I run a Husky 371xp w/ a 20" bar. And drive a Toyota. In Iraq, I had to clear a field for field of vision using a Stihl. Mortars came in & it was totalled. No questions asked, Stihl sent me a replacement.
So you're saying you got a Husq, and as a good samaritan, this is Stihl who sent you a replacement ? Nice Stihl employee here, but I guess he needs to read the memo a few more times.
Ive been cutting old growth in the Pacific Northwest for 24 years, and I have ran both brands. I currently run stihls, but i have well over a decade of running Huskys under my belt. Husky 394s, 395s, 385s, 390s. STIHL 066, MS660, 661, 500I. ive found the people that are worried about the brand are generally more knowledgeable about the saws specs than how to use them. Local dealer is definitely a big factor in which brand to run. Unfortunately, my local dealers for both brands retired so now i have to order everything from madsens, which is ok. Running non ethanol gas, high end 2 cycle mix, cleaning your saw weekly, changing you plug and fuel filter once a month, cleaning your air filter daily, and knowing how to grind square ground chain and rakers is a far bigger factor for professional cutters than which brand. Running non ethanol gas goes a long ways in the huskys. Lots of rubber components that get deteriorated from the ethanol gas and get spongy and crack. Air leaks. Both will get the job done long as you have enough CCs.
Facts! Over the last 30 years, I’ve run MANY different models of both Husky and Stihl…some of them were great saws, some of them were crap. I’ve never noticed that one brand is superior to another…but I have found that I prefer tried and true models to new models that haven’t had the bugs worked out yet. That being said, when husky replaced the 272 with the 371, I got one right away and to date that has been my favorite saw…I haven’t found anything that’s worked as well for me yet!
I use to run Stihl and Husqvarna, but only run huskys now due to an ownership change with my local Stihl dealer, service was shit and getting parts from them was difficult, kept my older Stihls and source parts for them from outside suppliers
I've been a Stihl guy and a Dodge guy for many years now, and I got a good laugh from the "ribbing" you gave us Dodge folk....I appreciate good natured humor like that, keep up the great channel, good advice and friendly jousting!😊
@@chocolateface8664 Hey! You are right about the trucks but not the saws! I have 3 Ford Trucks spanning 3 gens and 3 Stihl Saws Spanning 15 years. They only get ruined when they get stolen.
I've ran both saws myself. I've always had better luck with Stihls. But the thing is with people on showing which is faster is that one of the two has a dull chain. So I'm not going to put down either one because I may have to use it. What I'm saying is. My favorite saw and car or truck is the one that gets the job done.
I’m a cattle rancher not a logger, but Iv had my husky 8 years now and 2 years ago I was working on a fence in the mountains and I forgot where I stashed it. Finally found it last week put gas in it this morning and it fired up on the third stroke just like it did when I sat it down. Good enough for me:)
I’m just a homeowner cutting 6 cords of firewood a year. My local dealer sells Echo, now I bought 2 from him and I was pleased with the price and the way they run. I also own a Jonsered and a Husky which were my father-in-law’s before he passed away. I like them all for different things.
I worked with and on both makes, both saws are great saws, the vairables that make how well saws perform are often due to fuel quality & mix, atmospherics. Then of course the saw operator and the mechanic who services and repairs them. My favorite saw ever was a Husky 266 that was in the mid eighties. Whatever make, it has to be better than a two man cross cut and axe which my grandad used 🤔
still have my 266 and 272. Had a compression release installed on the 272 and I have no problem with starting. 32 in bar and I don't have to bend over.
I started on a 254 in the 80s. They were good saws but when the weather got over 90° they were hard to start. Dealer told us to use aviation fuel because of vapor lock. May have helped a little but when the weather got hot we grabbed the Stihls.
@@WilsonForestLands We have the opposite issue with snow. Stihl does not like powdery snow all that much, but the newer models have gotten better about that.
I live in Texas, and my first professional saw was the Husqvarna 266xp. Absolute dog water with heat soak issues. Currently have four Echos, one Husqvarna, and one Stihl. I wish Husqvarnas ran on restart in the heat, because they are the fastest everything else being equal. Husqvarna heat soak is a thing, and there is some kind of design flaw.
Ran a 266 back in the mid 80s which was a bit faster than the 041 I was running at the time, I finally settled on the 044 which had better torque. Now I run a smattering of 3 brands depending on which model of which brand fitting the ccs to the task at hand from 25cc up to 92cc.
It's nice to have a local dealer, we have one who's great and reliable and another who's hit and miss. My opinion is both are pretty comparable and reliable and there is always a lemon if it's man made. It runs down to how you take care of your machine and how sharp you keep your chain. I've bought a lot of old vintage saws that were never cleaned. Pretty sad how most won't take the time to clean their saw after using it.
Pretty much. Ran a Stihl for several years because that's what my father used (felling contractor). Switched to Husky in a fit of annoyance when that saw died. Bought a new Husky decades later when the saw shop told me they couldn't get points for the old saw. (They lied - electronic kits are available.) New Husky was a lemon, shop was never able to fix the hard starting problem. Saw died young and I now run a Stihl again from a different shop. Several of my neighbours run the same model Huskys with no problems. Just the luck of the dice, I guess. Used to consider anything with less than a 20" bar as something for shaving. I've recently learned that a 16" Makita electric is a really, really useful tool for a home gamer (5 treed acres). Life is strange.
Eastern retired logger here. Stile vs. Husky. When I started out, I was 18. I knew the basics of chainsaws, and I ran one on our farm for years for firewood. But I was far from a logger. I walked into the Stihl dealership. I was never greeted. I checked a couple of saws, trying to decide which model to buy. Finally, the store owner looked at me annoyed. "What do you want kid?" I explained I was looking for a saw to find work as a logger. He just shook his head and went back to working on a customer's saw. So I drove across the street (literally). I walked in and went over to the Husqvarna saws. I wasn't there. Three minutes later, a guy came over and asked if he could help me. I explained what I was looking for. He took me outside and had me try out 4 different models. He explained the options and differences of each model. Twenty minutes later, I owned the first of many Husqvarna saws from them. He also sold me my first helmet and chaps. While loading things into my truck, the Stihl dealer was watching me. I waved and laughed. I never owned a Stihl. Regarding the long bar, I had an 18" for years until I worked with an old timer who used a 28. I asked why. He handed me the saw. "Find out for yourself." At the end of the day, I ordered two 28" bars and chains from Baileys.
I bought an used and not oiling bar Stihl 462C. figured out oiler broke so went to 3 stihl dealers in my area to order genuine oem part to keep quality going... one after another forgot about me... one didnt even contacted me 1y later.. I had to buy that part made of chinesium from amazon.. temporarly at first but it seems I just cant get any freaking parts for it anywhere. Stihl wont sell to me directly.. I asked. almost begged! So looked around and guess what chainsaw maker sells parts to end consumer? I will never buy another stihl in my life! Who the hell can wait for months for a stupid part? Guess dealers are more interested to sell you their service than parts.
So long story short, the guy at Stihl dealer didn’t jump over the counter, jerk your pants off, and shlobb your knob in less the 0.6 seconds, you have carried a sore spot for all these years? Poor thing. I know the feeling. Everytime I drive past a Stihl dealer my weewus pops up, and I cry just a little inside. Then I pop in over at Husky for some service. 😂
This is all on the dealer, our local shop is both husky and Stihl. So I order parts for both brands there with same people but husky parts take at least 3-5 times longer. I can usually have an Stihl part in 2-4 days.
This guy is on the money. Well handled. I have to cut cedars in the Hill Country and big Oaks in East Texas. My four Stihl chainsaws are reliable and tough as nails. My father-in-law’s Husky has the hard start problems as well. I like the idea of having a Husky also but I got tired of watching folks trying to start one. I have a 15 year old Toyota Tundra!
Perfect balance of sensible reason, simple humor, a professional opinion based on experience. You didn’t waste my time and you hooked me quick- I’m subscribing.
There’s something to be proud of. 🙄 that guy made a fortune with mediocre falling talent and the uncanny ability to make overweight middle aged men feel important again. He’s a marketing wiz and he’s laughing all the way to the bank every time he gets a merch order. Follow on…
@hkfan4596 I think he's very arragent, that turns me off. Reading comments on his videos, most slobber over him like he's a God, that turns me off even more.
I run castor 927 in all of my husqvarna 2 stroke equipment and it removed alot of my problem plus it smells so good. I ran out of mix one day and just happened to have it mixed 50:1 for my atv so I used it and have never went back. Equipment starts great and the motor outlasts everything else. I have been using that mix in a weed eater now for 20 years without problems. By the way I also use it in my stihl saws to without issue.
Agree about the dealer support. Both Stihl and Husky are equally good. My only complaint is the ergonomics of Stihl saws. They feel awkward for some reason to me and vibrate more. Husky just seems to be smoother in the vibe dept to me as well. But I would not hesitate to go with Stihl if the dealer was better. I am lucky to have a great Husky dealer close. In the end run what you like and be happy. Because either will get the job done.
I run Stihl, Husquvarna and Jonsered when I used to cut timber and found all of them was great saws and all of them was bad saws as well. The saw that feels good in your hands and that you can get good dealer support is the saw you should run!
I bought a 026 30 years ago, it is still running strong,have an18 inch bar on it. My new saw is a MS 461,has a 25 in. bar and a 36.I am extremely satisfied with both.
I have my late father's 026, and it only recently gave me some problems starting, but it may be my fault with the fuel. I'll repair it and keep going. My dad bought it in 1991. I bought an excellent used MS 260 pro and it runs excellent. I also bought an 066 magnum red eye that only recently gave me problems. Great saws, but I recognize that there are a few other quality brands available.
Similar experience to me. I started with a Husky almost a decade ago. Had starting issues occasionally, which were really annoying, and had to replace a few parts here and there. Bought a Stihl last year and it's been very good to me so far. No starting issues, too soon to tell how it'll hold up though.
I also feel that the 32” bar is a good around combo. Especially since Stihl started making their light weight bars. That was a game changer for me. Way less back troubles and I’m getting older! The new Stihl 500i with a light bar is an awesome combo! My favorite ever by far. Easy starts, no choke, light weight, lots of power. What more could you ask for.
I have used both Stihl and Huskey, both are great, but I just love how a Stihl feels in my hand for a pro saw. same as you said, I never noticed anything different about either one matched in size etc. But one thing Husky has a better air filter for their 90cc class, I had to buy a max-flow for my 661.
