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Official MS261CM vs 550XP test

Started by HolmenTree, June 06, 2017, 10:46:34 PM

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weimedog

They have a new "X-Force" bar and X-Cut "Edge" chains, made in Sweden
Husqvarna 365sp/372xpw Blend, Jonsered 2171 51.4mm XPW build,562xp HTSS, 560 HTSS, 272XP, 61/272XP, 555, 257, 242, 238, Homelite S-XL 925, XP-1020A, Super XL (Dad's saw); Jonsered 2094, Three 920's, CS-2172, Solo 603; 3 Huztl MS660's (2 54mm and 1 56mm)

John Mc

Quote from: weimedog on July 24, 2018, 02:18:25 PM
They have a new "X-Force" bar and X-Cut "Edge" chains, made in Sweden
Do the two need to be used together, or will the X-cut chains fit on an older bar?
All I can find is .325 pitch, .050 gauge semi chisel chain (SP33G). All of my .325 pitch bars are .058 gauge.
If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.   - Abraham Maslow

HolmenTree

Quote from: John Mc on July 24, 2018, 01:49:24 PM
Quote from: HolmenTree on July 24, 2018, 01:36:54 PMHusqvarna is making their own chain now and from reports it is good chain.

What is Husqvarna's new chain called? I keep meaning to try some, but can't remember the designation.
John, I believe Husqvarna XCut .325 semi chisel is only available in the US at the moment.
But the Husqvarna C85 equivalent to Stihl 35RS Oregon 73LGX  will not arrive until the Husqvarna 572XP arrives. According to the company only C85 chain will be mounted on the 572XP to make optimum performance.
Heres a video with more trailing it. Notice the XCut incorporated a Stihl style oil o matic design in it's drive link. A design Stihl first introduced in 1971.
Chain for Husqvarna X-CUT or Oregon SpeedCut ??? - YouTube
Making a living with a saw since age 16.

HolmenTree

Quote from: John Mc on July 24, 2018, 02:33:50 PM
Quote from: weimedog on July 24, 2018, 02:18:25 PM
They have a new "X-Force" bar and X-Cut "Edge" chains, made in Sweden
Do the two need to be used together, or will the X-cut chains fit on an older bar?
All I can find is .325 pitch, .050 gauge semi chisel chain (SP33G). All of my .325 pitch bars are .058 gauge.
John,
the new Husqvarna XCut .325 SP33G like the Oregon 95 chain are NK (narrow kerf) and yes need a matched thinner bar readily available through Oregon or Husqvarna sold here on consumer saws for years.
Making a living with a saw since age 16.

weimedog

Oregon's 95TXL is here right now and available for those looking for those "newer" .325 options. It's all in .050 though. Along with the "Speedcut" light weight bar is/will be quite a bit less expensive than the Husqvarna options when they arrive.  A great light weigh alternative to Sugihara's at a much lower cost. In the process of switching over as stuff wears out.

Have the Versa Cut bars & DPX chain on two of the bigger MS660 saws now trying to keep the cost and weight down. Haven't run them enough for an opinion, mostly using the smaller 555/560's & smaller yet 120i this year, but other than not having replaceable tips, first impressions its a better  option for folks out here in hard wood country than the Total/Tsumara's Light bars which have really delicate tips. Neither in the Stihl Rollomatic ES territory for durability though. Not even close  for those out here who bore cut everything.

The "New" DPX seems to be similar in performance to the older LGX. Supposed to be an advance. Time will tell.
Husqvarna 365sp/372xpw Blend, Jonsered 2171 51.4mm XPW build,562xp HTSS, 560 HTSS, 272XP, 61/272XP, 555, 257, 242, 238, Homelite S-XL 925, XP-1020A, Super XL (Dad's saw); Jonsered 2094, Three 920's, CS-2172, Solo 603; 3 Huztl MS660's (2 54mm and 1 56mm)

Woodcutter_Mo

 The x-cut sp33g and the Oregon 95txl are very similar, I have a couple of each I use. Both work well so far. The sp33g stretches less from new than the 95txl chain but both seem to cut and hold up well. 
-WoodMizer LT25
-592XP full wrap, 372XP, 550XP, 455 Rancher, RedMax GZ3500T
-Fixer-uppers/projects:
024AV, MS260, MS361, MS460, Shindaiwa 488, 394XPG

Crusarius

So glad I had the 20" bar this past weekend. I had a 36'x18" walnut I had to remove from a trail and a 36'x16" hickory that needed to be relocated to my saw pile.

