Need help deciding which saw

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stihltech,

Where did you get those prices from??
Are those with 28"bars or not?

I still have'nt gone and bought my new saw as of yet,but I'am planning on it sometime this week.I wish I could find a Stihl dealer in NH with those type of prices.:blob2: :angry:

The dealer I always go to said that if I do buy another saw from him he'll throw in a 6pack of oil,and 5 Rapid Super chains so I thought it was a good deal.:D

I just don't like having two different types of saws,it means twice as many dealers I gotta go to when something goes wrong,I do notice that alot of my logger friends have been running Husky's alot though.If I do buy a Husky it will be a 385XP.

Thanks for all the replys
Rob
R.C.S. Landclearing Inc.
 
Where can I get a Walkerized saw??

I have been thinking about buying a 372XP or a 385XP w/28"bars .
I've been hearing alot of bad stuff about Stihls lately,and I still can't get over the price difference both in saws and dealer prices.

What does everyone run for chains on these saws??


Thanks for the reply's
Rob
R.C.S. Landclearing Inc.
 
stihlmagnum
What kinds of bad things have you been hearing about Stihl's lately? I think the two major saw company's Stihl an Husqvarna both are making strongest saws in 4.0 cu.in classes and up.I run Carlton/Baileys 3/8 round chisel on the 044 with a 24'' Cannon bar. I cut mostly hardwood.For longer bars I would suggest a 3/8 skiptooth
 
Does anyone here have pics of the 2002 385XP???

Also who has the best price on these saws??:rolleyes

Thanks for any replys

Rob
R.C.S. Landclearing Inc:
 
But Husky just plain are better, these days, in my opinion. and the 372 will outperform the 044, come close to the 046 and weighs less than an 044.
How is this so? The 044 makes 5.46hp and weighs 14.5lbs. The 372 makes 5.4 and weighs 14.75 lbs. It appears to me that it would be a toss up from a power to weight ratio standpoint with the nod going to Stihl as it has slightly more power and weighs abit less. About the only thing more appealing about the husky is that is slightly cheaper in my neck of the woods. IMO a Stihl is better engineered though. BTW I looked at both brands be fore I bought my current saw. I went withStihl mostly be cause I like the local stihl dealer much better than the goon that sells huskys.
 
Weights?

Hey bwalker, where`d you get those weights from? My 372 weighs 13.5#, and the 044 is about the same. The 046 is about 14.5#. You`re right about the power difference in horsepower, it`s almost indescernable, only in a three way tie with the 044, 372, and 046, so why not go for one of the lighter two? Run a 372 and you will see how smoooooth and responsive they are, then let`s talk about engineering! The 385 will flat out mush an 046, these saws are not in the same league, but there again the 385 has more displacement and weight.

Magnum, you can get a Walkerized saw from walkerssawshop.com, or try out Dennis Greffard or Ken Dunn for different variations on the same theme. Either way, you won`t be disappointed, in fact I`m betting that you will bitten by the "powertuned bug". No stock saw will ever satisfy you after you have had one tuned! Russ
 
bwalker.

Those are Madsen's weights, with both saws set up as a west coast fallers wants, full wrap handlebar and large doublefalling dogs. I got mine from them that way, but set it up light with only one small dog, for the lightest combo, for tree climbing. Now that I have two, I can have each setup. It ends up lighter than the 044 that way. (044's full wrap is a nice design, and lighter than the 372 full wrap)

Both saws are great, but the 372 is just plain better. As well, most think it will outcut an 044, stock. Hard for me to compare, as my 044's are old, and 372's re modified.

By the way, I just got back from the Clearwater Revival. I ran my Walkerized 372 against saws that had more mods than it, and special chain to boot. It was only a bit behind, except againt the Rupley's saws. And , my Greffardized woods built 3120 with Dennis's Art Martin chain, ran only a bit behind the rupley's with their race built saws.
 
only in a three way tie with the 044, 372, and 046, so why not go for one of the lighter two?
The 046 has more hp than the 372 or the 044. It has 6.03hp and weighs 14.9lb vs. thw 372's 5.4 hp /14.75lbs.BTW as RBTree mentiones these weights are from madsens1.com and are measured weights, not mfgs claimed weight.

The 385 will flat out mush an 046, these
And a 088 would mush a 372, but who cares.

Both saws are great, but the 372 is just plain better
RBTree, I agree, but why is it that the husky is better when the power to weight #'s are the same? Im not argueing with you. I am just trying to see where your comeing from. I suspect in real life they are about the same. Kind of like the ford/chevy thing.
 
