Chainsaw Repair

I see the Husqvarna US web site is showing a 562XP and a 562XP (2020) as well as a 555 and a 555 (2020).  Are these just the cooling modifications, or did that come earlier and these have other changes? Can someone tell me what the changes are?

Thanks. I was disappointed that the 550 Mark II seems to have gained a pound with the update. Apparently the 562 did not.

Quote from: John Mc on October 20, 2020, 02:16:22 pm

Thanks. I was disappointed that the 550 Mark II seems to have gained a pound with the update. Apparently the 562 did not.

The 562 has gained a measurable amount weight throughout it's lifespan.

I don't doubt it, but the weight specs at least for this last update to the 562XP (2020) didn't seem to change (not that their specs are always honest).

Accurate they are not! They're all over the place. There really is no weight gain to speak of on the 555/562. There are no significant component chages that can account for such a gain in weight. It is due to the various published weights bouncing all over the place that this confusion exists. Another example arrived with the new updated 562's that showed up this week as the owner's manual lists the weight as 13 lbs vs the 13.6 that were already in stock. So the redesign certainly hasn't added any weight. Between catalogs, signage, OM's and whatever, I can pull out 4 different weights right here in the store. Could probably find some more if I went online. I have no idea why there are so many weights, but it's best to just ignor them. Either the saw feels right, or it doesn't.

What has changed on these saws is the switch to the 550M2 air filter to improve the sealing function where the AF mounts to the holder. The new filter has a soft material to help it seal better to the holder vs the hard plastic on hard plastic set up on the original. It's easy to convert earlier 562's as only the filter holder and filter need to be changed. Only takes a few minutes. Don't even have to pull the carb.  555's can also be converted, but require a new top cover to clear the filter, so there's no more low top versions of these saws. An old 562 cover lying around would also work for a 555 conversion. The 555 also gets the 2 tone look with the dark gray that's used on the 565 and 545. Actually a sharp looking saw.

The other change is a protective washer is added to the flywheel bearing to keep dust out. Kind of like an extra seal. This requires a crankcase change, so that and the available short block are all different. It's not a full redesign like the 550, but enough has changed that they all get new product codes.