Husky 266 vs Stihl 044

[jensen 32000]

Hi guys! I love visiting this site and learning from you guys. I was wondering how good of a saw the Husky 266 is (reliability wise and overall performance) and is it comparable to an 044 if you could buy either one? Not trying to star any Stihl Husky wars, just find out pros and cons of both saws.

 

[TonyM]

My uncle has a couple of Husqvarna 266SE's. I'm not sure if there is a difference between the 266, 266XP, and 266SE, but the 266SE will stay not to far behind a new 372XP, so I think it wouldn't be much slower than an 044. I doubt you'd perceive the difference unless you'd run them side by side. Other than a problem with the carburetor mount plates braking, which there is a factory fix for, the 266SE is a reliable saw.

 

[eyolf]

I think the 266 has been gone from the husky line-up for a while now, was more or less replaced by the 272, then the 372, both with larger bore. I do know that the 266 was the same displacemnet as the Jonsered 670 I have, and that I liked the 670 better than the 038 I was comparing it to when I bought it.

That doesn't help much, does it?

I guess the point I'm trying to make is that you're probably comparing two used saws. Now the decision is more complicated. I think the Stihl may have had just the slightest edge in cutting speed, but is that edge enough to win over the other important points you must consider:

How much do you trust the seller(s)?
How well cared-for are these used saws?
Which saw has a better dealer nearby?

Good luck!

 

[Tony Snyder]

A 266 should not outcut an 044. But you would probably have to be running 24 inches of bar burried in hardwood to load either one enough to tell the difference. Twenty inch bars could probably not load either saw enough to tell you much.

My experience with 266s is that they will not do much better than the 262s, but they should. Then there was the 268. I don't know what they were trying to do designwise during that period. Whatever, they seem to have got it straightened out with the 372.

 

[eyolf]

Tony: the 268 outlasted the 266, probably because it sold cheaper. I wonder if there's a correlation between the 268 and the 365...both finger-ported, mid-range power saws.

I remember the blurb Husky put in the sales folder regarding the 268: "all the power you need for medium to large jobs", as if to say: "don't be lusting after that 272 or 046...this is all you need, buster".