Official MS261CM vs 550XP test

[HolmenTree]

Thanks JaJ and welcome to the forum.
Yep good theory there PNW!

It's warming up here in northern Manitoba.  Today was 81F with 40% humidity and the humidex felt like 85F .

I finished yesterday's job today on a 50 ft tall maple and a overgrown willow bush jammed between the house and surrounded by a beat up chain link fence and a garden shed.
I used the MS261C on the entire job including climbing with it disassembling the tree from the top down .
Even lowered the stump with it and carved out the section of the tree that grew into the fence.

It appeared that it had a hot start issue when finishing the stump cut it revved up kind of weird and  adjusted its self then cut good again finishing the cut.
I turned it off for a few minutes then went to restart it and wouldn't start even after pulling it over for a few times at WOT.
I instinctively opened the fuel cap and looked in....the tank was empty with only a couple table spoons of fuel left in the tank.
I  refueled it and with the choke set and a couple of pulls it fired right up.
I can't seem to find a fast idle mode on the 261, I don't think it has one. Probably why it doesn't need it.
We'll see tomorrow how the 550XP handles the heat after I pick it up from the dealer. Got 6 big poplars to remove.
It will be getting up into the 95F range with lots of humidity.


  

  

  

 

[PNWRusty]

I finished yesterday's job today on a 50 ft tall maple and a overgrown willow bush jammed between the house and surrounded by a beat up chain link fence and a garden shed.
I used the MS261C on the entire job including climbing with it disassembling the tree from the top down .
Even lowered the stump with it and carved out the section of the tree that grew into the fence.

Now that shows just how versatile the MS 261 C is. Because I know you have plenty of more powerful as well as smaller, lighter saws sitting in your truck!

It appeared that it had a hot start issue when finishing the stump cut it revved up kind of weird and  adjusted its self then cut good again finishing the cut.
I turned it off for a few minutes then went to restart it and wouldn't start even after pulling it over for a few times at WOT.
I instinctively opened the fuel cap and looked in....the tank was empty with only a couple table spoons of fuel left in the tank.
I  refueled it and with the choke set and a couple of pulls it fired right up.

Haha! That's a good one. You were all ready to start thinking the new saw was having heat soak troubles but it was just the nut behind the bar that forgot it needed gas once in a while!

I can't seem to find a fast idle mode on the 261, I don't think it has one. Probably why it doesn't need it.

Doesn't yours stay revved high on a cold start until you blip the throttle once? I recall that's how mine works but, it's been so reliable, I haven't given it much thought. And, yes, it doesn't appear to need much, if any, warming up to settle into a reliable idle. I've just blipped the throttle once as soon as it revs up on a cold start and it settles into a reliable idle immediately.  I haven't tried it below 55 degrees F. yet but I imagine it won't be much different.

[CR888]

One thing you will like about the 550xp when you get it sorted out is the throttle response. Being an owner of 2 MS261's and a 550xp that's one thing the Stihl lacks, that near instant light switch speed throttle. I do use my 261's most days and occaisionally use my 550, both good saws though just very different personalities.

[HolmenTree]

CR888, just waiting for the dealer to give me the rundown on the 550XP. Is your MS261's the latest upgraded models? Mine with this new cylinder and not sure what else has good throttle response, it sounds like it's ported.

PNWrusty, yes my 261 has a fast idle coupled with the choke but there is no indent on the master control switch to set it on fast idle.
Can't see looking at it in the parking lot with the top cover and air filter off. I can't even see the choke butterfly (if it has one)

At 8:30 am here it was already 75F with 94 % humidity.
According to the local radio station it's going to be close to a high of a 100F this afternoon with a chance of a shower

[HolmenTree]

Well I hate to inform everyone.....the 550XP is out of the test running.
The dealer's service manager says the tech reported the 550 is down on compression and there is scoring on the cylinder! The saw has only 3 hours on it he also said. Their now going through the warranty process with Husqvarna so it will be a while before I get "A" saw back.

So as crappy as I did feel I still went to the new job site and started on the job. Still not climatized to the heat that is now in the mid 90s with almost 50% humidity . I packed it up and decided to do estimates for new customers for the rest of the day.

Hotter tomorrow but cooler next week so may leave  this job for the MS261C then....seeing the test witj the 550 won't be on for a while.


