brianblack138
New Member
I'm new to this site, and this is my first post, but it has already helped answer a lot of questions for me in my recent quest to purchase the right saw.
I don't cut wood for a living and for a couple of years a Husqvarna 455 has served me well in maintaining my small farm, felling dead trees and cutting up downed branches. Unfortunately, someone stole my saw from my garage along with a substantial amount of other equipment (Echo trimmer, gas blower, stick welder). I knew that I needed a chainsaw but didn't want to just buy another 455 without doing some research. After reading some of the posts on this site, I decided that I should spend the money to buy a good professional saw and be done with it. I have a dead spruce that needs to come down, and for the amount I would pay someone to fell it and cut it up, it was worth it to just buy the saw and do it myself.
I went back and forth on brands and ultimately opted to stick with the one that I was comfortable with (I've owned a few Huskvarnas). I was planning on getting a new 762xp, figuring that it would be more than enough saw for anything I ever needed to do. However, I figured that I could save some money by buying a used 372.
Earlier this week, I did just that. However, I got lucky and found a two-for. I found a local guy selling his 5 year old 372 with a 24" bar AND a 2 year old 357XP with a 20" bar for $500 for both. They both looked to be in good condition (gas looked good, air filter looked good, bar and chain were pretty new and well maintained, little to no front sprocket play) and I had a good feeling about the guy who was selling it (retired military, getting out of the tree business). He even volunteered to help me out if I had any questions in the future. I confirmed that the serial number plates were both on the saws (I explained to the guy that it wasn't that I didn't trust him, but that ever since I got ripped off I make it a point to check to make sure I'm not buying anything that was stolen from someone) and I paid the asking price without haggling.
However, the saws were used and the 357XP had a broken brake. The seller explained that an oak log rolled over on the brake and snapped it off. I figured that for the price, I was still getting a really good deal. Was my assessment correct or did I get raked over the coals? Also, about how much would it cost to have a new brake put on the 357XP? Other than rust on the mufflers, these saws look really good. Should I get the mufflers replaced/modified or should I just use them as is?
I don't cut wood for a living and for a couple of years a Husqvarna 455 has served me well in maintaining my small farm, felling dead trees and cutting up downed branches. Unfortunately, someone stole my saw from my garage along with a substantial amount of other equipment (Echo trimmer, gas blower, stick welder). I knew that I needed a chainsaw but didn't want to just buy another 455 without doing some research. After reading some of the posts on this site, I decided that I should spend the money to buy a good professional saw and be done with it. I have a dead spruce that needs to come down, and for the amount I would pay someone to fell it and cut it up, it was worth it to just buy the saw and do it myself.
I went back and forth on brands and ultimately opted to stick with the one that I was comfortable with (I've owned a few Huskvarnas). I was planning on getting a new 762xp, figuring that it would be more than enough saw for anything I ever needed to do. However, I figured that I could save some money by buying a used 372.
Earlier this week, I did just that. However, I got lucky and found a two-for. I found a local guy selling his 5 year old 372 with a 24" bar AND a 2 year old 357XP with a 20" bar for $500 for both. They both looked to be in good condition (gas looked good, air filter looked good, bar and chain were pretty new and well maintained, little to no front sprocket play) and I had a good feeling about the guy who was selling it (retired military, getting out of the tree business). He even volunteered to help me out if I had any questions in the future. I confirmed that the serial number plates were both on the saws (I explained to the guy that it wasn't that I didn't trust him, but that ever since I got ripped off I make it a point to check to make sure I'm not buying anything that was stolen from someone) and I paid the asking price without haggling.
However, the saws were used and the 357XP had a broken brake. The seller explained that an oak log rolled over on the brake and snapped it off. I figured that for the price, I was still getting a really good deal. Was my assessment correct or did I get raked over the coals? Also, about how much would it cost to have a new brake put on the 357XP? Other than rust on the mufflers, these saws look really good. Should I get the mufflers replaced/modified or should I just use them as is?