Bought my first husky 238 around 1977 and it was bulletproof. Have stuck with husky and never had a bad saw or one that wouldn't start. Have dealt with 2 husky dealers over the past 50 years. Both have been great but only 1 is still in business. Never tried a stihl but have heard they are good. Both brands are expensive now.
Not really on the expensive part, my uncle paid 5-600$ for his 041 in 1980 which is a 61 cc average cutting saw stihls comparable new saw would be the ms362 at 850$ or so now. If you figured in how much a dollar was worth in 1980 vs today the 041 was more expensive for its size.
I currently own husqvarnas, stihls, 2 jonsereds, and one makita/dolmar. I recall an older makita dcs 6401 that was a rental saw from Home Depot. They used to sell them after a year of being rentals. I think I paid $200 for it. I never used it as a 6401. I immediately purchased an aftermarket big bore kit from Bailey’s. That was the best starting chainsaw I’ve ever had. It routinely fired on the 1st pull with choke when cold, and started on the 2nd pull. It turned heads too. People would see the Makita blue and ask what it was. After hearing it was a Makita they assumed it was crap. The big bore kit jumped it up to 84cc. I was able to run a 32” bar and chain. Loved that saw. Unfortunately my friend shoved a large chunk of silver maple from about 15’ up and crushed it.
I am not a full timer but I cut a lot of firewood for own and friends use- some quite large trees for the UK - 40 inch across at times. My "go to" saw is a Makita /Dolmar DCS 6000i ie 60 cc , 20 inch bar. This saw is a 1993 model and absolutely bombproof, starts 1 st time. Its all Stihl, Husky where I live- nobody knows these old Dolmars but they were bought out by Makita in the 80's ( I think ) but still made in West Germany to a very high standard. Dolmar had been making saws for decades but never really broke into the sales big league. I have spares for the machine and hopefully will run it until I'm gone !
Dolmar was bought by makita maybe 20 ish years ago. The dolmar brand started about the same time as Stihl but as good as they were never caught on like the others. Now they’re discontinued and makita only sells battery saws.
Well, now that's a well thought, well spoken video. Lots of wisdom in this one. A professional logger once told me: 'You know, they all make good saws (Echo, Stihl, Husqvarna). It comes to what you buy and what you do with it. If you buy quality, you usually have some for the money.. No one is that much better than the other'. And this guy helped me undertand the truth of the matter.
It took me over a year to realize how to start the huskey properly. When you first push the choke up and start til you here the first “burp” as I think most people know there’s then a differens between pushing the gas button to make the choke go to of and simply by hand put it down a notch. I thought this was the same thing and always pushed the throttle and then had a big problem to make it start properly. I then learned that if you instead just push the choke bottom a half klick down you have a “half choke” position that is the proper way to go. I managed to start it every time since. 😅 if I only had read the manual 🤦🏾♂️ best regards!
Great topic Michael! I have been a Husqvarna guy for 30 years, and my mechanic finally convinced me to switch to Echo X Series after years of ranting about it. The 7310 and 620 have been as good as any Husqvarna or Stihl I've ever owned under heavy work conditions. I prefer the 32 Inch Bar myself, the 7310 runs perfect with it here in Vermont USA.
I have a 32 on my 661c and I like it. I keep a 22 on my echo 620. im not tall so I don't have to do a lot of stooping but still nimble when limbing hardwoods.
@@HardRockVermont My opinion is.. skewed.. i had to buy a used one for financial reasons and it has been a money pit LOL. Still ended up with a GREAT deal on it.. but I like the overall build qualities of my echoes better. I was able to get such a good deal on it BECAUSE of stihl's choice to use plastic caged crank bearings. Failed and plasticwent through the top end, took out oil pump, damaged the plastic shields. I was able to go back with a metal caged bearing on flywheel side but i'm locked into dealer parts on the pto side. That said, it cuts like a banshee and has a lot of power for it's weight. Handles well. It can be a hard starter at times but it still has the first edition solenoid and mtronic setup. So that will either all be replaced eventually or I may go standard carb on it. Last batch of miscellaneous parts should be in next week... Then i'll tackle that. Even in its current "cranky" state it is a monster as far as power goes. We run autotune huskies at work and about ~25% of them are just as hateful. Especially the 562s. I guess if there were "perfect" saws there would only be one brand and just a couple models.
@@mattfleming86 Ya, I hear that. I am not a fan of Auto Tune, some of the operators that I know have to keep bringing it back to the Pro Shop for tuning, which is a pain. I was a 390 XP guy for years, and it still is a fine Saw, it's just that my mechanic is very good, and he wouldn't push the X Series Echo onto me if it wasn't Pro durability and power. He knows I cut all kinds timber, dead rot, Logging, and Firewood on my family farm.
That’s another thing I heard a lot about on the short video I made a couple years ago. A lot of people really like Echo. Because of all those comments I was thinking about trying Echo but it looked like they were a little bit heavier. Also our echo dealer said they don’t have light bars available. I could be wrong about that. If our echo dealer was not in such an out of the way place for me I might consider trying one. I might anyway at some point.
I used husky 371and 372 for 20 years logging in Michigan. I had at least 10 new huskies in that time. The newer ones I had started going through crank bearings pretty quick. I got tired of it and started using stihl. Also the huskies would frost up on below zero days and wouldn’t idle.The Stihls last quite a bit longer and have a lot fewer problems in my case. I’ve been using stihl for 10 years now and I haven’t had a bad one yet in there pro saws. I’m sure the homeowner ones are far less robust.
Interesting, I've found the exact opposite. My Stihl saws are hard to start and don't run worth a damn in the cold. The husky doesn't seem to mind the cold nearly as much. If I've got a Stihl as a back up saw I have to get a little fire going to keep it warm, otherwise it's almost impossible to start.
Funny I had the same problem with the crank bearings with husky’s I’ve run ran and still run a jonsered 2095 for a long time without a single problem but have recently switched to echo now that they are making a bigger saw and also a better warranty than stihl or husky and they cut great
@@tfilson50 The Jonsered has a husky engine with husky crank since 1978. I have never had that problem on a husky for 40 years. I think the fuel mix can be the case.
Both brands have winter saws with carb and bar heaters. That's the fix. If you find the bottom ends are going, chances are the saw is a little small for the timber.
I've been using Stihl saws since age 14, helping my elder brother, bought my very own 044 early 1994 and is still using it. But... now at 65 I do feel it's somewhat heavy. Husqvarna is rather rare here bcos there's no distributor and service centre. Anyway, I'm using 24" bar for felling and cutting 30" bar for ripping.
Being a faller on a wildland fire crew the saw we use are stihls because that’s who the government has a contract with. Most are 038 or 044 with long bars. Personally I do own both with the biggest being the 441. Both brands are good for me I take really good care of them. I enjoy the Saturday night round table.
A faller on a wildland Fire crew probably knows what he’s talking about. Glad you like the round table. It’s still new for us, we are still trying to iron some of the wrinkles out of it.
I hear ya. I like a long bar for the same reason. I've burnt firewood for my primary heat source for 30 plus years. Buckin logs to stove length I often use a Husky 576 with a 28in bar and it saves me from bending over alot.
Living in Sweden, some 30 miles from Husqvarna (city where the factory is). It was natural 40 years ago to buy Husqvarna chain saws. Nowadays most logging is done with machines so I use the chain saws mostly for single storm fallen or insect stricken trees. So lots of walking carrying saw and fuel. Got a lightweight Stihl MS200 with 12" bar. Easy to carry and mostly adequate for the job. Very rarely have to use the longer saws. Both Husqvarna and Stihl makes good saws and I have no problem with service, rarely needed for them. A long blade can give poor chain oiling when fitted to smaller saws.
I have a older husky 335 xpt i bought new in 1999 , however i used the 200 t on the job for years and cut through stuff way bigger that i should of that saw impressed the heck out of me .
I still use a 044 with a 28" bar. Starts on second pull. Not sure how many bars it's been through. Always run full-synthetic redline racing 2-stroke oil. Just over the hill from you in Philomath.
@@WilsonForestLands I have an 044 that I bought in 1997 and it still runs like a top. You can't kill it. I just bought a 462 and am going to have it ported in June. The guy doing the porting said I should get the 044 ported and that I would see a big difference. He is going to port my 200T which I am rebuilding as well.
I'm not a professional but a chainsaw enthusiast, hobbyist, help my neighbors and sell some hardwood if I can get my hands on it. I've only ran one professional saw. I purchased a Husqvarna 365 from my local dealer last year. I love it. Stock, full chisel 3/8" chain with a 20'' pro tip bar. For general cutting, down blow and storm debris I like my Husqvarna 455 Rancher. We have a lot of Balsam Fir in the southern Adirondacks of upstate NY. I'm happy to have a nice small 40V Husqvarna 120i. There are literally a hundred limbs on those give or take. Its nice to have that handy without having to stop the saw or keep it idling with the chain break on to create a safer work area. Sorry got off track. I love Husqvarna, they suit me well and just feel great in the hands. I have nothing against Stihl or Echo, owned both and like them. Just Husqvarna is my preference. Great quality at an affordable price.
Yup...just like a holy war. My favorite saw is the saw that has a sharp chain and runs! But some guys......want you to know they are better and smarter than you are because they have the "right and better equipment" than you have.
I am still running a 036 pro that I purchased around 2000. Then I was building hand crafted log homes and ran that saw 10-12 hrs a day. It was much lighter and maneuverable than any of the Huskys and most of the Stihls but still powerful enough to cut 24" logs with ease. We went through a few of them but I managed to keep this one.
If it ain't broke don't fix it then. My old man retired his saws after his falling career and we dug one out from under the bench after around 20 years. New filter, and lead wire, fresh fuel and it started up no problem. What more could you ask for?
The insight on the same carburetor used in both saws is very important. You may consider doing a deeper dive on what carbs are in which saws, similarities and differences ... and that will uncover a lot of the hard starting and/or setup issues with any of the saws.
I think a better phrase would have been "more thoughtful." 😉 My son sells both Husky and Stihl and I've got all Stihl equipment... I went that way before he started working there. The first one I bought was because Stihl has been a supporter of Ruffed Grouse Society--I used saws they donated when I took Game of Logging training. After that it was because the Husky auto tune was very problematic. The tree service guys I know had all kinds of problems with auto tune and the shop had a lot of warranty claims to address. I've never looked back... currently own 8 Stihls including 4 pro saws and a pole saw.
