My Husky dealer says no to the 576XP

[BuddhaKat]

I went into my local Husky dealer to get some info on the 576XP and his advice was "Don't buy it." He said the new air charge system will make the motor run hot if it gets out of adjustment because it will lean out the motor. Well a lean mix will create heat, but I'm a bit skeptical about his blanket claim. As a mechanical engineer, I have to believe Husky tested the hell out of this thing before releasing it to production. Of course, there's no guaranty of that, but their R&D is well funded. I can see that it might be difficult balancing chainsaw performance against the EPA requirements, but the basics are the basics. HP:Weight. Can anyone tell me about this Auto-Tune carb? Would that catch the lean out before it became a problem?

I'm really torn as to which saw to buy. I'm going from a Poulan 2450 with a 16" bar to a pro class saw with a 28". I'm going to be felling pine up to 24" and some oak. My inclination is to go with the 576XP or the Stihl 361. Honestly, I liked the weight distribution of the Husky 575 better than the Stihl, but I haven't picked up a 576 yet. I'm not so fearful of the 576 being new technology, but ya never know. I almost ordered a 576XP/28" off of eBay on Sunday. It was a pre-order price with a 10% discount, plus I had a 10% coupon from eBay. My total cost, including shipping would have been a touch over $700, including shipping. But She That Must Be Obeyed said no. Damn, I wish I could remember where I left my stones at.

 

[Bushman_269]

Get the 372xp while it is still available and don't look back.

 

[Austin1]

I am always cautious of anything new! best to buy in the second or third year as the bug's will be worked out. But cant help but wonder if the 576 is the 575 with all the bugs worked out?
To me the 441 is a pig compared to the 044/440 same with the 575 vr 2171/372. Yet the 441 has way better, Jred/husky anti vibe type than a 440.If you believe everything posted on here the 441 is a much better design than the 575 yet 90% on A.S are stihl heads. The way I look at it is I own older more polluting saw's that are forgiving in the carb adjustment. I think finicky adjustment is just something we will have to deal with for a wile until the saw's are computer controlled just like today's cars then we will see more efficient saw's.Plus I really don't think down the road the saw;s will weigh more as we as a society are becoming a bunch of #####'s! Yes give it a few years and the saw's will be lighter and more powerful than anything we have today. But they will lack character and sound like wimps!
You just cant beat that sound of a Big Mac or HL or on a cold Dec morning.

 

[bigjake]

I dont know about the new saw .But the 361 is a workhoarse and you can
get parts anywere .its been around for a long time .the husky boys will be here soon but i am always loyale to stihl because i have a great dealer close
and there are dealers all around here and they just seem to run forever.
never run many husks so i cant say to much about them but they will let
you know the saw info is crazy here the Best.

 

[bigjake]

Maybe i just got a good saw but i love my 441 and it will cut as good as
my buddys 460 and uses half the fuel.Just my opinion.

 

[HillRat]

Get the 372xp while it is still available and don't look back.

I asked my local Husky dealer the same question a few months ago and that's exactly what he told me. I took his advice and I can tell you that the 372XP is everything they say it is. Great saw!

 

[nixon]

Get the 372xp while it is still available and don't look back.

Certainly not meaning to step on the OP's thread.
But, are You saying the 372xp is not long for this world ?

 

[danrclem]

+1 on the 372. It's a perfect saw for those 24" trees. I hate to buy something with a new design. It might be great but then again it might be crap. The 372 has a proven history with the pros and the homeowner firewood cutters.

 

[MIspecial]

1+ on the 2171--love it 28" bar

 

[fishercat]

all saws are going strato.

so are we to assume your dealer is just going to close his dorrs in a couple years when all saws use the same technology as the 576xp? i think you would be safe to try if you a hell bent.

i agree with the previous posters.the 441 sucks,i know,we had one,it's long gone,not a moment too soon.

MS361 is a great saw,as is the MS460.their only flaws are gas and oil caps and parts are expensive.

i'd get the 372xp or 372 xpw if you can.i have three and i may be buying a couple more before the year is over.it's gonna be sad when they are gone for good.i see used 372 prices going through the roof.

 

[cat10ken]

I leave my MS460 home since I got a new J-red 2186. The 2186 starts easier and has a much better anti-vibration system. I have used nothing but Stihl products for over 25 years but a J-red dealer convinced me to try one of his and I have not been disappointed.

 

[Ske-bum]

I went into my local Husky dealer to get some info on the 576XP and his advice was "Don't buy it."
I'm really torn as to which saw to buy. I'm going from a Poulan 2450 with a 16" bar to a pro class saw with a 28". I'm going to be felling pine up to 24" and some oak. My inclination is to go with the 576XP or the Stihl 361. Honestly, I liked the weight distribution of the Husky 575 better than the Stihl, but I haven't picked up a 576 yet. I'm not so fearful of the 576 being new technology, but ya never know. I almost ordered a 576XP/28" off of eBay on Sunday. It was a pre-order price with a 10% discount, plus I had a 10% coupon from eBay. My total cost, including shipping would have been a touch over $700, including shipping.

Is this the dealer in sparks?? He is a real joy to talk to.

