Stihl MS290 or Husqvarna 455 rancher?

Question

Every year we cut numerous pine trees up to three and a half feet across, right now i use a craftsman (poulan) 45cc with an 18" bar. It is a good little saw, but it lacks the oomph i desire.

the husky is $399 with a 20" bar and the stihl is $379 with a 20" bar.

the husky has a 55cc engine that makes 3.5hp and the stihl is a 36.5cc that makes 3.8hp.

Does anybody have experience with either of these saws?

Answer 1

I have used both products but not models. I have used a small husky and a stihl I think it was an 042 . My personal experience , even though the husky sounds like its got more oomph, I would go for the stihl. Stihls have the highest quality possible in lawn small engine. i  do wonder if the stihl is big enough though. I am guessing the 290 is a lot smaller than the 042. It had all the power needed. If you are really stuck on these 2, then you might want to ask the sales people or even ask them if they can demonstrate it for you. Where I bought mine at, he had some big logs out in back you could cut through.Then you would know!

Answer 2

A couple of things to consider.  1.) Stihl has over 8,000 dealers nationwide.  2.) Husqvarna has only 1 piston ring where the Stihl uses 2.  This equals longevity for the Stihl.  

The MS290 is a 56.5cc engine.  They both use the same chain pitch, so you have a good apples to apples comparison.  Now in my experience, I have found that the Stihls are easier to maintain, and work on.  The final decision is yours, and you can use the same argument as Ford vs. Chevy to describe the argument between Stihl and Husqvarna.  Good luck.