My first impressions of the 346xp

[sawinredneck]

Well thats going extreme but possible, can't argu that. Most scuffed Stihl's that still ran always ran till they heated up and then quit. Had a ole boy bring me a 029 last week saying it runs about 3 minutes and just stops. I pulled the rope and felt that sticky feeling and said she's junk. He goes what. I said ya heard me, its junk, cylinder is shot. He goes how you figure that. I yanked the muffler and what a mess. I popped the fuel cap guess what we found, 100% pure gas. He was going off because he had loaned the saw to his buddy or so he claimed. Seems everytime I see a saw with pure gas its always been loaned to a buddy,lolololol

His name wasn't Tallon was it

 

[THALL10326]

Thank you, in an odd way that helped!!! I know this saw is supposed to run better than this, that is what I am trying to figure out!!!
Andy

Hell yanking the muffler is a 5 minute job Andy, no biggie. Turn those carb screws out and try it. If it doesn't improve have a look see at the piston. I'm betting the adjustments will help you out though.

 

[THALL10326]

His name wasn't Tallon was it

LOLOL, no wasn't Talon. The ole boy was ticked that he'd been racking his head trying to figure out what was wrong and I told him in 2 seconds,lolol.

 

[sawinredneck]

Hell yanking the muffler is a 5 minute job Andy, no biggie. Turn those carb screws out and try it. If it doesn't improve have a look see at the piston. I'm betting the adjustments will help you out though.

I know Tom, I will pull it off first, just cause. Then I will work on the carb and richen it up and see how she runs.
Thanks again Tom and Ben
Andy

 

[THALL10326]

I know Tom, I will pull it off first, just cause. Then I will work on the carb and richen it up and see how she runs.
Thanks again Tom and Ben
Andy

You'll get it going the way ya want it, I gots faith in ya. Reminds me, had a guy come in today carring a cylinder off a 024 that he claimed he loaned to a buddy, all scuffed up. Told him the price of a new one and guess what, looks like I got a free 024 coming,LOL. He said hell I'll just buy a new saw. I said good, I'll take that junker off your hands. He goes you want it, I said heck yeah, I'll toss some money in it. He goes cool, I'll being it in to ya. So ya see Andy it tant no biggie, saws are dime a dozen so chill out..

 

[sawinredneck]

You'll get it going the way ya want it, I gots faith in ya. Reminds me, had a guy come in today carring a cylinder off a 024 that he claimed he loaned to a buddy, all scuffed up. Told him the price of a new one and guess what, looks like I got a free 024 coming,LOL. He said hell I'll just buy a new saw. I said good, I'll take that junker off your hands. He goes you want it, I said heck yeah, I'll toss some money in it. He goes cool, I'll being it in to ya. So ya see Andy it tant no biggie, saws are dime a dozen so chill out..

I am chilled, just trying to figure it out, like I said, it didn't ssem right, and I am feeling better now that this is NOT how it should run, so that makes me feel a lot better!!!
Andy

 

[SawTroll]

.... And though not a fair comparison, after running the 262, it was a bit of a dissapointment. ...

You never should have rid yourself of the 262xp....:monkey: :hmm3grin2orange: :hmm3grin2orange:

 

[SawTroll]

The problem with quote post-porting like and dislikes is that only 1/1000th of a percent does it! Ratios are slightly higher on AS, but... my point is that for most people, stock performance is all that matters.

Very good point!

 

[SawTroll]

.... The 16" is really the best fit IMO, but if I want to cut down on reaching or have a few bigger than optimal cuts, I'll run the 20"with 95VP .325. Can't imagine it pulling 3/8 LG as some have mentioned, ....

I suspect that the narrow kerf 95VP/H30 is the very best (fastest) chain on a stock 346xp in hardwood, as it is on the 353, and probaly lots of other 3 cube and smaller saws.....:biggrinbounce2:

It is a semi-chisel chain, but the corners are narrower than on other semi-chisel.

Another thing; I am pretty sure I have read several times that it is worth a try to set the 346 at about 14200 rpm, not 14700....

