Deciding between homeowner models of Husky or Stihl

[Lefty]

My Puulan 2000 died and its time to get a decent saw.  Just wondering if anyone can help provide insight.  I see Husky offers more power at a lower price for homeowners versions.  Their 136 and 141 models offer 36 or 40cc for $180 or 200.  Stihl 009L offers 40cc, but is $270 and drops some features.  Only other homeowners option for Stihl is Model 210 at $ 230, but it offers only 35cc.  For moderate home use, is it really worth paying the extra $ a Stihl (vs Husky) and, if so, should I go up to perhaps model 250 ( $290)?  It just seems like the Stihl homeowners models won't have enough power to get even a moderate job done.

[isawlogs]

   What is moderate home use     That in it self will answer what you should be getting . I know of a few people that have the 180"s and are satisfied with them ... again it will depend on what you use the saw for .

[Ironwood]

Well, let me state that I have owned both brands. I currently have alot of Huskies. Having said that I just visited the local full line Stihl dealer and was walked thru the full options. I have an older 009 Stihl, it has been used hard. I still like it and the durability it has offered. I was told that it is the only "reed valve" saw left iin hte Stihl line up. The man said that means it is very durable. I have used it for probably 8 years or perhaps ten of intermittent use. I have thrown it on the ground as I collect saplings for my furniture business probably a couple thousand times, from a standing ,EXHAUSTED position, as I am too beat to stoop over to set it on the ground. It has been a unwavering dependable saw. It is heavy but for occasional use that should be fine. IT IS DURABLE just as the man said. The smaller Huskies I now run are lighter (334,334) climbers saws but feel as though may lack the durability of the 009. I have also cut bigger stuff with the 009 and it does well there as well, understanding the limitations of small saws. I have 5 Huskies and 1 Stihl, and for your use I recommend the Stihl. (Stihl beat 5 to 1 odds on this one)

                        REID

[maple flats]

Never tried a Stihl because the local dealer is a crook, but I tried a Husky several years ago w/16" bar, don't remember the cc or model. It didn't last very long. That is when I tried Poulin and liked them. I used to sell about 150-200 face cord of 16" firewood a year and am on my fourth Poulin, still like them for weight and power in the 16-18" bar lengths. If you need over that get a better saw such as a Stihl, your local dealer is likely MUCH better than mine.

[sawguy21]

The 009 is a tough saw and has great torque. It even barks like a big dog. What isawlogs said is the real determining factor.

[Engineer]

Sthil's 025 (or MS250) is probably their most popular model.  I have had one for ten years, my dad has one, my brother has one, and between the three of us we cut probably 20-30 cords of wood per year.  Plus, I run mine with a Log Wizard debarker on my mill and cut up most of my slabwood with it.  It's the best bang for the buck in Stihl's liine, guaranteed.  I wouldn't hesitate to replace mine with another one if for some reaosn I managed to kill it.  For homeowner use it's probably the perfect saw.

[rebocardo]

For my smaller saw (which is not my only saw) I went with a MS-180c with the 14" bar. Purely subjective, but, it felt the most nimble and balanced compared with the smaller Husky 136/141 that I tried at my local dealer.  Very easy and quick to change chains. Changing starting cords takes a lot longer on the Stihl vs. the Poulan Wildthing.

What are you cutting, 20" oak trees,  blown down branches, clearing saplings, etc.?

If are you using it for firewood duties and cutting six+ cords a year of 10"+ diameter hardwood logs, I do not not think any of the smaller saws will do.

The other thing to consider is the Poulan 2375 18" 40cc. is now selling at northern tool Note:Please read the Forestry Forum's postion on this company for $99 with a case. I ran my last one into the ground and probably put at least 200 hours on it in one year, I stopped keeping track at 100 hours.  I paid 2.5 times more for my Stihl MS180c, hopefully I can get at least 400 trouble free hours on it.

I guess what matters is for what you are going to be using it, how much, and if it is going to be your only saw.

[fishhuntcutwood]

It does largely depend on what you're cutting with it, and how much you'll be using it.  I'd also say that one of your most determinant factors would be dealer support.   You need a dealer than can help you out if your saw dies or just plain breaks.  And as far as the Husky's in the 1XX number range, from my understanding, those are simply Poulans in Husky clothing.  And if you buy them at Lowe's, you're paying more money for the same saw, and and same lack of dealer support, so that may be something to think about as well.

Jeff

[tony_marks]

the current 280 is in my opinion an homeowner saw. a friend sells many cords a yr. hes very satisfied . as  for top handle lite saws the echo gives good bang for the buch in my opinion. igot the little 3000. for what its made for and with my limited use of a climbng saws she does good.
 also look at deere, oleomack etc. all the same, and in my opinion pro saws at consumer saw, prices in many cases. jmo
 ps u couldnt pry my 62 cc olympyk[ efco ,oleomak]. out of my hand for the price of 2 new saw. of course its modified.in fact thats true of my other saws also. man dont sell a member o the family.

[stihltech]

Still have the 009 in staock. The 250 is very popular and very durable.

[davefrommd]

I bought a like new used/returned/reconditioned 55 ranch husky chainsaw with 20" bar from sears for about $150.00 less then the original price.  I recently bought it but forgot what I paid for it but I think I paid $200.00 for it.  You can get some good deals on reconditioned, close out  chainsaws at sears, lowes, and home depot.   If I were buying a new saw I would probably consider stihl because I have two of them already and I am pleased with them,..a  stihl farm boss and 440 magnum. dave

[jokers]

The ms250 is a very good choice for a homeowner as are the Husky 345 and 350. Too many homeowners buy too little saw, then there are the other guys who buy too much .