I have never run a nicer saw than the 261cm. I cannot believe how amazing it cut. Never had power issue but on the 3rd cut on the walnut I started smoking a bunch. decided it was time to sharpen the chain. Cut great rest of the day. I had no idea how dense hickory is until that day. wholly molly.

HolmenTree

Well tonight I'm finally doing a muffler mod to my MS261 CM.

Going to keep it simple and only enlarging the exhaust outlet as much as I can to about 50% larger in diameter.
Will put in a larger screen from my 066 saws cut down to fit under the deflector.
The muffler is basically a empty tin can . Theres a small ledge to grind out inside just past the  outlet hole.

This is far better then some other examples I've seen of gills on the opposite side of the muffler or holes in the front.
So we'll see how the saw performs on Monday at the jobsite. :)


Making a living with a saw since age 16.

HolmenTree

Well it worked out to rather then 50% larger outlet ,I made it double the size.
I made up a new screen and  installed. Nothing pretty trying to work around the exhaust deflector, but it will work just fine. :)


 

Making a living with a saw since age 16.

realzed

I for one am very interested to know just how much of an improvement you find from this.. AND especially just how well and/or quickly the M-Tronic compensates for the obvious changes needed in mixture settings because of all of this. 

HolmenTree

I won't know until tomorrow Randy, but I did start it up last night in the shop (not to bother the neighbors ;D) But that enlarged muffler outlet gave off a sound of a much larger saw.
At wide open throttle free wheeling it appeared to be running slightly rich, probably protecting itself. So I'm confident when it's in some wood it will adapt nicely.
Making a living with a saw since age 16.

Crusarius

I am very interested to know how this works to. I doubt I will do any mods to my saw though. especially since it is still the best saw I have ever run.

HolmenTree

I had a nice pleasant surprise today running my MS261CM after doing a muffler mod.
The MTronic must have adjusted itself when I free wheeled it at wide open throttle for those few seconds right after I did the muffler mod. Because when I first put it to work in this 60 foot spruce pictured below it seemed like a whole new saw.  :laugh:

A different sounding exhaust note, not annoying or much louder then it was. Just sounded more responsive and more eager in the wood.
Definitely has increased in power and pulled the 23RSC chain better then it ever did.

Free wheeling for a few seconds at WOT after finishing the tree it had a strong higher rpm break tone with a slight 4 cycle note. So I can say the MTronic is doing its job just fine, only difference from days of old it can now adjust in just a few seconds not minutes.


 

 
Making a living with a saw since age 16.

HolmenTree

BTW I climbed and limbed the first 50 feet of that spruce before I felled it. Needed it narrow enough to avoid getting it deflected by the birch and possibly landing on the shed or camper.
Seeing I work alone I didn't want to top it and blocking it down risking blocks rolling down the hill into the lake :laugh:

Nice view of Paint Lake, Manitoba.


  
Making a living with a saw since age 16.

realzed

I've heard some claim that there isn't a whole lot of difference between a late version 261CM and a stock 362CM when it comes to cutting ability and power, but I take that as being pretty optimistic. But after the mod to the muffler would you say the difference is getting a lot smaller considering? 
And as for noise does it just sound more like a larger displacement saw after it is all said and done? My biggest reluctance to doing such a modification would have been the noise factor - but if it truly isn't all that much louder I guess that then wipes that argument off the table and pretty much makes it a no-brainer..
The M-Tronic I hoped would make such things easy and reliable - guess so far it seems to be everything Stihl claims it to be.. and maybe more!  

HolmenTree

From day one I always thought my 261 was a "little too stuffed up".
But with OSHA and EPA regulations a saw company has to do what it has to do to get it on the market.

