572xpg vs 500i

[whitesnake]

And yes, a sharp chain is key. I'm always touching up my chain. That's a big pet peeve of mine people running saws with a dull chain. A chain alone can make or break any saw.

 

[Funky sawman]

Just what's been mentioned here on the site. Some bearing issues, some quality control issues, some software issues. Still bothers me a bit that a husky needs a dealer for certain repairs where stihl you can fix yourself. I'm s diy kinda guy for the most part. I'm probably jumping the gun a bit I guess. It's probably a good saw. And yes...it is a XPG, nib, also have a west coast kit for it nib. My 550 mk2 is also a XPG nib. Was going to be me new "2 saw plan" haha yeah right is that possible?

XPG'S, got me drooling now lol. Would love to try a 572. Other than the bearing failures, they hold strong round here.

 

[Funky sawman]

The crankcase is not large enough to absorb heat from running a dull chain, at least this is my finding in the 550/562 saw's. Seeing the 572 is just a bigger version of this I would expect much the same. If the sawyer stops and changes or sharpens his/her chain, there is no problem with the "500" series of saws. If not and the sawyer just pushes harder to compensate, the bar heats up dramatically and the extra heat generated is soaked into the bar pad. What's right next to the bar pad? The main bearing with plastic cage that melts and is digested by the saw. Then without the cage to separate the bearing balls, they end up all together and the crankshaft is allowed to walk out of alignment. This will take out the seal and cause an air leak, which the carburetor will try to compensate for until it is giving all it can and can not supply enough fuel any longer, now the saw is in a lean run condition. If the sawyer notices and stops here no further harm will come. If he/she continues to try and run the saw the top end will eventually burn up too. At this point the entire saw is blown and the operator is blaming the saw, for what he/she did.
Which is why I tell anyone getting a new "500" series saw that they absolutely will blow it up if they run it with a dull chain and ham handing it. So if you're the type of person that likes to turn the bar metal blue, this saw isn't for you.

So I wonder what would happen if a guy installed stainless cages on the pto side? I'm sure it would still cause failure, but is it safe to say it would be prolonged?

 

[Funky sawman]

What I'm used to seeing over dull chains, is overly aggressive chains. A local Stihl dealer still has a mint 088 with a snapped crank right by the clutch, and it was suspected by the dealer that .050 depth gauge setting had something to do with that failure. One dolmar 9010 that I sold to a firewooder told me he loves that saw, because he can force it through the wood when dull, it's still running as far as I know, poor saw.
I like the stihls for ease of doing a muff mod, those new 5 series husky muffler's are a pain in my opinion. I told myself no more stihls though, mainly due to a customer service issue I had with them, not their saws

 

[Stump Shot]

So I wonder what would happen if a guy installed stainless cages on the pto side? I'm sure it would still cause failure, but is it safe to say it would be prolonged?

Seal is in the proprietary bearing, no way to seal it up. Keep a sharp chain is all I can say...

 

[Johnmn]

Seal is in the proprietary bearing, no way to seal it up. Keep a sharp chain is all I can say...

Sharp chain and 40:1 with good oil and the 5xx series are fine IMO.

The winter my skidder engine blew I went and became a limber for a bigger company before they bought a stroke delimber.
I used their 562, 4-5 tanks a day 6 days a week Jan - March that was 4 years ago. After that he bought the stroke delimber so the saw doesn't really get much use anymore but he still has it!
My point is that's more tanks than most guys would run in a lifetime, a sharp chain, good gas, good oil and any say should last. Every manufacturer will put out a couple lemons from time to time that's just how it goes.

 

[lehman live edge slab]

Seal is in the proprietary bearing, no way to seal it up. Keep a sharp chain is all I can say...

