Chainsaw Husq vs Stihl

Boondox · Oct 4, 2005

I've absolutely noticed a difference in the chains. I have a big Husky for dropping trees and a small Stihl for limbing them. I use only Stihl chains on both saws. Pete

JimR · Oct 4, 2005

( I've absolutely noticed a difference in the chains. I have a big Husky for dropping trees and a small Stihl for limbing them. I use only Stihl chains on both saws. Pete )

I must have a real crappy Stihl chain on my 210 if you guys have good luck with them.

hayden · Oct 4, 2005

I have to confess that I've never even heard of a Shindaiwa, but that doesn't mean much.

CTyler · Oct 4, 2005

( Think I could take a brand new chain and basicly destroy it while cutting in clean wood in less than an hour!
)

I have a couple Homelite saws and do exactly that! There was another post about the Homelight chain. Cuts great for about 1/2 hour then needs sharpened, just won't hold an edge.

Bought a Oregon chain for the 20" and its' been doing great. Can't find one for the 12" saw, localy anyway.

Living in Montana as a teenager everyone raved about Stihl. My Uncles and I cut many a cord of wood with them. Then again the one McCullough saw seemed just fine as well.

jeffinsgf · Oct 4, 2005

I had a Shindawa string trimmer that was fantastic. Started easy and had plenty of power. Unfortunately, when it had a problem a few years later, the dealer where I bought it had dropped the line and no one in the area had picked it up. That's when I decided to stick to Husqvarna and/or Stihl.

hayden · Oct 4, 2005

Not sure if you are asking me, but I'm one of the people who uses Stihl chains on a Husky saw. The bars have been Husky and other brands as well. I can't remember what brand it is, and the logo is worn off now. Not Oregon, but it had a replacale sprocket tip nose so it was a quality bar and lasted 15 years. All the bars have been sprocket tip, and I grease the tips regularly. I haven't found bar wear to be an issue at all.

Are you sure your bar and chain gauge match? If the bar gauge (width of the guide grove) were .058, and the chain were .050 then the chain would slop around and wear excessively, I think. Any chance that's your problem?

There are numbers on the bar, and probably a numbr stamped on the drive tooth of the chain. If you let us knwo what they are we might be able to decipher the dimensions.

rox · Oct 4, 2005

I thank every one who has posted!
I had no idea there was so much to know about chain saws. We bought an olive farm a year and a hlf ago and painfully sawed everything by hund up until 3 months ago at which time I bought my husband a Stihl. We have never sharpened a chain. We got an extra one when we bought the cahin saw and when the first one got dull we jsut put on the secons one. I will go over to my dealer and get a chain saw sharpening tool and lso for the, oh i forget the name the smooth links between the cutting bits.

Good project for tomorrow. My husband is not mechanically inclined so this is a job I will be happy to do. I like tools and am comfortable around them.

I would like to get a chain with more bite on it as has been discussed on this thread, but since my husband declines to wear a helmet, I am not even going to tell him that there are other chains available that bite more. He needs all the safety features available. If he would wear the proper safety equipment then I would bump us up in a chain, but he won't, so he will never know what he is missing. Loving wife writing.

He ran the chain saw cutting down probably 40 6" to 10" trees without ever adding bar oil. Now that I showed him the directions he is at least adding bar oil every time he fills up with gasonline. The Stihl is awsome though. We got the model that dealer said all the olive farmers use. Nice lightweight and tons of power. Cost 550 Euros but gotta have the right equipment to do the job. We have the wierdest marriage. Usually the husband would research and buy the chain saw. With us just the opposite, he just let's me research and buy what I figure out will meet our needs,he doesn't even go with to the store. My dad treated his daughters jsut like his son and we all worked, duaghters and son, and learned the proper names of all the tools and how to use them, and he gave us plenty, plenty of projects. Which is why I cruise so much on TBN with all you fellers, I feel comfy here.
~rox
p.s. my dad never had a chain saw which is why my knowledge base is lacking in chain saws. When he had to cut down a tree he called my uncle and the two of them used a two man saw. Side note- he cut down oak trees with the two man saw, took them to a saw mill, dried the lumber in the top of our garage and then built all of the kitchen cabinets. Yeah I did a LOT of sanding when I was a kid, sanding down a lot of oak. Like I said above we all had to work when I was growing up.

JimR · Oct 4, 2005

Rox, You are the envy of every guy I know. We were all looking for a wife like you. Your husband better be glad he has you.

ScottAR · Oct 4, 2005

You might also enjoy the Forestry Forum Great bunch of woodsmen and woodswomen.

1962 · Oct 5, 2005

most all of my still saws were made in west germany. guess that tells you how old they are. and still(pun intended) are running great. the smaller stihl saws are made in virginia beach. the larger saws are made in germany or brazil. stihl RS saw chain is top notch, i also like carlton brand saw chain. the best chainsaw bars i have ever used have got to be the windsor brand. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

tawilson · Oct 5, 2005

For a nice little tutorial on chains and their maintenance, chech here: Stihl . Then download the Sharp Advice file.
Your husband should be wearing some safety gear, nwmely helmet with face shield and hearing protection, chaps, gloves and steel toed shoes. Maybe you can find some pics of chainsaw injuries to influence him. They make a nasty wound.

RobertN · Oct 5, 2005

The shops around here have ready to go chains, as well as rolls of chain. They can cut and set the loop to any required length(That's power tool shops, not Ace, Lowes, HD ect).

Chain is like string trimmer line. Get the good stuff... I have bought cheap line for the trimmer in a pinch; my Stihl and Husky trimmers ate it up...

McCullouch used to make awesome saws. Thier Pro lines in the 50's, 60's and early 70's were awesome. Not sure why they dropped out of the picture though...

meledward23 · Oct 5, 2005

It seems to me, that anytime a op of the line product gets on a major retailers shelves it (the Quality, maybe not sales or stock) goes down hill.

There are plenty of examples.

We shall have to see what happens to Husq over the next several years as they stock Lowes shelves.

I could only wager a guess thay may have happened with Mccollough.

It has happened with Levi's and Marantz that I can think of off hand. Both of which I have more or less personal knowledge of.

I am sure this is not every single case, but a trend. Major retailers drive for lowest price competetive edges. Therefor when a topline product gets into those stores and they get used to the volume sales, and the retailer says lower, lower lower prices, they start cutting corners. Just a little here and a littler there. But quite often that is the only difference between good high end and middle end. A few top quality fninishes on a product......

I thnk I digress and better cease this post.....

hobbyfarm · Oct 5, 2005

( I have to confess that I've never even heard of a Shindaiwa, but that doesn't mean much.)

Shindaiwa another fairly good Japanese brand that is in need of more dealers here.

meledward23 · Oct 5, 2005

Shindawia makes some serious String Trimmers. I believe they make blowers as well. I dont know anyone that has the blower that is a staunch supporter.

But thsoe string Trimmers (weedeater) are great. I have owned several over the last 10 years. If I had just one it would probably be still running, but I always find some that someone wants to buy my mowing setup for good money, so I sell it and go buy some new stuff. I have had all types of different commercial lawn maintenance equipment, but the one place I have yet to very is the Shindawia Trimmer.

TX-27 I believe it the model I have been using for quite some time.

hobbyfarm · Oct 5, 2005

( McCullouch used to make awesome saws. Thier Pro lines in the 50's, 60's and early 70's were awesome. Not sure why they dropped out of the picture though... )

Oh, lets see, being bought, picked apart and sold by the buzzards several times (sort of like Homelite). They belong to MTD now.

arthr31 · Oct 5, 2005

hi,
just to thro in some input here. I run only JD and Husky saws. I used stihl in college while working for a logger. All good, some need more care than others. I've found the husky takes more abuse than anything else (i've logged and done tree work quite a bit).

Now, on another note, I'm having a lot of problems with Oregon XP chains on my husky 55 rancher and 365. After a few minutes run time, they stretch out and being to flap. Not good. I just installed a new oregon today and will run hard on Friday, if it happens again, I'l move to something else, and from what i've heard here, maybe stihl chains.

Play it safe with the saws!! -art

midlf · Oct 6, 2005

Rox - re your tag line. Post some pics of your unknown implements on the implement forum. Someone here will probably know what it is and how to use it. You may have some implements you might find useful.

arthr31 · Oct 7, 2005

didn't chainsaw today, spent too much time moving gravel with the tractor... Hope to chainsaw on Monday now.. I'll report back then about the oregon chains.

boomer4snow · Oct 8, 2005

I use a Husky 372 xp with 24" bar, and I have a Stihl 361 with a 20" bar. the stihl chain stretches less, and stays sharper 3-4 times longer than the husky chain does. I switched to a Raptor skip tooth carbide chain on the Husky and it is a night and day difference for the better! It is however not a saw you loan out to anybody because the chain just seems to look for an opportunity to grab you. The raptor chain does 10x better than the original husky chains. I havent needed to switch the Stihl chains as they are still nice with just a little touch up, and they stay that way.