Going to stir the pot. Stihl vs Husky.

[bwalker]

Where the heck is Husky? Dealers have all but completely dried up, zero exploratory dealerships, no military contracts...
What the heck? They make great saws...but they're almost a carbon copy of mccullough now.
Examples; 576 great saw. Heavy, but par power. Loggers rejected it.... internationally.
550xp. Another great saw. Strong 50cc with gobs of power. But.... Stihl's 261 spanks it. Real talk. It's definitely close, similar weight, similar handling, but the 346 days are over. Not even the mk 2.1, or mk 3.0 or whatever "stihl killer" they market (barely) can truly compete. Real world, it's almost hands down.
572xp. What a step in the wrong direction!! Seriously Husky??! That's what we've been waiting for?!? An unavailable saw that's pounds heavier than the competition, with fractions of a second per cut advantage? Really?
Am I the only one that remembers the 044 vs 371xp fights? Ounces were EVERYTHING!! Now full pounds don't matter?? Seriously? !!
Not to mention the 500i. What competes with that? The 390xp? What?!? At 10 more cc's, almost 3 POUNDS heavier and noticeably slower cut times?
Now this magnesium piston MS400c that's completely ripping through the 65cc market.
I'm confused. I'm saddened.
I've just come off of almost a week with a borrowed, 2020 572xp.... All I could think of was how much I missed my light MS462. The weight difference is just indescribable....
I bought my father, a retired timberman, then firewood salesman and a true Husqvarna fan,... a 550xp for Christmas. Went to cut a few cords with him.... he only wanted to run my MS261.... And the reasons aren't mysterious.
Where and what is husqvarna doing?
Box stores? Electric? All while stihl completely dominates huge areas and essentially now owns almost all timber plots.... that were once strictly Husky?!?
Dang!

Husky back in the day blew Stihl away performance wise. I'm talking 346 vs 260, 372 vs 440, etc. Now Stihl appears to have gotten the other ahead. This wont be this way forever.
Both brands are popular in certain areas, but not in others. I dont see this changing.

 

[MaddBomber]

Husky back in the day blew Stihl away performance wise. I'm talking 346 vs 260, 372 vs 440, etc. Now Stihl appears to have gotten the other ahead. This wont be this way forever.
Both brands are popular in certain areas, but not in others. I dont see this changinig

I completely agree with that assessment. You are point on!!
Husky fanboys only talked weight and chainspeed. I was with them. Remember the plastic feel of the 372 compared to the 440? And how they countered that rugged build and the 440's torque means nothing compared to chainspeed and throttle response?
Ummm... Now...what Husky? Six years of development to make a snappier 461 clone??!! While the 462 is... what exactly?
Everything the 572 should have been.
It's game over. Redefined classes.

 

[bwalker]

I completely agree with that assessment. You are point on!!
Husky fanboys only talked weight and chainspeed. I was with them. Remember the plastic feel of the 372 compared to the 440? And how they countered that rugged build and the 440's torque means nothing compared to chainspeed and throttle response?
Ummm... Now...what Husky? Six years of development to make a snappier 461 clone??!! While the 462 is... what exactly?
Everything the 572 should have been.
It's game over. Redefined classes.

I logged with both the 440 and the 372. The 440 was no more durable and had less torque. It also vibrated more, and had ****** filtration comparatively.
You would have to be a real fanboy to conclude the 440 was a better saw than the 372 back in 2000.

 

[John Lyngdal]

This is an interesting discussion, but when discussing the historical progression of saws I think it's only fair to include the requirements that the EPA(and others) place on the manufacturers and the influence it has.
However one can't place the blame on the regulators either, as each manufacture has design features that are appreciated.
Fuel and oil caps: A win for Husqvarna vs Stihl. Flippy caps are great, until they start leaking.
Choke and kill switch design: A win for Husqvarna vs Stihl.
Small saw air filtration: A win for Stihl vs. Husqvarna. I love my 346XPs(my favorite 50cc saw), but it's air filter is marginal. The MS261 has more area than that of a XP550.
Innovation: A win for Stihl based on the MS550i, even though I'm skeptical of any saw that I can't repair myself using tools in the truck.
Durability: I'll call that one a toss-up. Both manufacturers have stars and total dogs.
Balance and handling: another toss-up for the reasons listed above.

