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New Husqvarna 353 e Tech

Started by mikey517, January 31, 2011, 03:19:18 PM

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mikey517

Hi, first post, tho I've been reading and learning quite a bit here.

Some background; my wife and I live in her late parents house on a lake in northwest New Jersey. My father-in-law built the house in 1955, with a renovation in 1973. In 1980, he installed a Tasso A-3 add on wood boiler to back up his oil burner. Because of the high cost of heating oil, we fired up the Tasso in November of 2010 with good results (still in the learning process!) Subsequently, I've been playing catch-up with firewood ever since.  I've been using a Husky 240e that I bought at a local dealer for light use. Really like it, really like the dealer service and proximity, and in the three years I've owned it, the 240e has not given me one bit of trouble, and I've been using it 2 - 3 times a week this season, and really pushing it at times.

Since I've started burning 24/7, I've been cutting quite a bit more, and have hooked up with a guy who has been supplying me with log length wood that I cut and split. I figured I needed a saw with a bit more "meat".

I was going back & forth between the Stihl MS 290 or the Husky 455 Rancher. I had settled on the 455 Rancher because, being a "weekend warrior" and not to smart when it comes to saws, I decided to stay with familiarity. However, my dealer had no 455's in stock.

After much angst and gnashing of teeth, and comparing different saws, I walked out with the 353 eTech (green cap). The dealer set it up with a 20" bar, Stihl chain (non-safety), and gave me another Stihl backup chain for $429. before tax. I liked the feel of this saw better than the others in my price range.

I think I did OK, but would be interested i some feedback before I fire her up and start cutting.

Thanks,
Mike






ladylake

I've heard good things about the 353, it's built better than the 455 or 290. A lot of people get a non cat muff for the 353, a little more power and they run cooler.   Steve
Timberking B20  18000  hours +  Case75xt grapple + forks+8" snow bucket + dirt bucket   770 Oliver   Lots(too many) of chainsaws, Like the Echo saws and the Stihl and Husky     W5  Case loader   1  trailers  Wright sharpener     Suffolk  setter Volvo MCT125c skid loader

tjdub

Hi Mike.

I think a 353 is probably a better saw than the rancher.  Bigger fuel tank, adjustable oiler, and 2lbs lighter than a 455 rancher with not much of sacrifice in power.  I couldn't find specs on the US Husqvarna site though, only on the Canada one.  Have they discontinued the saw here?  That may explain the great price you got :)

SawTroll

You ended up with a much better saw than you set out to get, but it also is a smaller saw - a 20" bar is a bit much on it, een though it will work. I suggest that you mainly use a 16" one, and use the 20" only when really needed.

Get the muffler changed out for a non-cat (non-Etech) one!  The combination of a cat muffler and a longer than ideal bar is not a very good one.
Information collector.

mikey517

Thanks for the feedback. The 20" bar was my request for the bigger logs I've been cutting.

Now, keeping in mind that I'm as handy as a toad when it comes to this type of work, I found the non-cat muffler on Bailey's site (OEM Muffler for Husqvarna 340-353, Jonsered 2045-2152 (Non-EPA). Is this the correct muffler?
Is it a straight swap?  I've read where there should be an adjustment made to the carb after the swap. What type of adjustment? Will this void the warranty?

Sorry to have so many questions, but, as tjdub mentioned, I  bought this on advice of my local dealer, and didn't have time to research the saw. Now I find it's not on the Husky U.S. site, and I got concerned I may have bought a discontinued saw. I did know enough from reading here that I didn't really want the eTech motor, but I would like to make it run better and cooler.

Thanks...appreciate your patience.
Mike



SawTroll

It is a direct swap, but a new carb tuning probably is needed.

Hopefully it doesn't void the warranty, at least not if you have your dealer readjust the carb. If you have a good dealer it shouldn't be a problem. What you have at that time is a standard 353 instead of an Etech one, as the muffler, fuel cap and recoil side decal is all the differense.  ;)
Information collector.

mikey517

Thanks SawTroll. I ordered the non-cat today.

Woodcarver

I have a standard 353 that I've used to cut pulp and firewood for several years.
It's been a good saw.  I agree with Saw Troll, though, a 16" or 18" bar would be a better choice than the 20".  I have an 18" bar on mine.  Most of my cutting is popple or soft maple and a little elm and cherry.  If I were cutting a lot of oak I think I would put a 16" bar on the saw.
Just an old dog learning new tricks.......Woodcarver

John Mc

I have the Jonsered 2152, a twin sister saw to the Husky 353. I use a 16" bar on mine with good results (a friend uses a 20" on his, but it's more a matter of extra reach for him than needing to cut bigger wood... we cut the same stuff). The saw will cut 12" hardwoods without a problem. Larger diameters takes a bit of patience.

If you are used to using a 240, this will have plenty of power by comparison (like 65% more HP). The 353 is also a much better constructed saw than the 240. It's built for heavier, more continuous use, and is easier to repair than the lower-end saws.

I did replace the catalytic muffler on mine with the non-cat version. It was getting hot and sometimes died when I was bucking a lot of hardwood. It never had much trouble with felling, probably since there was more time to cool off between cuts. It runs cooler - no problems with overheating - and has a bit more power since the swap. I did enrichen the carb a bit after the swap. This would have been relatively simple, except for the limiters they put on the adjustment screws. A few minutes with a pocket knife to trim off the tabs on the limiter cap took care of that. If you are not comfortable doing this yourself, just take it back in to your dealer and ask him to adjust it for you. It should only take him a few minutes.

If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.   - Abraham Maslow

Chris J

Plus one for talking to your dealer.  He might not have a problem with you installing a non-cat muffler and him re-tuning the saw, or he might.  Best to ask first.

If you do install the new muffler, be sure to keep the original one.  If you ever have a warranty issue you might need to reinstall it.
Certified Amateur Chainsaw Tinkerer.  If sucess is built on failure, then one day I'll live on the top of Mt. Everest.

SawTroll

I forgot to say that the 353 is very close to a pro saw - it basically is a 346xp with a lesser (but slightly larger) engine. It is a better saw than a MS260, that is a pro saw.
Information collector.

saw_nut

I have new respect for the 353. Always ran the 346 and kind of looked down on the 353. Guy came in my shop this past summer needing a 346 p/c. Sold him the one off of my xpg. Another guy came in late fall with 2 353s with broken cases. Traded them for 1 bar and 3 chains. Winter was coming so I put the 353 p/c on my 346 xpg case. Been using it all winter. Wood production has not dropped and the 353 uses less gas per day. Would have no problem with buying a new 353G for next winter.

mikey517

The muffler from Bailey's arrived. The clerk I spoke to at my local dealer seemed less than supportive about swapping it out and re-tuning the carb. He didn't think it would be worth it.

Is there a way to adjust the carb without clipping the limiters, or is that the only way to make the proper adjustment?

John Mc

You can remove the limiters, reset them and reinstall... but I'll leave the description of that to others more familiar with the process. I've always trimmed the knobs or humps off of mine. On most saws, you don't want to just remove the plastic limiter caps... the mixture setting can tend to drift without them on.

Odds are you won't be able to enrichen the mixture much with the limiters in the factory setting.

The muffler swap itself is very simple. Just loosen a couple of bolts. You may need a gasket as well (I broke mine when pulling the old muffler).

John Mc
If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.   - Abraham Maslow

JohnG28

It is possible to do without trimming the tabs off.  You still need to pull the limit caps off, then once off open up the screws a little, maybe 1/4 to 1/2 turn out.  Then put the caps back in.  The only problem you may run into is if you don't get the range of adjustment you want then you will have to redo the process.  If you have some time to play around and don't mind possibly doing things more than once give it a shot. 
Stihl MS361, 460 & 200T, Jonsered 490, Jonsereds 90, Husky 350 & 142, Homelite XL and Super XL

John Mc

Somebody once posted a trick here for getting the limit caps off easily... I forget the details, but I think it had something to do with threading a drywall screw in to the cap??

Of course, if you are not comfortable tuning the carb yourself when you are done, you'll still need the help of a friendly neighborhood saw shop.
If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.   - Abraham Maslow

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