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Stihl ms 261 vs Husqvarna 550xp reliability
- Thread starter johnwalt
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pavel408
ArboristSite Operative
Actually 550xp is a bit cheaper than 555 ;-)
I'd be surprised if 60 ccm 555/560xp is not stronger than 50 ccm 545/550xp/ms260. Maybe it doesn't feel larger, but it is 1 kg heavier.
555 is the best part of 10cc's larger displacement. The game changes a bit with the V-II MS261 which became noticeably lighter than the earlier model, but otherwise most parts are the same, cylinder timing etc. The 555 sitting next to a 261 shows a saw about the same size dimensions. There all good choices for one reason or another.
With yellow or black mesh filter... yes. Flocked and updated orange mesh filter... no.
I think that pretty much says it all "I have used my 550xp for jobs I should have used a 90cc"
I have used mine for jobs a excavator /feller head should have been used for
To the op's question are 550xp's reliable ... Mine sure is ... I don't know of anyone in real life that has had a failure with one . I know a lot of people on the internet that say they don't like them but cant point out a specific failure, its all when the electronics break or computers suck
I bet the 261 and or 550 will do everything you ask of it and if you read the manual and do basic maintenance last a long long time ...
For me take a husky and take a stihl of the same displacement and intended the husky just feels more agile and seems to cut a little bit faster is the stihl also a great saw yes . I run both brands when it comes to spending my $ I have a long positive experience with husky and typically the stihl is a little more $ than the competing husky so i buy what feels better and costs slightly less , if I had a mtronic I would probably love it as well
I have used mine for jobs a excavator /feller head should have been used for
To the op's question are 550xp's reliable ... Mine sure is ... I don't know of anyone in real life that has had a failure with one . I know a lot of people on the internet that say they don't like them but cant point out a specific failure, its all when the electronics break or computers suck
I bet the 261 and or 550 will do everything you ask of it and if you read the manual and do basic maintenance last a long long time ...
For me take a husky and take a stihl of the same displacement and intended the husky just feels more agile and seems to cut a little bit faster is the stihl also a great saw yes . I run both brands when it comes to spending my $ I have a long positive experience with husky and typically the stihl is a little more $ than the competing husky so i buy what feels better and costs slightly less , if I had a mtronic I would probably love it as well
it is not the filter that is the problem it is the sealing between the filter and the intake of the saw.
Got a part number ? .. I stopped at my dealer and they had them in the usual lo-pro and standard 3/8 but nothing in .325
What is the point of having a great running saw if the filter mating surfaces let fine dust in that will eventually kill the saw?
concretegrazer
ArboristSite Operative
It's an issue with mine as well.
Have you tried some grease around the filter horn? Seems to help.
It does help but it is something I would expect to have to do with a cheap homelite not a pro husqvarna
They improved the fit on newer versions. Little grease around the seal is a good insurance policy.
I've had my 550xp for almost 4 years now. No problems at all. I only do my own firewood in New England, no pro here. But I live the thing. It rips through whatever I ask it to. Reason I bought it is I still have my very first saw, a 266xp & the thing is a tank. No decompression release so if I ain't talking to it nice I seem to always rip off a couple of knuckle tops. And as I age I wanted a lighter saw. So glad I poked my head in here. I was thinking I wanted to try an 18 bar, googled it & an arbtalk forum popped up & people were saying no go on 18.
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No problem at all with an 18" bar. My 545 came with one.
They will run a 20" as well.
If they can't get the tolerance right for an air filter of all things imagine what else they can't get right.
Imo a airfilter shouldn’t be a tolerance fit to begin with. It should have a rubber seal with a actual screw clamp.
brandonstc6
Addicted to ArboristSite
Maybe I had a lemon but my experience is that MS261’s are very sorry built. I got one a few years ago, the ignition was bad, the oil pump was bad, the clutch side bearing was bad, the clutch was bad and the piston was cracked on the intake side. In my opinion that doesn’t leave me with a very stellar opinion on that model saw. The saw was relatively low hour too.
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Agreed, this is what the intake looks like after 25 tanks with grease around the seal
Termite
Time To Launch
On most my saws I seal the filter to the holder with an "O" ring. It seems to work well.
You would need a super thin O-ring to seal the groove on a 5 series air filter. I tried cramming in a standard o-ring once, wouldn't fit.
The filter on these is not like the ones pictured, there is a groove around the opening of the filter, which slides over the lip on the intake horn. O-ring would have to fit inside the groove and not add any height to the assembly, so the hold down clip can still function.
I buy a lot of blown up "parts" saws in bulk from more than a dozen dealers, both Husky and Stihl dealers. I have just as many 550/555/562 saws with bad big end rod bearings as I do 261s in the parts pile. I'm not pro one or the other, I personally prefer Stihl saws overall in general, but I cut more with a 562 than any saw I own. I've never had a problem with either. A lot of bad rap has been unfairly laid on both brands that I blame more on piss revving and 50:1 than anything else. I think a lot of people drink the 50:1 koolaid and run crap oil at that ratio as well. Piss revving at 50:1 will skate a big end rod bearing quicker than the sticker that is on the side of the saw in my opinion.
