Buying another saw: Husky 365 or 562xp

[Hank_612]

I have run a 590 562 and 362. I own a 562 and moms boyfriend had a 362 bought at the same time I bought my 562 in 2016. Only people who own echos will even compare the three saws. A 362 is a legit comparison and a fine saw. Some prefer "grunt" and some a saw that feels like it pulls higher rpm in the cut. A 562 feels lighter and smoother to me. It also feels faster than the 362 with a 20 inch bar 3/8 .50 rs chain.

After 10 tanks and a muffler mod my 562 felt 20% faster. My 562 wears a 18 in bar now and full chisel chain. It rips and makes me smile every time I use it. Unless I choke the darn thing when it's warm.

I also have a 346xp ne with a mm and 16 inch 3/8 .50. I would put money on it every day cutting say 14 inch oak against my neighbors 590 with a mm. Even the owner of that saw would not put it in the same class as a 362 or 562. And yes they are broke in and tuned........

 

[Neurotoxin]

Going to retire my old 371xp for a new 562xp soon. Wouldn't bat an eye if I had to only go with the 365 if I didn't have enough cash.

 

[salecker]

Going to retire my old 371xp for a new 562xp soon. Wouldn't bat an eye if I had to only go with the 365 if I didn't have enough cash.

Retire...
What does that mean to you?Trade in? Put under the bench and forget it?Sell it?
Just curious because i rebuild saws as a hobby,might be interested if you want rid of it.

 

[Neurotoxin]

Sell it. Use the cash towards new saw. We get good money for used saws i my neck of the woods. Whereabouts are you located?

 

[woodhog73]

Going to retire my old 371xp for a new 562xp soon. Wouldn't bat an eye if I had to only go with the 365 if I didn't have enough cash.

Why would you get rid of a 371xp for a new 365 Xtorq ? The new saw has inferior crank bearings with plastic cages outsourced to Asia as opposed to
Swedish made crank bearings in your older XP ?? Plus the 365 Xtorq is heavier and has less power. The cylinder porting is less aggressive as well. This makes no sense.

371xp is pre EPA and a bulit proof saw if well maintained. Don’t sell it.

Swede saw fan since I was a teenager. I’m almost 50 now and have had most Swede saws made over the years.

The only 365 I would want is a special from the 1990s. It’s 65cc and very high reving. Light and powerful for a medium duty saw.

I bought a Jonny 2166 Xtorq ( same as 365 Xtorq ) and was an overweight dog. I ground the transfer to make it into a 2172 Xtorq. It’s now a decent saw. But it’s heavy and no where as well constructed as a 371 or 372 XP

 

[Neurotoxin]

Why would you get rid of a 371xp for a new 365 Xtorq ? The new saw has inferior crank bearings with plastic cages outsourced to Asia as opposed to
Swedish made crank bearings in your older XP ?? Plus the 365 Xtorq is heavier and has less power. The cylinder porting is less aggressive as well. This makes no sense.

371xp is pre EPA and a bulit proof saw if well maintained. Don’t sell it.

Swede saw fan since I was a teenager. I’m almost 50 now and have had most Swede saws made over the years.

The only 365 I would want is a special from the 1990s. It’s 65cc and very high reving. Light and powerful for a medium duty saw.

I bought a Jonny 2166 Xtorq ( same as 365 Xtorq ) and was an overweight dog. I ground the transfer to make it into a 2172 Xtorq. It’s now a decent saw. But it’s heavy and no where as well constructed as a 371 or 372 XP

Humm didn’t realize the new one is no good. The 365 special is the only 365 I used (my uncles) it’s awesome! I guess I assumed that if anything the newer 365 would be just as good or better. Maybe stick with going down to the 562xp for the reduced weight.

 

[Zack R]

Humm didn’t realize the new one is no good. The 365 special is the only 365 I used (my uncles) it’s awesome! I guess I assumed that if anything the newer 365 would be just as good or better. Maybe stick with going down to the 562xp for the reduced weight.

I wouldn't say its no good, its just that the older ones are better. You really can't go wrong either way.

 

[mellow]

I had the 365 special, I ran a 20" bar on that thing and it ran like a champ, mine was stolen so if you come across one it might be mine. I loved that saw, I would not hesitate to buy another one, I did not feel the need to upgrade it.

I kid you not, I won my 365 special back in a govdeals auction, it has been sitting in storage for the past 5 years at the Police dept. They would not release it to me since I did not have the serial number even though I had pictures of it that matched. Ohh well, it sometimes pays to keep an eye out for stolen items, even 5 years later! Can't wait to put it back to work!

