Help choosing a used Husky... Pro Saw on a Rookie Budget

[cuinrearview]

8-10 cord per year, for four households? I suspect that number is a little low. And all of that with a 20" bar on a 50cc? Man, a modern 60+cc saw would really be a game changer for you sir. Time saver too. I suggest scraping up $400 and picking up a nice used 555, 562xp, or 365. I bet you can find a new or near new 2166 for that much coin with a 24" bar and an "R" melted into the bottom.

 

[Cliff R]

"Echo 590, under $400 new, power to weight ratio is pretty good. Unless of course you are stuck on the Husky/Jonsered family."

Best advice I've seen so far.

I have two closed port 55's and they are great little saws, but I wouldn't put 3/8" 20" set-ups on them nor would I count on one as my go-to saw for supplying firewood. The less powerful 55 Rancher/open port models are not all that great with 20" bars but do OK with them if you aren't in a big hurry. I run 18" .325" on all of my 50cc saws, Oregon DPX and they run it with great authority.

Below is a pic of our outing yesterday, that Beech tree is HUGE, and I whipped it with my CS-620PW, CS-600 and CS-590 (and a little help on the big end with our 660. I actually did almost all the cross-cutting on the 200-300 pound pieces with the CS-590 to managed them easier for the splitter. I bought my CS-590 back in 2006 and it's been flawless to date. I use it the most on purpose as I want to find a weak spot in it. So far the best $320 to my door in a modern saw with a lot of professional features that I've purchased. I saw two sell last week on Ebay for under $325 with free tax and no shipping charges.

The only "weak" spot in one is the cheaper laminated bar they come with, and you MUST remove the limiter caps and modify them to add little more fuel, about 15 minutes worth of work. The OEM Timberwolf bar didn't last all that long be otherwise haven't put a penny into it anywhere else.

It has good power for the cc's and parts are readily available. Between me, my brother and my nephew we own about 15 older Husqvarna saws and all of us are running CS-620PW's plus my CS-600 and CS-590 and letting the old saws get a rest. My brother actually smoked the P/C couple of years ago in his 266 and none were available. A member here was kind enough to sell us a mint condition used one to get it back in service. Even so he replaced it with a CS-620PW and only uses the old Husky couple of times a year........FWIW......Cliff

 

[sunfish]

Ive cut 10-15 cords a year with a 346xp for years. Now use it, a 550xp, 357xp & a 562xp. All great saws!

 

[mbrick]

Agreed there are great deals here on used saws in the 555/562xp range. There was a clean 562xp recently for I think $400 or 450. Would probably be a game changer for you bucking that much wood per year.

The CS-590 can also be found for around $375 new.

This already sold but something like this would be nice for $400:
https://www.arboristsite.com/community/threads/562xp-price-drop-sold.334591/#post-7028659

 

[August76]

I say get a 372xp and dont worry about the money. You wont need another saw again if you treat it right. Or get a makita dolmar dcs6420 or the 79cc version or do the jug swap. I prefer my makita over all my saws. It's got the highest power to weight feel. Since it's a makita dolmar you can find them cheap because the stihl and husky fan boys wont buy them but it's still a pro grade German saw

 

[Adam08ski]

I say get a 372xp and dont worry about the money. You wont need another saw again if you treat it right. Or get a makita dolmar dcs6420 or the 79cc version or do the jug swap. I prefer my makita over all my saws. It's got the highest power to weight feel. Since it's a makita dolmar you can find them cheap because the stihl and husky fan boys wont buy them but it's still a pro grade German saw

Dolmar were established in 1927, Stihl in 1926. Dolly’s know what they are doing and I think they are actually the top selling chainsaw brand in Germany still. I love my Makita 6100. I sold my 365xt for it and don’t regret it. They are robust and well made and will last a lifetime.

 

[CR888]

The problem with the Echo is that the OP doesn't want one, he wants a Husky. So that is what we should help him with. Many good saws out there.

