Husqvarna 339XP/338XP or eqivalent in 10lb or less

[tbrickner]

Hi All,

I was wondering what is a good all round professional saw in the maximum 16" bar length range. 

I was looking for a really light weight saw with good power and durability to handle a lot of small limbing jobs.  Are the Husqvarna 339 or 338XP's any good or are there better more durable products out there.

Thanks,
Tom

[Rocky_J]

Most non-pro users balk at the price (I can offer up the last thread discussing this as proof) but the undisputed top dog for a lightweight and powerful small saw is the Stihl MS200 or MS200T. The T is for the top handle and the top choice of climbing arborists while the MS200 is the rear handled version and a wicked fast limbing saw in a lightweight package.

If you have a budget of less than $600 then ignore my post and shop around for something else.

[tonto]

Rocky hit the nail on the head - totally agree. Tonto.

[sawguy21]

That little Stihl has really set the standard for light weight trimming saws. If price is an issue, have a look at Echo. Husqvarna dropped the ball with the 335XPT and never recovered the pro market's confidence.

[Al_Smith]

They claim the 338 is light years better that the 335's .I really have no idea .As for the 335's I have three in the shed a few tree trimmers just gave up on .

The oilers were bad on all three .I replaced one which is cheap but a pain to do .Now don't you know just last week it hung on me tighter than a bulls butt at fly time for reasons yet to be determined .

As for the little Stihl ,a Jack Russel terrier of saws ,the top  dog .If you ever saw and understood the porting on that thing you would see right away why it has so much power .It came from the factory a hot rod .---then if you fool with it a bit . 8)

[tbrickner]

Sounds like the Stihl 200 would be the one for me.

I'll have to save in my piggy bank for that one but from what the specs say that would probably do the job for me and last a life time too.

Thanks for the info.  I was wondering why the Huskies were so much cheaper.  Now I know why.  I am willing to spend the money on someting good I just don't want to dump it on a dog that won't hunt.  Thanks again for the info on the Huskies.  Glad I wasn't tempted to buy one.

Thanks again,
Tom

[Al_Smith]

If you want a new 200T it will be about 600 .If however you have little patience you can find a decent used one for maybe half that .

It just depends on being at the right place and right time .Also if you are not a saw mechanic the best bet would be to buy new .If you can turn a wrench though you can save a ton of money .Then again I guess were that the case this thread would never have came up . :D

[Rocky_J]

Al, good used ones rarely turn up unless they are stolen. The 200T is probably one of the most popular models for jobsite thieves, and arborists who use them to make a living rarely sell them unless they are worn out. There are always exceptions but for the most part it's very rare to find a good, clean, used 200T that isn't hot.

[SawTroll]

Most non-pro users balk at the price (I can offer up the last thread discussing this as proof) but the undisputed top dog for a lightweight and powerful small saw is the Stihl MS200 or MS200T. The T is for the top handle and the top choice of climbing arborists while the MS200 is the rear handled version and a wicked fast limbing saw in a lightweight package.

If you have a budget of less than $600 then ignore my post and shop around for something else.

Have you actually given the 339xp, New Edition 338xpt or 2139t a chance to prove the MS200/200T isn't top dog any more?

To the OP;

16" is a bit much on saws in this class, regardless of brand - 13-14" is more like it!

Also, never use a top-handle saw for ground work!

[Ironwood]

I buy used/ fixed 335 and 338's from my pro saw shop often (they seem to migrate to friend's and such so I am always asking him to cobble another together). I like them, but it does seem for the daily user the T200 is more popular. I like the Huskie and I get them cheap, $150-175.

Ironwood

[Al_Smith]

  Also, never use a top-handle saw for ground work!

Perhaps better worded it should say never use a top handle unless you know how to handle a saw .

I've used top handles on the ground for decades and never ever had a problem .Fact of the matter is I have one Stihl 200T that will out cut probabley 50 percent of the 3 cube saws made . 8)

Kind of funny because one noted saw builder commented that it was too dangerious to soup up a top handle .My thoughts on that was simpley he didn't know how to plus his big fat sausage fingers wouldn't fit inside the tiny cylinder . :D

[jteneyck]

Just a brief look in E-bay when this was first posted showed no less than four 200T's for sale, one of which was by a homeowner who had used it for a single job.  Some good ones appear to be out there. 

[Rocky_J]

Just a brief look in E-bay when this was first posted showed no less than four 200T's for sale, one of which was by a homeowner who had used it for a single job.  Some good ones appear to be out there. 

Yup, you believe that. It's not stolen, the homeowner honestly did pay over $600 for a chainsaw for a single job and is selling it for half price on ebay instead of returning it under warranty to the dealer. Never mind that no typical homeowner is going to pay that much for that tiny of a chainsaw unless they know exactly what they are buying.

How gullible are you?  ???

[Al_Smith]

As a general rule that statement about home owners and 200T's is accurate .

An exception to the rule does come into play now and again .For example the area I live in was the worst hit in the nation a few years back in the giant ice storm . My favorite Stihl dealer sold 3 complete semi's full of saws and the majority were 200T's.

