Husqvarna 42 special

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Saltwatertaz

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Feb 20, 2022
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Hi guys! I'm new here but been fooling with chainsaws my whole life. At least 50 of my 66 years. The reason I posted, I just received a Husqvarna 42 special. I'm used to sthils and old Poulans. Is this saw worth putting time in. Have not tore it down yet, but it seems to ha e great compression. So I hope a carb. Kit and a good cleaning will get it going. Please let me know what you think of this model saw. Thanks for any input.
 
I bought 1 for my dad in his old age thinking he could start it easily with the compression release, was in the family about 15 years. Dad couldn't pull it fast enough to start it cold , but used it several years until i became aware of Stihl easy start and took him to the shop and he bought 1 which he had no problem starting it cold. I used the 42 enough for a fair opinion and ended up owning it 2 times after my dad died. Sold it to a neighbor and after a few years intermittent use, he gave it back to me needing some tlc. I traded it off as is. My opinion , it's less reliable and for the most part more cheaply made then a stihl home owner saw. I never knew it to start very easy and it didn't seem to fine tune consistently when it was newish and don't think it ever improved much if it did through the years. WAS usable most the time but not making the work as easy as easy starting, fine tuned chainsaws do. Reminds me of cheaper made Chinese homeowners saws in that sense with maybe a little bit better engineering here and there. If I were buying I would prefer stihl, echo or Dolmar.
 
Thanks for the reply! I'll probably clean it and rebuild the carburetor, tune. Then offer it back to my friend who gave it to me. I have a couple of others in this size already.
 
I restored and then sold one to a tree-service operation about three years ago. I wish I had it back. It's a whale of a small saw and outperforms every saw its size that they use. That's what the owner told me last year as he shook my hand. Why would you not want to keep it?
 
My opinion , it's less reliable and for the most part more cheaply made then a stihl home owner saw. I never knew it to start very easy and it didn't seem to fine tune consistently when it was newish and don't think it ever improved much if it did through the years. WAS usable most the time but not making the work as easy as easy starting, fine tuned chainsaws do.
Are you sure you didn't have a 41 or a 142? The 42 is a mag case pro saw. It's the 242xp with an open port jug.
 
If it runs good it is a great little saw. Nice and small and light with good power (for it's size). Perfect for the cottage or your ATV. The only downside is parts availability. Dealer parts are getting ever more scarce, and the aftermarket has so far not discovered the small Husqvrana 2 series saws. That said, as long as you don't smash with a tree or drive over it, it should serve you well for many years.
 
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