Hustihler
ArboristSite Operative
I really wanted the MS261 however the 550XP is lighter and more powerful. I would argue that it feels better in the hands too, it is a very agile little saw. I had all 18" .325 full chisel 21 LP 72 link buried in a 4' white oak chunk and it just covered the ground with curly shavings...begging for more. Log was so big we had to take the top half off just to haul it out. In fact it is hard to bog this thing down unless you are cutting some really hard and wet wood. Welcome to the club, I know you will love this saw. Rock on!
Thanks for the support. I agree with you the 550 is a fantastic saw and it is hard to bog down, that autotune does a great job of keeping the revs up. The MS 261 is still a great saw as well and if Stihl ever decides to m-tron it things would get real interesting. Although I do believe the 550 would still have it beat in the handling dept., what a nimble saw. I'm also glad to hear that your 550 is trouble free and I hope it stays that way.