Choosing a new heated handle electronic saw...... Husky or Stihl

[Bill G]

A 385 would be fine.

 

[brushwacker]

I have a 550 mk 2. I got it in January 2 years ago , soon after my appendix ruptured and last year was very mild, so haven't used it a lot but the handle heats up and gets very warm to hot so like some others said it gets shut off after a bit. I don't think it needs to get that warm or hot unless maybe you are in zero degrees conditions how ever I am satisfied shutting it off when it gets hot. I would prefer the switch being somewhere other then the handle bar on the ground side where it is.

 

[jmester]

Do you need carb heating? Stihl makes 2 different versions Arctic (VW)has carb and handle heat. (W) version has just handle.

I like heated handles helps to take the suck away on a cold winter day cutting timber. Also helps to keep my Raynaud's syndrome at bay.

It feels to me the heating works better on my 500i then my 660.

Not sure if you have any interest but there is also the Makita EA7901PRZ1 which has heated handles and in the 79cc range. They are discontinued. But a dealer may still have one floating around.

Could you buy the parts from husqvarna to make one of your 395s heated. I just made a quick search it looks like the parts are still available. That's what I had to do for both my 660 and 500i

 

[Bill G]

The last I knew the parts were available to add heat to a 395. They problem is you have to bore and tap the crankcase to install the unit.

A Makita would also be fine but I have never seen one heated and there is no such thing as a Makita dealer here.

I need the heated handles more that the carb.

 

[hacskaroly]

Could you buy the parts from husqvarna to make one of your 395s heated. I just made a quick search it looks like the parts are still available.

Do you have a part number handy for the front handle heating element? Next step after getting one for me will be to figure out how to shimmy it under the grip of my front handle on my 272.

 

[whitesnake]

The last I knew the parts were available to add heat to a 395. They problem is you have to bore and tap the crankcase to install the unit.

A Makita would also be fine but I have never seen one heated and there is no such thing as a Makita dealer here.

I need the heated handles more that the carb.

I have a nib 572xpg listed. She may get pulled off the market soon for a port job though.

 

[Bill G]

I have a nib 572xpg listed. She may get pulled off the market soon for a port job though.

I saw it.
I will send a PM

 

[Bill G]

@farminkarman
Do you have a 385 to sell?

 

[farminkarman]

@farminkarman
Do you have a 385 to sell?

hopefully soon. I ported it, and it runs great. I did some firewood at my parents place last week with it. I’m just waiting on a new rear handle grip insert. The original heating element broke, so the heat doesn’t work currently.

Edit: I don’t know when to expect the grip. It is on back order from Husqvarna.

 

[Bill G]

I am buying a saw because I need heated handles that work.
I sadly will pass.

 

[jmester]

@hacskaroly

If you are talking about the heating element in the front handlebar that is not available separately you would have to buy the whole handlebar and cut the grip away.

 

[jmester]

I didn't know that the 395s were not drilled and tapped for the generator. Most of the Stihl's are drilled and tapped.

 

[farminkarman]

I am buying a saw because I need heated handles that work.
I sadly will pass.

I’m not going to sell it without working heat. If you want one right now, that 572xpg on here would be a good choice.

 

[FederalQ]

I’m not sure of overall accuracy of an IR but gives you an idea of how warm the handles get. The readings on the top handle were slightly cooler. Ambient temperature 21F.

 

[Bill G]

We will see if I get one by the end of the week

 

[lehman live edge slab]

Thing that I like better on the stihls over husky is the solenoid is able to be bought separately not just as a whole carb. Stihl solenoid is 40-50$ whole carb on husky 125-200$ I’ve seen at various places but never checked dealer directly on a carb. The Stihl solenoids are all the same long as the right color is bought. White will be on all new saws so you can keep a spare usually if something happens it’s a bad connection or the solenoid. But otherwise I think the systems are fairly equal now as far as working well.

 

[Bill G]

One showed up the other day.

 

[farminkarman]

One showed up the other day.

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Where did you get that one from?

 

[whitesnake]

One showed up the other day.

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That’s a beauty. That saw could pretty much do it all for me.

 

[Bill G]

Where did you get that one from?

It came from our good friends to the north... Canada. That is where they are. I have no idea why in the hell Stihl axed the sale of heated saws in the US. As you know you can go to the local box store...Farm and Fleet and buy a Stihl saw from a 16 year old kid at 4:30PM on a Sunday. Hell in Grafton Wisconsin they are open till 6:00PM on Sunday. So much for Stihl never selling in box stores.