gap is irregular, you'll need bearings. I am not sure what they are actually made of, I have heard or read plastic, then just the opposite.

I can see where so many of these just do not get taken care of and end up as parts saws, people just don't consider that these are a tool that if you do properly take care of them, the years of performance you'll get should make it well worth doing. I've run stihl oils in it since new. Its not in use daily, but has seen plenty of run time over the years. Top of the line mid=range saw that has worked along side a friends MS 362, both are good performers with reasonable care.

I figured at some point the 390 would have to be replaced, but works just about the same as it did when new. I ran it next to the 455, and the 455 was not much different in performance, both having sharp chains of course, same wood etc.
 
(quoted from post at 11:25:26 09/20/16)
Model for model,J'red will match any saw brand out there.
Click to expand...

Especially Husqvarna.

(Because at least for the last few years, they're the SAME!)
Click to expand...

Again:model for model JRED will match any brand out there.ANY brand out there!
 
Way too much good advise from so many to reply to individually so thanks again to all and to sum things up;

All the makes offer cheap/consumer throwaway models and decent professional use/forestry models.

Starting with Stihl, lots of economy saws that sell for way less than a comparable size saw sold for 20+ years ago.
Not hard to figure you are not getting the same quality for half the money 20 years later.
Pro series saws are available but as would be expected they are twice the money they were 20 years ago.

From what I have been told;
Husqvarna, Jonsered, Poulan and a few others are all owned by the same.
The homeowner /economy Husqvarna's and Jonsered's are made in the Poulan factory.
The Pro/Forestry Husquvarna's and Jonsered's are both the same saw with slightly different plastic, grips and color, and made at the same plant in Sweden.
So after comparing apples to apples the Husky and Jonsered Pro saws are the same and are priced lower than the comparable Stihl pro series.

I am sure someone out there knows more about this than I do but based off what I learned spending a day in town I decided the Jonsered 2166 (sister to the Husky 365) was the way to go.

For comparison my 038 is 67 cc and the Jonsered is 70.7 cc both 20 inch bars so should be similar power.

Only problem I have so far is my wife wont let me start it until my birthday on Monday.
Just as well I made another 100+ round bales of straw this afternoon and will be busy hauling.
 
If you want to replace that stihl with a husky get a real
one not a throw away rancher mine is a 576xp and Turkey
love it for fire wood and logging , not a limb timer , I
do recommend husqvarna but only xp models.
 
Your analysis looks fairly correct. The Husqvarnas numbered in the 200s are the Poulan saws.

FYI, Rancher 455 is a VERY GOOD upper level consumer grade saw. I've had one for over a decade and cut up several piles of trees, use it often, and it's been reliable. 20" bar, use it on full grown cottonwood, locust, cedar, has enough power for me. My next one will be a pro saw, likely a 550xp or Stihl 261 ( want a lighter weight one, don't care what brand).

Also FYI, quick/easy to convert your saw to a 2172 if you want, voids the warranty probably, so I'd wait. Post 3, better info somewhere else I'm sure, this is just the first i saw.

http://www.arboristsite.com/community/threads/2166-2172-see-if-i-can-get-this-right.242900/
 
(quoted from post at 22:55:02 09/21/16)

From what I have been told;
Husqvarna, Jonsered, Poulan and a few others are all owned by the same.
The homeowner /economy Husqvarna's and Jonsered's are made in the Poulan factory.
The Pro/Forestry Husquvarna's and Jonsered's are both the same saw with slightly different plastic, grips and color, and made at the same plant in Sweden.
So after comparing apples to apples the Husky and Jonsered Pro saws are the same and are priced lower than the comparable Stihl pro series.

I am sure someone out there knows more about this than I do but based off what I learned spending a day in town I decided the Jonsered 2166 (sister to the Husky 365) was the way to go.

For comparison my 038 is 67 cc and the Jonsered is 70.7 cc both 20 inch bars so should be similar power.
Click to expand...

As far as Husky/Jred/Poulan, think GMC/Chevy/Pontiac/Buick. It's all part of the same corp with the same basic power plant design and the difference lays in the end products appearance, controls, finish, etc. The consumer saws are not anything like the top of the line pro models, but over the years you'll see little changes that obviously come from Poulan in the mid range saws. Poulan used to be a good saw, their pro models anyway. But they decided to go for the consumer market many years back.

I think you'll find the 2166 has a very different power curve than your 038, especially if yours is a Magnum. The newer saws seem to be more speed and a bit less torque to me.
 
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