Is there a noticeable difference between 50cc and 60cc saws?

I have a 372xp that I run a20" bar and it's MEAN with the rs chain. I would agree with the guys if your looking for another saw jump to the 70 cc range and it'll be a long time before your looking for another.

 

Conventional logic says they will dull faster. I have found just the opposite.
I'm not a great sharpener so my best cuts are made with a new chain. All my husky chains dulled pretty fast.
My first RS chain ran for a full month cutting several hours everyday before I hit a rock under the snow.
Stihl teeth just seem superior in hardness for folks that don't file every tank.
They're not recommended for dirty muddy wood.

How's your back?
My first saw the ms250 has a 16" bar. I noticed quite an improvement with the 550 and just an extra two inches while limbing. Not bending over so much really helped my terminally bad back.
Obviously there comes a point where extra length and weight become a hindrance but I was pleasantly surprised to find the light 550 with a slightly longer bar allowed me to cut longer before going into traction.

 

Lgx is 3/8 full chisel & lpx is .325 full chisel. In .325 rs was a little faster than lpx for me. Its also not as smooth as lpx. No problem with either on holding an edge. yrmv

 

Since I had my 562XP first, I was running 3/8" LGX on it. When I got the 550XP, I put a 3/8" sprocket on it so I could run the same chain as on the bigger saw. The chain makes one hell of a difference.

 

When I went from my Stihl 026, a 50cc, to my Husky 555, a 60cc, the difference was very obvious. Part of that difference may have been the 20 years between them but I am sure part of it was the larger displacement of the Husky.

 

Ok...now i'm excited. Have 2 chains already...but what the heck.

 

If I were you and wanted to go to a 2 saw plan and already had a 550 and wasn't brand biased, I'd be looking for an 044. That would make a dang good two saw plan. I'm only about 55% brand biased, I like a 372, but no way I'd pick it over a 044. I've long thought a great 2 saw plan is a 346xp and a 044. If I were buying both that's what I'd do, but that being said, I wouldn't give up a 550 I already had to get a 346.

 

Get that 550 ported, instant 60cc power 50cc weight.

 

1) Yes, there is a substantial difference between a 50cc and 60 cc. My real world experience with MS260 and MS261 vs. MS361, it is a BIG difference.
2) Do not invest in a 60 cc. saw since you already have and excellent 50cc all-around saw. Spend your money on additional bars, chains and sprockets for the 550XP first. WAY better value for your money
3) If you really are cutting mostly 15" or less and you have an excellent pro type 50cc saw (550XP), I would NOT, NOT, NOT go to a 60 cc saw for a second saw. They will be too close to the same. If it were me, I would go big or go small, way out of the range of the 550XP, which is a great one-saw plan. I'd go for either a 70-90cc range "big" saw or a 30-40 cc "small and light" "limbing" saw, maybe even a top-handle.

 

I haven't ran my 029 (50cc) since getting my 241(42cc)
If I go to a 2 saw plan, I will probably get a 441 (70cc)

 

I have a 40cc and a 60cc. Noticeable difference between these two, but can't comment about a 50cc. I like my 2-saw plan.

And... I guess I probably should wade into the orange debate... have one of each shade and very much like them both.

 

Another reason to want the stihl. I want peace in my home between the brands.

 

X2 on the 550xp with stihl rs chain it does make it cut way better than with the stock chain. Ive never had a pro model 60cc saw so i dont know exactly what one will do, but i do know that i love my 550 for cutting up the small stuff.

 

?

 

Zzzzz.......Zzzzzzzz....Wha, ha oh sorry I dozed off, are you done cutting yet?

What kind of chain do the Swedish meatballs make???
I'll go to Lowe's and find out

I obviously would add another Stihl to the collection, although I wouldn't turn down a
free Husky, it might make a decent felling wedge
I'd go with the 70cc family. My 460 with a 20" is my go to saw

 

I'll go to Lowe's and find out

Hey, I have both and in some cases prefer Husky over Stihl, but that is funny right there. While you're at it, ask the guy at Lowes to explain the difference between the saws they sell and a Stihl. Then report back here.

 

Laugh if you want. I did.
For roughly seven ounces more weight I get an extra 3/4 horsepower over my dads old 250. Could be even because he has that easy start crap which I don't like.
Not a real huge difference to some. If my 250 didnt mysteriously up and quit while removing a 100 ft pine from across my driveway I wouldn't own the 550.
It was a purchase of immediate need though I had been comparing saws looking for something light and a little more oomph. I jumped. Not a highjump, bad back, hence light was a determining factor.

After several attempts to restart that 250 it went into the basement for a couple years. Decided out of deference to my dear old departed father to get it up and going again. Was just about to head to the Stihl dealer where I expected a bill larger than the saws worth. Last second I dumped the gas and tried one last time. Little sucker fired right up. Never figured out why. Maybe water in the new gas I had just purchased before it died? The 550 ate it up though.

IMO the Swedish meatballs make soft chains. Seems to be the choice for people hand filing them square. Personally I like a chain that stays sharp right up until I bury it in the frozen ground or use it to split rocks.

 

I'll never laugh at the Swede lovers, just with them as I was once one of them.