Thoughts on a 550 Husky from a guy that sells Stihl.

[komatsuvarna]

Compared to what? :jester:

At least they have metal handlebars.....

I guess ill be the first husqvarna guy to admit it, but i like a ported 261. I think it has a little more torque and a much wider powerband.....jmo though, the plastic handle sucks. Just holding the saw by the plastic handle bar, my first thought was a plastic pos saw. They sure run good though......once ported.

 

[Jet47]

Both in stock form - The 550xp absolutely eats the MS261's lunch, shoves it in a locker, and takes its milk money.

With a simple 3/8" hole MM, the 550 is absolutely ridiculous. Violent yet smooth. Perhaps the best power to weight ratio on the market at this time. Great handling saw as well. Brrrrrrrrrrrrraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaappppppppppp. Done. :msp_scared:

Agreed. The power to weight ratio is truly outstanding.
I went a little bigger with the MM. I drilled a 1/2" hole.

 

[sunfish]

I guess ill be the first husqvarna guy to admit it, but i like a ported 261. I think it has a little more torque and a much wider powerband.....jmo though, the plastic handle sucks. Just holding the saw by the plastic handle bar, my first thought was a plastic pos saw. They sure run good though......once ported.

I don't knock Stilh, as they make a good saw. But I like Husky better.

And they both have a lot of plastic, with even More on the Stihl. The plastic handle bar on the Stihl was a big surprise to me! :msp_smile:

 

[Roll Tide]

I guess ill be the first husqvarna guy to admit it, but i like a ported 261. I think it has a little more torque and a much wider powerband.....jmo though, the plastic handle sucks. Just holding the saw by the plastic handle bar, my first thought was a plastic pos saw. They sure run good though......once ported.

I agree with that. I want to see someone run a 25" bar on there 550 as well as my 261 runs one.

 

[Termite]

I don't knock Stilh, as they make a good saw. But I like Husky better.

And they both have a lot of plastic, with even More on the Stihl. The plastic handle bar on the Stihl was a big surprise to me! :msp_smile:

That's the way I feel too. Like Husky better. I like Dolmar too.

 

[nmurph]

Just buy one man. Im a Stihl dealer and wouldnt trade my 395xp for any Stihl, and after running the 562, I am buying one for sure. Wouldnt trade it for a Stihl. I know this is bad. Yall warned me this would happen. :bang:

Dealer??? I thought you were a tech.

 

[Roll Tide]

Dealer??? I thought you were a tech.

I dont believe I rang your bell but I guess let me lay this out in easy terms. Im a tech at a DEALER that is also orders parts, assembles new units, sells units, does it all, you know a dealer. So sorry im a shop manager. Please forgive me.

 

[nmurph]

...Im a Stihl dealer...

...Im a tech at a DEALER...

Sorry, but words mean things.

 

[Roll Tide]

Sorry, but words mean things.

Ok and tell me how there is any difference? I never said I was a owner I said I was a dealer which is true, and WTF this has to do with this thread.

 

[nmurph]

Ok and tell me how there is any difference? I never said I was a owner I said I was a dealer which is true, and WTF this has to do with this thread.

I'm sorry if you don't understand the difference.

I asked bc I thought that I knew you were a tech, but you got bent sideways when I asked, so I ran with it.

 

[Roll Tide]

I'm sorry if you don't understand the difference.

I asked bc I thought that I knew you were a tech, but you got bent sideways when I asked, so I ran with it.

Well to be clear Im employed by Ace Hardware which is a Stihl dealer as there "Stihl service manager" Which you would think means I have people to manage, but what it really means is that I have to manage to work on units that come in ,which I get about 10-20 a week sometimes more. Order and assemble new units, look up parst for people, and sell equiptment.Now explain?

 

[nmurph]

WOW, touchy, are we?

 

[rullywowr]

I guess ill be the first husqvarna guy to admit it, but i like a ported 261. I think it has a little more torque and a much wider powerband.....jmo though, the plastic handle sucks. Just holding the saw by the plastic handle bar, my first thought was a plastic pos saw. They sure run good though......once ported.

So what you are saying once you take a $569 saw and drop another $250 into it, it just barely outshines a 550xp and still feels cheap... sounds about right.

:msp_biggrin:

 

[komatsuvarna]

So what you are saying once you take a $569 saw and drop another $250 into it, it just barely outshines a 550xp and still feels cheap... sounds about right.

:msp_biggrin:

weeeeeeell......yeah!

 

[Roll Tide]

WOW, touchy, are we?

No sir just letting you know what exactly my title is.

 

[mweba]

weeeeeeell......yeah!

Is it still strato or did it have to be totally "redesigned" to barely beat a 550? :jester:

Just having fun, I'm a big fan of the 261 as well. Heck, if it starts and cuts wood I like it.

 

[Raker]

Heck, if it starts and cuts wood I like it.

Agreed. I love em all...I'm like that with everything though. I've owned Ford and Chevy trucks, Toyota and Honda cars, Polaris and Ski-doo sleds.

 

[TK]

I agree with that. I want to see someone run a 25" bar on there 550 as well as my 261 runs one.

I'd hate to see a 25" bar on one. The 261 of mine has a hard enough time with the 16" bar. I will for sure give it more time, but as it stands right now, that 261 is a shame to run in my experience. Ran it within seconds of a 550. I was limbing and doing slight bucking, but mostly limbing. I didn't pick it up expecting it to be bad, I rather expected it to be really good per the comments on it, and I even hoped it was. But it was so slow and and lacking in ergonomics that I was extremely disappointed. I didn't say a bad thing about the saw until after I ran it. Hell I wouldn't have put so much money into getting the saw back together if I thought it was a turd. But ill give it more time and see if it can change my mind. Until then, 550 beats it no questions asked in my hands, that's for sure.

 

[komatsuvarna]

I'd hate to see a 25" bar on one. The 261 of mine has a hard enough time with the 16" bar. I will for sure give it more time, but as it stands right now, that 261 is a shame to run in my experience. Ran it within seconds of a 550. I was limbing and doing slight bucking, but mostly limbing. I didn't pick it up expecting it to be bad, I rather expected it to be really good per the comments on it, and I even hoped it was. But it was so slow and and lacking in ergonomics that I was extremely disappointed. I didn't say a bad thing about the saw until after I ran it. Hell I wouldn't have put so much money into getting the saw back together if I thought it was a turd. But ill give it more time and see if it can change my mind. Until then, 550 beats it no questions asked in my hands, that's for sure.

Im sure thats the case stock for stock. Not any stock 50cc saws that I've ran can hang with a stock 550xp IMO. Heck I ran a 20'' on my 550 awhile back just to see how it handled it doing some light stumping work, It pulled it as well as the 16''! I have ran a few mastermind 261s and 1 Brad Snelling 261 and they are strong runners once ported and made a non strato....until then though, :msp_thumbdn:.

 

[old-cat]

Ok, here's a REAL put down on the MS 261. I thought I wanted one to replace my MS 290, after all the comments on AS. Then I put my meat hooks onto one at the dealer to see how it felt, man no way! My $350 big-bang-for-the-buck 290 is staying with me, thank you very much!
I'd rather spend my money for an MS 440.