Noob Needs A Chainsaw.

[Old WoodChip]

Spoke to the missus.

It looks like we're getting a 346XP with an 18" bar and a Hushy safety kit.

 

It's a lot more money than I planned on spending but it should last for donkey years.

 

there is one here, http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HUSQVARNA-CHAINSAW-346XP-PROFESSIONAL-/260984022739?pt=UK_Home_Garden_GardenPowerTools_CA&hash=item3cc3dc26d3#ht_930wt_1185 the bar size will cut all you want and the money you save will buy your safety kit:thumbup1:

job done:thumbup:

 

some times the more you look into it, you cant see the wood for the trees

 

just do it

[MartinF]

I do need to get my finger out and buy a saw but I'mstill unsure on which one to get.

 

My friendly neighbourhood tree surgeon dropped another load of wood off this morning.

I've got the stuff everywhere now.

 

Thanks for the link.

Rational or irrational that it may be, I am reluctant to buy a secondhand saw.

Not knowing it's history and whether it's been thrashed and abused means that if it went boom I would be screwed and Ebay is mainly sold as seen.

[Ty Unnos]

Hi Martin

 

I was in exactly the same position last year.

 

Following the advice on here I bought a new 346XP with 15" bar from a local dealer - F.R.Jones were cheaper by about £30 but I wanted to support a local guy and get local support.

 

I have run it on Aspen from new and use Veg Oil in the bar.

 

Yes it was expensive but I have no regrets. The saw rocks! It has never let me down and other than the normal maintenance I have had not had a single problem.

 

My advice would be get the safety gear - get the 346xp and get cutting!

Edited March 22, 2012 by Ty Unnos

[MartinF]

Thanks Ty.

 

As I mentioned earlier I could get a 346XP or a 550XP for £25 more and I'm torn which to get.

I'm a bit reserved about the 550 incase it has the same problems as the 560 and the 346 is the older model. My head is spinning on this one.

[MartinF]

I take it the 346 doesn't have all this fancy electronic trickery that the 550/560 have?

[MartinF]

I've asked some dumb questions so I thought I may aswell ask another.

 

Bar Lengths.

 

What would you use the different bar lengths for?

 

If I was to get a saw with, say, a 15" bar what thickness would that allow me to cut?

 

Why shouldn't you just get a long bar and use it for most job?

 

Does the bar length affect the saw's performance or anything else I can't think of?

 

The complete noob thanks you.

[spudulike]

I've asked some dumb questions so I thought I may aswell ask another.

 

Bar Lengths.

 

What would you use the different bar lengths for?

 

If I was to get a saw with, say, a 15" bar what thickness would that allow me to cut?

 

Why shouldn't you just get a long bar and use it for most job?

 

Does the bar length affect the saw's performance or anything else I can't think of?

 

The complete noob thanks you.

 

Listen to what the guys are saying, the 346XP is balanced and has good speed in the cut with a 15" 0.325 1.5mm bar with full chisel chain:thumbup:

 

The longer bar will make the saw front heavy, the saw will handle it but you will lose a little power pulling the longer bar - in the cut on large wood, the saw will be slower and won't pull as well and will be less "nice" to use.

 

A 15" bar will cut 12" dia timber fine and will do larger diameter by cutting from both sides or rolling the timber over.

 

My personal choice is 15" as above - you can always purchase a larger bar later - if really set on a longer bar, the 17" may be better than the 18"!

 

The 346Xp is a really impressive saw.

[agg221]

Most people on here won't buy secondhand, with good reason, but my thinking goes like this:

 

The saw has a warranty period, say a year. If you are running it in the course of your daily work you'll probably notch up a few hours a day, say 15hrs a week on average (very much depends on what you're doing with it and how much you swap between saws). This equates to 60hrs a month, so for argument's sake 600hrs a year. If there are any early part failures, you'll know about them and can get it repaired under warranty.

 

You're talking about cutting up firewood, say 4 loads a year, actual saw running time maybe 2hrs a load? This gives a total running time of 8hrs a year, which isn't enough to even run it in!

 

My 066M was professionally repaired (new crankshaft) by a local dealer. They got the main bearing seal wrong, which isn't very visible but caused an air leak inside 15hrs running. Trouble is, that equated to milling two trees and then I didn't do any for a couple of years due to moving house, so when I started it up it died, needing a new barrel and piston (genuine parts ~£280, pattern parts ~£60) and I had no comeback to the original repairer (Spudulike diagnosed and fixed it for me).

 

Even if you play around with the above figures a bit to suit your circumstances, the odds are that you won't find a fault inside the warranty period.

 

Generally speaking, a saw which starts and idles well, hot and cold, is very unlikely to give you a problem, even with milling which is much much harder on them than what you're talking about. If it's been gone over by someone with a good reputation, who is happy to ensure that it is 'right' when they hand it over and will remedy it if not, you don't have much at risk.

 

Regarding bars, longer bars sap power. You don't notice so much on a really big saw but the smaller ones really suffer. Don't forget, with a 15" bar you can still cut through something just over 2ft (allow for the spikes).

 

Alec

[Chris Sheppard]

For the extra £25, the 550 is, IMO, leagues ahead of the 346. My 550 is a 2011 one and has been great so far, working in timber I'd usually be taking a 60cc saw into. It really does rip and holds power when buried hard into a stick.

 

Only thing I can think of worth mentioning is that warm starting is a totally different routine to starting a "normal" husky but as saws are a new thing to you, it shouldn't be a problem:thumbup1:

 

I would say, however, that you might find it a bit lively for your first saw.

[spudulike]

[quote

I would say, however, that you might find it a bit lively for your first saw.

 

Thats a bit of an understatement:lol: