Tool Pr0n: Husqvarna 359

A chainsaw has always been on the top of my wish list. You know the list — your friends and loved ones made it for you, and they’ve all agreed that no tool on it is ever going to wind up in your hands. That doesn’t stop me from lusting after a Husqvarna 359 chainsaw with a twenty-inch bar.
Oh yes, it’s a beauty. Everyone I’ve ever talked to that has one says it’s the most rugged, easy-to-maintain saw around. The 59cc gas-powered motor spits out 3.9 HP and can get the chain up to around 9,000 RPM at full throttle. It’s a wood-cutting monster of the first order.
Unfortunately, I have absolutely no practical purpose for owning one, as the other half loves to remind me. It’s probably a good thing, too — else I’m sure one fine day in a fit of pique I’d become Clark Griswold’s doppelganger and “Fixed the newel post!” something with it. Still, it’s a nice saw.
Street pricing starts at around $500.
359 Chainsaw [Husqvarna]
Street Pricing [Google]
A buddy bought a Stihl Farm Boss a couple years ago. The first time I used it, it was a revelation. It’s like holding a high pressure hose blowing sawdust backwards. It cranks easily, idles all day long and while heavy the power makes it so much more controllable than a cheap saw even while it tears through wood and twice the speed of the homelight/black and decker crap I’d used before.
yea I stick with stihl, but huskys are alright. Some of the dolmar saws are great too
I picked up a Shindaiwa dirt cheap. It runs and runs. I bought a chainsaw just to support my turning habit.
My only chain saw is a Stihl. Used to use one in the Fire Service as a volunteer to fell burning snags. City tree crews in Sacramento, CA use’m too. Other saws may last longer, but for value Stihl is hard to beat.
Just got off from two days of prescribed burning in the woods. The Burn Boss and I each had our two Stihls and they worked great. I should mention, Mike47, that the one that I carry when I have to move around in the woods a lot is a 30-year old 031. Other members of the burn crew offered to buy it from me on the spot.
That being said, we’ve got a Husky at our lake cabin, because the nearest Stihl dealer is over 100 miles away. Not that my Stihls have needed service often, but that’s a bit far. I’ve been just as pleased with the Husky as I am with the Stihls.
I’ve got a Stihl 051 older than I am my grandpa gave me when I was helping in the timber. I’d never buy a saw that wasn’t a stihl. I pulled it out of storage last summer, and it started in less than a minute, 15 year old gas and all.
No problems with the Stihl or Husqvarna , but I’m a huge fan of the Jonsered machines. Got an older 910e. The saw is just a beast. Keep it sharp and fed and it will work you to death.
You are absolutely right! It is a beauty and it’s packed with some serious power. I’ve used Husqvarna 55 Rancher before but 359 really blows it away! It has way more power, and a lot of extras.
Bottom line: It is very well built and extremely user friendly. You can easily turn it off using your thumb without having to change your grip. Mine has a 20″ bar and cutting bigger trees has never been easier. Although it weighs a pound more than the 55 but that is not a problem with me. If you want my advice buy it instead of a lesser saw if you intend to use it cut anything other than brush.
Looks like a beauty and a beast of a chainsaw! But you’re right Sean. We’ve had many DIYers tell us they’d love to own one but then they’re reminded of the practicality. Nice Griswald reference; I loved the hilarious image created in my mind as I finished reading the post.
Take up chainsaw sculpture, then you have a practical need for a saw. I mean, you can’t be a chainsaw sculptor without a chainsaw, right?
To bartsdad, I have a Jonsered 910E too. Works great sometimes and other times it just cuts out at higher rev. It’s been to repair and all seems fine now so I suspect it’s the fuel/oil ratio. If yours is running like a beast, I am wondering what ratio you use. I’d love to get mine running tops too. Thanks