353 or 346XP

[DanMan1]

Hello Everyone
I'm helping my Father pick out a new saw, and we have it narrowed down to the Husky 353 and the 346XP. My father has been using a Stihl 32AV for the past 24 years for home cordwood, but the saw is getting a bit tired and it weights about 14.5 pounds. The kicker is, my father is 72 years old, but he is still in good shape. He likes his Stihl but wants to try a Husqvarna. He can still handle the weight no problem now, but I am worried about in 5 to 10 years from now. I am stearing him toward these lighter saws. With price aside, would you people agree that either of these would be a good fit?

 

[DanMan1]

netree,
Do you think the 353 would be more 'forgiving' to run, for a man goig ito his 70's?

 

[jokers]

Hi DanMan1,

Welcome to the forum.

You`ve narrowed your field to two excellent candidates which are identical in components and construction with the exception of the cylinders and pistons. As I`m sure you know, feature for feature(well except that the 353 has a decompressor and the 346 doesn`t), these saws are identical.

The quick and dirty answer is that although the 346 produces slightly more power than the 353, it also has a narrower powerband. How your dad handles and maintains his saw is very important when considering the 346. If he likes to lean on it or run less than perfect chain, he won`t realize the saws potential and probably won`t be happy. Because of these factors I would recommend the 353. It`s an excellent 3 cube saw and will be more forgiving.

Russ

 

[Tree Machine]

lightness with plenty of power

346XP, for sure. For a few extra dollars, have it power ported and exchange the stock 7 pin sprocket for an 8-pin. This will be pure chainsaw bliss. Good luck.

 

[DanMan1]

Russ What's different about the pistons? I assume they are both forged of the same quality. You just mean the size difference, right?
I'm just wondering if the 353 would have a more 'familiar' feel to it since he has run only his 32AV for 24 years. He might miss some of the low end grunt with the 346.
I don't want to shock his old saw handling technique too much.

 

[TimberMcPherson]

As a pro I would fully go for the 346, but I also have a couple of 353's which are very usable and possibly with the decom lever, easier to start. (I personally never use the lever) Its the saw I let my girlfriend use as they are more forgiving to operate and less highly strung.

The 346 is the better saw for the pro, but I think for a 70 year old the 353 would be a good choice. Its what I would give my dad.

 

[glens]

Don't trade in his old Stihl, he may just want to use it instead of the Husky you've talked him into trying.

The "XP" means "extra performance" and indicates in no way that the saw is a "pro" model as compared to another.  It sounds like the 353 would be the better choice, but the prospective buyer will likely not think of the saw as having much "grunt" seeing what he's been accustomed to.  Evidently the 353 relates to the 346XP in the same way that the 359 relates to the 357XP, and all four saws are of the same build quality (as I understand it).

If he wants to compare a Husqvarna to a Stihl, he's either going to have to get a Husky of the same vintage as what he's got or he's going to have to get both a new example of each.

Point?  What point?  I'm just thinking out loud...

Glen

 

[jokers]

......Dan, when dealing with Husky saws, anything "XP" is considered a pro model; as opposed to a regular joe saw. Supposedly the difference is in the power/weight ratio and longevity......

Erik, I`d say that your explanation does a pretty good job of summing things up, however I`d prefer to use the word durability in lieu of longevity, but that is just my way of saying the same thing I suppose.

The line between XP saws and everything else in the Husky line up is sometimes blurry, for example the 136 and 141 are definitely homeowner saws that don`t possess the qualities that make the best Huskies the pro saws that they are, but then you have saws like the 353, 359, and 365 that are not labelled "XP" and are assumed by many to be on par with the 136/141, but in reality are built to pro quality levels.

Things are even murkier when you consider the 340/345/350. All seemingly built on the same chassis and all having a horizontally split crankcase, but while the 340 and 345 have cylinders integral with the upper half of the crankcase, the 350 has a seperate cylinder. This feature alone makes this model have a much better projected lifespan in that it can viably be rebuilt, from an economic standpoint.

As I stated earlier, IMO both the 353 and 346 are excellent saws in every respect. A user just has to choose where they want their powerband and whether they are better suited to a wider band or a narrower band. FWIW, the 353 makes peak power at 9,000 rpm and the 346 makes peak power at 9,700 rpm so the peak difference is not huge.

Russ

 

[MacDaddy]

Glens it actualy stands for extra power I also have a 350 it is a good little saw smooth light and not over priced for what you get But if he can handle the lbs look at the 365 not a bad little saw PS husky spells it XTRA POWER look on the air cleaner covers on the old 2100xp

 

[rahtreelimbs]

Don't trade in his old Stihl, he may just want to use it instead of the Husky you've talked him into trying.

The "XP" means "extra performance" and indicates in no way that the saw is a "pro" model as compared to another.  It sounds like the 353 would be the better choice, but the prospective buyer will likely not think of the saw as having much "grunt" seeing what he's been accustomed to.  Evidently the 353 relates to the 346XP in the same way that the 359 relates to the 357XP, and all four saws are of the same build quality (as I understand it).

If he wants to compare a Husqvarna to a Stihl, he's either going to have to get a Husky of the same vintage as what he's got or he's going to have to get both a new example of each.

Point?  What point?  I'm just thinking out loud...

Glen

As we drive down the highway with our laptop on..........those of us that have too much time on their hands...........we come across a thread on AS that needs pointless banter added in...........so are the days of our saws!!!

 

[glens]

I'll go with standing corrected on that one.  I can't find what I thought I'd read in the literature I have and Husqvarna's web sites seem to have gotten their internal networks grenaded at the moment.

Glen

(Rich, I'm confused.  What did you mean?)

 

[Toneman]

Take your dad to the saw shop and let him pick which one he likes best, after all , he will be the one using it.

 

[rahtreelimbs]

(Rich, I'm confused.? What did you mean?)

In an effort to pass the time a cold alcoholic beverage was introduced on the young mans trek. The consumption was too much for him so he pulled over to expel the "rented" alcoholic beverage. Even with this the useless banter continued. So are the days of our saws!!!

 

[Newfie]

Don't trade in his old Stihl, he may just want to use it instead of the Husky you've talked him into trying.

The "XP" means "extra performance" and indicates in no way that the saw is a "pro" model as compared to another.  It sounds like the 353 would be the better choice, but the prospective buyer will likely not think of the saw as having much "grunt" seeing what he's been accustomed to.  Evidently the 353 relates to the 346XP in the same way that the 359 relates to the 357XP, and all four saws are of the same build quality (as I understand it).

If he wants to compare a Husqvarna to a Stihl, he's either going to have to get a Husky of the same vintage as what he's got or he's going to have to get both a new example of each.

Point?  What point?  I'm just thinking out loud...

Glen

Blah,blah,blah....

 

[rahtreelimbs]

Blah,blah,blah....

No it's: blah.............blah blah blah............hiccup..............sniff........blah blah!!!

 

[glens]

You guys are funny.

It's                   ... ahh!

If you think what I had to say was so unimportant, why have you tripled its exposure now?

<tt>:</tt>)

 

[rahtreelimbs]

You guys are funny.

It's &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; ... ahh!

If you think what I had to say was so unimportant, why have you tripled its exposure now?

<tt>:</tt>)

So are the days of our saws!!!

 

[Jaytontree]

Glens..........Stihl #1..........Oh yeah!

 

[a_lopa]

ill chime in on days of our saws,keep the stihl!

 

[MacDaddy]

Glens has a point on the old saws and the new saws they are different animals The new saws use rpm and hp and the old saws use torque and low rpm