OmegaRed
New Member
So my wife surprises me with a new Husky rancher 455 20" bar as my gift for our 10 year wedding anniversary (God do I love her). She picked it up from Lowes.
I'm currently using a Poulan Pro with the 20" bar to process logs for my woodturning. I'm generally cutting the pith out with the long laying on it's side and cutting along the log axis, downwards. Logs range from 10" to 24" in diameter and lengths are about the same range. Almost exclusively hardwoods, and mostly maple. As far as use, I probably will go through 2 gallons of fuel in a year. So I don't process a huge amount of logs, but I suppose I work it fairly hard when I do.
So I'm very happy here...but...I was eyeing up some of the larger stuff from Sthil, prior to this, especially something that can take up to a 25" bar (supposedly the 455 can take a 24" bar if you can find it) so I can make the downward cuts from one end of the log. Finanically I really don't think I can justify beyond a MS390 (runs $470 for the 20" bar).
So the question is will I be happy witht the rancher (she told me if it wasn't the correct saw I could take it back, but I'm not sure she meant take it back and then spend more money ) and would I be better off returning the rancher and getting the MS390? For what I do will I really notice a difference in the two saws? I know the 390 specs have an edge of 0.8hp, but that's going by the mfgrs specs, and who know if the tests are the same, or if the mfgrs lie the same amount. Part of me wants to keep the 455 because it was the one she picked out but I don't want to regret anything.
Thanks
bob
I'm currently using a Poulan Pro with the 20" bar to process logs for my woodturning. I'm generally cutting the pith out with the long laying on it's side and cutting along the log axis, downwards. Logs range from 10" to 24" in diameter and lengths are about the same range. Almost exclusively hardwoods, and mostly maple. As far as use, I probably will go through 2 gallons of fuel in a year. So I don't process a huge amount of logs, but I suppose I work it fairly hard when I do.
So I'm very happy here...but...I was eyeing up some of the larger stuff from Sthil, prior to this, especially something that can take up to a 25" bar (supposedly the 455 can take a 24" bar if you can find it) so I can make the downward cuts from one end of the log. Finanically I really don't think I can justify beyond a MS390 (runs $470 for the 20" bar).
So the question is will I be happy witht the rancher (she told me if it wasn't the correct saw I could take it back, but I'm not sure she meant take it back and then spend more money ) and would I be better off returning the rancher and getting the MS390? For what I do will I really notice a difference in the two saws? I know the 390 specs have an edge of 0.8hp, but that's going by the mfgrs specs, and who know if the tests are the same, or if the mfgrs lie the same amount. Part of me wants to keep the 455 because it was the one she picked out but I don't want to regret anything.
Thanks
bob