Does it have a green fuel cap and say e-tech on the model label?
Wow, Thank you for all the excellent replies.
My wife called this morning to tell me the power company is dropping some nice trees today, nearby my house. Early bird gets the wood (lots of people burn on my neighborhood). Suddenly I "needed" a good saw today. The 30cc craftsman was not going to cut it.
It looks like the 60cc looks like the sweet spot for an all around saw. From the posts, it sounds like the 346XP will do the job, but a 60cc saw will do it much better.
That said, I decided to get the 346XP with an 18" bar (after reading all the great posts, I ran to the Power Equipment Store at lunch time) Shiny new saw in the trunk.
What finalized the decision is a shoulder injury that is very slow in recovering. Holding the heavier saws in the shop really put stress on it. The 346XP will just be much easier to handle. I will take the hit on the reduced power for the time being for the lighter weight, and I can use it this afternoon.
Once the shoulder is better, maybe I can start work to convince the wife that a bigger saw is needed in our budget
Wow, Thank you for all the excellent replies.
My wife called this morning to tell me the power company is dropping some nice trees today, nearby my house. Early bird gets the wood (lots of people burn on my neighborhood). Suddenly I "needed" a good saw today. The 30cc craftsman was not going to cut it.
It looks like the 60cc looks like the sweet spot for an all around saw. From the posts, it sounds like the 346XP will do the job, but a 60cc saw will do it much better.
That said, I decided to get the 346XP with an 18" bar (after reading all the great posts, I ran to the Power Equipment Store at lunch time) Shiny new saw in the trunk.
What finalized the decision is a shoulder injury that is very slow in recovering. Holding the heavier saws in the shop really put stress on it. The 346XP will just be much easier to handle. I will take the hit on the reduced power for the time being for the lighter weight, and I can use it this afternoon.
Once the shoulder is better, maybe I can start work to convince the wife that a bigger saw is needed in our budget
Does it have a green fuel cap and say e-tech on the model label?
Does it have a green fuel cap and say e-tech on the model label?
Important question!
Sounds like you did the most sensible thing you could do at the moment, thinking of your shoulder.
When the shoulder gets better, consider if you need a larger saw in addition!
Welcome to the site!
I ask, because if it does, then it has a cat muffler. If it has a cat muffler, you'll likely be disappointed with the saw. I find them quite anemic. Once you replace the muffler with a non-cat one, and especially if you open it up some more, you'll be very impressed with the saw. It makes a HUGE difference.
I ask, because if it does, then it has a cat muffler. If it has a cat muffler, you'll likely be disappointed with the saw. I find them quite anemic. Once you replace the muffler with a non-cat one, and especially if you open it up some more, you'll be very impressed with the saw. It makes a HUGE difference.
A local dealer told me that the 346XP lacks the torque for bucking and it is really made for limbing, but many on the posters here think it is a screamer with lots of power. I wish I could try these saws out, but I will have to rely on others experience.
I have been reading the posts at this site for months and have enjoyed every minute of it. Thanks for all the great information.
I am trying to settle on a good “one saw plan”- I burn wood as the primary source of heat and plan on cutting 6-8 cords / year, plus occasionally help family and friends with basic tree removal. Sizes may range from 10-30 inch diameter, but mostly under 20 inch hardwood. Lots of Oak and Maple. I want to buy a quality, powerful saw and run it until it is worn out. On old 30cc homeowner saw will be used to cut the good saw out of any pinches and cut pallets up for the fire pit, but the oiler clogs and the chain gets hot if it gets uses for any real cutting.
Everything I have read says that a 60cc saw is the best for all around firewood cutting, such as the MS361/MS362, and Husky 357XP as the prime candidates. While I think a 12-13lb saw is no problem for bucking, it seems that for all around, including limbing, the extra weight might not be so great to hold high up to get the branches. My Back and shoulders have seen better days, but I know I could handle a 60cc saw if that is what really makes sense.
The question is, can a Husky 346XP do the job of cutting up trees for firewood or is it just good for limbing? It seems that I lighter saw would be a lot easier to do the overall job.
How much longer would it take to buck a 60’ tree with a Husky 346XP vs an MS362? If it is only going to save 3 minutes, I would rather go for the lighter saw. If it is going to bog unless a feather touch is used, then I guess I would have my answer and go with a 60cc.
A local dealer told me that the 346XP lacks the torque for bucking and it is really made for limbing, but many on the posters here think it is a screamer with lots of power. I wish I could try these saws out, but I will have to rely on others experience.
If I could buy an MS361 new, I probably would, as the weight is at the limit I am happy with, but all the dealers around here are sold out, so I am looking at the heavier MS362. The 357XP feels pretty good, but the 346XP is really nice and light.
So, bottom line, is the 346XP good as an overall saw or is 60cc needed?
I will have to wait at least 2 years before I get another saw, so this is a big decision
Thank you for any feedback
I find nothing embarassing about my 455 it cuts with and beats most saw in its size class and price. good sharp chain and a muf mod and it's great for firewood. I have cut close to 8 cord with this since I got it 2 months ago. and I find that when I put it down to pick up my splitting mawl my 2 cutting partners always seem to find an excuse to put down there saws to run mine. one has 029 and the other ms310........
Not to mention the 346 with a cat muffler will practically set you on fire.
Spent some time with my cat 346 just for a comparison to my other 346, until one day my rubber glove was melting. That's the last day it had the cat muffler.
I have a 16" bar on my NE346XP non-cat. It handles being buried in oak just fine, but using a larger saw in anything bigger is much faster. For the size of wood that OP is cutting, I'd say that a 346 is probably a bit small, but if you can live with an 18" bar, acceptable. Too bad they don't make 262XP's anymore, that would probably be the perfect saw for you.
Enter your email address to join: