sunfish
Fish Head
You did very good. Nice saw. Congrats!!!
New 550XP arrived!!
- Thread starter stormpetrel
- Start date
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TermiteBuffet
ArboristSite Guru
Congratulation, you're going to love it
stormpetrel
ArboristSite Member
better-sized photos.
Loaded these photos.....they're better.
Loaded these photos.....they're better.
Ductape
Addicted to ArboristSite
:msp_love::msp_love:
stormpetrel
ArboristSite Member
After an exhausting week of work, I finally got to cut with the new saw. I'll say this: trees are my b^%*h!!!!!!!! The 550XP is exactly like my old 445......but with a supercharger!!! It screamed and growled it's way through a dozen trees (small stuff around 8" or so) with chips flying, and a BIG smile on my face:hmm3grin2orange:. It uses fuel at about the same pace the little 445 did. But cuts twice as much wood! It's the same size and weight, the balance is fine w/ the 18" Sugi (which BTW is just as long as the Husky 20" bar?) just seems like maybe someone snuck it some steroids!! I am very glad I got a (for me) perfect package: not too much weight, and all the power I should need. Ok, maybe I am having thoughts about a 372XP to keep it company. But....they're just *thoughts*!!! I swear. :cool2:
I ran two tanks of fuel through it. I could feel it "learning", responding quicker to a pull on the throttle, bogging a little at first in the long cuts, and then less. I am getting excited to see how she ends up running after "waking up".....any ideas how many more tanks that should take?
I also am climbing up the sharpening learning curve. I dulled the two new chains I got in the sandy bark. And yes, I did cut a few stumps. I only have one saw:frown:. After carefully examining my freshly-sharpened chains I noticed I was not getting the underside of the top forward side of the teeth good with the file. I changed the right/left angle of the file from dead horizontal to a 5-10 degree angle, and that got the teeth sharper than fresh from the box, as in cut-your-fingers sharp. Unfortunately it started to rain, so it'll have to wait for another day......
I have plenty for the saw to do. One thing in particular I'll need help with is a tall spruce very close to the house, leaning toward the house. After I gett more experience felling with the 550 I'll post looking for some how-to for that project. Otherwise, I have a whole hillside that needs to have the old/leaning/dead and just unnecessary trees taken down. It won't be a problem: there;s a new sheriff in town.....
I ran two tanks of fuel through it. I could feel it "learning", responding quicker to a pull on the throttle, bogging a little at first in the long cuts, and then less. I am getting excited to see how she ends up running after "waking up".....any ideas how many more tanks that should take?
I also am climbing up the sharpening learning curve. I dulled the two new chains I got in the sandy bark. And yes, I did cut a few stumps. I only have one saw:frown:. After carefully examining my freshly-sharpened chains I noticed I was not getting the underside of the top forward side of the teeth good with the file. I changed the right/left angle of the file from dead horizontal to a 5-10 degree angle, and that got the teeth sharper than fresh from the box, as in cut-your-fingers sharp. Unfortunately it started to rain, so it'll have to wait for another day......
I have plenty for the saw to do. One thing in particular I'll need help with is a tall spruce very close to the house, leaning toward the house. After I gett more experience felling with the 550 I'll post looking for some how-to for that project. Otherwise, I have a whole hillside that needs to have the old/leaning/dead and just unnecessary trees taken down. It won't be a problem: there;s a new sheriff in town.....
rullywowr
ArboristSite Operative
Congrats on your 550xp, I love mine! :msp_wub:
Perhaps the hardest part is waiting until you get 15-20 tanks through it (it sips gas btw) and then it REALLY opens up...
Oh yeah, and you probably should get (err..NEED) a 372xp as well...
Perhaps the hardest part is waiting until you get 15-20 tanks through it (it sips gas btw) and then it REALLY opens up...
Oh yeah, and you probably should get (err..NEED) a 372xp as well...
stormpetrel
ArboristSite Member
Congrats on your 550xp, I love mine! :msp_wub:
Perhaps the hardest part is waiting until you get 15-20 tanks through it (it sips gas btw) and then it REALLY opens up...
Oh yeah, and you probably should get (err..NEED) a 372xp as well...
Well...now that I have finally learned to get a chain sharper than it comes out of the box a whole new world of cutting has opened up. I'm talking about the world where wood chips fly like mad as the saw just melts hardwood like it was a dinner roll. WOW.
The difference? Getting a Husky roller guide kit. I had the angles down already, but was using a too-small file
I first used it on some chains that were well used, and noticed that they cut better than new. So I broke out the three new chains I just got, and filed them as well. I checked the rakers, and noticed they were high (on the factory new chains). Part of why the old chains cut so well was probably due to the rakers really needing a "shave". Having the raker guide built right into the file guide sure is handy. Best $15 I've spent in a while.....Bailey's has 'em. No grinding for me!!!:msp_sneaky:
