Knowing what you know now... what would be your first saw?

[Ricko]

My first saw was a Mac Cat from Machine Mart in about 1990, it was junk from the day I bought it, but I never really looked after it. I bought a Stihl MS170 to replace it ten years ago and wish I'd bought one as my first saw, I only run it on Aspen and its proved to be a handy little logging saw, still one of my faves in the collection.

[Stephen Blair]

Still a 261!
My first saw was an 026, it’s been my main saw for over 20 years. Only ever had 2 bad ones I bought at the same time, just Friday afternoon saws. They both still work but nothing like they should.
I’d recommend keeping away from top handles when first climbing, learn to get into position and do cuts right rather than learn to cut and hold or catch and swiping around like zoro!

[peds]

Okay, so here's the thing dudes.

Prompted by the thread asking if anyone is in France (where I am now, for the next three weeks), I've just been looking for prices for 550xp and 346xp online, it seems there's a whole stack of 346xp still available brand new, if anyone is so inclined. With just a bit of searching, I've found 346xp for 589 euro, 599 euro, 619 euro, that kind of thing, which works out at around 520 to 540 sterling. 550xp mostly go for around 615 sterling, with one ballsy outfit asking for 700. In Ireland (where I will be in three weeks time), a 550xp will set you back around 625 sterling.

But FR Jones (first hit, not bothered looking for any other prices, does anyone know of any cheaper off the top of their heads?) are selling 550xp for just 465 sterling.

I've been reading what a load of other bods on other forums (there are others?!) have to say about the differences between the two saws, and it seems that although both are great tools, the people who prefer the 346xp seem to do so only out of a sense of nostalgia, or if they actively don't like the new-fangled electronic side of the saw, and it's only when they've been ported that they are a demonstrably better bit of kit. Off the shelf, people tend to think that they are effectively the same saw... just that one has fewer bells and whistles.

 

I can get a £520 346xp delivered straight to my door in a few days time, whereas a £465 550xp won't be with me until mid-January (don't ask why). Discounting the time difference, why should I pay fifty quid more for a saw that doesn't have that fancy new computer? Why should I pay more to keep alive your memories of a favourite saw from the past?

 

(I mean that in the nicest way possible, of course, I'm genuinely curious.)

Edited November 3, 2018 by peds

[billpierce]

Okay, so here's the thing dudes.
Prompted by the thread asking if anyone is in France (where I am now, for the next three weeks), I've just been looking for prices for 550xp and 346xp online, it seems there's a whole stack of 346xp still available brand new, if anyone is so inclined. With just a bit of searching, I've found 346xp for 589 euro, 599 euro, 619 euro, that kind of thing, which works out at around 520 to 540 sterling. 550xp mostly go for around 615 sterling, with one ballsy outfit asking for 700. In Ireland (where I will be in three weeks time), a 550xp will set you back around 625 sterling.
But FR Jones (first hit, not bothered looking for any other prices, does anyone know of any cheaper off the top of their heads?) are selling 550xp for just 465 sterling.

I've been reading what a load of other bods on other forums (there are others?!) have to say about the differences between the two saws, and it seems that although both are great tools, the people who prefer the 346xp seem to do so only out of a sense of nostalgia, or if they actively don't like the new-fangled electronic side of the saw, and it's only when they've been ported that they are a demonstrably better bit of kit. Off the shelf, people tend to think that they are effectively the same saw... just that one has fewer bells and whistles.
 
I can get a £520 346xp delivered straight to my door in a few days time, whereas a £465 550xp won't be with me until mid-January (don't ask why). Discounting the time difference, why should I pay fifty quid more for a saw that doesn't have that fancy new computer? Why should I pay more to keep alive your memories of a favourite saw from the past?
 
(I mean that in the nicest way possible, of course, I'm genuinely curious.)

Cos it'll still be working in 10 years

[wyk]

2 hours ago, peds said:

Okay, so here's the thing dudes.

Prompted by the thread asking if anyone is in France (where I am now, for the next three weeks), I've just been looking for prices for 550xp and 346xp online, it seems there's a whole stack of 346xp still available brand new, if anyone is so inclined. With just a bit of searching, I've found 346xp for 589 euro, 599 euro, 619 euro, that kind of thing, which works out at around 520 to 540 sterling. 550xp mostly go for around 615 sterling, with one ballsy outfit asking for 700. In Ireland (where I will be in three weeks time), a 550xp will set you back around 625 sterling.

But FR Jones (first hit, not bothered looking for any other prices, does anyone know of any cheaper off the top of their heads?) are selling 550xp for just 465 sterling.