I can't comment on which is better, have no experience. Just got a new small stihl. After having problems starting it - the dealer was very generous in helping me out and giving me pointers which helped alot. However, I still find it takes a long time before I can get the thing running smoothly. Usually about 20 minutes. However, once it's 'hot' and running - It's keeps on going like butter. In fact once I run out of fuel, I'm quick to refill and start again, so it doesn't get 'cold' and have to go the same process again to get it to run smoothly. And by the way - you are so right about long bars. When I got my saw it was for clearing out small trees and dense bush. I thought I was being economical by not getting the more costly and bigger saw, because I wasn't going to be taking big trees down. But you are right - If I did, I would have actually saved myself alot of time and bending over. Didn't realize how much bending over I would have to do.
I used to heli log here in British Columbia and we used to use both brands. I found the stihls were easier to work on and we had less trouble with them,even with me getting pissed off and overhead throwing the 066s down the hill, bouncing off logs,little or no damage at all. If the saw was pinched in a big slabby cedar,there was a good chance the chain and/or bar wasn’t coming out so you would have to take the powerhead off,the Husky saws could be a bitch in tight spots because of the outboard clutch whereas the Stihl popped right off. I currently have a sweet 066,a low hr 038 magnum 2 and an ms 200T for climbing duties. 😊
@@Whateva67 there's a 61 and a crane in here. Crane had a rotor strike the other day so they're down waiting for a new transmission. And some blades probably
Tuning makes the difference on how the saws start. Get the tuning off a little and they are hard to start, but with the newer autotune saws it becomes a lot more complicated. I have an equal number of both Stihl and Husqvarna saws, and they all cut about the same in respect to their size. I learned to tune a saw and now every single saw starts on the first pull hot or cold. I use a short pole saw on a Stihl 131R for limbing with a 12 inch bar.
The Husky Dealer, who had worked professionally in Oregon woods, sold me a 375XP with a 24 inch bar about 18 years ago (I had looked at Stihls, but in the box stores). He told me that the reason loggers would only use the Stihl or a Husky in an area is years ago that was the store in the nearby area to the logging that sold that brand. You might not have both brands with a store in the area. And yes, the starts have caused me some issues. Now I feel like a Shaman, if the weather is warm enough, I don't dare choke it or it floods a bit. I love the saw....I worked in flat land clearing lot lines in heavy forest, skidder operator, choke setter and back hoe line trenching in the forests of Mt. Baker area in Washington state back in 1972, right after I discharged out of Vietnam. Now I'm 77 and three days ago was limbing and bucking a windfall on our Oregon property and narrowly missed cutting my boot toe: (this refers to your Chainsaw Hand Grip video I just watched), I have always used the wrapped thumb under the grip. It has helped a number of times, in which I just sliced a bit of left knee or just cut the layers of the tin pants. I have used Home Lites and McCullochs in the distant past. Oh, before I forget, my two trucks are a 92 Ford F250 460 gasser, customized in 92 as a one ton 4X4 dually, 1.25 ton rear axle, and a 1992 GMC 5.7L 3/4 pickup with canopy. Sorry, no Dodge here. I should buy one and my neighbor buddies would crack up with the collection. Oh, and my wife runs her Toyota Rav4 and does not use chain saws.
Yeah…Chevy has like THREE generations, parts interchange (pre-engendered obsolescence) GENERAL “” Motors.. I’m not sure of ONE generation of ford that does. Sbc DOMINATES the AM. But, if I flipped cars like liberals flip houses I would chose a turd mustang. Jeeps are good too. Always a deal in every old housing development
One of the things I heard a lot of on that short I made a couple years ago, people love their Echo saws. I haven’t used one, I may have to try one sometime.
@@WilsonForestLands Give Echo a try. I have used them all and that is what is in my wood shed. Starts every time (3 pulls), lasts forever (cs400 since 08 and cs600p since 2010 and they both run like brand new). Just got a new/old stock cs8000 (its a beast). Lots of steady torque through the entire cut from them all. I convinced both of my uncles to get one and they are now sold on them as well.
Lucas air cooled semi-synthetic 2 stroke oil is my favorite to use in Rotax ultralight engines and my Stihl saws...Never had an in-flight engine failure in almost 10 years running this oil...So I'd say that fuel and oil choice has a lot to do with starting issues or lack thereof...
I have both, but think on balance, for me, Stihl is my first choice for new saws, but I do like stubby short bars. More power and control. handier in tight spots, lighter, faster to sharpen, but my back does ache sometimes .....
Love the humor you put into your videos. I’ve owned second gen, stick shift, diesel dodge trucks for over 20 years and yes, every thing great about dodge trucks are not made by dodge. Fortunately we have a thing called a free market, so there are a lot of people that make great replacement parts that don’t fall apart so quickly. Some times it seems like they are going out of their way to make stuff as poorly as possible. I have both husky and stihl saws, all of them are older and are ported. Despite being in New England, I prefer long bars for the same reason, little to no back pain.
As a Swede, I find it interesting that a 25" bar is a short one. Here we usually use much shorter bars. I would guess 13-18" bars are used in like 95% of all chainsaws here. My really big bar used to be 20", and only used two times. Now I have bigger bars for my Stihl ms 881, but that's because I use it for milling lumber.
A bigger bar on a bigger saw is for me better for bucking. I just hate laying on the ground, and all bendy and stuff. Where i can just stand there and let the saw do its thing.
A big part of the West Coast , long bar length thing is . When a faller goes to work every morning, it's as wide open a non stop , in the cut, on the ground and on the hat (if they are bushlin) dash to 6 or 6 1/2 hours . Burning any where from 1.5 to 3 gallons of saw gas (depending on the timber being cut and the saw). Very often, the ground is all broken up, tremendous amount of underbrush ect. And , when limbing and bucking on steepish slopes, when a bucked log drops it usually rolls or swings someplace . Plus, we limb usually via walking on the tree. A long bar let's us be farther away from where things are going to pop. If a cutter can do their limbing and bucking all while walking on the ground. And the ground is fairly flat then a short bar like a 28" and shorter can be nice and useful. . I tried cutting with 28" bars when I was working my career on the coast . Just too short. Less of a safety margin for me and my saws. And less production by the end of the day. A 30" bar was much much better. And was my go to length in many places. But , there is good reasons that 32, 34 and 36" bars are the norm for West coast fallers.
Completely agree. Both make excellent saws. You made a really good point of about a longer bar means less leaning over. My preference assuming the power is similar, is the lighter saw of 2 comparable models.
Well stated. At the end of the day, a chainsaw is just a tool used to get a job done. Just like tools or trucks, it will always be Snapon vs Mac, Ford vs everyone else. In my case as a homesteader with limited funds for my tools, its Neotec saws (Stihl clones), Toyota truck (4runner), and Harbor Freight wrenches and winches. :)
I like a sharp saw and dealer service. The only saw I didn't like for dropping trees is the 500I just due to throttle response when trying to slowly cutting up to the hinge.
Me with age prefer lighter saws, shorter bars. Just a home wood burner ( 6-8 cords/year harvested from our woodlot ). "Down to" a MS261 16" bar that does the job here in Maine. Also a Husky 338 XPT for climbing, trails, and limbing the canopy on falls to get to the trunk for bucking. Non pro, butt, took the CPL and GOL saw programs since I didn't know a damn thing years ago about using a saw.
I don't climb and trim/cut like 20 years ago. My saw of choice Jonsered, own several. For me it's all about the service I can get from my local dealer. He sells Stihl, Husqvarna and will order Jonsered if you want. In my case he services what he sold to me. Nothing compares to my 2094 and its been rebuilt twice. As you said it's all about maintenance, it's not difficult to pick out a well maintained unit and an owner who views their saw as an investment.
Jonsred is/was a red husky for the last many years and now is no longer made. The last ones sold had redmax on them vs jonsred label then they quit all together. The original jonsred was spelled jonsreds and they dropped the s after Electrolux purchased them for the air injection patents because it was jonsreds that came up with using air off the fan to spin the fines out keeping the air filters clean longer.
Speaking of trucks - I just saw a short video where a young man was going over a window sticker of new F350, diesel, crew, limited. Every bell and whistle. It stickers at a whopping $102,000!
I've owned both and used them professionally for years. I currently own a ms200t climbing saw, ms 261, ms400, 500i and an older Jonsered 2095 for my big saw. I've found that husky is more prone to problems and when they do they are more expensive to fix. My Stihls I've found are more reliable and have better low end torque. I cut mainly hardwood species back east. Husqvarna seems to cut a little faster.
I can never get my 372xp started or the other Husqvarna saws. My son picks them up and they start every time just fine. The stihl saws start fine for me but when my Buddy grabs my Stihl saws they don't fire up cold for him good. End thoughts? Its the knucklehead at the end of the string that makes the difference.
@@WilsonForestLandsI fuel up a chainsaw before it run out of gas , it really helps on a restart . When you drain the tank I find you now have air to purge . I never touch the trigger until it’s running , pull the choke pull , as soon as it fires shut off the choke and pul until it runs. I’ve watched so many guys flood the saw then blame the tool , starting procedures are important And by the way real loggers run Husqvarna . LOL ! 👍🇨🇦
I always use that starting procedure. With the Stihls I have had I can run the tanks dry and never have hard start problems. If Huskys are that finicky I would rather have the saws that are not that finicky.
@@WilsonForestLands The old joke with those saws Sthil not running ? If it makes you happy to run the other saws down , good for you . Husqvarna is a professional grade saw , most models anyway , all saws have issues . If you like cleaning the air filter constantly on your Sthil , all good . 🇨🇦👍
There are brands which just give you what you want. Reliability, overall performance, ease of use..they just feel good to use. To me these brands are Stihl, Fiskars, Yamaha outboards, Abu Garcia fishing gear, Volkswagen & Skoda cars.
I have a mix of equipment,husky ground saws, climbing saw,stihl hedge cutters,pole saw,blowers .both are great just prefer husky saws .t540 starts easy ,bigger hand grip and starts faster than my bosses 201 ...i love both manufacturers.i have no affiliation to either brand .stihl 700 back blower is a beast 👍👍👍 each to their own .thanks for posting
Yup stihl was harder to start unless it was that years model im not sure still was hard to start and did everything right so i put my stihl to the side and tried my poulan pro it started right up and the husqvarna started right up with the regular 3 pulls. Later on that year i traded my stihl for another used broken poulan pro saw then fixed that and now it starts right up and is a back up
I think you might have convinced me of the long bar... I have an old STIHL 011 AV with a 16" bar. I just use it to trim trees and branches around the house. Well, a few years ago I bent over with it, and instantly threw my back out. Was months of recovery.
Best to use what works with your budget and need. But heavy use needs reliable equipment. Still you have to service the equipment too to maintain its health.
