Opinions please - Husky 1xx series (137 etc)

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16:1mix

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It time for me to pick your chainsaw brains.

I work in a retail store (not at ‘box store’) but you might get that impression from the variety of home, hardware, farm, ranch & feed items that we offer. Its actually a family owned and operated enterprise that was started in 1927 and is now supporting its third generation of owners and their families.

There are three saw brands offered here: Mac, Husky & Troy Built. Since I have been reading this forum I have gleaned that there are only two serious contenders for the title ‘real chainsaw’…. STIHL & HUSQVARNA.

With that in mind I have tried to steer potential saw buyers to the Husky saws over the other two brands. My question regards the entry level Husky saws, models 136, 137, 142. Today I noticed that the bar mount pattern for these saws is like that for the Poulan, and possibly other ‘cheap-o’ throw away saws. Has Husky simply cloned (or worse yet) outsourced their good name to an inferior saw just to get a model in the $200.00 ballpark?

Please give me your thoughts on the Husky 1xx series saws. I posed the same question to our Husky rep and he performed a verbal tap-dance so I never did get a solid answer, but I know you guys have nothing to hide!

Saw away!
:)

Thanks!
 
I've heard several times on this forum that the 1XX Huskies are made by Poulan, and had a local Husky dealer admit that as well.
 
Orange Poulan's.

Do you really need the money that badly! :cry: :cry: :cry:
 
The first number was the series of the saw, as in years the saw had been available. This is different now as they have changed the system. Lets go back a few years. A 266 is a 2nd series of a 66 cc saw. A 181 was the first series of an 81 cc saw. Things went askew with the 371, 372. They have the same displacement and are different series. The 372 should have been called a 471 according to their criteria, the same as the 395 should have been called a 494. Then the 575 came out and skipped a generation. Swedes, WTF? ha ha. At any rate, if you skip the first number, what remains is the displacement of the saw in cc's. (41, 51, 61 exempt) Cheers.
 
Simon.
This is a very dumb post you made. I really thought you where smart and knew what you talked about, this post proves you wrong and that makes me sad.
The numbers represent family nothing else, by chance this get as you state a few times but it was not HVA intension.
E-lux wanted the hobby to be 2 digit and the rest 3 digit, this to is altered.

266 is the third in it’s family not including semipro saw 61 in 1977.
162se/sg 1975
166se 1978
266se/sg 1981
268xp/xpg 1987
272xp/xpg 1990

The 181 was not the first 81cc saw. It actually is a decent from the 180s (see the connection 180-181)
180s Was introduced at Elmia in the fall 1969. the first saw acc to HVA that was standard with Anti Vibes.
180se/280cd 1970
380cd 1975
480cd 1979
By this time the tools for casting was worn and sold to Dolpima in pollen where the model was made as 80, for quite some years.
New tools installed and 181 was made. New model, new body but is really the same family.
181SE/SG 1982
281xp/xpg 1985
288xp/xpg 1988

16:1 Mix
You will get what you pay for. If I was you I would have a look at the farmer saws first before making my mind up, 340, 350, 55, 455.
 
Mange said:
16:1 Mix
You will get what you pay for. If I was you I would have a look at the farmer saws first before making my mind up, 340, 350, 55, 455.


Mange,

I'm actually selling chainsaws in the store I work in. I have been guiding buyers away from the other brands because I believe Husky saws to be superior....however, now it appears that the 1xx saw models are nothing but the same junk as the others with an orange case. As a result it will be more difficult to get buyers to spend the additional money for a Swede built saw that is of higher quality.

"You will get what you pay for." Until you have worked in retail sales you can't imagine how cheap some people are. I actually had someone want me to discount a coil of rope yesterday.....from $29.95 to $25.00.

For those that are willing to pay the extra money we do have the 340, 350 & 455 in stock. These 'farmer saw models' are about all that are needed for casual use around here. I could not hope to sell anything that would be more expensive! (see above) (!) ;)

Its interesting, people that buy a Husky saw always say good things about them when I ask them how they like it.


thanks all!
 
It amazes me you do not get more info about your products.
I bet you a ice cream that all brands (not German) are owned by E-lux.
So in praktice you sell the same soap in different papers........

Smart sales man teknic's:
Have 4 brands to choose from (All owned by me).
 
I bought a 41 husky just for some light work. 6 hours later a wrist pin keeper came loose. The jug and piston were trash. The problem was I waited 2 years to use the saw after I bought it. Warrenty expired. That was my fault. Husky just like some of the other brands sell a line of saws that fit into the throw away saws. I knew it wasent top of the line but I did expect more then 6 hours of cutting. That helped me choose a dolmar for my next saw. It seems to have better wrist pin keepers.
 
16:1mix said:
......... Please give me your thoughts on the Husky 1xx series saws. I posed the same question to our Husky rep and he performed a verbal tap-dance so I never did get a solid answer, but I know you guys have nothing to hide! ........
I talked to a Husky regional rep who was visiting my dealer some time ago. He did admit without hesitation that these saws were made at the Poulan factory.
However he insisted that they were designed by Husky, and adapted to Poulan production methods - whatever that means. :dizzy: :laugh:
 
I had a husky 141 and it ran really well much better then the poulan wildthing I had. I would probley buy another husky 141 but I did like my stihl ms 180 better then both of those saws. I think the 141 is made better then the poulan but not much better.
 
I always read about how much junk those Poulans are....but I see and hear about problems with all brands. Any tru statistical data defining how lousy a Poulan is??? How about from those guys who sell a variety of brands? Is this a rationalization as to why we all should buy Stihls? I see them used a lot seems like the 330 and those other yellow ones are a good bang for the buck.
 
SawTroll said:
I talked to a Husky regional rep who was visiting my dealer some time ago. He did admit without hesitation that these saws were made at the Poulan factory.
However he insisted that they were designed by Husky, and adapted to Poulan production methods - whatever that means. :dizzy: :laugh:


Thats pretty much the same story I got from the saw shop where I bought my 41. Prehaps poulan cut cost by going with 1 pp retainer :p . The saw did run well for 6 hours :rolleyes:. When I told the husky guy about it he told me he had some come backs with the same problem. I priced a new piston and jug. I would have been better off to buy another 41. I think it would be fair to let the customer know its a home owner saw and nothing more.
 
weimedog said:
I always read about how much junk those Poulans are.... Any tru statistical data defining how lousy a Poulan is???

Ahhhhh...

Sort of....limited as it is. I have been around 3 Poulan saws and 3 out of three (100%) have leaked the contents of the bar oil tank all over everywhere that oil did not belong! :angry:

Beyond that, the one saw that I have has been an entirely useable machine for the limited use that I need a chainsaw for.

I do have a 'hard-on' for quality control problems. I'm also certain that all makes of everything are subject to failure in the big scope of things. After all, we're talking machinery here, but I am a bit more unforgiving of problems that are allowed to continue without proper corrective action, redesign or atomic destruction! :eek:

:)
 
Mange said:
It amazes me you do not get more info about your products.
I bet you a ice cream that all brands (not German) are owned by E-lux.
So in praktice you sell the same soap in different papers........

Smart sales man teknic's:
Have 4 brands to choose from (All owned by me).
I have heard that e-lux owns Solo, then heard different. Do you know which is true?
 
I do not think E-lux owns Solo, I think the tried, but not successfully.
They do have a good deal to do with each other, or at least used to.
 

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