saw advice

[TH360PRO]

hello all! i am looking to upgrade my Stihl 192T and was thinking of either a 200T or a Husqvarna 338XPT. i have never used either of them but heard from the people that i know that use the 200T that its an awesome saw with tons of power!! i dont know anyone that has a 338 to ask about. i have a Husqvarna 372 XP that i think is just incredible!! so thats why i thought of going with there 338. thanks for your help...! looking forward to hear what you guys can tell me!! thanks....Travis

 

[stihlhere]

hello......, I was in the market last year for a new climber saw and as you guess i love stihl, however i had heard the 338xpt would really rip and was about 160.00 cheaper here. Alltho I never cut with the 338 or even heard it run I found that it was not as balanced as the stihl and if i held in my right hand arm out stretched bar pointing left it was hard to keep the saw from rolling in my hand. I found the 200t in the same position thanks to the square handle and better balanced was much easier to one hand. I also run a 16" bar on mine with no problem. O yea if memory serves me right the 338 had a primer bulb and personally i hate them. 200t cranks 2nd pull and after ran 30 sec cranks 1st pull the rest of the day. just finished pruning a pecan orchard 35 trees heavy prune ran it 2hrs shut it off to move to next tree crank 1 time. I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[arborist]

hello all! i am looking to upgrade my Stihl 192T and was thinking of either a 200T or a Husqvarna 338XPT. i have never used either of them but heard from the people that i know that use the 200T that its an awesome saw with tons of power!! i dont know anyone that has a 338 to ask about. i have a Husqvarna 372 XP that i think is just incredible!! so thats why i thought of going with there 338. thanks for your help...! looking forward to hear what you guys can tell me!! thanks....Travis

Travis,
most professional arborists prefer the 200T.
a few of us simply do not like the ergonomics of this particular saw.
i for one,find it extremely uncomfortable (unless used primarily in an unsafe manner-"one handed").
pick them both up and handle them.you will see the difference.
husky still has a bad taste in its mouth from their previous model 335 where their end caps kept falling off and wouldn't stay tuned worth a ....beep lol.
so now,stihl has this super reputation with its power house 200T that most love,and husky hanging on to a bad rep with probably only husky fans already who will even look twice at their newer arborist saws.
the new 334t/338xpt saw's are fine running and comfortable saw's that encourage two hands while aloft.
if you like the 372xp then you will like their arborists saws.
i like stihl.but i hate the 200t.not the saw.just the way it feels/balances.
obviously im in the minority with most right in love with the little suckers.
try a 338,i doubt you will have any regrets.
334 is just a smaller piston version.if you prune often like myself rather than removals,you may want to consider one as she sip's her fuel and you can save time by never having to send her down to be fueled up.
she has no problem cutting into large chunks of red oak or maple.
in fact i just took down a full size 70' sugar maple (rock maple) beside the road/some power lines etc while waiting for traffic at times in just a couple hrs i had her down on the ground with the 334T (minus the very large 15' trunk of course lmao,that's for the 372 or perhaps a 181se tomorrow morning.)
bottom line.the 334T (338xpt's little brother) makes me money.
i can only only go so fast,my time's not spent on waiting for cuts or anything with it,even when removing large hard woods.just a stock chain to boot lol.

 

[stihlhere]

I would also like to add while you will see me use my saw one handed I am not suggesting any one should. Just pointing if you do I think you would prefer the 200t.

 

[UnityArborist]

Stick with stihl

I have found the 338xp to be real fickle with performance. If you are running a ms192t right now I myself would not consider the 338xp an "upgrade." Stick with the industry standard and go for a ms200t. Not having to go looking for a scrench each time you want to gas and oil will be worth the extra hundred bucks. Plus the air filter on the 338xp is one inch away from the top of the chain, and gets plugged quickly. STICK WITH STIHL!!!!!

