346XP needs replaced....it's at 90 PSI, what saw is comparable today?

[zeek]

Your saw is toast. You should send it to me…I’ll pay freight

Done, freight is $679.99, I take venmo, paypal and cashier's check.

 

[zeek]

All great replies and I do want to save it. I assume that after 11 years the P/C just got worn out and there was no "failure event" that casued the low compression. The P/C look good to me but what do I know....I don't often rebuild stuff. I can't see anything wrong, I just assume that it's old and worn out. Does that happen?

 

[zeek]

Hello Zeek,

What new saw dealers do you have in your area that are truly servicing dealers? All companies including Stihl have went to the box store, non servicing dealers in some areas. Ther are good new saws out there in different brands but sadly it is getting more rare to find one you are able to purchase from a servicing dealer.

My local dealer where I bought the 346XP sucks at service...see this long post and story.

 

[zeek]

If the 346XP is still serviceable a new OEM cylinder kit is available for a reasonable price compared to going with a new saw. The 544142908 kit has decompression valve provision while the 544142907 kit does not. The -908 kit is available on Amazon, eBay, online retailers and possibly dealers for $130-$140 while the -907 kit cost around $10-$15 less. If your saw is does not have metal intake boot clamp you need to upgrade as the original plastic clamp will leak air and kill your engine.

Husqvarna Genuine Part 544142907 CYLINDER​

Genuine OEM Husqvarna 346XP Cylinder Kit 544142908​

The 544142907 comes on HL Supply as not for the 346XP

 

[zeek]

Ok...so why do I need a professional saw? I'm thinking a box store 450 or 445 with a 2 year warranty that I can extend to 5 years by buying fuel is better. My wife and I were talking and we were both curious about what really is the difference in the professional versus the homeowner saw? Do they really make a different saw, or are some parts the same? Is the metal the same? What is the REAL difference, or is just stickers amd marketing? I see a 1 year professional saw warranty and think that is not for me, a farmer with a wood burner. Thoughts?

 

[sean donato]

I'd be shopping for an OEM 346XP NE piston and cylinder $150, rather than a new saw that will have little or no performance improvement and have an electronic carb that you can't easily service yourself.

There's noting mysterious going on with autotune. It's a carb with a solenoid on its side. Not rocket science to work on. Only thing you may need the dealer for is to program a new module. I've been running autotune/ m-tronic since they came out circa 2012 and only had 1 carb fail in that time.

 

[sean donato]

Ok...so why do I need a professional saw? I'm thinking a box store 450 or 445 with a 2 year warranty that I can extend to 5 years by buying fuel is better. My wife and I were talking and we were both curious about what really is the difference in the professional versus the homeowner saw? Do they really make a different saw, or are some parts the same? Is the metal the same? What is the REAL difference, or is just stickers amd marketing? I see a 1 year professional saw warranty and think that is not for me, a farmer with a wood burner. Thoughts?

Depending on the model there are substantial differences. Plastic vs mag cases. Clamshell design vs removable cylinder. Better components used ect. Some saws, more so the semi pro saws, are built much like their pro series counterparts with different cylinders ect. Most of us here wouldn't reccomend a homeowner grade saw. At minimum a semi pro grade saw for reliability. Then if your shopping at a price point echo makes some nice saws. Not the most powerful, but very reliable, priced well and comes with a 5 year consumer warranty. The 4910 would be my recommendation for echo.

I am a little confused why everyone keeps bagging you about the 346xp. It's a great saw, but if your looking for a runner and don't want to mess with it, just bench it.

 

[zeek]

Depending on the model there are substantial differences. Plastic vs mag cases. Clamshell design vs removable cylinder. Better components used ect. Some saws, more so the semi pro saws, are built much like their pro series counterparts with different cylinders ect. Most of us here wouldn't reccomend a homeowner grade saw. At minimum a semi pro grade saw for reliability. Then if your shopping at a price point echo makes some nice saws. Not the most powerful, but very reliable, priced well and comes with a 5 year consumer warranty. The 4910 would be my recommendation for echo.

