Husqvarna 550XP Mkii OR Stihl MS 261 C-M

[Witterings]

I've narrowed a new purchase down to either the Husqvarna 550XP Mkii OR Stihl MS 261 C-M and interested to hear any feedback from people that own either one of or both and if you're using it as a homeowner or professionally ..... I'll mainly be using it for bucking firewood rather than for commercial use

The difference in cutting time between the 2 is fairly nominal so I'm more interested in reliability and any known issues with either of them as I ideally want something that starts when you want it to and will last for years to come.

My acid question with either .... if yours got stolen tomorrow and had a full insurance payout, would you buy the same as a replacement or be looking at something else and if so what?

 

[AGoodSteward]

261
We sold our 550, cuz no one ever wanted to run it. Hard to start, and was a slow runner. Dunno, might have just been the particular saw, but all the 261's I've run have been a pleasure.

 

[Witterings]

261
We sold our 550, cuz no one ever wanted to run it. Hard to start, and was a slow runner. Dunno, might have just been the particular saw, but all the 261's I've run have been a pleasure.

Do you know if it was a Mk 1 or a Mk 2 which they seem to have resolved the starting isues that were common with the Mk 1 ?

 

[AGoodSteward]

Oh, probably a 1 then.

 

[foeke]

Yeah the 550 I and II are quite a difference.
More 346xp vs 357xp then 346 OE or NE.

 

[BangBang77]

I've never ran a 550, but I do have a 261cm and it goes in the truck every time I'm cutting.

Excellent saw. There's a Stihl dealer on every corner in Oklahoma so it makes sense that most of my OPE is Stihl.

I don't even know of a Husky dealer around here...but the 550 mk2 is supposed to be an excellent saw.

 

[Timber MacFallen]

This is my comprehensive review of both saws. It's a bit long, but I try to cover lots of the little things people forget about sometimes: https://www.arboristsite.com/commun...550xp-mk-2-vs-stihl-ms-261-c-m-review.347706/

 

[EchoRomeoCharlie]

I've run them both.

My vote is 261. That's what I ended up buying.

 

[farmer steve]

Never ran the hooskie. Have the 261 mtronic and it's been dead reliable for over the year I've had it. My go to saw unless I have some bigger wood and then it's the 462. I was at my dealers today and he told me they are having trouble getting the mid size saws right now. I heard that on another forum that the 261 was scarce. If you decide on the 261 and see one better grab it. Good luck on whatever you decide.

 

[Wood Doctor]

I just completed a piston and ring replacement on a Stihl MS261c-m. It runs, but believe me, it was a gorilla and took almost as much time and skill as the 441c-m that I worked on last summer. The slanted-fin cylinders were back ordered (and cost a small fortune) so I decided to see if it would run with new rings, a new piston, and the existing jug. It does.

As a precaution, the choke rod assembly is a bearcat and not a good design. The rod to the carb keeps popping out of the control lever and when that happens, the shroud has to be removed to snap it back in to start and run the saw. If you buy the c-m with the slanted fin cylinder, you are stuck with it. The original 261 cylinders will not fit, nor will the shroud tolerate the taller height.

Replacing the spark plug is not a really easy task. You have to remove both the shroud and the air guide shroud to get to it with a wrench. I suppose Stihl has their reasons for this design.

If I had my choice, I would likely opt for the latest Husqvarna 550XP, but I have yet to operate or repair one. So, my 50cc class saws are still my current collection.

 

[Witterings]

Pre starting this thread I was heavily leaning towards the Husky from all the online reviews / comparisons and the Husky is probably a "quicker" cutter but the main reason was I'd seen a few comments saying Stihl's quality had headed south recently and they'd become very "plasticy" recently ... maybe this refers to their home rather than Pro range.

As I'm right on the verge of choosing / ordering I rang 3 dealers today that sold both to compare prices and ask which they'd buy and all 3 said that they're both great saws but if I'm after ease of maintenance / reliability then go with the Stihl as they see far less coming back to them with issues. (may also be most don't currently have the Husky in stock ... nit that I'm a cynic )

They did however quantify that the most common issue with the Husky was it simply needed a re-set (with a computer / the right software) but was something only a dealer could do whereas most issues with the Stihl had could be resolved by the user in the field.

