Husky collectors, what models are you after/have already and why?

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I’ve got my eye out for a fixer upper 288 or 394. Found a guy local with a 288 for sale but so far all I’ve gotten is radio silence.
There out there , Craig list , Fee Bay , but most likely success is on the number of chainsaw forums for a good one 👍IMG_1063.jpegIMG_1062.jpeg
 
I'd eventually like to add some older Huskies to the fleet, I always thought the 2 series were some of the coolest looking saws ever. I'd spring for anything, but a 266, 288, or 2101 would be on the more desirable list for me. I'm a fan of west-coast logging history, so any of those saws with a full wrap would be cool just to clean up and place on the shelf.

For now, I'll just be happy with my newer stuff. My oldest Husky is a 365 special, but that's not really "old" yet.

Next to my 372:

IMG_20230317_191601280_HDR.jpg.a16326e7cc0506b3c540f3c784ffb43d.jpg
 
I’m pretty confident that it isn’t an 82, the metal brake flags seem to have gone well past that, and I know that there haven’t been any parts changed out, I bought it new from the dealer, with dry tanks

Maybe in this case, acresinternet is off on when production ended

The 43rd week of 92, seems later than I bought this saw, maybe I put up with worn out, unreliable junk old saws longer than I remember. I sure remember the Difference in using a Good, Reliable Saw, I wished that I had done it sooner, never once regretted buying that 266XP. A bit later, I bought a Husky 23 Compact, a little top handle, there are some things that a 266 is overkill on, and until 2017, that dynamic duo was my “2Saw Plan” before I even knew what a 2 Saw Plan was, or that I had one 😂

Then in 2017, I finally decided that I needed a Bigger saw, and I also got interested in CSM, so a wait for it……………………….3120XP was my next saw.

😳😳😳😳😳😳😳
Wow, I was impressed with the 266XP, but going from 66.7cc/24”B&C to 120cc/36”B&C what a difference
The first log that I bucked with the 3120, was a 34” Douglas Fir, and it went after it like a Rabid Beaver 🦫 on Steroids 😁😁😁. I COULD have bucked that log with the 266/24”, but would have been cutting from both sides(Not always an option, or Good Idea) and I would have been cutting a lot longer, especially making that 34” D Fir into 16” rounds 😉

As much Fun as the 3120 was to buck with, it didn’t take long to put it down and use the 266 for up cutting to finish the cut after rolling sections of logs

The 3120 is a Hoot, when dogged in, but pulling it up into a cut is a whole nother story

View attachment 1071409
When I was still on a “3Saw Plan”

View attachment 1071410
View attachment 1071411



Doug 😎

Acresinternet put the 266XP production ending in 1990, they’re usually pretty accurate AFAIK

I bought my first house in Oct 1990, I’m pretty dayum sure that I bought this saw the following spring, so I’m pretty sure it isn’t any newer than a 91, even if acres is wrong on when production ended

If someone knows how to decipher the model year from the serial number, I would be curious, but the 266, would be about the last saw that I would sell

Doug 😎
My notes have 266 production starting in '81 but yours is no '82, so should indeed be a '92

I have the latest IPL down as being dated 1993 and the latest operators manual 1997, they did also continue to produce them at the TOMOS factory for some time after Sweden stopped.
I have a pic of a hockey stick labeled one tagged as a '90, would've thought it would be later than yours but husky labeling isn't always known for it's consistency though I've never heard of them being post dated.
 
I’m pretty confident that it isn’t an 82, the metal brake flags seem to have gone well past that, and I know that there haven’t been any parts changed out, I bought it new from the dealer, with dry tanks

Maybe in this case, acresinternet is off on when production ended

The 43rd week of 92, seems later than I bought this saw, maybe I put up with worn out, unreliable junk old saws longer than I remember. I sure remember the Difference in using a Good, Reliable Saw, I wished that I had done it sooner, never once regretted buying that 266XP. A bit later, I bought a Husky 23 Compact, a little top handle, there are some things that a 266 is overkill on, and until 2017, that dynamic duo was my “2Saw Plan” before I even knew what a 2 Saw Plan was, or that I had one 😂

Then in 2017, I finally decided that I needed a Bigger saw, and I also got interested in CSM, so a wait for it……………………….3120XP was my next saw.