 

[Engineeringnerd]

I've had great success with the 95VP. Very smooth in the cut and sharpens very nicely with a file, although I usually use my grinder when I get home.

I bought my 346xp for limbing and small cuts, and for this work the anti-kickback of the 95VP is valuable. May not throw softball sized chunks at your feet, but it cuts really fast in the sub-14" stuff.

I'm going to do some searching to see if anyone has compared the 346 and 5100 across the whole spectrum of wood sizes with various chain types. I would find it very interesting if the 346 cut faster in small lumber than the 5100 and where the 5100 takes over. We may find that each saw has it's sweet spot with a specific set-up, or we may find the 5100 takes the cake in all tests or vise versa. In any case it still seems extreme to ask any 50cc saw to try and pull 18+ inch lumber on a regular basis instead of using a bigger saw like the 372 or 7900. Sounds like most of us aren't having to make a "one saw" decision, so why not spread the joy to all our toys?!

I test equipment at work, kind of like consumer reports, and would love to design a torture test for the two saws to gauge performance and durability over a simulated couple of years of cutting. Anybody have some brand new saws/chains they want to donate and $10,000 for fixturing to really solve this issue once and for all?

 

[Engineeringnerd]

Andy,

I had another thought. Maybe a local shop has a way to load your saw so you can make adjustments while under a controlled load. Never seen such a thing, but surely it exists. Compression check might be good as well.

 

[SawTroll]

... the anti-kickback of the 95VP is valuable. May not throw softball sized chunks at your feet, but it cuts really fast in the sub-14" stuff.
..

Just to set it streight, the anti-kickback feature of the 95VP is the same as on the 20- and 70-series LP, just a small ramp directly in front of the raker, combined with a narrow raker.
It does not have bumper tie-straps, which is a completely different story.
This combination does not take up much more space than the wide, somewhat "bullet-shaped"/rounded off rakers of the LG, RS, RSC, RM etc.

 

[manual]

It's not like that manual, I do like the saw, it is intended to replace my 350 and will usually only see wood aound 16". I intentionly overloaded it, I have seen the vids and was curious. That saw is not meant for what I was cutting and I know that, my 046 would have chewed through that stuff like nothing. My point was I expected a little more of a powerband than all or nothing. I wanted something light and fast, which it is both of those, now I just need to refine my technique a LOT to use the saw properly. And though not a fair comparison, after running the 262, it was a bit of a dissapointment. I think as I play with it it will come into its own though. I think it's mostly me, not the saw. If you can't tell, I am not that good with tact and finnesse
Andy

Don't be dissapointed, take a look at the piston size, and horse power.
Just let the saw do the work,

BTW In general the Husky's I have played with have more torque than their Stihl counter part. This applies to the 372 vs the 440 and the 346 vs. the 260. People mistake the high pitched exhaust note of a Husky for lack of torque. Fact is a Stihl can be reving just as high, but it doesnt sound like it because the exhaust not has a lower pitch.

Ben hit the nail right on the head.

 

[SawTroll]

I suspect that the 4-channel Huskys saws keep the torque better up above the max power rpms than their 2-channel Stihl counterparts, but I have no real proof of it.......

 

[blis]

I suspect that the 4-channel Huskys saws keep the torque better up above the max power rpms than their 2-channel Stihl counterparts, but I have no real proof of it.......

you might be on to something, but we cant really tell unless we see some graphs...

 

[bwalker]

I suspect that the 4-channel Huskys saws keep the torque better up above the max power rpms than their 2-channel Stihl counterparts, but I have no real proof of it.......

The 4 duct transfers are whats responsible for husky's having a wider power spread and more torque.

 

[manual]

The 4 duct transfers are whats responsible for husky's having a wider power spread and more torque.

Now for the big Question.



Why ?

 

[Freakingstang]

Now for the big Question.



Why ?

Air flow.....can't make power without it

 

[blis]

Air flow.....can't make power without it

too much air makes cylinders cry...

 

[manual]

Air flow.....can't make power without it

How about the indruduction, mixture, or swirl effect.