Husqvarna 350 - keep/service/repair old chainsaw, or buy new?

[carbs for arbs]

Hi all

 

I'm new to chainsaws and chainsawing.  In fact, I have't started yet.  But in a couple of months or so we've got someone coming to take down some roadside ash trees, and he's allowing me to play apprentice.  So I've bought all the safety gear and now need to decide about a chainsaw.  

 

I inherited a Husqvarna 350 (2007).  I've no idea when it was last used.  I've had it over 2 years and never started it, so at least that long and possibly a whole lot more.  Being new to all this, I don't want to do anything with it until I know it's safe.  So I'm hoping to find someone who can give it a quick look over  to see if it just needs a service, or if it will need more.  I guess I'm jumping the gun by asking about it as a lot will depend on it's condition.  But I wanted to get some initial ideas as to whether people would aim to get it up and running nicely, or to put the money I'd spend on that toward a new chainsaw.  Something to bear in mind is Husqvarna said some of the spares may now be obsolete; although he didn't seem certain about this.  

 

From the little I've read so far, people seem to rate it as a very decent homeowner chainsaw.  

 

If I were to replace, what new unit would be of similar quality?  

 

All and any thoughts most appreciated.

 

Cheers

[Paddy1000111]

I take it there's no fuel in it? I would buy a can of aspen, stick that in it and see if it starts/runs. If it does then ask a dealership to service it. If it doesn't then take it to the dealer and ask them to take a look but contact you before they spend any money. They will be able to tell you what the equivalent unit is and the costs then factor up the condition of the unit vs the cost of repairs and the cost of a new saw. If the saw is in really good nick and almost unused and the repair is cheap then get it fixed. 

[Andrew McEwan]

Great little saws, L+S engineers still have lots of spares for them, recommend keeping it, might need new set of fuel lines. Where are you in the country? Once you find a good local saw tech or some help I'm sure a 350 will be fine for you.

[gobbypunk]

Hi where to are you if you are near Shaftesbury Dorset you are welcome to pop in to my yard and I will happily give your saw a quick look over ,fuel it up and start it bring some Beer Tokens and we can do an hour or so cross cutting and saftey ,P M if you want to pop in .

Cheers Mark

[peatff]

Put your approximate location in your profile and someone will probably be close enough to give you some pointers like Mark has offered. If the saw runs and keeps running use it but get it started and find out before the day you need it or you will be disappointed and frustrated, nothing worse than pulling on a cord for 5 minutes getting out of breath. Flick the brake on and make sure it holds the chain, watch a couple of videos to see where they go wrong or what to avoid. You could buy a small saw like Husqvarna 120 for about £130 from a lot of suppliers and get started, get a few spare chains as well.

[carbs for arbs]

Well that's a heart warming, faith-in-humans restoring, start to the week!  Thanks so much for the replies and especially @gobbypunk for the kindest of offers.  Unfortunately I'm in South West Wales / Brecon Beacons.  Unfortunate only in so much as it isn't close by; other than that it's lovely here   Judging by your name, maybe we could have blasted out some Dead Kennedys while tinkering, but it wasn't to be!

 

Thanks for all the other advice too.  It had fuel in it when it came my way and for a while after too.  That was probably in there for quite some time.  It has been drained since though and is empty now, but I know long term fuel in storage can harm machines.  

 

OK, I'll get some Aspen (I've been umming and arring as to whether I should use that in my strimmer), check how to start the chainsaw (what position everything has to be in - I'm that much of a newbie) and then take it from there.  

 

I'll call around local shops too.  There's one nearby which I took the strimmer to when I inherited that at the same time.  They serviced it for £50 odd, only for it to start misbehaving again shortly thereafter.  I took it back in and was told it needed a new carb fitted.  Would have been handy to have known that from the start, as after the fit I'd spent over £100 and it still wasn't running great.  That's what got me to thinking about doing things the right way round with this machine.   

 

Thanks again all and have a great week.  

 

PS - location updated

  

Edited February 1, 2021 by carbs for arbs

[tree_beard]

http://service.webec.husqvarna.net/documents/HUSO/HUSO2007_EUenAPen/HUSO2007_EUenAPen__1150331-26.pdf

 

Husky 350 is a good saw, here is a link to the user manual, you should be able to work out some of the basics from there

[Paddy1000111]

By the sounds of things if it had fuel in then chances are you will need to rebuild the carb as after 2 years everything will be quite gummy/crispy. Buy a can of carb cleaner/brake degreaser and give it a go yourself if you fancy it. Use a brush to clean off around the carb, take it off and then give it a good blast out with some cleaner. There's not much in them that's complicated. Take photos as you go and learn! 

 

This video covers it pretty well:

 

The only thing I would say is leave the two white screws/adjustment screws alone as they don't need messing with really for a basic clean. Just take the top and bottom plates off, give everything a good spray out and flush and then re-assemble with new gaskets/diaphragms 

Edited February 1, 2021 by Paddy1000111

[Stubby]

1 hour ago, Paddy1000111 said:

By the sounds of things if it had fuel in then chances are you will need to rebuild the carb as after 2 years everything will be quite gummy/crispy. Buy a can of carb cleaner/brake degreaser and give it a go yourself if you fancy it. Use a brush to clean off around the carb, take it off and then give it a good blast out with some cleaner. There's not much in them that's complicated. Take photos as you go and learn! 

 

This video covers it pretty well:

 

The only thing I would say is leave the two white screws/adjustment screws alone as they don't need messing with really for a basic clean. Just take the top and bottom plates off, give everything a good spray out and flush and then re-assemble with new gaskets/diaphragms 

The above is good advise especially if you choose to run it on an Alkylate fuel . Once the petrol has taken the coating of the rubber components the Alkylate fuel will not keep them soft on its own as it is not attacking the rubber like pump fuel .

Edited February 1, 2021 by Stubby

[adw]

There is no issue with spare parts for the 350 very good semi pro saw, so well worth spending money on.