Stihl 026 vs. Husky 346XP

mark h. · Dec 2, 2001

Any opinions pros/cons on these two saws.

Primary use: Cutting some small to mid-sized firewood & clearing mesquite trees out of fence lines.

The 026 is selling for approx $450 in my area. I have yet to check on the 346XP.

I want the best QUALITY saw for the money.

Thanks

tundraotto · Dec 2, 2001

you just made the choice real simple by stating quality for the money is most important:

Husky:

14,700 rpm, 3.4hp, 10.6lbs, .325 chain $369 delivered (with a 16 or 18" bar) to your door from alamia.com

you can also consider the husky 261 from alamia.com at $425 (with 16, 18" or 20" bar) delivered while still being cheaper than the 026 you looked at

261 specs: 3.7cu.in.(61cc), 4.2hp, 13.0 lbs, 3/8" chain

and remember as i always say - you can buy a husky over the internet which means you save the sales tax which makes up for a lot of price difference aspecially if you buy from somewhere like alamia.com that do free shipping on their huskies.

both saws will outcut the stihl 026 - 346xp with the higher chain speed and the 261 with the extra grunt from larger displacement.

treeclimber165 · Dec 2, 2001

If horsepower were the only prerequisite for quality, we would all be lugging around 3120XP's or 088Magnums! I personally feel the Stihls run smoother, last longer and just plain 'feel' better. I've owned 2 026's (the first got stolen) and both were excellent saws. Wish they were $50 less, but by the ninth or tenth year of ownership it just doesn't matter anymore.

tundraotto · Dec 2, 2001

yeah - if we all could afford them - especially the 088's

actually i could never make myself pay stihl money for what i woud get...

and the 026 weighs the same as 346xp so rest is your personal opinions.

monkeypuzzle · Dec 3, 2001

Anything on the Husky 357(xp)???

HUSKYMAN · Dec 3, 2001

Tindraotto I feel the 261 is too heavy and too slow to be compared to these saws. I have not used the 346XP but I am sure it is the same as the 026 and the 026 is an excellent saw, except it sounds like crap. It has great balance is light, and cuts fast. It can handle .325 or 3/8 chain, but I would recommend .325 21lp Oregon chain for either because these are finesse saws, and you have to keep the rpms up. If you are inexperienced do not buy these saws because you will bog them in the cut and think they are worhtless. The Husky actually will probably cut faster than the 026 because of the extra rpms. However it is also more sensitive to how it is used because it is kind of "peaky" My vote goes to the 346XP, because as Mark H. said above, he wants the most "bang for his buck" and the 026 is priced too high.

tundraotto · Dec 3, 2001

357xp is in a different league $ wise ($510 delivered from alamia), for this money you could almost get the 372xp (about 570 delivered)

specs: (alamia states the wrong specs):

4.4hp, 14000rpm, 3/8 chain, 57cc, 12.1lb

confused · Dec 4, 2001

All right I'm throwing in my two cents,

Mark h. here is the pros/cons as I see them.

PRO
Both are reputable saw makers and build the best professional saws in the world (I skew to the side of Sonny Stihl, I think is better)

That said here is where the stihl 026 goes above.
Larger displacement
More power (I know, I know, what’s .1 hp)
More available bar combinations 16-24"
Can use either 3/8 chains or .325 chain (which I recommend).
Fit and finish, the stihls just look more professionally assembled.
One of the best saws for doing it all.

CONS
026 $450

Yeah the husky is cheaper, but look what you give up: less available bar (for bigger wood) and the ability to run a bigger chain. Now you’re going to pay more for the stihl but you get what you pay for. Not to say huskies are junk, but if you ask enough of the professional tree fellows those 026's are just about bullet proof and will run for years if properly maintained.

HUSKYMAN · Dec 4, 2001

Two things-the 346XP will run any bar the 026 will. They are virtually the same in that the differences are so small it it not worth losing sleep over. Get whichever one has the better dealers in your area.
Tundraotto .325 chain is not 5/16, which is .3125.
.325 comes from a metric figure.

tundraotto · Dec 4, 2001

huh? i didnt say it was - or did i

.325 is .325 and 3/8" is .375

HUSKYMAN · Dec 5, 2001

Sorry-I meant to say confused. My mistake

Gypo Logger · Dec 9, 2001

Hey Monkeypuzzle, heres a link to a tuned 357XP I own. It's an incredible saw.
John Lambert
http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=1426327&a=13248694

Ebuchanan · Jun 29, 2011

tundraotto said:
you just made the choice real simple by stating quality for the money is most important:

Husky:

14,700 rpm, 3.4hp, 10.6lbs, .325 chain $369 delivered (with a 16 or 18" bar) to your door from alamia.com

you can also consider the husky 261 from alamia.com at $425 (with 16, 18" or 20" bar) delivered while still being cheaper than the 026 you looked at

261 specs: 3.7cu.in.(61cc), 4.2hp, 13.0 lbs, 3/8" chain

and remember as i always say - you can buy a husky over the internet which means you save the sales tax which makes up for a lot of price difference aspecially if you buy from somewhere like alamia.com that do free shipping on their huskies.

both saws will outcut the stihl 026 - 346xp with the higher chain speed and the 261 with the extra grunt from larger displacement.

The 260 is only 50.5 cc and 3.75 horse

sunfish · Jun 29, 2011

Damn, this might be the oldest tread ever dug up! :laugh:

T_F_E · Jun 29, 2011

Im glad it took 10 years to find that info

sunfish · Jun 29, 2011

And the OP only made one post. :laugh:

jus2fat · Jun 29, 2011

sunfish said:
And the OP only made one post.

Was "classic' then and still "classic" today...

Post question...Get several/many advise replies...Drop off the face of the earth...
No follow-up on what OP finally did...and of course...No thanks for reply advice...???

When I see this happen any more...I write down the OP's handle...
Then I never reply or advise them again!!

Good manners are FREE and there's NO excuse for folks not to use them...
( unless they were never taught them to begin with )....happens I guess...SAD!!!
:cheers:

J2F

SawTroll · Jun 29, 2011

Lots of misleading "info", for such a short thread! :msp_ohmy:

Taxmantoo · Jun 29, 2011

sunfish said:
Damn, this might be the oldest tread ever dug up!

The prices had me drooling, until we got to the $570 372XP, and I thought "what decade was that?".

SkippyKtm · Jun 29, 2011

Gypo Logger said:
Hey Monkeypuzzle, heres a link to a tuned 357XP I own. It's an incredible saw.
John Lambert
photopoint.com - Photo point Resources and Information. This website is for sale!

Wow, 2001! That just proves the ol' Gypo's been around a loooong time! :rock:

Stihl 026 vs. Husky 346XP

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