346NE vs 254XP vs 55CP...Sibling Rivalry. Results are in!!!!

[XP_Slinger]

Hoarders..

Lol! But I only have one

 

[XP_Slinger]

View attachment 156227
Would be a perfect addition...

Yes it would indeed. Might as well get a 262 in that line up too

 

[Magic_Man]

Yes it would indeed. Might as well get a 262 in that line up too

Nah, 54-72-88 is close enough for me.

 

[dustinwilt68]

Imo with a 254 you don't really need a 262, but need is such a ugly word.

 

[chipper1]

Stock I'd take the 359 over the 357.

357 might be faster but the 359 feels more ballsy.

I have real purdy 357 on the shelf waiting for me to get some free time. I hope it wakes up a LOT with some porting. Stock it's just meh..

I think your more ballsy to say that, that's heresy .
I've gotta flamed for making the same assertion, whatever lol.

Well worth the hunt my friend. Handles similar to a 346 but with 2-series grunt. My 254 will NEVER leave my keeper shelf.

I've always considered the 254 to be like a big 346, I really enjoy the way they both handle.
One thing that would be of interest to me is how much they can each cut on the same amount of fuel, you may be surprised.
I've found that the 254's I had ran fast in the cut when tuned a little on the rich side, it held rpms just a bit better. I would check actual cut times with less no load rpm and see if you get a similar result.
I also think the 555 is so close in weight(early version especially)/feel to the 254 that it didn't warrant me keeping the 254's since I can buy a 555 any day of the week .
Great thread by the way. I figured the outcome would be as it was, especially seeing the no load rpm's on that 254. At like page 15 I was thinking I was trapped in an infomercial waiting to find out how much the result would cost me, lot's of fun here guys .

 

[PA Dan]

Imo with a 254 you don't really need a 262, but need is such a ugly word.

And how many do you have...[emoji33]

 

[dustinwilt68]

A few......

And how many do you have...[emoji33]

 

[smokey7]

I would love a 254. I think i want one more then a 262. I feel the same way about my 625 630 670 and hybrid jonnys. I would buy one of them in a heart beat to use over a 262 every time. Now to sell the 262 will bring more money everytime too so what do ya do. In the 6 series jonny you have torque speed/sporty and durability whats not no to like. Thats why i think id love a 254.

 

[XP_Slinger]

I think your more ballsy to say that, that's heresy .
I've gotta flamed for making the same assertion, whatever lol.

I've always considered the 254 to be like a big 346, I really enjoy the way they both handle.
One thing that would be of interest to me is how much they can each cut on the same amount of fuel, you may be surprised.
I've found that the 254's I had ran fast in the cut when tuned a little on the rich side, it held rpms just a bit better. I would check actual cut times with less no load rpm and see if you get a similar result.
I also think the 555 is so close in weight(early version especially)/feel to the 254 that it didn't warrant me keeping the 254's since I can buy a 555 any day of the week .
Great thread by the way. I figured the outcome would be as it was, especially seeing the no load rpm's on that 254. At like page 15 I was thinking I was trapped in an infomercial waiting to find out how much the result would cost me, lot's of fun here guys .

Ha ha! You won’t get any hate darts from me for sending your 254 down the road in favor of a 555, puts more 254’s in circulation for me to grab up.

You bring up a good point about tuning that’s not discussed much. Max power isn’t always made when the saw is tuned for max piss rev rpm. I tend to keep my saws tuned in the middle favoring the rich side of things. I backed my tune down to 13.8k for the little race we had in this thread so it would hold rpm better in the cut while I was pushing it through the wood.

Not sure how fuel economy would compare between 254 and 346, but I’d wager the 346 would go a little longer on a tank. Can’t compare that now though, my 254 has a 199 on it as of a few days ago and I’ll be lowering the intake quite a bit soon.

Glad you enjoyed the thread, we had a ton of fun doing it. Round 2 is coming, and my little 254 is taking on the role as underdog this time.

