353 vs 346

[tractormatt]

I am looking to get a new chainsaw at the moment I am swaying towards the husqvarna either a 346xp or someone mentioned the 353 might be another one as it has a wider power band as I will be mainly be cutting firewood. I was looking for an 18”. I just wondered if anyone has used any of these models and could give their opinion. There is very little difference in the price going by the prices by f r jones as they seem to be the cheapest on the internet. I did think of the next ones up but that would mean having to buy the class 2 safety gear

 

Does anyone know of any good dealers in the Shropshire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire area as the ones I have come across for both stihl and husqvarna tend to sell them on the side rather than being a specialist chainsaw and arboricultural dealer.

 

Thanks

Matt

Edited December 14, 2010 by tractormatt

[Big J]

I would say that you probably want a larger saw to run an 18 inch bar. If it's just for firewooding, stick with a 15 inch. You would find either a 346 or 353 quite sluggish on 18.

[Martyn Amos]

the 346xp is awesome,with a 15" bar should be fine for firewood

i would also go for the xp,over the robust saw

try these

tfm superstore

bridgnorth

shropshire

£436.04 inc vat [346xp]

or

garden machinery direct

widemarsh st

hereford

£459.00 inc vat [346xp]

they do price match

hope this helps:thumbup:

they both have websites

[tractormatt]

Ok thanks would you reckon the 353 will last longer if it is more over engineered being in the robust category also i noticed on the husqvarna website the 353 has an eco oil pump so it does not use oil when the chain is not moving does the 346 have this as well and they have not put it on as they both use the same owners manual.

 

Would i notice much difference at lower revs as the 346 is more powerful but apparently the 353 has a wider power band, i know best practice is to run the saw either flat out or off but for cutting firewood or cutting the brush off the ends of branches i will not need ful revs all of the time

 

Thanks

Matt

[Cut4fun]

I would go for the 50cc 346xp just for the fact being how it is built compared to the 353. Look at the IPL's and you should see what I mean.

[Quickthorn]

I've got the old 346 and the 353. The 353 does have a little less power, despite a few ccs more - it's like a slightly tubby 346, a bit out of condition . What you do notice between the two is how slow the 353 is to pick up compared to the 346.

 

Having said that, my 353 seems pretty tough. I inherited it, and it looked like it had spent a year on the bottom of a canal - totally abused, never even cleaned - yet it's still going. I tend to pick it up when speed's not the issue, but the cutting's likely to be rough - dirty wood, hedgelaying, that sort of thing.

 

For firewood cutting, I'd pick my 346, and the newer 346 would be even more of a saw. If I had to buy one out of the two, it would be the 346, because the price difference isn't that great considering the extra performance.

[Martyn Amos]

Ok thanks would you reckon the 353 will last longer if it is more over engineered being in the robust category also i noticed on the husqvarna website the 353 has an eco oil pump so it does not use oil when the chain is not moving does the 346 have this as well and they have not put it on as they both use the same owners manual.

 

Would i notice much difference at lower revs as the 346 is more powerful but apparently the 353 has a wider power band, i know best practice is to run the saw either flat out or off but for cutting firewood or cutting the brush off the ends of branches i will not need ful revs all of the time

 

Thanks

Matt

 

the xp is the better build quality,its for pro users and would withstand more abuse

as you can see by the responses to your thread,gotta be the 346xp:thumbup1:

[Petemate390xp]

346xp is the saw to have..

[Magnus]

For occasional felling and mainly firewood the 353 is the better.

It will hold rev better under load and will not run as hot.

359 you should have a look at. Even better for firewood and often better price.

[minnnt]

Hi there Matt. In all seriousness, i wouldn't buy either for what you primarily intend to be using it for. I would pay a bit more and get the 357xp. I use the N.E. 346xp all day at work, and for pruning, brush clearing and limbing it is the best saw you could ever wish for, beautifully balanced with a 15 inch bar and it is zippy as hell when snedding up. But for firewood, it isn't the saw for me. The 357 is alot more saw. The extra 6cc's makes a massive difference. It is a bit heavier than the 346 granted, but imo it is definately worth it. How big will your wood be? I wouldn't want an 18inch bar and chain on my 346, the 15 is enough for it when burried in hardwood. The 353 is basically a de-tuned 346xp hence the reason why they use the same manual. 359 is the detuned version of the 357xp.

 

Also, just out of curiousity, why would you need class two safety gear for the 'next ones up?' A 346 would cut your leg off just as fast as a 357. The 346 will rev to 14,100rpm's and the 357 to 14,000 so either will make a mess!

 

The XP Husqvarna saws are professional grade saws and i would always opt for one of these over the 'robust saw' range. Not saying the others won't do what you need, but the xp ones will do it just that little bit better. The XP saws should be lighter, more powerful and be made using higher grade materials.

 

Hope that gives you a bit of help.

 

Cheers, David.