40-50 cc chainsaws ?????

[tranabo_bjoern]

If I might post my answer as new member here, I feel Stihl and Husky is very close. Our neighbour runs Stihl since close to his home is a Stihl dealer, close to our house is a Husky dealer, so we run Huskies.

I would rather go for the bigger engine than a smaller. Then buying a smaller bar along with the saw to be more flexible. Sometimes a longer bar is needed sometimes a longer. (On my Husky 460 Rancher I run a 20 and 24 bar). The Husky 443XP would be a good choice. If you operate in in different heights the Autotune (but this is available on certain models only) would be an option. But on the other hand, if the Autotune has a problem, you have a problem.

[HolmenTree]

My AutoTunes have worked flawless for years now. They have good memories as they remember the fuel air settings from the previous season temperatures. Excellent technology, but if there is a problem that's where the reliable dealer comes in.
Fine tuning carbs manually for different seasons is now a thing of the past. ;)
Welcome to the site tranabo bjoern, your from Partille [Jonsered] and Huskvarna country.

[4x4American]

If you want a saw that works, day in, and day out, get a Stihl!

[HolmenTree]

For pulpwood production work the 42cc Stihl MS241 CM outfitted with the 3/8 Picco chisel 63PS chain would out do what the competition 543XP would have to offer , as that saw can't be outfitted with the Picco chisel chain. Only the narrow kerf semi chisel .325 would be outfitted on it for a NK chain. Would hold a better cutting edge though.

[sandsawmill14]

I wouldnt buy a saw i couldnt change to 3/8.  I know a lot of people say the .325 is faster on the small saws but thats not how it works for me. maybe because the low kickback chain is all you can get at the saw shops around here. 3/8 out of the box is hard to pull on my 441 mag  with 32" bar its a hard pull for the first couple filings but then its fine. its all in how you file em,  drags make all the difference on the 32" bar only 1 stroke every other filing on the 24" bar 3 strokes every other filing on the drags is where the 441 does best. doesnt matter on the 064 it will pull it ;D   found a dolmar dealer think im gonna go look at them this sat. I had not thought about them in years dad bought one to replace our super xl when it gave up on me. I think it was a 112 but not sure now though its been to long  but it was a good saw.

[4x4American]

I always set my rakers with a depth gauge, if they aren't uniform, then you don't get straight cuts.  But I hear ya, I have only one saw, a husky 346, that has .325 chain and once I get rid of that clunker I'm not doing any more .325.  It's a pita to have to carry different files, change wheel on grinder, can't buy a roll of chain, etc.

[sandsawmill14]

i agree about the straight cuts but all i use those chains for is splitting logs just cut down one side and use wedges or loader forks to pop em open. so i just file to where the saw will cut the fastest. those chains take a beating steel and rocks mainly put a new 32" chain on last week first log i hit something and broke 1 tooth off even with chain. by the time I wear a chain out it may have 3 or 4 teeth broke off.  I dont ever remember breaking a tooth of in the woods cutting timber unless i hit the wedge or something

[Maine logger88]

I've found that if you keep the rakers .020 to .025 down with a good sharp tooth and keep the rpms up in the cut will out cut a saw with the rakers down to far making the engine bog

[Andyshine77]

I'm not a fan of NK .325 myself. With that said Stihl RS .325 is fantastic chain, and in my testing not only does it cut faster, it's also smoother on smaller bars under 20" The teeth on Stihl .325 is almost the exact same size as the 3/8 version, so it holds an edge just fine.   

[HolmenTree]

This is my favorite  chain for a 60cc saw like my 562Xp
Oregon 76LG 3/8 low profile chisel. Not a Picco or LP type chain but is close to a .325 in cutter size just a little bigger. Runs perfect on standard  3/8 bars and rim sprockets.
Too bad it went obsolete  20 years ago.


  

 

[tranabo_bjoern]

My AutoTunes have worked flawless for years now. They have good memories as they remember the fuel air settings from the previous season temperatures. Excellent technology, but if there is a problem that's where the reliable dealer comes in.
Fine tuning carbs manually for different seasons is now a thing of the past. ;)
Welcome to the site tranabo bjoern, your from Partille [Jonsered] and Huskvarna country.

I worked in Partille a couple of years in Ögärdesvägen. Was a nice time in Jonsered town :-) . What I mean with the Autotune is, its a a good technoloy. But I read about useres at the husky site having problems. Then the repair is quite costly. I am running the traditional saws so far.

I see the advantages in the Autotune technology. In government forests in Germany many run Aspen pre-mix gas, while I run here in Sweden 98 octane without ethanol gas. This change prevents me from adjusting the saw.

On the other hand Autotune is good when you run the saw in heights as Colorado or similar.

Just a side story:

Oh, by the way we have visited the Husky museum in Jönköping. Nice one, worth to visit it. In our house here we have quite old stuff from Husqvarna and it runs very well.

