New 545/550xp saws

[LOMartin]

CGI or real ...not sure .

View attachment 159977

vRay/EnScape engines, it's gotten real good.
Some stuff we make in VR would have you question reality.

Hey they introduced one of the heaviest 50cc saws :/

Seems like an Apple iPhone reveal... Newer, more expensive, better, but a little *s-wordty also.

Some stuff is starting to show up on you tube. The presentation and Q&A aren't there yet. And that link isn't working for me.

Nothing on the dealer site as of this posting.

Looking forward to you receiving some. Does that air filter look backward compatible to you?

 

[Derf]

Seems like an Apple iPhone reveal... Newer, more expensive, better, but a little *s-wordty also.

QTLA

 

[Farmchuck]

It’s sounds like they did some research to improve the old design but I like Troy am not thrilled about the extra weight.

 

[Spike60]

It’s sounds like they did some research to improve the old design but I like Troy am not thrilled about the extra weight.

If it comes with extra power, nobody will pay attention to the weight.

 

[Johnmn]

If it comes with extra power, nobody will pay attention to the weight.

Agreed! Reliability too, I said it before I would rather have a little extra weight if it means more power and reliability!

 

[Willard]

Looks good.
Looks like a mini 572XP.

 

[taplinhill]

If it comes with extra power, nobody will pay attention to the weight.

As my back gets older I am finding myself reaching for smaller saws, so a slightly heavier 50cc with power getting close to an older 60cc is sounding like a good thing. On the other hand my cousin just bought a harvester head for his excavator and I'm wondering why anyone would ever by a chainsaw.

 

[BonScott46]

On paper it ain't much more power, they just matched the 261. Seems like it would have been a much better idea to squeeze another 0.1hp out of it with all the extra weight so they could at least say it has the most horsepower.

 

[Simondo]

Might as well have this here......Thanks SfO

 

[Willard]

I have in the past compared my 2016 550XP and 2017 MS261CM but I can say one thing about the 550XP...ergonomically it handles alot better then the 261 for what it was designed for. Felling, bench limbing and topping small softwood.
7-8 hour a day in small spruce pulpwood the 550 puts the 261 to shame.

Here I got my 550 setup with a 13" bar and Stihl 33 Topic Super 3/8 chisel chain, working in small spruce on a lot clearing job.

Last pic is what the MS261CM -16" does best in hardwood removal on my other jobs.

 

[Willard]

Might as well have this here......Thanks SfO

Yep you took the words right out of my mouth, that's where the 550 excels.
Not exactly a working 6 point limbing technique but these guys are judged for speed and to leave no stubs whatsoever with minimal damage to the trunk.

 

[Simondo]

Yep you took the words right out of my mouth, that's where the 550 excels.
Not exactly a working 6 point limbing technique but these guys are judged to leave no stubs whatsoever with minimal damage to the trunk.

Seeing one run rather than some stills is good. SfO get there dam quick !!

 

[Willard]

On paper it ain't much more power, they just matched the 261. Seems like it would have been a much better idea to squeeze another 0.1hp out of it with all the extra weight so they could at least say it has the most horsepower.

If they kept the Rev Boost on the 550 that'll be good. A feature the 261 doesn't have.

 

[KYsawman]

I have in the past compared my 2016 550XP and 2017 MS261CM but I can say one thing about the 550XP...ergonomically it handles alot better then the 261 for what it was designed for. Felling, bench limbing and topping small softwood.
7-8 hour a day in small spruce pulpwood the 550 puts the 261 to shame.

Here I got my 550 setup with a 13" bar and Stihl 33 Topic Super 3/8 chisel chain, working in small spruce on a lot clearing job.

Last pic is what the MS261CM -16" does best in hardwood removal on my other jobs.

View attachment 160100 View attachment 160101

The Homelite bar is a nice touch, makes a 550 more reliable!

 

[Spike60]

As my back gets older I am finding myself reaching for smaller saws, so a slightly heavier 50cc with power getting close to an older 60cc is sounding like a good thing.

Yeah, I'm in the same boat. But ya know, we're not supposed to admit that sort of thing. We're always supposed to want more saw than we actually need because the extra 2 seconds that it might take to cut a block of firewood with a 50cc saw vs a ported 70cc just makes all the difference in the world.

Say you have to make 30 such cuts to fill a pick up truck. 30 cuts times 2 seconds results in a whopping 2 minutes saved on the whole truckload. So, what's more important, the 2 seconds, or the 2 pounds extra weight that a 70cc saw will have? Or the extra $300 for the bigger saw?

 

[Willard]

The Homelite bar is a nice touch, makes a 550 more reliable!

Haha I thought someone would like that bar. I still have a pile of unused ones on my shelf.
Those old Windsor bars were good quality, not like what you get today.
That was originally a 15" .050 3/8 bar that I cut down to a 13".
Picture shows about a 1/4 way into the modification.
There's a reason why the Swedes run a 13" b/c on a 50cc saw in smaller softwood. Ergonomically perfect.

 

[Spike60]

Looks good.
Looks like a mini 572XP.

It really is. All the "enhancements" that were developed for the 565/572 have migrated down to the smaller chassis. Most important to me, and I suspect to a lot of you guys is if that hot start issue is solved, then we're off and running with these new 550's. My experience with the 565 and 572 is that the carb temps are a good 30-40 degrees lower, so I'm thinking we should be OK.

On your post with the pics, that little 13" Homelite bar looks right at home on the 550. And I notice the smooth bumper spike also. I always admire the way you take the time to custom set up your saws for different tasks. The truth is that much of the little details that mean little to us guys who mostly just cut firewood, are actually relevant in your world where the tool needs to fit the job at hand.

 

[Willard]

It really is. All the "enhancements" that were developed for the 565/572 have migrated down to the smaller chassis. Most important to me, and I suspect to a lot of you guys is if that hot start issue is solved, then we're off and running with these new 550's. My experience with the 565 and 572 is that the carb temps are a good 30-40 degrees lower, so I'm thinking we should be OK.

On your post with the pics, that little 13" Homelite bar looks right at home on the 550. And I notice the smooth bumper spike also. I always admire the way you take the time to custom set up your saws for different tasks. The truth is that much of the little details that mean little to us guys who mostly just cut firewood, are actually relevant in your world where the tool needs to fit the job at hand.

Thanks Bob, I've been running saws so long now I have alot of habits I can't break.
The new series of Huskies look really good, I think they'll be a hot seller with good reliability.
Best of luck for your dealership.

 

[StephK87]

If they kept the Rev Boost on the 550 that'll be good. A feature the 261 doesn't have.

From what i know from the datasheet, there is no revboost feature anymore

 

[Willard]

From what i know from the datasheet, there is no revboost feature anymore

That's too bad, I really like that snappy quick shot of rpm on my 550 and 562. Just wouldn't be the same limbing spruce.