Garden
Stihl Farm Boss vs Husqvarna Rancher
Stihl Farm Boss vs Husqvarna Rancher which of these two highly popular chainsaws is best ?
Stihl and Husqvarna have dominated the chainsaw market for quite some time now. Both brands offer a big selection of individual models that cover a range of uses.
If you are looking for either a small lightweight chainsaw for your garden or a larger more powerful chainsaw for professional use then both manufacturers have you covered.
The mid-range models are easily their most popular. Think light to medium farm/ranch use with motors from 50 cc to 70 cc and bar lengths between twenty and twenty four inches.
The most suitable model to match that category from Stihl is the MS 271 Farm Boss, more commonly referred to as just the "Farm Boss".
From Husqvarna the 450 Rancher is what you'll find on a lot of farms and even on some professional forestry sites.
However the Rancher line from Husqvarna also includes the 455(55 cc) and the 460(60 cc) but given that they are more powerful than the Stihl 271 Farm Boss it would not be a fair comparison between the two.
Stihl MS 271 Farm Boss
The Stihl MS 271 is a powered by a 50.2 cc motor giving out roughly 3.5 bhp.
The MS 271 can accept a sixteen inch or twenty inch bar. If you are doing some light overhead trimming of small branches then the sixteen incher is probably fine. However, the twenty inch bar is the most usable especially about a busy farm or ranch.
With a 50 cc motor the Farm Boss is suitable for light professional use or for a fairly heavy home user. Ideally on a busy ranch or farm you would be looking at 60 cc motor and potentially a 24 inch bar.
That being said the Farm Boss is still a very capable saw that can be used for heavy pruning overhead and light to medium felling work.
Specifications
- 50.2 cc motor
- 3.49 bhp
- 500 cc fuel tank
- 16 or 20 inch bar lengths
- Anti-vibration system
Husqvarna 450 Rancher
The Husqvarna 450 Rancher is powered by a 50cc 3.2 HP engine. That engine uses Hisqvarna's X-Torq design which means reduced emission levels and much greater fuel efficiency over comparable engines of the same size.
The Smart Start feature makes starting the 450 Rancher a breeze. Smart Start helps to reduce starter chord resistance by up to 40% and there is also a combined choke/stop setting to reduce the chance of flooding.
A centrifugal air system eliminates as much heavy debris from the air intake system as possible before it has a chance to even make it to the air filter.
With the 450 Rancher you can either have a twenty or a twenty four inch bar. For overhead work that requires a little bit more accuracy the 20 inch is going to be the best option.
The Rancher is quite capable to work away all day on heavy pruning work and light to medium felling. It is exceptionally well balanced and weighs it at roughly 12 pounds.
That being said it is still quite capable of cutting large sections of lumber. However, you wouldn't want to run a 50 cc engine hard all day long cutting big oak sections for that you would want something with a little more power like the 460 Rancher.
Specifications
- 50.2 cc motor
- 20 inch farm tough bar with side mounted tensioner
- LowVib dampening system
- Smart start
- Centrifugal air cleaning system
Stihl Farm Boss vs Husqvarna Rancher
Stihl Farm Boss vs Husqvarna Rancher which is the better chainsaw?
Better is usually a matter of opinion when the two saws are so closely matched. The Husqvarna Rancher however is significantly easier to start compared to the Stihl Farm Boss.
For most people they generally pick a brand of saw and stick with it religiously.
For us the Husqvarna beats the Stihl on performance, reliability and value.