 

[duramaxman05]

I would buy a simple carburetorated saw. I have a 550xp and love the saw but not a fan of autotune. The father in law has had several autotunes and a stihl 462 mtronic. Mine s finicky and my father in law says the same. I found that mine doesn't like heat. That's when it gives me the most crap. When they are running right, they are hard to beat. I found my regular carburetorated saws don't give me any crap and always start and run.

 

[ericm979]

I like my Mtronic Stihls. The one issue with them is that if you run the saw hard and cut the ignition and then go to start it while it's still hot, it will be too rich and won't start. You can either start it with the throttle open to lean it out, or the better solution is to let it idle for 5 seconds or so before turning the ignition off. Which is probably a good idea anyhow to cool the engine down. Sometimes I forget.

Other than that they have worked flawlessly. They always run like a perfectly tuned regular carb saw.

I have not used Husqvarna's version but I see more complaints about it.

 

[sloeffle]

What’s the long term consensus on the 562XP ?

 

[duramaxman05]

What’s the long term consensus on the 562XP ?

I would say it would be fine. I know they came a long way since it came out. The average firewood cutter would probably never wear one out. That's the good thing with pro saws. Pay the money up front but get a good long lasting saw. Maintenance and a sharp chain is key.

 

[mellow]

If the 562 is anything like that 365 it is an awesome saw.

This 365 has been sitting for over 5 years, I emptied the old varnished gas and put some new in and it started up on the 3rd pull and is ready to go, I thought I was going to have to clean the carb at a minimum. Man I missed this saw!

 

[walhondingnashua]

I've had my 562xp since 2016. Other than the issue starting when it is hot, it's a monster for its size. I just put a semi-chisel full chain and a 24" bar on it and notice zero power lose in oak, hickory, ash, etc. Actually wish now I might have tried the 28". I hope nothing serious ever happens to it because I want to own it for a very long time. For the average firewood cutter that isn't an expert at adjusting the carb, the 562 is perfect. My local dealer (sells all 3 major brands) say it is their favorite firewood saw.

Side note... has anyone tried what ericm suggests above with one of the husky autotune saws? My saw was old enough to not have the cover with the heat cut out. I did one myself and it helped some. Still considering doing a small muffler mod to see if it helps as well.

 

[j7art2]

My 562XP is a fantastic saw. Zero complaints at all. Mine's probably 7-8 years old now and I've done nothing to it but change the air filter, plug, and chain a few times. It's pretty much been retired to bucking large rounds or doing stacks of 20 limbs at once in the bucking horse now because of it's size. I sold my 455 Rancher to upgrade to it and it was a solid decision. Same size package, but ~35% more saw in said package.

My buddies is newer, 4-5 years old, and his saw is a bit different than mine. I'm not exactly sure what the changes are, but they sound port related. He insists he has less overall horsepower than mine but his spins up 2,000 RPM higher he claims. Zero complaints from him either.

I haven't tested our saws back to back, but they're both solid performers and we both attacked a 3' diameter oak tree with ours together in an afternoon that fell in his back yard. We both ran exclusively Oregon LGX's on 20" bars until recently when I switched to the EXJ.

I'd buy another in a heartbeat if I intended to stick with gas. This will ultimately be the last gas saw I own. My little High Performance Ryobi 18v has stolen my heart after replacing and walking circles around my small companion saw (a Homelite XL) and I intend to simply get a bigger intermediate electric for harvesting; making the XP solely a processing or "big wood" saw.

 

[sloeffle]

Thanks for all of the information. I'm being told that Santa Claus might be bringing me a 562XP. RK had them on sale a few weeks ago for $719 ( 20" bar ) and I thought about buying one but was told not to.

My biggest saw currently, is a 18 year old MS290. Zero complaints about it but I would like a 60CC - 70CC saw with auto tune and anti vibe. I have zero clue on how to tune a carb, so an auto tune type saw fits the bill for me. I'm not a big guy so running the 290 for any great length of time really wears me out. I can't stomach the prices that Stihl charges for a saw in this class so that's why I asked about the 562xp. I have zero loyalty to any company or brand. I'm a firm believer in buying the best "thing" for my dollar.