 

[MountainHigh]

There's one thing I really hate about my 562xp . . . it bucks up logs on the landing so darn fast, that I have a full truck load and am on my way back home to the computer screen and more unpleasant work, far too fast

I prefer new but that's likely because I have yet to do a full rebuild (waiting for retirement). As others have said, the Echo 590 is a low price well regarded saw that might fit your budget. Haven't used one myself.

 

[Cliff R]

Used saws can be a "bundle of snakes" starting with at least half if not more of them offered at affordable prices will have "smoked" P/C's in them or other major issues that caused the melted piston in the first place.

Then you have parts support, or lack of it. Husqvarna has not been good in that department and the further you go back in production dates and older models the more NLA you'll see in the IPL's.

I just threw the CS-590 deal in there because the OP is talking like he doesn't want to throw a lot of money out there but still wants "Pro" performance and quality. Need I remind the folks reading these threads that as it stands right now the CS-590, IMHO is the best bang for the buck out there, full parts support, and it will run very close to any Husqvarna or Stihl Pro offering in that CC range at much less cost. Did I mention that they are also very well built....been running mine HARD for quite a few years now and zero issues anyplace.......Cliff

 

[cuinrearview]

Used saws can be a "bundle of snakes" starting with at least half if not more of them offered at affordable prices will have "smoked" P/C's in them or other major issues that caused the melted piston in the first place.

Then you have parts support, or lack of it. Husqvarna has not been good in that department

Huh?

the further you go back in production dates and older models the more NLA you'll see in the IPL's.

Ummmmm.... that's any manufacturer man. NOS Kioritz era parts ain't exactly fallin' off of trees...

 

[Cliff R]

Buying a used XP or any other saw can be a crap-shoot. The OP doesn't mention unlimited funds or a high enough budget to buy new. I work on these things for a living, and you can really get into some money if you end up with a saw that has P/C, crank, bearing, seals, or other major issues. The support is also poor on non-existent for some models, unless you are willing to put a $30 China made P/C in one, which I REFUSE to do here, it's OEM or I send it back with the owner.

Sort of related but just had a friend of mine drop off a Partner cut-off saw in really nice shape that didn't run. He just figured it needed some carb work and fuel system cleaned out. No, BIG chunk missing out of the piston and huge gouge in the liner. Guess what, NOTHING available anywhere for that model, new or used. Even worse his brother paid a guy $175 for it!.......Cliff

 

[cuinrearview]

Buying a used XP or any other saw can be a crap-shoot. The OP doesn't mention unlimited funds or a high enough budget to buy new. I work on these things for a living, and you can really get into some money if you end up with a saw that has P/C, crank, bearing, seals, or other major issues. The support is also poor on non-existent for some models, unless you are willing to put a $30 China made P/C in one, which I REFUSE to do here, it's OEM or I send it back with the owner.

Sort of related but just had a friend of mine drop off a Partner cut-off saw in really nice shape that didn't run. He just figured it needed some carb work and fuel system cleaned out. No, BIG chunk missing out of the piston and huge gouge in the liner. Guess what, NOTHING available anywhere for that model, new or used. Even worse his brother paid a guy $175 for it!.......Cliff

Yah, that's apples and oranges.

What's a Timberwolf top end cost?

 

[Cliff R]

Apples, oranges, donuts, still valid. So the OP nails down a decent 268 or 272XP on here for couple hundred bucks. Gets it going, discovers it's got an air leak, needs a carb kit, fuel line, tank vent, couple of rubber mounts and a P/C. Now he's into a complete rebuild added to the $200 purchase price and needs to be sitting down when he locates a new OEM P/C for one (about $210 last time I found one). Add in all the labor/cost of the parts to get it up and running, and he could have bought an Echo CS-590, made a quick mod to the limiter caps and been out there cutting wood with a couple of hundred extra dollars in his pocket.....FWIW.

