What to ask for with a 346xp?

[CentaurG2]

:greenchainsaw::chainsawguy:

Just got back from the dealership and I now own a 346xp! Thanks for all the encouragement guys! They threw in an extra chain for me and traded the one on the saw for a non-safety version.

I called earlier today and they said it was the non-cat version of the saw. There is no green cap of any kind on it so I'm hoping that I do indeed have that version. However, the manual cover says '346XP EPA'. I asked if they give out the same manual for both versions but she hasn't seen any other version of the manual. Because I wanted the chain switched out I won't be able to pick it up until tomorrow. I'll look it over more closely then & find out for sure.

I also bought a pair of the husky gloves. Nice gloves but does anyone know why they make the left handed one with more padding than the right? Do they figure you need more protection on your left hand or something? Only other thing I can think of is maybe the right hand needs to be thinner since it controls the throttle.

Congrats on your new saw! You will like that little wood eating monster. The manual with the saw will have EPA 1 and EPA 2 on the cover in parenthesis and is for both the 346xp and 353. It covers both e-tech and non saws.

Cant help you with the husky gloves. I am partial to Atlas fit rubber coated gloves. They give an excellent grip on the handles even when wet, wear like boiler iron, are cheap and washable. Not chainsaw proof but I have never found any chainsaw gloves that give a proper grip.

As a preemptive strike, use either Husky XP oil, Stihl Ultra or Amsoil Saber Pro mixed 50:1 with premium petrol. Mix it in small batches, date it and keep it for 3 months max. After three months just put the remainder into your car,truck, boat etc and mix up a fresh batch. Good luck with the new saw.

 

[dingeryote]

:greenchainsaw::chainsawguy:

Just got back from the dealership and I now own a 346xp! Thanks for all the encouragement guys! They threw in an extra chain for me and traded the one on the saw for a non-safety version.

I called earlier today and they said it was the non-cat version of the saw. There is no green cap of any kind on it so I'm hoping that I do indeed have that version. However, the manual cover says '346XP EPA'. I asked if they give out the same manual for both versions but she hasn't seen any other version of the manual. Because I wanted the chain switched out I won't be able to pick it up until tomorrow. I'll look it over more closely then & find out for sure.

I also bought a pair of the husky gloves. Nice gloves but does anyone know why they make the left handed one with more padding than the right? Do they figure you need more protection on your left hand or something? Only other thing I can think of is maybe the right hand needs to be thinner since it controls the throttle.

Congrats!!!!

No green cap means ya got a non cat saw.
Check the muffler and see if it has CAT stamped into it anywhere, just to be sure though.

The extra padding on the left glove is likely an anti-vibe thing you'll never notice anyway with a 346.

The chain swap took an extra day?
I don't get that one... some seriously slow dudes might take 5 Min. for a chain swap, but at a saw shop?

They hooked you up with Oregon LPX right?
Not bad stuff. Troll swears by it.
Next chance ya get though, stop into a Stihl shop and pick up a loop of RMC for "Cuttin dirty". It'll save some cussin' and filing.

Which bar did ya end up with?

Stay safe!
Dingeryote

 

[woodyman]

the 460 is actually the one that is comparable in hp.but not weight nor quality.
but the price is so close,its kinda silly.
anyway,you know you want the xp. so on to your question.

what to ask for when buying a 346xp:
1.non E-TECH.(this is the easy part.and dealers have no trouble knowing what your talking about)
2.non cat.(this ones hard to find,and according to dealers,holy cow,don't even get me started on what some of them tried to pull lmao)
anyway,to find one without a cat in the muffler:
easy way is, it will have a black gas cap,not a green one.green= cat inside)
iv also read on here,that the muffler is also stamped with CAT on it around or included in the serial numbers of the muffler.(i didn't bother to look at green capped 346xp's this closely in my quest)
the biggest lie one dealer tried to pull was "oh they all come with cats now,they run much cooler and will last longer.a much better built saw."
although i can't argue the fact,that perhaps no more non cats are being made for the US market,they for sure will run much hotter.you can't plug up a muffler and say it will run cooler nor loose hp lol come on.
3.tell 'em they can keep that stock wimpy bar,and you will pay the difference for the standard bar with replaceable tip.
4.don't settle for less.Let 'em know we only want the best when paying the extra $ for our pro saws.
5.bring 'er home and let 'er rip.

if you need to have your 346xp ordered,you can forget about asking for a non cat version.all they can avoid is the E-TECH for ya,which has the cat yes,but not only does the E-TECH come with cats.
It appears to be out of the control of the dealers as to which standard 346xp comes through the door.(grn cap/blk cap)
either be prepared to drive around,or get ready to order a non cat muffler on the web and have it shipped.
least if you want to have a cool running 346xp that wont burn up years before its normal due date and of course have less power meanwhile.
it's not easy finding a 346xp ready to go for pro use out the door in these parts,but I did it.good luck!

oh p.s.
yeah I'd get the 16" myself as well.only cus i like to have my saw's work as easy as possible and grab a bigger saw when it's needed.
i got the 18" due to needing the extra reach when up a tree for the occasional cuts.
she will have no problem running a 20" though if you prefer.she really does have some nuts!
I'd just keep her nimble and light with a 16" and nice balance.but hey,16-20 anywhere is ok,no wrong choice with this saw.

Thats what I did,told them they could keep the 18" bar and safety chain.I will be getting my Snellerized 346 back in a day or two and will post pics of my special bar 16" and chain.Oh yeah,get the 346 and start cutting some wood.

 

[danrclem]

:greenchainsaw::chainsawguy:

Just got back from the dealership and I now own a 346xp! Thanks for all the encouragement guys! They threw in an extra chain for me and traded the one on the saw for a non-safety version.

