I have a XS 550xp mkll , scarr 550xpg mkll and had a tree monkey 261 . If you are really interested in buying a 550 or 261 I would go to Kevin's gtg and run both the 550 and 261 . I use my 50cc saws mostly for limbing so handling and balance of the saw is very important for me . I use bigger saws for bucking , where the handling isn't as important to me . I am posting this so you don't make the same mistake I made . I ordered a 261 from Scott and had him port it . When limbing I normally cut some small branches and let go of the saw with my right hand and throw the branches out of my way . The 261 bar would drop on my chaps when I took my right hand off the saw . I'm sure the 261 is a great saw . I ended up selling the saw with probably 20 minutes of run time on it and lost about $300 . The mistake I made was never handling the 261 before I bought it . We all have different body types and uses for saws . Don't make the same mistake I did ! Go to Kevin's and run both saws and see which model suits you the best .