Husqvarna 130-First Look
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No I’ll check
I purchased a 435 not too long after they came out. I found it a little "funny" to tune as well and it had a little "bogging" to it even when set to be four-stroking pretty heavily. It kind of worked itself thru all that and was a pretty decent running saw for me except it had "hot-soak" issues and refused to work well in hot-humid weather no matter what I did to it.
What a shame too because it was pretty impressive for a cheap box-store type saw. I replaced it with an Echo CS-370 and it's not as powerful but has been dead solid reliable now for many years and my "go-to" saw for small work here.
I'm interested in how the 130 pans out. I still remember WAY back when Husqvarna did the rebadged Poulan's, biggest POS of a saw I ever added to my line-up, I swear mine was possessed!..........FWIW......Cliff
What a shame too because it was pretty impressive for a cheap box-store type saw. I replaced it with an Echo CS-370 and it's not as powerful but has been dead solid reliable now for many years and my "go-to" saw for small work here.
I'm interested in how the 130 pans out. I still remember WAY back when Husqvarna did the rebadged Poulan's, biggest POS of a saw I ever added to my line-up, I swear mine was possessed!..........FWIW......Cliff
I’ll definitely put it through the paces. It’s still not perfect but I know that saws run better as they break in so I’m just going to keep it on the rich side for a few more tanks.
The nice thing is (as spike mentioned) the replacement muffler is 12 bucks so if I want to covert it back to stock and sell it I could do so.
Before I dulled the chain it was cutting real nice and the torque post-muffler mod increased immensely. So I have high hopes once it gets broken in and I do the timing advance.
Interesting to hear that you didn’t like the Pou-varna saws. My first saw was a 1991 Husqvarna 41 which I ran for 28 years of occasional use with nothing but a carb kit. And I’m loving the 142 in my stable once I did a de-cat and muffler mod.
Pretty sure my orange Poulan was a 41 from the early 1990's. It never worked well from day one, got shelved, then sold years later on Ebay....I don't miss it......Cliff
What didn’t work on it?
From day one it took 20-30 pulls to get it to fire after sitting a few days.
It didn't make **** for power.
The oiler didn't have enough ars to push thru any debris so it was always running dry and the chain would seize in the bar.
Then at times it would oil fine for a while.
If you shut it down to re-fuel it would NOT start unless you really hurried and didn't let it "heat soak". If you didn't move quick enough it would NOT restart till it cooled down some.
It was not a good summer or hot weather saw from day one.
I swear it was possessed.....but Poulan's hate me anyhow and I don't allow them in my shop (the newer plastic "box store" and Walmart stuff)!
I only bought the darned thing to cut my 480CD loose if it got "pinched". Back in those days the 480CD was my only saw and seeing full time duty since buying it new in 1980. I thought smaller saws or anything that couldn't pull at least 24" full chisel in hardwood total POS. I was young, hard headed, stubborn, 240lbs and tough as nails. I laughed at folks running little tiny chainsaws back then, I even used my 480CD for limbing!
In my older years I've calmed down a bit and actually started outfitting my saws with semi-chisel chains, and running my 50cc saws more and more. Years of doing this sort of thing have educated me quite well on chainsaws and small power equipment. I've been working on this stuff full time since retiring from the Military in 2003. At this point in my learning curve I certainly don't know everything, but for sure I know what works and what doesn't, so I typically stick with things I've had positive experiences with.......Cliff
It didn't make **** for power.
The oiler didn't have enough ars to push thru any debris so it was always running dry and the chain would seize in the bar.
Then at times it would oil fine for a while.
If you shut it down to re-fuel it would NOT start unless you really hurried and didn't let it "heat soak". If you didn't move quick enough it would NOT restart till it cooled down some.
It was not a good summer or hot weather saw from day one.
I swear it was possessed.....but Poulan's hate me anyhow and I don't allow them in my shop (the newer plastic "box store" and Walmart stuff)!
