Help Deciding on a 346xp

[Agrarian]

I've been thinking of building up a smaller, lighter saw to tackle 80% of the cutting I do. I have both the 346 OE and 346 NE carcasses to choose from as the basis of my build. I want to keep it to the Husqvarna 346, no other models, no other brands. The build will be strictly stock. I'm not into squeezing every last fraction of HP out of it. Currently my daily runners are a 562xp with a 262xp backup. Which 346 version do you feel would better suit my needs and why?

Thanks for your thought on this!

 

[hacskaroly]

From what I see the NE has more torque. Might not be faster than the OE, but I think I would want more torque. I guess if you are doing more pine type of wood, you might want the OE, but if it is more hard woods, then possibly the NE would be the better option.

 

[Agrarian]

Thanks. My land is about 50% hardwoods (beech, maple, black birch, yellow birch, some oak) and the rest is mostly hemlock which goes on a brush pile. I'd be using the 346 for limbing and topping the bigger stuff and hope to use it for up to 12" at the stump for dealing with the whole tree.

I do like that the NE has the primer bulb.

 

[jcarlberg]

I've been thinking of building up a smaller, lighter saw to tackle 80% of the cutting I do. I have both the 346 OE and 346 NE carcasses to choose from as the basis of my build. I want to keep it to the Husqvarna 346, no other models, no other brands. The build will be strictly stock. I'm not into squeezing every last fraction of HP out of it. Currently my daily runners are a 562xp with a 262xp backup. Which 346 version do you feel would better suit my needs and why?

Thanks for your thought on this!

Have fun with it; wish I could do that stuff!

 

[Mastermind]

Just pick whichever one is in the best condition. Can't go wrong either way.

 

[hacskaroly]

I do like that the NE has the primer bulb.

The purge bulb on a 562xp I am working on is giving me fits. It works when I bypass the carb, but somewhere on the autotune side of the carb I have an air leak and the purge primer will not pull fuel past the carb. Purge/primer bulbs are just one more thing to break

 

[jacob j.]

Just pick whichever one is in the best condition. Can't go wrong either way.

That's my thought - both are excellent machines. I put a couple hundred hours on an OE years ago working a roadside brushing contract - what a great saw.

 

[Woodwackr]

I have 1 of each so that’s my suggestion

 

[Ketchup]

NE is the same weight but more displacement. 346 is a much better saw ported vs stock.

 

[Agrarian]

The purge bulb on a 562xp I am working on is giving me fits. It works when I bypass the carb, but somewhere on the autotune side of the carb I have an air leak and the purge primer will not pull fuel past the carb. Purge/primer bulbs are just one more thing to break

Yes, but most of the time when it's not broken, it allows faster cold starts. And much more easily fixed on a 346 vs a 562 if it ever did go bad (been there, done that).

 

[Agrarian]

NE is the same weight but more displacement. 346 is a much better saw ported vs stock.

I'd be open to muffler mods (especially e-tech) but not much else.

 

[stihl livin]

You have this all wrong. The answer is port both. I have 2 2152s and each is ported. One has the full 346 set up the other has the 2152 set up and they are both great. Why settle for just one is the real question.

 

[cus_deluxe]

so to me a ported NE is gonna be too close to a stock 60cc saw for me to want either of those. i love my ported 42mm, a littlemore zippy. really cool for small stuff.

 

[cus_deluxe]

i guess i missed the part about stock build…cant go wrong either way still

 

[mrxlh]

I know you think you want a stock one, if you have the chance to run a ported one, you would change your mind. Stock I think an OE would be better.

 

[Agrarian]

I know you think you want a stock one, if you have the chance to run a ported one, you would change your mind. Stock I think an OE would be better.

Porting costs money and I can build a stock saw for likely less than $50 given the parts I have available. If the saw throws a ring or clip, my ported cylinder would likely be trashed. If it does that on a standard cylinder, I simply get another cylinder from my stash.

 

[Hinerman]

YES...