Boy oh boy, this sure is an active thread for the plastic rancher that lot's of folks like to poke fun at. :msp_biggrin:
Truth is, I no longer try and talk the typical Rancher customer into something else. Yeah, there are other saws that are lighter and/or have more power. But the bottom line is the Ranchers are very reliable, nearly foolproof saws that will do what customers need them to do with little to no fuss. Easy to start and they run and run and run.
The only negative with the Rancher II auto-tune is that it will likely be a sales dud as long as the standard 455 is available. The usual Rancher customer, even if he understands auto-tune, isn't going to pay more for the improved model.
The 450 rancher isn't really a rancher. It's just a standard every day 450 with "farm tough" written on the bar. This is nothing more than an effort to hang on to the $399 price point at Lowes now that the 455 has gone beyond it.