I've done my homework but can't decide which chainsaw - a Husqvarna 350 or an Olea Mac 947. Both are about the same weight, both have 18" bars, but the Huskie is bigger by 4 to 5cc. The Huskie is $100 (Aussie fun tickets) more expensive but does come with a case. Which one to buy!
I haven't bought a chainsaw in years, but I've always been a fan of Stihl. Over the years, their quality in chainsaws, weedeaters & such has been good & their parts have been available. Like all the others now, they clutter up new saws with so many safety devices that they're tough to use, but I think they still have pretty good quality control.
My money is on the Huskie. Their spares back-up and worldwide reputation is second to none. Too often in the past I have gone the cheaper route and lived to regret it. Now I only buy top quality, even if I have to dig deeper, and I live a far less stressful life.
If you do some homework you'll discover that quite a few of the different brands of smaller chainsaw--those not generally considered industrial or professional in usage--are produced by the same manufacturer. The quality range is different in this group from the professional saws, so it is difficult if not impossible to draw correlations w/r/t quality and durability between, say, Stihl's professional saws and those bearing their name for the home user market.
My advice is to ask the multibrand dealer which saws have the lowest return/repair rate and buy that one.
I have never seen the Oleo-Mac 947 Petrol Chain-saw in the USA. However, the Husqvarna 350 is very popular here. Of course we don't have many gum trees (Eucalyptus) here either except the ones we originally started from those in the land of Aus. Actually after numerous droughts, many areas, especially in California (the land of fire and rain, mud slides and earth quakes, intolerance and diversity, redwood trees and death valley, fruits and nuts, drought and wine, Hollywood and Disneyland, the terminator and the governator), started planting Eucalyptus trees because they are extremely drought resistant.
Can't comment on Olea. Here in Canada, it's Stihl or Husqvarna in the bush. Everything else is a child's toy IMO. It depends what your going to do with it and how much you will be using it. If you're just cutting firewood a few times a year then you could probably save some money and go with a little smaller engine. If you're using it for bigger tasks or using it everyday, then I would say minimum 50cc engines. The Husky 350 will take a 13 inch to
20 inch bar. Remember that the longer the bar, the more horsepower you need to move the chain around it. So only go with the longest bar you need. Try to get your dealer to throw in a face shield/ear protection helmet. There are no short cuts to safety, especially with a chainsaw. "Keep your stick on the ice" Tony Ontario Canada
Stephen Henning wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@news.isp.giganews.com:
Actually, they were brought in over 100 years ago, with the thought that the fast growing wood could be used for railroad ties. Too bad they brought the blue gum variety. Totally unsuitable for that purpose.
Patriarch, who has tried to split a euc log or three, without much joy...
First it was planted in the gold mining regions by Australian miners. They thought it could compensate for California's lack of hardwood trees. The several varieties of blue gums were the cheapest to produce in the nurseries. When the Central Pacific Railroad got into the act in
1877, they bought these blue gum seedlings and the story continues from there. They never developed into the high grade lumber trees of the virgin forests of Australia.
The ones I am more familiar with are the ones around Oakland and the Bay Area that were brought in more recently in the early 1900's after droughts killed many other ornamental trees.
There were also some in Alabama and Mississippi that were brought in many years ago for medicinal purposes. I have seed pods from some of them.
The Hinchliffes wrote in news:423809e4$0$45728$ snipped-for-privacy@ken-reader.news.telstra.net:
I can't speak for the Husky 350 but I have a 372XP and love it. It will pull up to a 32" bar easily. The 350 ought to handle a 20" with ease. There is a reason pro loggers use Husky saws. They are one toguh, reliable saw.
The husky's are a great brand and work wonderfully. I don't do much with the saws but I know the weedwackers are excellent. I have been told by some people that the chainsaw is the best.
I can't tell you which brand but if I were buying again I would get a 20" instead. Bought a Sears 18" because the 20 seemed too heavy. The 18 works great but I would like the extra length to allow the shavings to drop out before going into the saw. Also, the weight would be good cutting large wood.
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