Chain Saw for Cutting Bow Wood

[72highboy]

I would buy a Sthil if I were you. In my opinion they are the best saw out there. Usually with the Husky you will get a little bit more horsepower for the same weight and displacement saw, but I feel that you give up alot in reliability and maintaince for the that extra power to weight ratio. I was on a Hotshot crew fighting fire for the Forest Service in the summers for six years and we always ran Stihls. Those saws went through hell and always kept running like top. I am now a forester in Northern CA and regularly deal with professional loggers and they almost always run Stihls. Lastly, I would kind of look at like buying a Husky is like shooting a compound and a Stihl is more like a good reliable longbow.

[indianalongbowshooter]

Husqvarna, faster, quieter, lighter and theyve worked all the old bugs out. Go pick a Sthil up then a Husky, big difference in weight for same size saws.Sthil are good saws but they wear you out, all the loggers around here use Husqvarnas..Huskys feel better balanced also. Ive got a 455 Ranch hand 20 in. bar and a 137 w/16 in. bar, for cutting bow wood Id go with the 137, its almost as fast as the 455 and will cut mose Osage youll want to cut..

[JBiorn]

I have cut a lot of trees and a lot of pipe with all sorts of saws. The Husky's always outperform and outlast the others. Johns' Red being a notable exception---of course they are built in the same factory.

[John Scifres]

Thanks for all the input.  I really was set on the Stihl until I picked up the Husky.  It is 25% lighter.  The one or two times I used a Stihl for most of a day, I ended up with one arm longer and a killer backache  

[ksbowman]

I have a Husky 350 and couldn't be happier.Nice and light,cuts great,starts excellent and plenty of power.It comes with a 16" bar,but has the option of the 18",thats what I got a few years ago and haven't looked back.If I ever get another it will be a Husky again.  Ben

[Swanny in MD]

John - you might take a peek at the Husky 338xpt (high rpm).  I use one for my business (in combination with a 460 bored out Stihl)and love it for stuff you mention - it's lightweight and you can one-arm it easily.  You don't need more than a 14" bar for what you are doing either.

I've made money with both Stihl and Husky for many many years and think they are probably equal - had some models in both that I didn't exactly care for.

[Widowbender]

I  have been around forestry and logging for 20 years. I have used and owned both Stihl and husqvarna saws. You won't go wrong with either saw, I've had great service with both brands. I would see who has the best service in your area. One saw or another may feel or balance better in your hands, so thats something to look at. just about everybody has the antivibe and safety features now. BTW one of the best saws I ever used was a jonsered 290 (it was one of the saws that belonged to the college I attended)...but nobody carries them in my area anymore.

[IB]

Electrolux LTD is the parent CO. for Husky..Johnny Red and yes Stihl..All internal components are made at one factory and for the most part interchange. 15 years as a dealer I would tell ya get the best price and service. Go with the one that FEELS BEST to you.(Most Comfortable) Their all APPLES  

[Holm-Made]

I have 2 Huskys that I use for log work.  No experiance with Stihl.  The 345 and 350 Huskys are home owner caliber.  I have the 345 and paid about 250.00 for it.  I wouldn't recommend it.  For an extra 150.00 I like my Rancher 55.  It still is not a professional saw (about 600.00 for a pro saw) but a good saw for 400.00.  The Rancher is more reliable and has an extra 10cc which would be nice for osage.  The Rancher 55 comes with a 20" bar.  Buy a 18" you'll like it better.  Chad


   

[dino]

I think they are both great saws.  Can't really go wrong with either, but two things really sold me on husky.

1. The husky is lighter.  At the end of the day your body with thank you.

2. I have a friend who treats his chain saws like crap and I mean it.  He totally destroyed two Stihls is about 6 to 7 years.  Not bad tools, he just mistreats them and destroyed them.  He bought a husky and has had it 5 years now and not treating it any differently than the Stihls that he destroyed.  Impressed me.
dino

[Pat B]

I've had 2 Stihl saws, an old 028 and now a FarmBoss029. I have used them to cut firewood mostly for the last 30 years. I have cut red and white oaks up to 24" in diameter. I always get the longest blade the saw will handle. If I had to buy another, it would be another Stihl.    pat

[Aram]

Either will do an excellent job. If you get a chance would be great to try cutting a log with each. I had the chance to use both and it's Stihl all the way for me. I liked the lightness of the Husky until I started cutting with it. My joints (wrist/ elbow/ shoulder) complained right away. I actually like the extra weight of the Stihl as I believe it absorbs some of the "shock". Also the teeth are spaced differently. I believe the Husky's are bigger and further appart (???) or maybe it just felt that way (=rougher). If you don't get a chance to cut with them both, most stores will let you start them and hold them while running. It could also give you a feeel on the vibration.