I only bought the darned thing to cut my 480CD loose if it got "pinched". Back in those days the 480CD was my only saw and seeing full time duty since buying it new in 1980. I thought smaller saws or anything that couldn't pull at least 24" full chisel in hardwood total POS. I was young, hard headed, stubborn, 240lbs and tough as nails. I laughed at folks running little tiny chainsaws back then, I even used my 480CD for limbing!
In my older years I've calmed down a bit and actually started outfitting my saws with semi-chisel chains, and running my 50cc saws more and more. Years of doing this sort of thing have educated me quite well on chainsaws and small power equipment. I've been working on this stuff full time since retiring from the Military in 2003. At this point in my learning curve I certainly don't know everything, but for sure I know what works and what doesn't, so I typically stick with things I've had positive experiences with.......Cliff
Yeah I’d say you got a lemon!
Ok I’ve been reading everything on this cause I like husky and jred saws, that being said I have echo and stihl small saws as well. I have a little ms180 and I have treated it roughly, brush cutting saw for at least five years. Been pretty impressed by the abuse it has taken but I know it will probably need replaced soon. I have a local husqy dealer and the 130 is available along with the others, I was wondering how the 439 compares to any of the smaller saws? It was a bit expensive compared to the homeowner saws. Got to be a bit frugal cause the wife is watching me for symptoms of CAD. She is super aware of my habits of over spending on hobbies and stuff!
Yep, for sure I got a "lemon" with the orange Poulan.
Then a few years back they come out with the 435/440 and I grab up a 435. It's a nice little unit, starts just fine, good power for the cc's, a little "boggy" but I worked thru that (pretty sure those are "stratto's" so that may be part of the bogging deal). So I get on a big job in the heat of August and it starts having "heat-soak" issues, running weird and hesitating. I toss it aside, let it cool down, does OK till it gets really hot again....bummer.
It was fine in the cooler/cold months, but did NOT do well in the summer months so I sold it.
Went back to my tried and true Husqvarna closed port 55's and both of those to this day are still flawless. 1-2 pulls to start, EXCELLENT power for the cc's, and dead solid reliable in any weather. The only thing keeping a Husqvarna closed port 55 from being a true "pro" saw is the oiler putting oil on the chain all the time.....IMHO.
I still have a spot in my line-up for a small/light limbing saw around 35-40cc's so looking at this 130.
Another option I've thought about is to get an Echo CS-490 and put a short bar on it. They don't have the ars for the longer bars, but a very well built saw with lots of professional features, plus small and light and close in weight to most 35-40cc limbing saws........Cliff
Then a few years back they come out with the 435/440 and I grab up a 435. It's a nice little unit, starts just fine, good power for the cc's, a little "boggy" but I worked thru that (pretty sure those are "stratto's" so that may be part of the bogging deal). So I get on a big job in the heat of August and it starts having "heat-soak" issues, running weird and hesitating. I toss it aside, let it cool down, does OK till it gets really hot again....bummer.
It was fine in the cooler/cold months, but did NOT do well in the summer months so I sold it.
Went back to my tried and true Husqvarna closed port 55's and both of those to this day are still flawless. 1-2 pulls to start, EXCELLENT power for the cc's, and dead solid reliable in any weather. The only thing keeping a Husqvarna closed port 55 from being a true "pro" saw is the oiler putting oil on the chain all the time.....IMHO.
I still have a spot in my line-up for a small/light limbing saw around 35-40cc's so looking at this 130.
Another option I've thought about is to get an Echo CS-490 and put a short bar on it. They don't have the ars for the longer bars, but a very well built saw with lots of professional features, plus small and light and close in weight to most 35-40cc limbing saws........Cliff
Regarding the reputation of Poulan-made Husqvarnas, I've not used, handled or even seen a Husqvarna 36/41 or later revisions. All I have to go on is analysis of IPLs and pictures of components.
One telling aspect of the 36/41 that to me, tells a lot about the esteem (or rather lack of it) in the which the design team held the lower end of the chainsaw market, is the way the Walbro WT carb is arranged.
By choosing to fit the carb pump-side up (I assume this is so that the mixture screws are on the left side of the saw, rather than on the right) it means that the impulse hole is at the top of the carb interface, rather than at the bottom.
