husqvarna 372 parts/service question

[IyaMan]

Hello all,
I'm a new poster here but have read so much good info I decided to sign up.
Here's my deal: I live mainly in Japan, though I come to the US to visit family about every year. I live deep in the mountains, packed full of cedar. I have a small 35cc chainsaw I've been using years and it does fine for my basic firewood needs (not much hardwood here), OK for felling 16" base diameter or less and limbing/pruning, but I'm looking to upgrade in order to handle larger diameters with ease and to start milling boards, mostly in the 8-12" range and probably no wider than 13 or 14 inches. I'm looking towards a Husqvarna 372xp with 20" blade and an small Alaskan mill with rip chain.
But here's the rub: Husqvarna (and Stihl) in Japan are crazy expensive. As in, more than double price than the US for any model. So on my next trip to the US (probably this summer) I was going to get one there and bring it back with me. Yes, I know the warranty won't be valid in Japan, but I'll run it a bit in the US to be sure it works OK upon getting it, and I'm handy enough to be able to service most things myself.
However (and here's the real problem) the 372 is not offered in Japan. The Husqvarna Japanese webpage does not list this saw (or anything with the 70cc engine). It does list the "365 special" (says its 65.1cc at 4.6bhp, not 70.3cc) and they have the "576xp" (73.5cc) and a "560xp" (59.8cc, which I assume is the US 562xp). Therefore, getting parts may be a bit tricky as I may need them sent from the US (or get them when I visit).
So with this in mind, assuming the saw initially runs OK and is regularly cleaned/maintained, what would I need as far as parts to keep it serviced (I have no modification plans)? What would wear out quickest and what should I buy at the beginning (aside from extra chain)? What would I need to be careful of? Or is my idea to do this very unwise, and I should instead buy in Japan or at least get a saw that's available here? FYI, the MSRP in Japan for the 365 is $1900, the 560xp is $2050, and the 576xp is $2300 (and all have an additional 8% tax on top of that)!!!!
Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

[RedFir Down]

Hello and welcome.
I dont blame you one bit for buying a saw in the states and saving around $1000 especially since you dont make a living with it.

Since the 372 has been around for so long it really is a refined saw.
Other than grabbing an extra air filter, fuel filter and fuel line thats all I can think of really (plus if you need more you mentioned you visit about once a year). Other than those service parts I cant think of where a 372 fails prematurely and I have been in a hand full. You might keep an eye on the spark plug wire where it comes through the top cover though. With a good bit of use they tend to rub.

Im sure you already know but here are a few recommendations:
Learn how to and keep the saw tuned properly.
Always keep your chain sharp.
Keep up on your manitance.
If at all possible use NON Ethanol fuel (not sure if its available in Japan). If your fuel has ethanol dont store your saw with it and always use fresh mix (no older than say 60-90 days).
One other thing, I would mix my saw gas for that saw at 40:1 for general cutting and 32:1 if you do much milling.

Where abouts is your family at in the states?

 

[McPherson]

With that saw you can actually buy it piece by piece on ebay and have it shipped to your house, I wouldn't worry about parts!

 

[Mattyo]

Is buying parts on ebay an issue if you are Japan? If not, there are plenty of parts on the bay. Every single part on that saw is easy to obtain.

I stock piles of parts. Inevitably, I'm missing the one part I need for a rebuild. Its some unwritten rule.

Don't try to ask more of the saw than its good for. A little maintenance goes a long way. Keep it clean, keep the chain sharp, lots of bar oil, and if you are milling I'd consider 40:1 or 32:1 oil mix. This is always hard on a saw.

Best of luck!

 

[Whitty21]

Most of the 365 special parts will be identical as well, if you are in a crunch, you could order any body parts for a 365...

 

[Full Chisel]

A 365/372 should hold up to many years of use and even some abuse. They are built well and are easy to work on. I can't imagine you would need anything else besides for filters, plugs, chains and bars so long as you take care of it.

 

[IyaMan]

Hey guys, Thanks for the feedback and tips.

Yeah, one of the main reasons I'm going with the 372 is because its tried and tested, and people say it rarely lets them down. I'm pretty far out in the boondocks, but I know there's a Husky dealer about an hour and a half away if I need it. But like I said, the 372 isn't available here, so he may not be able to get the parts (but as Whitty21 said, the 365 is inter-changeable on many things).

Yes, ebay is totally doable in Japan, but again, I may need to have things shipped from abroad since the 372 isn't here, so that would be at the discretion of the seller (I've also done baton-pass shipping before, where I first have things sent to someone I know in the US, then having them send it to me here. This lets me bypass rules about international shipping that sellers are forbidden to do due to licensing and/or the fact that the same things are also sold in Japan, usually at a much higher price).

And thanks RedFirDown for the tips on maintenance. I haven't yet heard of the spark plug cover issue, so I'll keep an eye on that. As far as ethanol, Japan doesn't do that. Even though they import 100% of their oil, they also import most of their corn and sugar as well, so there's no point to doing it (and rice is too expensive to make cheap ethanol with, if that's even possible. So any rice distilling is limited to sake'. )

As far as the mix goes, that's good to know regarding the 32:1 for milling. But get this, running 2-cycle tools is so common in the little mountain town I live in that the solitary gas station here actually sells 50:1 from one of the pumps! Thats fine for my weed wacker and 35cc saw, but I plan to mix my own with the new Husky.

As I said, I'll be getting this sometime in the next few months when I'm back in the US, along with the mill, extra chains, and extra filters. A buddy and I just dropped two 20" base diameter cedars last week up above my place, and after they dry out for a while I plan to mill them in the late autumn into 10-12" boards. This wood will be used next year for a new floor in my house, which is actually a really old traditional farmhouse I've restored myself. Yeah, cedar is a bit soft for floors, but in Japan shoes aren't worn in a house and cedar is essentially free for me if I go get it myself.

And BTW, anyone have any idea why the 372 would not be available in Japan, especially since its such a popular saw for Husqvarna? Does it have emission issues or run dirtier than other huskies? Being that its not autotune, would that make it less clean?

Thanks again.

 

[IyaMan]

I dug around a bit more on Japanese sites including the Husqvarna Japan homepage and it seems that the 372 was sold in Japan previously, and it still is available through dealers as a special order import (though it runs at about $1300+). Also, lots of parts available though dealers and auction sites here for it as well.

I've read about the rumored 372 replacement (the fabled 572?) and maybe the fact that Husqvarna Japan has stopped stocking the 372 is a precursor to this? Anyone heard any more about discontinuing the 372 in the US? If so, I might want to hurry up and order my saw soon maybe...