😳😳😳😳😳😳😳
Wow, I was impressed with the 266XP, but going from 66.7cc/24”B&C to 120cc/36”B&C what a difference
The first log that I bucked with the 3120, was a 34” Douglas Fir, and it went after it like a Rabid Beaver 🦫 on Steroids 😁😁😁. I COULD have bucked that log with the 266/24”, but would have been cutting from both sides(Not always an option, or Good Idea) and I would have been cutting a lot longer, especially making that 34” D Fir into 16” rounds 😉

As much Fun as the 3120 was to buck with, it didn’t take long to put it down and use the 266 for up cutting to finish the cut after rolling sections of logs

The 3120 is a Hoot, when dogged in, but pulling it up into a cut is a whole nother story

View attachment 1071409
When I was still on a “3Saw Plan”

View attachment 1071410
View attachment 1071411



Doug 😎
Is that 3120 ported ? , cause they are a totally different animal , after porting, carb work , ignition, timing.
 
380 non runner so far. 480cd bit of a beast when I can get it going. Think it's a problem with stator gap but really works well when running. Usually use 565 so both on the back burner awaiting bank holiday weekend.
 
My notes have 266 production starting in '81 but yours is no '82, so should indeed be a '92

I have the latest IPL down as being dated 1993 and the latest operators manual 1997, they did also continue to produce them at the TOMOS factory for some time after Sweden stopped.
I have a pic of a hockey stick labeled one tagged as a '90, would've thought it would be later than yours but husky labeling isn't always known for it's consistency though I've never heard of them being post dated.

I’m going to accept that acreinternet is probably wrong on the end of production date, and that I evidently put up with worn out, old junk saws longer than I remembered 😉

Regardless of what year my 266 is, it will be the last saw that I would likely ever sell, it’s Definitely a Keeper

As to the 3120, no it’s not ported. I plan at this point to use it exclusively for milling, and most of what I’ve read says for milling to keep it stock, there are a few minor mods that I have heard about that could help a bit with a milling saw, but not enough for me to make the changes, I’ll just keep it stock

Especially after having had Covid, I lost a lot of strength, I struggle now with things that I wouldn’t have thought about before, I am going to target a bit smaller firewood than I use to.

I bought the 395XP’s (2) for larger Firewood, and lighter milling uses, and have a 390XP, that I bought when the 395’s were hard to find, if those won’t handle it, it ain’t going to be Firewood 🪵 in my woodshed 😉

Awhile back, a Friend of my Wife called her and said that she had a Spruce about 40’ tall cut down, and asked if we wanted to cut it up for firewood 🪵.
Hell yeah, she’s close by, and that’s going to be what 12-15”🤔, definitely less than 18”, lots of room left in a 6x12 trailer, pretty quick to cut and load, we’ll be right over

Well, this is what we actually found when we got there 😳
11518FC2-0CB6-4AF6-84ED-BA114C71F2E0.jpeg
Uhm, Mary that tree is closer to 40” in Diameter, than it was to 40’ Tall

665F5985-9D00-4122-A142-3C4A6DC3E6B3.jpeg
93777796-D9E6-40A2-BFD5-27E535DDA89B.jpeg
There was one log that for some reason just told me, that I couldn’t just turn it into firewood, just Spruce, nuthin Fancy or Unusual, but it had been too long since I had done any milling, I didn’t have any particular use for it yet I decided to slab that one log up anyway.

This ended up a bit wide for a Bench, and too low really for a Table, but when Mary came out and saw it, she was tickled and really liked it

The stump end round fell over on me unloading it at home, and I had to use my peavey to stand it up again to roll it where I wanted it, that was it, I’m getting older, Covid took a toll on me and probably 24-28” wood is as big as I want to deal with anymore

Used to be that we loved getting 36” wood, handle fewer rounds get more large overnight burn splits, heartwood seasons faster, less bark mess, and most other cutters didn’t want to handle it, lots for us😁😁😁 not anymore ☹️ gettin old sucks😢



Doug 😎
 
Old post, but I don't care.

My first good saw as an 80's 288xp, bought in 2008 or so. Wow, I found out how much better a good saw is than a homeowner saw... and it still runs awesome today.

I have a 266xp also now, recently acquired, and now mildly modified, and it is a lot of fun to operate.

I can second the opinion that those two models are a good example of old-school, straight-up, no-nonsense, no-frills quality tools. Reliability and performance of both has been very good.
 
The saw that started it all, 1990 300th anniversary 50 converted to a 55, I also have 3 other 55s on the shelf.795EB090-17D7-4A2D-9C92-20FC83633FC8.jpeg

1996 254xp (only good pic I have is with handle off) 09D73037-7C2B-4104-A2E4-4BFF4F422399.jpeg

A minty 1985 white top 61 61036959-BD9A-46E8-A607-AF0466BC1450.jpeg

And last but not least , my 1986 61/272xp conversion, still after a stock 266xp for the collection though! 6DCD8FE1-4505-40F7-88A2-A0C46AADC850.jpeg
 
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