Husqvarna has recently announced that they will be launching two new chainsaw models in 2022, both in the 90cc professional logging size range. Some specs and even short reviews: the 585 and 592 XP are already out, but we are still waiting to understand what they’ll bring.
Where do the Husqvarna 585 and 592 XP fit in the rather complex Husky lineup? Which saws are they replacing, and what new are they bringing to the table? How to they stack up against the competition (one big German brand comes to mind)?
In this short post, I will give you my take on what we can expect from the new Husqvarna saws based on public specs and features. We will focus on the three key metrics: power, power-to-weight ratio, and price – all relative to the engine size range.
If you are looking to get a new 90cc logging saw, read on so you will know if you want to wait. You may also want to check out my article on Husqvarna model names to understand what you can tell by the model numbers alone.
585 and 592 XP: Power
The Husqvarna 585 and 592 XP have output powers of 6.9 hp and 7.6 h, respectively. In the graph, we see that this puts them well above the existing 90cc Husqvarna saws – the 390 XP and 395 XP – in power.
The 592 XP enjoys a solid 1 hp advantage over the 390/395 XP, and is clearly above the XP saw average (orange line). It will become the 2nd most powerful Husqvarna saw, only around ½ hp short of the 8.3 hp power rating of the Husqvarna flagship, the 120-cubic 3120 XP.
For the 585 being non-XP saw, its power spec is even more impressive: the “regular” newcomer manages to beat the old pro-grade 390/395 XP by ~½ hp despite a slightly smaller engine. This will make it the 3rd most powerful Husqvarna saw.
The 585 pushes the non-XP saws (blue crosses on the graph) to a new region in cubic volume, power and power per cubic. The 585 has far more power per cubic than the average non-XP saw (blue line), and in fact a bit more than the average XP saw (orange line)!
(For more on the XP – non-XP difference, check out my Husqvarna XP article.)
585 and 592 XP: Power-to-weight ratio
The 585 and the 592 XP provide power-to-weight ratios of 0.42 hp/lb. and 0.47 hp/lb., respectively. As seen on the graph with all 2021 Husqvarna chainsaws above, these ratios are very good – indeed, the saws will become the highest power-to-weight Husqvarna saws.
Looking more into the details, we see on the graph that the 592 XP is the new power-to-weight champion with a fair margin, approaching a round number of ½ hp/lb. The 585 is again very impressive for a non-XP saw, managing to beat all older XP models.
585 and 592 XP: Price
With rumored price points of $1219 and $1319, respectively, the 585 and the 592 XP fall squarely into the typical 90cc saw price range.
A graph of the 2021 Husqvarna chainsaw prices (MSRP) above shows the 585 and the 592 XP right on the price-vs-cc line. The pricing of the new entries is also very similar to the older 390/395 XP, which makes particularly the 585 price–performance proposition very attractive.
Which saws will the Husqvarna 585 and 592 XP replace?
The 585 and the 592 XP are probably going to replace the 390 XP and the 395 XP.
Compared to 390/395 XP, the new 585 and 592 XP are in the same engine size class and fairly similarly priced, but have more power and a better power-to-weight ratio.
The new 585 and 592 XP also have a few more features and a more modern general construction compared to the ageing 390 XP and 395 XP.
Husqvarna 585 and 592 XP vs. Stihl MS 661
The new Husqvarna 585 and 592 XP directly compete with Stihl’s 90-cc saw, the MS 661.
In power, the new Huskies fall on either side of the 7.2-hp MS 661 – the 585 has a bit less power (6.9 hp), the 592 XP a bit more (7.6 hp).
The same is true for the pricing: the Stihl MS 661 typically sells at around $1280, which is between the $1219 and $1319 expected for the Husqvarna 585 and 592 XP.
In power-to-weight ratio, the Husqvarna 592 XP (0.47 hp/lb.) will actually be “just” on par Stihl MS 661 (0.46 hp/lb.); the 585 will fall a bit short.
Conclusion: The Husqvarna 592 XP narrowly outperforms the Stihl MS 661 and the 585 falls a bit short; in price–performance terms, all are equally good.
Husqvarna 585 vs. Stihl MS 500i
But how about Stihl MS 500i?
Stihl’s high-tech 80cc saw with fuel injection has only a little less power than the Husqvarna 585 (6.7 hp vs. 6.9 hp), and better power-to-weight than any other saw (0.48 hp/lb.). This makes the MS 500i direct challenger to the 585.
But there is quite some price to pay for the power-to-weight ratio of the MS 500i: at $1390 typical price, the Stihl is almost $200 more expensive than the 585 is expected to be.
My guess is that the Stihl MS 500i also loses a bit in torque to the 585, although we do not have an official torque spec for either of the saws.
Conclusion
As far as we can tell, the new Husqvarna 585 and 592 XP saws will likely be the most advanced saws in the Husqvarna lineup. They will have more power for their engine size and weight than any other Husqvarna saw, and their pricing is expected to be in line with other models.
The 585 and 592 XP will also bring significant performance improvements over the current 90cc Husqvarna models 390 XP and 395 XP, without actually being any more expensive. On specs and price, they compete quite evenly with the Stihl MS 661.
We are still waiting for the torque specs to come out, and finally in Spring 2022, the saws themselves. After this, we will be able to tell if the Husqvarna 585 and 592 XP will meet the high expectations set by the specs!
