dustinwilt68
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New 545/550xp saws
- Thread starter StephK87
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chipper1
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Spicy.
I thought it was running nice stock as well, looks to be a winner to me, time will tell.
dustinwilt68
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Spike60
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Looks way better with the orange cover.
weisskopf
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dustinwilt68
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As much as I would.like it all orange, I am not willing to take it apart and send it for powder for it, but I may replace the top cover clips w orange ones yet
dustinwilt68
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Saw runs great! Have to give Kevin credit, I don't think it would have taken an 8 pin prior to sending it, still on tank 2 yet but I think it will gain more as it breaks in. Definitely happy w it, I can cut 90% of my wood w ith this saw I feel, I am just a firewood guy, not a logger.
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Yeah that red side cover just looks right
NCPT
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That looks really nice. You got any video?
dustinwilt68
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Just the video Kevin did, my tipod phone holder broke
dustinwilt68
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I did find out the 550 mark ii comes with a 20" bar option from husky but it's 80dl instead of 78 dl like they all were in the past.
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Can make a phone holder pretty easy out of a round of firewood and a double width noodle cut. I lernt it from @Definitive Dave
dustinwilt68
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I been working it down the last 3 months, couple more might go yet
Penguin
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Well I have a good bit of time on the new 545 (18 inch x-cut) in the last 6 weeks or so and can offer a ~reasonably~ informed opinion... at least insofar as for work like I've done and for wood scroungers like me.
What I've gotten done with the saw so far:
Red Maple: maybe 16 inches was bucked
Red Oak - (just a tad under 3 feet at the stump) was bucked 90% with the 545 (a friend topped it with a 261 cm and dropped it with a 562 xp)
Beech - (just over 3 feet at the stump & split out at the top) remainder was dropped and then all of it bucked with the 545
Ash - 20+ inches was bucked
A few oak, ash, and whatnot limbs and tops
I got to do an in hand comparison with the 261 when the big oak was taken down. Truthfully? I would never have wanted to trade the 261 for the 545 up in the tree. But also I wouldn't have traded mine for his once the tree was on the ground. We both had almost new chains at the time but his saw has a couple years on it and he uses it a good bit in his tree care business. They are both great saws and I guess the 550 has even a bit more muscle. Honestly I doubt if I am skilled enough to feel the difference between the 550 and the 545. My friend has several mk 1 550s and he likes the my 545 a lot.
The saw handles great and doesn't tire out this way too close to middle aged man. But if you are sensitive to weight the 545/550 is not a 261 and the difference is real and easily noticed.
Things I've learned: This saw requires a minute or so to warm up or it stumbles a bit. Which is fine since I am usually snapping on the chaps when it's getting warm. I also learned that Husky premix fuel can be old and run rough. Once I got some 93 octane non-ethanol mix in it, the saw just seemed to settle right in. I had heard that the 545/550 mk 1 saws had hot start issues. This saw doesn't. MOF it behaves a lot like you would expect a normal carb saw to behave. It takes a few cranks with choke to start it cold, it needs a bit of warm-up, once hot it starts first pull about every time. I can't stand an engine of any kind that has start issues and this is why I didn't get a 550 in the last couple years. I'm glad I waited.
I chose the 545 over the 550 because I wanted to short circuit any inclination toward worrying about power and weight and comparisons and whatnot to every new saw that comes out. I outgrew that quickly in rifles and pocket knives and the last thing I need is another excuse to waste money in a continual arms race over a tool I'm lucky to have 60 hours on in a year. This saw is a nice upgrade over what I've had before and so far I give it a solid A.
Will
What I've gotten done with the saw so far:
Red Maple: maybe 16 inches was bucked
Red Oak - (just a tad under 3 feet at the stump) was bucked 90% with the 545 (a friend topped it with a 261 cm and dropped it with a 562 xp)
Beech - (just over 3 feet at the stump & split out at the top) remainder was dropped and then all of it bucked with the 545
Ash - 20+ inches was bucked
A few oak, ash, and whatnot limbs and tops
I got to do an in hand comparison with the 261 when the big oak was taken down. Truthfully? I would never have wanted to trade the 261 for the 545 up in the tree. But also I wouldn't have traded mine for his once the tree was on the ground. We both had almost new chains at the time but his saw has a couple years on it and he uses it a good bit in his tree care business. They are both great saws and I guess the 550 has even a bit more muscle. Honestly I doubt if I am skilled enough to feel the difference between the 550 and the 545. My friend has several mk 1 550s and he likes the my 545 a lot.
The saw handles great and doesn't tire out this way too close to middle aged man. But if you are sensitive to weight the 545/550 is not a 261 and the difference is real and easily noticed.
Things I've learned: This saw requires a minute or so to warm up or it stumbles a bit. Which is fine since I am usually snapping on the chaps when it's getting warm. I also learned that Husky premix fuel can be old and run rough. Once I got some 93 octane non-ethanol mix in it, the saw just seemed to settle right in. I had heard that the 545/550 mk 1 saws had hot start issues. This saw doesn't. MOF it behaves a lot like you would expect a normal carb saw to behave. It takes a few cranks with choke to start it cold, it needs a bit of warm-up, once hot it starts first pull about every time. I can't stand an engine of any kind that has start issues and this is why I didn't get a 550 in the last couple years. I'm glad I waited.
I chose the 545 over the 550 because I wanted to short circuit any inclination toward worrying about power and weight and comparisons and whatnot to every new saw that comes out. I outgrew that quickly in rifles and pocket knives and the last thing I need is another excuse to waste money in a continual arms race over a tool I'm lucky to have 60 hours on in a year. This saw is a nice upgrade over what I've had before and so far I give it a solid A.
Will
Penguin
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Husky 455 and prior to that an old Stihl 031 from my pop. Both handled like a 20 pound kettleball but were absolutely indestructible. I always wanted a good smaller pro saw but couldn't justify it till I bought my place a couple years ago.
My cousin would let me borrow one of his nice pro Huskies when I needed more saw. So I knew there were better saws out there and had used them. I thought I'd wait till the 455 broke but it just never stopped cutting. Finally I just gave up and got what I wanted.
Long way of saying I am just a wood scrounger who owns a decent sized farm. Definitely not any kind of professional woodsman. So I would take anything I say with a grain of salt.
Will
My cousin would let me borrow one of his nice pro Huskies when I needed more saw. So I knew there were better saws out there and had used them. I thought I'd wait till the 455 broke but it just never stopped cutting. Finally I just gave up and got what I wanted.
Long way of saying I am just a wood scrounger who owns a decent sized farm. Definitely not any kind of professional woodsman. So I would take anything I say with a grain of salt.
Will
Spike60
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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.
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.