Husquvarna 55 Rancher (Farm Tough)

[WillClimb]

Three questions about this saw - Husquvarna 55 Rancher (Farm Tough):

1) What is the fuel/oil ratio?

2) What is the longest acceptable bar?

3) Is it a production version of one of Husky's professional saws? And if so, what are your opinions of it? Hell, what are your opinions of it anyway?

Thanks -
Will

 

[HUSKYMAN]

The Husky 55 RANCHER is a very good saw. It is not a professional saw per se, but it is an extremely durable saw and many professionals use them because for the price they are an excellent value. The saw is ported for low end torque more than top hp, which is why it comes with 3/8 chain (the regular 55 has .325). I would not go over 18" with the 3/8. If you use .325 you can swing a 20" bar easily. Husky recommends 50:1 oil mix, which is what I broke my saw in at. However now I run 32:1 and it runs excellent with the Husky XP oil (it has the stabilizer built in). Good luck

 

[WillClimb]

Well, I've inherited it from my Dad and it seems to be a workhorse. Just replaced the chain and it seems that the saw was purchased with a 20" bar, not the normal 18". I just put the 3/8 by Oregon on it. That should suffice, right? I was kind of 'talked out of' the .325 because the shop owner said that people really only use it to minimize the vibration caused by the 3/8...said that the 3/8 was more aggressive.

The problem I was having with it was that the chain kept getting too much slack in it. Not from improper use but just from straight cutting...and it would happen quick. The chain actually nicked the body of the saw and the muffler a couple of times. The new chain seems to have taken care of it but I wont get to try it out until this weekend.

The only other problem is that now, when I start it, the chain is moving when the saw should be idle. I'm assuming that this is the jets? Am I calling them by the right name? The "+" and "-" screws? The chain may stop moving when the saw warms up but I think that it's dangerous for the chain to move unless I'm asking for it to do so.

Any advice would be appreciated on the chain losing tension and also moving at idle.

Thanks again -
Will

 

[HUSKYMAN]

My 55 has the high and low speed jets on the clutch side of the saw next to each other (one is red the other is blue) and the idle speed adjustment below them. With the saw warmed up slowly back off the idle speed adj until the chain stops. you may have to make a small adj to the low speed screw. Just do everything in small increments and you will be fine. Be sure to make sure the fast idle setting isnt on all the time. The saw is designed to go into fast idle whenever the choke lever is pulled out and will run at fast idle until you goose the throttle.