I didn't realize until after the thing was over with that the insurance companies would pay 500 bucks for clean up with basically no questions asked .This was about the price of a 200T back then . My eyes are peeled for them showing up at garage sales because of sitting for 6 years with old fuel and now they won't putt no mo . I'll be the Saw King of little saws in the midwest . 8)

[jteneyck]

Rocky, I just reported what I found.  You chose to interpret it the way you wanted; you may be right, you may be wrong. 

How gullible am I?  Sell me your 200T for $300 and you can think whatever you want. 

[HolmenTree]

I love my MS200T but I got an itching to try something else.
I'm going to try out Husqvarnas stratocharged T435. From other arborists I talked to they say its a real screamer. I'm also told its a rebadged RedMax GZ 3500.
For only around $300 new the disposable Husky T435 wouldn't hurt the pocketbook so much. Much better then spending $300 on a used MS200T and finding its not so reliable when you're 50 feet off the ground.
Imagine that , a disposable chainsaw. :D
Willard.

[Al_Smith]

Firstly you have to understand porting methods to even figure out what I'm about to say .If you do though you really have to look into a Stihl 200T . This thing comes from the factory a hot rod .It's built for speed .The time /area of the porting even stock is up around 14,000 rpm .

I have one ported by yours truely which tachs at around 15,200 .

Recently we had a GTG in Pa .The average little trim saw ran two cuts in 8 by 8 poplar in 24 or so seconds .My stock 200 was around 15 .If my ported one would have not had one of it's moments that cut would have been around 11 seconds .C4 fun had a stocker that out ran me once by a quarter of a seond .

Now find another 2 cube saw that runs that well .Never happen . ;)--which is also why they cost 600 bucks .

[HolmenTree]

Yes the 020/ ms200 has come a long ways since 1971. The 020 was Stihl's answer to McCulloch's Mini Mac 6 [6 1/2lb] that revolutionized the industry in 1970.
Competition was fierce in 1970 though, Skil also brought out the 6 1/2lb "Bantam Brute".

Willard.

[Al_Smith]

The original 020 was called the 020AV top handle .A lot different than the later 020T and MS 200 T models .Side mounted carb with a side exit exhaust .I have one in my shed .

The true champion of that period was the Poulan s-25 .I have two of those,one is the first saw I ever bought .
They are just tad bit lighter than the original 020 top handle and cut at exactly the same speed .Plus the fact they had an oiler button in addition to the auto oiler .

The mini Macs and Homelite XL-2's were basically throw aways .The trimmers would get maybe two years out of them but once they needed repaired they bought another .Those people will give  away now of days .I have not one thin dime in the half dozen of them I own .

[HolmenTree]

 Back in the late 80s early 90s I've heard of guys converting the Poulan S-25AV over to .325 chisel chain. At 2.3 cu.in.[38cc] the Poulan could handle the chain easily.
The top handle McCulloch Titan 7 [35cc] had a .325 clutch drum/sprocket assembly available. The Poulan did not and a drum had to be rigged up.
Years ago I rigged up a 020 with a .325. A look through the drum parts box, a little grinding yielded me a nice cutting 020. I no longer have that saw , all I remember is the difficulty matching up the drum and oil pump drive.

Willard.

[HolmenTree]

 Somebody could make a good little business making .325 sprocket/drums for the little top handle saws.
Willard.

[SawTroll]

It is easy to convert the 338xpt/2139T to .325 as well, as the rear handle version (339xp) comes with that set-up, at least here.

[HolmenTree]

Thanks SawTroll for the info. I am looking at getting a 338XPT along with the Husqvarna T435 in the next month or so. If I can't find that .325  339XP drum here in North America I may have to order one from you if you don't mind.
Willard.

[HolmenTree]

I did some research on the Husqvarna T435 and I like what I see.
* Air injection for that clean air flter, my MS200 filter is always dirty.
* X-Torque strato design should go alot longer between fuel fills, the thirsty little MS200's gas tank is always empty.
* Excellent engine torque thanks to X-Torque.
*Auto return stop switch [saw is always ready to start and no accidential shutdown], many times I accidently bump the MS200 stop switch in the middle of a critical cut causing saw to die.
*Smart start helps saw start smoothly with no jerking while in a awkward work position up in a tree, sure wish the MS200 had that.
*Double lanyard tie in position, good idea.
*T435 is reported very loud, this means shouldn't need a muffler mod.
*Muffler exhaust exits at front of saw, now that would be nice.
*7.5 lbs, sounds good to me.
*Price= $300 U.S. , can't go wrong with the cost.
If I need more h.p the 338XPT will fill the void and will have almost all the features of the T435.
I will always keep the MS200 for comparison though :D
Willard.

[Al_Smith]

Back in the late 80s early 90s I've heard of guys converting the Poulan S-25AV over to .325 chisel chain. At 2.3 cu.in.[38cc] the Poulan could handle the chain easily.
  Willard.

The original s-25's came 1/4" chain,the later with 3/8" low profile,pico whatever you want to call it . Oregon at one time made that 1/4" in full chisel both full comp and skip .

As to .325 on an 020 ,old Gypo showed up once at a GTG with a real handle 020 with .325 on it .The only one so equipted I've ever seen .

In my opinion the only reason to convert one is so you can run chisel chain because I imagine that .325 in semi wouldn't cut any better than pico semi .