 

[Nealm66]

I think it was the 562 I got rid of and replaced with the 362. Half wrap handle bars just don’t work for me. Lots of power though. Can’t for the life of me figure out why stihl made they’re 400 a half wrap that needs aftermarket parts to make it full and placed it in their pro line. Crazy times

 

[sloeffle]

Santa brought a 562XP, throughly impressed with it so far.

 

[j7art2]

Santa brought a 562XP, throughly impressed with it so far.

Still running the stocker chain? If you need more "wow" factor, I highly recommend an Oregon LGX, EXL, or EXJ if you're able to get them. Bailey's online carries them if you can't find them locally. Luckily they're not too hard for me to get. All OEM Husqvarna chains are safety chains, even the ones with the 562 to my knowledge. Both mine, and my buddies (bought 4 years later) both came with one.

Non-safety logging chains make a huge difference even in their own right (about 20% faster cutting in my experience), but it's not a necessary or desired upgrade for everyone.

 

[sloeffle]

Still running the stocker chain? If you need more "wow" factor, I highly recommend an Oregon LGX, EXL, or EXJ if you're able to get them. Bailey's online carries them if you can't find them locally. Luckily they're not too hard for me to get. All OEM Husqvarna chains are safety chains, even the ones with the 562 to my knowledge. Both mine, and my buddies (bought 4 years later) both came with one.

Non-safety logging chains make a huge difference even in their own right (about 20% faster cutting in my experience), but it's not a necessary or desired upgrade for everyone.

It's running the X-Cut chain chain, that's not a safety chain from what I can tell. When I go sharpen the chain, I plan on taking a few swipes of the rakers with a file. I'm being told it will probably cut even better after that. I've probably used the saw for a solid two hours, and the chain still cuts like new.

I'm going from a MS290 with safety chain ( all my Stihl dealer will see an average joe off the street ) to a 562XP with non-safety chain, it has been like going from a Chevette to a Corvette. I bought a 24" Husqvarna Light bar ( made by Sugihara ) to cut down a decent size oak that the top blew out of. That should give it a run its money.

 

[Sean McGillicuddy]

Did you get a 2in1 for that size chain ?

 

[duramaxman05]

Still running the stocker chain? If you need more "wow" factor, I highly recommend an Oregon LGX, EXL, or EXJ if you're able to get them. Bailey's online carries them if you can't find them locally. Luckily they're not too hard for me to get. All OEM Husqvarna chains are safety chains, even the ones with the 562 to my knowledge. Both mine, and my buddies (bought 4 years later) both came with one.

Non-safety logging chains make a huge difference even in their own right (about 20% faster cutting in my experience), but it's not a necessary or desired upgrade for everyone.

I been getting my oregon chains off Amazon. I try to shop local but I can save quite a bit getting them on Amazon. Have to try save a little money when you can these days.

 

[sloeffle]

Did you get a 2in1 for that size chain ?

Yeah, I bought a Pferd 2in1 for that size chain.

 

[sloeffle]

I been getting my oregon chains off Amazon. I try to shop local but I can save quite a bit getting them on Amazon. Have to try save a little money when you can these days.

Bought a 20” X-Cut full chisel ( kind of wish I bought semi-chisel now, oh well ) chain from Stahl Forestry supply for $17. That’s a lot cheaper than what I can get it locally for.

 

[j7art2]

It's running the X-Cut chain chain, that's not a safety chain from what I can tell. When I go sharpen the chain, I plan on taking a few swipes of the rakers with a file. I'm being told it will probably cut even better after that. I've probably used the saw for a solid two hours, and the chain still cuts like new.

I'm going from a MS290 with safety chain ( all my Stihl dealer will see an average joe off the street ) to a 562XP with non-safety chain, it has been like going from a Chevette to a Corvette. I bought a 24" Husqvarna Light bar ( made by Sugihara ) to cut down a decent size oak that the top blew out of. That should give it a run its money.

Unfortunately your link didn't work for me, but it appears that that most X-Cuts (from what I can tell from pictures) aren't safety chains, but apparently they do make versions of it that are too. I was unaware that Husqvarna still made full tilt non-safeties. Good to know.

The only difference is the thickness of the rakers as far as I know between the two. Safety chains have essentially double the thickness of the rakers (raker on each side of each section of chain rather than single sided.) That's how I tell anyway.

I get my chains from the local Amish hardware store -- they have tons of forestry supplies, and prices are good. I might save a few bucks on Amazon for the chain (I think I paid $20 for my 20" EXJ), but they have universal chainsaw wrenches for $1.50 a pop. I've bought so many now that I can truly afford to lose them and not care anymore which makes up for it.