Husqvarna 550xp repaired-ish

[RandyT]

Oh so there is some truth to that, I didn't even know McCulloch was still around, sounds like some big changes coming, wonder what their thought process is for doing that.

The McCulloch name has popped up on a few riders in my area the last few years.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

The McCulloch name has popped up on a few riders in my area the last few years.

They are only around in name, and that name is passed around like cheep booze!

McCulloch chainsaws are pretty much junk and their mowers are just another name plastered on a generic product!

SR

 

[Oldpath05]

Signs for OP, still not all of them. Just some on HD.

1 is on pole on 700' driveway

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You have a long driveway, the 1st sign says Homelite Authorized Dealer, is that the one on pole and or are you a chainsaw dealer? I see you do have the at shop rate sign, one of my favorites, one sign I can quite make, the Parts Dept sign and where'd all thos deer horns come from? I'm now more inspired to get some signs in my shop yours are great.

I'm seriously giving the Echo CS-501p a hard look, what's your thoughts on that one>>> Chainsaws, Professional-Grade Chain Saws, Top Handle Chain Saws | ECHO USA
https://www.echo-usa.com/getattachment/2825ebf5-0a3d-4fe6-ae9d-352fcca5470d/CS-501P.pdf

I have two near by choices 12 miles away, Stihl and Echo, the biggest pro for Echo is there open til 5 on Sat and it's also a Kuboto dearler, The Stihl place is a JD dearler and only open til 12 Sat, I hate that, so if Echo is as good as Stihl I'd just soon buy that one, I'll check them out this Sat.

 

[gsganzer]

I have a 550XP and haven't had any problems with it, so far. I've heard that another fairly common failure is the decompression valve. Something to watch.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

I hear pretty good things about Echo chainsaws... I would guess you would have to pick a model and compare it model for model with the other brands...

Personally, I've had my best luck with Husqvarna, so I've stuck with them.

SR

 

[xyz123]

I know a tree guy that burned up 2 550's. He wanted regular carb in next saws like the old 346. So I suggested try echo 501. He bought a couple. So far so good. He said not as snappy stock but still going.

I never had problems with my 550 545 either. But I sold them when I after them out and how much it was going to cost me to get puter set up to read them. I was like nope.
I liked the 550 545 both over the 346. Just something about the handling of them. 545 was on par in cut with NE 346 and IMO 550 was alittle ahead.

 

[xyz123]

Nope not a dealer. I work on saws the dealer tells you aint worth fixing to buy new. Then I get most running cutting again for 20-75.

This one in driveway half way down.

 

[crazyal]

My old neighbor was a tinkerer. He would often pick up push mowers at the dump and get them running only to sell them for $20 ~ $25. If it had an engine he would work on it. From chainsaws to motorcycles. With the age of computers I don't know how possible that is now.

 

[Oldpath05]

The past couple weeks I've been looking into several chainsaw brands and where or how far away one is, Stihl and Echo are close by so I been looking for bad reviews on Echo, hard to find til I was sent a link from the ArboristSite, boy was that a bad one. It's mostly about Echo 5 year warranty= No warranty, but besides the bad review and a $230.00 repair bill on a $300.00 saw, a couple post turned my world up side down.

Echo CS-490 DEAD after 11.5 months?
p-1#7>> You didn稚 mention what ratio mix you were using, but tuned for a 50 to 1, and if you used let痴 say 32 to 1, saw will run hotter and leaner and can score a piston if not re tuned for the different mix. There are many other reasons too. When a saw starts acting up, it痴 best to stop using it and find out why before damage begins.

p-6#12>>While the oil in the fuel is needed, it is also an impurity as to how fuel burns and octane rating is concerned . The more oil, the more you lower your octane. Lower the octane the hotter the burn. That's why on most cans of ready use it says they "use" 92 or 93 octane fuel, not "it is" that.

These two comments to me dont make since>>> "32 to 1, saw will run hotter and leaner "<<<< how can less gas and more oil make a saw run hotter and leaner? to me that would be better for breaking in a new saw, I usually go 40-1.

"Lower the octane the hotter the burn." <<<And this dont make since, I always thought the higher the octane the the hotter the burn and combustion which equal more power.

I was giving Echo CS-501p a hard look but now after reading that thread I'm not so sure. Then my son tells me today while he was in town 22 mile away he saw a Husqvarna 550xp for $570.00 at the hardware store, said they had full line up of Husqvarna saws, do I dare go Husqvarna again, I didn't even get 6 years out of the one I have...........