I called earlier today and they said it was the non-cat version of the saw. There is no green cap of any kind on it so I'm hoping that I do indeed have that version. However, the manual cover says '346XP EPA'. I asked if they give out the same manual for both versions but she hasn't seen any other version of the manual. Because I wanted the chain switched out I won't be able to pick it up until tomorrow. I'll look it over more closely then & find out for sure.

I also bought a pair of the husky gloves. Nice gloves but does anyone know why they make the left handed one with more padding than the right? Do they figure you need more protection on your left hand or something? Only other thing I can think of is maybe the right hand needs to be thinner since it controls the throttle.

Way to go! You're getting one mighty fine saw. Go cut some wood and be safe.

 

[gr8scott72]

It's a great saw but don't pass final judgement on it before at least 10 full tanks of mix thru it. It is pretty gutless before then. (Still revs high and fast but doesn't have any low grunt.) Afterwards, it can hold its own even buried all the way in hardwood.

 

[SawTroll]

Anyone here try running an 8 pin .325 sprocket on one of these?

Yep, mine wears that right now - but it is marginally faster with 7-pin in 8" wood and larger.

Make sure the chain is Oregon LP or Stihl RSC - the 95VP/H30 that usually is standard in much slower in clean wood

 

[SawTroll]

I have both the 346ne and the 350. They both have an 18" bar on them. The 346 is faster and more powerful, but if you are just cutting for your own use the 350 work very well. The 346 is built better and should last longer. Actual weight difference is very little. My 350 is plenty adequate for 16-18" wood, but the 346 is more fun.

That is a very important consideration, in my book!

 

[SawTroll]

....

The extra padding on the left glove is likely an anti-vibe thing you'll never notice anyway with a 346. .....

Nope, it actually is cut protection, like in chaps etc, but of course not as effective, because of the small area.

It is probably designed for arborists, that often one-hand their top-handle saws - but they can't say that for obvious reasons........

 

[dingeryote]

Nope, it actually is cut protection, like in chaps etc, but of course not as effective, because of the small area.

It is probably designed for arborists, that often one-hand their top-handle saws - but they can't say that for obvious reasons........

Gotcha! Dadgum lawyers told 'em they can't advertise or make statements.
Figures.

I wonder if fillet gloves would still cause 'em heartburn in that regard... LOL!!

Stay safe!
Dingeryote

 

[dragrcr]

enjoy the saw man

it will be like a tylenol for a headache, will do the trick for a while but you will need more eventually.

 

[fishercat]

i agree.

It probably comes down to what is available and what you like. I chose to run a 16" bar and 3/8 full chisel on my 346XP NE right out of the gate. The saw has no problem running it and it is readily available in my town and is fairly cheap. There isn't a good selection of .325 around here, it's all safety chain or bumper chisel and I think .325 is harder to sharpen and doesn't hold an edge as long as 3/8. I have a dozen tanks of fuel through mine, just did a muffler mod and it plain screams through hardwood. Tached at 13,900 and the plug looks perfect. .325 may be a tad faster but I still run 3/8's. Buy the 346XP NE, you won't regret it.

Scott

i run the same setup.i hate that skinny chain and all my chains (which i have a lot of) are all 3/8,.050 gauge except the top handle climbing saws.

 

[InTheFlow]

EDIT: Is the extra padding on the top or palm of left hand?

Thanks for the pic! The additional padding is mostly on the top of the glove.

The chain swap took an extra day?
I don't get that one... some seriously slow dudes might take 5 Min. for a chain swap, but at a saw shop?

They hooked you up with Oregon LPX right?
Next chance ya get though, stop into a Stihl shop and pick up a loop of RMC for "Cuttin dirty". It'll save some cussin' and filing.

Which bar did ya end up with?

I got there pretty late and couldn't wait any longer because I was on my lunch break. They also said they had to cut the chain from a big reel of it. May add a little time for that I suppose...I don't know if it is Oregon LPX chain or not. The 16" bar is the one that comes with the saw from Husky.

Is 'cuttin dirty' slang for cuts fast or is the Stihl chain actually better if you hit the dirt?

I will be getting my Snellerized 346 back in a day or two and will post pics of my special bar 16" and chain.

I've seen that word before...what is a 'Snellerized' saw?

 

[dingeryote]

Thanks for the pic! The additional padding is mostly on the top of the glove.


I got there pretty late and couldn't wait any longer because I was on my lunch break. They also said they had to cut the chain from a big reel of it. May add a little time for that I suppose...I don't know if it is Oregon LPX chain or not. The 16" bar is the one that comes with the saw from Husky.

Is 'cuttin dirty' slang for cuts fast or is the Stihl chain actually better if you hit the dirt?


I've seen that word before...what is a 'Snellerized' saw?

NOW I understand the delay... lunchbreak.

Dirty cutting, is cutting dirty wood. The Stihl RM/RMC is a semi chisel design that cuts a smidge slower but says cutting sharp much longer than conventional Chisel chain.

"Snellerized"= Brad Snelling Porting and tweaking the saw for more power.
Brad is a favorite saw massage practicioner here, along with Timberwolf, and Jasha the "Tree slinger".
For a couple bucks they can turn the demons in the saw loose to work for ya.
Usually the increase in power is very notable, and the 346 is known for bieng REALLY snotty after mods.

Get the thing home and do some cutting before we all go nuts living vicariously and waiting.

Stay safe!
Dingeryote

 

[InTheFlow]

Ah, sweet! I'll look into the mod thing after I'm done getting my 3 cords out of the woods this year. She's gonna get quite a workout this weekend. My buddy has a cheapo saw that I just can't wait to show the Husky to!

EDIT: I just got back from getting it...woohoo! It is definitely NOT an EPA version and on top of that the replacement chain and free spare chain is Oregon 20 LPX!!!