Thread: New Chainsaw

Either Stihl or Husky are fine.

Husky are perhpas considered superior in their air filtration and used to be superior in vibration but the newer saws like the Stihl 441 now have excellent vibration control. Stihl have the longevity runs on the board.

If you want to use your saw for milling and expect it to last avoid the consumer level saws (mostly made in china) as they are designed for occasional use only. Don't believe what the dealers tell you. The Stihl AUS site does not tell you what saws are consumer level saws but the www.stihlusa.com/chainsaws/ site does.

I would be also seriously considering things like how friendly/helpful is your nearest dealer for either brand.

Like Bob Said, either will see you right, but make sure you don't buy a hobby/occasional model for either brand.

Good luck post some pics when you get it home!!

Thanks Guys
Was looking at a Husky 576 about $1700 or 395XP about $2k yesterday and have looked at the Still but was not sure what model was what there but he did tell me it was a commercial type saw and was about $1300. The Husky dealer certainly seems to know his saws well as he fixes them and deals with the local wood cutters etc.
Regards Stewy

stihl all the way.

they will last forever.

i have 3 that are over 30 years old. and have worked hard with no servicing.

with any brand of saw u must buy the comercial type saws not teh homeowner ones.

be carefull when you buy as the bars for stihl and husky wont fit each other ,so it pays to stick with one brand . i got a 90cc husky and all my shindaiwa bars fit. found them a great saw up to 75 cc mod 757. really worked them for years and recomend them . cheers bob ,

That sthil USA site is so much more useful than the Aussie one.

I own 4 stihls and one husky for only one reason. I can walk into my local Stihl shop and ask for any part I like and its on the shelf. If Im to do the same at my local husky dealer, 50% of the time they tell me the parts here, the other 50 they have to get it over from the east coast which takes two weeks. Its a Holden-Ford arguement on the performance front but personally when Im 150ks from town the saw I trust to not let me down all day is a Stihl. Dont get all caught up in air filtration comparisons either. Best thing to do I think is to go and see your local tree lopping business owners and get their opinion on service backup in your local as those guys rely on their saws to run well every day

Originally Posted by nifty

Best thing to do I think is to go and see your local tree lopping business owners and get their opinion on service backup in your local as those guys rely on their saws to run well every day

Well said Nifty, after all the tree loppers won't get anything from selling you something ya don't need and like you said they rely on them every day, so the saw has to work and when it doesn't you want it back working ASAP

Rates right up there with other subjects that have been discussed over a beer at the pub being religion,politics and the world economy etc.

Like cars, you are either a Ford man or a Holden man but both nowadays will give you a fair run(otherwise you are out of bussiness).

I have three huskys and one Stihl, so i will keep my preference quiet.

Originally Posted by nifty

I own 4 stihls and one husky for only one reason. I can walk into my local Stihl shop and ask for any part I like and its on the shelf. If Im to do the same at my local husky dealer, 50% of the time they tell me the parts here, the other 50 they have to get it over from the east coast which takes two weeks.

It sounds like you Stihl dealer (Margaret River or Busselton?) is better than any we have here in Perth. If I need a slightly non standard part my local stihl dealer in West Perth usually have to order the parts in. They do however provide excellent service and provide really useful advice. As for your husky dealer, if he expects to make the service grade he needs to learn about overnight express and wear some of the cost.

Rather than sit on the phone and ring around chasing parts for old saw I put the email addresses of a dozen dealers/agents into one email address and send it out under a single message. Using this method I was able to track down the last 3 air filters in WA for my 076.

Thanks for the replies Guys. I think I am going to go for the Husky as the backup service seems to be better from this bloke and have no bad reports from people I have asked about either saw.
Stewy

I'm devastated.

A comprehensive book on chain saws would probably be obsolete before the ink dries.

As of a couple years ago, there were 16 patterns for the bar attachments alone, mostly based on the location of the adjustment nut for tensioning.

It took over 100 years for development of unified screw thread systems, and we're almost back where we started. Even the little doohickeys securing decorative wheel covers come in all shapes and sizes. For Heaven's sake, organ transplants have less severe matching requirements.

If you buy more than one chain saw, I suggest you stay with one brand, to have a prayer of parts interchange.

Cheers,
Joe