New 346XP by Husqvarna!

[spike60]

Hi Spike!

How was breakfast? Pancakes with syrup? Just kidding…
Of course there is much irony in my previous post. I'm not trying to be euro-centric but I sure find this type of discussions with Americans very amusing, can’t deny that.

I still think it’s very different from market to market what people buy it that it must be some strong connection to the country and people living there. I have work with product development at Volvo Trucks who is also the owner of Mack Trucks.
If you compare the Volvo with the Mack, anybody can see there is a huge difference.
In the US, it’s merely impossible to sell a truck with the engine below the cabin. There must be a hood, otherwise zero sales. Gear selector shorter than 3 feet? forget it…I also think chainsaw users are quite conservative when it comes to new products. Look at all the judgments of the 575 and 441 before people have even tried them. 260 and 290 are far from best in their classes but still people buy them.

Wow Peter, that is creepy. I did have pancakes with syrup. I would almost never have that during the week, but the stuff was left over from the weekend when my brother and Godson came up. The little guy, (age 7 ), insisted on pancakes, and then only wanted 1 of them. So, I had "leftovers" for breakfast.

I know I can get defensive now and then, but posts that say "Americans in general" or "You Americans" are likely to trigger a spirited response from me.

You can't really generalize with a population this large. Many European countries are the size of one of our small states, with a population of one of our medium sized cities. With a unique language as well. Certainly, this would result in different perspectives of a good many issues. Our government has not chosen to tax fuel as excessively as many European countries have chosen to do. Therefore, we have a wider range of choices regarding what we drive. Is it silly for a guy who has no real need for a truck to drive an F-250 to work everyday? Yes. But it is just as silly for a guy to go to the lumber yard to pick up materials with an A class car.

It really all comes down to freedom and liberty. And in that regard, the USA, despite it's faults, is still the best place to live on this planet. I don't think that there are any people risking their lives in home made boats and such, trying to get into Sweden.

When governments and "groups" start trying to create rules and regulations that they think everyone should live by, they need to be careful about how far this momentum will go and where it will stop. If we start deciding what people will be allowed to drive, then we will start restricting how many miles peiople will be allowed to drive. I drive a full size Dodge to work everyday, but I only drive 8 miles. I'm using far less fuel than a person who drives 50 miles in a Honda Civic. So, who's "Greener"?

 

[rbtree]

Hi Spike!

In the US, it’s merely impossible to sell a truck with the engine below the cabin. There must be a hood, otherwise zero sales.

Not impossible, they are around, though I wish there were a more, as i'd like to have one....for compactness, and turn radius.

 

[peter399]

Wow Peter, that is creepy. I did have pancakes with syrup. I would almost never have that during the week, but the stuff was left over from the weekend when my brother and Godson came up. The little guy, (age 7 ), insisted on pancakes, and then only wanted 1 of them. So, I had "leftovers" for breakfast.

I know I can get defensive now and then, but posts that say "Americans in general" or "You Americans" are likely to trigger a spirited response from me.

You can't really generalize with a population this large. Many European countries are the size of one of our small states, with a population of one of our medium sized cities. With a unique language as well. Certainly, this would result in different perspectives of a good many issues. Our government has not chosen to tax fuel as excessively as many European countries have chosen to do. Therefore, we have a wider range of choices regarding what we drive. Is it silly for a guy who has no real need for a truck to drive an F-250 to work everyday? Yes. But it is just as silly for a guy to go to the lumber yard to pick up materials with an A class car.

It really all comes down to freedom and liberty. And in that regard, the USA, despite it's faults, is still the best place to live on this planet. I don't think that there are any people risking their lives in home made boats and such, trying to get into Sweden.

When governments and "groups" start trying to create rules and regulations that they think everyone should live by, they need to be careful about how far this momentum will go and where it will stop. If we start deciding what people will be allowed to drive, then we will start restricting how many miles peiople will be allowed to drive. I drive a full size Dodge to work everyday, but I only drive 8 miles. I'm using far less fuel than a person who drives 50 miles in a Honda Civic. So, who's "Greener"?

