Please explain the diff between husky 268, 272, and 272xp

Arborist Forum

Help Support Arborist Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Here you can see one + some words from one of the great ol' "saw-builders".


.... they produced a 268 se and a 268 xp that were closed loop models. they also made a 268 model that was a open loop model. The transfer ports were lower and the intake and exhaust ports were narrower but if you modified them to the same configuration as you set the closed loop model they ran just as strong. enclosed a photo of the open loop model. The closed loop model barrel is made by mahle of germany and the open loop model is built by gilardoni in italy

You need to open the link + the attachment there to see the pic.
 
Last edited:
No, I am not confused at all - the 268s made after 1993 or so (more likely after 1991) have open-port cylinders, and are not xp saws. Max power went down from 4.8 to 4.4hp.

Did you read the whole thread before you posted, or did you just "jump in"?

There are indeed two different cylinders listed for 268's. The early, and XP part number is 501658571. The non XP unit is part number 503611071. According to Husky's new electronic parts catelog, or EPC, that non XP cylinder was also used on the 268K cutoff saw. Another surprise was that it was also the cylinder used on the 66 model chain saw.

The new EPC has a pretty nice feature where you can enter a part number and click on "where used" and it lists every unit that the part was used for both Husky and Jonsered.
 
You must be getting confused with the 266...they had some open ported cylinders. As far as I know the 268 cylinders are all closed port.

You might be confused yourself, which is easy to do when sorting out these model differences. I've never seen or heard of a open port 266. You might be thinking of the 66 I mentioned in the other post, which is actually a different model.
 
268

Yes I have a 268 open port cyl/piston 50MM that I 'm putting on a 61 case just for fun. I think Troll said a short while ago that the non-XP 268 (open port) was only available in the states for two model yrs. which was the end of the 268. When they went to 268 non-XP they started the 52MM 272XP to replace the 268-XP.
 
The part number for the 272 P&C changed in 1997, but the piston number didn't. Is the only difference between the pre-1997 and post-1997 272 cylinders the addition of a decompression valve?
 
Those cylinders are made by Gilardoni of Italy. They are the same company that made the cylinders for the MotoGozzi. They are exquisitely, beautifully made with 10 fins, not 9 like the Mahle. But it is my opinion that they were made for the 66 or 266. They are both 50mm pistons and 34mm stroke.
.
The 268 cylinders, that I am familiar with, have transfers as big as the 272. And as much as I admire Gilardoni cylinders they are no match for the big transfers of the 268.

The only difference that I see occasionally in the 268 cylinders is the intake may not be as big in some. And that might account for the SE and XP but who cares? They all are damn good saws.
 
Last edited:
I am not arguing with you...you can belive what you want...I have a basket full of 268 cylinders and the transfers are all closed. And I have never taken an open ported cylinder off a 268.

Sawtroll is correct ! Proof is my 268XP. I was locked up and it turned out it had indeed the closed ports type jug. I was able to find a used, but perfect condition, replacement jug and piston for it (in the USA !) but this one was open port. My guess is that it came from a cutoff saw. The 268XP is now somewhat downgraded to a straight 268 but it's a strong saw nontheless.
 
Last edited:
"Is that Special on the recoil cover, and XP on the top cover?"

Sawtroll, here's all the info from the covers, etc:

The top cover has "268 SPECIAL/HUSQVARNA" on the rear top of the cover.

On the back of the top cover two large letters "XP".

On the starter cover "268 XP".

It also has a "Professional" sticker on the top cover right side.

The serial number is 10700008.

The saw is closed port, and you can't tell the difference between running it and any 272XP in material less than approximately 20" across.

I cut with a good friend who has a 272XP, and there is less than a second difference one way or the other in the timed cuts we've done. Mine has a slight advantage having a 20" bar vs his 24" bar, and I'm consider myself better at maintenence and sharpening chains......Cliff
 
"Is that Special on the recoil cover, and XP on the top cover?"

Sawtroll, here's all the info from the covers, etc:

The top cover has "268 SPECIAL/HUSQVARNA" on the rear top of the cover.

On the back of the top cover two large letters "XP".

On the starter cover "268 XP".

It also has a "Professional" sticker on the top cover right side.

The serial number is 10700008.

The saw is closed port, and you can't tell the difference between running it and any 272XP in material less than approximately 20" across.

I cut with a good friend who has a 272XP, and there is less than a second difference one way or the other in the timed cuts we've done. Mine has a slight advantage having a 20" bar vs his 24" bar, and I'm consider myself better at maintenence and sharpening chains......Cliff


Good info!

It makes sence that it is an xp, as it was made as early as week 7 1991.
 
Sawtroll, thanks for the information, as always.

So there were some of the "Specials" produced as XP's/closed port, and sold in the US. Does mine overlap the start of the production run of the 272XP's?......Cliff
 
Cliff, your 268 Special muist have been one of the very first ones, as the only IPL is dated 1991-02. Maybe that is why it says xp on it, as the IPL doesn't show that.

I made a small IPL study (site was down earlier today), and the results will clear the picture a bit, I believe.

There is a 1991-02 IPL both for the Special and a plain 268.

The Special one show the same cylinder assamply as the 1990 268xp one (but not the xp decals).

The plain 268 one show the same cylinder assambly as the 1993 plain 268 one.

Clear as mud? LOL :biggrinbounce2:

Btw, the first reference I can find to the 272xp is also dated 1991-02, but it is a SB about the new type starter/starter cover, not an IPL, so it must have been out a bit earlier.....

By now, I don't dare to look up a late 266xp IPL - this saw family has lots of "secrets".......:laugh::laugh:

:givebeer:
 
Last edited:
ya, I went and looked at all the 268 IPL's too and they all showed the one part number for the 268 cylinder...so I guess all the guys there were claiming the open transfer cylinder for the 268, are just full of ****....
 
Keep looking.

I should not have been so self-rightches(sp?)..Because now...it appears that I am the one that might be full of ****....I checked the IPL's on Google, that went back to the early ninety’s, they all had the same part number. So then I pulled out my old set of IPL's and there it was 1989...part number 501 65 85-71...I assume that this could be an open transferred cylinder….so maybe you guys are right…hahaha and all those Gilardoni’s might be interesting to check out.

So, Gentlemen and others please accept my humble apologies...I guess it proves you are never to old to learn something new.
 
"Cliff, your 268 Special muist have been one of the very first ones, as the only IPL is dated 1991-02. Maybe that is why it says xp on it, as the IPL doesn't show that."


I've always suspected that it was pretty early production. I've never seen another one to date that sported the "Special" and XP stickers on the top cover.

FWIW, I work with part numbers every single day, and continue to occassionally find deviations from factory published information. I've come to not trust it completely, or as a "gospel" when it comes to reference.

On some occassions it's just plain inaccurate, for one reason or the other, but in most cases is spot on. One has to factor in the possibilities that to keep up with production, the factory may have borrowed parts from another area of the plant to keep the lines moving?

This is with carburetor stuff we deal with in our business. Since the parts we deal with are at least 20 years old, one also has to factor in possible parts swapping over the years by well meaning backyard mechanics, or even techs using up parts they had laying around from used carburetors from similiar models. I would imagine this chain saw stuff could be the same way?......Cliff
 
ya, I went and looked at all the 268 IPL's too and they all showed the one part number for the 268 cylinder...so I guess all the guys there were claiming the open transfer cylinder for the 268, are just full of ****....


You probably looked up just those listed by Husky USA - they are all se, xp or Special - so no surprice they all share the same (closed port) cylinder.

Read post #31 carefully.......
 
Last edited:
attachment.php


it turns out that the 268xp had two different chain brakes also. That spring is the toughest motha I'd ever had to put on a saw...
 
Last edited:
Back
Top