What 50cc + chainsaw ?

[andybk]

just drove over my old Husqvarna 51 rancher chainsaw , ripped the chain brake cover off (new cover on way ) about time i got another for general farm work for bit bigger stuff dropping the odd ash tree etc (2ft+ diameter) , i have another 40cc tenaka lovely light saw for snedding fencing etc always starts but bit small for felling,
what saw to get to replace the husky now ? is it worth getting the xp spec for occasional work , local lad sells a lot of makita saws german made by dolmar i think ,always trying to sell me one , thanks

 

[Jones24]

Have a small makita for light work and a husky 550xp for the rest.. would say the 550 is as good as any as a all-rounder in my opinion

 

[C.J]

Husqvarna 455 or 60cc Makita

 

[ploughman1963]

XP is definitely worth the extra

 

[lloyd]

Stihl 460/1 lovely saws.

 

[Y Fan Wen]

We have an Echo 70cc on our mill. Seems very well made and still with a carb I think.

 

[brigadoon]

just drove over my old Husqvarna 51 rancher chainsaw , ripped the chain brake cover off (new cover on way ) about time i got another for general farm work for bit bigger stuff dropping the odd ash tree etc (2ft+ diameter) , i have another 40cc tenaka lovely light saw for snedding fencing etc always starts but bit small for felling,
what saw to get to replace the husky now ? is it worth getting the xp spec for occasional work , local lad sells a lot of makita saws german made by dolmar i think ,always trying to sell me one , thanks

Echo - comes with extended warranty but by all accounts seldom needed - we have a 60cc but cannot remember the model number

modern Husqvarnas fall apart if you look at them sideways

 

[David.]

Well if the Makita is like the old Sachs Dolmar that I have, it will be a weapon.

 

[Lincs Lass]

Husky 455 ,run it on a 325-050-72 ,

 

[Lincs Lass]

Well if the Makita is like the old Sachs Dolmar that I have, it will be a weapon.

Trouble is ,Makita have stopped production of small engines

 

[Lincs Lass]

modern Husqvarnas fall apart if you look at them sideways

Nothing wrong with them .

 

[Kevtherev]

Have an echo cs-680 great saw low revving real slogger but heavy to use all day.

 

[brigadoon]

Nothing wrong with them .

I ran a 254 for 10 years

a 357 for 10 years

had a 346 which disintegrated in a year - repaired under warranty and died after another 5 years

Had a 560 which fell to bits after a year and persisted in falling to bits every month until it finally chipped a piston

Its replacement also died just out of warranty

So our opinions differ - I had good experiences for many years - and consistently bad experiences for the last 5 or so. In my view they are nowhere near as robust as they used to be

still running a 550 and a 572 but do not expect either to last long

 

[Lincs Lass]

I ran a 254 for 10 years

a 357 for 10 years

had a 346 which disintegrated in a year - repaired under warranty and died after another 5 years

Had a 560 which fell to bits after a year and persisted in falling to bits every month until it finally chipped a piston

Its replacement also died just out of warranty

So our opinions differ - I had good experiences for many years - and consistently bad experiences for the last 5 or so. In my view they are nowhere near as robust as they used to be

still running a 550 and a 572 but do not expect either to last long

Ye well ,admittedly the 560 was a bag of spanners . I had one for all of 6 months ,lost its memory twice ,crank seals failed ,,It went back and replaced with a 365 ,that is bomb proof .
Husqvarna sadly let them selves down with the auto tune range ,,the old style carb engines will run forever

 

[neilo]

I bought a Hyundai a while back, after a thread on here, and difficult to fault it for the money. 62cc, 20" bar, 3 year warranty and only £133.

Hyundai | 20" 62cc Petrol Chainsaw | 2-Stroke Easy-Start

Fitted with Hyundai’s own professionally engineered 20 inch bar & chain, is a powerful chainsaw capable of handling tough gardening tasks | HYC6200X

hyundaipowerequipment.co.uk

 

[suffolksmallholder]

Another fan of Echo. I'd suggest this;

Echo CS-501SX or a Stihl 362.​

I have had a 50cc Echo but it was stolen so it was replaced with an older Stihl 361 but spares are becoming expensive and hard to find now.
SS

 

[Y Fan Wen]

Looking at the prices of 50cc saws does make me realise what a bargain my 80 pound Parkside was from Lidl in October last year. Because of larch disease it has worked as hard as any saw can not owned by a pro forester. It is on its 2nd bar and 3rd chain and the only problem has been the exhaust coming loose, fixed by extra lock nuts. It is quite common for it to be working through the day logging up felled trees literally from dawn to dusk and petrol and chain oil supplies are constantly running low. I think I've used more in the last 12 months than in my previous 20 years of saw ownership.

 

[L P]

No great fan of the husky, have a 55cc one under the bench and it's barely been used in 15 years. I'm not keen on having to cut flat chat all the time, without all the revs they can give they are a slug. MS361 is a much easier saw to live with and pulls a 30" bar if it needs to, very nose heavy with it though... 22" is well balanced

 

[Tomr10]

Definitely get an xp of your getting one. However did go sthil on latest and it is a monster

 

[fermerboy]

I've an old Husky 61, it's been a tremendous saw for farm work here, sits for months and always starts and it goes well. Dealer has offered me good money for it more than once (far more than I paid) but he's needing a fortune for a newer one!!

From reading this I'd be as well sticking with the old girl a while yet it seems.