Good reply. I agree with the most you say. The US is the land of opportunity and freedom. Still, there are things I will never understand regarding the US.
The fact that at the age of 20 you are not allowed to by a beer, but no problem buying a 9mm ... that's strange .

I also think it's shame on such a rich country to produce 25% of the worlds green house gases (with 6% of the world's population). At least after witnessing what happened in New Orleans. I mean you must have the technology since you fly in space but still in some areas the US is really behind.

The number of refugees coming to Sweden by boat are very few yes I think Sawtroll and the other norwegian or finnish guys are quite happy where they are In Italy, Spain and France though, they are literally invading from the sea.

 

[Trigger-Time]

The fact that at the age of 20 you are not allowed to by a beer, but no problem buying a 9mm ... that's strange .

.

In the U.S. legally....age limit for a pistol or revolver is 21......shot-gun or rifle is 18.

 

[SawTroll]

This tread has been going down the drains for a while, this is not the "off the topic" forum............

 

[166]

As for saws... The only people that seem to give a damn about the "technology" are on AS, and a couple of other unmentionable sites. It's rare for a customer to ever ask me about performance, weight or technology... good or bad, old or new, and if they do it's usually a geek homeowner that just got educated on the internet and googled an AS thread by mistake.

This was from a few pages back but is very true.

Steve

 

[THALL10326]

This was from a few pages back but is very true.

Steve

You got that right. I've sold thousands of Stihls over the years, have yet to be asked about much of anything performance wise, vib wise or flitration. Prime example was yesterday. Young lady came in and bought a saw and trimmer for her hubby for fathers day. She wanted pro models but not nothing huge. I sold her a 361 and a FS110 trimmer. This morning her and her husband both walked in. He come to tell me he was delighted with the choices I made for his wife. I said I knew you would like them. He goes they were the ones I was looking at online. He came by just to say thanks and happy to meet me. Once again not a word about performance, vibe systems or filtration.

 

[SawTroll]

... Once again not a word about performance, vibe systems or filtration.

LOL - that's what Husky people want to talk about, not Stihl people......

:hmm3grin2orange: :hmm3grin2orange:


:help: I am cought in the middle......:help:

 

[Lakeside53]

LOL - that's what Husky people want to talk about, not Stihl people......

:hmm3grin2orange:


:help: I am cought in the middle......:help:

Drowning people clutching at straws...opcorn: opcorn: opcorn: opcorn: opcorn:

 

[bwalker]

It doesnt supprise me in the least that people buy based on brand loyalty/recognition rather than on perfromance, value, etc.......

 

[rreidnauer]

It doesnt supprise me in the least that people buy based on brand loyalty/recognition rather than on perfromance, value, etc.......

+1

Similar situation. I know people who are that way with a certain four letter word, motor vehicle manufacturer. They tell me all the problems they had, but yet, go right out and buy another of the same make.

 

[Lakeside53]

KIA only has three letters :monkey:

 

[THALL10326]

LOL - that's what Husky people want to talk about, not Stihl people......

:hmm3grin2orange: :hmm3grin2orange:


:help: I am cought in the middle......:help:

Awwwwwwwwwwww but while them Husky folks are doing all that talking the Stihl folks are selling. Rest assured Husky would rather everyone quit talking and start buying,:hmm3grin2orange: :hmm3grin2orange:


Alittle secret for ya Sawtroll. Friday morning I had a 346xp come in the shop. Chain break was locked and the man couldn't get the bar cover off to put his thrown chain back on. Needless to say performance means nothing when you can't use the product. I did however pry the dayumm thing off and get it back together. I asked him if I could take it for a spin in the log we have. He said sure, he was happy now that it was back together. I made several cuts and to my delight it is a performer, ran good, real good. High reving little saw, not much torque but the rpms made up for that. Would I like one , sure, good limbing saw no doubt about it. Will it out saw a 5100, no way. I seriously doult it will hang with my good ole broken in 026, it might. The saw was a joy to use however being so compact and lite. This new one coming out with 50cc should be alot of fun. I will indeed get one soon as Spike gets them in...