I'm not pushing the Echo CS-590, just using it as a valid example of what can be had NIB for less money. He could have nailed down a Dolmar or Makita 6100, or something else NIB and under $500 folks mention on here frequently.....Cliff

 

[cuinrearview]

You didnt answer my question @Cliff R . We were discussing cost and availability of OEM parts. What's a Timberwolf top end cost?

 

[cuinrearview]

You can get a lemon from any manufacturer, and from what I've read about the Echo warranty I'd surely consider that as well.

 

[Cliff R]

Never had to purchase one so don't know and don't care. I can buy a complete saw for just a tad over $300 shipped to the door. If/when one of the dozen or so I've sent out of here craps out (unlikely unless some idiot straight gasses it) I'll just order up a complete saw for $300 instead of investing $100 or so in just the P/C......FWIW.......

Did I mention that one of the CS-590's I set up went to a customer who owns a tree removal business? His ground crew can't kill it and it's been out there going on 3 years now. It looks like chit last time I saw it, like they hooked it on a chain and drag it behind the truck instead of hauling it in the bed, but it lives just fine......Cliff

 

[cuinrearview]

Never had to purchase one so don't know and don't care. I can buy a complete saw for just a tad over $300 shipped to the door. If/when one of the dozen or so I've sent out of here craps out (unlikely unless some idiot straight gasses it) I'll just order up a complete saw for $300 instead of investing $100 or so in just the P/C......FWIW.......

Did I mention that one of the CS-590's I set up went to a customer who owns a tree removal business? His ground crew can't kill it and it's been out there going on 3 years now. It looks like chit last time I saw it, like they hooked it on a chain and drag it behind the truck instead of hauling it in the bed, but it lives just fine......Cliff

I didn't understand your point about NLA parts for old Husky saws in this discussion, and now I REALLY don't.

I agree that the Echo saws seem well made and are a great value for someone on a budget. I had one of the 490s that everyone seems to place in this same category for a minute. A minute was it, I was very disappointed. It will probably take a beating and last a long time though.

 

[Cliff R]

The CS-490 is a turd for power production at 50cc....IMHO. I don't keep them in my stable much longer than it took to type this. Even so I have considered putting a really short bar on one and using it as a limbing saw as they are inexpensive, small, compact, light, professional features/well built and would do better with a 16" bar than any of the 36-40cc box store stuff trying to do the same thing.

The CS-590 is a completely different animal all the way around. Not a "race horse" by any means, but if you look at the HUGE Beech tree in the pics above, nearly all the cross-cutting I did Sunday to make the pieces manageable to get to the splitter was done with the CS-590, and it made those cuts timely and with good authority.

If you want to hunt up one of the legendary 262XP's, pay too much for it, then give it a make-over, even if you can find all the parts, when you get done it's not really much faster or better anyplace than a CS-590 or CS-600P Echo. Even worse for some reason NONE of the large mount bars you have for the larger Husqvarna saws will fit it.

For the CS-590, 600P and 620P/620PW's every single part will listed on the IPL will be readily available, if and when I might need one. They also take Husky large mount bars with a 2 minute modification, which makes things pretty simple in that catagory. This is why I've shelved my Pro and XP saws and doing 99 percent of my cutting these days with the Echo saws I've added to the line-up. Better to beat the chit out of them as they are considered expendable and very easy to replace if/as needed....did I mention they cost a LOT less than the upper end Stihl and Husqvarna Pro saws these days?........Cliff

 

[pavel408]

What's a Timberwolf top end cost?

Top end https://www.sawagain.com/echo-cs-59...build-assembly-new-oem-a130002041-p021038790/
Cylinder https://www.echopartsonline.com/echo-part-A130002041/
Piston kit https://www.amazon.com/Cs-590-Cs600...K5CSG5P076D&psc=1&refRID=7MV119G4HK5CSG5P076D

 

[cuinrearview]

Top end https://www.sawagain.com/echo-cs-59...build-assembly-new-oem-a130002041-p021038790/
Piston kit https://www.amazon.com/Cs-590-Cs600...K5CSG5P076D&psc=1&refRID=7MV119G4HK5CSG5P076D

Ouch