Believe it... It's true
Written: Feb 28 '02 (Updated Mar 01 '02)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Lightweight, fast, easy starts, smooth cutting
Cons: None
The Bottom Line: For the homeowner, you can't go wrong with this saw. It's worth your time to invest in good quality.
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| coast's Full Review: Husqvarna 350 |
All of the previous reviews were accurate. One mentioned fumes or exhaust being a problem - never noticed it. Anyway...
When a huge Hickory (directly behind my house) needed to be dropped in pieces, I had a professional drop it. Once on the ground, he left the bulk of the cutting up to me. I pulled my old Homelite (16") out a few days later and went to work. After 2 1/2 hours of cutting and 3 1/2 hours of working on the saw (sharpening, loose chain, etc.), the saw and I both gave up. The chain saw locked up and I was completely frustrated. On top of that, I was not even half way through the job. I had also promised to finish up a neighbor's tree.
At this point, it was time to buy a better chain saw. I asked friends for opinions. They all agreed on one thing: buy a brand of good quality - pay the extra money - it's worth it. They all recommended either Stihl or Husqvarna. I struggled with the fact that I really use a chain saw maybe once or twice a year, so it was difficult to justify spending much money on this. I was looking at the Huskie 55 or the Stihl 026, but after reading the reviews, the Huskie 350 sounded like what I needed. I decided to give it a try.
The Huskie 350 weighs in at 10.6 lbs with a 49.4cc/3.1hp engine at 12,500 rpm. An 18 to 20" bar is recommended. You might compare this to the Huskie 55 (now discontinued) or 55R which comes in at 11.4 lbs and 53.2cc/3.3 hp engine. One of my friends said afterwards that, "You could have bought a bigger chain saw for a little more money." But I said, "Yeah, and for a little more money, I could have bought an even bigger saw." I'm confident that I bought just the right model for me. By the way, I found a site, http://www.southwestfastener.com/productsHusqChainsaw.htm, that had prices $20.00 to $50.00 cheaper than all of the dealers in my local area, who all had the same price. Southwest also offered free shipping in the continental U.S. I would have bought from that site if I did not have a neighbor waiting. I HAVE NOT DEALT WITH THEM BEFORE, SO TAKE THAT FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH. At the time, the 350 went for about $273 at southwest versus the $299 that I paid.
Even after purchasing the saw, I was still wondering if I had done the right thing. Ten seconds after laying the bar into the first piece of wood, I knew that I had. This is a smooth cutting saw with low vibrations and easy starts. If you've never worn eye protection when cutting wood before, I suggest that you do so with this chain saw; It goes through the wood quickly and you can expect to have saw dust flying all over.
I agree with one other review which warned of becoming too comfortable with the saw. It cuts so smooth with low vibration that you might easily forget that it's a dangerous tool that you're using. DON'T LET IT FOOL YOU. IT IS A POWERFUL SAW FOR THE HOMEOWNER. SO BE CAREFUL WITH IT. It is, of course, equipped with a chain brake, but dangerous nonetheless.
I would suggest that you mix only a gallon of gasoline with this saw. I was used to going through wood at a much slower rate, thus using more gasoline than necessary.
So what happened with the Hickory. I finished it up in less than 15 minutes with the 350. The neighbor's tree was nothing. I was almost disappointed that I finished it all up so fast. I wanted something else to cut. I did all of this with one tank of gas.
If you're the occasional cutter, this saw is what you're looking for. Pay the extra money. It's more than worth it!!
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
coast
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Location: Fredericksburg, VA
Reviews written: 1
Trusted by: 1 member
About Me:
Father of two boys. I'm a DBA/programmer and lovin' it!!
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