Husky 455 vs 353

[sawinredneck]

Closer, Sap,you are getting a lot closer to understanding, and I apreciate that.
Most people that but a homeowner saw will go to Lowes or HD and buy the $300 Poulan and be happy. When it blows up they chuck it and buy a new one, if they even wear it out.
My dad is a great example of the other way around. He had a Stihl, I think an 026, can't remeber now, anyway, lasted him 6 years of hard use. Finnally got weak, had I known then what I know now we would have reringed it and gone on!!
He got it in his head you're thinking, why spend all that money on the Stihl when I can buy wildthings for $150 all day long (Refurbs). So he did, and he would burn up 2 a season! Then when we would try to cut in hot weather they would vapor lock all the time, real bears to keep running. At the time I only owned 1 saw my husky 350, none of these problems! I had run it for a full season of firewood and it kept going strong, and didn't care about the weather!! Talked him into spending more money and he thinks that 350 is greatest thing since sliced bread!!! Not a pro saw, and he may get 2-3 seasons out of it, but the cost more than justified the expense. Next time I will convince him to spend the $50-100 and step up to the 353 just for the longer life and see if it lasts 6 years like the first Stihl did.
My point comes down to this, most people that will buy a saw and use it once every two months will probably not come here seeking advice, they see the cheap saw and use it for what it's worth and are happy. People that come to AS are ussually a little more seriuos, listen to what they want to do, read how much they are cutting, then make a call after that. If Joeblow only wants to cut 3-4 trees a year to clean up his place, a homeowner is great. If Billjoejimbob wants to clear 30-40 acres and keep it maintained he needs to step it up a notch. If Farmerted wants to cut firewood he needs to look at the pro line!!
You're 455 has been a great saw for you, but do you really think it would continue to mill next year? Let alone the year after that? You need something more robust if you wanted to do that all the time!
Just some food for thought.

 

[TopJimmy]

Sap,
Why own a chainsaw. You could save a bunch of money in gas and oil, not to mention the purchase price of the saw, by using a bow saw.

You have made a decision to buy a chain saw that fits your needs. I like my toys and can afford the pro models if I choose. We all make a decision based on our experiences, needs and wants.

If you want to save a few dollars and buy the non pro models based on your needs, great. I like the 455, it is a good saw. Am I an idiot because I spent more to buy a smaller saw (346xp)? Could I get by with a 455, sure I could. Do I choose to buy better equipment, yes I do. I will not knock you for your decision, please do not knock me.

If you choose to believe that the 455 is the equal to a saw that cost 150.00 more, more power to you. I have run many pro vs homeowner saws, both get the job done, but generally the pro model will get it done with less fatigue and in less time. For me this alone justifies the extra cost no matter how much or little use the saw gets.

The only time I am disappointed when I buy a piece of equipment is when I don't spend the extra money for the best.

Let me add, spending the extra money does not affect any other area of my life, if the extra expense off the pro model were something that I had to consider in my overall budget, then I might very well save the money and choose the cheaper saw.

Jim

 

[coveredinsap]

I went to the next nearest Stihl dealer here in the valley today. He is also a Husky dealer. One half of the store is Stihl, one half is Husqvarna, (and he also is the valley John Deere dealer)....very nice place, with huge displays of each makers saw...yup, even a Stihl 880. Anyways, while I'm waiting for them to make me a loop of .404 chain, I ask one of the guys what is their most popular selling Husky saw. Without batting an eye he says the 455 Rancher. I ask him again to make sure...and he saws they sell way more 455's than any other saw. Keep in mind that this is farmland (vineyard) country....very agricultural upvalley where this store is located. I ask him what is his best selling Stihl....and he thinks for a few seconds, and answers ....the 260.

So there it is, the Husky 455 and the Stihl 260 is what the vineyard management firms/winery/ranches are buying around here. Now don't you think that if the 455 was a 'homeowner' pos it would very quickly not become the best seller? This isn't a store the general public frequents...this is the wine industry's main supply store for agricultural tools.

I remember when the Glock came out...it was widely ridiculed for being 'plastic'. Do people still ridicule Glocks? They may, but an awful lot of people, including cops, swear by them.

 

[wagonwheeler]

To businesses saws are just 'consumables'. Vinyeards and farms in Kalifornia are a lot like plantations and farms here. They buy what they can afford to 'consume' on a reasonable basis. The ms290 is the 'best seller' here. The ms250 next, the ms250 and 270 quick adjust are close as well, because the 'help' can adjust the chain more reliably.

Has nothing really to do with specs, run time, serviceability... Just how much they decide to spend and on what timeframe. No use trying to talk them out of it.