The thing that sold me on Stihl was watching a test someone did where they put a full tank of fuel on a few brands of saws, taped the throttle at full and started them all, Stihl was the only one that didnt blow up before running out of gas. Dont think Husk(q)y was one of them though, but it would be interesting to see how it does. My aunt swore by Husqy saws but I dont know of she ever use Stihl.
The chains securing the logs are wrong. Open end of the hook should face down. However thank you for the very informative video, I am a die hard Stihl man only because I've owned both. I have built log homes for 30 years and if anyone thinks that industry is easy on saws you're mistaken. I have found that the inertia chain brake on the Stihl works best.
Took an industrial psych/safety course many years ago. Lecturer went to evidence that most “chainsaw” injuries were: back injuries from bending over; limbing and bucking. Just changed from a smallish saw with a 14” bar to a 500i with a 25” bar (firewood). I hand split with a maul as I buck. Always used to have a sore back after, which I blamed on the splitting. Guess what? No more sore back after a day on firewood. Might go longer yet.
Well said! The old timer climber dropping our 120' pines took his 32" bar up, and I asked the same thing, and he gave the same reason. I just switched my main saws from Husky to Stihl, but only because I found a barely used 400i and 250 for half of retail, and they're both about a 50% increase in power over my husky rancher 460 and 142, that were not at the pro level. I have a little Ryobi battery powered one that is nice for limbing or one-off cuts, being quiet, no fumes, no carb, and no fuel mix. But that bar is short, and it's not the right tool for lots of bigger cuts. That rancher 460 is easy to flood on hot restarts, but once I knew to watch out for that it was fine. And strange thing, the bar shape on the 460 and 400i is a little different. Both take an 84 link chain, but the Stihl manages to get an extra inch of bar length from it, at 25" instead of 24". And the tape measure shows it's not just an exaggeration or interpretation. Maybe it's a pro level saw thing, but the smaller nose diameter helps give a little longer reach....or ripping length, if slabbing up a log.
I bought a Stihl FS66 weed eater in 1985 and still have it , its never been rebuilt. Last year I bought a Husqvarna 550xp ii and this year I bought a 572xp , so far I love them.
I have an fs 66 straight shaft weed/brushcutter also. Very good machine but not actually built by Stihl. They were made in Japan by shindiawa for Stihl in those years. Stihl makes their own now but back then made for them. Shindiawa was purchased by echo few years back and the 4-mix trimmer engine was a joint effort between Stihl and shindiawa. They’re the only other company to sell a 4-cycle that runs on 50;1 mix gas.
I have had one Husky maybe a 372 that ran good. The best saw I believe I owned was a Sthil 361 pro. I do believe the Huskys are a little harder to start but the Husky seems to run a little faster. It really does come down to your local dealer and service.
I've never owned a Husky so I can't really say much about them. Fortunately I do have 2 local Stihl Dealers that are very supportive and friendly. That is important to me. My Stihl saw and yard equipment have run fine for many years. Good product and support.
Once I stopped using gas with alcohol, life improved. Then I got a Stihl with a compression release button, life really improved. BTW, those chains tensioners that use a big knob and twist thing are really a pain when it’s time to change chains. In the end, the dual bolt with a cheapo socket wrench just require less fussing around to change the chain. I like your videos.
In chainsaws brand doesn't matter in speed term, for me is just the looks or so, i worked with both stihl and husqvarna brands and i like them both, but my all time favourite is the Stihl ms 440 i can do everything with this saw. I even milled logs (not that big actually). Husky's just has a little bit more engine speed but not enormous difference very little
Love my lil stihl 170, relaible 10 pulls to start, 8 full choke 2 no choke and it always fires. Everyone says the 14" is better than the 16" bar but i work the saw pretty hard and honeatly a 18" would be even better for myself
The last Dodge I bought was because of the 12v Cummins and Dana rears. Had no control over the Dodge truck wrapped around it. Occasionally buy used Stihl's when I see a screaming deal and have enough for the rest of my days. I bought a Husky Rancher 55 for cheap and it works fine. It practically lives in the back of my truck and I don't worry if it gets stolen.
I own both. I completely agree with you. I have a Stihl that’s been a little bit finicky. However it is a heck of a saw when it runs. Personally we have a good Stihl dealer and a great Husky dealer that’s very close to me. The dealer is over 50 percent of the equation. Everything breaks, it’s the service you receive when you’re down. Good video
I happen to like the short stubby bars; but I am an enthusiast; battery operated; I run chainsaws for fun. I enjoy seeing how good of performance comes from the little saws. That being said; I REALLY enjoy running my two big EGO saws. One with a 20" bar; and the other with a 24" one. When bigger battery operated saws become available; ( Greenworks H.O.G.); I will have one. Chainsaws are just plain fun!
I’ve got two ported dolmar 7900s that are as light or maybe a fuzz lighter than a 500i and make more horsepower than a stock 661. Those quickly became my favorite “big” saws and I don’t really run anything else other than my top handles these days. I’ve had plenty of stihls and a few husqvarnas, always preferred the stihls but don’t have any real issues with either brand. All mechanical things fail eventually, doesn’t matter who makes it.
I prefer Stihl tools, however I will consider purchasing the Husky battery, climbing top handel saw. I heard it is more desirable than the Stihl battery saw.
Brilliant video. I have both, old and new. Inherited and bought. They have their quirks. Both brands make a helluva noise and lot of sawdust. To me the choice to buy Stihl in the first place was that its dealer was the closest one and they had given good service on other stuff before. New Husky came with a chainsaw mill with an insane small price tag. I am a Škoda man…
Interesting video. I run both Husqvarna and Stihl equipment in my business. My preference depends on the type of tool & application. I do a lot of brushcutting, grass strimming, hedge trimming, lawnmowing & chainsaw work. If I had to choose, I would say any 5 series (professional) Husqvarna products have been flawless for me. For 2 stroke machinery, I find Husqvarna has a slight edge in terms of ergonomics & serviceability. Literally, just in the past week, I've invested in a Stihl professional lawnmower and have been highly impressed with it. Both companies produce quality machinery. I'm fortunate that dealer support is equally good in my area.
I wonder how much elevation , available fuel blends, and proper upkeep plays into starting on any saw. East coast intake are is a lot different than west coast intake air. Just a thought.
Very interesting questions. Our air is also a lot more dry in the summer. Sometimes more damp in the winter. Great questions, it would be interesting to hear some answers if anyone was to ever study that.
I've always used stihl, normally due to it being easy to get parts on the shelf. I recently got given a husky 366 xp by a customer who bought it in 1987 after the storms we had in the UK and got put on the shelf after being used a couple of times. I took the covers off and it looked brand new. I did have trouble at first with starting it but after I sussed it out I used it for a week clearing ash die back. I loved it, it rips and just wants to eat wood. Does put a grin on my face it's a beast. Aluminium brake too no plastic rubbish. It's my favourite saw now especially as it was a gift 😂
I’ve owned almost every pro saw from 70cc up. STIHL is the best for me. XS440 with a 28” bar with a 36RSLH chain is my go to. Also like the full skip (LH) chain. Planning on getting a ms400 this fall 🫰🏻and get the XS sticker on it.
I was a Stihl man through and through. I fell in love with using a 500i so i went to buy one for myself but when i went to pull the trigger i stopped and i thought maybe i should see what i could get (specs wise) for he same money with Husqvarna. I was blown away. For $300 AUD less i could get a 585. I thought id give it a try. It turned out to be more powerful but a damn site more heavier. Im very happy with it and glad i took a look. So far so good but i still use my Stihls. My 194T arby saw is a great saw.
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I run a Husky 371xp w/ a 20" bar.
And drive a Toyota.
In Iraq, I had to clear a field for field of vision using a Stihl.
Mortars came in & it was totalled.
No questions asked, Stihl sent me a replacement.
So you're saying you got a Husq, and as a good samaritan, this is Stihl who sent you a replacement ? Nice Stihl employee here, but I guess he needs to read the memo a few more times.
@@arthsvic6828 No, in Iraq I used a Stihl. When I e-mailed customer service about what happened, 24 hrs later I had a new one delivered.
That could be a Stihl advertisement.
A very unique story.
Ive been cutting old growth in the Pacific Northwest for 24 years, and I have ran both brands. I currently run stihls, but i have well over a decade of running Huskys under my belt. Husky 394s, 395s, 385s, 390s. STIHL 066, MS660, 661, 500I.
ive found the people that are worried about the brand are generally more knowledgeable about the saws specs than how to use them.
Local dealer is definitely a big factor in which brand to run. Unfortunately, my local dealers for both brands retired so now i have to order everything from madsens, which is ok.
Running non ethanol gas, high end 2 cycle mix, cleaning your saw weekly, changing you plug and fuel filter once a month, cleaning your air filter daily, and knowing how to grind square ground chain and rakers is a far bigger factor for professional cutters than which brand.
Running non ethanol gas goes a long ways in the huskys. Lots of rubber components that get deteriorated from the ethanol gas and get spongy and crack. Air leaks.
Both will get the job done long as you have enough CCs.
Appreciate the info man
BINGO....Do You know what happed to HotSaws101 ????
@@CatDaddySteve no idea. Haven't talked to him in a couple years.
Facts! Over the last 30 years, I’ve run MANY different models of both Husky and Stihl…some of them were great saws, some of them were crap. I’ve never noticed that one brand is superior to another…but I have found that I prefer tried and true models to new models that haven’t had the bugs worked out yet. That being said, when husky replaced the 272 with the 371, I got one right away and to date that has been my favorite saw…I haven’t found anything that’s worked as well for me yet!
It's all about the local dealer.
True
This is why I run Stihl.
We had a Stihl dealer in town and the Husky dealer was 50 miles away. The Stihl dealer is good, if he wasn’t I’d make the drive.
I use to run Stihl and Husqvarna, but only run huskys now due to an ownership change with my local Stihl dealer, service was shit and getting parts from them was difficult, kept my older Stihls and source parts for them from outside suppliers
Excellent point, the Stihl dealer local to me just closed. So I would probably go Husqvarna next time.
I've been a Stihl guy and a Dodge guy for many years now, and I got a good laugh from the "ribbing" you gave us Dodge folk....I appreciate good natured humor like that, keep up the great channel, good advice and friendly jousting!😊
You must like shit saws and trucks lol
@@chocolateface8664 : of course I like shit stuff, that's why I like you lol
@@rgrimm3173 hey that’s uncalled for
@@chocolateface8664 : it's all good 👍
@@chocolateface8664 Hey! You are right about the trucks but not the saws! I have 3 Ford Trucks spanning 3 gens and 3 Stihl Saws Spanning 15 years. They only get ruined when they get stolen.