Oven from the early 1960ies, a cast iron wood operated oven from much earlier with the logo "Husqvarna vapenfabrik" (Husqvarna weapon company) on. Then we have a manual operated meat grinder here. Heavy and nice stuff. Lasts forever.

The 1960ies one works very nice. Just did change a cast iron plate. Very simple job. We love that oven.

[lumberjack48]

The 76LG pulls a smaller chip, results are, faster chain speed and smoother cutting. I got the same results with a 72LGX when i used a 5/32 file on it. The first time i used a 5/32 file, i could not believe the difference. I kept my saw razor sharp with a 7/32 file for 20 + yrs., i would drop and file as soon as it lost its edge. But when i used a 5/32 file, the chain was smoother and faster when falling and bucking up. And way, way smoother limbing, and i could put a edge back on in about half the time. The first time i used a 5/32, it was like my 034 turned in a 066 it was like i had a different chainsaw.
When falling i carried a round file, flat file and a carb adjusting screwdriver. I kept the cutters razor sharp, the rakers right where i wanted them and the rpm right where i wanted it. I had gas, oil and water on the skidder and another set setting in the woods. When i needed it i used the one that was closer or handier. Logging was the most fun i ever had with my cloths on. I set goals everyday day, different timber had different goals. When logging clear cut Aspen, the goal was 10x10, that is 10 twitch's by 10 AM or 10 cds. The wife was all so a goal setter, she made me hassle. I would be standing waiting for her, making it look like i had all the time in the world, if she'd only known :D. ;D

[Blackgreyhounds]

A lot of people will say Husky 346XP.  That's the word on the street.  I run a top handle in the 40 cc class.

[sandsawmill14]

last small saw i had was 353 husky was not impressed. Thanks for everyones ideas

[Warped]

I alway say, which dealer do you like better?

This, sort of. I always say which is closer......
Had an 026 pro since 1995, never done a thing to it except adjust the idle two years ago. And I mean never have touched anything, not even the air cleaner (just clean it). Run used oil on the bar since day one and I've heated with wood for 20 years (15 FC a year) and sold a little and of course all the odd ball stuff. Heck, I never even knew it had an oil adjuster until five years ago........ya, I'm a little stupid :D.
    I even ran it over with a Dodge Ram.......That handle cost an extra FC of wood!


 
AS you can see, ran the husky over too....yup, I'm pretty good at that!

[sawguy21]

Have you considered gps on your saws? ;D

[thecfarm]

Put that thing behind a tree. A BIG tree.   ;D  If one is available. When mine is on the ground,that is where mine is. I try to put it betweeen two trees that I can't fit through,just to make sure.  ;D

[Warped]

Both good ideas :D :D :D :D
What I need is to put a footstep on the hoe so I'm not so darn lazy to get off and move things!

[BubbasDad]

Chraftsman project done! Porting and polishing came out great! Huge difference in power!

[BubbasDad]

Muffler mod done. Loud but crazy difference in torque and speed!

[4x4American]

last small saw i had was 353 husky was not impressed. Thanks for everyones ideas

I have a 346xp husky for a small saw, had had it for a few years.  Not impressed with it.  Not sad that they discontinued it either!

[John Mc]

I have a 346xp husky for a small saw, had had it for a few years.  Not impressed with it.  Not sad that they discontinued it either!

That's surprising. Before it was discontinued, it was one of the more highly thought of small saws around here. What kind of problems did you have with it?

[4x4American]

Hard to start, takes long to get her throat warmed up so she can scream, AV system could be much better, not much grunt.


While it could be the right saw for someone else, it is just not for me.  I still have it and use it every so often, I am going to save it and trade it for a different saw one day.

[Logger003]

I'm still running my 044 still bought it new back in the 90's the first 10 years of its life it was used every day in the winter when I was cutting pulp and saw logs. Now it just gets used to cut 20 cords of firewood and some sawlogs. I've gave it 2 carb kits since new. I had a 34 super before this one I traded it on the 044 and wish I still had it. I remember it was a fast saw and not as heavy as the 044.

[lumberjack48]

Put that thing behind a tree. A BIG tree.   ;D  If one is available. When mine is on the ground,that is where mine is. I try to put it betweeen two trees that I can't fit through,just to make sure.  ;D

I always bore cut my saw in a tree about head level. I didn't dare leave it on the ground, because the wife was always backing up with a drag. She was ether limbing the drag or backing up to hook another tree.
My first 034 AV was a animal, it was a screamer. The dealer recommended i run 32:1 in it. I carried it every working day for 3 yrs. One day i heard a little noise in it, i'd wore the crank bearings out of it. The dealer didn't have another 034 AV, he had the 034 Super. I couldn't get the RPM out of the 034 Super like i did the 034 AV. It was trouble free, but it it just didn't have it.