The tree services here are similar, but buy more specialized saws because they must or the timeframe of saw replacement is too short. But here they don't mod thier saws and just run them as hard and as much as possible to justify an invoice. Nothing wrong with that, the saw pays for itself quickly.

Chaser

 

[spike60]

Is swapping out the 65cc for the 72xp engine a real big deal? I see from your sig that you've done that.

Funny but I was looking up these cylinders today. The price difference between the 2 is only $20, so if you need to get one, it's a no-brainer to get the larger 372 kit. They are a direct swap in either direction. Also, all of the EPA versions use the same exact carb.

 

[spike60]

You know, I have to agree with Sap's position on the 455. For the average guy cutting a few cords of wood a year, it is great bang for the buck, and will hold up very well in that role. No, it's not a pro saw, but like he says, not everbody needs one. Also, the word "Rancher" is marketing magic by Husky. I have guys come in and ask for the "new rancher". They don't even know the number.

The problem Sap has in getting his point accross in this forum of course is that nearly everyone here spends more on saws than we need to. The more power the better; the more saws the better. Just the fact that I'm doing this at MIDNIGHT proves that I am likely in need of some therapy.

 

[sawinredneck]

I went to the next nearest Stihl dealer here in the valley today. He is also a Husky dealer. One half of the store is Stihl, one half is Husqvarna, (and he also is the valley John Deere dealer)....very nice place, with huge displays of each makers saw...yup, even a Stihl 880. Anyways, while I'm waiting for them to make me a loop of .404 chain, I ask one of the guys what is their most popular selling Husky saw. Without batting an eye he says the 455 Rancher. I ask him again to make sure...and he saws they sell way more 455's than any other saw. Keep in mind that this is farmland (vineyard) country....very agricultural upvalley where this store is located. I ask him what is his best selling Stihl....and he thinks for a few seconds, and answers ....the 260.

So there it is, the Husky 455 and the Stihl 260 is what the vineyard management firms/winery/ranches are buying around here. Now don't you think that if the 455 was a 'homeowner' pos it would very quickly not become the best seller? This isn't a store the general public frequents...this is the wine industry's main supply store for agricultural tools.

I remember when the Glock came out...it was widely ridiculed for being 'plastic'. Do people still ridicule Glocks? They may, but an awful lot of people, including cops, swear by them.

Does everthing with you have to be a fight?

I remeber when the Glocks first came out, I couln't wait to get my hands on one!!!! Guns are just neater than snot!!! Then Die hard 2 came out and I fought and fought with people over the misconceptions of them not being detected by metal detectors, as portrayed in the movie!!! Bought one, loved, have nothing bad to say about the guns, love them, sold it to buy something bigger, 9mm was not my thing.


I never once said a bad word about the 455, other than I think it is over priced and over weight verses the 350. PERIOD!!! Husky makes a fine saw, and in some classes I belive it is better than Stihl, Oh well!!! I also have no doubt that the 455 and 260 are the best selling saws out there, great!!! Both good saws.
But I ask again, how long do you really think that 455 will hold up to milling? One, maybe two seasons, vs. what a 372 would do?
Yes, I know you bought it for one progect and that is fine and well, but you're situation does not apply to everyone else, as I refferd to earlier. Relax, and if you have no reasonable solution, don't post anything, you might even learn a thing or two.
Andy

 

[LarryTheCableGuy]

But seriously, how much saw do you need to maintain a vineyard? A WildThing could beat the poo out of the roughest, toughest grapevine in the valley.

 

[chowdozer]

I went to the next nearest Stihl dealer here in the valley today. He is also a Husky dealer. One half of the store is Stihl, one half is Husqvarna, (and he also is the valley John Deere dealer)....very nice place, with huge displays of each makers saw...yup, even a Stihl 880. Anyways, while I'm waiting for them to make me a loop of .404 chain, I ask one of the guys what is their most popular selling Husky saw. Without batting an eye he says the 455 Rancher. I ask him again to make sure...and he saws they sell way more 455's than any other saw. Keep in mind that this is farmland (vineyard) country....very agricultural upvalley where this store is located. I ask him what is his best selling Stihl....and he thinks for a few seconds, and answers ....the 260.

So there it is, the Husky 455 and the Stihl 260 is what the vineyard management firms/winery/ranches are buying around here. Now don't you think that if the 455 was a 'homeowner' pos it would very quickly not become the best seller? This isn't a store the general public frequents...this is the wine industry's main supply store for agricultural tools.

I remember when the Glock came out...it was widely ridiculed for being 'plastic'. Do people still ridicule Glocks? They may, but an awful lot of people, including cops, swear by them.

As with any tool, it comes down to what you expect in quality and how much you are willing to pay.

Some people go to Harbor Freight and buy a set of wrenches for $10. For the average Joe Homeowner, those wrenches will last a lifetime.

