War: Husky vs. Stihl

[MISDH]

I have to buy a new saw to begin some semi-serious cutting (several thousand trees).  I want an 18-20" bar and just a nice starting, easy maintenance saw.  I'm not favoring either brand, but if you had to have "one saw" for the average Joe cutting, what would it be??  Be specific with the model #'s.  I'm 41, 5'9" and 175 lbs. and don't want a big saw (I have one).
Let the lead fly...

[sfgjon]

Oooooooh, let me be the first to reply. Not that I am an expert by any means, but.... you can't go wrong with a Stihl MS361. Plenty of power, runs a 20" well, decompression valve and light enough that it won't kill you after a long day.
And, it's got white on it!!!! ;D

[Jeff]

Sorry, no wars on the Forestry Forum. 

[logger]

Sorry, no wars on the Forestry Forum. 

Yup, # 1 rule on FF no wars! 8) :D ;D ;)

[Steven A.]

What are you cutting? Christmas trees, red oak veneer logs, old growth conifers?

[pbuehning]

361 and never look back! ;D

[Tim L]

I have a 372xp that I love, but my brother-in-law has a Stihl 034 that he has had for years and I like his saw also. Find a good dealer you like and go with him.

[Dave Shepard]

+1 on what you are going to cut. I have owned both Husky and Stihl. One of my favuorite saws was my Husky 394XP, which is going to get rebuilt this summer only becuase I like it so much. Right now I am running my Stihl 036PRO(earlier version of the 361 I believe) and a Husky 66. The 66 is older technology, but it rips and is very reliable. The 036(361) is a great mid-sized saw, it will work well for both felling and limbing/bucking of mid-sized trees, say 18" or so. I do use it on bigger trees, but it is easier to go with the bigger saw. Most of the loggers in my area are running Stihl MS460s, which may be bigger than what you are looking for. I will only buy Stihls new now becuase that is what my dealers carry, they have dropped Husky due to their affiliation with the big box stores. What dealers do you have nearby? That may be more important than whether you buy Husky or Stihl.


Dave

[caz]

Just my 2 cents if you can find a good older swedish made husky there is nothing better

The new ones (big box stores) >:( huskys, just plain junk.

Again just my 2 cents

[Mooseherder]

I have to buy a new saw to begin some semi-serious cutting (several thousand trees). 

How many trees would qualify serious? :D

[MISDH]

Hey, Sorry about the "war" comment, It's kind of like blondes vs. brunettes (red heads?),  I thought there'd be alot of passion out there about the best saw.  I'll be cutting down about 3,500 Austrian pines, and then cherry and maple for firewood. I've got a Husky dealer nearby, and wanted the best model numbers to avoid the "cheap ones".
Keep 'em comin'.
Thanks

[Dan_Shade]

what type of saw is your "big saw".  you may want to stick to the same manufacturer so you may be able to swap some parts, bars, chains, etc (if possible).

[sawguy21]

What Dave Shepherd said. Either brand will serve you very well, dealer availability and support is the key. Personally, I would go for the Husky 359 for your application but the MS361 is a decent saw too. Over to the Stihl guys. ;) :D :D :D

[oldsaw]

What Dave Shepherd said. Either brand will serve you very well, dealer availability and support is the key. Personally, I would go for the Husky 359 for your application but the MS361 is a decent saw too. Over to the Stihl guys. ;) :D :D :D

I'll vote for that.  What gets dealer support in your area.  Looks like I'm losing my Husky dealer, but gaining a Stihl dealer to replace the crappy one I don't go to anymore (50-100% mark-up over retail on parts, wanted me to pay shipping but had to wait for their regular order to come in...that went over well with me)

Mark

[Dave Shepard]

MISDH, there certainly is a lot of passion for a particular brand of saw, but everything must be viewed objectively. I love the 066, but I wouldn't use it for brush. Oh, wait, I do use it for brush. Hmm, I love the 066 but I wouldn't recommend it to prune a rose bush. I think we need to know what your big saw is to recommend a smaller sized one. I personally would use at least an MS 460 if I was cutting everyday, but that is me, I can run a big saw all day.


Dave

[logger]

Hey, Sorry about the "war" comment, It's kind of like blondes vs. brunettes (red heads?),  I thought there'd be alot of passion out there about the best saw.  I'll be cutting down about 3,500 Austrian pines, and then cherry and maple for firewood. I've got a Husky dealer nearby, and wanted the best model numbers to avoid the "cheap ones".
Keep 'em comin'.
Thanks

That's alright, I was just messin' with ya. :D  For the lightness and power I would get a Stihl 440 or Husky 372.  They should be the best for your application. ;) ;D 8)   

[SawTroll]

+1 on what you are going to cut. I have owned both Husky and Stihl. One of my favuorite saws was my Husky 394XP, which is going to get rebuilt this summer only becuase I like it so much. Right now I am running my Stihl 036PRO(earlier version of the 361 I believe) ..... 

