Husqvarna 550XP MK I or MK II?

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Which do you prefer, the OE 550XP MK1 or the NE 550XP MK2?

  • Any year OE 550XP is better, I like that it weighs less and currently costs less.

  • Only a later year OE 550XP, the earlier ones had too many problems.

  • The NE 550XP MK2 is the way to go.

  • Neither, I prefer the pre-autotune 346XP (if you can find one).

  • I'm just here to vote for some other brand.


Results are only viewable after voting.

Derf

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I've been using my new 550XPG MK II a bit this winter, about 3 months now. The 'new saw' magic has worn off a bit, and I'm becoming a little more critical of it. While I appreciate the better air filter design, and the fast acceleration, and I don't really miss rev boost or the decomp, I do notice it feels more like my 254XP in terms of being boxier and heavier than my old 550XP MK I (sold it), or even my 346XPG. It is lighter than my 562xpg, but I feel like I'm craving something smaller after using the MK II for a few hours. I might work one day with the 550XPG MK II, and another with the 346XPG.

OTOH, the AV is smoother than my 346XPG though, and the fuel economy is better, and autotune is always nice on a work saw. But there is something that just keeps me going back to the 346. I kind of wish the 550XPG MK II was just a little lighter (and had a shorter name to type).

I thought I'd start a little poll to see what the opinion of the internet is.
 
+1 the 550 and 545 MKII still feel familiar to my 353 but the extra weight is just a shame. Now looking at a Dolkita 4300 /420 since the 353 just doesn't want to break and I don't want anything heavier.

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I had an early 550xp and never had a problem with it. I got a wild hair up my arse one day and bought a new 261 VII. That is what i prefer now so i sold the 550. Nothing against 550 at all i just liked the 261 better.
 
I've never owned 550 but I have a 545 Mark II and like it so far. I have a 50 cc 346xp that I like and I took them both out and alternated a lot. The 545 has a longer case, longer handle spacing and is rated heavier. It's different, but not bad. To be honest, the longer case and weight gain aren't a problem. I like the 545 better for bucking. Even though it's rated at 11.7 lbs, it feels a lot lighter than my 60cc 12-1/2 lb saws. If your swinging the saw around a lot above waist level, then the 346 is slightly better. But let's face it, the compactness and weight (at least with husky) is compromised due to the angled cylinders and strato design.
 
I bought the MK I based on price and weight over the MK II and I don't regret the decision one bit. Love this saw.

I've owned two 346 NEs. I prefer the 550 MK I
 
The 550mki is actually lighter than the 346xp, and the handles are spaced out more which makes it a little easier to handle. The vibs are lower plus great fuel economy make it a little better than the 346xp.

Autotune is either the best thing since sliced bread (when it works) or the worst nightmare (when it doesn’t work).

The 346xp can probably be ported to race faster, and it’s easier to work on and simpler in design.
 
I've been running 346s' for 20 years, have 4 ported ones now. They are still my favorite saw! But I've been running a ported 550 more lately. The 550 is not faster, but has a little more power in larger wood. I do also like the ergonomics of the 550 a lot.

The mkii has a tad even more power than the mki I feel. At least stock vs stock. Just wish it was a little more nimble feeling. I’m starting to play comparison of my 254 with the mkii.
 
Have only actually ran the Mark I in wood , have handled the Mark II @ local dealership seems a little boxer . I prefer my 346 xp for the cutting I do with it , especially since the addition of the 5105 which fills in between the needs of the 346 & my 576 xp when it gets into bigger felling requirements . I have a few friends with the Mark I who love the older model !
 
So in the end, the 346 was very nice in all ways except EPA wise. the MKI was also very nice to handle but at first had a lot of serious issues.
MKII came to clear the name, wich was almost under engineered (havier, boxier) and people said they preffered a saw without issues. But at least in this thread it seems it was the wrong direction to go heavier and maybe less ergodynamic.

And I totally agree.
If a bit Boxier is OK. Buy a Dolkita 5105 wich has more power on the Dyno and is quite a bit cheaper. They should have called the later MKI's MKII's and be done with it.

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I was also deciding between at those this summer. Had thought I decided I was going to buy the MKII. The MKI was on a pretty good sale so I was in a bit of a conundrum...do I go for more power or drop a pound and save $150??? The dealer sells both Stihl and Husqvarna...so I punted and bought an MS261 (my first Stihl saw). I honestly don't think I could have left with the "wrong" saw that day between those 3.
 
I bought a new MKI a few months ago and to be honest I questioned whether or not I made the right choice at first. However, the damn thing's growing on me and at this point I've sort of lost interest in debating which one is better, and I don't feel as though I compromised buying the older model.
 
I bought a new MKI a few months ago and to be honest I questioned whether or not I made the right choice at first. However, the damn thing's growing on me and at this point I've sort of lost interest in debating which one is better, and I don't feel as though I compromised buying the older model.
Same here. There were problems with the earlier ones, but How many thousands are out there still running fine? 100 bad saws out of 10,000 can look like a big problem, but it really isnt.
 
I never had a problem with my 2253 or 550xp. I did purchase a 550 mark2 and feel that it has more torque and handles more like a 346xp. The 550xp feels more neutral.The mark2 and 346 feels more bottom heavy.
 
I loved my 550xp, but revamped my saw plan and am going with a 241cm for limbing and 362cm for medium sized bucking. ms500i for felling and large bucking.

261cm is close in weight to the 550xp mark i believe and has more power. definitely lighter than 550xp mkii.

Perhaps try out MS241cm or 261cm.
 
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