Stihl vs Husqvarna

[RandyT]

I'm a Husky guy but ran across this just now, is that a real thing? Summer - Winter mode on a Stihl?

https://twitter.com/x/status/1870284905361621119

Yes. Most people never switch them because they don't need to. Is used in extreme cold to help prevent air filter and carb icing.

Here is the procedure for a Husky 562 xp

 

[Eagle1]

Yes. Most people never switch them because they don't need to. Is used in extreme cold to help prevent air filter and carb icing.

Cool, learned something.

 

[WinterDeere]

I think I switched mine once, the first year I switched to Stihl, which was about 15 years ago. Never bothered since, although checking the manual now, I see I should be in winter mode anytime it's below 50F! You only need to go to summer mode when it's over 70F, with the 50-70F range allowing for either mode.

I was out cutting, splitting, stacking all day today, in "summer mode" at 20 - 30F. Used 35cc top-handle Husqvarna for marking and limbing, and a 63cc Stihl for bucking, so I guess I broke the whole "Stihl vs. Husqvarna" bend of this thread. Largest log was a 22" - 24" diameter ash, 15 feet long and straight as a pin, but most was red oak, 10" - 16" diameters.

 

[RandyT]

Cool, learned something.

Husky does to as illustrated in my modified above post for the 562xp

 

[5030]

So does Echo (have a winter - summer) slide. My ancient 028 don't but it came with the optional and rare (I've been told) heated handle which is great on a cold winter day.

 

[WinterDeere]

So does Echo (have a winter - summer) slide. My ancient 028 don't but it came with the optional and rare (I've been told) heated handle which is great on a cold winter day.

Yes, at least some of the Echo saws have this, but I don't know if it's standard across the whole line.

 

[Hay Dude]

I switch mine, then usually forget. Then in summer I get all disgusted that they won’t run right when it’s 90 degrees!

 

[5030]

My Timber Bear has it but my little CS top handle pruning saw don't. Never been an issue with me on the little one, I just warm it up before cutting and all is good. Keep in mind that both the Timber bear as well as the CS have modded mufflers and no limiter caps on the mixture adjustments. reason being is that Echo tends to set them lean from the factory and I prefer for them to run a bit rich and 4 stroke at WOT. The CS has a no CAT Echo muffler and the TB has a modded muff with the top baffle removed and the deflector pointed to the clutch side. Echo offers a no CAT muffler as a retrofit.

I modded the muff on the 028 many years ago as well. Stihl's especially, suffer from over muffled mufflers.

 

[xyz123]

I switch mine, then usually forget. Then in summer I get all disgusted that they won’t run right when it’s 90 degrees!

The 359 I just got had the winter flap open and the saw came from AR and used in summer. I was thinking he prob didnt even know it.

Closed now. Wont even open them up till I see icing up.

Couple of my old school heated handle saws. Fully adjustable to both.

 

[lincmercguy]

I went with the MS-362C-M in the end. I finally got to exercise it today felling and cutting up some standing dead juniper from my tree row. I mainly wanted to get a path that I can mow to the west fenceline to enjoy the view.

This saw is a hungry beast compared to my MS-251C. These trees were just a snack for it. While it may have been a bit overkill for these, but it made it go quickly. The 362 is heavier than my 251, so I still used the 251 to cut off the small branches. I think I need to keep the 251. If I got rid of it, I'd probably be looking for a 20V saw to replace it. But I already have it.

 

[xyz123]

If you got the 362 new and later Gen2 up. Super light for 59cc pro saw.

 

[WinterDeere]

The 362 is a great saw. I'm still running it's predecessor (036 PRO), no reason to update, and it's a great size saw for all-day firewood cutting. Easy to start, easy to carry, it strikes a real nice balance between "just enough" power for most firewood cutting use, and still not being too heavy.

I already had miles and miles of 20" chain loops and a new 20" bar off another saw, when I bought mine, but found it was a little under-powered for pulling 20" with the nose buried in large oak logs. I threw some big felling dogs on the saw, to see if shortening up the bar 1" would make a difference, and it actually helped a lot. I'd guess most might look at the big dogs on the saw and think I'm trying to be some poser wanna-be western logger, but it was just about reducing exposed bar length while using the hardware I already owned.

