543 will be a flop

[MCW]

I have only run the 241 and sluggish off idle throttle response is my only complaint. Husky normally have throttle response nailed.

 

[blsnelling]

Is the build quality of this 543XP going to be Redmax GZ4000/4500 like, or 550XP like?

 

[MCW]

Is the build quality of this 543XP going to be Redmax GZ4000/4500 like, or 550XP like?

Is there a big difference Brad? I've never seen a Redmax.

 

[blsnelling]

The best way that I know to describe the Redmax, is that it is very "plasticky". Yes, there is plenty of plastic in a 550, but the overall build quality is much higher. The Redmax reminds me more of Echo build quality. It is not on par with the 550, 346, 241, or 261.

 

[spike60]

After scrounging 10 cords of wood off the local mountains this winter, 40cc/60cc plan sounds good to this aging back.

Husky reps I spoke with at recent trade show told me the 543xp is replacement for 242xp . . . we'll see!

Well see is right. I have a couple 242's and they will go head to head with the 543 when it shows up. Personally I have my doubts the 543 will match the 242, but I've been told it's a runner. They may show up in time for the Upstate NY GTG in late April so I'll bring them both up and let everybody take 'em for a spin.

 

[tallguys]

I'm hoping that when the 543 becomes available, someone here can do a proper 3-way comparison with it and the Stihl and Dolmar.

 

[SawTroll]

You're only upset Niko because the little Stihl had made my 550XP redundant I'm a big Husky fan too so brand bias is certainly not a factor here.

I am not upset at all - and there obviously are a lot of factors/variables involved.

 

[SawTroll]

Is the build quality of this 543XP going to be Redmax GZ4000/4500 like, or 550XP like?

Zenoah (Redmax) 4300, which seem to be a better saw than the 4000/4500 in the power vs. weight department - but I suspect it still suffer from its Zenoah origin. It is a long time since Husky last built a pro saw with a "plastic" clutch cover, for one....

 

[MCW]

I am not upset at all - and there obviously are a lot of factors/variables involved.

Actually there isn't a lot of variables involved Niko. In fact that comparison is/was about as accurate as you could get under those conditions. In just a few cuts anybody would instantly realise the 550XP is a LOT faster in the cut than the 241. The real world of course is a lot different than simply cutting a few cants with a stopwatch.

 

[KenJax Tree]

There was guy that said his 241 smoked his 550


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[MCW]

There was guy that said his 241 smoked his 550

In an outright drag race not a hope without the 550XP having a problem. Even a ported 241 would struggle.

 

[SawTroll]

.... as accurate as you could get under those conditions. .......

I'm sure it was, under those conditions!

I know you well enough to know you wouldn't tell stories that weren't true.

 

[KenJax Tree]

He posted videos. His 241 was ported by Brad. As good as my PS-421 cuts its not close to my 550


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[MCW]

I'm sure it was, under those conditions!

And that's why it was a consistent test with some level of actual accuracy

 

[MCW]

He posted videos. His 241 was ported by Brad. As good as my PS-421 cuts its not close to my 550


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"He" wasn't the marketing head from Stihl was he?

 

[KenJax Tree]

Here's 2 video's i took earlier. They aren't the greatest, but you can still see the difference in speed. You will see in the video's that I have a habit of pushing the saws instead of just letting it cut. A few cuts I let the saws sit there with out pushing them. At the end of the second video, you will be able to tell and I could tell that the 550xp was getting dull. In between the video's i was still cutting and must have hit something and dulled up the chain. I know a few of the logs had a lot of water/moister in them still as I could see ice in the center of the rounds I cut off.

In this video the 550XP is wearing a 16" 3/8 LGX combo and the MS241C is wearing a 16" 3/8LP RM3 combo. The 241 was noticeably faster with the RM3 chain as opposed to the stock(PM3). I have a feeling that it feels faster due to the smaller chain that allows the saw to carry less load. To me, the 241 pulls way harder in the wood As mentioned in my other post, the ms241c still felt more maneuverable and nibble compared to the 550XP. The 550XP definitely feels heavier.

Tomorrow I will re-sharpen the saws and head out again. I will also put the 18" .325 combo back on the 550XP to see how that feels again.

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[SCHallenger]

In an outright drag race not a hope without the 550XP having a problem. Even a ported 241 would struggle.

What I'm taking from this thread is, your analysis in real world usage shows that there is a niche for this class of saw. Whether that niche exists only in professional use or may also find its way to the "less frequent but competent user", remains to be seen. If the 543 is competitive with the 241, it probably has a chance to be a good seller. I suspect the Dolmar 420-421 already is a good seller. How well it stacks up in professional use may well be determined by Kenjax, if he keeps track of the cost of putting wood on the ground within a given period of time as well as you do.

 

[Tor R]

The people that have something dead against the smaller saws like the MS241C and 543 have obviously never run one. Everybody I know who has bought the 241 ends up leaving their 50cc saws in the shed. The difference on paper doesn't seem significant. The practical difference is huge.

I dont doubt in anything of what you are saying.
I cant get the 543Xp out of my mind, the size and weight are there, very close to the ideal allround saw.
There where only two complaint from me.
One of them can easier be improved with a tuning on the carburator, or a bit modding.
The other complaint I have is the lousy vibration system it has, and that part is more difficult to fix.

I Am still so tempted by the saw that I will borrow it in the easter vacation.
Even I for the most only have 50cc, there is space for one good 42-44cc.

 

[weedkilla]

These class of saws have a big interest to me.
Currently I have all huskies, and roughly in this class a 345,445 and oe346. So the 445 is obviously lower in performance than either of the saws in discussion here, and it holds it's own in a lot of situations. A lighter saw of similar power will always interest me.
I do lots of olive control, think 20 stems of 2"-10" diameter per tree and you will get the idea. I also do a lot of felling weed tree species in native vegetation, current job is 4 days across 450 acres - so more walking than cutting. Fuel economy and weight determines how much ground I cover in a day, not cutting speed. I'm happy to accept I may be an odd case, but I will eagerly await the outcomes of these two saws. I plan on replacing the 345 and 445 with a pair of whichever of these two I prefer. Having used a 241 I will be surprised if the husky 543 can be a better mini all round saw. Can't wait to find out though.

 

[SawTroll]

There are some weight difference between those 42/43cc saws. the 543xp seem to be the lightest, about a pound less than the PS-421. The MS241 is somewhere inbetween. rated power is the same 2.2 kW for all those.

Regarding older saws in the class, the PS-420 was 2.0 kW, and the 242xp 2.3 or 2.4 kw, depending on the exact version. The weight spec of the 242xp was the same as for the MS241.