Chainsaw Comparison: Husqvarna 550 XP vs. Stihl MS 261

#stihl #husqvarna #chainsaw

The Husqvarna 550 XP and Stihl MS 261 chainsaws. Two commercial-grade pieces of equipment with similar technology, designed to be out in the woods, working hard every day...how do you know which one to go with?

The first factor to consider is if you have a Husqvarna or Stihl dealer in your area. After all, they are going to be the ones to stand behind the equipment and care for it so you have the confidence that you’ll get years of use out of your chainsaw. Beyond this, let’s take a look at a few of the other differences between these chainsaws that might help you figure out what is going to be the best fit for you and your property.

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[daveseaver]

forgot something although stihl is great product the 550 is by far a better saw hands down one of the best chainsaws on the market. 3rd gen. arborist. owned them all. have them all. the 550 in its class is a far better saw.

[afellowinnewengland]

My family owns both the 550xp MkII and the MS 261, here's the deal:

1) The handles on the Husky are much more comfortable if you have large hands. The Stihl handles are best for small or medium sized hands.
2) The Husky balances much better with an 18" and 20" bar length. The Sithl is nose heavy.
3) The Husky with the narrow kerf chain option cuts faster than the Stihl.
4) The Husky is easier to get re-started when you run the gas tank dry because of the priming bulb.
5) The Husky oils the bar better and the Stihl is a bit stingy on oil.
6) The Stihl is a pound lighter than the Husky.
7) The Stihl has more dealer coverage
8) The Stihl has 1" more effective bar cutting length for equal length bars. For example, an 18" Stihl bar is 1" longer than an 18" Husky bar on these particular models.
9) The Husky costs less to purchase new.
10) You can get a five year warranty on the Husky but only 2 years on the Stihl.
11) Reliability is equal. No problems with either after 3 years.
12) Build quality and materials is slightly higher on the 550xp mk II.

[ciphercode]

Just rebuilt my 8 year old 550xp for the 2nd time in 8 years, but both my stihl are over 10 years old with no major work done to them. One of them, my ms441c I use for big firewood and my Alaskan mill. Its seen brutal use and never a single problem. If reliability and ease of maintenance is what you want then I'd choose stihl

[dhamby]

Really great job explaining some of the differences and why they're there. Thanks for the footage 👣 and keep up the great work.

[chrisb]

Great comparison. I bought the 550xp only because I couldn’t find a dealer with any of the 261’s in stock!

[tomzawacki]

Great video, I have both brands, a MS261c and 562XP. I run the MS 261 with a 18" bar and the 562XP with a 24" bar. I live in Michigan and use both saws year round on both soft and hard woods. The husky is a little faster but the 261 has a little better low end torque. Both saw have served me well and I can't say a bad thing about either brand, And if you take off the cover of the Husqvarna without releasing the brake, its not a big deal. I reset the brake just using the brake handle where it curves against the brake in the cover and in less than two minutes I'm back in business, no tools needed. I do think Stihl has the better air filter but I feel the Husqvarna has better balance. You can't go wrong with either company. IMHO

[davido]

I got both which makes the choice easy! The 550 mark2 has more power for sure. I prefer the weight and inboard clutch in the stihl, makes changing chain much easier, another plus is if you pinch your bar with the stihl you can pull the bar off and get the power head out of the way.

[dwaynekerrison]

10/10 the inboard clutch is brilliant on the Stihl saw... I've got a 550XP (had a 450e before that) and the outboard clutch is a massive pain when you get it stuck and have to pull the bar off to get it out... the easy fix is to not get it stuck ;) but every now and then you just have a failure and it can be a real pain to get the powerhead away from the bar/chain on the Husky...

[joshualake]

I'm just south of salem ohio. I have a stihl dealer 6 or 7 miles northeast of me and a husqvarna/stihl dealer 12 miles west of me. I bought the 550xp mark ii in November and love it. Very light and reliable. Great information comparing the 2!

[adambatchelder]

Ive had a ms260 pro for years and its been a tough saw, my local shop sells both and says they see more bearing failure with the huskys so ive ordered a new stihl 261

[markclark]

Like the both brands. Dealer support is better on sthil. Sthil has a double ring piston which gives more engine life and the weight is generally lighter. I like them both brands and they do very good. Both brands have some competition now. It's the Echo X series that's at a lower price and the performance is impressive..

[tadzixon]

You have a natural talent to explain such things. It was both informative and fun to watch!

[barrysensing]

I would go with the Stihl. I like the features of it better, and have Stihl dealers all around my area. I have owned Farm/Ranch grade Stihls for years and they have been awesome saws.

[koltinsteiner]

I have a husqvarna 550 xp mark 2 and I was looking for a good secondary saw something that is a little lighter what is a good saw for that??

[justinmcginty]

The only thing primer bulbs are good for is rotting out and causing a lean mix

[goodboyringo]

Husqvarna dealers stand behind their products the same as Stihl would.
I love my 550 xp mark 2.
I also have a Stihl FS66 weed trimmer that I have had for 38 years and only lately had to clean the exhaust screen because it wouldn't run, now it runs like also.
Never had a problem with it.

[derrickvarnadore]

Thank you we use these as crane saws and was super helpful to see where I loose money.
Been watching the guys fumble with chain on 550 for years now… also to be noted I live in western nc and temp and moisture and pressure changes a lot. The 550s just don’t run reliably here. Guess im gonna give the stihl a whirl.

[videocardzrule]

I like that Stihl pretty much makes you buy the 261 in store, in my state NC you physically cannot buy a Stihl 261 and have it shipped to your door, you can buy online and go pick it up, or buy one on eBay lol, but they won’t ship a pro saw to a regular consumer. They also sell them in both flavors. Old school adjustable carb, or Mtronic auto tune. (Either model is the same price) the reason for in-store pickup up, is so a professional can set the saw up for you, mount bar+chain, add proper quality fuel, add bar oil, start it, and see it run and function properly, tune the carb if needed. No shipping allowed, no shipping damage whatsoever, and minimal user error, and potential loss or fraud completely eliminated. This drastically reduces returned products due to buyer error. As for the Husky you can literally buy one online right now, and they’ll ship it to your door. This is good and bad at the same time. It could be damaged in shipping, or not set up correctly by the buyer. I assume someone buying a 550XP has experience lol. But you never know haha. Anyways, both are great saws! John Deere provided me some excellent service in my 261 purchase. Also, no one mentioned price here at all. The STIHL 261 is $689.99-$719.99 range depending on BAR type. The HUSQVARNA 550XP MKII is $590 dollars. That’s a good bit cheaper. 😊 I own a new 261 (20”) but just sayn.

[JamaicaDancehallTV]

Man wish you thought us in high school, so clear and easy to learn, good job

[stevenmeyer]

Awesome info and great video. I think you helped a lot of people understand those two saws.