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Official MS261CM vs 550XP test

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

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HolmenTree

Now that the long weekend is over I stopped in at the dealer first thing this morning to check on the 550XP.
I got the sales manager involved in it this time seeing she's the one that sold it to me. She talked to the young tech then came back and said "he had to order a diagnostic tool for the saw, it will be in today".
I said "I thought he had all that already with updated firmware yet?"
Just got a shrug for a answer....service manager was nearby with no answer.

So I reminded them that their dealership has been a full service Husqvarna dealer for over 40 years. I don't expect this.

On a happier note here I am this afternoon working the MS261C in some storm damage at cottage country.
Sure appreciate this little beauty in this kind of wood and it's exhaust note is sounding stronger every day.  :)



  

 
Making a living with a saw since age 16.

HolmenTree

Just an update and some pics of a little logging .
After work yesterday stopped in at the dealer service manager looked really nervous when I approached.
Manager said "Sorry the diagnostic tool hasn't come in yet, has to be in tomorrow. "
::)

With my diesel pickup and 200 feet of 3/4" stablebraid rope, I skidded all the trees up from the customers shoreline yesterday and put them on top of the firewood pile.
MS261C did the bucking, nearby chipper handled
the limbs and tops.


  

 
Making a living with a saw since age 16.

HolmenTree

Warm one today, 85F with over 50% humidity.
Finished this last tree today out at cottage country.
90 ft white spruce with a heavy lean over the cottage.
Installed a 90 degree to lay guy rope with my big shot slingshot and line. Tensioned off on a 3 ton block pulley with my diesel pickup.
Used the 395XP-36 to fell it into a hole in a stand of remaining shoreline trees, not to cause any damage. 
Then skidded the Tree onto the wood pile for the MS261 to limb and buckup. Noodle split the first 10 rounds into quarters with the 395.
Both saws ran flawless in the high heat humidex.


  

  

  

  

 
Making a living with a saw since age 16.

teakwood

Nice work! I always enjoy watching your pics and reading the posts
National Stihl Timbersports Champion Costa Rica 2018

PNWRusty

Quote from: btulloh on August 07, 2017, 09:13:43 AM
From what I hear from a guy who does saw repair, the new Husky's and new Stihl's are not as robust as they used to be, especially the down-market models like the farm and ranch saws and the homeowner saws.  He says even the pro saws have gone downhill a little.  I don't know.  It's really just gossip more than information.

Well, it's possible, especially with the down-market models since they  are so price sensitive, but I think you hit the nail on the head when you said it was more gossip than information. Because I've been hearing the exact same gossip for about 30 years. It started as a indignant disbelief that a chainsaw would have plastic components. But I would never go back to the saws that had all metal cases!

If anything, it seems like the newer saws can do more cutting before expiring than the old saws. But a properly operated saw still lasts such a long time and cuts so much wood that it will be a few years before anyone has a big enough sample size of well used auto-tune saws to make informed observations. My guess is they will last longer, on average, due to the self-adjusting fuel mixture.

On the other hand, technologies like centrifugal air cleaning could actually shorten a saws life. Because the older saws often ran adequately with a thick coating of coarse wood shavings surrounding the air filter. This reduced cutting power and helped the engine run cooler (assuming the rest of the engine wasn't coated in chips too). And, if the chain was nice and sharp, the coarse chips let enough air through to run well enough for all but the most demanding cutting and they acted like a pre-filter for finer particles.  With centrifugal cleaning, only the finest particles reach the air filter. While the filters now have more surface area to deal with this, I think more super fine particles get through. These are the particles so fine that they don't cause "damage", per say, just slightly accelerated wear.

Overall durability probably hasn't changed too much, one way or the other, although I'm sure some models still have better records than others. Even if saws only lasted 1000 hours total, that would be 60,000 minutes and a $600 saw would cost less than a penny/minute of cutting, basically free! But a good saw lasts much longer than that!

Amazing machines!

btulloh

Good points.  Maybe it's like people saying the dial telephones were better. It will take a while before we really know how autotune saws hold up.  So far so good for me.  I'll stick with the pro saws, but there are plenty of people on here doing well with the other tier saws. 

Maybe HolmanTree oughta put a farm and ranch saw into his test. ??
HM126

HolmenTree

btulloh, I'll keep it even platform. 550 should be all checked out tomorrow or perhaps a new one.

Regardless which it'll be, we have lots of 90F's weather forecasted for next week with a good ammount of humidity to put the 2 saws through.

But I'll take it easy on them, that kind of heat I prefer to get some odd jobs done around home. Not sweating it out on a tree in someone's back yard.
Maybe this "new smart AutoTune MTronic " is smarter then the average Joe running them :D
Making a living with a saw since age 16.

HolmenTree

Beautiful hot summer day today and I wasn't cutting wood :D
I took my family out on the lake and we had a barbeque.  Didn't catch any fish so we settled for hot dogs. ;D

Got home later this evening (Saturday) and no phone message from my untrustworthy Husqvarna dealer ::)


 
Making a living with a saw since age 16.

PNWRusty

Nice!

I can't help but wonder where you stash that top-handle pruning saw on your party barge in case an emergency arises. Like maybe someone needs a hot dog cut in half or something...Sure to impress the ladies...

Just make sure the oil reservoir is filled with canola oil. ;D

Spike60

This has taken an interesting turn. The diagnostic tool is properly called the "common service tool", or CST for short. The "common" aspect meaning that it is used for all AT saws, (except the 576), and all of the 536 battery tools as well.

It is impossible for them to have done the earlier firmware update without one. That leaves 2 possibilities: Either they broke their's and needed a replacement, or they never had one to begin with. "had to order a tool" and the shrug kind of suggests the latter, doesn't it?

And when dealing with tech service, you will be asked questions that can only be answered with info that is read from the CST. Things like fuel settings, carb temps, error codes, and most importantly, how much time is on the saw. Time is the big one as you can sometimes "stretch" a warranty by the fact that a saw has very little run time on it.  :)  They may ask for pressure and vacuum readings. Air leak? Where is it?

This situation is really not unusual. Probably half the dealers can't handle AT and they are faking it at best. It really falls on the dealers to get up to speed. In my experience, Husky is really good with standing behind their stuff. And they make all of this info and training available to dealers. But they can't force dealers to get their act together. It's also true that many dealers spin stories to blame the OEM for their own shortcomings, so the customer directs their anger at the manufacturer and not the dealer.

Bigger the dealer, the more common the problem. And it goes beyond AT type stuff also. Many big dealers don't have a decent 2 stroke guy. Some don't even have a bad one. LOL  Pretty much the norm for big AG dealers like many of the John Deere dealers who took on Stihl. Then you have all these levels of people with different job titles. Sales manager, service manager. Never even get to talk with the guy who's working on the saw.

Husqvarna-Jonsered
Ashokan Turf and Timber
845-657-6395

HolmenTree

Thanks for your good post Spike60. And yes the bigger the dealer with other merchandise like Mercury, Yamaha, Ski Doo  etc. is a problem.
Their complex covers a good square half city block. Takes a good jaunt to get back to where the techs work.

The dealer is closed today (Monday) Tuesday to Saturday is their business days.
Like I said they've been a Husqvarna dealer for over 40 years. They bought out all of a competitor's Stihl franchise a couple of years ago.

We'll see what happens tomorrow.
Making a living with a saw since age 16.

PNWRusty

Quote from: HolmenTree on August 14, 2017, 11:00:08 AM
We'll see what happens tomorrow.

I have a good feeling that they will make it right.

Good luck!

nitehawk55

I know with Stihl that it would be a requirement for a full service dealership to have all the diagnostic equipment in order to remain a dealership . Having the needed equipment to do diagnostic on all the new saws with auto tune you would think that would be one piece of equipment that they would have to have in their shop . Is Husky not requiring dealers to have this equipment and looking the other way ? I can't see it being so .

A Husky dealer just north of me has this testing unit , told me he cannot diagnose or repair the new saws without it .
I AM NOT BRAND LOYAL !

Spike60

Written requirements and enforced requirements are two different realities with all of these companies. Another example is a dealer with multiple locations. "Well, we don't have parts and service at this location, just at our main store an hour away." They aren't going to let their policies get in the way of sales. Stihl is no different.

They can't force a dealer to be competent. They can require a dealer to send someone to sleep through a tech class, but they can't force him to learn anythng. There can be a requirement that a dealer "stock parts", but not which parts and how many. They can't prevent a good tech from quitting his job to do something else, and they can't change the simple reality that finding good help is very difficult for a small business.

They can't force a dealer that sells farm or construction equipment with 6 digit price tags or a hardware/home center selling a million dollars a month in lumber to get excited about a $500 chain saw.
Husqvarna-Jonsered
Ashokan Turf and Timber
845-657-6395

HolmenTree

I got things rolling yesterday at the dealership. Nothing was done with the saw, the general manager overheard me saying  ""I'm going to the shop to talk with the tech"!
He reassured me that he will talk to the tech immediately and get to the bottom of it.

This morning the service manager called and said the diagnostic tool finally came in ::)
Through further questioning she said the diagnostic tool was a pressure tester. The crankcase was not holding pressure.
  She also added the tech is tearing the saw down to see what damage is done, then they will get back to Husqvarna support staff for the final verdict.
She added I might just get a new saw.
Making a living with a saw since age 16.

John Mc

Wait... so a long-time Husqvarna servicer/dealer did not have a pressure tester?
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 August 16, 2017, 11:38:54 AM
Wait... so a long-time Husqvarna servicer/dealer did not have a pressure tester?
:D Yep  that is exactly what I'll ask them this afternoon.
I wasn't going to put her on the spot over the phone. I'll do that when I can see her face reactions this afternoon.
Making a living with a saw since age 16.

John Mc

Makes me wonder if their service guys own all their own tools, and someone left, taking theirs with them (though I would have thought the dealership would have at least owned the CST)
If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.   - Abraham Maslow

HolmenTree

Well,  time was on my side this time. As I was walking through the dealers front door the general manager called me on my cell phone.
Within seconds I walked into his office with the service manager sitting across the desk from him holding the tech's report.