 

[dmb2613]

I am a Stihl guy and work on them for a living, but would love to see Husky wake up and have something on the market to compete with Stihl just to hold the price of Stihl down. Right now it is a one saw show and Husky aint even in the commercial.

 

[MaddBomber]

I am a Stihl guy and work on them for a living, but would love to see Husky wake up and have something on the market to compete with Stihl just to hold the price of Stihl down. Right now it is a one saw show and Husky aint even in the commercial.

That's my entire point!!
YES!

 

[MaddBomber]

This is an interesting discussion, but when discussing the historical progression of saws I think it's only fair to include the requirements that the EPA(and others) place on the manufacturers and the influence it has.
However one can't place the blame on the regulators either, as each manufacture has design features that are appreciated.
Fuel and oil caps: A win for Husqvarna vs Stihl. Flippy caps are great, until they start leaking.
Choke and kill switch design: A win for Husqvarna vs Stihl.
Small saw air filtration: A win for Stihl vs. Husqvarna. I love my 346XPs(my favorite 50cc saw), but it's air filter is marginal. The MS261 has more area than that of a XP550.
Innovation: A win for Stihl based on the MS550i, even though I'm skeptical of any saw that I can't repair myself using tools in the truck.
Durability: I'll call that one a toss-up. Both manufacturers have stars and total dogs.
Balance and handling: another toss-up for the reasons listed above.

The days of tailgate repairs are essentially over. I fought it for a decade, but all saws wear out and parts are getting scarce... across the board.
You make excellent points, however, do not overlook a full pound of weight.
I'll deal with floppy caps, less turque, and awkward controls for a pound of weight I have to carry all day.
Ounces add up. Again, that's why I went to husqvarna. It's like the just ignored it and sat on their laurels. While stihl learned, corrected course, and is innovating, opening dealers, and dominating in every real world aspect.
It just breaks my heart.

 

[MaddBomber]

I logged with both the 440 and the 372. The 440 was no more durable and had less torque. It also vibrated more, and had ****** filtration comparatively.
You would have to be a real fanboy to conclude the 440 was a better saw than the 372 back in 2000.

I absolutely do not disagree! At all. I feel that torque in small two strokes is fairly cryptic.
Sure, at wot and dropped on wood, there's a small difference. But roll into the power. Ride and feather the powerband completely negates that. It's not all wot at all times. It's a finesse.
When a 16,000lb tree sits on your bar.... A quarter of a pound foot (or newtons) doesn't matter at all.
And that discussion lasted almost a decade, with weight being the decisive argument.
And now..?

 

[EchoRomeoCharlie]

I am a Stihl guy and work on them for a living, but would love to see Husky wake up and have something on the market to compete with Stihl just to hold the price of Stihl down. Right now it is a one saw show and Husky aint even in the commercial.

This.

I'm rooting for Husky to actually put something out that rivals what Stihl is doing because otherwise the Stihl prices are going to go nuts and I'll have to buy Husky just because I can't afford the Stihl.

Come on Husky!!! Get your act together!

 

[huskihl]

I’m not a brand fanboy at all. I own 5 different brands and hate them equally. But nearly every point in your first post is incorrect. Opinions are one thing. We all have those. But it’s easy to tell your opinions don’t come from actual personal use.

 

[lead farmer]

I’m not a brand fanboy at all. I own 5 different brands and hate them equally. But nearly every point in your first post is incorrect. Opinions are one thing. We all have those. But it’s easy to tell your opinions don’t come from actual personal use.

