Husqvarna 445 Review

Husqvarna chainsaws are associated with quality and safety. With the 445 they wanted to bring its regular consumer line of chainsaws to the next level. They packed in their latest features in ease of use and reliability but didn’t include professional-level power. Did they succeed?

It’s a great chainsaw for homeowners who cut down softwood trees, trim or remove trees in their yards. As long as you keep the chain sharp, it’ll work to no end without problems. But if you have hardwood trees like oak, the 445 isn’t enough.

Husqvarna’s features make this machine a perfect introduction to chainsaws for newbies. Even though some people complain about it being hard to get going, I’ve found it easy to start if you read and follow the user manual. Once it’s up and running it’s pretty much unstoppable.

Pros & Cons

Reliable and efficient engine
Solid build and great design
Easy to start and use
Lightweight

Underpowered, especially for hardwoods
Non-adjustable oil release system
Chain is temperamental

Conclusion

Husqvarna 445 has enough power for light and medium cutting of softwood. That makes it a good choice for any homeowner or farmer who does just that. Anything more complicated than that, like cutting hardwood or felling is a problem. Professionals need more power than its 47.5 cc engine can offer.

But Husqvarna 445 isn’t made for professionals. It’s amazing for the average homeowner and occasional user and can be operated by most adults, even women.

And from my past experience with Husqvarna, it can take quite a bit of abuse before dying.

I can safely recommend this.

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Design

Cutting equipment

The 445 comes with an 18” (45 cm) guide bar with a nose sprocket. Regular greasing of the nose sprocket prevents the wheel from seizing or failing to operate properly. The chain has a 0.325” pitch, a 0.05” gauge, and 72 drive links.

Compared to other saws, this one has a slightly narrower chain and this is what you might call a “high speed” chain. The chain speed at full power is 17.3 m/s, which is quite great for a saw this size.

The 445 is compatible with different sized guide bars, and the supported lengths range from 13” (33 cm) to 20” (50 cm). You can pick the most suitable one for you, depending on your cutting needs. The chainsaw is most fitting to the use of 16” or 18” bars.

Durability

The biggest longevity killer for a chainsaw is stress. This means that you can cut and cut and keep cutting for much longer. This makes the 445 a much better bargain, giving you longer life for what you pay.

3-Piece crankshaft

The crankshaft has three separate parts for maximized durability. This helps the saw work through the most challenging tasks.

Air Injection

Cutting wood is messy and produces a ton of dust. It can clog the air filter fast. The centrifugal air cleaning system prevents large debris particles from reaching the filter. In return, you get increased longevity and less maintenance. This is one of the features I like most.

Automatic oil release system

The 445 comes with an automatic oil release system, which means you don’t have to do it manually. But, it’s a fixed flow system, so you can’t adjust the flow of oil. That would be useful when you need to adapt to different cutting conditions.

Ease of use

Starting

Husqvarna’s Smart Start system makes this chainsaw a snap to start. Newbies will appreciate this.

The air filter is easy to get to thanks to the snap-lock cover, which you can open within seconds.

Combined start and stop switch as well as a fuel pump, make the saw easy to start. It also reduces the risk of engine flooding. The starter and engine start swiftly with minimum effort.

Priming removes air from the fuel system and the carburetor. You’ll need to make fewer pulls to start the engine.

The LowVib system helps you make more accurate cuts and reduces fatigue to your hands.

Safety

You can activate the chain brake by pushing the front handguard forward with your left hand. It’ll also activate by an inertia release mechanism. This significantly reduces the likelihood of injury during a kickback. It’s probably the most important safety feature.

Before using the throttle trigger, you must activate the throttle lock-out switch, which is preventing accidental start-up.

At the bottom of the saw, there’s a chain catcher. If the chain snaps or jumps off, it’ll protect your hands.

The LowVib system reduces the possibility of getting conditions associated with the use of chainsaws. The 445 has dampening springs, that isolate much of the vibrations in the powerhead as against transferring it to the handles. It’ll take much longer before you’re exhausted.

The on/off kill switch immediately cuts of power.

These safety features help to reduce but not eliminate risk entirely. To ensure your safety, you need to wear protective clothing and use the chainsaw in the correct manner.

Performance

Buying a chainsaw also comes with ongoing expenses like fuel and oil to keep it going. Not to mention the routine maintenance and taking it to the shop for repairs.

X-Torq

You can find engines that use this feature in the newer models of Husqvarna. This is no exception.

The X-Torq engine reduces emission levels and it increases fuel efficiency as well. The increased fuel efficiency means more cutting and lesser refuel breaks. The reduced exhaust is good for your health too.

The 445 has a 45.7 cc 2-stroke engine capable of generating 2.8 horsepower. The maximum speed of the saw is 9,000 RPM. That’s more than enough for the average farm and home user.

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Warranty

Husqvarna offers a standard 2-year warranty for basic use. You can buy extra 2 or 3-year protection on Amazon.

Specifications

Brand: Husqvarna
Model: 445
Engine power: 47.5 cc
Power output: 2.8 hp
Weight: 11.2 lbs (5.08 kg)
Max. length: 16” (40 cm)
Max. power speed: 9000 rpm
Fuel capacity: 0.95 US pint (0.45 l)
Sound level: 103.3 dB(A)

What the users say

I’ve scoured the internet before I started writing this review to see what other people think of the 445.

As usual with Husqvarna, there are always people that can’t get it to start. I never had this problem and I know a bunch of power users, who abuse the hell out of their saws and they’re still running.

If you follow the instructions you should be good.

Other than that the opinions were overwhelmingly positive.

When it starts, it keeps working as long as you want it to. Users were impressed with its performance.