Zenoah did the same thing with the G3800 BUT the Zenoah cylinder has the internal impulse passage exiting the cylinder at the top of the inlet port, right near where the impulse hole on the carb. Unfortunately the 36/41 cylinder has the impulse passage exiting below the intake port, nearly 180 degrees away from where it should be.
This means the open impulse passage has to track all the way around the outline of the intake interface on the carb mount wall, sealed on one side by the the gasket.
I suspect the propensity for impulse loss is greatly increased by this minor detail. My guess is that the decision to invert the carb was taken after the cylinder cast tools had already been made.
One telling aspect of the 36/41 that to me, tells a lot about the esteem (or rather lack of it) in the which the design team held the lower end of the chainsaw market, is the way the Walbro WT carb is arranged.
By choosing to fit the carb pump-side up (I assume this is so that the mixture screws are on the left side of the saw, rather than on the right) it means that the impulse hole is at the top of the carb interface, rather than at the bottom.
Zenoah did the same thing with the G3800 BUT the Zenoah cylinder has the internal impulse passage exiting the cylinder at the top of the inlet port, right near where the impulse hole on the carb. Unfortunately the 36/41 cylinder has the impulse passage exiting below the intake port, nearly 180 degrees away from where it should be.
This means the open impulse passage has to track all the way around the outline of the intake interface on the carb mount wall, sealed on one side by the the gasket.
I suspect the propensity for impulse loss is greatly increased by this minor detail. My guess is that the decision to invert the carb was taken after the cylinder cast tools had already been made.
Mine was not making the grade from day on, saw little use here, and as mentioned just kept it around in case I got the 480CD hung up for some reason.
I remember making the purchase when I lived in Williamburg Va and stationed there so it would have had to have been early 1990's.
I have NEVER in all my years had any luck whatsoever with "low" end or box store power equipment until I discovered Echo. Everything I have from them, 3 PB200 leaf blowers, two string trimmers, garden tiller, and quite a few chainsaws have been dead solid reliable. Even with that said not all of their chainsaws make the grade for power/performance. I moved the ones that we're up to par and kept the rest.
I'm still quite partial to Husqvarna and always looking to add some of their stuff to the line-up, but in recent years most of the box-store level stuff just isn't that great. Not sure why I'm even looking at smaller saws, I have a near MINT condition 50 Special that came out of my brother-in-laws Estate that has maybe 2-3 hours total run time on it.........Cliff
I remember making the purchase when I lived in Williamburg Va and stationed there so it would have had to have been early 1990's.
I have NEVER in all my years had any luck whatsoever with "low" end or box store power equipment until I discovered Echo. Everything I have from them, 3 PB200 leaf blowers, two string trimmers, garden tiller, and quite a few chainsaws have been dead solid reliable. Even with that said not all of their chainsaws make the grade for power/performance. I moved the ones that we're up to par and kept the rest.
I'm still quite partial to Husqvarna and always looking to add some of their stuff to the line-up, but in recent years most of the box-store level stuff just isn't that great. Not sure why I'm even looking at smaller saws, I have a near MINT condition 50 Special that came out of my brother-in-laws Estate that has maybe 2-3 hours total run time on it.........Cliff
Yoopermike
ArboristSite Guru
This belongs in the "you suck" thread!!!!
That saw is so nice I don't use it.
He bought it new to do two 12" diameter trees in his back yard because a company wanted twice the price of the saw to remove them.
It never cut anything else that I know of. He retired same time I did in 2003, but got cancer in the Fall of 2005 and passed.
My sister-in-law sat on all his stuff (he had tens of thousands in tools most of it little if any use at all) for quite a few years. Then one day she told both of her sons to come and get what they wanted. They picked lightly thru his stuff and never went out to shed in the back yard. When they were done I was offered ALL of it. Two full size tool boxes full of tools, tons of wood working tools and an Echo PB-200, Echo string trimmer and the 51 Special we're still there. About all they took that I could see was the Shopsmith and some air tools and a compressor.
