Keep us posted.
Husqvarna 550xp repaired-ish
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Keep us posted.
I opend the box today, looked the new Echo 501p over, first thing I noticed is they wasn't cheap on the bar and chain, bar has grease holes and chain is Oregon with holes in the drive links, helps oil flow on bar. The first start was hard, 12 pulls, think it almost flooded, shut choke off then 2 pull it started. After that the Echo saw starts bout the best of any saw I ever had, idles great....
I didn't quite go through one tank yet so have to wait til next weekend for more testing, but with just using a half tank sofa,r dont think it has quite as much power as my new 550xp, but it does cut good for a small saw. I paid $600.00 out the door for the 550 and $449.00 online at Frawleys half way cross the country. Later on when my son is around I'll make a video with both saws cutting cookies side by side.
I didn't quite go through one tank yet so have to wait til next weekend for more testing, but with just using a half tank sofa,r dont think it has quite as much power as my new 550xp, but it does cut good for a small saw. I paid $600.00 out the door for the 550 and $449.00 online at Frawleys half way cross the country. Later on when my son is around I'll make a video with both saws cutting cookies side by side.
tjkubota93
Veteran Member
You are as bad as me. Saw breaks so you buy 2 to replace it, because you couldn't decide which was better.
Bingo, give yourself a cigar and pat on the back. Then I start hearing from people I work with of what kind of saw they have, well I got this brand and this brand all in all have bout 6 chainsaws...... I go wow you must cut a lot of firewood on the side, they go no just sometimes I have to cut a tree for one of my neighbors and or lawn-mowing customers, I guess a saw for each size tree. So then the reason to have more than one main firewood saw started to make more sense, I'm the one that should have a half dozen saws.
Right now I have 2171, 70 cc Jonsered with new 32" bar to put on, this for cutting up my 2x2x8' sawmill slabs, it's way to big to carry int he woods. Then the new 550xp and the Echo 501p with 18" bar, I'll probably beat on the Echo first cause that cost the less, and I wasn't impressed with my first 550xp for longevity, a supposedly pro saw.
I have to say one thing for the new Echo it puts out plenty of bar oil, it has an oil adjustment screw but the book doesn't say which way is more or less, have to research that a little. The rest of the manual is good, dont need glasses to read it and right off the bat it said 89 or higher grade gas, an d npre then 10% ethanol. So I went up the store and get some higher grade gas, I picked the top grade>(Circle K, Irving station, they cant stick with one name) Then I looked and looked for the % ethanol sticker and couldn't find it, so I assuming it's 10% ethanol, in case it is when I got home I added some StarTron gas preserver to just a hair under 2-/12 gal, one bottle of Husqvarna mixing oil, and called it good., Hope the new Echo dont mind Husky mixing oil.
Took a couple more comparison shots today, Husqvarna 550xp and the Echo 501p. The 550 captive nuts might be half a hair better from what I see so not a deciding factor. The bars are not inner changeable due to the adjustment bar pin, the oil hole is the same distance center slot so in theroy one could if in between rock and a hard place could ream out the adjustment hole to make fit. The Echo's bar has a slightly bigger oil hole, maybe that's why it puts out more oil, sometime need lot of oil on bar, alway thought Husqvarna was lacking on that.
The Echo has a warm air window for winter cutting but the saw came in summer cutting mode. Now which clutch setup is better..... the Echo has driver ring on outer side, Husky is on the inner side, think I prefer Echo on this one.
Now the one switch two switch deal, think I prefer Echo on that, more glove friendly, easier to understand which way is on. I always got kunfused on the 550, is up on or down on and where's choke, last year I cranked my 550 15 times before I realized I had the switch wrong. And what about that stupid primer bulb on the 550 always thought that was pain, I just want choke and start. Where I bought my first 550 the dealer kept telling me, you got prime the saw atleast 1/2 dozen time before starting, never had to do that on my other saws, so I'll see if this Echo needs a primer bulb or not in a few weeks.
Right now on first short use I'm giving Echo 501p 5 stars, and the 550xp 4 stars, wonder which way these stars will go after a years use...........
The Echo has a warm air window for winter cutting but the saw came in summer cutting mode. Now which clutch setup is better..... the Echo has driver ring on outer side, Husky is on the inner side, think I prefer Echo on this one.
Now the one switch two switch deal, think I prefer Echo on that, more glove friendly, easier to understand which way is on. I always got kunfused on the 550, is up on or down on and where's choke, last year I cranked my 550 15 times before I realized I had the switch wrong. And what about that stupid primer bulb on the 550 always thought that was pain, I just want choke and start. Where I bought my first 550 the dealer kept telling me, you got prime the saw atleast 1/2 dozen time before starting, never had to do that on my other saws, so I'll see if this Echo needs a primer bulb or not in a few weeks.
Right now on first short use I'm giving Echo 501p 5 stars, and the 550xp 4 stars, wonder which way these stars will go after a years use...........
s219
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Good comparison, thanks. I think the 550XP has a little more pep and some of the case parts are nicer (for example, metal clutch cover), but the Echo is a well designed saw and for the price difference I think it's a better value. The Echo oiler definitely puts out. I always turn the oiler up to max on my saws and the Echo is the only saw that really shows it. On my Stihls and Huskys, you could never really see much difference even with the oiler maxed, it was like going from "barely any" oil to "barely a little more" oil.
tjkubota93
Veteran Member
Is that echo a shindaiwa carry over? Shindaiwa made good stuff.
