Husqvarna 550xp mark 2 or Stihl ms261

[Mitjam]

The 50cc class of saws is one of my favorite and most used out of all of my saws. I own the 261CM and the 550 MK2 and both are excellent saws. I like the Husky a bit more than the 261. I also think Husky are easier starting than Stihl. If I were going to choose again between these two saws, the 550 would be the one. If you want to save a little money and get a very good saw that doesn't have the electronic tuning, the Echo 4910 can still be had new at Home Depot until the stock is gone. This is pretty much the same saw as the Echo 501P pro saw, just some very minor differences. The 4910 will run right with the 261 and 550 with a bit of tuning and is half the price. Do not buy the Echo 4920 as it's not the newer version of the 4910, it's a completely different saw entirely.

For the cost savings, I would choose the Echo 4910 over the 550 or the 261.

Thank you for the reply. Has the auto tune or Mtronic system gave you any trouble?

 

[RCW]

I'm not much help but certainly agree with the professional-saw sentiment.

I've mostly run pro saws for over 40 years. It hurts to buy them, but I think it's $$ well spent. I've had homeowner saws too and still have one. Works great most of the time as I get older.

I have almost zero experience with "computerized" saws. A friend bought a new Husky 572(?) saw with electronics. Couple days in, saw wouldn't fire. Took it back to dealer, who tried to fix it. Ended up handing him a new saw because they couldn't make the other work......

Not picking on Husky, at that time I was looking seriously at a Stihl 361 or 362 with electronics....I left it on the shelf because of electronics and my friend's experience with them.

I'm sure they've gotten more reliable over the years. If I were to buy another tomorrow, it would likely be the MS362.

As far as Stihl vs. Husky, I think that's like a Ford vs. Chevy loyalty discussion. I think both make good saws.

 

[Mitjam]

I'm not much help but certainly agree with the professional-saw sentiment.

I've mostly run pro saws for over 40 years. It hurts to buy them, but I think it's $$ well spent. I've had homeowner saws too and still have one. Works great most of the time as I get older.

I have almost zero experience with "computerized" saws. A friend bought a new Husky 572(?) saw with electronics. Couple days in, saw wouldn't fire. Took it back to dealer, who tried to fix it. Ended up handing him a new saw because they couldn't make the other work......

Not picking on Husky, at that time I was looking seriously at a Stihl 361 or 362 with electronics....I left it on the shelf because of electronics and my friend's experience with them.

I'm sure they've gotten more reliable over the years. If I were to buy another tomorrow, it would likely be the MS362.

As far as Stihl vs. Husky, I think that's like a Ford vs. Chevy loyalty discussion. I think both make good saws.

Ya my fix it ego says buy a saw you can most likely fix and tune yourself the other part says would it not be nice to pick up a saw -20 or plus 20 and it be set ready to go for you

 

[Yotekiller]

Thank you for the reply. Has the auto tune or Mtronic system gave you any trouble?

No problems out of either and I own multiple pro saws with electronic tuning.

 

[Mitjam]

No problems out of either and I own multiple pro saws with electronic tuning.

Thank you

 

[DaveFromMi]

Leaking gas cap problem? Never heard about that and have been running Stihls for decades.

Here is the problem with the Stihl gas caps. You have to do a twist lock operation, kind of like a combination lock, to get the gas cap on correctly. It can appear to be on tight, but another high torque twist is needed. You can hear a click, but it's not tight. I bet the Stihl Engineer got an award for that design.
I have 4 Stihl saws, a couple from deceased family members.
Stihl 011 from about 1979
Stihl MS180C
Stihl MS250
Stihl MS271 Farm Boss

The only one that has given me problems is the MS180C. It only has one adjustment and that is for idle speed. Have to replace the carb about every 4 years.

 

[WI_Hedgehog]

The only one that has given me problems is the MS180C. It only has one adjustment and that is for idle speed. Have to replace the carb about every 4 years.

That's a small homeowner saw with tiny carb, but still should run fine. Do you use non-ethanol gas, and a syringe to remove the fuel after use and run the engine to stall? Did you use a STIHL replacement carb or Chinese?

There's a fine screen filter in the carb that can get a clear film buildup, kind of like diesel gets snot blobs; maybe it's a bio-film from water that ethanol in fuel absorbs, but it blocks the first screen filter at the gas inlet. A pick can be used to remove and clean the screen.

"Value-based" Chinese carbs tend to last 2 to 4 years. My guess from years of dealing with Chinese polymers is the pump and o-ring "rubber" "melt" and gum up the passages. STIHL outsources some homeowner saw parts to China so the polymers could be Chinese and going through breakdown, but a.) STIHL would likely rectify that quickly and b.) I haven't heard of the problem other than with "value-based carbs."

 

[DaveFromMi]

That's a small homeowner saw with tiny carb, but still should run fine. Do you use non-ethanol gas, and a syringe to remove the fuel after use and run the engine to stall? Did you use a STIHL replacement carb or Chinese?

There's a fine screen filter in the carb that can get a clear film buildup, kind of like diesel gets snot blobs; maybe it's a bio-film from water that ethanol in fuel absorbs, but it blocks the first screen filter at the gas inlet. A pick can be used to remove and clean the screen.

"Value-based" Chinese carbs tend to last 2 to 4 years. My guess from years of dealing with Chinese polymers is the pump and o-ring "rubber" "melt" and gum up the passages. STIHL outsources some homeowner saw parts to China so the polymers could be Chinese and going through breakdown, but a.) STIHL would likely rectify that quickly and b.) I haven't heard of the problem other than with "value-based carbs."

I use 89 octane gas with ethanol and 2 oz/gallon sea foam. I rotate through the gas cans no more than 6 months. With 2 Stihl leaf blowers, 3 string trimmers and 4 chainsaws, the MS180C is the only problem. I have replaced the carbs with Stihl OEMs. I run the 011 avt dry since I don't use it often.

 

[WI_Hedgehog]

I use 89 octane gas with ethanol and 2 oz/gallon sea foam. I rotate through the gas cans no more than 6 months. With 2 Stihl leaf blowers, 3 string trimmers and 4 chainsaws, the MS180C is the only problem. I have replaced the carbs with Stihl OEMs. I run the 011 avt dry since I don't use it often.

Ethanol seems to me to be the problem, I don't know of running into a clear [bio-?]film on the carb screen before the introduction of ethanol (and therefore water) into the fuel, however screens used to be bigger so that's not conclusive. I suck the fuel out and so far, so good.

The only thing I've found that kind of stabilizes ethanol gas for non-saw use is SeaFoam Marine.

STIHL Engine Oil (the cheaper stuff in the orange bottle, not the more expensive stuff in the gray/silver bottle) seems to do a great job. I did not try ECHO or Husqvarna oils but hear they work well, especially ECHO.

Mystic 2-Stroke Engine Oil (Fleet Farm) does not do a good job of keeping my premium (yet ethanol) fuel from going bad, much to my dismay, but otherwise works well and makes the woods smell like some sort of pot processing facility. (Yeah man, it's the saw man.)

 

[Geezer3d]

My Stihl manual recommends that mid-grade fuel with up to 10% alcohol be used rather than corn free fuel because whatever additives are used in place of alcohol may be harmful to the engine in some way. So, that's what I have been using along with the Stihl synthetic 2-cycle oil (silver bottle). I sometimes have fuel sit in the can for up to a year and have had no issues using it.

I do pay the extra for corn free fuel for all of my 4-cycle engines which have carburetors. It is available only in high octane in my area.