# Husqvarna 357xp performance



## BIG C (Dec 2, 2012)

I'll cut right to the chase.
are there any reasonable mods for this saw to help it? 
It was purchased to add to my fleet of log building saws 
It's an ok saw for blocking,limbing and such, but lacks enough power(torque) to cut saddles(scarfs) or large notches for log building.
What a disapointment this saw is. I have to blame myself for believing all the hype from HUSKY fans my log mentor, and the dealer.
The dealer gave the biggest misrepresentation of the saw.
The saw has had 5 tanks of fuel run through it and been back to the dealer 3 times. Once was for a faulty bar oiler pump.


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## SawTroll (Dec 2, 2012)

If everything is in order, the 357xp should be strong for a 56.5cc saw - but it still is just that. 

As far as I know, log house building is usually assosiated with much larger saws?


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## HEAVY FUEL (Dec 2, 2012)

These are high rpm saws with not much torque, run skip chain and/or less off the rakers, they dont like a heavy hand...


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## BIG C (Dec 2, 2012)

The 357 XP is definetly a finesse saw, and I don't compare it to my big STIHLS that I use for ripping and felling. 
Some guys like using big 75+ cc saws for log building but it makes for a long day on ones body doing that. You just don't need to abuse your body like that, yes age talking here.
Everything is in excellent working order, it's new and setup to operate at my altitude of 8000ft. all that being said I had hoped it would perform closer to my STIHL 361 instead of my STIHL 261.
The best thing about this saw so far has been the stiffer 'suspension'.


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## sunfish (Dec 2, 2012)

I love my 357!

You said only 5 tanks through it? Hell, it ain't even broke in yet! It'll be stronger after 10.

Maybe something is wrong with that one, cause mines has got plenty of torque speed and power.

Muffler mod really wakes em up good.


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## MGoBlue (Dec 2, 2012)

Can't say anything for log home building but my 357 has been great for firewooding. 2 years, zero problems and it's getting better with age.


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## craig71 (Dec 2, 2012)

I own one, I can tell you it's more style over substance lol. Its heavy,balanced poorly(feels like a brick) and is very unreliable. Look for something better, maybe a 361 0r 362. In my neck of the woods the 361/362 have been much more reliable.


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## BIG C (Dec 2, 2012)

I'll keep working with it, but I'm truly disappointed. Im trying to optimize the 357XP's performance.
I find my self in frustration reaching for my STIHLS to cut even the small stuff, and just wanted to here if anyone had some thoughts on what to do to get my 357XP to run better.
It should run better than it does considering HUSKY'S cost more than STIHLS here.


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## BIG C (Dec 2, 2012)

Please,
someone tell me about the 'muffler mod'


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## MGoBlue (Dec 2, 2012)

craig71 said:


> Its heavy,balanced poorly(feels like a brick) and is very unreliable. Look for something better, maybe a 361 0r 362. In my neck of the woods the 361/362 have been much more reliable.



So the 357 is heavy but the 361 isn't?

Stihl MS361 Specifications

Displacement: 59 cc
Engine: 4.4 horsepower, 3.3 kW
Weight: 12.3 pounds
Fuel Facility: 23.2 ounces
Chain Width: 3/8
Bar Length: 16″ to 25″


Specifications for 357 XP®
Engine specification Cylinder displacement 56.5 cc
Power output 4.4 hp
Maximum power speed 9600 rpm
Maximum recommended engine speed 14000 rpm
Overall dimensions Weight	12.1 lbs

So the Stihl weighs more and needs more cc's to get the same power as the 56.5cc 357. Haters gonna hate :rolleyes2:


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## sunfish (Dec 2, 2012)

I've run the crap out of mine in the last 2-1/2 years and not one problem.

Smaller, lighter and better balance than most any other 60cc saw!


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## Farmertim (Dec 2, 2012)

The 357xp is a very good saw and is basically even in the power department with the US Stihl MS 361. There are threads in here doing stock comparison cutting in hardwood where they are neck and neck. There was some negativity around the 357 because they had to reinforce the case thus adding a few ounces, plus there was the carb issue on the early models (easy swap though). In Canada and Europe the 361 had a bit more power. I had one and ran it hard for a season of firewood and farm duty (plenty of felling and fencerow work) and it ran flawlessly, had great throttle response and was smooth as silk. I only sold mine once I had acquired the 346 and 372 because I (nor the wife) could justify the money I had tied up in 3 new pro saws. Overall the 357 is an excellent saw. If you are that unhappy with yours something is fishy!

Tim


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## lmbrman (Dec 2, 2012)

send it to treemonkey for a woodsport and it will outcut most 70cc saws with ease

I have several 70cc saws, and they all sit and gather dust, 357 outcuts them. Maybe you got a turd cause mine are pretty good stock and ported.

good luck


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## Scooterbum (Dec 2, 2012)

BIG C said:


> Please,
> someone tell me about the 'muffler mod'



Pretty simple to mod. After you get it off you will see a channel inside with a hole at one end.Open that one up and the side port. Keep your openings about 80% of the exhaust opening in the cylinder. Some open them more but 80% is a good safe starting point.
Just visualise the exhaust flow and get rid of all restrictions.Now you'll need to richen up the "H" needle on the saw.If your not sure how to adjust the carb, have someone do it before you run it any.
Hope this makes sense.


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## Scooterbum (Dec 2, 2012)

Forgot to mention, I just aquired a 357XP about 4 months ago.I also have an 034Super and an 036Pro. I like the 357XP alot more then the Stihls.
A good muffler mod really wakes this saw up. Also if it's set just a little too close to lean it loses a bunch of torque. So you may try riching it up a little.


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## acguy (Dec 2, 2012)

*couldn't agree more*



sunfish said:


> I love my 357!
> 
> You said only 5 tanks through it? Hell, it ain't even broke in yet! It'll be stronger after 10.
> 
> ...




I modded my 357 also, and it cuts real well for it's size. Pound for pound, consideriing the engine size, it's impressive. I use it in the middle of the tree for burning thru the bigger limbs fast. Makes short work of cutting up a fallen oak.


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## acguy (Dec 2, 2012)

*pics*



BIG C said:


> Please,
> someone tell me about the 'muffler mod'




Take a close up of that chain and post her on here for us to have a look. I just bought a pristine 026 for scrap price cause the guy said it sucked and wouldn't cut, and that Stihls were junk. The chain was on backwards. Of course, I waited til I got it home to figure that out! LOL


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## SawTroll (Dec 2, 2012)

MGoBlue said:


> ......
> So the Stihl weighs more and needs more cc's to get the same power as the 56.5cc 357. Haters gonna hate :rolleyes2:



There are two issues with that comparison;

1) The case of the 357xp was reinforced after those specs were written, and the saw ended up about .8 lbs higher - meaning it actually was _heavier_ than the MS361.

2) The kW specs of the 357xp is missing above, but it was 3.2 kW vs 3.3, so not quite the same.

The 357xp also suffered a bit from being used as a "test-bed" for new features, most notably the auto decomp.

On top of that, it was just a 56.5cc saw that replaced the 254xp - but mostly was compared to 60cc+ saws in the market (the 361 was an exception in that regard).

I was not surpriced at all that Husky was in a hurry to replace that model....


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## albert (Dec 2, 2012)

I was not surpriced at all that Husky was in a hurry to replace that model....[/QUOTE]

They kept it around pretty long for being in a hurry. They were priced too high here also.


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## MGoBlue (Dec 2, 2012)

SawTroll said:


> 1) The case of the 357xp was reinforced after those specs were written, and the saw ended up about .8 lbs higher - meaning it actually was _heavier_ than the MS361.
> 
> *Those specs are taken from the Husky website today...*
> 
> ...




OK so we're talking less than a pound difference. Is that enough to call it a brick?


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## sunfish (Dec 2, 2012)

acguy said:


> I modded my 357 also, and it cuts real well for it's size. Pound for pound, consideriing the engine size, it's impressive. I use it in the middle of the tree for burning thru the bigger limbs fast. Makes short work of cutting up a fallen oak.



I ran my stock for a year, cutting up to 32" oak with a 20" bar. It did very well! 

Then got the porting bug, and have just about ported everything. :msp_smile:


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## sunfish (Dec 2, 2012)

albert said:


> I was not surpriced at all that Husky was in a hurry to replace that model...
> 
> They kept it around pretty long for being in a hurry. They were priced too high here also.



10 years +/-...There's a bunch of em out there, that's for sure! :msp_smile:


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## Ndigity26 (Dec 2, 2012)

BIG C said:


> I'll cut right to the chase.
> are there any reasonable mods for this saw to help it?
> It was purchased to add to my fleet of log building saws
> It's an ok saw for blocking,limbing and such, but lacks enough power(torque) to cut saddles(scarfs) or large notches for log building.
> ...