That isn't quite right, the 361 is a newer and in several ways better design. The only thing it has in common with the 036/360 is the place in the model lineup.

[SawTroll]

What Dave Shepherd said. Either brand will serve you very well, dealer availability and support is the key. Personally, I would go for the Husky 359 for your application but the MS361 is a decent saw too. Over to the Stihl guys. ;) :D :D :D

I would stay away from the 359, as it is the "weaker brother" of the 357xp.

If they are large enough, i would prefere the MS361 to the 357xp for allound use, mostly because the 357 has an outboard sprocket, but for felling only, it doesn't really matter.......

The Husky 372xp is the next step, if you need something larger.

[stumpy]

Excuse my interuption, but what's the issue with an outboard sproket?  Just wondering?

[Fred]

I have an 036 Stihl and love it.
                         Fred

[rebocardo]

> some semi-serious cutting (several thousand trees). 
> I want an 18-20" bar and just a nice starting, easy maintenance saw. 
> but if you had to have "one saw" for the average Joe cutting

That is not average Joe cutting when talking thousands of trees, but, I would say a Husky 372 as light enough to still use on the tops, but, still powerful enough to bucks thousands of trees quickly.

No matter if Husky or Stihl, if you are going to be running the saw thousands of hours, you are going to need repairs sooner or later or an outright replacement.

If you are going to do repairs yourself or send the Husky away for repairs (say to Baileys), or just buy another saw when it wears out, then I would go Husky.

Otherwise, I would lean towards Stihl and buy from a local dealer.

One thing you should factor in is chain cost and choice since the chains you use will end up costing more then the saw.

I would lean heavily towards saws that ran the 3/8 x 50 gauge high profile as this seems the most popular with the cheapest pre-made loops and lowest cost and widest choice of chains for the price.

imo, One draw back for the Stihls (which did not stop me from buying the small saws MS-180 and MS-270) is the .043 and .063 gauge these saws use. If I used them all the time as I do my Husky 365s, I would not have picked them for the operating cost in chains alone.

I like all my bigger saws to use all the same chain and bars with the .375 x .050 high profile.
That way I carry only two saws, two bars, and 8 chains, (4) 20" and (4) 28" and swap them out every three tanks (one hour of cutting) for a new sharp one and flip the bar. This covers me for five hours of solid cutting time.

[SawTroll]

Excuse my interuption, but what's the issue with an outboard sproket?  Just wondering?

The main issue is that it makes the space under the clutch cover a good bit "busier", which could (and does) interrupt the ship flow. This is normally an issue mostly when cleaving wood with the saw, making those long curlies.

It also makes it all but impossible to remove the powerhead from the bar, if the bar gets stuck.

Other people will list more issues, but those above are the ones that really count.

[TexasTimbers]

Excuse my interuption, but what's the issue with an outboard sproket?  Just wondering?

It also makes it all but impossible to remove the powerhead from the bar, if the bar gets stuck.

I wil vouch for that I made a post in the logging section called "Remove The Powerhead" where i described briefly how I was working "frantically" I belive was the word I used to remove the 395XP powerhead from the bar and that was an understatement. i was lucky to get it off in time I basically felt like I had ripped a basketball from from the mouth of a gator to get it to let go right at the last.

[jokers]

Excuse my interuption, but what's the issue with an outboard sproket?  Just wondering?

It also makes it all but impossible to remove the powerhead from the bar, if the bar gets stuck.

I wil vouch for that I made a post in the logging section called "Remove The Powerhead" where i described briefly how I was working "frantically" I belive was the word I used to remove the 395XP powerhead from the bar and that was an understatement. i was lucky to get it off in time I basically felt like I had ripped a basketball from from the mouth of a gator to get it to let go right at the last.

Hey! I`ve got an idea, use wedges!  ;) :D

[jokers]

Just my 2 cents if you can find a good older swedish made husky there is nothing better

The new ones (big box stores) >:( huskys, just plain junk.

Again just my 2 cents

What is wrong with any of the new, Swedish made Huskies?

I also have to disagree with your broad statement that any of the Huskies available in the box stores are junk although I would direct this person or anyone else to a real dealer if possible. The 340,345,350, and 359 are all very good saws and available in the "box" stores.