Not 100% decided but think I'm 88% of the way there ... still really interested in hearing from anyone else that's run either for a longish period of time ( @farmer steve seems you've run the 261 for 1yr +) as I'm sure out of the box both will be amazing .... any common issues would most likely appear after a longer period of use.

 

[farmer steve]

@Witterings. Yes a year doesn't seem like a long time but I cut a lot of wood. Probably at least 20 to 25 cord cut last year. I use my saws. I take care of them but use them for what they are designed for. But like anything nowadays ya never know what could happen tomorrow.

 

[Derrick Sawyer]

As always, comes down to personal preference and dealer support, my dealer closeby carries both, the choke switch i find really annoying on the 550xp but the saw looks cool . the MKII is a bit bloated, so even though it has more torque for medium size trees, for my purpose of limbing while reaching sometimes i prefer the first version 550xp since its noticeably lighter and i step up to 70cc from there, try both if possible

 

[Wood Doctor]

Looks like nobody enjoyed reading what I wrote in post #10. Well guys, I didn't enjoy writing it either. The design flaws I ran into with the 261xp were ridiculous. I could have listed more, including the very difficult removal of the outside handle and a Service Manual that was structured so poorly that it was virtually impossible to follow. I suppose it is possible that Husqvarna service manuals are worse, but having not studied one for the 550XP, a cannot comment on it.

 

[BangBang77]

Yeah, my 2019 Duramax and Allison transmission are not as easy to work on as my old '85 350ci and turbo 400.

That doesn't make my Duramax bad. Just makes it different.

 

[1hp]

just get both.

 

[Timber MacFallen]

Pre starting this thread I was heavily leaning towards the Husky from all the online reviews / comparisons and the Husky is probably a "quicker" cutter but the main reason was I'd seen a few comments saying Stihl's quality had headed south recently and they'd become very "plasticy" recently ... maybe this refers to their home rather than Pro range.

As I'm right on the verge of choosing / ordering I rang 3 dealers today that sold both to compare prices and ask which they'd buy and all 3 said that they're both great saws but if I'm after ease of maintenance / reliability then go with the Stihl as they see far less coming back to them with issues. (may also be most don't currently have the Husky in stock ... nit that I'm a cynic )

They did however quantify that the most common issue with the Husky was it simply needed a re-set (with a computer / the right software) but was something only a dealer could do whereas most issues with the Stihl had could be resolved by the user in the field.

Not 100% decided but think I'm 88% of the way there ... still really interested in hearing from anyone else that's run either for a longish period of time ( @farmer steve seems you've run the 261 for 1yr +) as I'm sure out of the box both will be amazing .... any common issues would most likely appear after a longer period of use.

Long time Husqvarna dealer Ashokan Turf & Timber up in New York reports that they've never had a cylinder head off or any comebacks on the 550xp mk2 since they started selling it. They do pretty good volume and have decades of experience.

Husqvarna has taken a lot of heat about the first generation of the 550xp. There were hot start issues and occasional mechanical failures. After getting blasted by dealers and the Internet the folks at corporate got the message. When they redesigned the 550xp mk2 they seemed to place a huge focus on reliability and durability. It is not an evolution of the previous 550xp but rather a ground up redesign. This has manifested itself as an increase in weight, but if you look at the saw details you'll see quality and attention to detail everywhere.

I could have bought either saw, but the balance with the Husky 20" .050 bar was far superior to the Stihl and the optional narrow kerf chain gives it a small cutting speed advantage. Also, the larger Husky rear handle grip and smoother trigger lock assembly suited my larger hands better (I'm XL/L in gloves).

I wouldn't buy without trying them both.

 

[outdoortype]

I agree with others in that you should go and handle both saws. I know some people make a big deal of the weight/size gain when Husky went to the mark II. I have a 545 mark II and its heavier and longer than my 50 cc 346xp but I don't notice it when I am cutting. To me, the more you have to move the saw around (like limbing), the more important the ergonomics are. While weight is important, balance has more impact to some users.

 

[heimannm]

I have a 550XP Mk I, Mastermind worked it over a little bit. I do not believe a 261 would hold a candle to this one. It can be a challenge to restart when it is very hot and you run it out of fuel...something you learn to manage.

Mark

 

[r black]

both are good saws the 550 mark II ........ is the only one i have run more than a few minutes...and it is spectacular..not start issues, screams, has very good power a little heavy is the only down side ....i perfer the start stop switch on the Husqvarna much over the stihl