I am a little confused why everyone keeps bagging you about the 346xp. It's a great saw, but if your looking for a runner and don't want to mess with it, just bench it.

What about perfromance in a pro versus homeowner saw? I can't afford $150 for the OEM, so I had little choice but to buy aftermarket from HL Supply, not my first choce but that is where I am right now. I will start saving and doing more research before I buy. Plus if the new P/C works out then the 346 can be a back up and maybe a new XP could be afforded. But spending minimum $150 and also buying a $700 saw is not possible any time soon.

 

[Lionsfan]

What about perfromance in a pro versus homeowner saw? I can't afford $150 for the OEM, so I had little choice but to buy aftermarket from HL Supply, not my first choce but that is where I am right now. I will start saving and doing more research before I buy. Plus if the new P/C works out then the 346 can be a back up and maybe a new XP could be afforded. But spending minimum $150 and also buying a $700 saw is not possible any time soon.

My brother in law runs a 455 Rancher. It doesn't have that snappy throttle response or anywhere near the power/weight ratio of the pro saws, but it always starts right up and cuts just fine so long as the chain's sharp.

 

[TRTermite]

I have not ran a 346 BUT (YET) My advice (suggestion) would be to buy a decent "Cheapie" to run but KEEP your 346 (Never sell it) and You will find the motivation to fix your 346 when you realize the differences. I ENJOY running my Jonsered 2152 - 2150 - 2159 saws. I run some beater saws when stumping and rough stuff is unavoidable and there is a definite difference.. You will have a spare saw to fall back on but my guess is you will keep the 346 as your "go to saw".

 

[Bob Hedgecutter]

I likely can't fix my 346XP in a timely manner...low compression at 90, put a new ring and still 9, so I guess I need a P/C, not sure what to do yet. I have not kept up with the new saws so no clue what to buy to replace my 346XP. I am hoping that a new P/C will fix me up, but I just don't know. I'm just a farmer with a wood burner, but need a saw that works.
Thanks
Zeek

If you need a saw now, cannot repair the 346 in a timely manner- you could risk a smaller amount of not so spare cash on a 346 wannabe in the form of a second hand Husqvarna 350?
If they are available in your neck of the woods- they are not a bad saw as a stop gap- use the same bar and chain as the 346 (so you could buy as powerhead only) and a fairly easy onsell once the 346 is repaired.
The 350 is the perfect example of pro versus consumer when compared to your 346- plastic cased, detuned somewhat and clamshell sort of construction- but can be made into a pretend 346 with a new top end and new 359 type carb.

 

[flatsfisher]

if you have a great saw do yourself a favor and use OEM parts. months ago I bought a Stihl 036 in really great condition. before buying, I took the muffler off and everything inside looked good (too good). I had always wanted an 036. I bought it because I had 23 good size white oaks die on the back of my property. I quickly was disappointed in the performance of the 036, which was a surprise, and tore it down.

to my dismay, the saw had unmarked aftermarket piston and cylinder. I found a new in box OEM piston and cylinder kit on ebay and installed it. the difference in performance was stunning and immediate. before installing the OEM kit, I had compared it to the aftermarket parts I took off. the port sizes and port timing were dramatically different. even the window in the pistons were way different.

I have a thread on here with pictures and measurements showing how different they were.

 

[zeek]

if you have a great saw do yourself a favor and use OEM parts. months ago I bought a Stihl 036 in really great condition. before buying, I took the muffler off and everything inside looked good (too good). I had always wanted an 036. I bought it because I had 23 good size white oaks die on the back of my property. I quickly was disappointed in the performance of the 036, which was a surprise, and tore it down.

to my dismay, the saw had unmarked aftermarket piston and cylinder. I found a new in box OEM piston and cylinder kit on ebay and installed it. the difference in performance was stunning and immediate. before installing the OEM kit, I had compared it to the aftermarket parts I took off. the port sizes and port timing were dramatically different. even the window in the pistons were way different.