Anyway, I won't order a 576 off of ebay, no one has them, no one knows when they are coming in, spring is what I have been told by several dealers. Also the dealers don't seem to know what is changing from the 575, until you can touch one in a store I won't buy it. 575 would be a better option.

However here is my advice, I have been looking for saw in the same size you have and I ordered 372. If you don't want a 372 get a 460. This is before these saws are gone. This is the last year that they will make these saws because of the tougher EPA laws that come into efffect in 2010. Some dealers will tell you about trade offs and so on. The trade offs are ending.

You have the rest of your life to run stato saws, get the proven saws and don't look back.

 

[avalancher]

Yep, forget anything else. Get a 372 and never regret the dollars you plunk down. From the price you mentioned, you can get a 372 for the same money and be ahead of the game.

 

[Ed*L]

One more vote for the 372/2171. You won't regret it.

Ed

 

[Zodiac45]

Get the 372xp while it is still available and don't look back.

Yep, a proven workhorse.

 

[hutch3912]

JRed

One more vote for JRed 2171. Had it a year and haven't found anything wrong with it yet.

 

[Ske-bum]

One more vote for JRed 2171. Had it a year and haven't found anything wrong with it yet.

The problem with a Jred in this area, it looks like the guy who started this thread is in Reno, NV. about a hour from me. Is that there is no dealers. Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado and maybe Utah. California and Nevada none.

 

[BuddhaKat]

Is this the dealer in sparks?? He is a real joy to talk to.

Anyway, I won't order a 576 off of ebay, no one has them, no one knows when they are coming in, spring is what I have been told by several dealers. Also the dealers don't seem to know what is changing from the 575, until you can touch one in a store I won't buy it. 575 would be a better option.

However here is my advice, I have been looking for saw in the same size you have and I ordered 372. If you don't want a 372 get a 460. This is before these saws are gone. This is the last year that they will make these saws because of the tougher EPA laws that come into effect in 2010. Some dealers will tell you about trade offs and so on. The trade offs are ending.

You have the rest of your life to run stato saws, get the proven saws and don't look back.

Why yes, as a matter of fact it was the guy in Sparks. What a :monkey:. I've had had previous dealings with him and was quite disappointed when I found out he was the only local dealer, but I needed to put my hands on a 575 and a 372.

Hmmm.....Decisions, decisions. The engineer in me gravitates toward anything new simply because it must be better, (ha!), but my 50 years says to listen to the old bulls, their experience is undeniable. (I love telling the story of the old bull and the young bull to the smartass kids that think they know everything.) As an old bull myself, I know there is wisdom in listening to other old bulls.

There's another factor to consider that I haven't mentioned. I'm handicapped. I've got a pretty bad set of lungs. I need the exercise, but the lower emissions are something I think might be a good thing for me in the long run. Conversely, my little Poulan can smoke like a chimney and it doesn't really bother me. So, are emissions really that big of a deal? I dunno. The other thing is, I need to blow through the cuts, so I need power. I'm actually pretty strong so I can hold up a 15 lb. saw, just not for very long. Skip chains and chaps for me I guess.

Just a quick note about chaps. I'd never seen anyone wear them before. I didn't even know they had them till I started reading A.S. I will never start my saw again without wearing them. As a survivor of a little nick on my leg I'd like to say that not wearing them, even for a single cut is just stupid. Thank you A.S. members for your emphasis on safety.

 

[BuddhaKat]

The problem with a Jred in this area. It looks like the guy who started this thread is in Reno, NV. about a hour from me. Is that there is no dealers. Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado and maybe Utah. California and Nevada none.

Not actually in Reno either, I'm in Cold Springs, which is about 25 miles North of Reno, right where Hwy 395 goes back into CA.

Hey, when you get your 372, do you think I can come up and make a couple of cuts with it just to see how it feels?

 

[spike60]

I went into my local Husky dealer to get some info on the 576XP and his advice was "Don't buy it." He said the new air charge system will make the motor run hot if it gets out of adjustment because it will lean out the motor. Well a lean mix will create heat, but I'm a bit skeptical about his blanket claim. As a mechanical engineer, I have to believe Husky tested the hell out of this thing before releasing it to production. Of course, there's no guaranty of that, but their R&D is well funded. I can see that it might be difficult balancing chainsaw performance against the EPA requirements, but the basics are the basics. HP:Weight. Can anyone tell me about this Auto-Tune carb? Would that catch the lean out before it became a problem?

The air charge system, or strato charged feature, has NOTHING to do with the fuel mix, which is still entirely the job of carb. Some dealers don't understand strato, so in their minds it's "voodoo" and they tell everybody to stay away from it. Either he needs to warm up to this new technology, or he has to get out of the saw business, because they will all be that way before long. Strato is just a clean air pulse to reduce the amount of unburned intake charge blowing out of the muffler as on traditional two strokes. The strato charging is done through transfer ports, so it cannot go out of adjustment.

The 576 has a lot of changes from the 575, including carb, piston and cylinder, crank. There is no reason to stay away from it. All saws are set very lean from the factory, and a dealer that knows how they work will richen up the settings, without altering the limiter caps before it goes out.

That being said, I totally agree that the 372/2171 is probably the best family of saws that Husky has ever made, and I'd grab one while they are still available. They are as proven and reliable as you can get.