Opinions on the Husqvarna 455

[ChainLightning]

Got one ordered and hopefully it will arrive within a few days. Has the 55.5CC motor and a 20in bar.
Was always told that a 16in bar was plenty for any tree in Michigan. Well that was tested the other day when a twister came through and up-rooted a bunch of huge trees. Most of my saws are 16in Homelites and they were not enough for some of them. So I borrowed a 20in Craftsman and that was barely enough for some of the pines that fell.
I cut a lot of firewood and usually that is dead cedar and maple. (As pine burns too hot) Figured that this would be a good saw that would last a good 10-15 years and have plenty of hassle free power. Before I ordered it I read some reviews and it sounds like a very nice saw. Only a few bad ones and that was from the Stihl fans I figured But anyways what do you all think of this one? Thanks

 

[jus2fat]

It is basically the equivalent of the Stihl MS290..and the same price range.

It's an "clam-shell" homeowner saw and is heavier and harder to work on than a pro saw.

Both the MS290 and Husky 455 have quite a good reputation for being very reliable and long lasting.

As with anything mechanical..you have to maintain it to achieve longevity..!!

J2F

 

[luneburg]

You'll be happy

Good saw for what you need , you will be quite happy with it I am sure . I had one that I bought in a pinch and it served me well and was extremely dependable. Just service it regularly and it should last you for a long time , well that is until you buy the next size pro saw that is once you get bit by the infamous CAD

If your comfortable with operating chain saws then the first thing to do is to ditch the safety chain, will make a world of difference . Enjoy

 

[KenJax Tree]

For a few more $$ i would get a 353 its 2lbs lighter and has a magnesium crankcase and is only .2 hp less.

 

[ChainLightning]

Good saw for what you need , you will be quite happy with it I am sure . I had one that I bought in a pinch and it served me well and was extremely dependable. Just service it regularly and it should last you for a long time , well that is until you buy the next size pro saw that is once you get bit by the infamous CAD

If your comfortable with operating chain saws then the first thing to do is to ditch the safety chain, will make a world of difference . Enjoy

Whats the "safety chain"? is that stock or something? I am very comfortable with saws...in fact sometimes I think a little to comfortable haha. I love messing around and fixing old saws and most of my Homelites that the switches broke on, I just took em off and use the choke as my switch

 

[luneburg]

Whats the "safety chain"? is that stock or something? I am very comfortable with saws...in fact sometimes I think a little to comfortable haha. I love messing around and fixing old saws and most of my Homelites that the switches broke on, I just took em off and use the choke as my switch

Usually come with a safety chain stock , just head to a shop and get a decent full or semi chisel chain.

 

[ChainLightning]

Usually come with a safety chain stock , just head to a shop and get a decent full or semi chisel chain.

Are those like the Carlton chains? I have a few of them and they seem to stay sharper longer than the Oregon or other chepo ones. I really never paid that much attention to chains I guess. Thanks

 

[DarkTimber]

Safety chain on the 455 is usually an Oregon chain rebranded as Husqvarna and has the folded over raker.

 

[grack]

a friend of mine has had one for over four or five years i can't remember it never let him down.
i changed the fuel line and tuned it for him last year he bought it used and it's still doing good.

 

[CTYank]

You can get refurbs from VMInnovations to your door for about $325. Mine works great- ferocious cutter.

With any chainsaw, by far the most important thing is to keep the chain razor-sharp, with proper setting on the depth gauges. (Saw chain has NO "rakers.") There are many different chains available for 455r- chisel, semi-chisel, full comp, skip, yada, yada. Just specify gauge, pitch and # of drive links.

 

[Chris-PA]

Sounds like you need to spend some time here learning about saw chain(like I did recently). It will make the biggest improvement of anything you can do, important if you're cutting a lot of wood. Do some searches here. There are different gauges (bar groove width), cutter spacings, cutter types, safety vs. non safety, etc. Oregon has good info on their site, and the Bailey's site & catalog do too. That, learning to sharpen your chain properly and learning to tune a saw, will make your cutting much more productive and ensure your new saw will last longer.

 

[Keith E.]

First post for me here so take it with a grain of salt. A good friend let me use his while my 262 was down. His had a good, fresh chain and ran like a champ. 1-2 pull starter everytime. He said it's been like that since he got it new.

Enjoy, Keith

 

[ChainLightning]

Sounds like you need to spend some time here learning about saw chain(like I did recently). It will make the biggest improvement of anything you can do, important if you're cutting a lot of wood. Do some searches here. There are different gauges (bar groove width), cutter spacings, cutter types, safety vs. non safety, etc. Oregon has good info on their site, and the Bailey's site & catalog do too. That, learning to sharpen your chain properly and learning to tune a saw, will make your cutting much more productive and ensure your new saw will last longer.

Could you tell me what you would recommend as in a chain that will cut through oak, maple, and pine with no problem, and that will stay sharp?

 

[ChainLightning]

First post for me here so take it with a grain of salt. A good friend let me use his while my 262 was down. His had a good, fresh chain and ran like a champ. 1-2 pull starter everytime. He said it's been like that since he got it new.

Enjoy, Keith

And heres your first like. Welcome man! This is a great website with a lot of friendly friends that are very helpful. Welcome again!!

 

[oldmar]

Oh no...

someone mentioned a ms290 in passing...

Someone else will be along to disparage it momentarily.

Sideways balance is askew...

 

[ChainLightning]

Oh no...

someone mentioned a ms290 in passing...

Someone else will be along to disparage it momentarily.

Sideways balance is askew...

I know right? I knew a Stihl would be recommended. I don't like Stihls because their warranty service sucks, most modern models have non adjustable carbs, and they are a pain to start.

 

[SilverKing]

Could you tell me what you would recommend as in a chain that will cut through oak, maple, and pine with no problem, and that will stay sharp?

non low kick round tooth chain,or semi chisel if the wood is dirty.Square tooth or chisel for clean wood will cut faster.Low kick chain realy slows ya down.You mentioned pine burning to hot?We dump pine in the sink hole here,cause it just wont burn.What kinda pines yall got?

 

[SilverKing]

By the way,I really like Stihl brand chain,seems to keep an edge better than Oregon,just my opinion

 

[ChainLightning]

non low kick round tooth chain,or semi chisel if the wood is dirty.Square tooth or chisel for clean wood will cut faster.Low kick chain realy slows ya down.You mentioned pine burning to hot?We dump pine in the sink hole here,cause it just wont burn.What kinda pines yall got?

Just Michigan pine. It's a pain to get started burning but when it does get a going, you better hope you have a house left.

 

[oldmar]

I know right? I knew a Stihl would be recommended. I don't like Stihls because their warranty service sucks, most modern models have non adjustable carbs, and they are a pain to start.

There's a fellow on this site who doesn't care for Stihls in general, and 290s particularly. He cannot resist chiming in to bash the 290 whenever someone mentions it.

I am becoming his opposite, the yang to his yin. Or the other way around, whichever is cooler. Whatever.

Stihl warranty is fine, but some dealers sure suck. Stihl doubles their warranty if you buy their oil. It's really good oil.

Their carbs are like everyone else's, EPA calls the tune. Mostly no prob unless you're modding the saw.

My Stihls start just fine, thanks.

I happen to have mostly Stihls because that's what sells around here; I get em' off the junk pile, and unjunk them. I am becoming Husky-curious.