 

[SawTroll]

No real surprises there Tom, the 346xp originally was conceived as a limbing saw, not a saw for larger wood, and it sure is handier than the 5100S, but obviously have less power. No-one ever contested than, for stock saws, I believe.....

 

[THALL10326]

It doesnt supprise me in the least that people buy based on brand loyalty/recognition rather than on perfromance, value, etc.......

Ben there has to be a reason why there is such brand loyalty and I think the other day I found out why Stihl has such brand loyalty. Had a 046 and 044 both come in for work last week. They were owned by a tree service. Feller that brought them in says neither one run but look them over and see if they are worth fixing. I asked how much you want to put in them. He goes not much, they have been used everyday for the last 12 years and have paid for theirselves a 100 times over. He left and I took a look at them, both are way beyond a 100.00 fix. The piston on the 046, the skirt had wore down so thin it actually starting falling apart although the saw still had 140Lbs of
compression. The 044 needed crank bearings, both sides. I called the man and he goes naaaaaaaaaaaa forget it, they have done their job and we got many more, we'll just use those for odd and end parts. 12 years of constant running on a tree service is pretty durn good. Neither saw had ever been re-built before so I agree with the man, they've done their job. No doult getting 12 years out of them using them constantly week in and week out builds brand loyalty.

 

[THALL10326]

No real surprises there Tom, the 346xp originally was conceived as a limbing saw, not a saw for larger wood, and it sure is handier than the 5100S, but obviously have less power. No-one ever contested than, for stock saws, I believe.....

Well I'll make no bones about it, I liked it. The thing is so compact and lite and performance is very ample indeed.

 

[bwalker]

Ben there has to be a reason why there is such brand loyalty and I think the other day I found out why Stihl has such brand loyalty.

There sure is. Stihl made its reputation with its fine quality pro saws. Now,Harry home owner buys a 290 based in this earned reputation. The problem is a 290 isnt a Stihl pro saw or even close to it.
Now, I can say with some clarity that a 260 will not hang with a 346. I have ran both extensivly and when both are tuned properly the 346 bests the 260 in every performance parameter, uncluding torque.

 

[Cut4fun]

The woods ported 346 is another beast all together.
Especially the ones running around these parts. :jawdrop:

 

[Lakeside53]

I can't dispute that (where ge rep was earned) - same for Husky etc..
However, much as we'd like to see a different saw world, Harry isnt complaining about his 290 so the reputation earning continues...

 

[THALL10326]

There sure is. Stihl made its reputation with its fine quality pro saws. Now,Harry home owner buys a 290 based in this earned reputation. The problem is a 290 isnt a Stihl pro saw or even close to it.
Now, I can say with some clarity that a 260 will not hang with a 346. I have ran both extensivly and when both are tuned properly the 346 bests the 260 in every performance parameter, uncluding torque.

Ben can't help but notice you did not say a word about the man getting 12 years of constant use out of that 044 and 046. Not many tree outfits are buying 290's. Now heres the thing you miss. He got 12 years of constant use out of those two saws and he was very well satisfied. He will never buy a Husky and why should he, he's gotton proven work out of those saws. I'm not saying the pro Huskies won't last 12 years with everyday use, I'm saying he will never know because the Stihl's already has for him. He loyal to Stihl and can you blame him, no way. Most 290 owners use their saws on week ends for a hour and it does just fine for those users. Your not gonna get a 349.00 saw to last like a 800.00 saw, there is a reason for the 500.00 differance.

The 346 race, once again Ben you miss the point. The man can't get his break cover off for crying out loud, do you really think he cares about performance. Its the small things like that little issue that put performance dead last on the owners mind. Second fact trouble free performance is much better than fast performace with small problems. How do I know, look who has the brand loyalty..