Husqvarna 545 review

Arborist Forum

Help Support Arborist Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

lasmacgod

ArboristSite Operative
Joined
Mar 30, 2009
Messages
176
Reaction score
157
Location
Kansas City area
I haven't seen too much talk about the 545, being that it seems it is overshadowed by the 550xp, so I wanted to make an attempt at a review for those considering this saw.

image.jpg

Well, after remaining disappointed with my 346xp, even after proper tuning, etc., I sent it packing. After running a MS261 for a while and remaining disappointed with my local dealers, I finally found a Husqvarna dealer I like. The 40 minute drive one-way is a bit annoying, especially when there are 3 Stihl dealers within 10 minutes of me, but we'll worth it.

So, I bought a Husqvarna 545. I still had the 16" Oregon Pro Lite bar and 3 Stihl .325 non-safety semi chisel chains I used on the 346, so I dumped the narrow kerf chisel setup straight away.

Ran two tanks through it between yesterday and today. I am very happy with this saw, much nicer (in my opinion) than the 346. Cut some hedge, hackberry, walnut, and something I didn't take the time to identify, as everything was covered in snow and ice. Biggest wood was around 18", and was the hedge. All were trees that had died (who knows how long ago) in my father-in-law's pasture and he had pulled them with the tractor and dragged them up to the burn pile.

I started out with the the cuts in a log/trunk as per the manual to settle the computer, and then just started cutting. Initially, restarts were a little dicey, required a few attempts before it would remain running, but after 3 or 4 times, it pretty much settled down and now restarts perfectly. Likewise, it initially had some issues with too high of an idle speed, causing the chain to run, but it has pretty much figured its idle speed out. Throttle response and cutting speed have improved over the two tanks of fuel. The only gripe I have is that the control lever is difficult to manipulate while wearing thick, insulated, leather gloves, but it is, admittedly, a minor gripe.

Conclusions:
-The 545 is a great 50cc saw. May not be the fastest saw out there, but it has a great power band, and is more than capable of laying quite a bit of firewood on the ground using very little fuel and not wearing me out.
-The Stihl MS261c-m is a wicked saw in terms of torque.
-A good dealer is more important than the brand of the saw.
-I think the 346 is probably a good saw, but like a movie that is over-hyped, it is a disappointment when it doesn't live up to the hype, no matter how good it actually is. I say this because my dealer let me play with his old OE 346, which he claimed was pretty well worn out, so my expectations were low. I was quite happy with how it cut.
-Horsepower numbers, in my opinion, are useless in terms of assessing saw performance. The 545 is rated for 3.2 hp, IIRC, but it felt like it cut better than my old MS260 and NE346, both rated around 3.75 hp.

At the risk of getting flamed, I now understand the sideways balance thing SawTroll talks about. It did take playing with the MS261 and the 545 side by side to get it. I would have never consciously noticed it had I not purposely focused on it. Grabbing the MS261 by the top handle in a comfortable position, and holding it with my wrist relaxed, I noticed the saw leaned slightly to the right. Doing the same with the 545, it sits level in the hand. Whether it makes a significant, actual difference or if it is purely psychological, the jury is still out for me in terms of cutting firewood. In theory, I can see where it would reduce arm/wrist fatigue. When the chain meets the wood, I don't know that the difference will be terribly significant. Time will tell, for me.
 
um the 346 is a pretty awesome 50ccer probably one of the best sorry yours didn't live up to the potential. I have both the 545, 346 and 353 and I like them all pretty equally I thought I liked the 545 better but sometimes the auto tune pisses me off and I go to run the higher rmp 346. None of mine are ported but the 346 is a ripper its hard to say a 545 is better. I will say I like the 545 platform a little better.
 
...Well, after remaining disappointed with my 346xp...

I think the 346 is probably a good saw...I say this because my dealer let me play with his old OE 346, which he claimed was pretty well worn out, so my expectations were low. I was quite happy with how it cut... .

These two statements confuse me. Do you have a 346 or did you run your dealer's worn out OE?

...-Horsepower numbers, in my opinion, are useless in terms of assessing saw performance. The 545 is rated for 3.2 hp, IIRC, but it felt like it cut better than my old MS260 and NE346, both rated around 3.75 hp...

The 346NE is rated at 3.7, the OE is rated at 3.4, and a 260 is rated at 3.2.
The 550 and 261 are both rated at 3.75.

I'm not bashing but just trying to get some clarity. I have a 550 that I have run yet. I'm interested to see how it handles compared to the 346 which is definitely better in the hands than the 261 (IMO!!).
 
I was considering the 545...but found a good deal on a 550xp . Not alot of cut time yet...but so far..its smooth...and Im impressed with the A/T ! Keep in mind I said "so far" :)
 
These two statements confuse me. Do you have a 346 or did you run your dealer's worn out OE?



The 346NE is rated at 3.7, the OE is rated at 3.4, and a 260 is rated at 3.2.
The 550 and 261 are both rated at 3.75.

I'm not bashing but just trying to get some clarity. I have a 550 that I have run yet. I'm interested to see how it handles compared to the 346 which is definitely better in the hands than the 261 (IMO!!).


Back in 2010, I had purchased a MS260, and I could have sworn that at the time it was rated at 3.75 hp, but I may be wrong. I believe the 026 was 3.2 hp. My memory is a terrible servant. Then again, reading around here I have seen discussions about conflicting data in terms of specifications. I ended up selling it to fund a new NE 346 earlier this year. I couldn't remember the exact hp number for the NE 346, which is why I simply stated that the MS260 and NE 346 were *around* 3.75 hp. I have a thread floating around here about my problems with that NE 346, and thanks to everyone's help, determined that the dealer let me leave with it pig rich. Even with proper tuning with a tach, it still didn't perform how I expected it should have based upon everything I read about it here so I sold it. The new owner is quite happy with it. I am not saying that the 346 is a bad saw at all. It very well have been me expecting too much due to the hype, right or wrong. This is just my opinion and my perception.

I then went to a different dealer to buy the 545. We talked for quite a while, and he let me play with his personal OE 346 on a chunk of Oak he had out back. He made a comment that it wouldn't be a good representation of the model because the chain was about shot and the saw itself about wore out. Heck, it looked like it had fallen off the truck or out of a tree several times over. With that, and knowing the OE is a 45 cc, my expectations were lower, and I was impressed with that saw for what it was. Again, it is all about expectations and perception.

No offense taken, and I appreciate that you allowed me to clarify. Again, I am not trying to ruffle feathers, nor take anything away from anybody. I also am not intending to bash any saw brand or model across the board. I figure that any brand or model that has been in production for any length of time must be working for somebody, otherwise they would not continue to be produced. I just wanted to give an account of my experience on the off chance it might help somebody, even if it only helps one person.

Plus, it gave me an excuse to post a saw picture. Would have had more, but apparently, iPhones power down automatically when they get cold.
 
Last edited:
what does it weigh?, does it have a rim sprocket or spur?
hows it compare to 450 husky or pp5020av
is it a homeowner saw with auto tune or pro saw
not picking it apart, just learning :) you dont have to answer all this i figured
someone else may know some of this stuff too. thanks for the thread
hope to keep it going. btw whats is price range
thanks again cobey
 
Last edited:
They all have the same warranty. The length of which is determined by whether your business buys the saw or a individual for home use. The 3 key differences between the 545 and 550 I can tell you outright are: the 550 has crank stuffers, different top end and the at module is different. Almost forgot the 550 has rev boost and the 545 does not. I'm sure there is more details than this. But this gives you an idea that although they share cases they're two different concepts.
 
Lasmacgod,

Thanks for the write up and your evaluation.:clap:

My prayers will be with you to fend off the inevitable lightning bolts thrust from the heavens for speaking sacrilege about the 346XP which as all know, was a gift to man from the Lord himself.:chainsaw:
 
I must agree with your movie reference and the 346-----I'm glad mine was cheap. Maybe over time we'll come to an understanding, but for now it's an average movie that got outstanding reviews.
 
You're right about perception/expectations. I went out on a limb when I got a 346xp NE fully expecting it to seem whimpy after running a 60cc saw for the last 2 years. Even without the narrow kerf setup, it really suprised me in terms of power. Mine was setup rich for break in (no complaints) and I was shocked at how much I could lean on the saw and not stall the chain. My only gripe with this saw is that the oil fill cap gets extremely hard to loosen.
 
They all have the same warranty. The length of which is determined by whether your business buys the saw or a individual for home use. The 3 key differences between the 545 and 550 I can tell you outright are: the 550 has crank stuffers, different top end and the at module is different. Almost forgot the 550 has rev boost and the 545 does not. I'm sure there is more details than this. But this gives you an idea that although they share cases they're two different concepts.

According to Husqvarna's website and three different dealers I have talked to, the warranty on XP saws is 6 months, regardless of end use, whereas non-XP saws is 2 years.

http://husqvarna.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/855/kw/warranty
 
Mine all came with 2 year warranties that were extended to 4 years by buying true fuel under the Husky brand.

I quote:

How the program works?
Effective February 1, 2013
Consumers who purchase two-stroke gasoline powered Husqvarna branded handheld products, including: chainsaws, blowers, hedge trimmers, pole pruners/saws and trimmers, for non-income producing personal use or household purposes, excluding commercial, agricultural, retail, industrial and rental usage types, can extend their product warranty from the standard 2 years to either a 3 year or 4 year limited warranty.
husq_ewbottles.jpg

To extend the warranty by 1 year to a total of 3:
The consumer will need to take only 2 steps: First, the consumer must purchase at least 6 bottles of Husqvarna brand 2-stroke oil regardless of size and/or type at the same time as the qualifying handheld product purchase and both purchases must be on the original product invoice/receipt. Second, the consumer must register their product online.*
husq_ewcans.jpg

To extend the warranty by 2 years to a total of 4 years:
The consumer will need to take only 2 steps: First, the consumer must purchase at least 3 bottles of the 32oz Husqvarna brand pre-mix fuel at the same time as the qualifying handheld product purchase and both purchases must be on the original product invoice/receipt. Second, the consumer must register their product online.*
 

Latest posts

Back
Top