Husqvarna 262 XP

'90's Husky 262 XP

By the mid-90s, your choice was pretty much between Stihl and Electrolux. (Yeah, the Swedish vacuum cleaner people; they'd bought up Husqvarna, Partner, Jonsereds, Pioneer, Poulan, etc.) Both produce excellent products.

Husqvarna was advertising (1998) "The cutting edge of chain saw technology..."

This Husqvarna 262 XP is a real hot rod, made to be run on high-test gas only, and producing 4.8 hp, though its engine is smaller (62cc / 3.8cc) than the 380 CD. It uses induction through the fan (which centrifuges most dirt out of the air going to the air cleaner) and a totally enclosed inertia-activated chain brake. Pop four spring clips and you can get to the spark plug and air cleaner, and (like the 380 CD) the clutch bearing is easily greased from the outside. Since only the crankcase is metal and the rest is engineering plastic, it only weighs 13.7 pounds without bar and chain. And with chisel chain, it really eats wood.