550XP or 562XP as a fill in?

[Ashful]

Nah... took it back, I think in trade for the 056 Super, or maybe it was between the 056 and 064. It was an 084 with .404 chain, and I think a 36" or longer bar, that they had taken in on trade. They ship them with small sprockets, for slow chain speed for lots of milling torque, so they're pretty boring out of the box. Although I'd guess you could always re-sprocket it as fast as you'd like, to the point of smoking a chain, with that amount of horsepower behind it.

Carrying it to the point of use was like dragging a toddler around Disney World. Heavy and awkward.

 

[EbS-P]

I’m of the opinion everyone NEEDs a 90cc class saw I love mine! Zero issues and it’s been run HARD on a mill.
https://www.farmertec.com/92cc-Holzfforma®-Blue-Thunder-G660-Gasoline-Chain-Saw-Power-Head-Without-Guide-Bar-and-Chain-Top-Quality-By-Farmertec-All-parts-are-For-MS660-066-Chainsaw-p692245.html

your one saw plan is exactly what I’d choose and I’d have a loop full skip semi chisel for each bar too for the really dirty stuff you know will dull a chain fast. Keeps the rpm’s up in the big stuff. Faster to sharpen.

To be honest I'm considering the double saw plan again. Just got a $1,000 repair done for free (tldr it took 2 months longer than it should have due to part issues) sooooo back to the drawing board lol. I think I can probably swing getting the 550 with an 18" for the small stuff then next year grabbing a 572 with a big boy bar.....

Decision paralysis! Thankfully I'm not buying it right now lol.

 

[salecker]

084 is a 122 CC saw...
I have a couple of them
PM 390 is the biggest one man saw made at 139 CC
I have a couple of them

 

[Ashful]

084 is a 122 CC saw...
I have a couple of them
PM 390 is the biggest one man saw made at 139 CC
I have a couple of them

Sorry, yes. You're correct, my memory got me there. They had it tagged "125cc" in the shop, and I think there is some variation of the different flavors of 084 made over the years, so that's probably plausible... or just rounding error.

Which saw was 135cc? Was it one of the 088 flavors? (edit... found it: 090 AV).

 

[Matt93eg]

Thanks guys I appreciate the insight. It all makes perfect sense to me. So here's the final plan:

562 xp mark II
18" full chisel for daily use
24" or 28" full chisel skip for big boys.

..............

When the wife allows it. Lol. Really though I just got the splitter this winter so I'm hoping to get the saw for the upcoming bucking season. I won't need it until then anyways may as well spread out the spending. Unless there's a good sale! Which there is right now...😬😬😬

I think you have a good plan. I have come to really like my 562. I still have my 22" full time on mine. I will probably drop it to a 18-20 when I need a new bar. I have the OG 562, not the mark 2.

It as some grunt but likes RPMs so I don't go aggressive on the depth gauges. You want good sharp chain but don't want depth gauges down to where it makes it hard to keep the RPMs up. They are fun high strung saws

 

[JRHAWK9]

I'm still currently deciding between the 550/562 xp mark II models. I rarely do any felling this will be 99% used for bucking 4-5 cords of firewood a year in my driveway. Most of the stuff I get is 14-22" with the very occasional 30" big boy mixed in.

I mentioned it a little bit in another thread but I currently have a 440 with an 18" bar. It gets the job done but it's really just too wimpy for anything 20" plus it takes forever. It's not a bar size issue it's a HP issue it gets bogged down buried in oak as you'd expect from a 40 cc homeowner saw.

I think in ideal world I'd grab the 550 xp mark II with an 18" bar and a 572 xp with a 24" for the big boys and go with the two saw plan but that's not really in my budget. I can only buy one saw this year. That makes the 562 xp mark II 60 cc with an 18 or 20" bar pretty enticing for a one saw plan.

The thing is that 550 xp mark II really rips. It's so much better than the homeowner saws. I had a friend bring his MS 261 over the other day and it destroyed the 30" oak log I had. No problems and only a 50 cc saw. Kind of makes me think given what I'm doing the 550 xp mark II with an 18" is plenty of power. It won't bog down buried in the occasional 30" log and will hot knife through butter all the small stuff, a true lightsaber, while saving some weight. It just seems like a pretty perfect all around saw for my needs. Then if I ever want a toy for super big boys I can pick up a 572 in the future.

What do you think? Leaning 550 xp mark II with an 18" bar. The 440 will be relegated to light limb/unpinching/backup duty.

Here's a 550XP MKII with a 18" bar and 8 pin rim sprocket not quite buried. I chose an 8 pin rim because I'm going to be running a 16" bar on mine and wanted the little bit more chain speed. BTW, the saw in the video below IS my saw. Lots of guys run 20" bars on them.

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[JRHAWK9]

If you are that impressed with the 261, why don’t you look at a 261 ? @brenndatomu is a big fan of that saw. On another forum they said the 550XP is great if you can keep the RPM’s up but once it starts bogging down that’s it. Where the 261 is the exact opposite from what they said. Most people say it’s a toss up between the two.

I was actually considering a 261CM, just for something different. Then I did some poking around and that changed my mind. Plus, I already have a bunch of bar/chains that would work with a 550.

Husqvarna 550XP Mk 2 vs Stihl MS 261 C-M Review

Hi All, I recently picked up a brand new Husky 550XP Mark 2 with a 20" bar and narrow kerf chain (.325/.050) and had an opportunity to compare it with the Stihl MS 261 c-m for a day, so I thought I'd share my thoughts as an initial post. I know these saws have been discussed countless times...

www.arboristsite.com

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[Newbie78]

It's hard to imagine a world where cutting "cookies" means anything to anybody.

Oh well, here we are..

 

[Newbie78]

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[Caw]

It's a reasonable approximation of bucking firewood. Good enough for comparisons. I've decided on the 550 xp m2 with an 18". Ill probably get it later this summer/fall. Currently spending all my money on vacation with the family. 😂

 

[Ashful]

It's hard to imagine a world where cutting "cookies" means anything to anybody.

Oh well, here we are..

It’s a practical way to compare saws, or evaluate changes in a saw’s performance due to mods, without wasting a lot of wood, if you’re in a place where hauling out rounds is less practical. Of course, if you’re at home and not at a competition or a saw shop, then just cutting rounds at your usual length is more practical.