backhoelover
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bit a 20 in bar on it, it would be like a lightsaber 
Which is the best pro saw of each brand?
- Thread starter Jeff Lary
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backhoelover
Free service manuals and service tool info
put lol
Now that 50cc saws have been mentioned, perhaps a Dolmar PS-5105 can be considered as a option?!
Just saying, never used one personally but seem to be nice saws.
Just saying, never used one personally but seem to be nice saws.
Idahonative
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"Gonna be a serious contender"? Too late...they already are. And there's not a thing wrong with their weight when you look at the ENTIRE package.
nitehawk55
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Probably one of the best kept secrets in saws and often overlooked as well as some other good OPE equipment they have .
Yes a bit heavier Chris and not in the "Pro" limelight as other brands are but some good saws for sure .
Yes a bit heavier Chris and not in the "Pro" limelight as other brands are but some good saws for sure .
nitehawk55
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A good dealer will look after the warranty work as they should . A MM doesn't need to void a warranty if you have a replacement muffler and don't mess the caps up
Husky dealer does full ports to a lot of the saws he sells and says if those parts fail it's not covered but in his opinion the rest of the saw is
KenJax Tree
Terraphobic
Yes they are good saws, im not saying they aren't.
I'd like to see how an old 034 super stacks up against that fancy new 562 XtrasmallPenis .... I am really impressed how the one I just bought runs.... In a 20 inch square piece of alder it is only 6 seconds behind my 461R ( 25 seconds VS 19).... and it is very nimble and light as far as I'm concerned.... very surprised how strong it is. My lil old 026 was still getting after it at 35 seconds.... she's got a lot of miles on her!! 
Big Block
WFO or I don't go
krushing73
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I love my 372XP. It's the best saw I've ever run.
Quit mentioning that 5 yr warranty. Once you take out normal wear items(pull rope, bearings, piston, rings, linkage, recoil, oil pump, clutch), non covered items(bar, chain), and the fuel system that only gets about a 6 month warranty because frankly anything after that time frame will most likely be ethanol damaged from leaving fuel in it 24/7 and therefore not covered. What does that leave you with?
An ignition coil that has a lifetime warranty anyway
An ignition coil that has a lifetime warranty anyway
Big Block
WFO or I don't go
I voided mine in 12 hours. But if they are willing to warranty it for 5 years they must be confident in their product right ? I beat the shut outta mine and it still runs strong best 4 hundo I ever spent
You only voided the P&C warranty if you go to the right dealer.
Confident, smart marketing, or just plain stupidity. Time will tell.
I'm not knocking the product. If you want a solid dependable product and don't mind sacrificing power and compactness...Echo is it but I bet there is a fair share of unhappy customers who believed the 5yr warranty and ran into reality when they tried to warranty a smoked clutch or fuel lines on a 4yr old saw. Want proof just look at all the people on this forum that talk up that 5yr warranty when they should know that there is very little that could be warrantied on a 2 yr old saw that has seen a fair amount of use.
I pay no attention to the consumer warranty when evaluating a product. Commercial or rental use warranty tells a better tale of how confidant they really are in their products
Isn't this the lifetime of production of that model? Pretty sure that is how Husqvarna clarifies the word lifetime.
CapitaineHaddoc
European Westcoaster
And I suppose you know a lot of pro loggers who use Echo's to make a living, right? Or are you just playing the Echo cheerleader again?
Here in France we have a great Echo dealership, same warranty and the saws are sold with rebranded Tsumura bars. But there are currently no pro logger who uses Echo.
ArcticOverland
It's getting cold out there....
In the USA, you can get 4 years warranty on Husqvarna products by purchasing their oil at the same time as you buy the saw:
http://www.husqvarna.com/us/support/extended-warranty-program/
So, 3 * 1L bottles of oil and you have 4 years warranty as a homeowner. It's a no brainer as far as I can see if long warranty period is important to you. It's not like you won't use the oil or sell it on easily.
Stihl have a similar warranty extension offer with some oil of a gallon of premix. So put the whole Echo warranty thing to one side. It's not all that special.
I'd prefer to pick the saw based on its durability, build and spares availability along with the dealers approach to me rather than the manufacturers warranty. Those are the only things that matter once that warranty has expired, or come into play when you damage something or need a wear and tear related part or repair.
Pro's don't get super-special-discounts. Yeah, there's a return on the investment in the tool, but cost is cost and hassle is hassle. If pro's aren't running Echo's, it has to raise some real questions about how they stack up against the competition, or whether they really compete at all at the more demanding end of the user spectrum.
If I wanted one saw to do the job, with full pro saw build quality at a more reasonable price point, the 555 is where I'd be looking in the Husqvarna line-up, even if it meant waiting a while longer (as you have a saw to work with now) and adding a little to the coin jar over time. The only thing that's not 'pro saw' about it is the absence of an XP after the numbers and the matching price-tag.
http://www.husqvarna.com/us/support/extended-warranty-program/
So, 3 * 1L bottles of oil and you have 4 years warranty as a homeowner. It's a no brainer as far as I can see if long warranty period is important to you. It's not like you won't use the oil or sell it on easily.
Stihl have a similar warranty extension offer with some oil of a gallon of premix. So put the whole Echo warranty thing to one side. It's not all that special.
I'd prefer to pick the saw based on its durability, build and spares availability along with the dealers approach to me rather than the manufacturers warranty. Those are the only things that matter once that warranty has expired, or come into play when you damage something or need a wear and tear related part or repair.
Pro's don't get super-special-discounts. Yeah, there's a return on the investment in the tool, but cost is cost and hassle is hassle. If pro's aren't running Echo's, it has to raise some real questions about how they stack up against the competition, or whether they really compete at all at the more demanding end of the user spectrum.
If I wanted one saw to do the job, with full pro saw build quality at a more reasonable price point, the 555 is where I'd be looking in the Husqvarna line-up, even if it meant waiting a while longer (as you have a saw to work with now) and adding a little to the coin jar over time. The only thing that's not 'pro saw' about it is the absence of an XP after the numbers and the matching price-tag.
Yes CoreyB you hit the nail so to speak. You all have been a wealth of information that I knew you would be. In fact I am thinking that there should be a new saw in my future. I am going to go back through the thread and write down some of the favorites here, This info is / should be good enough to give anybody a few good choices in the new saw search. Thanks Jeff
I have heard of the stihl , buy this per mix get a better warranty but I did not know husky did a similar thing. He did mention Husky so they are top on ( not in ) his mind. He works in a lumber mill and I think they own several Husqvarna's that may be where he became exposed to them.
However I do wonder this, do you think all dealers make it a point to tell customers about the extended warranty / buy some oil, pre mix plan? I know my brother just bought a new Stihl something cant remember what model. When I asked him about the extended he acted as if I was full of Sh&% so they never told him at the dealer.
ArcticOverland
It's getting cold out there....
The dealers attention to customer service is an important part of the decision making process for me. My dealer here is great to deal with. He carries Husky, Stihl and Echo. He's actually quite neutral in the sense that he didn't try to push me towards one brand or another, or even one saw over another. He asked me questions about what kind of work I'd be doing, what I'm used to using, asked me approximate budget and then set out a selection of the saws that ticked the right boxes generally, including a couple that were way under budget and a couple that pushed budget a little, but not a lot.
He gave me the information on warranties and when I asked, prices for typical service consumables for comparison. I picked the Husky product in the end up as that's what's familiar and felt 'right' to me, but I'd have been happy to buy from him no matter what saw I decided upon. It wasn't the cheapest, but the extra I was getting in my saw choice justified spending a little more. I'm happy with my decision, and importantly, happy that my dealer will be there if I have any problems.
The same may be true for your son. If the Husky stuff is familiar to him and a good dealer is accessible, that may be where he's most comfortable doing business. If he has a poor experience at the Husky dealer, he'd be well advised to think again and look for another Husky dealer or even a dealer selling a different brand. Like many things in life, you have to measure it up by how things are handled when there's a problem. A good buying experience doesn't always equal a good ownership experience.
If he was in the market for a 150-200 dollar saw, then big box stores are fine. Pick the best package for the money and run it into the ground. For small money, nobody should have big expectations of backup and service for many years. It's unreasonable. But spending several hundred dollars, both the saw and the dealers quality in service are important.
I could forgive a guy in a box store who sells all and sundry slipping up and not offering the oil tied warranty on a saw. I might not be happy, but I can see how it would happen. A premium dealer (which it will be if they sell Pro grade saws anyway) should be held accountable if they didn't extend the offer to a consumer level customer. These things happen, but I wouldn't be happy about it myself. The only exception would be somebody walking in 'fully educated', asking for a very specific product and looking to walk out the door. If that person passed themselves off as a pro, well, why offer something that doesn't apply to them? I'd give them a get out of jail free card if that were to happen.
I know, long answer. Hope it helps somewhat.
great advice I think I would add that Brother bought from a well respected stihl dealer in the area.
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