HUSQVARNA or Stihl chainsaw poll

what ones better? in your (a loggers) opinion?
HUSQVARNA
STIHL

I am not a logger, but I bought a Stihl 056 used in 1982, and it still (no pun intended) runs great.

when I started logging 40 years ago with line skidders the fallers had Husky's (they were lighter but more finicky)
and the landing buckers had Stihls ( they were heavier but tougher).

Doug

I have ran both a lot over the years landing bucking and falling . If you look after your saws they'll run good when you go to use them next time . The only thing I don't like about Stihl is the fuel tank is a little smaller , no big deal but 5 minutes here and there adds up by the end of the day . All in all both great saw's

I believe Stihl and Johnsrude are still identical except for the outer cases and handles. I like Johnsrude best as the ergonomics fit me better. I think it boils down to what feels good in your hands and dealer support. I will mention that if you have an older saw and get the opportunity to use a new one for 5 minutes you will probably park the old one. The old one will vibrate so bad in your hands compared to the new ones you will wonder how you ever used it.

I think Jonsered and Husky were both owned by Electrolux at one time. Stihl is wasn't associated with either.

dist3 said:

I think Jonsered and Husky were both owned by Electrolux at one time. Stihl is wasn't associated with either.

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Dist3; you're correct the lower $ home owner husgvarna is made by Electrolux along with all the cheapo box store saw's. Stihl makes all their own, they have lower $ home owner saws but they're still a quality build, unlike their competitors. I have run my stihl next to Husqvarna equal in size/power and just feel it is a better machine. In the end no matter what saw one gets, it needs to be dependable, good dealer, and have longevity. I will say I never need my dealer unless it's time for another saw or I do something stupid.

Always owned Stihl saws as well as other trimmers, pole saws, blowers myself. Local dealer used to carry homelite, Jonsered, Husqvarana, as well as Stihl. Believe they only carry Stihl now due to other brands going into box stores. Saws are all over 20 years old and still reliable as day purchased.

Couldn't vote.....I run Stihl, Husky & J-red saws.

Just like any other products, each saw company has good ones and models to avoid.

Ed

I "Stihl" only own "STIHL" ….. have about 20 of there products Stihl ….. LOL ….

From the oldest being an 050AV, 051AV, 088AV, 045AV Super, 056AV Magnum, (2)031AV Quik-stops, 038 Super, 038 Magnum, (2) 066 Magnums, 020AV Super, 015, MS230, SH55, BGE61, FS120 (with weed eater head and brush cutting blades), KM90R (with pole saw +extension, weed-eater head, power paddle broom) and also an 18" Electric Chain Saw ………….

All of the above "STIHL" running Great …… the 050 & 051's if they could only tell stories !!! ….. I've cut Thousands of board feet of lumber (Alaskan Mill attachment & Alaskan Mini-mill), I built a Double ended 60" Bar and put both power Heads on the same bar of the Milling Attachment, (I later acquired the 088 Magnum and put it onto the same Bar using the Helper Handle on the other end) ….. Cut Hundreds of Cords of Fire wood with them, we cut Thousands of ton's of Ice Blocks out of the Lake with the 050 & 051's (over 20 yrs when the Lake, at times the ice was 39" thick and had a 42" bar) because of the power head design they were the only saws that would take the sometimes sudden Rush of Freezing cold water with out mucking up the Air-filter system or drowning them thru the intake, we put the blocks up into an ice house packing them in damp Saw dust over the Summer selling them to the Tourists to keep the Beer cold in their coolers at the Fishing Resort we owned …These 2 power Heads have NEVER been rebuilt either !!! …… used to build Log Homes back in the '70s & early '80s with the 031's, 045 &56's, and then the 038's ….

STIHL sells more Chain Saws World Wide than the other top "5" brands combined !!! ……… cheers

Bumpsteer said:

Couldn't vote.....I run Stihl, Husky & J-red saws.

Just like any other products, each saw company has good ones and models to avoid.