I had a 357 that was I was the second owner of and it did not have good torque. I had an 18'' bar on it and did not feel confident using the entire bar, I couldn't tell if that was the nature of the saw or it was low compression but I traded out for some other gear and let it go. I do wish I had modded it a little since I do hear people saying they spark up with a mod and alot of people do like them.


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## SawTroll (Dec 2, 2012)

MGoBlue said:


> Those specs are taken from the Husky website today...
> 
> .1 kW = 0.134048257373 hp, pretty equal IMO.
> 
> A 56.5 being compared to a 59. What's more to say? 56.5 vs 59. I would say it's a helluva 56.5 if you are going to put it up against 60+cc'sOK so we're talking less than a pound difference. Is that enough to call it a brick?



The websites or catalogs of the brands is not the place to find correct/accurate weight information.

As I said, never mind the hp numbers, as there are two different kinds of hp currently in use among the saw brands, and none of the important brands are consistant regarding which kind they use - hp(m) or hp(i). 

1 kw is about 1.34 hp(i) and about 1.36 hp(m). What some brands call bhp can be either, as both are bph, and measured in the same way. In the example above, the 4.4 hp of the 357xp is hp(m), and the 4.4 hp of the MS361 is hp(i). Because of this mess, it is better to compare the kW numbers, not the hp numbers.

Btw, I never said that there was a huge differense in power or weight between the 357xp and the MS361, even though the power difference open up more if the 361 isn't the US version.


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## sunfish (Dec 2, 2012)

Now the 562xp that replaced the 357xp is an extremely Impressive saw!!! :msp_w00t:


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## mdavlee (Dec 2, 2012)

If you're at 8000 ft of elevation you're losing a decent bit of power compared to sea level. A 562 with autotune may be a better saw for you. I would think that you need 5 more tanks at least to get it broke in also.


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## SawTroll (Dec 2, 2012)

sunfish said:


> Now the 562xp that replaced the 357xp is an extremely Impressive saw!!! :msp_w00t:



Yep, they finally filled the void that was left by the ol' 262xp! :msp_smile:


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## Ndigity26 (Dec 2, 2012)

mdavlee said:


> If you're at 8000 ft of elevation you're losing a decent bit of power compared to sea level. A 562 with autotune may be a better saw for you. I would think that you need 5 more tanks at least to get it broke in also.



Yeah I have used both 562 and 357 and theres no comparison in performance. You can't run a 28' bar on a 357 and a 562 runs it pretty damn well for a 60'cc saw that blew me away.


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## BIG C (Dec 2, 2012)

YES AT 8000 FT ALL MY SAWS RUN A LITTLE WEAKER.
The real problem is my 357XP is weaker than my STIHL MS261, NOT TO MENTION MY 361.
I got plenty of bigger saws too,( STIHL 038 MAG, 038MAG2, 044 MAG, 066,) they just suck to manhandle doing notch work, but are awesome for ripping,felling or blocking.
I looked at the 562 but went with the 357XP. I did not like the lack of throttle control, it was all or nothing.
Incidentally, the mechanic at the big HUSKY dealership(129 miles away) showed me 7 562 saws in for problems while running after they are warmed up. THey told me it's a huge problem, whatever, if he says so.


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## BIG C (Dec 2, 2012)

MDAVLEE,
Im gonna run the snot out of this thing(357XP) and see how it is after a few more tankfuls.
I ran it today with a brand new full chisel and then a new semi chisel toothed chain. It works ok for cutting fire wood but wont make it doing log building work.
I'll see what happens
thank you and everyone else for the input.


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## GBD (Dec 2, 2012)

mdavlee said:


> If you're at 8000 ft of elevation you're losing a decent bit of power compared to sea level. A 562 with autotune may be a better saw for you. I would think that you need 5 more tanks at least to get it broke in also.



Any normally aspired engine will loose power in high altitude. Autotune will not make the air any denser.


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## w8ye (Dec 3, 2012)

I have a 2008 357 and it runs real good. Has tremendous rpm and doesn't bog in the cut unless you really push on it. I run a 18" bar on it.

We were out back timing cuts and the other guy also had a 036 that he had just put new rings in. The 357 was a second faster than that 036.


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## nmurph (Dec 3, 2012)

I own a 357, 361, 261, and 036's. 

If the 357 is tuned right, it is dead even with a 361 and 036, and any of those is significantly stronger than a 261. I actually prefer the 036 bc it is .5lbs lighter than the 361 and .75lbs lighter than a 357. I suspect your 357 is tuned too lean and not thoroughly broken in.


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## like2surf (Dec 3, 2012)

*less Power*



GBD said:


> Any normally aspired engine will loose power in high altitude. Autotune will not make the air any denser.



At 8000ft. all saws will have less power. Autotune and Mtronic saws will be putting out optimum power at any given altitude because it will richen or lean out the fuel to air mixture automagicly. Most people I know never touch the mixture screws on a non Autotune or Mtronic saw so they run like crap when they head to the high country to cut firewood. Those people need Autotune or Mtronic saws.


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## sunfish (Dec 3, 2012)

BIG C said:


> YES AT 8000 FT ALL MY SAWS RUN A LITTLE WEAKER.
> The real problem is my 357XP is weaker than my STIHL MS261, NOT TO MENTION MY 361.
> I got plenty of bigger saws too,( STIHL 038 MAG, 038MAG2, 044 MAG, 066,) they just suck to manhandle doing notch work, but are awesome for ripping,felling or blocking.
> I looked at the 562 but went with the 357XP. I did not like the lack of throttle control, it was all or nothing.
> Incidentally, the mechanic at the big HUSKY dealership(129 miles away) showed me 7 562 saws in for problems while running after they are warmed up. THey told me it's a huge problem, whatever, if he says so.



Not all, but most of the warm start issues with the 562's is operator error. My 562 is a one pull start when warm. It also has a LOT more torque and power than the 357.

That said, I'd mod the muffler on your 357 and tune the carb and run the crap out of it. Or send it to one of the builders here and get it back runnin like a 70cc+ saw...:msp_smile:


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## SawTroll (Dec 3, 2012)

GBD said:


> Any normally aspired engine will loose power in high altitude. Autotune will not make the air any denser.



Of course - the AT only saves the manual carb adjustment, the power loss is the same.


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## SawTroll (Dec 3, 2012)

like2surf said:


> At 8000ft. all saws will have less power. Autotune and Mtronic saws will be putting out optimum power at any given altitude because it will richen or lean out the fuel to air mixture automagicly. Most people I know never touch the mixture screws on a non Autotune or Mtronic saw so they run like crap when they head to the high country to cut firewood. Those people need Autotune or Mtronic saws.



If so, *that is a major operator error*, and not a fault of the equipment. :monkey:


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## mdavlee (Dec 3, 2012)

GBD said:


> Any normally aspired engine will loose power in high altitude. Autotune will not make the air any denser.



I know autotune won't fix the air density problem but it will keep it tuned right at any elevation.


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## ford832 (Dec 3, 2012)

I've run 261's and they were no comparison to my red 357(maybe it's a colour thing:biggrin
Of course,the cat muffler had to be operated on and the limiter caps removed so the carb could be adjusted properly.
After that,I've been excessively pleased with it and I run an 18" bar as well.


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## rob*wood-cutta (Aug 11, 2015)

BIG C said:


> I'll keep working with it, but I'm truly disappointed. Im trying to optimize the 357XP's performance.
> I find my self in frustration reaching for my STIHLS to cut even the small stuff, and just wanted to here if anyone had some thoughts on what to do to get my 357XP to run better.
> It should run better than it does considering HUSKY'S cost more than STIHLS here.


You better tune that beast !! Lol.. Muffler mod will give itmore ass as well


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## MGoBlue (Aug 11, 2015)

Rob, I recently got mine back from a local "porter" lol. If you want ass, you need to have it molested.


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## rob*wood-cutta (Aug 11, 2015)

MGoBlue said:


> Rob, I recently got mine back from a local "porter" lol. If you want ass, you need to have it molested.



I want mine ported so bad... It's in the ship right now due to that damn warlbro carb. Estimated time when I'll have it back? Two damn weeks....!!!! So I'll have to make due with the 55 rancher.. Lol


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## old guy (Aug 13, 2015)

I picked up another 357 yesterday, it was well used and in need of some love.
When I pulled the plug to look in the cyl. it was black and wet looking as was the top of the piston but there were no scores or marks on the cyl. walls, wow this puppy is running rich.
The first thing I noticed when I pulled the top off was the throttle did not open all the way, about 1/4 short of open, the rod to the trigger had too much bend to it. After I staightened it out a bit it got full travel.
I tuned it to 13600 and now have nice tan color to the plug and piston.
This is the second time I have seen this, it's something to watch for.

John


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