I don’t really like the bearings and seal together set up myself. Lots of saws I’ve gone through just had small seal leaks but the bearings were tight and smooth. Not being able to just change a seal kinda sucks turns a quick job into a bigger one. Hopefully husky also gets better about handling parts for older saws if they are bearing with seal. Main thing I think husky does that sucks is discontinued parts and they quit them as soon as legally allowed. I know by law they need to keep replacement parts around so many years but seems like husky is real good at the bare minimum when I look for older parts. Also not huge fan of the need to hook up to reset, same thing I see as a downfall on the Stihl 500i.

 

[Stump Shot]

I don’t really like the bearings and seal together set up myself. Lots of saws I’ve gone through just had small seal leaks but the bearings were tight and smooth. Not being able to just change a seal kinda sucks turns a quick job into a bigger one. Hopefully husky also gets better about handling parts for older saws if they are bearing with seal. Main thing I think husky does that sucks is discontinued parts and they quit them as soon as legally allowed. I know by law they need to keep replacement parts around so many years but seems like husky is real good at the bare minimum when I look for older parts. Also not huge fan of the need to hook up to reset, same thing I see as a downfall on the Stihl 500i.

Seals are changeable on the 572 along with other saws with that style seal/bearing. Seal part number 582812601. Also, the same bearing and seal is on both sides. Also noteworthy a completed short block assembly is also available much like the 562.
As far as parts availability, this also is half true, for saw's still being manufactured over seas, such as the... 55, 61, 272, 372 281 and 288 everything is still available even though having been discontinued over twenty years ago. Yes some saw's are getting no love in the parts dept. but they too have not been made for a long time.
The myth of the constant need to hook these saw's up to a computer is also not true. yes if a new carburetor is installed it will need to be programmed to the coil it is hooked up with. With the carbs being easy to rebuild, this is A, not needed very often and B easy enough to send to a dealer even if you don't have one locally to work with. I have yet HAD to hook a 550/562/572 to a computer, even after a major rebuild and or port job.
Speaking of myths, this whole thing about the 572's bearing failure is a bit premature to call, a couple of saws on the internet doesn't make a problem real except for the internet itself. As the ones in service that I'm seeing now are holding up quite well. So I am holding off judgement until more time goes by and the chips fall where they may.

 

[Stump Shot]

Another note on the 572, had one here that fell out of a tree, replaced the handles a couple weeks later it came back a non runner, the coil quit working(unassumingly from being jarred from the drop, which happens) a new one was ordered and installed without issue or hookup to a computer.

 

[lehman live edge slab]

Don’t take things I said the wrong way all saw companies do dumb stuff. Didn’t realize you could change the seal in the bearings thought needed to be done all together so I was misinformed. Bearings must have a special race for seal to go in? If not why couldn’t the seal be installed in a bearing with steel cage? Not that this is always the answer I’d personally like to have the plastic go and change the bearings rather than eat the cage and total the cylinder and all like some old saws did.

 

[woodfarmer]

My dealer finally managed to get two 500’s in and I got one, pick it up tomorrow morning

 

[PA Dan]

My dealer finally managed to get two 500’s in and I got one, pick it up tomorrow morning

Congratulations! Let us know how much you love it!

 

[Absolution]

My dealer finally managed to get two 500’s in and I got one, pick it up tomorrow morning

We are in the same boat, I'm picking up mine tomorrow as well.

 

[woodfarmer]

Here she is.

 

[TreeLife]

Theyre pretty zippy, enjoy!

 

[Absolution]

Got mine aswell!!!

 

[lehman live edge slab]

They’re nice saws and hopefully I’ll have one soon too and if not might just buy a ms462

 

[woodfarmer]

So I limbed a few trees, cut a 30” ash log and dropped about 12 ash trees from 10-20”.

The best compliment I can give this saw is it feels just like my beloved 2171’s with a faster acceleration. It’s hard to believe it’s an 80cc saw, just so smooth.

 

[lehman live edge slab]

It will take 8-10 tanks minimum to break in so will only get better

 

[Absolution]

I'll be running mine for real starting Wednesday. I just cut some cookies when I got it. My biggest disappointment is it came with a .050 bar and not an 063.