Chainsaw comparison Husqvarna 550XP & Stihl MS261. Plus Tim's thoughts on made in the USA
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- Опубліковано 16 січ 2025
- A simple review about the Stihl MS261 and our Husqvarna 550XP. I was working the the woods and decided it would be a good time for a review and comparison video between the two. Plus some tractor and fire footage.
Link for Tim's Favorite Big Bill shirts
www.bigbill.co...
Link for Eklund Farm Machinery, Billy Eklund is the best!
eklundfarmmach...
Big shout out to Cory at Milton Hardware for working with us as we were researching the Stihl chainsaws that best fit our needs.
Equipment used in the video:
Stihl MS261
Husqvarna 550XP
Massey Ferguson 2850E
GoPro 8
Great review, thank you. 261 it is. I've been to Ecklund a few times myself, great people and im only about an hour from there.
Thanks Jay. I actually need to do an updated video to this one. About 2 months ago it appears that the 550XP blew apart again, so that's twice with a fairly low hour saw. As far as Eklund goes, we drive about an hour to go to them, but it has been worth it.
That’s a very good review and good point about the dealers. You can often get great deals online, but come a need for parts, you still need a local dealer. Especially good to hear, that local dealer/shop, keep money in your local community.
Thank you. We try hard on the reviews
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The vinyl stickers look amazing! Just throwing that out there! Very informative video overall. Cold day for a comparison.
Thank you, guy who did the stickers for us did a nice job. Yes it was a little chilly.
I totally agree with made in USA, we are on the same page, I have a stihl 290, very dependable
I have both of these and the Stihl is definitely lighter but the husky blows is away in comfort and feel. Also the caps are better on the husky along with the metal handle vs plastic on the stihl. Power wise there is no comparison the husky blows it away.
I find the Stihl to be more comfortable, but the Husky does have much more speed. Side by side through the same wood the Husky beats it every time. The Stihl does pull over easier, so if it's someone older running it I think that's a nice feature. The Stihl is also 1 Lb lighter, not a big deal for someone my size or age, but I imagine as I get older that will become more of a factor for me. I run both of them equally, kind of depends on my mood for the day honestly.
My two cents...
The 550 "feels" lighter, but the 261 seems to have more power.
I've had serious issues with the Husqvarna Auto-tune, to the point of rendering it essentially unusable. Over four years, three different dealers couldn't figure it out until the 4th found that the crank bearings were leaking.
No warranty (despite having under 8 hours on it, and being in 4 different shops for almost 70 days, my $700 saw needs $1200 in work just to run correctly. So that kind of... Gave me perspective.
Now, my 261c never had a problem, and i could reset the M-Tronic system in under two minutes (unlike Husqvarna, where i need, multiple 12ft logs, the sun to be in a certain position, stars aligned, and crossed fingers pointing at Uranus... with a giant "maybe").
My 261c was stolen, and now im essentially without a 50cc saw that works.
Lifelong husky guy. 346xp(Jonsered 2153), 371xp, 372xp(Jonsered 2171), 385xp, 395xp, 576xp, and unfortunately, 550xp.
I now buy Stihl. Being an owner of a 362c, and 500i. Those are my "go to" saws for everything. Why buy a 572xp when the 500 is lighter, faster, and substantially more powerful (despite the 10cc difference)?.
Husqvarna has completely dropped the ball with their "500 series". Its sad that the company that led in innovation, weight savings, serviceability, and power to weight ratio completely lost themselves in profit margins.
Sealed bearings? Overcomplicated maintenance, over engineered complexity that almost borders in asinine.
Broken electronics, one piece mufflers, crap dawgs that are not shared between models, and the inability to design a saw that SITS UPRIGHT without rolling over when idling.
Stihl has out Husqvarna-ed Husqvarna. Everything that made husky great was shitcanned for big, bloated, unbalanced, underpowered (compared to their predecessor models AND the competition), for what?
No answer for the 80cc 500i. No answer for the magnesium piston 400c. Seven-plus versions of the "innovative" auto-tune system in 32 months.
Anyone remember how McCulloch died? Closing dealerships to save cents on the dollar.... ? Completely losing the innovation that pushed technology? Paying cash for positive reviewers? Being outcompeted in a market they led for decades?
Ummmmm..... How's Husqvarna pro saws doing with sales overall? Good thing the foreign made models for Lowe's, Tractor Supply, Northern Tool, and Home Depot sales are so high.... Imagine if McCulloch did that too.. oh... Dang. Nevermind.
All the you tube tests show the 550 to be quicker but also they all say the 261cm is a nice saw.
I have a 260 pro that has only had a moderate amount of use since new and nothing wrong with it.
Being an idiot, I am tempted with the 550 because I can't help but want to see what all the fuss is about.
These interesting comments about the breakdown issues of the 550. I have a 462cm and 661cm and no problems.
I would place reliability over cut speed for my use.
Am I just better to stick with stihl? and should I pursue my other extravagant urge for a 261cm?
Hey, the 550 is noticeably quicker that is 100% true. I absolutely love my 261 for ease of starting and comfort when running it all day. Some of the 550s had issues for sure. Mine actually only had nine hours on it when they had to replace the entire bottom end of the saw due to bearings blowing out. So far we have had no issues with the Stihl. One thing that I have found is Husqvarna chains are easier to come by and you can get them cheaper. As I’ve said, some other videos, a key factor in some of my equipment purchases would actually be where do I have a good dealer relationship and support so if you have a dealer that you really like already I would tend to stick with them.
Thx for the reply. Did your crank bearing induced repair get covered by warranty? Had you bought your 550 in the last couple of years?
Made in American! Local companies! We need more of this 20$ ain't nothing
Thanks, yes we need a lot more of it. Please subscribe if you haven’t.
A few extra inches on that Stihl bar can help the back if your cutting smaller stuff on the ground. I have an MS361 w/ 18 inch bar. I’ve never run a Husqvarna.
We have the full spectrum of Husky & Stihl, so we’ll be doing more comparisons
Hello! I need detailed impressions of the 550xp mark 2 and the stihl ms 261 without the mtronic. I have to settle on one of the two. I've read quite a bit about them, but mostly initial impressions and dry information. The saw will be used primarily in the yard for cutting hardwood firewood. I will be glad if you share which of the two models is better. Which of the two models will create more joy than nerves. Which is more long-lasting and hassle-free, overall. Not primarily aimed at cutting speed. Looking for comfort and reliability on the part of the machine. To predispose to a feeling of safe and secure work, without being extreme, if you understand me. Naturally, if it contains all of these together, it's even better. 😊 Let anyone who has reasonably extended experience with the 550xp mark2 and ms261 share their extensive views on them. As well as any pressing issues to fix or recommended changes to the machine related to its optimization. Greetings!
Hi, First off thanks for watching the video! Second, please subscribe to the channel if you haven't. Now to answer the question(s). I have used the 261 a lot more since we did this comparison, For comfort, specifically for the pull cord part I like the 261. It is very easy to pull over compared to the 550. My 550 did have an issue with the block, they had to replace and do warrantee work at just under 10 hours. Apparently there was a bad batch of parts somewhere. The 261 cuts a bit slower in my opinion, but I know you weren't as concerned with that. I'm more inclined to grab the 261 over the 550 when I'm cutting firewood in the yard for comfort reasons. When I want speed then I grab the 550. I would try to different types of chains if you're going to just be working in the yard. We primarily use full chisel, but a semi chisel seems to last longer when working around the dirt of a wood yard because it handles the dirty logs better without going dull as fast. I hope this answers some or all of your questions.
Stihl is assembled in us with globally sourced parts. It's in thier add in the fine print! Of course they have a plant in China!!
Hi Ted, thanks for the comment. Yes I have found that some of Stihl's stuff comes from China, yet much less of it comes from china than the Husky parts.
There is no such thing as 100% made in the USA anymore, hasn't been for a long time. It has been a global supply chain, for everything, for a long time.
Wish more people thought like that but everybody wants cheap
Yes, the cheap mindset doesn’t help keep jobs locally. Please subscribe if you haven’t!