 

[fishercat]

i am a big Husky fan.

their XP rear handle saws are great.their top handles are not.my top shelf is all orange.the bottom shelf has a 200t and a 192t.Stihl makes the best top handles bar none.their small homeowner saws are great as well like the ms 211.

 

[treeoperations]

i have only huskys, i used both the 200t and the 338 and i prefer the 338, i feel the balance is nicer and the saw revs up quicker, also i prefer the way the husky sits hanging under me on its rope.

just remeber it is personal preferance, what works for me might not work for you, try both see what you think.


by the way, husky hasnt tried to redsign a simple thing called a THREAD. then damn flip caps on the stilhs are a PAIN IN THE ASS

 

[outofmytree]

It will be personal choice in the end. You can buy a professional grade, top handle saw or...















































a Husky!

 

[Nailsbeats]

Get the 338 so you'll know why Stihl is the best.

 

[fishercat]

AMEN Nails.

Get the 338 so you'll know why Stihl is the best.

i have tried to like the 335s and 338s.sold every damn one of them.kept the MS200.

 

[Norwayclimber]

I've had both. Now I only have 3 200t's.

 

[TheGrunt]

I have used my 338 for 2 years now and just love it. I can bury the bar and it still pulls hard.

 

[oldirty]

200t is the one to run if you really consider yourself a tree climber.

 

[Treetom]

I've run Huskies since the 80's. They made some fine saws over the years: 262xp, 372xp, I even like the 350, which was going for $300.00 when they still made them. But I was never really satisfied with their top handle saws, namely the 338xp (cali) and it's predecessor. Seems I'm always tweaking on that ^%$# carbeurator. On takedowns I'd switch over to the 350 when wood got bigger than 6" diameter. Then I watched some videos where AS members were doing takedowns with the 200t. That, along with all the posts on ms200t vs 338xpt convinced me to give it a try. Give it a try. You won't be disappointed.

 

[GlenWimpy]

I used Stil for 20 years , I live in Memphis , there are 4 Stil shops here! Can't get parts , service or saws! There's a Husky shop , Colonial Hardware , they have every Husky saw on display with lots more in the back , ALL PARTS , if they don't have ,they will get it ASAP , and they can fix anything fast!

I have a pile of dead stil's , I only buy Husky!

 

[Tree Pig]

I used Stil for 20 years , I live in Memphis , there are 4 Stil shops here! Can't get parts , service or saws! There's a Husky shop , Colonial Hardware , they have every Husky saw on display with lots more in the back , ALL PARTS , if they don't have ,they will get it ASAP , and they can fix anything fast!

I have a pile of dead stil's , I only buy Husky!

BOx up that pile of junk Ill take it off your hands

 

[GlenWimpy]

BOx up that pile of junk Ill take it off your hands

I'll take a pic of all it , and you can tell me what you'll give me for it , I have an 029 with very little hours because I couldn't get a sprocket! that was when I made the Stihl Husky switch!

 

[oldirty]

I'll take a pic of all it , and you can tell me what you'll give me for it , I have an 029 with very little hours because I couldn't get a sprocket! that was when I made the Stihl Husky switch!

ummm. uninformed consumer if you basing your judgement upon a homeowner saw. lol.


no better top handle out the box than the 200t. none.

 

[stihlhere]

I have an 029 with very little hours because I couldn't get a sprocket! that was when I made the Stihl Husky switch!

you have a dealer problem not a brand problem. we have that same problem with husquvarna here, need a clutch drum for my 372, I was told to wait a week or something like that so i told them forget it and called baileys it was cheaper and got it faster. dont take this as my endorsement of husquvarna. like my ms440 much better than the 372xp.

 

[GlenWimpy]

you have a dealer problem not a brand problem. we have that same problem with husquvarna here, need a clutch drum for my 372, I was told to wait a week or something like that so i told them forget it and called baileys it was cheaper and got it faster. dont take this as my endorsement of husquvarna. like my ms440 much better than the 372xp.

True , thats what I'm saying , that's why I changed! But nowI like Husky better.