I've ran both saws myself. I've always had better luck with Stihls. But the thing is with people on showing which is faster is that one of the two has a dull chain. So I'm not going to put down either one because I may have to use it. What I'm saying is. My favorite saw and car or truck is the one that gets the job done.
I've run both too and I prefer the Husqvarna saws .....to each there own I guess .
Yeah I think a lot of it can come down to how they maintain the saw and the chain.
@@WilsonForestLands right. Like I said. I've ran both saws. They both are really good saws. I lean more to Stihl.
Husqvarna vs Stihl, Cadillac vs Lincoln... forget about it.
Yeah my girl friend likes a longer shaft too.
I’m a cattle rancher not a logger, but Iv had my husky 8 years now and 2 years ago I was working on a fence in the mountains and I forgot where I stashed it. Finally found it last week put gas in it this morning and it fired up on the third stroke just like it did when I sat it down. Good enough for me:)
conclusion is that 2 strokes can be hard to start sometimes.
You’re so right about dogma and fanatics. Some people get so riled up about everything, it‘s a sickness
I’m just a homeowner cutting 6 cords of firewood a year. My local dealer sells Echo, now I bought 2 from him and I was pleased with the price and the way they run. I also own a Jonsered and a Husky which were my father-in-law’s before he passed away. I like them all for different things.
I worked with and on both makes, both saws are great saws, the vairables that make how well saws perform are often due to fuel quality & mix, atmospherics. Then of course the saw operator and the mechanic who services and repairs them. My favorite saw ever was a Husky 266 that was in the mid eighties. Whatever make, it has to be better than a two man cross cut and axe which my grandad used 🤔
still have my 266 and 272. Had a compression release installed on the 272 and I have no problem with starting. 32 in bar and I don't have to bend over.
I started on a 254 in the 80s. They were good saws but when the weather got over 90° they were hard to start. Dealer told us to use aviation fuel because of vapor lock. May have helped a little but when the weather got hot we grabbed the Stihls.
@@WilsonForestLands We have the opposite issue with snow. Stihl does not like powdery snow all that much, but the newer models have gotten better about that.
I live in Texas, and my first professional saw was the Husqvarna 266xp. Absolute dog water with heat soak issues.
Currently have four Echos, one Husqvarna, and one Stihl.
I wish Husqvarnas ran on restart in the heat, because they are the fastest everything else being equal. Husqvarna heat soak is a thing, and there is some kind of design flaw.
Ran a 266 back in the mid 80s which was a bit faster than the 041 I was running at the time, I finally settled on the 044 which had better torque. Now I run a smattering of 3 brands depending on which model of which brand fitting the ccs to the task at hand from 25cc up to 92cc.
You're like the Paul Harrell of the Forest! Nicely done Mr Wilson
The first thing I thought
That's the best endorsement of a channel I've ever seen. Time to choose the saw that fits your hand better, and do some test cuts on soda jugs.
I thought that myself 😆
I wonder if this Wilson guy knows what a compliment this is?
That's exactly what I was thinkin
It's nice to have a local dealer, we have one who's great and reliable and another who's hit and miss.
My opinion is both are pretty comparable and reliable and there is always a lemon if it's man made.
It runs down to how you take care of your machine and how sharp you keep your chain.
I've bought a lot of old vintage saws that were never cleaned.
Pretty sad how most won't take the time to clean their saw after using it.
maintain the saw, check and clean the air filter daily, use clean fresh real gas, and sharpen the chain. ✌
That's the trick but you forgot "drive a cummins"!!!!😂
Pretty much. Ran a Stihl for several years because that's what my father used (felling contractor). Switched to Husky in a fit of annoyance when that saw died. Bought a new Husky decades later when the saw shop told me they couldn't get points for the old saw. (They lied - electronic kits are available.) New Husky was a lemon, shop was never able to fix the hard starting problem. Saw died young and I now run a Stihl again from a different shop. Several of my neighbours run the same model Huskys with no problems. Just the luck of the dice, I guess.
Used to consider anything with less than a 20" bar as something for shaving. I've recently learned that a 16" Makita electric is a really, really useful tool for a home gamer (5 treed acres). Life is strange.
Eastern retired logger here. Stile vs. Husky. When I started out, I was 18. I knew the basics of chainsaws, and I ran one on our farm for years for firewood. But I was far from a logger. I walked into the Stihl dealership. I was never greeted. I checked a couple of saws, trying to decide which model to buy. Finally, the store owner looked at me annoyed. "What do you want kid?" I explained I was looking for a saw to find work as a logger. He just shook his head and went back to working on a customer's saw.
So I drove across the street (literally). I walked in and went over to the Husqvarna saws. I wasn't there. Three minutes later, a guy came over and asked if he could help me. I explained what I was looking for. He took me outside and had me try out 4 different models. He explained the options and differences of each model. Twenty minutes later, I owned the first of many Husqvarna saws from them. He also sold me my first helmet and chaps. While loading things into my truck, the Stihl dealer was watching me. I waved and laughed.
I never owned a Stihl.
Regarding the long bar, I had an 18" for years until I worked with an old timer who used a 28. I asked why. He handed me the saw. "Find out for yourself." At the end of the day, I ordered two 28" bars and chains from Baileys.
I bought an used and not oiling bar Stihl 462C. figured out oiler broke so went to 3 stihl dealers in my area to order genuine oem part to keep quality going... one after another forgot about me... one didnt even contacted me 1y later.. I had to buy that part made of chinesium from amazon.. temporarly at first but it seems I just cant get any freaking parts for it anywhere. Stihl wont sell to me directly.. I asked. almost begged! So looked around and guess what chainsaw maker sells parts to end consumer? I will never buy another stihl in my life! Who the hell can wait for months for a stupid part? Guess dealers are more interested to sell you their service than parts.
Should have bought a 440 or 460. Husky is junk bro
So long story short, the guy at Stihl dealer didn’t jump over the counter, jerk your pants off, and shlobb your knob in less the 0.6 seconds, you have carried a sore spot for all these years? Poor thing. I know the feeling. Everytime I drive past a Stihl dealer my weewus pops up, and I cry just a little inside. Then I pop in over at Husky for some service. 😂
This is all on the dealer, our local shop is both husky and Stihl. So I order parts for both brands there with same people but husky parts take at least 3-5 times longer. I can usually have an Stihl part in 2-4 days.
Top 5 things that never happened
This guy is on the money. Well handled. I have to cut cedars in the Hill Country and big Oaks in East Texas. My four Stihl chainsaws are reliable and tough as nails. My father-in-law’s Husky has the hard start problems as well. I like the idea of having a Husky also but I got tired of watching folks trying to start one. I have a 15 year old Toyota Tundra!
Perfect balance of sensible reason, simple humor, a professional opinion based on experience. You didn’t waste my time and you hooked me quick- I’m subscribing.
Well said...me too.... this guys awesome
Like Buckin says, long bar , stand up and buck, saves your back.
Buckin army !
There’s something to be proud of. 🙄 that guy made a fortune with mediocre falling talent and the uncanny ability to make overweight middle aged men feel important again. He’s a marketing wiz and he’s laughing all the way to the bank every time he gets a merch order. Follow on…
What the hell does that mean?
@@JS-oy6nn glad I'm not the only one not impressed with him. In fact, I find Buckin downright annoying.
@hkfan4596 I think he's very arragent, that turns me off. Reading comments on his videos, most slobber over him like he's a God, that turns me off even more.
I run castor 927 in all of my husqvarna 2 stroke equipment and it removed alot of my problem plus it smells so good. I ran out of mix one day and just happened to have it mixed 50:1 for my atv so I used it and have never went back. Equipment starts great and the motor outlasts everything else. I have been using that mix in a weed eater now for 20 years without problems. By the way I also use it in my stihl saws to without issue.
Agree about the dealer support. Both Stihl and Husky are equally good. My only complaint is the ergonomics of Stihl saws. They feel awkward for some reason to me and vibrate more. Husky just seems to be smoother in the vibe dept to me as well. But I would not hesitate to go with Stihl if the dealer was better. I am lucky to have a great Husky dealer close. In the end run what you like and be happy. Because either will get the job done.
I agree, go for what feels good in your hands, the rest is of less importance.
I run Stihl, Husquvarna and Jonsered when I used to cut timber and found all of them was great saws and all of them was bad saws as well. The saw that feels good in your hands and that you can get good dealer support is the saw you should run!
I bought a 026 30 years ago, it is still running strong,have an18 inch bar on it. My new saw is a MS 461,has a 25 in. bar and a 36.I am extremely satisfied with both.
I have my late father's 026, and it only recently gave me some problems starting, but it may be my fault with the fuel.
I'll repair it and keep going.
My dad bought it in 1991.
I bought an excellent used MS 260 pro and it runs excellent.
I also bought an 066 magnum red eye that only recently gave me problems.
Great saws, but I recognize that there are a few other quality brands available.
Similar experience to me. I started with a Husky almost a decade ago. Had starting issues occasionally, which were really annoying, and had to replace a few parts here and there. Bought a Stihl last year and it's been very good to me so far. No starting issues, too soon to tell how it'll hold up though.
I also feel that the 32” bar is a good around combo. Especially since Stihl started making their light weight bars. That was a game changer for me. Way less back troubles and I’m getting older! The new Stihl 500i with a light bar is an awesome combo! My favorite ever by far. Easy starts, no choke, light weight, lots of power. What more could you ask for.
I have used both Stihl and Huskey, both are great, but I just love how a Stihl feels in my hand for a pro saw. same as you said, I never noticed anything different about either one matched in size etc. But one thing Husky has a better air filter for their 90cc class, I had to buy a max-flow for my 661.
Bought my first husky 238 around 1977 and it was bulletproof. Have stuck with husky and never had a bad saw or one that wouldn't start. Have dealt with 2 husky dealers over the past 50 years. Both have been great but only 1 is still in business. Never tried a stihl but have heard they are good. Both brands are expensive now.
Not really on the expensive part, my uncle paid 5-600$ for his 041 in 1980 which is a 61 cc average cutting saw stihls comparable new saw would be the ms362 at 850$ or so now. If you figured in how much a dollar was worth in 1980 vs today the 041 was more expensive for its size.
I currently own husqvarnas, stihls, 2 jonsereds, and one makita/dolmar. I recall an older makita dcs 6401 that was a rental saw from Home Depot. They used to sell them after a year of being rentals. I think I paid $200 for it. I never used it as a 6401. I immediately purchased an aftermarket big bore kit from Bailey’s. That was the best starting chainsaw I’ve ever had. It routinely fired on the 1st pull with choke when cold, and started on the 2nd pull. It turned heads too. People would see the Makita blue and ask what it was. After hearing it was a Makita they assumed it was crap. The big bore kit jumped it up to 84cc. I was able to run a 32” bar and chain. Loved that saw. Unfortunately my friend shoved a large chunk of silver maple from about 15’ up and crushed it.