Now a couple other thoughts on that thread, I see all the posters rag on Echo's no warranty but where was all or any post saying>>"Wellllllll I have a Husqvarna, Stihl, Jonsered, RedMax, ABCXWZ saws with scored pistons and they warranted mine. Oh I get it those saws dont break down, didn't know that. A scored piston some say is from a gas issue, maybe not mixed or mixed with motor oil, so how can one prove it's a bad saw, they said Echo saws are to lean from factory, that could go back and forth for 9 pages, but IMO Echo should've took the high road and warranted the saw, might of gained a sale, possibly from me.

Now according to the OP Echo said that his was from sawdust that got into the carburetor because it was fine sawdust and Echo said it got in there because the chain was not properly maintained or in other words dull chain.

 

[s219]

Several folks on Arboristsite are anti-Echo, in fact there are several folks on there that are so biased in their opinions that they're not even useful to me. So take all their info with a grain of salt.

All my small saws are Echo, including my top-handle tree saw. All have been great. My most recent Echo purchase is the CS-501P, and it's been outstanding. Easily my favorite 50cc saw on the market right now, and I say that as a former Stihl 261 owner and frequent user of a Husky 550XP. The Echo is gutsy, light, and handles very well. There had been some comments about filtration, but after 1+ years of use I can say that hasn't been an issue at all.

For reference, my other go-to saws are the Husky 562XP (probably my main saw) and Stihl 461. The Echo 501P is every bit as good as the other two.

 

[ericm979]

Octane is a measure of detonation resistance. Higher octane fuel has slightly less energy (we're talking pump gas here, race fuel can have different things in it). High octane does not make more power but it allows a higher compression ratio before detonation, and that makes more power. Detonation seizes two strokes quickly. Unlike four strokes you often don't hear it.

Richening the oil mixture leans out the fuel:air mixture. The carb is metering mixed oil and gas- it delivers a fixed amount of oil+gas per unit of air. But oil is not gas and does not count for the fuel:air ratio. However the difference in air/fuel ratio from 50:1 to 32:1 is small. Maybe if the saw was already running lean that'd make it too lean.

Echos tend to come set lean from the factory, more than Stihls. On my CS352 I gutted the cat and pulled the limiter caps so I could retune the carb. There wasn't a performance gain from gutting the cat but I left the rest of the muffler intact. This is a brush cutting saw and being quiet is more important than power. Removing the cat should make it run cooler though. Heat kills two strokes too. The 352's air filter lets fine material through. It's an old school material where the newer Stihls have better filter material. I use oiled foam filter material in the air box where the largest holes are to trap some of the fines. The gas and oil fillers are small so it's easy to overflow. OTOH it's super light, handles well and starts incredibly easy.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

There are some "haters", of "every" brand on Arborist, AND there's some VERY knowledgeably folks there too...

I don't think it's too hard to see who is out of line over there, and there was some valid complaints about Echo there too, especially about there warr...

SR

 

[Oldpath05]

Several folks on Arboristsite are anti-Echo, in fact there are several folks on there that are so biased in their opinions that they're not even useful to me. So take all their info with a grain of salt.

All my small saws are Echo, including my top-handle tree saw. All have been great. My most recent Echo purchase is the CS-501P, and it's been outstanding. Easily my favorite 50cc saw on the market right now, and I say that as a former Stihl 261 owner and frequent user of a Husky 550XP. The Echo is gutsy, light, and handles very well. There had been some comments about filtration, but after 1+ years of use I can say that hasn't been an issue at all.

For reference, my other go-to saws are the Husky 562XP (probably my main saw) and Stihl 461. The Echo 501P is every bit as good as the other two.

The CS-501p is the one I had my eye on the past few weeks, so I finally I get to here from an actual owner of one and sounds like 5 out of 5 stars, mybe I'll move it back up top of my list again after I get some salt, gotta make my mind soon it's getting almost crunch time to start on next years firewood.

Right now I'm staying with 50-52cc saw mostly because of weight, easy handling. My top 4 choices are Echo, Husqvarna, Stihl and Jonsered, it's looking like 10 more miles in travel time for Husqvarna, not sure bout Jonsered yet and dont think Jonsered is sure about Jonsered, I've been hearing that they want to change their name to Redmax, why would they do that is beyond me, that really adds pickle juice to my coffee.

Before I forget does your Echo 501 idle good without chain turning? I like a saw that will idle smooth and not stall.










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[Oldpath05]

Octane is a measure of detonation resistance. Higher octane fuel has slightly less energy (we're talking pump gas here, race fuel can have different things in it). High octane does not make more power but it allows a higher compression ratio before detonation, and that makes more power. Detonation seizes two strokes quickly. Unlike four strokes you often don't hear it.

