Husqvarna 281 vs. 575 Perception Vs. Reality, Was That 575 Really All The Bad A Saw?

Really going to hammer on this point. When the 575 was released there was a visceral negative reaction as many where evaluating that saw to the ORIGINAL edition 372, and the weight difference & snappy feel were drastically different. Husqvarna released the 372 "X-Torq" and there was "relief" in the Husqvarna community, the beloved 372 was BACK, but was it really? And was the Xtorq really that much better than the 575/576 that had received such a negative reaction? There was a genius in the Husqvarna marketing decision to name the 372 X-torq and .... 372, even though it is a different saw , different design. Going to explore a little about the effect hearsay and the then new online conversations played in that perception. AND just do "raw" comparisons .... and then the question now can be asked. Was that 575 really all that bad? Or was the perception fueled by other communications and other factors.

[@benredmond8271]

I truly enjoy your videos. Keeping to the topic. Some of these other guys in the chainsaw community argue and bashing each other like 4 graders is ridiculous. Thanks again for great content.

[@afleetcommand]

I appreciate that. Two things I guess maybe three. First, I'm not selling ANYTHING , just sharing the experience with humility. I think more the merrier with channels, and I love people. :)

[@frankz1125]

You could lean the 281 out a bit more if you wanted to. I like the 2 series Huskies , Cheers

[@robertmandigo7942]

It was very interesting to see the 281 since my first husky was a 181 that a logger bought and used took it to the dealer and had it worked over, I think bearings and ring, then went back and treaded it in on a new saw, I think it was 1993. I cut many years of fire wood and even used it to cut the second floor off an old building, used a junk bar and chain, when I got done the chain only had a couple of cutters left since it had been filed to the point I wouldn't trust it to cut wood. I don't remember how many chains I wore out I think it was three bars and it still has good compression but it has been around twenty years since I have had it running, it is a beast to start that's why I love my 372 with the decomp. Keep up the great videos and God bless you and your family.

[@oldcodger1929]

What a difference a good chain made on the 281.

[@jeffbarrett6126]

I got a 1984 oem 181se they still do good for there age. 77's too

[@scobie4252]

I have a 575xp and love it. I have run 266, 268,and 272 they were all good saws. I can tell you going from a 266 to a 268 was lighter.

[@seriksson9721]

Very nice and interesting. Thanks

[@normzilla44]

Great video. Going to finish watching tonight.

[@Kalkaekie]

Good video !!

[@facelesspsycho8252]

I just bought a 575 still yet to put it in some big wood yet

[@ColonialEricSR]

Hi Walt I have a 576 xp that the crank let go it’s junk the cylinder is good I want to rebuild it I’m definitely going back in your videos for bottom end tips 👍

[@walkerscountrylife]

Thats a great set of comparisons Walt, thanks for putting it together. Its a good point, youve gotta say no, the 575 wasnt bad at all. I still wish husky would make an 80cc saw, no idea why really they make a 70/72cc then jump to an 85/90cc. Bringing a 7900, 046/461 and or a 500i on this discussion would be interesting.

[@afleetcommand]

I guess, the 70cc 572 stock is a wheezer on the bottom end of the power band but does respond well to simple things as is demonstrated here. But it's only 70cc. My 585 is a surprise. But its 85 as u mentioned on a bigger heavier chassis :) You kind of poked into where I was going with this. Taking a cheap ( for a used OEM saw cause no one likes them ) 75cc saw and doing things like I have done on the 572 any one can do to push into the 80cc power, and we did match the 281 with the 572 :) ( A take away most have missed in my guess) When we take this 575 saw a little further down the tweak road , the goal is to have 80cc power characteristics for the same money as a clone, but with used "true" OEM saw. Starting either with a 570, 575, or 576 :) AND have better vibration & fuel usage than the older gen saws. At A FRACTION of the cost of a 7900 and certainly a 500i. AND if u look closely , a 585/592 has very similar design characteristics as the 575/6

[@walkerscountrylife]

@@afleetcommand great minds thinking alike there then! Looking forward to hearing your thoughts more down this road. Do you have a 385/390 that could join the party?

