Greaser007 here:
I am not familiar with the 500i saw.
I did enjoy reading the first 5 pages and came up with a conclusion:
Change is inevitable. I remember the day of using plastic to pay for fuel, and I still paid with green backs.
Being a draftsman by circumstances, there came a day where I had to change from hand drawing to Cadd.
I had to sign up for evening division local college classes to get instruction, and felt really Dumb.
Thank heavens for instructor's (mentor's).
I just drove through a portion of the 2018 Carr Fire burn scar looking at free pine (digger).
The area is a mess of digger pine trunks laying everywhere like pickup-sticks. Manzanita brush is already flourishing.
Here is why the wood is free. It litters the burn scar because your average "Joe" has never used a chain saw in his life, and would have no idea of how to extract the wood being mostly trunk wood 28 to 42 inches.
I use both my old Husky 2100cd and newer 394xp both running 38 or longer bars.
_ _ _ dang, I'm a lugger, and keep trying to keep the saws on pipe like a dirt bike or Subaru WRX.
Just after the Carr Fire the local Ace Hardware had a big Husky faller's saw for $1200, and it tempted me.
I guess if I were to run a nice light weight 500i, i had better keep her on pipe like the Subaru wrx hot rod.
( I ran a wrx for 14-years without wrecking it. got lucky, and what a kick in the pants car ).
The subaru wrx is such a pleasure, it will bring a smile to your face like a good pulling saw w/ sharp chain.