Hi bwalker, I figured I`d get a challenge type comeback on this from you, it`s easy to see your Stihl bias. No sweat, different strokes for different folks, but you are doing an armchair comparison to support your views. You`re kind of making an issue of the fact that these are weights measured by Madsen`s, not the manufacturers, as if the manufacturers might misrepresent something, then you go ahead and use the manufacturers claimed horsepower, so go figure. It probably is also true what rb has said about the fullwrap handles between the brands being substantially different, in weight and functionality, with the nod going to the Stihl. That`s all fine and good if you are running a full wrap. I`m on the east coast and full wraps are so rare that everyone has to run down to the saw shop and take a look if one comes in, just kidding, but you get the idea. Now as to the comparison between the 044 and 372, both are great saws, top performers in a relatively light package, in fact I`ve seen more than one 044 that would flat out scream. Now you take an east coast version 046, 1# heavier, marginally more felt horsepower, and > $100 more than a 372 and it just doesn`t stack up. I`ve had two 046s, two 372s, and an 044 in the last 5 years and I prefer the way the Huskies feel. I personally think the 046 is way overated. I think we all need to keep in mind that any saw with a 70cc or bigger powerhead costing $550 - $700 ought to be an impressive cutting machine, and instead of running an 044, 372, 046, etc., etc., and being impressed, and then proclaiming that model must be best in class, we should all try some real world, hands on comparison with other brands and models in that size and price range, then choose the winner. That`s how I formed my opinion that the 046 isn`t anything special. 13.5# powerheads are the sweet spot for me, so I`d stick with an 044 or 372 for the relative level of performance you get in this range. My remark about the 385 being able to mush an 046 was in reference to a post by Bradley, if I`m not mistaken, I believe he stated that the 385 is the equivalent of the 046. I tried to point out that the 385 is a more powerful saw, but it is also a larger displacement and weighs more than an 046. I guess I should have elaborated. So if I were to be entirely objective( in my opinion, LOL ), if Stihl Magnum wants a saw that will pull a full 28" bar all day long in hardwood, the 046 would get the nod over the 044 and 372, the extra displacement would go to good use here and it would make up for the extra weight he would have to sling. The 066 wouldn`t even be an option with a max bar length of 28" because of the cost and weight involved. Since he did mention that he would consider a Husky, the 385, which has ample power for a 28" bar and costs about what an 046 does with only slightly more weight, seems like the clear choice. The 385 is a sweet saw( got one of those too ). Husky antivibe is about the best I have seen. Russ
 
Joker, I like em both. I bought a stihl because I like the stihl dealer much better than the husky one. I also like the look and feel of the stihl. I do wish stihl put the 044 type airfilter on the 036. About the only thing I didnt like about the husky was the outboard mounted clutch, but really thats not too big of a deal. However I am not a everday pro user. I would just like to hear from the pros why they like one over the other. BTW I wish madsens dyned the saws as well as just weighed them. I doubt that either mfgs is completly honest in this regard. In my expiereance mfgs tend to stretch the truth a bit.
 
:blob2: Wow Someone who knows poorly designed saws when they see them. And I thought I was the only one. LOL Later Butch
 
Dyno Numbers

Hi bwalker, Madsen`s probably doesn`t post dyno #s because they probably don`t want to get kicked around by the manufacturers when they, Madsen`s, post lower numbers than advertised. I`ve seen dyno sheets on Huskies and Stihls from Walkers dyno and the numbers are way below what the manufacturers claim. John Walker puts it very diplomatically by saying that it is impossible for him to duplicate the perfectly controlled conditions that the factories use when they do their dyno runs. I guess it`s really a moot point what the true horsepower is anyway but the numbers published by the saw makers are good for reference points.
BTW, the 372 has an inboard clutch, but at least the other current Huskies with outboard clutches have enough clearance to drop the chain in, unlike many other saws I`ve worked with that had outboard clutches. You`re right about the quality of the local dealer being an important factor, very good reason for choosing one brand over another. Russ
 
I have a new ms460 here and will send it for $600 plus shipping. My zip is 95667. That includes a 24" bar and chain. That does not include any modification. I would use it as is until broke in anyway. You may find additional power is not necessary. Mike
 
Has it been run at all yet??

Where are you from Cali???

Do you have any pics??

What does it have flush or wrap bar??

Thanks
Rob
R.C.S. Landclearing Inc.
 
Try the Poulan Proseredvarna at Lowes!!!!
It put all of the saws at the revival to shame, but the results
were squashed by the Pro Stihl crowd. I would have attended
but I was afraid that there would not be enough beer up there
as I hear Canadians have weak, cheap, watery beer. Also their
mosquitoes do not have a lot of meat on them, so I would
likely go hungry. Instead of Buffalo wings, they enjoy Llamma
limbs.
 

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