Ed

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Agree with Bumpsteer! Beside there is always feelings involved just like buying a car. Ive run Chainsaws since early sixties and my first Husky was bought in 1966 because of good ergonomics,a 65 still running. My favorite saw is a 380CD from 1975 used every year since,only changed piston ring once.Sadly it was stolen in my garage the other night!
I think Huskys ergonomics always score a bit better to other saws but then we all are different.....most proffesional saws today are good.

Ive run both STIHL and HUSQVARNA. I own ONLY Stihl. Why? Because I have a dedicated Stihl dealer 1 mile away from the farm. My Brother-in-law owns ONLY Husqvarna. Why? Because he has a dealer only 5 mile away from his place. See the pattern? Lets face it, this is the same question as whats better, a Chevy truck or a Ford truck. Basically everyone is going to reply with what they have in hand, or what Dad always had, or whatever is the easiest to obtain in your area... It was a good question though and I am surprised at the numbers above show that show Stihl 2 to 1 above Husky. I would have expected 1 to 1.

I've owned several saws over the years, Pioneer, McCulloch, Remington, a Sachs-Dolmar KMS 4 -- probably the single most powerful and least vibration saw that I personally owned. The Sachs with the Wankel engine was a pure joy to operate. Ate any kind of wood without slowing down a bit and was by far the easiest on my hands. It did love it's fuel though, I ran a Pioneer at the same time and it would keep me in the woods for about a half hour longer than the Sachs. In the mid-seventies a friend of mine and I sold and serviced the Sachs Wankel KMS 4 and we must have marketed about a hundred of them altogether. They were about half the price of comparable saws and held up very well. At the time, Sachs was the largest seller of chain saws in the world.

I don't have the saw anymore. My brother "borrowed" it and that was the end of it. I see now that they are a collectors item.

I own two Husky's, a little 036 and and 055 if I remember the models correctly. The 055 is technically an arborists saw, but I had the dealer put a 24" bar on it as new. My dad gifted me with a couple of Homelite's that he had used while logging and they were miserable beasts, with no compression release, so were hard starting with lots of vibration. It is no wonder that he had both wrists operated on later in life. My brother had a Pioneer which he used for wood cutting until it managed to destroy itself one day. I couldn't say with any authority which is better, but both are good depending on the model.

I've been a logger,and a landclearer, and still spend about 30% of my time clearing woods, but about 50% pf my time building and repairing roads for timber companies, so I work beside most loggers around here. I don't think I've ever seen a Stihl in the woods, everybody around here that makes a living with saws uses huskys. I think it's mostly because the nearest Stihl dealer I know of is about 55 miles away in the city of Myrtle Beach, while there are 4 Husky dealers within 25 miles of here. Why, I can't begin guessing.

My favorite Husky was the 372, but if one of your idiot truckdrivers sets it on the drives of a CH Mack after he trims his load, then drives off, they aren't much good. I replaced it with a 576xp which is pretty good, too. I liked Homelite saws when I could get parts, just because they were not finicky at all.

I imagine the Husky is a good saw, but I'll never know. My Stihl's have been so reliable I'm scared to try anything else. When something treats me good I stick with that manufacturer.

Same as Ford vs Chevy. I've had both, liked both. They are both great saw makers. I went with my Husky based on comfort and the fact it was a little lighter. Does kinda scare me how much plastic is on it but the Stihls are covered in plastic now a days too. Comes down to personal preference.

I find the Stihl has more power, and is more solid than the husky.

I have never had to pack out due to a broken mount with a Stihl. I have seen many a Huskys day ended from it though.

I have had the saw repair contract for WFP Jeune Landing for 28 years. W used Husky's for 25 of those years and now switched over to Stihl's. They both have there good and bad points. Husky's are easy one the guys that have problems with vibration. They seem to require more repairs than the Sthils, and have a little less power. But are much easer to work on. The stihls are hard on handle bars, bar studs and that stupid rubber manifold that you have take the head off to fix. But the Huskys throttle cables are a real pain and so are there chain brakes .So I would say no matter which one you use if you like it use it,they are both good saws. I might add that we use both makes of cut off saws and the Husky whips the Stihl on ease of working on. The stihl is put together like rubrics cube a real pain to take apart and put back together., lol