I am not a full timer but I cut a lot of firewood for own and friends use- some quite large trees for the UK - 40 inch across at times. My "go to" saw is a Makita /Dolmar DCS 6000i ie 60 cc , 20 inch bar. This saw is a 1993 model and absolutely bombproof, starts 1 st time. Its all Stihl, Husky where I live- nobody knows these old Dolmars but they were bought out by Makita in the 80's ( I think ) but still made in West Germany to a very high standard. Dolmar had been making saws for decades but never really broke into the sales big league. I have spares for the machine and hopefully will run it until I'm gone !
I’ve got 2 of them and one is about to be an 84cc saw with a 28” bar. I’ve got a 16” bar on my other 6401 and it’s just stupidly fun and fast
Dolmar was bought by makita maybe 20 ish years ago. The dolmar brand started about the same time as Stihl but as good as they were never caught on like the others. Now they’re discontinued and makita only sells battery saws.
Well, now that's a well thought, well spoken video. Lots of wisdom in this one. A professional logger once told me: 'You know, they all make good saws (Echo, Stihl, Husqvarna). It comes to what you buy and what you do with it. If you buy quality, you usually have some for the money.. No one is that much better than the other'. And this guy helped me undertand the truth of the matter.
When it comes to trucks, I dont want to give other drivers any ideas.
It's all about the branding. I'd rather the other drivers Dodge instead of Ram.
It took me over a year to realize how to start the huskey properly. When you first push the choke up and start til you here the first “burp” as I think most people know there’s then a differens between pushing the gas button to make the choke go to of and simply by hand put it down a notch. I thought this was the same thing and always pushed the throttle and then had a big problem to make it start properly. I then learned that if you instead just push the choke bottom a half klick down you have a “half choke” position that is the proper way to go. I managed to start it every time since. 😅 if I only had read the manual 🤦🏾♂️ best regards!
Great topic Michael! I have been a Husqvarna guy for 30 years, and my mechanic finally convinced me to switch to Echo X Series after years of ranting about it. The 7310 and 620 have been as good as any Husqvarna or Stihl I've ever owned under heavy work conditions. I prefer the 32 Inch Bar myself, the 7310 runs perfect with it here in Vermont USA.
I have a 32 on my 661c and I like it. I keep a 22 on my echo 620. im not tall so I don't have to do a lot of stooping but still nimble when limbing hardwoods.
@@mattfleming86 The 661 is a fine Saw, I'm 6 ft 2, so I'm a stooper...lol
@@HardRockVermont My opinion is.. skewed.. i had to buy a used one for financial reasons and it has been a money pit LOL. Still ended up with a GREAT deal on it.. but I like the overall build qualities of my echoes better. I was able to get such a good deal on it BECAUSE of stihl's choice to use plastic caged crank bearings. Failed and plasticwent through the top end, took out oil pump, damaged the plastic shields. I was able to go back with a metal caged bearing on flywheel side but i'm locked into dealer parts on the pto side.
That said, it cuts like a banshee and has a lot of power for it's weight. Handles well. It can be a hard starter at times but it still has the first edition solenoid and mtronic setup. So that will either all be replaced eventually or I may go standard carb on it. Last batch of miscellaneous parts should be in next week... Then i'll tackle that. Even in its current "cranky" state it is a monster as far as power goes.
We run autotune huskies at work and about ~25% of them are just as hateful. Especially the 562s.
I guess if there were "perfect" saws there would only be one brand and just a couple models.
@@mattfleming86 Ya, I hear that. I am not a fan of Auto Tune, some of the operators that I know have to keep bringing it back to the Pro Shop for tuning, which is a pain. I was a 390 XP guy for years, and it still is a fine Saw, it's just that my mechanic is very good, and he wouldn't push the X Series Echo onto me if it wasn't Pro durability and power. He knows I cut all kinds timber, dead rot, Logging, and Firewood on my family farm.
That’s another thing I heard a lot about on the short video I made a couple years ago. A lot of people really like Echo. Because of all those comments I was thinking about trying Echo but it looked like they were a little bit heavier. Also our echo dealer said they don’t have light bars available. I could be wrong about that. If our echo dealer was not in such an out of the way place for me I might consider trying one. I might anyway at some point.
Always be thankful for the competition, because it keeps the brand you like honest, and prices acceptable.
I used husky 371and 372 for 20 years logging in Michigan. I had at least 10 new huskies in that time. The newer ones I had started going through crank bearings pretty quick. I got tired of it and started using stihl. Also the huskies would frost up on below zero days and wouldn’t idle.The Stihls last quite a bit longer and have a lot fewer problems in my case. I’ve been using stihl for 10 years now and I haven’t had a bad one yet in there pro saws. I’m sure the homeowner ones are far less robust.
Interesting, I've found the exact opposite. My Stihl saws are hard to start and don't run worth a damn in the cold. The husky doesn't seem to mind the cold nearly as much. If I've got a Stihl as a back up saw I have to get a little fire going to keep it warm, otherwise it's almost impossible to start.
Funny I had the same problem with the crank bearings with husky’s I’ve run ran and still run a jonsered 2095 for a long time without a single problem but have recently switched to echo now that they are making a bigger saw and also a better warranty than stihl or husky and they cut great
@@tfilson50 The Jonsered has a husky engine with husky crank since 1978. I have never had that problem on a husky for 40 years. I think the fuel mix can be the case.
Both brands have winter saws with carb and bar heaters. That's the fix.
If you find the bottom ends are going, chances are the saw is a little small for the timber.
The homeowner Stihls are junk but the professional Stihls are hard to beat
I've been using Stihl saws since age 14, helping my elder brother, bought my very own 044 early 1994 and is still using it. But... now at 65 I do feel it's somewhat heavy.
Husqvarna is rather rare here bcos there's no distributor and service centre.
Anyway, I'm using 24" bar for felling and cutting 30" bar for ripping.
Being a faller on a wildland fire crew the saw we use are stihls because that’s who the government has a contract with. Most are 038 or 044 with long bars. Personally I do own both with the biggest being the 441. Both brands are good for me I take really good care of them. I enjoy the Saturday night round table.
A faller on a wildland Fire crew probably knows what he’s talking about. Glad you like the round table. It’s still new for us, we are still trying to iron some of the wrinkles out of it.
The last fire I was on, they had Huskys in the saw kits, maybe a new contract…
I hear ya. I like a long bar for the same reason. I've burnt firewood for my primary heat source for 30 plus years. Buckin logs to stove length I often use a Husky 576 with a 28in bar and it saves me from bending over alot.
Living in Sweden, some 30 miles from Husqvarna (city where the factory is). It was natural 40 years ago to buy Husqvarna chain saws. Nowadays most logging is done with machines so I use the chain saws mostly for single storm fallen or insect stricken trees. So lots of walking carrying saw and fuel. Got a lightweight Stihl MS200 with 12" bar. Easy to carry and mostly adequate for the job. Very rarely have to use the longer saws. Both Husqvarna and Stihl makes good saws and I have no problem with service, rarely needed for them.
A long blade can give poor chain oiling when fitted to smaller saws.
I have a older husky 335 xpt i bought new in 1999 , however i used the 200 t on the job for years and cut through stuff way bigger that i should of that saw impressed the heck out of me .
Just came back from getting wood. Could not start the Stihl, but the Husky ran perfect! Just my experience!
I still use a 044 with a 28" bar. Starts on second pull. Not sure how many bars it's been through. Always run full-synthetic redline racing 2-stroke oil. Just over the hill from you in Philomath.
My 044 has been the most long lived reliable saw I have ever had. Doesn’t quite have the power my 462 has but I do like to run it once in a while.
@@WilsonForestLands I have an 044 that I bought in 1997 and it still runs like a top. You can't kill it. I just bought a 462 and am going to have it ported in June. The guy doing the porting said I should get the 044 ported and that I would see a big difference. He is going to port my 200T which I am rebuilding as well.
I'm not a professional but a chainsaw enthusiast, hobbyist, help my neighbors and sell some hardwood if I can get my hands on it. I've only ran one professional saw. I purchased a Husqvarna 365 from my local dealer last year. I love it. Stock, full chisel 3/8" chain with a 20'' pro tip bar. For general cutting, down blow and storm debris I like my Husqvarna 455 Rancher. We have a lot of Balsam Fir in the southern Adirondacks of upstate NY. I'm happy to have a nice small 40V Husqvarna 120i. There are literally a hundred limbs on those give or take. Its nice to have that handy without having to stop the saw or keep it idling with the chain break on to create a safer work area. Sorry got off track. I love Husqvarna, they suit me well and just feel great in the hands. I have nothing against Stihl or Echo, owned both and like them. Just Husqvarna is my preference. Great quality at an affordable price.
Yup...just like a holy war. My favorite saw is the saw that has a sharp chain and runs! But some guys......want you to know they are better and smarter than you are because they have the "right and better equipment" than you have.
Sharp chain and runs, that’s my kind of saw.
I am still running a 036 pro that I purchased around 2000. Then I was building hand crafted log homes and ran that saw 10-12 hrs a day. It was much lighter and maneuverable than any of the Huskys and most of the Stihls but still powerful enough to cut 24" logs with ease. We went through a few of them but I managed to keep this one.
Been running my stihl ms310 for over 15 years with only keeping the air filter clean. No problems.
Almost time for a plug and fuel filter. 😂 Jk
@@beaugalbraith3891 you know I keep thinking that I need to but it just keeps on running 🤣. I do keep the air filter clean.
If it ain't broke don't fix it then. My old man retired his saws after his falling career and we dug one out from under the bench after around 20 years. New filter, and lead wire, fresh fuel and it started up no problem. What more could you ask for?
@@beaugalbraith3891 amen to that, your father took good care of it.
The insight on the same carburetor used in both saws is very important. You may consider doing a deeper dive on what carbs are in which saws, similarities and differences ... and that will uncover a lot of the hard starting and/or setup issues with any of the saws.
I think a better phrase would have been "more thoughtful." 😉 My son sells both Husky and Stihl and I've got all Stihl equipment... I went that way before he started working there. The first one I bought was because Stihl has been a supporter of Ruffed Grouse Society--I used saws they donated when I took Game of Logging training. After that it was because the Husky auto tune was very problematic. The tree service guys I know had all kinds of problems with auto tune and the shop had a lot of warranty claims to address. I've never looked back... currently own 8 Stihls including 4 pro saws and a pole saw.