Other people go to Sears and buy Craftsman, $50 or so for the same sizes of wrenches. A little better quality, a little better durability, a little better fit. For many weekend mechanics, those wrenches will last a lifetime.

Professionals visit the Snap-on man. The same number of wrenches again, but from Snap-on you'll probably pay over $200. But you'll find the Snap-on wrenches are more comfortable to hold, take more abuse and have greater strength.

AFAIK, all three have a lifetime guarantee.

Each set of wrenches is a good bargain for the application it was designed for. Without knowing the application for which they will be used, no one can make a recommendation as to which is the best set of wrenches or which is the best 'bargain'.

I am reminded of the Homelite string trimmers I've had. Three of them in 10 years at $80 a whack. My father has had a Stihl for 27 years and he cuts 10 times what I do.
Which is a better bargain?

I thought so too, that's why I bought an FS110 last year. It's the last string trimmer I will ever buy. Did I need a pro industrial duty model? No. I could have continued to buy a Homelite every three years.

And so it is with chainsaws.

 

[coveredinsap]

$10 wrenches would work for me. Right now I've got some old Craftsman wrenches that I picked up at a garage sale, and I'm missing some. I always thought the Snap-on dude was a rip off, and that mechanics only bought from them because they
A) regularly came to their place of work, so it was handy

B) the employer likely subsidized a part of the cost, if not more...at least temporarily

C) regularly came to their place of work

D) it was handy

E) regularly came to their place of work, where there employer likely had an account with Snap-on and would subsidize the employee's purchases...at least temporarily

F) got to brag that they had expensive 'professional' Snap-on tools, so they could look down on those with Craftsman or other 'homeowner' tools

 

[sawinredneck]

WELL.......... I see where this is going!!!! It's obvious you have made an opinion and are too pig-headed to let you're feeble mind grasp anything else. I will leave you with this- Mechanics pay for their own tools, PERIOD!!!!! No subsidies from the employers, no kick backs, it cash out of pocket!!!! But as you have never been a mechanic how could you have known that? OH yeah, just like everything else, you formed a pig-headed opinion and no matter what have to back it to the end no matter how many times you are proved wrong!!!!
I leave you alone in "Off the Topic", so unless you have something of real value, no, unless you have a legitimate question, why don't you refrain from posting in "chainsaw". In other words "Don't post, be quite, read and LEARN something"

 

[Lakeside53]

Just buy the best tool for the job. Then you only have yourself to blame if they don't do a great job! I read that somewhere..

or something like that..

I have some very expensive tools, and love them.. I also have a big set of really cheap "import" metric wrenches I bought in a small town drug store about 25 years ago... just throwaways (I thought), and still haven't got around to replacing them 'cos they do work...

All these circular arguments about which saw is best for any one end user really don't matter - If the user chooses inexpensive and it works and lasts to his expectations, that's fine. If he can afford a more expensive or pro saw, more power to him (no pun intended).

I sell to both types - "price sensitive" and "quality conscious". The only time I try to move them up the product line is if they are trying to do something with a machine that is just unsuitable. This only occurs with inexperienced users -the experienced (not just pros) have figured out long ago the limitations and can make an informed choice.

I draw a strong line at milling... [I'm NOT trying to open up another rave about what you can mill with and what you can't]. If a guy wants to buy a consumer grade "occasional use" saw for milling, I dissuade him and steer him towards an older used pro-saw or send him to a competitor that might have one, of any brand... Even a short stint milling will place serious stress on a small saw. You might not notice the effects immediately, but they are there. There is a reason they are called "occasional use saws" (Stihl lingo, but applies to the other brands).

Milling is akin to using a Subaru to pull a 4000lb boat 800 miles across the mountains. Can it do it? Sure.... but wouldn't you be better with a Ford F250 (hey guys, the brands here are just random examples)?

 

[314epw]

math

a=d,b=e F=reason

 

[Lakeside53]

a=d,b=e F=reason

That's why I keep getting an "F"

 

[chowdozer]

$10 wrenches would work for me. Right now I've got some old Craftsman wrenches that I picked up at a garage sale, and I'm missing some. I always thought the Snap-on dude was a rip off, and that mechanics only bought from them because they
A) regularly came to their place of work, so it was handy

B) the employer likely subsidized a part of the cost, if not more...at least temporarily

C) regularly came to their place of work

D) it was handy

E) regularly came to their place of work, where there employer likely had an account with Snap-on and would subsidize the employee's purchases...at least temporarily

F) got to brag that they had expensive 'professional' Snap-on tools, so they could look down on those with Craftsman or other 'homeowner' tools

Your assumptions are wrong.

