sunfish
Fish Head
Damn nice saw! I would not change the top end, maybe do a muffler mod is all.
Any info on a Husqvarna 268??
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The 268 is a great saw and i can say from experience it will handle a 24" bar just fine. the only advantage of a 20" bar is that it's easier to handle and keep the tip out of the dirt. if you ever need a top end, which you won't if you take good care of it, you can install the 272 top end. in fact, it might be easier to find the parts, but you won't feel any difference. i wouldn't touch the muffler. i'd keep it totally stock and respect its pristine condition. if you want it to cut better, keep the chain sharp and the depth gauges set.
Whitelightnin
ArboristSite Operative
Thanks for all the info and compliments guys. I believe its going to be a great fit for me! I was amazed at how well made the 268 is. It seems to be pretty damn stout to be considered a homeowner/landowner saw. It has double dogs as well which surprised me when i first saw it. I did some parts shopping out of curiosity and found everything very reasonably priced. Very good to know if i ever need to replace anything later on down the road.
why do you call this a homeowner saw? the 268 and 272 were used mainly by arborists and loggers.
Whitelightnin
ArboristSite Operative
The fella that sold it to me labeled it that way. I figured he may have some decent knowledge since he sells equipment for a living. I had never heard of a 268 until then. Then again though he said he dealt with stihls not huskys.
.the 268 is a professional grade tool. it was replaced by the 272 which uses most of the same parts (crankcase, crankshaft, carb etc.) the 272 was replaced by the 371 which was limited by epa/carb regs, then came the 372 in strato and non-strato flavors. 372's are still offered by husqvarna-usa. i don't know the definition of a "home owner saw" but i would posit that a 55cc maximum displacement would be one of the qualifiers. the 268 is a 70cc class saw, a handful for the couch potato.
Whitelightnin
ArboristSite Operative
Ive been trying to find out how many ccs it is. I think i read somewhere it was 67ccs. Dads 372 is 71ccs. My 450s are 50ccs.
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Not exactly true.......the 268XP was replaced by the 272XP.....the 268 (non XP)in this thread was offered at the same time the 272XP was on the market. So the 272XP didn't replace the 268 as much as they simply detuned the 268XP and stripped it of the power and XP designation......other than the P&C and stickers it remained the same saw essentially and they kept on selling them. Both 268s are 67cc or 4.1 ci...
right, there was some overlap but the 272 essentially replaced the 268. heck, they're probably still building the 268 and 272 somewhere that the epa and California air resourses board have no reach. the important thing is that they are both built on the same chassis and except for the cylinder bore are very similar. there may have been some variances in both models between open and closed transfer ports. the fact remains that in the field, cutting wood you'd be hard pressed to tell the difference between the two except by the stickers. the later 61's and 66's shared that chassis but in my experience lack the power and torque of the 268/272.
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Actually the 66 used the exact same Gilardoni P&C as the saw in this thread. There is a very noticeable difference between the open port Gilardoni 268 and the closed port Mahle 268XP.......much less between the 268XP and the 272XP until, as I said before, you put more than a 24"bar on....only then does the 272XP pull ahead of the 268XP...but yes they are all the same chassis as is the 625, 630 and 670 Jonsereds. Very big family of saws and very interesting to work on/with.
years ago i had a 66 with an oem (china was still on bicycles) 272 top end. i also had a 272 and i thought the 272 had more power, thought maybe the 66 used a different carb but i never really analyzed it, just cut wood. anyway, what started this conversation was the original poster characterizing the 268 as a "homeowner saw" which, in my mind is clearly incorrect. most homeowners would struggle with the starter on a 70cc class saw.
the 272 and stihl 046 with 24" bars were what we used for arborist work. the next step down was a 35cc top handle, stihl, husky or echo. these days i mostly use a 575 which feels like it has more power and torque than a 272 but i doubt it has the 272's extreme longevity.
Whitelightnin
ArboristSite Operative
I have no intention of altering the top end or muffler. I may eventually put a set of full wrap handle bars on it if i can find a set for cheap.
Whitelightnin
ArboristSite Operative
Once again. I had never heard of a 268 before the guy offered it to me. It was his words as being a home/ landowner saw. I took his words thinking he had some degree of knowledge on the 268.
just trying to tell you what a great saw you scored. these saws are classics. for a lot of guys the 272 was the only saw they needed. the full wrap bars are great for felling. for dicing up stuff on the ground i prefer regular half wraps. i hope your newsaw treats you well.
SawTroll
Information Collector
The 268xp (67cc) officially was replaced by the 272xp (72cc) in 1991, but they kept on making them a while, changing the model designation from 268xp to 268 Special. At the same time they started making the non-xp 268, that was the same saw, but with the open port top end from the 66. Power specs of the open port 268 was 3.2 kW/4.4 hp vs. 3.5/4.8 for the xp/Special.
Another way to look at this is that the open port 268 really was the replacement for the 66, and not for the 268xp.
Whitelightnin
ArboristSite Operative
No prob. I appreciate all the info you guys have given me on the 268. I havent heard or read a bad thing about the 268 since i got it and that lets me know it truly is a mean machine! Ill find that out for myself when i get the chance to run it somemore. Growing up all dad had chainsaw wise was usually stihl farm boss's and husky ranchers. The husky 268, 272, 61, 66 etc is a whole new world to me. I plan to get far more familiar with them as i may invest in another some day down the road!!
so, that .4hp is less than a 10 percent increase measured in a lab somewhere. in the real world it was just one factor in the performance of a saw, definitely much smaller that the tuning, the chain, the air filter and the biggest factor, the skill of the hombre running it.
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.4 HP sounds trifling but from a working, percentage standpoint it is what porters strive to attain....as I have said I've built these saws with both cyls and though the Gilardoni was an excellent runner.....the difference is very noticeable between it and the 50MM XP version......it's near a half a horse power difference stock.......that's dramatic in a 4 horse motor....and way more if you port both cyls. The gains are way bigger in the Mahle XP P&C.....If you had run both together at the same time you would agree......
and that meager improvement is the reason i think most porting jobs are a waste of time, that and the fact that you don't really know if there was improvement or the saw runs worse. i truly think that i can realize more performance gains from paying close attention to my chain. i know that porting can make money for high volume production logging, but that's not my game and nowadays that's frowned upon because field modifications incur liability, and those saws often don't last a season. most guys get a porting job because they want a sticker. not trying to start a war, just expressing what i've learned. want .4 brake horspower? slide up to the next sized saw, lose the 372 and get a 390. it'll cost less and you'll have a righteous hand full of power. just my point of view.
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The point I was trying make was that nearly a half horsepower difference in the same weight/size/series/displacement saw developing 4 horsepower is a big difference cutting wood. Everyone wants the most power per lb of carrying weight in a chainsaw yes? Ported or not. If this were not the case Husqvarna would never have built the series beyond the 61. The whole idea of increasing power but not increasing weight is the basis of this whole family of saws. This model 268 runs counter to this.....they took a great running 268XP and detuned it, essentially making it a 66 with a one piece ign and better air filtration and simply called it the 268. Does this make it a bad saw? Of course not...it simply changed the marketing so as to not interfere or be as close to the power output of the newest flagship of the line, the 272XP.