I've been reading what a load of other bods on other forums (there are others?!) have to say about the differences between the two saws, and it seems that although both are great tools, the people who prefer the 346xp seem to do so only out of a sense of nostalgia, or if they actively don't like the new-fangled electronic side of the saw, and it's only when they've been ported that they are a demonstrably better bit of kit. Off the shelf, people tend to think that they are effectively the same saw... just that one has fewer bells and whistles.

 

I can get a £520 346xp delivered straight to my door in a few days time, whereas a £465 550xp won't be with me until mid-January (don't ask why). Discounting the time difference, why should I pay fifty quid more for a saw that doesn't have that fancy new computer? Why should I pay more to keep alive your memories of a favourite saw from the past?

 

(I mean that in the nicest way possible, of course, I'm genuinely curious.)

After my experiences with flippy caps and MTronic,  I would pay extra to not have them. Fortunately, that doesn't have to be the case...for now. Even the 462 is supposedly coming without MTronic as an option. I never had a flippy cap or catastrophic carb failure in the field until Stihl decided I needed those things in my life. To each their own.

 

My first saw was a Husqvarna 268xp, used as a sawyer when I was working for the forestry service fighting fires in California. It never failed me even if the trees were on fire. She's holding down the floor of a friends garage back in Cali:

 

 

The saw I miss the most is probably my Mac 800 or 046. Second and third saw.

 

 

If I knew then what I know now, I woulda got my current saw, a 10mm 044, and slapped a dual port muffler on it and called it a day. I even use it on small jobs since it weighs like a 60cc saw with a light bar on it, and use skip chain for bigger jobs:

 

 

For a little saw - the 346xp is tough to beat. But I have seen the recent Echo and Shindaiwa 45 and 50cc saws for good prices, and wouldn't shy away from them. RobD has a good deal on an Echo 501SX too.

 

[Rough Hewn]

I don't like husky saws.
But the 346 is a little pitbull.
[emoji106]

[peds]

7 hours ago, billpierce said:

Cos it'll still be working in 10 years

Very useful reply, cheers.

[MattyF]

I have owned a couple of 346’s one from new and one was a cheap back up off spud....they will wear out like any saw.. for light work they are ok but lack something the 550 doesn’t.. I would go as far as saying the 346 was one of the most over rated saws produced ,didn’t like mine and sold them both feeling they where under powered and got burnt out quick and that a 357 or 560 was the better choice...the 260 was far worse I could not take that saw seriously for hard work, I remember being on site and I had two 260’s dead by the end of the job and having to ring up elm sticks with a 200t, the 261 seems to be better but the only 50cc saw I’ve ever felt was perfect was a 550... depending on your build and age though I would take a 562 if you can manage one and miss out the 50cc saws altogether.

[TIMON]

Okay, so here's the thing dudes.
Prompted by the thread asking if anyone is in France (where I am now, for the next three weeks), I've just been looking for prices for 550xp and 346xp online, it seems there's a whole stack of 346xp still available brand new, if anyone is so inclined. With just a bit of searching, I've found 346xp for 589 euro, 599 euro, 619 euro, that kind of thing, which works out at around 520 to 540 sterling. 550xp mostly go for around 615 sterling, with one ballsy outfit asking for 700. In Ireland (where I will be in three weeks time), a 550xp will set you back around 625 sterling.
But FR Jones (first hit, not bothered looking for any other prices, does anyone know of any cheaper off the top of their heads?) are selling 550xp for just 465 sterling.

I've been reading what a load of other bods on other forums (there are others?!) have to say about the differences between the two saws, and it seems that although both are great tools, the people who prefer the 346xp seem to do so only out of a sense of nostalgia, or if they actively don't like the new-fangled electronic side of the saw, and it's only when they've been ported that they are a demonstrably better bit of kit. Off the shelf, people tend to think that they are effectively the same saw... just that one has fewer bells and whistles.
 
I can get a £520 346xp delivered straight to my door in a few days time, whereas a £465 550xp won't be with me until mid-January (don't ask why). Discounting the time difference, why should I pay fifty quid more for a saw that doesn't have that fancy new computer? Why should I pay more to keep alive your memories of a favourite saw from the past?
 
(I mean that in the nicest way possible, of course, I'm genuinely curious.)

Not just nostalgia. They are reliable, bombproof and will outlast modern saws. That’s our experience of them.

[Stubby]

2 hours ago, TIMON said:

 

Not just nostalgia. They are reliable, bombproof and will outlast modern saws. That’s our experience of them.

 

I have a 2004 Spud ported 346 . Still going strong .