[@afleetcommand]

I do.

[@sandsock]

can you do a video on changing out the 562 or 572 series fuel lines. i've done stihls before but dont understand the husky fuel system. i havent seen anyone do a video on that, exclusively.. thx. so far i like the husky bar, but the tsumara bars with grease tip are phenomenal on not sleigh footing or tip wear.

[@afleetcommand]

Might, have a couple on the bench now. I'll see what I can do.

[@leonardvirtue5753]

Cheers 🎉 mate!!!🤠👌👌👌👍Nice 😊😁

[@StuInTheSticks]

Perceptions and hearsay always seem to win out over truth because the truth and fact's are boring to a lot of people. The fact that a saw like the 281 was designed almost thirty years prior to these new/er saw's 575/76 and 572 show's that while creature comfort's are a lot better, performance wise the old design's were pretty good overall and don't give up much to newer saw's. Feeling how an old big bore saw pull's like a tractor in the cut has a fun factor that no new saw will ever compare to lol! Side note going off into the weed's is where we find true gem's of knowledge, take care.

[@afleetcommand]

Actually a 585 might both surprise and entertain you :)

[@StuInTheSticks]

@@afleetcommand No disrespect meant towards the new big bore saw's like the 585 or 592. I haven't got the chance to run one of these Big "5" series saw's yet and it probably will be a awhile until I do, in my local market here their priced at nearly 2k so nobody I know has bit the bullet and gotten one. They are great saw's from what little I've heard about them so far, was simply refiring to the old school fun factor of the "big saw" classics. My dad once had a Jonsered 90 he bought brand new back in the day along with his old 70E, my uncle had a Jonsered 920, I got to run both those saw's they where just in a class all their own lol! Ps I still have dad's 70E and I got hold of my uncle's 920 it need's work but one day... :)

[@ericfuller6326]

Walt had you ever heard of the Payne brothers in gouverneur?They were a Mcculloch dealership back in the day and a Stihl dealership tell they sold it maybe 20 years ago.

[@afleetcommand]

Nope, go thru Gouverneur prolly one a month and in the summer twice. Sully's is there and I stop in from time to time.

[@austindenotter19]

Starting out with the 65 and 77 huskies graduating to 262 272 then to 371 372 i can tell you professionally that the 575/576 was a letdown. Though i like the 576 better than the 372 x turd.

[@afleetcommand]

Why? What was the expectation level vs. reality ? I remember feeling the same but it was because I was loving the 372 and this heavy goofy looking thing threatened the 372's existence in my world.

[@austindenotter19]

@@afleetcommand As the saws graduated the performance was pronounced. The 576 nor the the 372 x turd never cut as many sticks/logs per day as the 372 xp. Switched to 390 now 572 and 592.

[@markmacdonald6452]

All great saws

[@johnclarke6647]

Your saws always seem to have lousy chains according to you, even if they do or don’t. I try to never use a chain that has a “lousy chain,” because I sharpen them after every use. I know you have a chain grinder - use it and stop whining when results do not equal expectations!

[@afleetcommand]

John is BACK :)

[@timberslasher4899]

I'm getting my first 281 here pretty soon from a guy we all know..

[@user-dg2gw7fd3x]

I just got mine, 281 husqvarna

[@BryanClark-gk6ie]

​@@user-dg2gw7fd3x What length bar and what chain you running?

[@prestontimbs74]

🫡 Man Walt is a human husqvarna encyclopedia that makes info practical for green horns like myself. Im new and haven't learned porting yet but what I always think is that if porting and muffler mods are such an improvement in performance why would the engineers put years of knowledge developing these machines make them ported and modded out of the factory? Is it EPA issues they must please or something that keeps them from producing these stocked with all of the mods out the box? I find myself feeling like my saw isn't good enough because it's not potrted at times which I know better to think that I cant do treee work with the best of them because they have 2,000$ saws. I can finish the job it just may take longer.

[@afleetcommand]

Common sense. :) If all the saws were like a "ported" saw, then what would all the online experts on that subject matter have to offer for $300--$400 a saw? :)