7900 or 385xp

[tonka]

thinking about buying one of these saws. never handled a 7900 but have heard alot of good things about them. which one would handle a 32" bar better in oak? which one has more torque? I know the 7900 is lighter but that's not that big of an issue. would the 385 really wake up after a muffler mod and resetting the carb. I have a 372xp now as my large saw but alot of times I would like more power. that being said the 372 is my favorite.

 

[jokers]

That`s a tough call Tonka, I don`t think that you would see a big difference either way, but you can get a 7900 cheaper than a 385 and it`ll still use the Husky large mount bar like the 372.

Russ

 

[TonyM]

Boy, I'd like to tell you PS7900 all the way, and I would, but I wonder if jumping from a 70cc saw to an 80cc saw is going to be enough for you. I think I would skip up to 90cc for what you're after. Other than that, I'll see if I can dig up the torque figures on both saws.

 

[tonka]

have you seen Dolmars new pricing?

 

[TonyM]

The PS7900 puts out 4.7kW at 9500 RPM max power and 5.1Nm at 7200 RPM max torque.

The 385XP puts out 4.7kW at 9600 RPM max power and 4.9kW at 6000 RPM max torque.

These are according to KWF tests out of Germany.

If we knew what the PS7900 torque looked like from 7200 down to 6000 RPM, we'd have a little better idea, but it looks like the PS7900 might edge the 385 out for torque. It also looks like the Husqvarna may have a little wider band of power though. I'd say it's pretty close!

 

[jokers]

but it looks like the PS7900 might edge the 385 out for torque..................I'd say it's pretty close!

That`s the inherent problem with having to rely so heavily on the specs, tested or not. I own a 385, 7900, and two 460s and can tell you that the 7900 and 385 are pretty comparable out of the box, that`s why I`d favor the 7900, it`s nearly two pounds lighter.

The 460, when stock, doesn`t even come to this show, lol.

Russ

 

[TonyM]

The MS460 weighs in at 4.4kW @ 9500 RPM and 5.4Nm @ 6750. Kind of surprising. It doesn't have as much power as the others, but does have more torque.

 

[Andyshine77]

If you get a 7900 and have it ported, it will almost run with a stock 660, or you could just have your 372 ported.

 

[keith c raymond]

Depending on your use and dealer and parts availability,Its a tough call.Ive never run a 385xp,But my 7900 never fails to impress anybody who sees it go,and it is stone stock.

 

[pallis]

I would jump in here with an opinion, but never having run a 385, and never having run my 7900 with more than a 20" bar, I don't have one. I'm just curious to know what kind of oak you are cutting.

 

[Sylvatica]

Depending on your use and dealer and parts availability

Yep. Put service into the criteria for your decision.

 

[Simonizer]

If you get a 7900 and have it ported, it will almost run with a stock 660, or you could just have your 372 ported.

A properly done 385 will out-pull an MS660 despite a 6.7 cc displacement disadvantage. Cheers.

 

[kf_tree]

if you already have a 372 i'd skip the 385 and go to the 395 to pull a 32in bar in hardwood. the 2 385's we have at work have 28in bars on them, and thats about as big as i'd go with them if you want them to pull the bar with any authority. i rarely pick up a 385 anymore i'll go from a 372 to a 395. a 395 over a 385 is only a pound or 2. i've never run a 7900 but i can't imagine it pulling a 32in bar with balls in stock form.

 

[MOE]

I've never run a 385 but I have a 7900. I have a 24" bar on it and it handles it great. I can bury it in dead oak and have no power problems at all. It's a lightwieght, great handling powerhouse. It was a lot cheaper than a 385 and a whole lot cheaper than a MS660. It's my new favorite saw.

 

[Stumper]

My modded 7900 pulls a 28" bar with an 8 pin sprocket in buried cuts in hardwood. While the 7900 has the advantage of lower weight and great performance it has two minor points that would cause me to reccomend a Husky for your stated purpose. The 790o is designed to balance well with 20-24 inch bars. The 28 is nose heavy- a 32 would be pretty out of balance. The large Huskies balance nicely with a 24 but still keep the weight between the hands well with longer bars. The other negative on my beloved 7900-The air filter. The design is ingenius and easily pulled for cleaning but it needs cleaning frequently. The big stacks on the Huskies handle small particle hardwood dust like oak produces with less aggravation.

 

[pbtree]

My modded 7900 pulls a 28" bar with an 8 pin sprocket in buried cuts in hardwood. While the 7900 has the advantage of lower weight and great performance it has two minor points that would cause me to reccomend a Husky for your stated purpose. The 790o is designed to balance well with 20-24 inch bars. The 28 is nose heavy- a 32 would be pretty out of balance. The large Huskies balance nicely with a 24 but still keep the weight between the hands well with longer bars. The other negative on my beloved 7900-The air filter. The design is ingenius and easily pulled for cleaning but it needs cleaning frequently. The big stacks on the Huskies handle small particle hardwood dust like oak produces with less aggravation.

Good points Stumper... I would go with the 385 myself as well...

 

[tonka]

Thanks for the imput. Good points. I will use a 24" bar the majoity of the time. Only occasionaly out of neccessity or convienence for the 32" bar. The 32" bar on the 372 is also quite nose heavy, but once your in the wood it doesn't matter. I certainly wouldn't want to use it for limbing or small cuts that way. The 372 does a pretty good job,but alittle more power would be nice. The 7900 with 1hp more than the 372 and just slightly more torque than the 385 at about the same weight as the 372 sounds pretty good to me. How much of an issue is the air filter? I agree the huskys have excellent filter setups.

 

[keith c raymond]

Mine has two filters,one for damp and another for dry.In the times I have used mine There has been a little chip buildup around the carb,But not enough to cause any concern.I doesnt compete with my 346xp,which after two tanks of use,I pop the cover to check it ,there is nothing. The air injection works wonders.

 

[tonka]

Nothing is getting past the filter is it? How often do you clean?

 

[Stumper]

The 7900 Filter pulls without tools and clips right back into place. My Huskies with stack filters get the filters cleaned two or three times per year. The 7900 needs cleaning every few hours of operation. it isn't a horrible thing-just weird to get halfway through a day of heavy cutting and notice that the saw is running rich because it can't get enough air and have to stop and clean the filter.