Poulan, McCulloch? I almost wish you hadn't told me that. I went out side and cranked my saw, only three pulls; I feel a little better now.

__________________
Remember, Safety Third!
'99 E300 Turbodiesel, '82 300TD, 1996 12V Cummins Turbo, '94 Neoplan - Detroit 6V92TA

Wow, you guys are some Stihl lovin' rascals!

Thanks for the input on that. I considered Stihl very seriously because of their reputation in the market. The direct competitor for the Husq 390 is the Stihl MS660. Based on what I'm reading on many of the professional arborist sites is that compared to the Husky, the Stihl-

Has more torque due to a longer stroke.
Is not as well balanced.
"Feels" heavier.
Has inferior casting finish quality in the cylinder. (Husky cylinder is made by Mahle)
Costs about $200 more.
Cuts slightly faster under full load.
Has more vibration transmitted to the user.

Based on these things, I'm leaning towards the 390XP or the 395XP. Probably more so the 390 because the difference on paper in specs is much less than the price differential between them.

I'm also a big fan of Husky equipment and have several other pieces of gear that I've been very happy with.

__________________
-Evan


Benz Fleet:
1968 UNIMOG 404.114
1998 E300
2008 E63


Non-Benz Fleet:
1992 Aerostar
1993 MR2
2000 F250

I purchased a new stihl chainsaw last year to replace an old Husky and have no regrets.

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'86 300E 5 speed
'71 Triumph TR6
'46 Cushman Scooter
'41 Ford 9N tractor

I'm a Stihl fan as well, so as a result I'm not personally familiar with the Husky's. In the big, commercial grade saws though Huskys have a great reputation. In the smaller saws, and all sorts of equipment, they are usually residential grade, so you need to do your research and know what you're getting.

Same goes for Stihl. They have lots of residential grade items these days, but their website is very good and easy to learn exactly what you're getting. With a weedeater, don't buy a Stihl residential grade unless it will see very light use.

Something else about the Stihl line I have come to really like, is what they call EZStart or something like that. Somehow it stores energy in a spring or something and after you've started it for the day, thereafter, you give the very slightest tiny little tug and it's running. This is not so important on a weed eater because you usually start it and run it until you're finished. With a small chainsaw used for limbing, however, this is the handiest thing I've ever seen on a chain saw. You can kill it, set it down to drag limbs or climb higher in the tree, or whatever, and start it with almost no effort and in any position you can imagine.

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2001 SLK 320 six speed manual
2014 Porsche Cayenne six speed manual

Annoy a Liberal, Read the Constitution

Stihl is known worldwide as the best. They are also the oldest. The chainsaw was invented by Andreas Stihl back in the day.

- Peter.

__________________
2021 Chevrolet Spark
Formerly...
2000 GMC Sonoma
1981 240D 4spd stick. 347000 miles. Deceased Feb 14 2021
2002 Kia Rio. Worst crap on four wheels
1981 240D 4spd stick. 389000 miles.
1984 123 200
1979 116 280S
1972 Cadillac Sedan DeVille
1971 108 280S

Like many others here, I've got a Stihl which I abuse regularly, don't take care of as well as I should and it keeps on ticking.

But my truckdriver, who is also a logger/firewooder(?), runs Husky's and said many of the things you pulled from the arborist site. Albeit with a French Canadian accent.

__________________

1980 300TD-China Blue/Blue MBTex-2nd Owner, 107K (Alt Blau) OBK #15
'06 Chevy Tahoe Z71 (for the wife & 4 kids, current mule) '03 Honda Odyssey (son #1's ride, reluctantly) '99 GMC Suburban (255K+ miles, semi-retired mule) 21' SeaRay Seville (summer escape pod)

Stihl.

The Germans know how to build ****.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

I've owned some of the brands that have received low marks in this thread.

Their entry-level, infrequent-use models have served me well for light work - cutting a small load that fills the back of one of those tiny Tacoma trucks.

My "big hoss" Stihl is the all around champ for more serious day in-day out work.

__________________
'91 300-SEL

Stihl, but I love Echo in the light weight division.

So, what I gather from this thread is:

Pretty much any chain saw will be better than nothing.

How hard you expect it to work and long you expect it to operate will dictate how much you need to spend on the 'beefy' model, or how often you may need to pay to replace the others...

My Stihl went tits up, replacement parts were more than the cost of a new saw...

Bought a Husky after researching replacement part costs.

Both good saws, but Stihl are throw away saws now.

__________________
On some nights I still believe that a car with the fuel gauge on empty can run about fifty more miles if you have the right music very loud on the radio. - HST

1983 300SD - 305000
1984 Toyota Landcruiser - 190000
1994 GMC Jimmy - 203000

https://media.giphy.com/media/X3nnss8PAj5aU/giphy.gif

Yes, ANY chainsaw that runs is DEFINITELY better than my wifes Dad's old cross cut saw that I have hanging in my shop as a conversation piece. Makes my back hurt to just look at it.

__________________
2001 SLK 320 six speed manual
2014 Porsche Cayenne six speed manual

Annoy a Liberal, Read the Constitution

So here's where I'm at with this:

I'm going to see the dealer tomorrow and do a side-by-side comparison between the two (Stihl MS660 and Husq 390XP) and see if I can run them through a couple logs to get the feel.

I'll buy one or the other regardless and share the results.

Thanks for the input.

__________________
-Evan


Benz Fleet:
1968 UNIMOG 404.114
1998 E300
2008 E63


Non-Benz Fleet:
1992 Aerostar
1993 MR2
2000 F250

It has to be orange, and not a Poulan.

ie: Stihl, Husqy, Echo, etc.

__________________
Remember, Safety Third!
'99 E300 Turbodiesel, '82 300TD, 1996 12V Cummins Turbo, '94 Neoplan - Detroit 6V92TA

Pure opinion. May as well argue PC vs Mac.

Not entirely true. First patent holder for a hand held saw, but certainly not the inventor of the chain saw.

History of Chainsaws or Chain Saws

__________________
On some nights I still believe that a car with the fuel gauge on empty can run about fifty more miles if you have the right music very loud on the radio. - HST

1983 300SD - 305000
1984 Toyota Landcruiser - 190000
1994 GMC Jimmy - 203000

https://media.giphy.com/media/X3nnss8PAj5aU/giphy.gif