I can't comment on which is better, have no experience. Just got a new small stihl.
After having problems starting it - the dealer was very generous in helping me out and giving me pointers which helped alot.
However, I still find it takes a long time before I can get the thing running smoothly.
Usually about 20 minutes.
However, once it's 'hot' and running - It's keeps on going like butter. In fact once I run out of fuel, I'm quick to refill and start again, so it doesn't get 'cold' and have to go the same process again to get it to run smoothly.
And by the way - you are so right about long bars.
When I got my saw it was for clearing out small trees and dense bush.
I thought I was being economical by not getting the more costly and bigger saw, because I wasn't going to be taking big trees down.
But you are right - If I did, I would have actually saved myself alot of time and bending over. Didn't realize how much bending over I would have to do.
I used to heli log here in British Columbia and we used to use both brands. I found the stihls were easier to work on and we had less trouble with them,even with me getting pissed off and overhead throwing the 066s down the hill, bouncing off logs,little or no damage at all. If the saw was pinched in a big slabby cedar,there was a good chance the chain and/or bar wasn’t coming out so you would have to take the powerhead off,the Husky saws could be a bitch in tight spots because of the outboard clutch whereas the Stihl popped right off. I currently have a sweet 066,a low hr 038 magnum 2 and an ms 200T for climbing duties. 😊
Yeah that external clutch can be a hassle. It sucks having to chop the chain to break it. I'm on the BC coast right now on the heli.
@@beaugalbraith3891 oh yeah, what’s flying the logs?
@@beaugalbraith3891 I worked under the sky crane for 5 years, then 214s, Kamovs, Kmax,61s, vertols,hell even 58s😎
@@Whateva67 right on brother
@@Whateva67 there's a 61 and a crane in here. Crane had a rotor strike the other day so they're down waiting for a new transmission. And some blades probably
Tuning makes the difference on how the saws start. Get the tuning off a little and they are hard to start, but with the newer autotune saws it becomes a lot more complicated. I have an equal number of both Stihl and Husqvarna saws, and they all cut about the same in respect to their size. I learned to tune a saw and now every single saw starts on the first pull hot or cold. I use a short pole saw on a Stihl 131R for limbing with a 12 inch bar.
I have both brands - like them equally.
The Husky Dealer, who had worked professionally in Oregon woods, sold me a 375XP with a 24 inch bar about 18 years ago (I had looked at Stihls, but in the box stores). He told me that the reason loggers would only use the Stihl or a Husky in an area is years ago that was the store in the nearby area to the logging that sold that brand. You might not have both brands with a store in the area. And yes, the starts have caused me some issues. Now I feel like a Shaman, if the weather is warm enough, I don't dare choke it or it floods a bit. I love the saw....I worked in flat land clearing lot lines in heavy forest, skidder operator, choke setter and back hoe line trenching in the forests of Mt. Baker area in Washington state back in 1972, right after I discharged out of Vietnam. Now I'm 77 and three days ago was limbing and bucking a windfall on our Oregon property and narrowly missed cutting my boot toe: (this refers to your Chainsaw Hand Grip video I just watched), I have always used the wrapped thumb under the grip. It has helped a number of times, in which I just sliced a bit of left knee or just cut the layers of the tin pants. I have used Home Lites and McCullochs in the distant past. Oh, before I forget, my two trucks are a 92 Ford F250 460 gasser, customized in 92 as a one ton 4X4 dually, 1.25 ton rear axle, and a 1992 GMC 5.7L 3/4 pickup with canopy. Sorry, no Dodge here. I should buy one and my neighbor buddies would crack up with the collection. Oh, and my wife runs her Toyota Rav4 and does not use chain saws.
It is a religion, those who believe in FORD trucks, and STIHL saws have seen the light, and will be deeply rewarded. Good on you sir
Ford lol
Yeah…Chevy has like THREE generations, parts interchange (pre-engendered obsolescence)
GENERAL “” Motors..
I’m not sure of ONE generation of ford that does.
Sbc DOMINATES the AM.
But, if I flipped cars like liberals flip houses I would chose a turd mustang. Jeeps are good too. Always a deal in every old housing development
I'm agnostic--I use an Echo!
@@dennisdivine7448 special lead maybe🤣😂
Thank you for doing this video Sir. I personally use old saws which are vintage or antique. Mac, Remingtons, Homelintes.
Good points. I love my Husky's and even my Echo but doesn't matter to me as long as they cut well 😉
One of the things I heard a lot of on that short I made a couple years ago, people love their Echo saws. I haven’t used one, I may have to try one sometime.
@WilsonForestLands I only have the electric but it's a great little saw.
The cs2511 is an awesome top handle saw. Out of the box it’s good but with a muffler mod and port it’s great
@@WilsonForestLands Give Echo a try. I have used them all and that is what is in my wood shed. Starts every time (3 pulls), lasts forever (cs400 since 08 and cs600p since 2010 and they both run like brand new). Just got a new/old stock cs8000 (its a beast). Lots of steady torque through the entire cut from them all. I convinced both of my uncles to get one and they are now sold on them as well.
Lucas air cooled semi-synthetic 2 stroke oil is my favorite to use in Rotax ultralight engines and my Stihl saws...Never had an in-flight engine failure in almost 10 years running this oil...So I'd say that fuel and oil choice has a lot to do with starting issues or lack thereof...
I have both, but think on balance, for me, Stihl is my first choice for new saws, but I do like stubby short bars. More power and control. handier in tight spots, lighter, faster to sharpen, but my back does ache sometimes .....
Love the humor you put into your videos. I’ve owned second gen, stick shift, diesel dodge trucks for over 20 years and yes, every thing great about dodge trucks are not made by dodge. Fortunately we have a thing called a free market, so there are a lot of people that make great replacement parts that don’t fall apart so quickly. Some times it seems like they are going out of their way to make stuff as poorly as possible. I have both husky and stihl saws, all of them are older and are ported. Despite being in New England, I prefer long bars for the same reason, little to no back pain.
As a Swede, I find it interesting that a 25" bar is a short one. Here we usually use much shorter bars. I would guess 13-18" bars are used in like 95% of all chainsaws here. My really big bar used to be 20", and only used two times. Now I have bigger bars for my Stihl ms 881, but that's because I use it for milling lumber.
A bigger bar on a bigger saw is for me better for bucking. I just hate laying on the ground, and all bendy and stuff. Where i can just stand there and let the saw do its thing.
A big part of the West Coast , long bar length thing is . When a faller goes to work every morning, it's as wide open a non stop , in the cut, on the ground and on the hat (if they are bushlin) dash to 6 or 6 1/2 hours . Burning any where from 1.5 to 3 gallons of saw gas (depending on the timber being cut and the saw).
Very often, the ground is all broken up, tremendous amount of underbrush ect. And , when limbing and bucking on steepish slopes, when a bucked log drops it usually rolls or swings someplace . Plus, we limb usually via walking on the tree. A long bar let's us be farther away from where things are going to pop.
If a cutter can do their limbing and bucking all while walking on the ground. And the ground is fairly flat then a short bar like a 28" and shorter can be nice and useful. . I tried cutting with 28" bars when I was working my career on the coast . Just too short. Less of a safety margin for me and my saws. And less production by the end of the day.
A 30" bar was much much better. And was my go to length in many places. But , there is good reasons that 32, 34 and 36" bars are the norm for West coast fallers.
Completely agree. Both make excellent saws. You made a really good point of about a longer bar means less leaning over. My preference assuming the power is similar, is the lighter saw of 2 comparable models.
I too have a long weed whacker.
I have a long shaft
Well stated. At the end of the day, a chainsaw is just a tool used to get a job done. Just like tools or trucks, it will always be Snapon vs Mac, Ford vs everyone else. In my case as a homesteader with limited funds for my tools, its Neotec saws (Stihl clones), Toyota truck (4runner), and Harbor Freight wrenches and winches. :)
I can't help but notice.He's driving a Ford, which says a lot about his decision making.
Ford with a 7.3 power stroke!
@@scottmagruder9157 Hey, that's a great truck. I love those old engines. I have a 1984 F250 4x4 with 6.9L International engine, a real gem.
Smart Man!
@@farmkid7888 If he was intelligent, he'd be driving a GM product. You can't beat Chevy power.
😂😂😂
I like a sharp saw and dealer service. The only saw I didn't like for dropping trees is the 500I just due to throttle response when trying to slowly cutting up to the hinge.
Me with age prefer lighter saws, shorter bars. Just a home wood burner ( 6-8 cords/year harvested from our woodlot ). "Down to" a MS261 16" bar that does the job here in Maine. Also a Husky 338 XPT for climbing, trails, and limbing the canopy on falls to get to the trunk for bucking. Non pro, butt, took the CPL and GOL saw programs since I didn't know a damn thing years ago about using a saw.
I don't climb and trim/cut like 20 years ago. My saw of choice Jonsered, own several. For me it's all about the service I can get from my local dealer. He sells Stihl, Husqvarna and will order Jonsered if you want. In my case he services what he sold to me. Nothing compares to my 2094 and its been rebuilt twice. As you said it's all about maintenance, it's not difficult to pick out a well maintained unit and an owner who views their saw as an investment.
Jonsred is/was a red husky for the last many years and now is no longer made. The last ones sold had redmax on them vs jonsred label then they quit all together. The original jonsred was spelled jonsreds and they dropped the s after Electrolux purchased them for the air injection patents because it was jonsreds that came up with using air off the fan to spin the fines out keeping the air filters clean longer.
Speaking of trucks - I just saw a short video where a young man was going over a window sticker of new F350, diesel, crew, limited. Every bell and whistle. It stickers at a whopping $102,000!
Yep. Insane.
I have a good friend who works at a Ford dealership. He has been telling me about some of the prices. it’s insane.
I've owned both and used them professionally for years. I currently own a ms200t climbing saw, ms 261, ms400, 500i and an older Jonsered 2095 for my big saw. I've found that husky is more prone to problems and when they do they are more expensive to fix. My Stihls I've found are more reliable and have better low end torque. I cut mainly hardwood species back east. Husqvarna seems to cut a little faster.
Or it could just be the operator. 😂
You are right about the experience of the dealer.
I can never get my 372xp started or the other Husqvarna saws. My son picks them up and they start every time just fine. The stihl saws start fine for me but when my Buddy grabs my Stihl saws they don't fire up cold for him good.
End thoughts?
Its the knucklehead at the end of the string that makes the difference.
