Inside the Husqvarna 543xp

[Swamp Yankee]

Who has a 241cm? I need one for comparison...

Sent from my XT1055 using Tapatalk

Had one

Stihl gave me one for a week for evaluation, had to give it back Tuesday.

Was going to post a review, based upon the report I furnished Stihl when I returned the saw. However from what I've seen on this forum over the past year or more, (no offense intended), an evaluation based upon actual field use in a production environment is of small interest and carries very little weight as to a saw's capability.

If anyone wants to PM me with a question, I will do my best to give an honest answer.


Take Care

 

[Thornton]

I would like to see your evaluation post on the 241

 

[Termite]

I bet they wont hold a truck from rolling as good as one of these though .......................View attachment 360346

I am glad you finally found a good use for that 440. This is too easy.

 

[Chris-PA]

I bet they wont hold a truck from rolling as good as one of these though .......................

Note how it has tilted over to the clutch side - proof that Troll was correct about the sideways balance problem due to inboard clutches.

 

[tallguys]

Was going to post a review, based upon the report I furnished Stihl when I returned the saw. However from what I've seen on this forum over the past year or more, (no offense intended), an evaluation based upon actual field use in a production environment is of small interest and carries very little weight as to a saw's capability.

Post your report of the saw. There are a good many who would love to see it.

 

[Teddi]

Swamp Yankee,

This noob would also be very interested to read your review.

 

[Thornton]

Randy is sending me his personal 241 for testing. Should be interesting to see the results.

nice i will be watching for it

 

[weedkilla]

The sceptic in me would love to see these two saws on the same scale. Just because I don't take manufacturers specs as worth very much.

I'm a fan of the 241 for what it is, but the 543 has some obvious advantages and disadvantages on paper. This will be interesting.

 

[SawTroll]

The sceptic in me would love to see these two saws on the same scale. Just because I don't take manufacturers specs as worth very much.

I'm a fan of the 241 for what it is, but the 543 has some obvious advantages and disadvantages on paper. This will be interesting.

I'm not really sure what disadvantages you are referring to, when compared to the 241?

Of course it is a disadvantage that it isn't a true Husky design - but then the 241 isn't either!

 

[weedkilla]

I'd suggest that the lack of an a/t carb and it's higher listed fuel consumption figures are the disadvantages on paper. Could probably add the air filter to that list in some situations.

Fuel consumption figures are only available by comparing husky specs and kwf tests of the 241, so may have no real world bearing anyway. It does appear that the 241 should do about 10-15% more work on it's slightly smaller tank. Only ever matters for those of us who end up a long way from fuel anyway.
And that, of course, only has any bearing on stock saws.

You didn't ask what I thought the benefits of the 543 may be, but it's safe to say they include the fact that the bar mount matches several other saws I own.

 

[SawTroll]

I have no trouble with that theory, and it may well be true for all I know. The outboard clutch and alledgedly lighter weight of the 543xp likely makes it a better handling saw, but I am not sure it is critical in this case.

 

[Big_Wood]

i'll tell ya one thing. i was at walkers saw shop comparing similar sized saws and there is absolutely no way in hell i would consider this 543 over a 241. i'm a husky guy too the 543 feels way to earthquaky to me. heck there are alot of things that look almost like earthquake parts in this thread. of course, i am so used to bigger saws and you would never see me with anything smaller then 50cc anyways but just saying what i felt when handling these saws. i barely even use 50cc saws. it should bring you stihl guys great pleasure to hear a husky guy say the 241 is king of it's class. despite having not run one yet my first impressions of the 543 are rather poor. can't say that for every other model though otherwise i wouldn't be a husky guy

 

[SawTroll]

i'll tell ya one thing. i was at walkers saw shop comparing similar sized saws and there is absolutely no way in hell i would consider this 543 over a 241. i'm a husky guy too the 543 feels way to earthquaky to me. heck there are alot of things that look almost like earthquake parts in this thread. of course, i am so used to bigger saws and you would never see me with anything smaller then 50cc anyways but just saying what i felt when handling these saws. i barely even use 50cc saws. it should bring you stihl guys great pleasure to hear a husky guy say the 241 is king of it's class. despite having not run one yet my first impressions of the 543 are rather poor. can't say that for every other model though otherwise i wouldn't be a husky guy

Well, the Earthquake is a cheaply made "copy" of an old Zenoah design, while the 543 also is a Zenoah design - just not old, or a copy, or cheaply made....

 

[mweba]

In testing this week with other saws, this 543 is 1-2 seconds behind a well broke in 550xp with MM and dead even with 5105 with MM. Same bar and chain, 14"ish wood.


Having to move on to customer saws soon, I'll be building another 543 Monday-Tuesday. Any one interested in running it and returning feed back to me/AS? Saw will be $450 shipped lower 48 ported. I'll maintain to warranty. Shoot me a PM.

 

[Chris-PA]

I'd suggest that the lack of an a/t carb and it's higher listed fuel consumption figures are the disadvantages on paper. Could probably add the air filter to that list in some situations.

Fuel consumption figures are only available by comparing husky specs and kwf tests of the 241, so may have no real world bearing anyway. It does appear that the 241 should do about 10-15% more work on it's slightly smaller tank. Only ever matters for those of us who end up a long way from fuel anyway.
And that, of course, only has any bearing on stock saws.

You didn't ask what I thought the benefits of the 543 may be, but it's safe to say they include the fact that the bar mount matches several other saws I own.

I'm kind of baffled by the direction the design of the GZ4300/543XP took in comparison to the GZ4000/4500. It made sense to split the difference in displacement as they were too close to be worth having two models, the offset crank might provide some performance benefit, and the dual throat carb is simpler and cheaper without being too big a performance loss. But the rest of it seems at best a wash in comparison, and some of it is a negative. I don't see why moving the oil tank to the main case is a help, nor why the move from spring and rubber to just rubber A/V makes sense.

It seems to me they should have saved the cost of the mechanical development and just added AT to the GZ4500, along with a better flowing muffler. The GZ4500 is lighter and without the choked up muffler I doubt that it is down on power at all.

 

[Stihlman441]

opcorn:

 

[nenicu]

i was looking on a japanese site that was linked here around december . it seems that the case is an older design [zenoah g 451 avs] and they just put an strato cylinder and Piston on top of it. the link was in the husqvarna 543 thread and it was lost. the krank is 15 mm on the 543 ,on the gz 4500 the crank is 12 mm.. so is stronger[good decizion].

 

[Chris-PA]

i was looking on a japanese site that was linked here around december . it seems that the case is an older design [zenoah g 451 avs] and they just put an strato cylinder and Piston on top of it. the link was in the husqvarna 543 thread and it was lost. the krank is 15 mm on the 543 ,on the gz 4500 the crank is 12 mm.. so is stronger[good decizion].

I looked at the illustrated parts list pretty carefully - the cases do not look like they are the same.

 

[bryanr2]

Hey Mitch, how far off are you on doing the 241cm?

 

[wigglesworth]

HOORAY....eh....um.... not that saw....