New Saw Questions

[WOODBUTCHER]

Hi again guys, I am torn between the Stihl MS440 and the Husky 372x(thanks to those who responded to my earlier post)p. Both seem to be excellent saws. I like the feel of the 372 better, but there is no servicing dealer near me. Thought about the Dolmar, but no one has even heard of 'em here in the sticks, let alone sell parts.
My dealers (3 different) all quoted a price of 689.00 for the 440, stihls msrp. None will budge on price, all will give me "discounted chains". I can get the husky for 100.00 less. What would you guys do????
Also what are wach of the mentioned saws "weak points" Thank you all in advance!

BTW I now check this forum every day and REALLY enjoy rea din your tales.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Do you have access to saw shops that sell/service either brand?

 

[ray benson]

I would look at Bailey's or http://catalog.getsaws.com/viewProduct.cfm?item_id=684419

 

[WOODBUTCHER]

Yes Stihl has 3 service/parts store in my area.

 

[MasterBlaster]

What about Husky? That's my problem here, no dealers, nobody to work on em for 40 miles. I have to go Sthil cuz of that.

 

[WOODBUTCHER]

Just a farm store that SELLS husky, and stocks extremely limited parts.

 

[Dwayne Ferguson]

new 372xp

I just got my 372 less than a week ago but i all ready love it its got heaps of grunt .
the only let down for me is the rear handle but only because I'm use to the 395 with soft in certs in it and Husqvarna is the only one with that anyway.
I think if you decide on the 372 your going to love it.

 

[oldwild]

checking on Huskies web site, I show 3 Bomgaars not far from you, 1 in West Point, 1 in Wayne, 1 in Norfolk. They also service the saws themselves. And the prices are competitive.

 

[fishhuntcutwood]

Dealer's are invaluable good to have around, and I'm a Stihl guy, so I say go with the 440. That said, if you're comfortable turning wrenches, get a Husky from Bailey's, or a Stihl from your dealer, and if something should happen under warrantee, send it to Bailey's or drive an hour or so to get it fixed, but after that, get yourself an IPL and a service manual, and wrench on it yourself. After you're out from under the warrantee the fix will be out of your own pocket, dealer or not, so being two hours from a Husky dealer won't matter much. Order parts from a dealer, and put 'em on yourself. This isn't at all to belittle what a good dealer/tech can do for you, or to steer anyone away from their service. My dealer in town is amazing, and has helped me out immensely, but I really enjoy working on my own saws. I say go with the saw you want, and based on your comfort behind a wrench, worry about working on it when it breaks. And if you can't fix your way out out of a wet paper bag, you can go with a Stihl from the local guy, or go with a Husky through Bailey's. I'm pretty sure Greg, and the folks down there can get a saw running right....

Take care all,
Jeff

 

[WOODBUTCHER]

Bomgaars just sells them here, they have to ship them off to be fixed 10-14 day turnaround. If they could fix anything, it would help. I took my jonsered into the only saw shop in town, a Stihl dealer, to have rope replaced. That man was a total butt about haveing to work on it. Soured me to him.(he has since sold shop)

 

[njforestfire]

Go with the Husky from Baileys - you won't be disappointed and the price is pretty good. Both saw are good (I have tried both) but my preference is the Husky.

 

[oldwild]

butcher, there are quite a few saw shops around here. just off the top of my head I can think of 5 in the Sioux City area alone. There should be shops in Blair, Fremont and Omaha. I have gotten quite a few of the parts for my older saws from some of the smaller shops. The Bomgaars onthge east side of Sioux City repairs quite a few saws, with parts available through them there.

 

[Jackman61]

I recently faced the same type of choice. Buy a Husky online or a Stihl from a nearby dealer (10 minutes). My closest Husky dealer is about an hour away. I chose the 372 from Bill's Saw Shop over the Stihl based on recommendations from folks here at AS. I am very pleased with the 372 and my order arrived on time and accurately. I haven't had the saw long enough to fully appreciate all of it's capabilities/limitations. So far, I believe it was the correct choice. I must note that I was not considering the Stihl 440 from their product line, and I have never run that saw. For the direct product comparison, I differ to the other replies on this thread. Hope this helps.

 

[Ax-man]

Normally I'm a pro Sthil fan for about the same reasons as everyone else , no Husky dealers in our area. We had a 44 for a short time I thought it was underpowered for it's size, we also were having problems with it. so in this case go with the 372, everyone that has one has always had positive remarks about the 372, even makes a Sthil guy like me want to go buy one just to compare and see for myself.

I traded that 44 for a 46 , that is a whole different story, there is a big difference between those two saws.

Larry

 

[TonyM]

Don't give up on the Dolmar!! Better saw, better warranty, better price, and parts are a phone call away! Read the thread by Rollacosta! It is truly a better product, and the local dealer support is going to come, in time, once the saws start selling (more than they already are).

 

[chainsawworld]

i have both and i must say i use the husky more than the stihl. when the 044 first came out you could not get me to put it down. when i went to become a safety instructor my 044 would not start in the rain. i ran the trainer's 371xp and loved it. on the way home that day i bought one. now i have a collection of them. i also bought on of the first 357xp's. after the problems got ironed out, i found that to be a great saw too. marty

 

[TonyM]

Well, Woodbutcher made his choice. I wanted to share what he emailed me. He may not be on the forum for a while. It's hard to type with a new PS-7900 in your hands.

"Tony I got the saw today. I have one thing to say.... WOW!!! I got it ready and went out to cut a load of wood. MY god that thing is AWESOME! To say you have a satisfied customer is an understatement."

 

[WOODBUTCHER]

Its dark so I put it down, that Dolmar is one GREAT feeling, POWERFUL saw. I LOVE IT! Thanks to all of you for your advice, tried something different, IT ROCKS!

 

[Justin Garrison]

Its good you enjoy your new saw. Nothing like a satisfied customer. Keep us updated on how you make out with it!