Richening the oil mixture leans out the fuel:air mixture. The carb is metering mixed oil and gas- it delivers a fixed amount of oil+gas per unit of air. But oil is not gas and does not count for the fuel:air ratio. However the difference in air/fuel ratio from 50:1 to 32:1 is small. Maybe if the saw was already running lean that'd make it too lean.

Echos tend to come set lean from the factory, more than Stihls. On my CS352 I gutted the cat and pulled the limiter caps so I could retune the carb. There wasn't a performance gain from gutting the cat but I left the rest of the muffler intact. This is a brush cutting saw and being quiet is more important than power. Removing the cat should make it run cooler though. Heat kills two strokes too. The 352's air filter lets fine material through. It's an old school material where the newer Stihls have better filter material. I use oiled foam filter material in the air box where the largest holes are to trap some of the fines. The gas and oil fillers are small so it's easy to overflow. OTOH it's super light, handles well and starts incredibly easy.

So if a saw runs lean with more oil, why if I add more oil to gas the saw smokes more? Does your CS-352 idle good?

 

[Oldpath05]

Tinkered on my 550xp this afternoon, blew some gunk off, pulled the covers, checked for bearing play, I couldn't feel any movement on the crankshaft, mabe if I used a hammer I could've got some movement but seem so if berings were bad I could feel a little play, yes no maybe.....

All I know is the saw is not running right, wont idle, starts and stops. I figure at best/most since 4/2013 my saw has cut 10 cord of firewood stove length each year, it has cut 10,000 of logs. Is that a lot for what I thought was a simi pro saw?



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Chainsaw won’t idle - YouTube

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Husqvarna owns/builds Jonsered, Husky is dropping Jon so most all the stores that were Jon will now be Husky. A "few" Jon will be built in "home owner" versions only, and the name change to Red Max is to try to increase sales. Country wide, Jonsered saws were not big sellers...

Once again, the Jon saws were/are the same saws as one of the Husky models and internal Jon saw/parts are same as Husky, so there's the long term parts availability for a Jonsered saw.

BTW, EVERYONE loves my Jonsered 2260,

SR

 

[Sawyer Rob]

All I know is the saw is not running right, wont idle, starts and stops.

IF it was mine, it would go to a Husky dealer and at the minimum, get the puter re-flashed...

SR

 

[Oldpath05]

Husqvarna owns/builds Jonsered, Husky is dropping Jon so most all the stores that were Jon will now be Husky. A "few" Jon will be built in "home owner" versions only, and the name change to Red Max is to try to increase sales. Country wide, Jonsered saws were not big sellers...

Once again, the Jon saws were/are the same saws as one of the Husky models and internal Jon saw/parts are same as Husky, so there's the long term parts availability for a Jonsered saw.

BTW, EVERYONE loves my Jonsered 2260,

SR

IF it was mine, it would go to a Husky dealer and at the minimum, get the puter re-flashed...

SR

How do you guys cut wood without eye protection........ everytime I try it I get sawdust in my eyes.

A good Husqvarna dealer are far and few between but I'm still checking around.

 

[s219]

The CS-501p is the one I had my eye on the past few weeks, so I finally I get to here from an actual owner of one and sounds like 5 out of 5 stars, mybe I'll move it back up top of my list again after I get some salt, gotta make my mind soon it's getting almost crunch time to start on next years firewood.

Right now I'm staying with 50-52cc saw mostly because of weight, easy handling. My top 4 choices are Echo, Husqvarna, Stihl and Jonsered, it's looking like 10 more miles in travel time for Husqvarna, not sure bout Jonsered yet and dont think Jonsered is sure about Jonsered, I've been hearing that they want to change their name to Redmax, why would they do that is beyond me, that really adds pickle juice to my coffee.

Before I forget does your Echo 501 idle good without chain turning? I like a saw that will idle smooth and not stall.

It does. I'll see if I can get a video in the next day or two. Also check out the Stihl 261, and if you had no complaints about your 550XP keep that on the list.

 

[ericm979]

So if a saw runs lean with more oil, why if I add more oil to gas the saw smokes more?

The more oil you add the less fuel is burned. So the fuel:air ratio is leaner. The oil:fuel ratio is richer, but that's not the ratio in question.

Does your CS-352 idle good?

Yep. It idled correctly when I got it and after I modded it I tuned it to idle right. It's so easy to start that I don't feel the need to let it idle while I pull cut brush out of the way.

Any new saw ought to idle without loading up and especially without turning the chain. A shop should not sell a saw where the idle's so high the chain is moving. I got my Echo from a shop that's also a Stihl and Husky dealer. They run and tune the saws before they go out the door. A box store might not do that.