 

[Kel71]

My saws are dealing with the heat way better than I am. So I tried a little experiment.
I hired a 24 yr old to run the chipper. He loves it and does a good job. This might work out real good.

[HolmenTree]

My saws are dealing with the heat way better than I am. So I tried a little experiment.
I hired a 24 yr old to run the chipper. He loves it and does a good job. This might work out real good.

Last time I had a hired employee was 10 years ago, I've been working solo ever since. Had enough trouble with baby sitting.

I can deal with the heat, I just know my limitations. Last year I put in a 14 hr day in 90F heat (up here 18 hrs of sunlight on a summer day). When I start to temporary  lose my vision in my right eye that's when I shut it down.

[teakwood]

yesterday was the first day i put some real workhours in the plantations. i went 3 hours in the morning and 3 hours in the afternoon using that new 361. i like the saw, have about 10 tanks in it. 
i was on steep steep slope and it was still pretty wet so walking was hard and downsliding was normal. It was just 85 but 100% humidity. After the second shift in the noon i was so tired i could barely lift up my legs and stumbled over everything, what a PITA. just 3 small trees left to cut down in that area so i didn't had to come back another day, so i finished them. after that i started to have the chills and then you know you have to quit, that's the first sign of a heatstroke.
I drank a lot of water but you sweat like a horse in that humidity.

[HolmenTree]

teakwood, I hear you. Humidity decides how much heat a worker  (and saw) can endure.
I'm taking the day off today and  get a few things done around home. Maybe go back to the dealer and take a look at the warranty claim 550XP.

Forecast high here today is 100.4 F (38C) with the humidex.
Last night this is how my family and I cooled off.
Long days here, this pic was taken at 9:30 PM. Temp was still 80F (27C)


 

[PNWRusty]

Well I hate to inform everyone.....the 550XP is out of the test running.
The dealer's service manager says the tech reported the 550 is down on compression and there is scoring on the cylinder! The saw has only 3 hours on it he also said.

That's too bad, I was really enjoying this.

I guess the MS 261 C wins this Lightweight prize fight with a technical KO in round 1 (break in)! Hopefully the next challenger is still standing at the end of round 1.

Do you think the failure was a result of defective manufacture of piston/cylinder or a inability of the auto-tune system to auto-tune? It sounds like you weren't able to inspect it yourself so maybe the Warranty folks will offer an analysis. I assume you were running the same fuel/oil in both saws in this test?

Madsen's saw shop has interesting photos and analysis of various piston failures:

http://www.madsens1.com/saw_piston_fail.htm

Stay cool!

[JJinAK]

I agree w/ PNW- I was really enjoying this thread.  It was as close to an apples/apples comparison as I've seen.  He brings up a good question about whether anything could be related to the autotune.

[HolmenTree]

Spike60 just sent me a message this morning. I'm sitting in my truck have a late lunch. Here is what Bob said:

Willard, does your dealer keep up with his service bulletins?

All 2016 550s with the AT-12 carb need to have the firmware updated and the fuel settings reset. I'm doing this at the time of sale, not waiting to see if a problem exists and make the customer drive back.

Something changed with the new carb and some new fuel parameters are needed. Very simple to do. Just update the firmware and then hit the default reset on the fuel settings. "L" values will show 90 and you're good to go. Funny that I noticed this thread cause I have to do 10 of them this morning on a fleet deal for a tree company..These 550's run the way they should have from the beginning.

And Happy Anniversary!

I thought I'd repost this post from Spike60 from earlier in this thread.

Well I was just down at the dealer and spoke with the service manager. I asked if I could take pictures of the cylinder and she said she'll go take pics and email them to me.
Minutes later she comes back from the shop and says the saw is not disassembled yet but the tech put a camera probe in the cylinder and saw the scuffing.

According to the service manager Husqvarna is sending new parts then they will do a test on it.
I also reminded her they originally didn't update their firmware and properly  reset the fuel settings as needed before the saw was released to the customer.
So their on the hook for that......

[Spike60]

Well, this isn't a happy ending.............. yet............. but this is good news.    I'm glad this thing got roasted; in the context of putting an end to the mystery of what the heck is wrong with it. Particularly in this "official test" where it keeps falling on it's face. These online discussions tend to apply what is happening to a single saw to all of them.

This saw almost certainly has an air leak somewhere to blow up with just 3 hours on it. There's likely some failure codes to confirm that. So, a post rebuild pressure/vac test is in order to make sure she's tight before going out. If they still haven't taken it apart, they should do the test before hand. Transfer covers? Intake boot? Crank seal? Gotta find it! I don't think the initial fuel settings were a contributing factor in the saw's demise. That was strictly a lo speed deal where the saw would not accelerate, and in many cases wouldn't even idle.

I really have to add this for the Husky fans who are understandably getting depressed following this thread  :laugh: A month ago a large tree company from PA came in and bought 10 550XP's. Two weeks later they came back and bought 15 more cause the guys love them. What were they running before? You guessed it, MS261's. And it's in the middle of the summer and plenty hot around here.    Not one of them has come back with any issues.

Guys, that is NOT a knock on the 261, which is a fantastic saw. The point is, they both are.

[HolmenTree]

Thanks for your input Spike60.

Most everyone on this site knows about the 3 older 550XP's my  Husqvarna dealer in The Pas, Manitoba who sponsors my February winter festival  competitions with.

Those saws right out of the box for the last 4 years delivered reliably with no trouble what so ever.
They have been handled on the average by 60 men and women competitors in temps on the average of -20 to -30 below.

But a sad thing turned out of those events for next February.  My sponsor dropped the Husqvarna franchise over Husqvarna not honoring  warranties and a case of a large lawn mower being stolen during shipment, and they won't cover the loss.

Our festival committee is working on a new sponsor possibly with another 2 dealers with either Echo or Stihl.
Or our last sponsor may get into another line of saws, just haven't heard any thing yet. Not even a rumor.

[PNWRusty]

According to the service manager Husqvarna is sending new parts then they will do a test on it.
I also reminded her they originally didn't update their firmware and properly  reset the fuel settings as needed before the saw was released to the customer.
So their on the hook for that......

With zero evidence of the fault being on your end, I would think the warranty department would just say that saw was defective and hand over a new one. It's not normal for a saw to self destruct in 3 hours of operation. That's what I might expect from an illegal Chinese clone.

[HolmenTree]

PNW, if it was my old Husqvarna dealer where I used to live 3 years ago he would without question given me a new saw.
I might just have to put my foot down with this new dealer (and I've bought alot of equipment, boat & motor etc. off them in the last 3 years).

[ehp]

my 261 is made in Germany also and so far not a single problem with it

[HolmenTree]

my 261 is made in Germany also and so far not a single problem with it

Ed, are you going to do some porting work on your 261?

[ehp]

Not sure at this point for this saw, I have ported quite a few 261's thou for friends and they work very well and I would say they turn out to be the strongest 50cc saw that has no problems and last a long time , I liked my 550 but I bought a new 261 so that should say something

[HolmenTree]

It would be interesting to see what Stihl did to the port numbers and any other changes over the older 261.

[HolmenTree]

Warm muggy day here today got up around 80F(27C) with 90% humidity. Still 77% right now 10:30 PM.
Job was 6 tall trees in a postage stamp sized back yard with power lines and phone lines everywhere.
Weird how this high humidity warm weather affects things.  Was pouring fuel into my chipper's fuel tank with a 5 gallon plastic  jerry can. The spout pulled right out of the threaded cap when I started pouring.
Rope hitches and knots slip differently then normal.
Both the Husqvarna 562 an 338XPT wouldn't start. Flooded with wet mufflers.
372 OE ran fine but it had a 24" b/c on it.

Had to use the T536 LiXP battery saw and the MS261C.  Both handled the whole job perfectly.


  

  

  

 

[HolmenTree]

I filled up the MS261C this morning and  came to release I removed those 6 trees yesterday all cut up on less then a tank of fuel. ;D
Doing stumps today.

[DelawhereJoe]

Sounds like your new 550xp may just because another 261 c-m.......

[HolmenTree]

Sounds like your new 550xp may just become another 261 c-m.......

Yes we'll see how the warranty claim goes.
But in my opinion there should be no need for a claim when the factory quality control missed what's presumably an air leak.

Send it back to the factory and give me another saw.
I paid over $900 CDN  for that 550XP!

[ehp]

WOW, I paid less than that for my 372 xpws , paid 2/3 of that for the 261