 

[huskyboy]

Might as well throw in a 262 into the comparison

 

[XP_Slinger]

Might as well throw in a 262 into the comparison

Not yet...but I have the perfect one for when the time comes. It’s a bad MOFO

 

[chipper1]

Ha ha! You won’t get any hate darts from me for sending your 254 down the road in favor of a 555, puts more 254’s in circulation for me to grab up.

You bring up a good point about tuning that’s not discussed much. Max power isn’t always made when the saw is tuned for max piss rev rpm. I tend to keep my saws tuned in the middle favoring the rich side of things. I backed my tune down to 13.8k for the little race we had in this thread so it would hold rpm better in the cut while I was pushing it through the wood.

Not sure how fuel economy would compare between 254 and 346, but I’d wager the 346 would go a little longer on a tank. Can’t compare that now though, my 254 has a 199 on it as of a few days ago and I’ll be lowering the intake quite a bit soon.

Glad you enjoyed the thread, we had a ton of fun doing it. Round 2 is coming, and my little 254 is taking on the role as underdog this time.

Then you'll really like me cause I've sent quite a few down the Rd. The 254 is one of my favorites in the 2 series saws and a ported one is a great one saw plan(kinda kick myself for not getting the one Randy sold last year, and it had heat), not that I'm promoting a one saw plan. I'm just partial to the 3 series saws as that's what I ran the most when I first started running saws. Even with that I run the autotune/mtronic saws when doing tree work for the benefits of them, but like the 3 series and the MS series myself. One if the main advantages to the AT/MT saws is fuel economy, it's also an advantage when going from the 2 series to the 3 series, you can run a 555 for a lot longer on the same amount of fuel as a 254. The carb won't make that saw any better on fuel economy, and I'm pretty sure changing the port timing won't either.
Makes sense to me that the 254 was tuned a little slower, it was running pretty good. I would still experiment with the tune, I tuned mine a good bit fatter for max power.
Looking forward to the next level testing, keep having fun, and in the meantime some wood gets cut; doesn't get much better unless your getting paid to do it, but that can have challenges of it own .

 

[Dub11]

Then you'll really like me cause I've sent quite a few down the Rd. The 254 is one of my favorites in the 2 series saws and a ported one is a great one saw plan(kinda kick myself for not getting the one Randy sold last year, and it had heat), not that I'm promoting a one saw plan. I'm just partial to the 3 series saws as that's what I ran the most when I first started running saws. Even with that I run the autotune/mtronic saws when doing tree work for the benefits of them, but like the 3 series and the MS series myself. One if the main advantages to the AT/MT saws is fuel economy, it's also an advantage when going from the 2 series to the 3 series, you can run a 555 for a lot longer on the same amount of fuel as a 254. The carb won't make that saw any better on fuel economy, and I'm pretty sure changing the port timing won't either.
Makes sense to me that the 254 was tuned a little slower, it was running pretty good. I would still experiment with the tune, I tuned mine a good bit fatter for max power.
Looking forward to the next level testing, keep having fun, and in the meantime some wood gets cut; doesn't get much better unless your getting paid to do it, but that can have challenges of it own .

I kick myself too for not getting that 254g from Randy.

 

[beaglebriar]

Sold my 254... Good saw but I never really ran it much. 346's just suit me better I guess. I do like my 550 a lot also.

 

[chipper1]

I kick myself too for not getting that 254g from Randy.

I was on the phone with him right after he listed it when I backed out .

 

[XP_Slinger]

I kick myself too for not getting that 254g from Randy.

You should Dub

 

[PA Dan]

So now I have to get a 254...[emoji848]?

 

[XP_Slinger]

So now I have to get a 254...[emoji848]?

All ball bustin aside, I think you would like it Dan. Really is a lot of power in a small package.

 

[PA Dan]

That would break up the balance in my 2/3 saw plan...[emoji16]

262/281
346/359

 

[PA Dan]

All ball bustin aside, I think you would like it Dan. Really is a lot of power in a small package.

Not sure I ever seen a 254 for sale locally. Husky's are a little rare here in Stihl country!