MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
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After some advice on mid-priced saws. Change of jobs means I no longer have access to a works saw so could do with one for pruning/firewood/felling up to 18". Been spoilt with (and experience with saws is limited to) a Husqvarna 550xpg for the last 2 years but budget won't stretch to a new one. Is a 435 going to be a big disappointment after a professional saw, or are the more expensive ones unnecessary for home use? Better off hunting for a 545/550xp second hand?
I don't have any experience with Stihl/other brands but have a few spare Husky bars/.325 chains so ideally would stick with that.
Felling up to 18" is at the serious end of things. I wouldn't want to be using an underpowered saw for that, so I'd be looking for something around the same size. There is little between a Husky and a Stihl in terms of grunt and durability IME. See what is around.
Buy a Chinese 372xp copy you’ll never look back.
Holzfforma are the sellers. I run a G660 which is a copy of an old Stihl 660 it’s brilliant..
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32953409288.html
I had a Stihl 023 as my main saw on the farm for 15 years. It did an extraordinary amount of work and is still there and works perfectly. It is "only" supposed to be a hobby saw, and not part of their professional range. But I know several professional hedge layers who use them as they are lighter and handier than the full metal chassis saws higher up the range. Depends on how much work you are really going to be doing at home I guess.
Buy a Chinese 372xp copy you’ll never look back.
Holzfforma are the sellers. I run a G660 which is a copy of an old Stihl 660 it’s brilliant..
holzforma/farmertec/huztl....hmm the quality of some bits is good enough....some bits its not. If you know saws well enough to fix them then yes get a kit from ebay and build it, and check out ope forum for the nfo on which bits in the kit are sh**.
I'd consider a rancher 55 new...although a bit smaller than you want probably...or a stihl home owner saw like the ms360, that would pull an 18" bar okay. Stihl are just as good as husq...swedes are smoother due to spring av not rubber, stihls tend to be heavier but more robust...although the latest pro saws are nuts powerful for the weights. If your local dealer is husky go husky, if its stihl go stihl....I have f r jones down the road...i have one of each.
My husqy is a 365 x torq. very light use firewood saw got 2nd hand for very little indeed...if you've the patience, go 2nd hand....get on arbtalk and ask, that's how i got mine
Personal experience of the husky 5 series are they're well worth the outlay, none of the ones I've ever used have had an issue (550/560/576). However I have worked with people who have had nothing but issues with them regarding the autotune, as with everything there's a chance of buying a dud second hand.
Maybe consider going back a generation? Pick up a second hand husqvarna 357xp or even further back to a 254xp. Less electronics on them to go wrong if used less regularly.
Two of my mates use Stihl saws pretty much exclusively, they are tree surgeons.
I can't really offer any advice over that, I work in IT lol!
I forgot to say, Makita saws are also excellent ( they are dolmar Sachs saws). If you have a dealer nearby though.
Competitive prices too.
To pull an 18" bar look at about a 60 cc saw.
Been running one of these for past few years. https://www.toolstoday.co.uk/stihl-ms181-31-8cc-petrol-chain-saw?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI77i0y7aR5AIVWODtCh37JwFeEAQYByABEgLp9PD_BwE
Other than being a swine to start if the fuel is not 100% fresh it’s been solid.