Husqvarna 540i XP
- Thread starter KarlD
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What are you using it for?
I got one over the Summer cause no gas saws in that cc range were available locally.
I like it, but, in my world, it has a fairly specific niche. It's good for firewood, and it's good.for limbing.
It's good for brushing, but the stock .43 chain SUCKS when it gets rocked. I rocked out twice today, and minimum stroke was 10 per teeth, one needing 50 licks and some depth gague licks.
I've heard a couple folks switching to 3/8lp from one shop/dealer, but these things are gutless in a slash cut in
6" softwood, so I'm wary.
They certainly have their place. Ive pushed mine, intentionally at times, to its limits and beyond. It cant compare to a 242/543/024/026/350, etc. But I'm not selling mine anytime soon.
I got one over the Summer cause no gas saws in that cc range were available locally.
I like it, but, in my world, it has a fairly specific niche. It's good for firewood, and it's good.for limbing.
It's good for brushing, but the stock .43 chain SUCKS when it gets rocked. I rocked out twice today, and minimum stroke was 10 per teeth, one needing 50 licks and some depth gague licks.
I've heard a couple folks switching to 3/8lp from one shop/dealer, but these things are gutless in a slash cut in
6" softwood, so I'm wary.
They certainly have their place. Ive pushed mine, intentionally at times, to its limits and beyond. It cant compare to a 242/543/024/026/350, etc. But I'm not selling mine anytime soon.
We cut anything up to 12” with it. As you allude to it really needs the chain to be razor sharp; not rocked our chain yet but ouch…50 strokes on a tooth!!!
I guess we have started to favour it because we value comfort over productivity. It is so easy to communicate around this saw…no more idling noise is a huge plus for us when we have relatively small work sites. The low noise, low vibration and flick-ability of the saw are a joy and with two batteries it just keeps on going endlessly. Remembering to top the bar oil can be annoying until you get into the zone with the saw.
I tend to go from this to the 500i with a 25” bar.
I also get the sense that the saw is super robust…fingers crossed the batteries are too.
I guess we have started to favour it because we value comfort over productivity. It is so easy to communicate around this saw…no more idling noise is a huge plus for us when we have relatively small work sites. The low noise, low vibration and flick-ability of the saw are a joy and with two batteries it just keeps on going endlessly. Remembering to top the bar oil can be annoying until you get into the zone with the saw.
I tend to go from this to the 500i with a 25” bar.
I also get the sense that the saw is super robust…fingers crossed the batteries are too.
The noise factor is certainly a huge plus. I love the quiet idling. Once you get used to the whirring, that becomes less pronounced.
It does have decent balance in the hand, but the bulky battery area can sometimes get in the way when brushing or limbing overhead.
Some of my other issues with the saw, which I can't understand why yet, is that the chain loves to toss, no matter how sharp, how tight, or how even the rails of the bar are. It will toss both when catching twigs like a gas saw will, but it will also toss at random times making a solid, smooth cut.
Another issue is with how the clutch cover pulls material into it and then jams or clogs. I had both of these issues with brand new chains, before I made them more aggressive.
My unit also had the sprocket bolt come loose/out several times. Ground into the clutch cover three times. Took multiple rounds of blue thread lock before it held on. Hasn't happened since.
That 50 licks came from the chain tossing. Rolled back the top plate on one tooth and chipped the working edge. Two more sharpenings and it's almost back in profile. (We work in the dirt a lot of times, sometimes in rocks)
As far as robust....mine took a tumble down a nearly straight up and down hill over the summer, at least 200 vertical feet, possibly more, down into a dry creekbed full of rocks (not small but not rip-rap.) It hit trees and stuff.on the way down.
The battery didn't puncture (talk about a fire hazard in the dry!!), nor did the saw case. Only thing I noticed was the battery doesn't seat as firmly as it did before, though it's not sliding out on its own anymore.
I'm interested to see where the technology leads. I'd love to see a 70-90cc saw equivalent, 80 volt or something.
It does have decent balance in the hand, but the bulky battery area can sometimes get in the way when brushing or limbing overhead.
Some of my other issues with the saw, which I can't understand why yet, is that the chain loves to toss, no matter how sharp, how tight, or how even the rails of the bar are. It will toss both when catching twigs like a gas saw will, but it will also toss at random times making a solid, smooth cut.
Another issue is with how the clutch cover pulls material into it and then jams or clogs. I had both of these issues with brand new chains, before I made them more aggressive.
My unit also had the sprocket bolt come loose/out several times. Ground into the clutch cover three times. Took multiple rounds of blue thread lock before it held on. Hasn't happened since.
That 50 licks came from the chain tossing. Rolled back the top plate on one tooth and chipped the working edge. Two more sharpenings and it's almost back in profile. (We work in the dirt a lot of times, sometimes in rocks)
As far as robust....mine took a tumble down a nearly straight up and down hill over the summer, at least 200 vertical feet, possibly more, down into a dry creekbed full of rocks (not small but not rip-rap.) It hit trees and stuff.on the way down.
The battery didn't puncture (talk about a fire hazard in the dry!!), nor did the saw case. Only thing I noticed was the battery doesn't seat as firmly as it did before, though it's not sliding out on its own anymore.
I'm interested to see where the technology leads. I'd love to see a 70-90cc saw equivalent, 80 volt or something.
I have the top handle 536 and this clogging of the sprocket cover (no clutch) is a problem for most anything but a cross cut in sizeable stuff. I think they did improve on some of my other complaints, but the price is higher.
What do you mean by sprocket bolt? Mine has a snap ring to hold the sprocket and a washer like things on. The Makita sprockets have the same inner bore dimensions and are wider than the Husky sprocket even replacing both washer thing and the sprocket. A little work with a curt off wheel on a dremel can thin that sprocket at the snap ring. I am not sure those flats that power the sprocket are really sizeable enough. Look at what a splined rim uses.