I kept the leaf blower, string trimmer and the saw, plus one big tool box full of tools, then offered all the other stuff to my son-in-law.
I suppose I should run the 51 some. The widow had actually taken it to a local Husqvarna dealer because it wouldn't start, and they told her to trade it in on a new saw it needed too much work, even had a tag on it from them when I got it. Nothing at all wrong with it anyplace so I just figured they were trying to get hold of it in a trade.
I ran one tank thru it and put it away, I hate "beating" on something that nice when I have 3 other 50cc saws at my disposal......Cliff
He bought it new to do two 12" diameter trees in his back yard because a company wanted twice the price of the saw to remove them.
It never cut anything else that I know of. He retired same time I did in 2003, but got cancer in the Fall of 2005 and passed.
My sister-in-law sat on all his stuff (he had tens of thousands in tools most of it little if any use at all) for quite a few years. Then one day she told both of her sons to come and get what they wanted. They picked lightly thru his stuff and never went out to shed in the back yard. When they were done I was offered ALL of it. Two full size tool boxes full of tools, tons of wood working tools and an Echo PB-200, Echo string trimmer and the 51 Special we're still there. About all they took that I could see was the Shopsmith and some air tools and a compressor.
I kept the leaf blower, string trimmer and the saw, plus one big tool box full of tools, then offered all the other stuff to my son-in-law.
I suppose I should run the 51 some. The widow had actually taken it to a local Husqvarna dealer because it wouldn't start, and they told her to trade it in on a new saw it needed too much work, even had a tag on it from them when I got it. Nothing at all wrong with it anyplace so I just figured they were trying to get hold of it in a trade.
I ran one tank thru it and put it away, I hate "beating" on something that nice when I have 3 other 50cc saws at my disposal......Cliff
Finally put this saw in the wood again today. Hard to believe I hadn't ran it since Thanksgiving!
Needed to open up the high screw again as it was about 30 degrees colder than last time. I finally got it dialed in to how I expected it to run before.
This saw has pretty good torque for it's size. It still does not rev as high as my 142 but I would say it has more torque in the cut. Hard to tell cutting speed between the two as I was cutting frozen solid aspen which of course doesn't cut nearly as well as thawed wood. It is definitely quieter than my 142 was but I may add a few more holes to the muffler to see if I gain any more performance. But it’s a work in progress. I’ve only ran about two tanks through it so I would expect it to loosen up more in the next gallon of two of fuel.
Needed to open up the high screw again as it was about 30 degrees colder than last time. I finally got it dialed in to how I expected it to run before.
This saw has pretty good torque for it's size. It still does not rev as high as my 142 but I would say it has more torque in the cut. Hard to tell cutting speed between the two as I was cutting frozen solid aspen which of course doesn't cut nearly as well as thawed wood. It is definitely quieter than my 142 was but I may add a few more holes to the muffler to see if I gain any more performance. But it’s a work in progress. I’ve only ran about two tanks through it so I would expect it to loosen up more in the next gallon of two of fuel.
The saw is really running well now. Used it to process a good sized Norway pine this weekend.
buttercup
Addicted to ArboristSite
I just got really disappointed at my 445, even the 32cc Dolmar/Makita has a metal engine at least, the 445 has a metal cylinder that sits on top of a plastic bottom case - half the crank bearing rests on the plastic frame.
Mine is in a box at the attic, I just wants to forget all about it. If the seller / Husky had given some useful information of the key factors; 1 single guide bar bolt anchored in plastic, bottom half crankcase is plastic - I would have made a different choice.
Mine is in a box at the attic, I just wants to forget all about it. If the seller / Husky had given some useful information of the key factors; 1 single guide bar bolt anchored in plastic, bottom half crankcase is plastic - I would have made a different choice.
Remind me, what went wrong with it?
buttercup
Addicted to ArboristSite
Nothing at all, I just have a perception of how I would like a proper quality life lasting machinery to be that's all. And it does matter to me, yes it does.
I got no information what so ever about the differences in models what so ever at the pusher's quarters. I just thought I had bought the best machinery in the world...
Fake to the bone - literally. No Husky for me thanks.
