minnnt

LOL!! I have a 346 and 260 and i prefer the stihl. The 346 just doesnt impress me!

I think technique is a must for RSC.

It is highly recomended mate. I have always had oregon chains once the original husky chain worn down on my 346. Recently bought two archers chains off ebay for my 260 and they seem really good! It's similar to oregon type 22 i think. The RSC is harder to sharpen apparently, but don't know if it is because it is harder metal or not. I have never had any experience with it, just what i have read. I'm still learning like you mate.

The .325 and 3/8 chains can be more aggressive and hard wearing than a picco chain i think mate, which can be useful for cutting different types of wood and jobs etc. Picco is quite a safe chain to use, less kick back but it can dull faster in harder woods or when cutting full bar etc. If you wanted a .325 setup and you can warrant the cost then go for it. It gives you more options for chain type, stihl RSC is very good but is rock hard when sharpening. Oregon chain is more forgiving when sharpening. I'm not too sure myself mate, but i think thats about it... lol!

Good price mate with the heated handles even if they're not necessary. 260's are fetching 300+ sometimes on fleabay so 400 is a great deal imho. People are raving about the 261 on other sites from other countries, but don't forget that the 260 is a proven model but is a very old design! I love my 260, but i wouldn't mind having a 261!!

Stick with the picco mate, to change to .325 you would need a new sprocket, a new 14 and 16 inch bar, and a new 14 and 16 inch chain. Then also new files for sharpening. Expensive to not really notice any difference mate. The picco is quite a nice chain, narrower kerf so in theory it has less work to do as it's not as wide. hth

Husqvarna rate them at 13500rpm i think matey. hth. Cheers.

sounds good mate!! i had a 180 with a 14 inch picco chain on and it was ace.

Good point little tree, never occured to me! The saw is a 2006 model and the teeth seem fine on the interior cog that runs the quick tensioner feature. If the 357 works out then this would probably be up for sale anyway... or at least thats what i have told the wife...

Yeah, i thought it seemed weird when i saw it, but it's a nice feature. Could always replace with a oem side plate if i wanted, but i'm not that bothered. If the 357 works out then i will probably ebay it i reckon and get a bit of money back on it... Would like a 361 but can't justify spending 400-500 on one...

LOL!

lol, the before ones are of it at the other persons house. It runs like a dream, seems to rev faster than my 346, but is a bit heavier and don't seem as well made tbh, feels a bit plasticky compared to the husky. As for the side monted quick tensioner, no idea. It's the first saw i have had with it on. It doesn't really bother me, i actually quite like it if i'm honest, although i probably wouldn't buy one new with it on. Can't fault the saw, idles, runs and operated perfectly! Fires after 2 or 3 pulls and revs its t1ts off!!

Well i thought that, but then noticed on Husqvarna's website it said it could be both, so i thought i better hold off ordering one until i get it because knowing my luck i would order it then when it came it would be completely different! lol. The 346 is my work saw, so don't really get much choice on what i put on it. Might try and source a 13 for the 260 seeing as it is like lightning with the 16 on. thanks guys.

Cheers mate. I am hoping it is running the .325 rather than 3/8 so i can swap and chainge with the 346. Think i will go with the 18" and see how it runs then if needs be i can always get a 13" at a later date. Thanks again.

Let me know your thoughts please. Enjoy...

Searching gumtree the other day i came across a used 260c. It looked in pretty good nick, so i gave it a go. Took a 150 mile round trip to get it, but worth it non the less. It needed a new elastostart handle as it had been chewed by his dogs, and needed a new chain as there was probably only 5-10% left. The bar was fine, but replaced both with a 16 inch oregon bar and a couple of archers chains. So about £48 on top of what i paid. The saw itself was £150 which i thought was really good seeing as they're going for a bomb on eBay! So i'm in it for £200 which is still cheap compared to eBay. Gave it a bit of a clean up aswell and then went to work with it. It is lightning fast! really impressed with its' ability! It seems to be quicker than my 346, no idea because it shouldn't be but hey, i'm not complaining! Before: After:

Just bought a 357xp off the 'Bay and was thinking of putting a 13 inch bar on it. Does anyone run one with a 13 inch or should i opt for an 18? I have mainly bought it because i can't stop buying them, lol, but also to use as a firewood saw. I already have a 15" 346xp ne that i use for work, and a 16" ms260c which i use for myself. Will mainly be using the 357xp to zip small rounds of wood to bag up and sell on. Want something that will be fast when cross cutting as the wood will already be cut into logs and limbs etc. Also, anyone know where i can get a new/used recoil cover from for a 357xp cheeply other than eBay? Cheers guys.

a bit more umpff... as previously mentioned, what size wood will you be cutting? The next logical step up would be a husqvarna 357xp or a stihl ms361. The ms362 is also out now. 441 would be a hell of a step up! lol.

I also have both the 346xp and the ms260. I don't think the husky is particularly hard to maintain? Infact both saws are pretty damn easy to look after! I've recently fallen back in love with the stihl, it has been cutting like a hot knife! treated it to a new 16" bar and chain and it is really happy cutting anything. seems to rev higher than the 346xp which is strange because it shouldn't! who knows. the husky is better made and is a more aesthetically pleasing. Have you considered the 357xp or ms361? cheers.

Is this saw just to look good at college? I have a NE 346xp with a 15inch bar and it will cut most things i need it to. Why on earth would you want a 25inch bar? 20 will be ample for what you need imo. Do you do alot of snedding/logging? I know it will probably be the only saw you would ever need, but my instructor probably wouldn't have allowed me to use such a big saw when i was starting out. lol imagine turning up to do your 30/31 with a 441? The two tree's i took down for my test were about 12-13" in size, you could have done them with your eye's shut. haha. Stihls are easier to maintain than huskys supposedly though. I have used an MS180 with a 14inch bar and i loved it to bits. Mainly because it was my first saw, but it was as light as a feather and revved and cut amazingly well for 31cc's! lol. Also used an 025 and 250. Although not pro saws, they're ok for everyday use. A bit plasticy (is that even a word?) but not bad. 260's and 240's are both lovely saws too... The 260 is very much a college saw, it is a good allrounder for students to learn on. They have probably been thrashed and ill treated hence you thinking they're not much kop. If you bought a new one yourself and maintained it properly then i'm sure it would be a very good saw for you. I read alot of good things about the new 346xp's, and i have mixed reviews. Don't get me wrong, the build quality is really good, but not sure if i prefer it to a stihl tbh. It's the only husky i have used, and i can't say it takes a hell of a lot more maintenance than a stihl, and it does have a lot of power... but i don't know, they're is just something about it that i am unsure of. The 441 is very nice though. A verry modern saw, with alot of technology in it. As mentioned before, it is a saw that has been upgraded quite a few times and saws such as the 240/260's have been around for years in pretty much the same guise. I purchased an old 024AV and it is pretty much the same as the 240's now but with more metal than plastic. lol. Go with your heart, but if you are looking at a 441 then get a smaller saw too... you never know when you may need one to get your saw out that is stuck in the cut. And don't think it won't happen because it will and when you have to get it out with a bow saw you will be staright to your local stihl dealer to purchase a 180/181. lol. Are these the only two brands you have considered? I was seriously out cut with my 180 once by a makita 340. It made mine look silly! Just a thought! good luck, keep us posted.

I am also going on this course in March... I've heard you get to do quite a bit of felling, is this true?

It will go for more than £200 imo... It don't take much to make a good price. Cheers...

If i were you i would replace with an 024 p&c and then carry out a muffler mod which will increase the power slightly and help it to breathe better.

Here you go mate... 024 has a 42mm bore, 30mm stroke, 42cc, 2.85bhp 024 Super has a 42mm bore, 32mm stroke, 44.3cc, 3.1bhp 026 has a 44mm bore, 32mm stroke, 48.7cc, 3.5bhp

Look on ebay mate. Does it definately need a new p&c? The 024 Super has the same bore size as the 026, the others are smaller. So you could only put a 026 top end on a 024 Super, not on a 024/024 Woodboss. HTH