IchWarriorMkII
ArboristSite Guru
So I've ran a few tanks of gas through my newly modded and returned saw... and I'll offer up a review to those thinking about a 353, Washington Pro Saws, or anything of that nature. As a disclaimer, I didn't do nearly enough head to head cutting, cut timing or other scientific procedure to make a thorough factual review. Unfortunately you have to rely on my perceptions on what saws should cut like, which hopefully is as truthful as it can be.
Stock setup was a 18" Narrow Kerf setup with full comp chain. The saw ran the combo just fine, but it was touchy with full bar cuts. Very light pressure was required but I felt it pulled it well for a 50cc saw at 6,000 feet elevation. With a sharp chain, it would easily move through the softwoods of my region and I simply needed to sit and watch it work.
The closest comparison to my saw was my cousin's 55cc Crapsmen saw. Performance wise, the midrange cutting power was about equal, but we both felt the Husqvarna keeps making power where the Crapsmen turns off. I would saw this made my 353 noticeable faster, but not appreciably so. After several hours of cutting we would have near equal amounts of wood cut. It really came down to how long our chains stayed sharp and the productivity up. Head to head, I would say the Husqy was maybe 50% faster in any wood. What I would call the top end of the powerband kept the saw moving through the wood faster. In a firewood cutting situation it wasn't enough to be substantial.
I did run my 353 head to head with my 361 shortly after break in, but most of the cutting between those two saws I used the 353 for small wood and broke the 361 out to handle the bigger cutting. The one time I had them head to head the 361 would average 2-2.5 times faster with a maximum of 3 times faster with both bars buried in soft wood. The 361 just could handle a 20" bar so much better than the 353 could work an 18" bar. This was no suprise...
While my Husqy was gone getting modded, I did a lot of work with a 16" bar on my 361. It really spoiled me for power and speed through smaller wood. On top of that, I ran a 20" B&C regular kerf full comp chain on my newly returned 353. Its probably equivilient to throwing a 24" full comp setup on a 361 after some light mods. Yes, it runs it fine... but no its not impressive.
I put it against my 361, both running 20" full comp chains in softwood. The 353 no longer lagged significantly behind the 361. It was however pretty touchy with full bar cuts, where the 361 can handle some light dogging. I would say a semi or full skip would make the 353 a lot happier with full bar cuts. I might try a loop out and report back. It isn't out to hunt a 361 down and eat its lunch, but it hangs with quite well. I look forward to more testing with some different chains.
I next attacked a pine fence that needed to be removed. Its untreated and my cousin and I are taking it down. Once again we got to run the Crapsmen and 353 head to head... No big wood to test full bar cuts, but small wood to see how the top end of each saw is. Now its no longer any contest... the Husqvarna is 2 times faster than the Crapsmen. It screams where the Crapsmen wheezes. Its definately the saw I wanted my 353 to be.
I also brought out the 361 with a 16" bar, and 8 pin sprocket. Head to head against my 353 they were neck and neck... maybe a slight advantage to the 361 but honestly, we cut the same amount of wood in the same amount of time. For a woods comparison, I'd say it runs with the 361 in small wood with no sweat. This gives me hope that a skip or semi skip will give the 353 a boost in the bigger wood to allow the 353 to stay in the power band easier since its probably working with a lot less torque than the 361.
All in all, Im very impressed with the way my saw runs now. I mostly wanted it modded to work as a better bucket saw for taking down cottonwood trees. Its also a great joy to run, make people think twice about a 50cc saw and my first modded saw... so I am enjoying it and very glad Dean did such a good job on my saw. I almost want to mod some more saws... but I also want more saws... Oh well... Ill get back to cuttin and worry about that later
Stock setup was a 18" Narrow Kerf setup with full comp chain. The saw ran the combo just fine, but it was touchy with full bar cuts. Very light pressure was required but I felt it pulled it well for a 50cc saw at 6,000 feet elevation. With a sharp chain, it would easily move through the softwoods of my region and I simply needed to sit and watch it work.
The closest comparison to my saw was my cousin's 55cc Crapsmen saw. Performance wise, the midrange cutting power was about equal, but we both felt the Husqvarna keeps making power where the Crapsmen turns off. I would saw this made my 353 noticeable faster, but not appreciably so. After several hours of cutting we would have near equal amounts of wood cut. It really came down to how long our chains stayed sharp and the productivity up. Head to head, I would say the Husqy was maybe 50% faster in any wood. What I would call the top end of the powerband kept the saw moving through the wood faster. In a firewood cutting situation it wasn't enough to be substantial.
I did run my 353 head to head with my 361 shortly after break in, but most of the cutting between those two saws I used the 353 for small wood and broke the 361 out to handle the bigger cutting. The one time I had them head to head the 361 would average 2-2.5 times faster with a maximum of 3 times faster with both bars buried in soft wood. The 361 just could handle a 20" bar so much better than the 353 could work an 18" bar. This was no suprise...
While my Husqy was gone getting modded, I did a lot of work with a 16" bar on my 361. It really spoiled me for power and speed through smaller wood. On top of that, I ran a 20" B&C regular kerf full comp chain on my newly returned 353. Its probably equivilient to throwing a 24" full comp setup on a 361 after some light mods. Yes, it runs it fine... but no its not impressive.
I put it against my 361, both running 20" full comp chains in softwood. The 353 no longer lagged significantly behind the 361. It was however pretty touchy with full bar cuts, where the 361 can handle some light dogging. I would say a semi or full skip would make the 353 a lot happier with full bar cuts. I might try a loop out and report back. It isn't out to hunt a 361 down and eat its lunch, but it hangs with quite well. I look forward to more testing with some different chains.
I next attacked a pine fence that needed to be removed. Its untreated and my cousin and I are taking it down. Once again we got to run the Crapsmen and 353 head to head... No big wood to test full bar cuts, but small wood to see how the top end of each saw is. Now its no longer any contest... the Husqvarna is 2 times faster than the Crapsmen. It screams where the Crapsmen wheezes. Its definately the saw I wanted my 353 to be.
I also brought out the 361 with a 16" bar, and 8 pin sprocket. Head to head against my 353 they were neck and neck... maybe a slight advantage to the 361 but honestly, we cut the same amount of wood in the same amount of time. For a woods comparison, I'd say it runs with the 361 in small wood with no sweat. This gives me hope that a skip or semi skip will give the 353 a boost in the bigger wood to allow the 353 to stay in the power band easier since its probably working with a lot less torque than the 361.
All in all, Im very impressed with the way my saw runs now. I mostly wanted it modded to work as a better bucket saw for taking down cottonwood trees. Its also a great joy to run, make people think twice about a 50cc saw and my first modded saw... so I am enjoying it and very glad Dean did such a good job on my saw. I almost want to mod some more saws... but I also want more saws... Oh well... Ill get back to cuttin and worry about that later