As much as I would like to argue with that, I just can’t argue with that. You might be right. 😂
@@WilsonForestLandsI fuel up a chainsaw before it run out of gas , it really helps on a restart . When you drain the tank I find you now have air to purge . I never touch the trigger until it’s running , pull the choke pull , as soon as it fires shut off the choke and pul until it runs. I’ve watched so many guys flood the saw then blame the tool , starting procedures are important
And by the way real loggers run Husqvarna . LOL ! 👍🇨🇦
I always use that starting procedure. With the Stihls I have had I can run the tanks dry and never have hard start problems. If Huskys are that finicky I would rather have the saws that are not that finicky.
@@WilsonForestLands The old joke with those saws Sthil not running ? If it makes you happy to run the other saws down , good for you . Husqvarna is a professional grade saw , most models anyway , all saws have issues . If you like cleaning the air filter constantly on your Sthil , all good . 🇨🇦👍
There are brands which just give you what you want. Reliability, overall performance, ease of use..they just feel good to use. To me these brands are Stihl, Fiskars, Yamaha outboards, Abu Garcia fishing gear, Volkswagen & Skoda cars.
That's what she said..."I like the long one!" haha Great vid.
The moment after I said it I knew I was going to get a comment like this. 😂
I use Stihl, guys I work with generally husky. Both good. I believe Stihl are meant for hard woods and husky for soft
I have a mix of equipment,husky ground saws, climbing saw,stihl hedge cutters,pole saw,blowers .both are great just prefer husky saws .t540 starts easy ,bigger hand grip and starts faster than my bosses 201 ...i love both manufacturers.i have no affiliation to either brand .stihl 700 back blower is a beast 👍👍👍 each to their own .thanks for posting
Your obviously not Canadian Michael 🤣
i love both stihl and husky and my dodge lol, i got many of both saws but husky will never cut circles around a stihl.
Stills were much more difficult to start than Husky’s
Yup stihl was harder to start unless it was that years model im not sure still was hard to start and did everything right so i put my stihl to the side and tried my poulan pro it started right up and the husqvarna started right up with the regular 3 pulls.
Later on that year i traded my stihl for another used broken poulan pro saw then fixed that and now it starts right up and is a back up
Were harder? They are very easy to start now
I think you might have convinced me of the long bar...
I have an old STIHL 011 AV with a 16" bar. I just use it to trim trees and branches around the house. Well, a few years ago I bent over with it, and instantly threw my back out. Was months of recovery.
I've ran both for a long time I've got a 046 mag that is my go to and a husky 372 for me just depends on what im working on that day
Best to use what works with your budget and need. But heavy use needs reliable equipment. Still you have to service the equipment too to maintain its health.
The thing that sold me on Stihl was watching a test someone did where they put a full tank of fuel on a few brands of saws, taped the throttle at full and started them all, Stihl was the only one that didnt blow up before running out of gas. Dont think Husk(q)y was one of them though, but it would be interesting to see how it does.
My aunt swore by Husqy saws but I dont know of she ever use Stihl.
The chains securing the logs are wrong. Open end of the hook should face down. However thank you for the very informative video, I am a die hard Stihl man only because I've owned both. I have built log homes for 30 years and if anyone thinks that industry is easy on saws you're mistaken. I have found that the inertia chain brake on the Stihl works best.
Hard to take advice from a guy that does not know how to properly attach his load chains.
Took an industrial psych/safety course many years ago. Lecturer went to evidence that most “chainsaw” injuries were: back injuries from bending over; limbing and bucking.
Just changed from a smallish saw with a 14” bar to a 500i with a 25” bar (firewood). I hand split with a maul as I buck. Always used to have a sore back after, which I blamed on the splitting. Guess what? No more sore back after a day on firewood. Might go longer yet.
Well said! The old timer climber dropping our 120' pines took his 32" bar up, and I asked the same thing, and he gave the same reason. I just switched my main saws from Husky to Stihl, but only because I found a barely used 400i and 250 for half of retail, and they're both about a 50% increase in power over my husky rancher 460 and 142, that were not at the pro level. I have a little Ryobi battery powered one that is nice for limbing or one-off cuts, being quiet, no fumes, no carb, and no fuel mix. But that bar is short, and it's not the right tool for lots of bigger cuts. That rancher 460 is easy to flood on hot restarts, but once I knew to watch out for that it was fine. And strange thing, the bar shape on the 460 and 400i is a little different. Both take an 84 link chain, but the Stihl manages to get an extra inch of bar length from it, at 25" instead of 24". And the tape measure shows it's not just an exaggeration or interpretation. Maybe it's a pro level saw thing, but the smaller nose diameter helps give a little longer reach....or ripping length, if slabbing up a log.
I bought a Stihl FS66 weed eater in 1985 and still have it , its never been rebuilt.
Last year I bought a Husqvarna 550xp ii and this year I bought a 572xp , so far I love them.
I have an fs 66 straight shaft weed/brushcutter also. Very good machine but not actually built by Stihl. They were made in Japan by shindiawa for Stihl in those years. Stihl makes their own now but back then made for them. Shindiawa was purchased by echo few years back and the 4-mix trimmer engine was a joint effort between Stihl and shindiawa. They’re the only other company to sell a 4-cycle that runs on 50;1 mix gas.
I have had one Husky maybe a 372 that ran good. The best saw I believe I owned was a Sthil 361 pro.
I do believe the Huskys are a little harder to start but the Husky seems to run a little faster. It really does come down to your local dealer and service.
I've never owned a Husky so I can't really say much about them. Fortunately I do have 2 local Stihl Dealers that are very supportive and friendly. That is important to me. My Stihl saw and yard equipment have run fine for many years. Good product and support.
Once I stopped using gas with alcohol, life improved. Then I got a Stihl with a compression release button, life really improved. BTW, those chains tensioners that use a big knob and twist thing are really a pain when it’s time to change chains. In the end, the dual bolt with a cheapo socket wrench just require less fussing around to change the chain. I like your videos.
In chainsaws brand doesn't matter in speed term, for me is just the looks or so, i worked with both stihl and husqvarna brands and i like them both, but my all time favourite is the Stihl ms 440 i can do everything with this saw. I even milled logs (not that big actually). Husky's just has a little bit more engine speed but not enormous difference very little
Love my lil stihl 170, relaible 10 pulls to start, 8 full choke 2 no choke and it always fires. Everyone says the 14" is better than the 16" bar but i work the saw pretty hard and honeatly a 18" would be even better for myself
I run both and love them. I even have echo that are over 20 years old and still running great. All three make great machines
The last Dodge I bought was because of the 12v Cummins and Dana rears. Had no control over the Dodge truck wrapped around it. Occasionally buy used Stihl's when I see a screaming deal and have enough for the rest of my days. I bought a Husky Rancher 55 for cheap and it works fine. It practically lives in the back of my truck and I don't worry if it gets stolen.
I own both. I completely agree with you. I have a Stihl that’s been a little bit finicky. However it is a heck of a saw when it runs. Personally we have a good Stihl dealer and a great Husky dealer that’s very close to me. The dealer is over 50 percent of the equation. Everything breaks, it’s the service you receive when you’re down. Good video
When it comes down to it, the best chainsaw is the one runs good and has a sharp chain. Everything else is a matter of preference.
Well said.
I happen to like the short stubby bars; but I am an enthusiast; battery operated; I run chainsaws for fun.
I enjoy seeing how good of performance comes from the little saws.
That being said; I REALLY enjoy running my two big EGO saws. One with a 20" bar; and the other with a 24" one.
When bigger battery operated saws become available; ( Greenworks H.O.G.); I will have one.
Chainsaws are just plain fun!
I’ve got two ported dolmar 7900s that are as light or maybe a fuzz lighter than a 500i and make more horsepower than a stock 661. Those quickly became my favorite “big” saws and I don’t really run anything else other than my top handles these days. I’ve had plenty of stihls and a few husqvarnas, always preferred the stihls but don’t have any real issues with either brand. All mechanical things fail eventually, doesn’t matter who makes it.
I prefer Stihl tools, however I will consider purchasing the Husky battery, climbing top handel saw. I heard it is more desirable than the Stihl battery saw.
Brilliant video.
I have both, old and new. Inherited and bought. They have their quirks. Both brands make a helluva noise and lot of sawdust. To me the choice to buy Stihl in the first place was that its dealer was the closest one and they had given good service on other stuff before. New Husky came with a chainsaw mill with an insane small price tag.
I am a Škoda man…
Interesting video.
I run both Husqvarna and Stihl equipment in my business. My preference depends on the type of tool & application.
I do a lot of brushcutting, grass strimming, hedge trimming, lawnmowing & chainsaw work.
If I had to choose, I would say any 5 series (professional) Husqvarna products have been flawless for me. For 2 stroke machinery, I find Husqvarna has a slight edge in terms of ergonomics & serviceability.
Literally, just in the past week, I've invested in a Stihl professional lawnmower and have been highly impressed with it.
Both companies produce quality machinery. I'm fortunate that dealer support is equally good in my area.
I wonder how much elevation , available fuel blends, and proper upkeep plays into starting on any saw. East coast intake are is a lot different than west coast intake air. Just a thought.
Very interesting questions. Our air is also a lot more dry in the summer. Sometimes more damp in the winter. Great questions, it would be interesting to hear some answers if anyone was to ever study that.
I've always used stihl, normally due to it being easy to get parts on the shelf. I recently got given a husky 366 xp by a customer who bought it in 1987 after the storms we had in the UK and got put on the shelf after being used a couple of times. I took the covers off and it looked brand new. I did have trouble at first with starting it but after I sussed it out I used it for a week clearing ash die back. I loved it, it rips and just wants to eat wood. Does put a grin on my face it's a beast. Aluminium brake too no plastic rubbish. It's my favourite saw now especially as it was a gift 😂
I’ve owned almost every pro saw from 70cc up.
STIHL is the best for me.
XS440 with a 28” bar with a 36RSLH chain is my go to. Also like the full skip (LH) chain.
Planning on getting a ms400 this fall 🫰🏻and get the XS sticker on it.
I was a Stihl man through and through. I fell in love with using a 500i so i went to buy one for myself but when i went to pull the trigger i stopped and i thought maybe i should see what i could get (specs wise) for he same money with Husqvarna. I was blown away. For $300 AUD less i could get a 585. I thought id give it a try. It turned out to be more powerful but a damn site more heavier. Im very happy with it and glad i took a look. So far so good but i still use my Stihls. My 194T arby saw is a great saw.
You’re correct on the long bar. I’m 6’4. And long bars is the ticket 👍🏻👍🏻