Need the cash though, otherwise I wouldn't. I bought it to flip it anyway and put the RedBear treatment to it.
Ordered a Husqvarna 455 Rancher yesterday. It's not the best saw out there, but I've had a great experience with one in the past that I borrowed from my in-laws for several years. So I decided to buy one of my own lol
I have the husqvarna 450 (8 years) and the hisqvarna arborist chainsaw (3 years) and I love them both. I use them every week
I noticed a really strange trend in the reviews. I have a smaller Husqy 240 that was given to me when I bought a tractor a few years ago. It worked fine for a while and then out of nowhere, I couldn't keep the damn thing running. Then it progressed to never wanting to start and if did get it to start it would run like ****. I always used good fuel in it, cleaned everything out and kept it in generally good shape. Even after adjusting the carb, I'd get a good idle but a boggy top end or a good top end with no idle. It's an extremely frustrating tool to use and I never had those issues with the in-laws 455 Rancher and it was abused pretty good. Well with the reviews, I noticed TONS of people complaining of the exact same issues. Hard to start, bogging down under full throttle, wouldn't idle. I noticed all of these same complaints from the smallest gas saw they offer allllll the way up to the 450 Rancher and starting with the 455 they seemed to drop off. The 455 and 460 seem to be indestructible with little complaints. I even read one article that was directly comparing the 450R to the 455R. In the end, the Cons on the 455 were the weight, the fuel usage, and the higher price (all things I don't care about as long as the thing runs). Where the only Con on the 450 was....."Sometimes doesn't want to start". I'm just wondering if Husqvarna dropped the ball on the smaller engine sizes or just engineered them to be more delicate.
Years ago (possibly before some here were born ) I sold both Stihl and Husky saws. Stihl always made a better smaller saw and they were well and truly on par when you got into the bigger models. There is a line in both model lineups where (in my view) the quality, design and intent change. For Stihl that line was (and I think still is) a bit lower in the line up than Husky. In essence, if the saw is thought of as something for the "casual user" it will have more issues.
I've never ran anything by husky that wasn't at the very least, temperamental. Hard starting, need to be ran wide open to maintain any power, and the damn things always seem to leak fluid, even from day one. I know many people swear by them, but I've never been impressed. That said I have zero experience with the 455 and I know it gets a lot of love. I was always a stihl guy, but my last two saw purchases were echo. Honestly I doubt I'll ever go back to stihl. Both saws run fantastic. And zero leaks, from either fuel or bar oil.
Bought a new saw today too! 550 XP-G with a 16” bar, heated grips and heated carb . For an upcoming line cutting job. Will be my primary with my old 353 as backup.
Heated grips? Damn, nevermind everything I just said. I'm buying a husky lol. Not really, but damn would that be nice on some cold winter days when your knuckles start burning from the cold wind.
So my take on the saws I have purchased. Now I’m no pro and might be wrong and it’s been a wile sense I have done my research Because I got my husky 450 it was the 50 year anniversary so I think 2009 if I remember. And my arborist was about 4 years ago. now the 450 was a 450e I believe. I got it from an actual place that’s all they sell is husky. From the info I found HD and those places that sell them there 450 is not the same thing. It’s more a POS. And I thought the rancher was more of a homeowners saw. But I might be wrong there. Now my 450 was more a commercial saw made to cut. And I cut a lot. I heat with wood and I drop my own trees chop them up split and stack myself on my Oman land. So I don’t use it lightly. now my top handle I fell in love with its tiny and cuts threw anything. I went with the carb model so if I ever needed to work on it I could and I didn’t have to bring it somewhere to be hooked into a computer. That think I spent more on that then my 450 but dam was it worth it. Both saws have treated me beyond well and I’d buy them 10 times over again. Hisqvarna has a life member here. I have two chainsaws, a husky commercial zero turn 5 years , a husky weed wacker, husky leaf blower, and a husky. Supermoto 2020 can’t wait till the weather clears to take my first ride on it! Just my 2 cents doesn’t mean I’m right just my story.
That seems to line up with what I've been finding online. I've also seen a handful of people really praising the Echo saws. But for fear of throwing $500 down the drain I just went with something I've used in the past.
I ordered an Oregon LGX chain for the 455. Apparently they're leaps and bounds better than the safety chains that come on the Husqy's. Hopefully I don't cut my shin off.
Yeah safety chains are designed by lawyers to accommodate the idiots that shouldn't be using potentially dangerous tools in the first place. In regard to my previous post, I don't want to come off as harsh regarding your new saw. I was just rambling a bit and looking back it kinda came off as dismissive. Hopefully you didn't take it the wrong way and if so I apologize.