IMO yes. This company merged them both and thats why you are seeing the shin built saws in echo line like 590 620 490 501 etc etc.
About Shindaiwa Press Releases | Shindaiwa-USA.com
On the newer Huskys that isn't so much of an issue; after shutting it off the switch reverts to "ON" as soon as you release it. Besides choking it and priming "they" also tell you to use the decompression button for starting, but that's just too many things to do when I just want to cut a tree.
My spare saw is a Poulan that I bought new for a hundred bucks; it's nice to carry in the back of the truck for clearing trees out of the road, and nobody's going to steal it if I stop into Walmart on the way home.
Well I just went through that Shindaiwa rabbit trail and does appear that the CS-501p Echo is improve clone of the Shindaiwa 491s and are made by the same Yamahiko Corp. The only one big improvement I can see on the 501p, it has captive bar nuts where as the 491s does not seem to. I went on the Shindaiwa site, clicked on 491s>>>click on User Manual>>>Parts List, and according to that list, the list of all parts appear to be the same, except Captive Bar nuts,,,, specs are the same, colors are the same-ish.............And for me captive bar nut are a strong selling feature.
I like that Shindaiwa site site with the parts lists, wonder why other saw companies dont do that.........
491s | Shindaiwa-USA.com
CS-51P Rear Handle Chainsaw | ECHO X Series
That one switch does all has been in use for at least 6 years, and I always struggled with it so I'm not a big fan of the one switch does all, it's ok if you do a lot of stop and starting and dont ware gloves, other than that if I dont use it in 6 months I forget which way choke is and still if only used once a week suppose to pump push and pump push and pump push the primer bulb, diffidently not a fan of that. I like on, choke and start with gloves and START easy, once started, IDLE and IDLE good without chain turning running moving going, and stay going years and years down the road.
Now if saw company could do that and have top-end power and be light at the same time we'd be getting somewhere, and now we wait for the Battery saws to take over. I heard they idle great, start great, run great, the weight is great, it's just the battery is not so great..............
Sawyer Rob
Super Member
I actually, prefer the Husky switch, it works perfectly for me.
As for the primer, I have no problem with that either. In fact, I wish my Honda 2000 generator had one, and I've been thinking of putting one on it.
SR
As for the primer, I have no problem with that either. In fact, I wish my Honda 2000 generator had one, and I've been thinking of putting one on it.
SR
You might need a primer bulb on your tractor to...........:laughing:
Sawyer Rob
Super Member
I finally did get my money for my saw couple days ago. What an ordeal to go through paypal, I got so frustrated because they are so freaken hard to get a live person on the phone, going through all those voice prompts drove me crazy and I'm almost there anyways.
I guess paypal has 21 day waiting period for new sellers, then when I got a hold of someone to find out why, wouldn't you know it the guy had a I think Indian accent or some accent and I thought my english was bad. Of course no one was around to help me out so they first tell me I need my checking No and routing No........ there was more verification aggravation after that but I got the money in the end.
Paypal and ebay are kinda intertwine but separate. So I put the price at $100.00 out of a total sale price of $136.90 paypal took $4.27, I'm ok with that, then two days ago ebay sent me a bill of $13.69, I thought that was a little high, so then I go read the fine print where they say they charge 10% of sale including S&H, so I ended up with $82.04 for all that aggravation but it was still $82.04 more then then the saw shop would give me..
So that's that and now I'll beat on my Echo/Shindiawa since those saws are a lot cheaper. I otta but up a raffle contest on how many cord I can cut up, so far I cut 1 cord and shooting for 100,000 more.........
I guess paypal has 21 day waiting period for new sellers, then when I got a hold of someone to find out why, wouldn't you know it the guy had a I think Indian accent or some accent and I thought my english was bad. Of course no one was around to help me out so they first tell me I need my checking No and routing No........ there was more verification aggravation after that but I got the money in the end.
Paypal and ebay are kinda intertwine but separate. So I put the price at $100.00 out of a total sale price of $136.90 paypal took $4.27, I'm ok with that, then two days ago ebay sent me a bill of $13.69, I thought that was a little high, so then I go read the fine print where they say they charge 10% of sale including S&H, so I ended up with $82.04 for all that aggravation but it was still $82.04 more then then the saw shop would give me..
So that's that and now I'll beat on my Echo/Shindiawa since those saws are a lot cheaper. I otta but up a raffle contest on how many cord I can cut up, so far I cut 1 cord and shooting for 100,000 more.........
I think that you will be quite pleased with your new saw. It may be a bit heavier than the Husky and probably won't turn up as fast but they are good solid saws... for a lot less money than a Husky. The only saws I've ever owned which last more than 3 years were my 254 Husky (Even after I ran over it with the tractor) and my Echo CS520.
Oh yeah, I forgot my Homelite XL12. I had that puppy for years!
Oh yeah, I forgot my Homelite XL12. I had that puppy for years!
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Sawyer Rob
Super Member
I still have my McCulloch pro Mac 55 I bought new in the 70's... lol
It was a heck of a saw back then!, but I haven't started it in years!
SR
It was a heck of a saw back then!, but I haven't started it in years!
SR
Sawyer Rob
Super Member
SEE, you should have taken my offer of 50 bucks and postage, it was a fair NO aggravation offer... lol
SR
My father had a Husky, a Jonsereds, and a Stihl. His go-to saw for a lot of things though was an old McCulloch 1010 that he bought when "Kings" department store when out of business.