The weights of the smaller saws for the available horsepower precludes them from serious consideration in most cases. I did however get an ms180 for my son because of his age. I wanted a very low powered saw for him. I feel that the quality and ergonomics between the the smallest Huskies and the 180 is comparable but Stihl beats them on the weight. It is a nice little saw and I like the fact that the brake handle is attached on both sides. A very subtle detail that I believe most casual users miss, but all plastic single sided brake flags flex too much, especially on the outboard unattached side, and this increases actuation time. Improper hand placement with the left hand too far to the left compounds this problem.

I wouldn`t even consider an 009 because it has no antivibe. Think about this, if you were an employer of any more than a relatively small number of people, 50 I believe, OSHA regs would not allow you to put a tool with as much vibration as the 009 in the hands of your employees because of the long term affects of the vibration. Why would you do this to yourself?

Russ

[DanManofStihl]

I owned a husky 141 and I now own a stihl ms 180 I like the ms 180 better it has not had any problems. I had to put the husky 141 in the shop twice to get it work work corrcetly and it never worked right the muffler fell off when I was working in my field the was a pain seems sombody at the shop did not tighten it down and then the heat shield fell off and the plastic melted a little piece before I noticed it was not their. I will never buy another 141. I like the stihl quick adjust chain tensioner it has saved my but acouple of times when I forgot my wrench. I would buy another ms 180 I like it.

[rebocardo]

> the muffler fell off when I was working in my field the was a pain seems sombody at the shop
> did not tighten it down and then the heat shield fell off and the plastic melted a little piece
> before I noticed it was not their.

I had the exact thing happen to one of my Husky 365s not even a month ago. It was pretty surprising when it fell off while I was leaning over the log with the saw and the muffler hit the running chain. The saw got a lot louder.

[DanManofStihl]

Yeah I was pretty impressed when I looked down and saw parts of it laying theirafter only owning it for 2 weeks. That thing made some noise for only being 40 ccs I was rather impressed and *pithed.

[jokers]

How can either of you guys blame your poor maintenance on Husky or anyone else for that matter?

Most people would be too ashamed to admit it if something like this happened to them.

Russ

[rebocardo]

> How can either of you guys blame your poor maintenance on Husky or anyone else for that matter?

How can you blame us for poor service when you do not even know us?

After I use my saws I clean my bar grooves, grease the nose sprocket, clean off the inside under the cover, grease the bearing, clean out the saw dust in the crevices around the clutch band, and clean my air filter. Also, I remove the case whenever it looks like the cyl head or inside the pull string cover is getting dirty and I clean the screen on the muffler too. Except for scratches, my saw looks almost new before I put it away.

PLUS, I check to make sure all the bolts are tight and snug. I had a problem with the allen head bolts coming loose brand new from the factory, on the muffler, handles, and dogs, along with oiler problems.

Someone else posted about their oiler problems (like mine) and fabbed their own oil pump drive. I had to bring mine back to the dealer when the pump failed (screw fellout after the housing for the adjustment cracked) and they had to replace the arm and pump.

You should not have to check and tighten bolts on a saw's muffler only two weeks old, especially with light use.

My other (newer) Husky 365 has had none of these problems.  Since my mufffler was replaced AND the old bolts were replaced with new bolts, it seems like the problem is fixed.

My take on it is either the bolts were overtorqued from the factory (hence stretched) or the bolts themselves were defective. Since someone else complained about the same problem on another model, I would likely think it might be a bad batch of bolts.

> Most people would be too ashamed to admit it if something like this happened to them.

I thought the boards were meant to be places where people could freely post experiences and mistakes so others could learn, without being criticized, eh?

Most people might have said "In my experience I have found it useful to check the tightness of all the bolts before I start my saw everyday".

To which I would have replied, "I do and they still loosen up" after a few hours of use.

[Lobo]

I believe when people post their experiences with products they use you will normally get a decent picture of the reality from these users. Husqvarna's quest to manufacture more saws at lower costs to gain market penetration will of course reflect more and more such problems. This of course applies to any manufacture of any product that goes this route. Long term maintenance of course is so important on anything mechanical, but certain problems that come out early simply denote production and quality problems such as posted here.

Saws by their design and work functions vibrate even though we notice it much less nowadays because of the various techniques used to isolate vibrations in the hands of the user, this factor in itself will bring out the problems, faults, defects much more quickly. Unfortunately even with maintenance you are limited in the fixes you can perform if you wish to maintain your manufactures new product warranty. After the warranty expires it is all yours to apply the cure-all's you feel you can properly apply.

[leweee]

 "I do and they still loosen up" after a few hours of use.

you feller's ever hear of LOCTITE   
Use it ....you'll love it.

[DragonsBane]

 My money is on the Husky. Stihl makes a good saw but after killing three Stihls in one year I went to Husky and I have not been dissapointed. I currently own four Huskies, a 336XP, a 55 Rancher, a 394XP, and a 3120. I bought the 55 Rancher for around the house duty and it works great.  One thing though, the low vib chains that are sold on them are junk. Learn to use the saw properly and safely, then step up to a production cutting chain. It will make all the difference in the world.

[sawguy21]

The Rancher is the only saw under 59cc that we put the full size 3/8 on. It has the torque.  The .325 allows the rest to rev and is a lot smoother on the smaller saws.

[dave7191]

I'M not sure stihl still makes the two sizes of the farm bos but if they do i would get the larger of the two if i was only going to have one saw
Dave

[SawTroll]

Back to the original question:

should I go up to perhaps model 250 ( $290)?

I suggest that you take a look at the Husky 345 og preferably 350 instead. Those are Husky's top end homeowner saws, and much nicer saws to use than the Stihl 250.

[sawguy21]

I agree, except we can't get the 350. I have been running a 345 for four years with no problems at all.