Husky 385 XP

[pbtree]

Thinking of picking up a new saw - anyone have any feedback on the Husky 385?

 

[sedanman]

In that class I would get a Dolmar 7900. but, I am partial to the 7900.

 

[jokers]

Hi pbtree, Welcome to the forum.

I`ve got a 385 and it`s a good saw. I am however leaning toward what sedanman said. The Dolmar 7900 has everything the 385 has but weighs two pounds less. The only potential problem I can see is that there isn`t an abundance of Dolmar dealers around but Makita is the same saw.

Frankly, in this day and age I`d expect a saw that weighs as much as the 385 to have alot more jam.

Russ

 

[StIhL MaGnUm]

Hello Pbtree ,

I can only vouch for the 385XP I have had 2 years of trouble free service out of mine doing logging fulltime I have racked up well over 400 mbf (thousand board feet) on the saw . It is a little heavy but you get used to it , It has alot of power , and great stump power . I think it's a very good saw in my personal opinion.

Sincerly , Rob

 

[jokers]

Rob,

I didn`t mean to badmouth the 385 in any way, just saying that I`m not blown away by it.

Didn`t you forget to mention that yours is Power Ported? That might make a difference! I don`t mind carrying the weight if the saw has the authority to back it up.

Russ

 

[rbtree]

Ditto all of the above....I run every size of pro Huskys but the 385 and 395. But I have a 7900 Dolmar, which isnt stock, and, comparing the two saws, the 7900 is the winner.

 

[Qatanlison]

I'm also a proud owner of a 385XPG, recommend it all the way!
I don't know about Dolmar's vibration-dampening or if it has some function like "Air Injection" 'cos I think Husky rules on those two compared to Stihl.
You who run 385's, how long bars do you run? Does it work with 36"? Or even longer?

O

Attached a .avi showing my mufflermodded 385 making a 1sec cut through a 10" basswood with 20" bar and 3/8 square-filed by hand.

 

[jokers]

Ola,

The 385 that I have handles a 34" bar in hardwood pretty well. The 385 doesn`t seem to come into it`s own with shorted bars in my opinion, too many other lighter saws will keep up with it.

The 7900 has excellent anti vibe and a system similar to Air Injection which seems to work just as well. The filter on the 7900 appears to be a little small but it doesn`t seem to be a problem in the field. The 7900 also takes the same bar as large mount Huskies which is nice for guys like me who have many Husky bars. Dolmar really nailed it with this model.

Russ

 

[Crofter]

Too bad the 7900 doesn't take well to modifications though. lol.!

Frank

 

[jokers]

Jeepers Frank, we don`t want to go there!

The irony is though that I have an e-mail from one of my most staunch opponents in that regard, telling that they don`t mod well. The message was dated last year before anyone had spent much time trying to modify one. Someday when I want to piss off the world, get a few people banned(including myself no doubt), and expose some people for the hypocrite that they sometimes are, I`ll post the message in it`s entirety here. That ought to be good for a few laughs.

Russ

 

[glens]

Hey pb,

Looking at this from another angle, I'd like to say that if you're considering a saw of that weight, you can't go wrong with a Stihl MS660 (actually <i>lighter</i> than the 385 by a tenth pound or so).&nbsp; Neither vibration nor filter cleanliness are a problem, at all, with that monster.

They say a stock PS7900 will just about cut with an MS660, and my experience has it that may be true, even on a 20" log.&nbsp; But putting a 36" bar on the saws and using every bit of it would very likely paint a different picture.&nbsp; If that's what you've got in mind you might want to investigate a little further before making a decision.

Glen

 

[rbtree]

That may be true, but only with a new 660 with the severely restricted muffler. My dual port stock 066 is close to the PP7900 in speed, 36 inch bar versus 32 on the 7900..and in big wood.

 

[geofore]

Dolmar 7900PP

Had my Dolmar 7900 out today doing a black locust 34" DBH, over 100' tall. It doesn't seem to have any problem in the hardwood here with a 32" bar on it. I haven't tried a 36" bar on it yet, haven't had a need for it yet. It does excellent work with the 24" bar I normally use. If you like the weight, go with the Husky but I'm sticking with the lighter Dolmar. You beat me to that one rb, I think he'd love the Dolmar PP'ed, it can handle the 32" bar in the wood.

 

[StIhL MaGnUm]

hey Russ ,

Your right I should have added that mine was power ported but even before that I was very happy with it , PP'ing just made it that much better thats all.. I have run a 36" bar on mine in Red Oaks with no problems , usually just keep a 24" on the saw though multi purpose..

 

[rahtreelimbs]

Although I have 2 7900's I try to be open minded. I ran a 385 and a 7900 ( both stock ) at Dan's get together last month. The 385 felt big, heavy, and boxy. The 7900 ergonomically was much smoother. As far as power the 7900 had it over the 385. The 7900 does run stronger after mods. The fact that a stock 7900 has so much jam out-of-the-box seems to make the end results of mods a little less than other saws.

The modded 7900 is a real powerhouse.

 

[pbtree]

Thanks for the information - I have never ran a 7900 before, but it sounds like something worth looking into.

I have a 365 right now, but find it a bit lacking in the bigger cuts. I was also considering a power ported 372 - about the same weight but should have considerably more power.

I have had really good luck with all my Husky saws.

 

[jokers]

pbtree,

I`ve got a 372 that was modified by Ken Dunn of northern California that will make a 7900 or 385 puke it`s bar oil, LOL.

Russ