I was then informed warranty will cover the repair of the saw. New P/C, seals , inlet pipe?? and 1 1/2 hrs of labor.
I said "Ok with about $500CDN in parts plus 1 1/2 hrs of labor the saw could be replaced for the cost value. Plus there is no guarantee the lower connecting  rod and main bearings are not damaged."

The tech's report said the saw has 3 hours on it with 70 psi compression due to 360° p/c scuffing and crankcase vacuum test won't hold pressure.
Also something about a cracked inlet pipe???

The general manager said "we'll call tech support right now for you on speaker phone to put in our claim for saw replacement, no secrets held back on your part".

The Husqvarna tech support guy had a strong American accent showing he was based in the U.S.

Now this is the confusing part, he said he still hasn't received pictures of the saw from the tech who took it apart.
So I'm thinking to myself how can the warranty be approved if it's not approved on his end. Did the general manager of my dealership just decide to cover it themselves?

So the Husqvarna tech support guy said "I can't make any promises for saw replacement and I have to see some pictures of the saw."

So the call ended and in walks a senior dealer tech wearing a Husqvarna hat. He says the Husqvarna warranty support is a nightmare as there's guy's  contracted out all over the U.S. some working out of their homes to handle warranty claims.

My dealer's general manager says "Sorry Willard, we'll get the pics emailed to him right away and we'll call you tomorrow."

Oh and BTW he said the tech's don't supply the diagnostic tools. The dealership supplies them.

Spike60, was there a run of 550's about a year back that had air leaks? I thought I read that over on OPE?
This 550XP of mine is 2016 31week 900unit.


Making a living with a saw since age 16.

HolmenTree

Good news !!
Taylor the service manager just called and she said the general manager decided to replace my 550XP with a brand new one.
Making a living with a saw since age 16.

nitehawk55

Quote from: Spike60 on August 16, 2017, 06:33:37 AM
Written requirements and enforced requirements are two different realities with all of these companies. Another example is a dealer with multiple locations. "Well, we don't have parts and service at this location, just at our main store an hour away." They aren't going to let their policies get in the way of sales. Stihl is no different.

They can't force a dealer to be competent. They can require a dealer to send someone to sleep through a tech class, but they can't force him to learn anythng. There can be a requirement that a dealer "stock parts", but not which parts and how many. They can't prevent a good tech from quitting his job to do something else, and they can't change the simple reality that finding good help is very difficult for a small business.

They can't force a dealer that sells farm or construction equipment with 6 digit price tags or a hardware/home center selling a million dollars a month in lumber to get excited about a $500 chain saw.

I can see your point and things I'm sure have changed since my tenure with Stihl but I think Willard will agree that Stihl put pressure on the dealers to have the needed test equipment and required factory training , at least back some years ago and that was in Canada , the USA may treat it's dealers differently .
And of course we didn't have need for computer diagnostics back then either but you were expected to do a pressure / vacuum test on any questionable saws with running issues or a failure . If the dealer wasn't sure of the cause then it went to the regional or head office Tech departments to determine the cause and warranty . It wasn't unusual for Stihl to be pretty good about covering warranty and we even did it on saws that were a bit out of warranty (a few times quite a bit because the saw looked almost like new) just to keep the customers happy .  :)
I AM NOT BRAND LOYAL !

nitehawk55

That's good , glad they came thru finally . Seems Husky hands out saws a fair bit , I know the dealer up north of me pushes for a new one if he feels it's justified .
The sweet part for him is he can keep the saw but he has to remove the serial tag and is supposed to junk it . I guess Husky usually doesn't want the saws returned which is something Stihl would definately want .
I AM NOT BRAND LOYAL !

HolmenTree

nitehawk, I agree Stihl does back up their dealers differently...like family. Husqvarna dealers on the other hand are dealing in a cut throat environment where almost every big box store are selling their product also.

I ran Jonsered for the first 7 years , Stihl for the next 27 years and Husqvarna for almost the last 10 years.
Only reason I switched to Husqvarna was my sponsorship switched from Stihl to Husqvarna for my logger sports I've been running for the last 20 years.
Now my sponsor no longer carries Husqvarna.
So I'm no longer product loyal, kinda like you. :)
Making a living with a saw since age 16.

nitehawk55


I didn't agree with Stihl setting up John Deere tractor as dealerships , that **pithed off a lot of good dealers in Ontario .

I don't own a Stihl chainsaw at all right now and only a 346xp....hahaha .
I do have 2 Stihl FR 350 backpack brush saws tho , the only 2 in Canada and maybe all of North-Am ? These were brought in but never caught on here but I guess they are popular in Europe .
Most of my arsonal is Echo , 590 , 501 saws, pole saw and Shindawa blower , a couple Dolmar saws and a little Maruyama that was on sale last year at Rona for cheap .
I AM NOT BRAND LOYAL !

gspren

   All of this makes me even happier that my local Stihl dealer specializes in saws, in fact the name of his business ends in "Saw Shop"
Stihl 041, 044 & 261, Kubota 400 RTV, Kubota BX 2670, Ferris Zero turn

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