I have a thread on here with pictures and measurements showing how different they were.

I am still learning and honestly not sure what you mean by port size, port timing and window in the piston. I'm sure I can figure it out, but since I do not do these kind of reapairs often I do not have the eye to notice anyting that is wrong. I will search for your thread.

 

[SteveSr]

What about perfromance in a pro versus homeowner saw? I can't afford $150 for the OEM, so I had little choice but to buy aftermarket from HL Supply, not my first choce but that is where I am right now. I will start saving and doing more research before I buy. Plus if the new P/C works out then the 346 can be a back up and maybe a new XP could be afforded. But spending minimum $150 and also buying a $700 saw is not possible any time soon.

So what aftermarket parts did you put in the saw other than the piston ring?

 

[zeek]

So what aftermarket parts did you put in the saw other than the piston ring?

Just a caber ring and now I am waiting on P/C from HL supply. The new ring didn't change the compression.

 

[Bob Hedgecutter]

Just a caber ring and now I am waiting on P/C from HL supply. The new ring didn't change the compression.

This puzzles me- if a genuine new caber ring did not up the compression- was the 90 psi reading accurate in the first place and is perceived low compression not the actual fault stopping the saw from running?
If your compression tester could be used on a known good running saw and come up with similar low readings- it might confirm the tester is not designed for small engines and you are looking to throw money at something that is not at fault.
I think someone hinted at an inaccurate tester earlier in the thread.
Photos of the piston and cylinder would be a huge help.

Or the cylinder and piston are well trashed, smeared with transfer and a new ring is not sealing to the cylinder walls.

 

[zeek]

This puzzles me- if a genuine new caber ring did not up the compression- was the 90 psi reading accurate in the first place and is perceived low compression not the actual fault stopping the saw from running?
If your compression tester could be used on a known good running saw and come up with similar low readings- it might confirm the tester is not designed for small engines and you are looking to throw money at something that is not at fault.
I think someone hinted at an inaccurate tester earlier in the thread.
Photos of the piston and cylinder would be a huge help.

Or the cylinder and piston are well trashed, smeared with transfer and a new ring is not sealing to the cylinder walls.

We tried the tester on a good saw and it read 155PSI, or 145 I I can't rememeber, and my son tried it on his restored Honda ATC and it read well, I forget the number. Maybe the P/C are damged or too worn out and I don't know what to look for. The saw just has no guts and doesn't seem to want to get to high rpms. It has been slowly getting weaker over the past year now that I think about it. Maybe I am too inexperienced to know what to look for. For example...what is smeared with transfer?I will post pics, maybe I should start a new thread?

 

[Bob Hedgecutter]

We tried the tester on a good saw and it read 155PSI, or 145 I I can't rememeber, and my son tried it on his restored Honda ATC and it read well, I forget the number. Maybe the P/C are damged or too worn out and I don't know what to look for. The saw just has no guts and doesn't seem to want to get to high rpms. It has been slowly getting weaker over the past year now that I think about it. Maybe I am too inexperienced to know what to look for. I will post pics, maybe I should start a new thread?

Na, this thread will deal with it.
Interior of cylinder would be good- but at least the piston through the exhaust port for a start.

 

[flatsfisher]

I am still learning and honestly not sure what you mean by port size, port timing and window in the piston. I'm sure I can figure it out, but since I do not do these kind of reapairs often I do not have the eye to notice anyting that is wrong. I will search for your thread.

the windows or ports in the piston. after market on the left, OEM on the right. look at the difference in size of the ports. the cylinder ports are night and day different.

 

[zeek]

the windows or ports in the piston. after market on the left, OEM on the right. look at the difference in size of the ports. the cylinder ports are night and day different.
View attachment 1039130

Wow, yeah that's obvious thanks for the pics!