550XP Mk2

[Cuttup]

We've probably been down this road before....

 

Need a saw for aerial tree work. I've heard many users day thsi saw is great for forestry (long periods of cutting) but really not good at restarting when hot. Given the stop start nature of arb work, this could be PIA.

 

The only other saw I've really looked at is a 450 which is a tidy enough wee saw, but obviously with less power. No complications with autotune  however 

 

Views from any experience of these saws gladly received.

Cheers 

[Mick Dempsey]

You have to use the choke on a restart after a few minutes, even if it’s ‘hot’

 

My experience anyway.

 

Never had a problem with starting or restarting. 

[s o c]

No problems with ours , husky’s get hard to start hot when they are well worn but easy start when new.

we went from 560s to 550 during Covid because no 560 to be got here .

glad now , very fast and light and loads of power.

[5thelement]

If you read the instruction manual and look at the diagram at the side of the start button on the saw, it tells you how to start hot and cold. Do it this way and it will be fine, don’t do it and guess what? 😉

[Cuttup]

Perfect. I'm in. Thanks guys.

 

Was planning to run an 18" bar (it's primarily for blocking down and bigger limb removal)

 

Should be up to that aye?

[Mark Bolam]

It will be sweet on an 18” for that mate.

 

Get the XPG if you can, your hands will thank you for it.

[Alycidon]

My 560XP has been bad,   2 engine rebuilds,  one after only 20 hours use.  Pretty good hot starts though.

 

Always used Husky but bought a 462 Sthill for groundwork,  now that is one heck of a saw.

 

A

[Dan Maynard]

2 hours ago, Alycidon said:

My 560XP has been bad,   2 engine rebuilds,  one after only 20 hours use.  Pretty good hot starts though.

 

Always used Husky but bought a 462 Sthill for groundwork,  now that is one heck of a saw.

 

A

That's more like it, you can't just have a saw thread where everyone agrees.

 

I think MS400 is a really good prospect for this job, but seem hard to get hold of just now. Also a whack more expensive.

[Cuttup]

I don't refute Stihl make some good saws, but everything I own (apart from MS200 s) are husky, so I don't see me changing now. Already have a ridiculous array of bars and chains without adding more german hardware into the mix!

[Dan Maynard]

To be fair I don't own a 550 so shouldn't really have commented at all, it does seem perfectly reasonable choice.

 

In the meantime I have thought of the last time we went down this route, nearly everyone says the 550 is great but @Gimlet who lays hedges didn't like the one he bought, but then different kind of user maybe?

 

Not sure how to quote from one thread to another without just copy and paste....

 

"""

 

But, though it's working ok now, I don't like this saw. It bogs down unless it's running at a million rpm and it's a PITA to start. It needs a decomp button and it takes ages to clear it's lungs. Hate this auto-tune crap. Give me a conventional carb so I can leave it warming up on half choke for a few moments so when I hit the trigger it's good to go without stuttering and stumbling.

My 365 is a breeze. Two pulls on full choke, it fires. One pull half choke it starts. Leave a minute on high idle, knock the choke off and off you go, running clean as a whistle. No pissing about priming. I can start, restart and operate the choke without taking my gloves off, and it never bogs down ever, just rips through everything you put in front of it. 

 

I get the throwaway thing now. This saw was designed to be started from cold once a day, used full throttle and flat out until the tank runs dry, then refuel and repeat, all day every day for 18 months until it's knackered, then chuck it and buy a new one. That's not how I work. No use to me. 

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