Husky 350 chain saw
- Thread starter semi
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Lawn Masters
Addicted to ArboristSite
If you want a good saw, I've got a few, or you can look at a husky 353, which is really nice. Pm me, or email if you want one that wont break the bank, and will get you through the thickest stuff.
Max
ArboristSite Operative
Welcome to AS
Semi,
What do you plan on using the saw for? The 350 is a great mid priced homeowner grade saw. It has some of the lowest vibration levels out there which is a plus and has decent power. Yes it has a plastic crank case but it's no big deal for the average cutter. If you need to make a living with it or just plain want something different go for it but...the 350 is a good saw. There are other good saws in that price range also. I have a 340 that keeps on going weekend after weekend. Proper maintenance is a must to keep them running as well as a sharp chain.(95vp is tops) Don't forget your saftey gear.
Semi,
What do you plan on using the saw for? The 350 is a great mid priced homeowner grade saw. It has some of the lowest vibration levels out there which is a plus and has decent power. Yes it has a plastic crank case but it's no big deal for the average cutter. If you need to make a living with it or just plain want something different go for it but...the 350 is a good saw. There are other good saws in that price range also. I have a 340 that keeps on going weekend after weekend. Proper maintenance is a must to keep them running as well as a sharp chain.(95vp is tops) Don't forget your saftey gear.
SawTroll
Information Collector
What Max said, but if you would like metal crank case, and a saw designed for pro use, take a look at the 353. It is a bit stronger and built to last longer, and doesn't cost that much more......
pbtree
Addicted to ArboristSite
Unless you are planning on running it all the time non-stop, the 350 is a fine saw for the money. The 353 is a bit finer, and or course it costs a bit more...
shtoink
ArboristSite Member
Plastic crank case? That seems like it might be kinda scary, but I suppose if you are making a weight and cost savings for a weekend use saw it isn't the worst. I can't imagine the HVA would put thier name on a horrible product and give it a year warranty if was as inevitable dud.
The thought of a plastic crank case makes me nervous, I think I would be hard pressed to be 100% convinced that it was a "good thing", but because it does say HVA on it and others have reported good luck with it I might sit tight at about 75%. I guess you can tell by my reaction, I'm sitting on the fence with this one.
I wonder if it is a heat and impact resistant, high density material that has almost the same strength as the aluminum alloys but less weight and cost?
The thought of a plastic crank case makes me nervous, I think I would be hard pressed to be 100% convinced that it was a "good thing", but because it does say HVA on it and others have reported good luck with it I might sit tight at about 75%. I guess you can tell by my reaction, I'm sitting on the fence with this one.
I wonder if it is a heat and impact resistant, high density material that has almost the same strength as the aluminum alloys but less weight and cost?
The fact that the saw has a plastic crankcase is really meaningless. It is very unlikely that you will ever break it. More important, to me at least, is the plastic handle. I scour pawn shops and garage sales all the time. I've seen a bunch of used 350s with broken handles. I even saw a brand new one broken that way at Sears that had fallen off the shelf when someone pulled it down to look at it. I'm sure they're out there but I have yet to see a Stihl with the handle shattered. I'd at least look at a MS290. A little heavier, more powerful and one of the most reliable saws in history. Same price.shtoink said:Plastic crank case? That seems like it might be kinda scary, but I suppose if you are making a weight and cost savings for a weekend use saw it isn't the worst. I can't imagine the HVA would put thier name on a horrible product and give it a year warranty if was as inevitable dud.
The thought of a plastic crank case makes me nervous, I think I would be hard pressed to be 100% convinced that it was a "good thing", but because it does say HVA on it and others have reported good luck with it I might sit tight at about 75%. I guess you can tell by my reaction, I'm sitting on the fence with this one.
I wonder if it is a heat and impact resistant, high density material that has almost the same strength as the aluminum alloys but less weight and cost?
John...........
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I looked at the 290 by Stihl. It was actually about $100 more then the 350. It was a heavier saw, looked great in quality, but i have very few Stihl dealers in my area. i can get the 350 for $277 where as the MS280 was $370 and the MS290 was $400.
whatsnext said:
I know what you mean, all you have to do is watch eBay, they show up on there all the time, brand new 350's that have been dropped and the rear handle broken. Something must be wrong with the plastic blend used or the design of it, cause they seem to break way too easily to me, if all it takes is being dropped once.
tenacrewoods
ArboristSite Operative
Semi sent You a PM on Better deals then whas you posted. I'm looking too!
Mike E.
Mike E.
shtoink
ArboristSite Member
I hope that the crankcase isn't made from the same material as the handle.
I'm thinking that there should be a major redesign of that part if all it takes is getting dropped and it's out of commission. That might be cutting corners too far. Does anyone have the cost of a replacement handle? I wonder how cost effective it is to get one from eBay and then replace the broken part?
I'm thinking that there should be a major redesign of that part if all it takes is getting dropped and it's out of commission. That might be cutting corners too far. Does anyone have the cost of a replacement handle? I wonder how cost effective it is to get one from eBay and then replace the broken part?
jokers
Addicted to ArboristSite
whatsnext said:
You`re kidding right? The 029 was the original saw to give the plastic crankcase a bad name.
You`ve seen lots of broken handles on the 350s also, huh, but none on a Stihl? Something tells me that you are either looking for trouble and only see broken Huskies or making that up. I`ve seen far more Stihls that needed a handle replacement from a drop than I have seen fubared Huskies and I`ve dropped quite a few Huskies myself.
Russ
Russ, Not kidding or making it up. You just havn't seen the saws I or the other poster are seeing. We have not seen the saws you've seen. Neither of our samples are very representitive but I will go out on a limb and stick with my recomendation of the 290. Ask Stihltech how many he sees every day. He should be buried in them considering how many of them Stihl has sold.jokers said:
John...........l
jokers
Addicted to ArboristSite
whatsnext said:
That`s the funny thing John, I find Stihltech to be above average in his ability and typical post and yet he claims not to see many fubared 029s. On the other hand, I`ve seen first hand, piles of them. Who do I believe, Wayne or myself? I`m sticking with me with no avarice intended toward you or Wayne.
The 029/ms290 is a pricepoint saw. A mixture of semi-reasonable weight for it`s power/performance, and price all prettied up to look like a real Stihl. I don`t like the 029/290 and wouldn`t even take one on a trade or buy one unless it was clean and cheap enough to immediately eBay. A used one is not worth putting any money into at all, IMO.
eBay is a wonderful thing. Didn`t P.T Barnum have a saying about new eBay buyers being born every minute?
Russ
TimberPig said:
If you're talking about the saws "Mel-Co" sells on ebay, those are damaged in shipping or homeowner returns that they are getting from big box stores. Think about it, most of the bigboxes let you return anything, yet they repair nothing, so where does it go? To a seller like Mel-co. Anyway, I bought one of those busted handle 350's off him and the plastic is fine(albeit broken) and the saw had never seen fuel or oil.
asb151
ArboristSite Guru
My 51 is similar to the 350 in size and power. It may even be the older version of the 350. I am not sure. I have had it for about 10 years and have cut extensively with it. It still runs like the day I bought it. Its not overpowering but it does the job it's intended to do and does it well.
pbtree
Addicted to ArboristSite
I had a 41 with similar results - I beat the heck out of it for ten years before it gave up the ghost.asb151 said:
My 335 and 365 are still going strong after a number of years of use...the only thing I have broken is the muffler guard on the 335...
