55 rancher vs 455 rancher

[spike60]

Figure we might get an interesting argument going here. :msp_biggrin: And they are both the same brand too.

I might surprise a few people here but IMO, the 455 is a FAR better saw, in it's intended role, than the 55. I'll make my case, and I hope to hear from some guys who have owned both saws. I'm sure I'll get a predictable opinion coming in from Norway. :msp_smile:

Weight- OK so the 55 weighs about a pound less and wins this parameter. But after that it's all 455. And the 455 is better balanced than the 55 when both are wearing 20"s. A nose heavy saw loses it's weight advantage and makes for an awkward handler.

Power-The 56cc X-torq motor easily out cuts the 53cc motor on the 55. Ratings are 3.5 and 3.2 respectively for the stat minded. But try and get the most out of your 20" bar and the 455 is simply in a happier place than the 55.

Anti vibe- Not really close here. The 455 is a much smoother saw to run than the 55.

Reliability- Owning a shop and seeing as many saws as I do, the 455 wins hands down here. They are a VERY reliable saw. Easy to start in any weather, not that fussy on fuel. I'm sure it has happened somewhere, but I've never seen a 455 failure that wasn't the customer's fault. The 55 on the other hand, with that little impulse grommet and the partition wall which can have stripped threads for the carb screws, is prone to air leaks. I've seen plenty get wiped because of this, and have corrected the problem on many others that have come in for service.

"In it's intended role"- I'm not calling the 55 a junk saw. And with a 16" or 18" bar and .325, it's a much better package, and certainly more in it's comfort zone. But as a do all firewood saw running 20" 3/8, the 455 is just a way better saw. I think the reason the 55 rancher came about was that Husky really didn't have an answer to Stihl's 029/290. A good firewood producer that was "more saw" than the typical 50cc/.325 package, but not up in the pro saw price range. So, conceptually, the 55 Rancher was a little out of it's league from the get go. The 455 was purpose built to fill that role, and it does it very well. They just run and run and run...........:msp_smile:

 

[SawTroll]

I might surprise a few people here but IMO, the 455 is a FAR better saw, in it's intended role, than the 55. I'll make my case, and I hope to hear from some guys who have owned both saws. I'm sure I'll get a predictable opinion coming in from Norway. :msp_smile:

Surely I would take the 55 (they were still sold here the last time I looked) - but then I wouldn't want to put a 20" bar on either of them. Also, I am not a fan of either saw, and would even take an 026 over either.....

You are of course right that a light PH with a long and heavy bar is a bad combination regarding handling! :msp_smile:

 

[moody]

The 55 was a good saw but it and the 51 shared a few traits that I don't like. Heat build up melted plastic and caused many brakes to fail.

 

[weimedog]

You sure you intended to post here and not in the "Sure is quiet in here....do I need to start a fight? " thread?

I would expect a flurry of which of these saws sucked more type postings..

Having said that, I have had both. The 55 ended being sold to a "pain in the ass" (pita) boss with a wanting "some thing for nothing" cheap saw..... He was happy. So was I for the $100bucks and the extra space to get a loser off the shelf!!

The 455? Loved it. Ran it on the farm as the "Saw On The Tractor", do it all saw until I ran a 555. That incented me retire the 455 and replace it as the all around saw with a 555. I ended up selling the 455 to a good friend who need a backup saw/fire wood saw and he see's the same good things in the 455 I did. He's happy. So am I because a good saw got a good home after retirement from front line farm service here.

All the tech weinies can spin their yarn about power to weight ratio's, plastic this or that, clam shell home owner design, etc....but the 455 always started, never let me down, and was one of two saws I have ever owned I felt comfortable taking BY IT SELF with no backup saw out into the back 240...and did this frequently on the back of a snow mobile as it even reliably started in the single digit temps....good farm saw. Hope the 555 can replace it; so far so good....this winter will be the test.

 

[wcorey]

I think a 55 closed port vs. 450 with 16-18" bars would be a closer/more valid comparison.

Within 1 cc displacement, same hp spec, both closed port (more or less), 55 is actually heavier...

I feel the 450 is a better all around saw than the 455, with better power to weight and a good price point.

 

[nmurph]

Bob, I agree if we are talking OP 55's. With a CP cylinder, I will give you the little bit of torque advantage the 455 has in return for the lighter weight. I wouldn't run a 20" bar on either one...and yes, I have (do) owned a 455, OP55, and had a CP55. I do agree about the intake setup being underwhelmingly engineered on the 51/55's.

 

[weimedog]

I feel the 450 is a better all around saw than the 455, with better power to weight and a good price point.

Maybe. Probably from a performance persective. I still have a pile of melted 350's around here where the muffler/cylinder connection failed and melted the cases. Biggest issue with 455's were the early ones with their bar oil pickup filters plugging. But that's a tougher call between the 350-450/455's....unlike the 455-55 "Rancher" based comparison.

 

[AKDoug]

No disagreement from me on any of the points. The biggest issue I have had is the carb screws stripping out. My cure on one was to put metric helicoils in manifold, then switched to a metric machine screw vs. the self tapping screws Husky used. The other, I used a #10 sheetmetal screw which tightened perfectly...for now.

That said, the only thing I replaced on my pair of Husky 55's was a muffler mount and epoxied the tank one, in four years of rental service. They got retired and replaced with a pair of 290's. This weekend I pulled them out of the corner, cleaned them up, refueled, and they fired right up.

 

[spike60]

I think a 55 closed port vs. 450 with 16-18" bars would be a closer/more valid comparison.

Within 1 cc displacement, same hp spec, both closed port (more or less), 55 is actually heavier...

I feel the 450 is a better all around saw than the 455, with better power to weight and a good price point.

Yeah, the 445/450 chassis is a another good reliable pair of saws. They have been free of the different issues that plagued the 350's, such as the muffler bolts and intake boot problems that killed many of them. And they are super smooth.

I agree that the 450 is better in the power to weight and price, but the 455 is still a better choice for when the wood gets bigger.

I've never really worked the 450 though. Made some cuts with them as they come with the 18" narrow kerf set up. Would like to try a muff modded one outfitted with 16" full chisel the same as most of my 50cc saws. Gonna have to try that sometime, huh?

 

[chainsawman2011]

Figure we might get an interesting argument going here. :msp_biggrin: And they are both the same brand too.

I might surprise a few people here but IMO, the 455 is a FAR better saw, in it's intended role, than the 55. I'll make my case, and I hope to hear from some guys who have owned both saws. I'm sure I'll get a predictable opinion coming in from Norway. :msp_smile:

Weight- OK so the 55 weighs about a pound less and wins this parameter. But after that it's all 455. And the 455 is better balanced than the 55 when both are wearing 20"s. A nose heavy saw loses it's weight advantage and makes for an awkward handler.

Power-The 56cc X-torq motor easily out cuts the 53cc motor on the 55. Ratings are 3.5 and 3.2 respectively for the stat minded. But try and get the most out of your 20" bar and the 455 is simply in a happier place than the 55.

Anti vibe- Not really close here. The 455 is a much smoother saw to run than the 55.

Reliability- Owning a shop and seeing as many saws as I do, the 455 wins hands down here. They are a VERY reliable saw. Easy to start in any weather, not that fussy on fuel. I'm sure it has happened somewhere, but I've never seen a 455 failure that wasn't the customer's fault. The 55 on the other hand, with that little impulse grommet and the partition wall which can have stripped threads for the carb screws, is prone to air leaks. I've seen plenty get wiped because of this, and have corrected the problem on many others that have come in for service.

"In it's intended role"- I'm not calling the 55 a junk saw. And with a 16" or 18" bar and .325, it's a much better package, and certainly more in it's comfort zone. But as a do all firewood saw running 20" 3/8, the 455 is just a way better saw. I think the reason the 55 rancher came about was that Husky really didn't have an answer to Stihl's 029/290. A good firewood producer that was "more saw" than the typical 50cc/.325 package, but not up in the pro saw price range. So, conceptually, the 55 Rancher was a little out of it's league from the get go. The 455 was purpose built to fill that role, and it does it very well. They just run and run and run...........:msp_smile:

there both good saws but the 455 is just so slow cutting doesn't have the rpm of 55 due
to the safety laws they passed on homeowner saws saying they weren't allowed to do over
10200 rpm were a 55 still spins 12500 haven't run many 455s but the ones I have are to bogged down
for me.

 

[weimedog]

there both good saws but the 455 is just so slow cutting doesn't have the rpm of 55 due
to the safety laws they passed on homeowner saws saying they weren't allowed to do over
10200 rpm were a 55 still spins 12500 haven't run many 455s but the ones I have are to bogged down
for me.

K....didn't think of that. Think my 455 was a law breaker then.

 

[SawTroll]

there both good saws but the 455 is just so slow cutting doesn't have the rpm of 55 due
to the safety laws they passed on homeowner saws saying they weren't allowed to do over
10200 rpm were a 55 still spins 12500 haven't run many 455s but the ones I have are to bogged down
for me.

I suspect you got something wrong there, as the rev. limiter is at 13,600 rpm? :msp_confused:

 

[AKDoug]

There are no rev limits on homeowner saws that I am aware of.

 

[spike60]

there both good saws but the 455 is just so slow cutting doesn't have the rpm of 55 due
to the safety laws they passed on homeowner saws saying they weren't allowed to do over
10200 rpm were a 55 still spins 12500 haven't run many 455s but the ones I have are to bogged down
for me.

This post is not even close to being accurate. :msp_ohmy:

First, there is no such safety law what so ever.

Second, the 455's also run at 12,500, not 10,200.

10,200 makes me think of a Jonsered 601. umpkin2:

 

[RedneckChainsawRepair]

I tested my open port 55 46mm (cant remember chain set up on it) against a 455 with 3/8. I like the 455 over the 290 big time but prefer the 55 against the 455.

 

[SawTroll]

Max recommended rpm of the 455 is 13,300, according to the US Husky website...

 

[RedneckChainsawRepair]

Found my test session 455 55 posted on another thread elsewhere. I had stated the 455 was much smoother then the other 2 saws I ran that day. 1 being my op 55. The 55 was only running 325 rsc chain and the 455 had the 3/8 vanguard crap that comes on them. If the chains would have been the same on both it would have been real close in the 16" cuts. The way they were 55 cut better but wasnt really equal do to the chain.

Some specs I posted in that thread.


Model C.I. C.C. H.P. LBS. Idle Speed Max RPM

455 3.4 55.5 3.4 13.0 2,700 13,500

55 3.2 53 3.4 11.4 2,500 12,500

 

[spike60]

Max recommended rpm of the 455 is 13,300, according to the US Husky website...

Yes that's right! I goofed that up before. :eek2:

Guess my post wasn't all that accurate either.

 

[RedneckChainsawRepair]

spike you ever run the autotune 455 against a carbed reg 455? One of the dealers showed me one on the other site and shows only 1 bar stud set up on the AT ones.

 

[spike60]

spike you ever run the autotune 455 against a carbed reg 455? One of the dealers showed me one on the other site and shows only 1 bar stud set up on the AT ones.

Not side by side, but I will at some point. I'm anxious to see the 460 and 465 AT's come out but they weren't even mentioned at the last meeting.

Has a single bar bolt, but has two other studs to stabilize the bar so it's not flopping over.