If you are indeed a carpenter, and have been so for any length of time, you know the value of quality tools. Tools like generators and nailguns. You also understand the difference between professional tools and homeowner tools.

So what are you arguing about?

 

[TopJimmy]

Sap,

Snap on a rip off? Now you are in an area that I have some experience in. I used to turn a wrench for a living, I was an ASE Certified Master. Yes it is convenient to have the truck come by once a week with an open account. I used to work at a shop that was across the street from a mall with a sears in it. It would have been easy to go there for my tools. Let me promise you, there is a big difference between Snap on and Craftsman. I have watched people strip the head of a bolt with a craftsman and then I have removed the bolt with a snap on. The wrenches slip less, which means less banged knuckles. With almost everything in life, you get what you pay for. Do you pay extra for the truck to stop by, and for the lifetime warranty, yes you do. Do you pay extra for the top quality tool, yes you do. Is it worth it, for some absolutely. Since I have used Snap on in the past, I hate to buy anything else, but since the truck does not stop regularly at my shop, and I do not directly make a living with automotive tools, sometimes I buy others. And no employer ever paid one cent for any of my tools.

You choose cheaper tools, god bless you, and that is a great decision if it works well for you. I try to buy the best, it works for me. Do not assume that I am dumb because I spend more on equipment than you do, and I will not assume that you are dumb for buying cheap equipment.

Please understand that under certain circumstances I agree with you. I needed a 1" impact for working on a couple of bigger trucks that I own. A good unit runs 550.00 -700.00. I might use it 10 times per year, I spent 250.00 at harbor freight in a cheap unit that meets my needs. The difference between you and me is this: I do not think that someone that spent 700.00 for an Ingersoll Rand 1" impact is a fool and got ripped off. My unit is not the same. I paid less for less of a tool. Do you understand?

Jim

 

[Lakeside53]

Quality is remembered long after the price is forgotten

 

[coveredinsap]

I needed a 1" impact for working on a couple of bigger trucks that I own. A good unit runs 550.00 -700.00. I might use it 10 times per year, I spent 250.00 at harbor freight in a cheap unit that meets my needs. The difference between you and me is this: I do not think that someone that spent 700.00 for an Ingersoll Rand 1" impact is a fool and got ripped off. My unit is not the same. I paid less for less of a tool. Do you understand?

Jim

Thank you, you made my point for me right there. Unless you are a 'pro' and/or using the tool 24/7, it generally isn't very cost effective to buy 'the best'. And of course a 'pro' grade saw would likely outlast a 455 under normal circumstances, as would an all metal .45 ACP Colt Government Model outlast a Glock.

And I never claimed they were a 'fool' if they bought the 'pro' saw to use 24/7. They are for it to sit on a shelf, though....but that's only my opinion.

 

[THALL10326]

Thank you, you made my point for me right there. Unless you are a 'pro' and/or using the tool 24/7, it generally isn't very cost effective to buy 'the best'. And of course a 'pro' grade saw would likely outlast a 455 under normal circumstances, as would an all metal .45 ACP Colt Government Model outlast a Glock.

And I never claimed they were a 'fool' if they bought the 'pro' saw to use 24/7. They are for it to sit on a shelf, though....but that's only my opinion.

Sap are you talking about my shelf of saws,grrrrrrrrrrrr,lol. Just messing with ya. Fact is on my shelf many saws, around 20, sit and sit and sit but I don't feel foolish about it. Fact is they are merely a just a hobby. Looking at this thread its safe to say what I've always said, the best saw is the one you own. If you like it and it serves you well then to you its the best and thats that. If one saw or one brand was the very best there would be very few brands and very few choices. Varity is the spice of life and its all to their liking. I've never had my hands on a 455 or a 353 but no doult both have there fair share of fans, thats why Husky has them out there, to please both you who likes the 455 and the other guy who likes the 353, thats the purpose of both saws.

How is the Remmington ruinning???

 

[coveredinsap]

Your assumptions are wrong.

If you are indeed a carpenter, and have been so for any length of time, you know the value of quality tools. Tools like generators and nailguns. You also understand the difference between professional tools and homeowner tools.

So what are you arguing about?

I learned long ago the hard way not to buy 'the best' tools. They generally don't last any longer than the medium grade tools. Not the johnny cheapo tools, the medium grade tools are what I'm referring to here.


----Thall----
The Remington's running ....loudly. Interesting saw, but certainly not in a class with the Macs. The Remington looks like it was designed by committee, and everything is a pain to get to....literally. I spent the morning finding and fabricating springs for the pull starter/flywheel engagement ....an inertia type deal that when you pull the rope, reaches out and digs into a cup on the inside of the flywheel. Jeez Louise. (The old springs were so rusted that they started coming apart after starting it a few times.)