545 vs. 550xp

[Spike60]

...... 

But either way, it validates what I and some others have been saying for a while now. The 545/2252 and 555/2258 are great saws and great values that are being overlooked. Not really new in the Husky world either. In most every instance, the "detuned model" sharing a chassis with an XP is a lot closer in performance than most will think. And for cutting firewood, which is what most of us do, the less peaky non XP model is fine.

My experience with the 353 and the 50cc 346/2153 tells me that the differense in performance seems larger than the specs indicate, and the xp is much nicer/more fun to use....

The ones that don't want to spend the extra money for the xp should stay a long way away from them!

Well,  I was never a big fan of the 353 and it could very well be an exception to the rule. But that being said, you should not extend your conclusions about the 353/346 to all of the other saws we are talking about without getting the chance to actually compare them side by side.

[7sleeper]

My experience with the 353 and the 50cc 346/2153 tells me that the differense in performance seems larger than the specs indicate, and the xp is much nicer/more fun to use....

The ones that don't want to spend the extra money for the xp should stay a long way away from them!

I know a pro who swears his 353 runs better than his and other 346xp he tried. He never stops talking about the 353 being simply more "torquier"... And he is a chainsaw nut with lots of saws, all tuned to their peak performance.

7

[John Mc]

All I know is, I like my 2152 (sister saw to the 353). It does what I want it to, and runs reliably.

Would I like to own a 346XP or a 550XP? Sure, but not enough to retire a perfectly good 2152 (especially when I have a 357XP for when the 2152 comes up lacking)