Simma down redneck [emoji16]

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

 

[SAWMIKAZE]

I just wanna see a 260 that smokes a 261.

That kinda made me laugh.

 

[SAWMIKAZE]

I’m not a brand fanboy at all. I own 5 different brands and hate them equally. But nearly every point in your first post is incorrect. Opinions are one thing. We all have those. But it’s easy to tell your opinions don’t come from actual personal use.

I'm getting more convinced that 90% of people on chainsaw forums don't work with chainsaws.

 

[BangBang77]

I just wanna see a 260 that smokes a 261.

That kinda made me laugh.

I don't know about smoking one, but I recently picked up a brand new 260 Pro from Edwad and it flat out runs.

I've always avoided the 260s and stuck to the 026s as I'd always heard they were stronger saws. I have three 026s and a 261cm and the 260 is stronger than all of my 026s and I can't tell a noticeable difference between it and my 261 other than the anti-vibe and the exhaust note.

The only thing I've done to the 260 is a muffler mod and removed the carb limiter screws. I've got about 7 or 8 tanks of fuel through it and am impressed. Not sure what carb is on it but it isn't a 194. Running 16" bars on the 026s and 18" bars on the 260 and 261. The 261 does have a muffler mod and 2 seasons of firewood cutting plus a year of tree work.

The 260 is lighter and other than the vibes, I think I like it better than the 261.

No, I haven't done any "timed cuts" to determine a measurable difference; just going by feel cutting oak, pecan, and hickory. I wouldn't know how to post a video to Youtube anyway...

 

[nenicu]

Stihl vs Husky based on japanese technology. Long live Zenoah Komatsu.

 

[Ryan'smilling]

I'll consider spending money on a new stihl saw when they resume selling saws with heated handles in the US. Until then, any new saws will have a different sticker on them.

 

[sean donato]

Stihl vs Husky based on japanese technology. Long live Zenoah Komatsu.

It's just zenoah since husqy bought them out.
As for my input. This has been the husqy stihl game forever. Stihl is just ahead right now.

 

[SAWMIKAZE]

I don't know about smoking one, but I recently picked up a brand new 260 Pro from Edwad and it flat out runs.

I've always avoided the 260s and stuck to the 026s as I'd always heard they were stronger saws. I have three 026s and a 261cm and the 260 is stronger than all of my 026s and I can't tell a noticeable difference between it and my 261 other than the anti-vibe and the exhaust note.

The only thing I've done to the 260 is a muffler mod and removed the carb limiter screws. I've got about 7 or 8 tanks of fuel through it and am impressed. Not sure what carb is on it but it isn't a 194. Running 16" bars on the 026s and 18" bars on the 260 and 261. The 261 does have a muffler mod and 2 seasons of firewood cutting plus a year of tree work.

The 260 is lighter and other than the vibes, I think I like it better than the 261.

No, I haven't done any "timed cuts" to determine a measurable difference; just going by feel cutting oak, pecan, and hickory. I wouldn't know how to post a video to Youtube anyway...

I've never weighed a chainsaw or timed a cut in my life.

You got a bad 261 or I have really good ones. I've used them in just about every configuration you can think of stock and ported with bar and rim/chain set ups.

I wouldn't even consider a 260 over a 261 for what I do.

I guess that's just my opinion.

 

[Northerner]

I think one of huskys downfalls is their cheap homeowner box store saws. These things have given husky a very bad reputation up in this neighborhood.
They would do well to scrap the bottom line box store saws and just build a couple of good quality small saws plus the usual xp line. Plus keep everything at the dealership like stihl.
I haven’t run the 5 series much, but the larger ones seem on the bulky side.


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[Lionsfan]

It's just zenoah since husqy bought them out.
As for my input. This has been the husqy stihl game forever. Stihl is just ahead right now.

No doubt, it's about like the .270 vs. 30/06' debate that's been ongoing for almost a century.