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New 545/550xp saws

Farmchuck

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Great analysis Will.

I finally got to do some work with the 550M2 last Saturday instead of just a few test cuts. 8" to 18" Ash.

The tweener analogy about being in between the Mark 1 and the 562 is accurate. (Return of the 254XP!). By itself, you don't really notice that it's a physically bigger saw. But set it down to the original and you see it right away. ABarrick's pics on page 18 of this thread show it pretty clear. You do also notice the weight. Not much, but you notice it.

Functionally, it's got it all over the original. The heat management, the better air filter, the Gen 3 AT, plus more power, and no flat spot on acceleration. They corrected all the sins from the M1's.........for those that experienced them. (More on that shortly) So, for serious work and something that needs to be relied on all day, it's clearly a better saw.

But for guys who had no issues with the early saws, some may prefer them due to their lighter weight. I had one tree guy in last week who bought one M2 and grabbed himself an M1 before they are gone. (Wants it for climbing.) The original was no slouch in the power department either. Personally I liked the original and it remains a more tossible saw to work with than the M2. (some guys even tossed them out of the bucket when they failed to restart. LOL )

M2 is the better all around saw, as Dustin pointed out. It has a little more reach and can do most of what you need to do. Great for the guy looking for one saw. But how many guys reading this are into the one saw concept? :) What I plan to do next is work with one of each, go back and forth and compare them that way. No doubt with all the improvements to the M2 that it's the one I'd spend my money on. But I always liked the M1. Might take 3-4 pulls to restart, but I never experienced a NO start. For me, it's still a nice saw to have around.
No bog when you squeeze the throttle on mk11 Bob?
 

ABarrick

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No bog on mine. It's not as fast off idle as the original 550. Mid range acceleration is good though and it is consistent which is a great thing.
When my old 550 is working well, it’s a hoot to run and one of my favorite small saws. It’s temperamental though and when it decides to bog and stumble, I just want to chuck it through the woods.
 

Spike60

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Did a muff mod on it allready..... 1/2 inch hole under the sparkscreen. Sounds great, and revs even quicker now. Running 18 inch 325 round chisel for now. Will give updates as saw breaks in......or breaks lol

Pic of the muff mod would be interesting. Sounds like it's effective and more or less hidden from view as well.
 

Penguin

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Thanks Spike60, I really like your youtube videos BTW. Good stuff.

Great for the guy looking for one saw. But how many guys reading this are into the one saw concept? :)

That's me, to a large degree anyway. It was a tough choice between the 545 and the 555. You can look at what I've gotten down this year (and some large ones to go) and think I would have been better off with the 555. THIS year you may be right. But most years I don't have nearly as many big ones to do. And besides, the saw did great in the big oak & beech and a good cant hook makes everything work out in the end. Anytime I think about complaining about needing more chainsaw I think of my great-great grandad cutting wood for cabins and clearing the pastures on the same farm I now live on.

Your quote reminds me of an old hunting buddy we were hunting with one time. While we were discussing all of the bad habits a hound could get into he asked us if we knew how to break a dog from killing chickens. After a couple rounds of "I don't know, do you know?" we agreed that none of us knew how to do it and once a dog got started it was practically impossible to stop them. So we asked the old man to tell us how it was done.

He smiled and said "Run out of chickens."

So how do you stop a man from buying new chainsaws? :)

Will
 

Spike60

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So how do you stop a man from buying new chainsaws? :)

Will

Don't know the answer to that question.

I guess it depends on how you define yourself. Some guys here are builders, enthusiasts, racers, firewood cutters, arborists, loggers.

I sorta define myself as a "collector". That means no matter how many saws I have, I'm always looking for more. And I never need any kind of rational reason for getting them. :)
 

Funky sawman

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Not sure if I like what I see in the muffler, lots of wet oil and some deposit allready in the can. Running maxima k2 at 40 to 1. Piston looks good and clean so maybe I'm overthinking stuff lol
 

Funky sawman

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My 550 does not like the maxima k2, even at 50 to 1. After 5 gallons at 40 to 1 it was filling the muffler with sludge. Top of piston showing carbon also. Switched to 50 to1 for 2 gallons, no change. So i just switched back to echo red armor at 40 to 1 and after 1 full gallon the piston is clean again and muffler is dry, and saw idles better now. It was wanting to load up at idle with maxima k2.
 

Funky sawman

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I will venture to say that maxima k2 is meant for high compression engines, and i guess that a stock saw has too low of combustion temp to keep it cleaned up
 

andyshine77

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My 550 does not like the maxima k2, even at 50 to 1. After 5 gallons at 40 to 1 it was filling the muffler with sludge. Top of piston showing carbon also. Switched to 50 to1 for 2 gallons, no change. So i just switched back to echo red armor at 40 to 1 and after 1 full gallon the piston is clean again and muffler is dry, and saw idles better now. It was wanting to load up at idle with maxima k2.
Odd my old 550 runs great on K2 @ 32:1
 

Funky sawman

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Been thinning along a controled burn, and the 550 hates it! As soon as some smoke heads my way the autotune gets all confused and runs like crap. I guess its time to go back to a normal carbed saw. My 066 has no trouble in smoke, its just too heavy for 6 inch trees
 
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