Back in 1991 before all these stiff regulations I bought a brand new Stihl 066 Magnum with a dual exhaust outlet muffler. Man that saw put out good power and 27 years later after a rebuild it still does.

After letting the 261 breathe a little better I can see the saw was designed to perform this way, after it's in the endusers hands and when the warranty runs out.
The warranty part I think is up to the owner, normally after about 15 tank fills I would know if it's a lemon or not.

And... a big And, myself making a living with a saw...a peppy performing and peppy sounding saw makes me work with more energy too. :D
Making a living with a saw since age 16.

HolmenTree

Well another pleasant surprise today.
I took out this 78 foot x 22" DBH poplar with my muffler modded MS261CM.
 Before I started I took out the muffler screen and what a surprise. More power with slightly more noise.
I guess the solid piece of the screen was partially covering the outlet too.

So it is safe to say I can enlarge the outlet even more ,then put the screen back in.
I blocked the whole tree up into short 16 inch long blocks plus another tree that it pushed over.
It appears the saws fuel economy may have been improved as the last pic shows. Between 1/3 to 1/2 tankful left after all that cutting.

The MTronic adjusted beautifully, I didn't notice any time it took.


 

 

 
Making a living with a saw since age 16.

DelawhereJoe

Any chance of you putting a 20" bar on it and telling us how it cuts with the bar full in wood ?
WD-40, DUCT TAPE, 024, 026, 362c-m, 041, homelite xl, JD 2510

HolmenTree

Quote from: DelawhereJoe on August 21, 2018, 07:47:21 PM
Any chance of you putting a 20" bar on it and telling us how it cuts with the bar full in wood ?
Yep as  matter of fact my Stihl dealer called me this afternoon and said my new 20" ES Light bar came in .
$140 USD
Only trouble its 3/8 so I will have to use a 1/2 filed back 33RS
Making a living with a saw since age 16.

Maine logger88

79 TJ 225 81 JD 540B Husky and Jonsered saws

John Mc

Quote from: Maine logger88 on August 21, 2018, 09:52:17 PM
Why 1/2 filed 3/8 chain?
Chain cuts a little more efficiently when it has been filed back a good bit.
If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.   - Abraham Maslow

HolmenTree

Quote from: Maine logger88 on August 21, 2018, 09:52:17 PM
Why 1/2 filed 3/8 chain?
Maine, 1/2 filed back 33RS 3/8 pulls in the kerf about equal to a new loop of 23RS .325
I'm all about production with how fast my saws cut, I'm not expecting too much out of a 50cc saw.
But I do have this 261 churning pretty good without doing mods to the cylinder. That I refuse to do, my 066 Magnum went 27 years before its cylinder was removed for a OEM rebuild.
I don't expect the 261 to go near that many years as it will get used alot more often.
But seriously the longest bar that will stay on the 261 is a 16". Until the MS462 is in my hands my 562XP will sport a18" b/c and the 066Mag /064 hybrid will get the new 20" ES Light bar backed up with a 28" ES when needed.
Found out recently why my Stihl dealer won't order Stihl Ultra mix oil anymore,  because he had a hard time selling it .
His past excuse was it's no longer sold in Canada :D
So I'm looking at this full synthetic mix I can buy from a local hardware store. $11 USD for a 16 ounce bottle. It claims a 5% to 10% increase in power and extra protection. I think the 261 and 066 will like it alot :)


Making a living with a saw since age 16.

Maine logger88

Ok I was just curious i have noticed 1/2 to 1/3 filed is my favorite range on a chain. I have a friend who plans on getting  a 261 and he wants to run 3/8 on it
79 TJ 225 81 JD 540B Husky and Jonsered saws

olcowhand

I run a 16" 3/8 on my stock MS 261 CM. I use the saw mainly to Limb and Buck smaller rounds behind my MS 461. It's not an issue, although I don't bury the bar.....
Olcowhand's Workshop, LLC

They say the mind is the first to go; I'm glad it's something I don't use!

Ezekiel 36:26-27

John Mc

Willard -

Is that RedLine mix oil designed for air-cooled engines?
If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.   - Abraham Maslow

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