Saw Recommendation

[Typhoon]

Welcome! I have a firewood business that I run during the cold months here. I have 3 saws. A Husky 346xp and 2 Husky 350's. I cannot say enough about both of these models. The 346 would probably be more than you want to spend, but you can grab a 350 for 250.00 probably, and I must say, this is the most reliable saw I have ever ran. Tons of power for its size, and is very light. Also, it produces less vibration than any other saw that Husky makes. I run 18" GB Pro-Top bars on all of my saws, and they run them great. I recommend an 18" bar for your particular uses. Also, make 100% sure you have chaps, a helmet with ear protection, and leather work gloves. I have only been cutting seriously for about 5 years, but in just that amount of time, I have nicked my chaps a couple times barely with the chain, and I am very careful. Its bound to happen if you cut alot. Good luck in your purchase.

 

[aaanold]

It really does appear to be a toss-up between the Stihl and Husky in the consumer models that I am considering. I was hoping there would be an obvious favorite amongst the majority, but not so.

I am leaning towards the Husky at this point because it is less expensive and has a better warranty.

Also, I think a 16" bar will be adequate (and safer) for a novice such as myself.

I guess I have narrowed it down to the 345 and the 350. Other than 5 ccs, are there any other significant differences between the two models?

 

[Husky372]

i hated my 350 if i where you i would spend an extra hundred and get the 346 sweet saw well worth the extra money. dont know anything about the 345.

 

[aaanold]

Husky 372,

Why did you hate the 350 so much? My budget is $300. What else would you recommend??

 

[Lawn Masters]

I thought the low profile 3/8ths chains were longer than conventional 3/8 pitch. I'd have thought them to be a .380 or so. could be wrong there.

 

[Husky372]

it used to clog all the time which then i would have to take side cover off and clean and it bogged down all the time. thing made me mad and i wound up just using my 372 instead. till i made a trade with dan henry on a couple saws and i got this power ported 346 awsome little saw. i can imagine it is still better than the 350 if it weren't. so save an extra hundred and get the 346 or you might not even have to spend 400 for it online. i just know i hated the 350

 

[Wolfcsm]

See if you can try the 345 at the dealers. It might be the saw to work with.

Hal

 

[glens]

Originally posted by oldsaw-addict
I thought the low profile 3/8ths chains were longer than conventional 3/8 pitch. I'd have thought them to be a .380 or so. could be wrong there.

WTF?!  What I do when I don't believe a couple of people who've posted with what they believe to be accurate self-gathered data is try what they were talking about to see for myself.  Hell, I posted an image of a page from Stihl's literature which showed the specific pitch for crying out loud...

Believe it or not; but you're "wrong" if you don't.

Glen

 

[Doug01]

IMO I don't know why anyone would pick the 345 over the 350. I like my 350. It did bog some when I got it but got better and opening the muffler made a big difference. All I run on mine is a 16 inch bar.

Doug

 

[Typhoon]

I can almost guarantee that you will love the 350. For the money, it is a hard saw to beat. Husky372 didnt like his because it clogged and bogged alot. It sounds to me as if he was trying to push the saw too hard.. maybe expecting it to perform better than it actually will. I have used 2 350's for 2 years solid now and not once have either of them clogged, and the only way you are going to bog one is to try and push it beyond its limits. Fact is, the 350 has great low-end torque, revs out real nice on the top end (very smooth), standard chain is narrow-kerf (research this and you will find that this particular type of chain is very fast), and is just an all around great saw. I have experience with the 350, 346xp, 357xp, 385xp, stihl ms260, ms290, 066 and 088. (A wide range of sizes) and I can tell you, for its size, its hard to beat. But again, that is just my opinion. Try one out for yourself.
-Brad

 

[Typhoon]

Oh and one more thing... along time ago, RJS told me something, and sure enough it was true. The fact is, yes the 346xp is slightly more powerful. But unless you have used both saws extensively, the average user is not going to notice much of a difference. And if 300.00 is your budget, then the 346 is out of the question anyways. I have been using both for a long time now and I notice a slight difference. But as far as using them, I use both the same amount.
If you end up getting one,the best 25.00 you can spend is putting a GB Pro-Top bar on it. Contact Jeff Sikkema for details.
www.snssawshop.com
Good luck!
-Brad

 

[HappyHack]

I recently cut with a new Husky 340, and it is a really smooth running saw. I would not rule this one out with a 16" bar it's a slick saw and a good value. More horse power is always good, but a sharp chain vs. a dull chain will make all the difference in the world. Keep it sharp!

Go to a Husky dealer and try a few out. As others stated, buy chaps, ear and eye saftey gear. Good luck tell us what you get!

 

[Husky372]

Originally posted by Typhoon
I can almost guarantee that you will love the 350. For the money, it is a hard saw to beat. Husky372 didnt like his because it clogged and bogged alot. It sounds to me as if he was trying to push the saw too hard.. maybe expecting it to perform better than it actually will. I have used 2 350's for 2 years solid now and not once have either of them clogged, and the only way you are going to bog one is to try and push it beyond its limits. Fact is, the 350 has great low-end torque, revs out real nice on the top end (very smooth), standard chain is narrow-kerf (research this and you will find that this particular type of chain is very fast), and is just an all around great saw. I have experience with the 350, 346xp, 357xp, 385xp, stihl ms260, ms290, 066 and 088. (A wide range of sizes) and I can tell you, for its size, its hard to beat. But again, that is just my opinion. Try one out for yourself.
-Brad

i know how to run a saw, and i wasn't trying to make it do anything that it should of had a problm with. i found it to be a piece of junk and was glad to be rid of it. i would spend the extra and get a 346 wich i find to be just one awesome little saw but it has been power ported so i really have no idea what it's like stock.