If I were buying a new MS-362 today, I'd mount an 18" bar on it and skip the felling dogs. I like a relatively aggressive grind on my chains, taking the depth gauges (rakers) down a good 20% = .005" lower than factory spec for better speed, but this does put a lot more load on the saw. I'm also cutting a lot of larger hardwoods, so full nose-buried cutting is the norm. Big bars on small saws do fine, until you bury the nose in something bigger, which seems to increase the friction and load by a lot.

Someday I'll wear out my 20" bar and 15 chain loops I have for that saw, and then I'll probably replace it all with 18" hardware, if the saw is still running strong and reliable by then.

 

[xyz123]

@WinterDeere Take your 036 360 even 361 over a 2 myself.

 

[walhondingMF]

562xp with new light bar.

 

[WinterDeere]

Nice! I was just going over saws today, deep cleaning and spark plug swaps. Two Stihl and one Husqvarna, I have no real brand loyalty, they both make some great saws with massive power to weight numbers.

I do find Stihl wins on many of the smaller points, like size of filler necks, sturdiness of chain brake levers, and overall durability, but I think Husqvarna might edge out some of Stihl’s best on power to weight. Overall, I guess I prefer Stihl, but hold nothing seriously against Husqvarna, either.

One of my Stihl’s has filler caps as large as the average garden tractor. I wish every saw were like that.

 

[Hay Dude]

I’m NOT writing this to start a Stihl/Husky war.

I rented a 12” diesel chipper from a well established rental company last week who is authorized to service Stihl and Husqvarna. (I didn’t realize a dealer could sell/service both).
I was talking to the GM a bit, discussing my dissatisfaction with new saws and their complexity when/if they break. He asked me what saws I ran. I told him I had 3 Stihls.
His comment to me was, “well at least you aren’t running Husqvarna, they outnumber Stihl for repairs in our shop by a lot and we sell more Stihl than Husqvarna”.

I am not brand loyal. This however kind of struck me as a pretty solid information from a guy who’s been in the saw business for like 40+ years.

 

[jyoutz]

I’m NOT writing this to start a Stihl/Husky war.

I rented a 12” diesel chipper from a well established rental company last week who is authorized to service Stihl and Husqvarna. (I didn’t realize a dealer could sell/service both).
I was talking to the GM a bit, discussing my I’ve noticed a Regiondissatisfaction with new saws and their complexity when/if they break. He asked me what saws I ran. I told him I had 3 Stihls.
His comment to me was, “well at least you aren’t running Husqvarna, they outnumber Stihl for repairs in our shop by a lot and we sell more Stihl than Husqvarna”.

I am not brand loyal. This however kind of struck me as a pretty solid information from a guy who’s been in the saw business for like 40+ years.

I’ve noticed a regional preference among loggers and fire crews. In the western U.S. Stihl is dominant, while I’ve seen more Huskies in the east. Probably dealer presence?

 

[WinterDeere]

I didn’t realize a dealer could sell/service both.

My dealer sells and services Stihl, Husqvarna, Echo and RedMax! They have side by side racks of Stihl and Husqvarna, and the Echo's go on the floor around the perimeter of the whole show room. I don't think they have any RedMax saws, just trimmers and blowers for that brand.

 

[5030]

I’m NOT writing this to start a Stihl/Husky war.

I rented a 12” diesel chipper from a well established rental company last week who is authorized to service Stihl and Husqvarna. (I didn’t realize a dealer could sell/service both).
I was talking to the GM a bit, discussing my dissatisfaction with new saws and their complexity when/if they break. He asked me what saws I ran. I told him I had 3 Stihls.
His comment to me was, “well at least you aren’t running Husqvarna, they outnumber Stihl for repairs in our shop by a lot and we sell more Stihl than Husqvarna”.

I am not brand loyal. This however kind of struck me as a pretty solid information from a guy who’s been in the saw business for like 40+ years.

Don't bother me one iota. The Kubota dealership where I work part time sells Echo power products and they also repair and service all makes of saws and power equipment and most of what I see coming into the shop for repairs is because of owner abuse and / or stupidity. That pertains especially to chainsaws and it's mostly attributable to saws that were straight gassed or left sitting for an extended amount of time with an e-gas oil mix in the fuel tank that turned to gum and then they won't start. Why I only run canned gas in mine because they don't get used frequently. Canned gas = no carb issues. That and dull chains. Dull chains don't cut well and just produce sawdust and not much else. Owner abuse and stupidity isn't brand related at all.

 

[Hay Dude]

Buy once, cry once. Man, this thing rips bone stock.