[JBiorn]

The teeth are all about chain---not saw manufacturer. I suggest a good Oregon chain for everyday use-----or we could talk about Sandvik chain.
 Are you going to be doing any ripping with your saw?

[dino]

JBiorn is right: The teeth are all about the chain.  I have a local guy make my chains.  I can't remember for the life of me what they are but the are far better than the stock husky chains. dino

[onemississipp]

Warranty is something you might look at also,
Stihl gives 1 year personal use, husky gives 2 years, both give 90 days in the pro.

[Otto]

My wife likes the Stihl.

I have no preference.  I just like to watch her cut firewood.

[philil]

I'm studying forestry here in Germany and talked to a lot of people about their preferences when it comes to chainsaws.
I guess it's like comparing Morrisons with  Blacktails    

It all comes down to personal preference. Technically seen, you can't go wrong with Stihl or Husky.

Funny thing: older guys seem to prefer Stihls...they are made around here and there are a lot of shops that sell them.

I'd probably go with the one that has the closest dealer in case you need service or replacement parts!

Take care, have fun.
phil

[Adam Keiper]

I've had a Stihl MS 250C for a few years and like it.  I cut a several cords of firewood a year on top of osage.  I've also gotten tied up with cutting up two massive 4' diameter oaks in my yard over the last few years.  (Weekend upon weekend of work.)

I looked at the Huskies and the Stihls.  From a layman's standpoint, the plastic choke/kill switches on the Huskies seemed really cheesey.  I worried if they used such blatantly flimsy parts there, what did they put inside?  That turned me off right away.  I consulted a local Stihl dealer about choosing a saw.  He steered me towards either the MS250C for the firewood cutting needs I described or a model slightly smaller.  He cautioned that the saws (and many gas powered tools) sold in the large home stores are not the same as what dealers carry.  Evidently the home store stuff is made with cheaper parts and include a discrete "Service Life = xx hours" label on the sticker, after which the manufacturer considers the saw's engine/parts life over and the saw disposible.  (I checked some saws, weed wackers, and other lawn tools in a few of the box stores.  Seems true, with 50-100 hour lifespans called out.)  Anyway, I bought the MS 250C with an 18" bar.  No problems so far beyond a couple times not starting in really cold or really hot temps, and the spark plug wire connection to the rubber boot stinks.  (Just a J-hook runs from the spring inside the rubber boot to the wire, so if you pull the boot off too hard to clean the plug, you yank the J-hook right out of the wire.  It's tough to get it back in.)  I really like the built in twist lock chain tensioner built onto the side of the saw.  Super easy to snug the chain up.  No hunting or messing with a wrench or boogered nuts.  I've used the Stihl many times all day and don't have any trouble with the slightly heavier weight as an old geezer might.  ;^)

My father-in-law has a comparable Husky.  He likes that it's lighter and made with the soft rubber dampener pads.  I honestly dislike the gummy handling of the Husky, as it gives me a sensation that I don't have full command of the saw.  It seems akin to ripping around a bend in a Buick with a soft ride instead of an Audi with a stiff suspension.  Maintenance wise, his Husky has been pretty much on par with my Stihl.

For sub 16" osage, I think the same MS 250C with an 18" bar would be a great choice.

[NightHawk]

John,

 We have stihl chainsaws at work and they are a piece of crap!!! I wouldn't own one they just don't seem to hold up to hard use. We use them to cut the telephone poles into pieces when we replace a pole. They have a hard time working when you turn them sideways, gum up alot and are hard to start, which is a pain in the butt when your 40 feet in the air standing on a pair of hooks. Check with some of the tree billies also get yourself a good pair of kevlar chaps for cutting.
  I personally have a poulan pro, I bought to demo the house. I really like it  

[Minuteman]

(Ya'll have to take Nighthawks comments with the understanding that he owns a POULAN!)
 Nighthawk, ya'll DO need to perform maintenance on saws ya know. Any piece of equipment that isn't maintained properly will seem like its junk . Now Be nice and don't make all us Stihl chainsaw owners come up there and cut down the telephone pole yer attached to!
 Chainsaws are for trees, sawzalls are for demo!