Husqvarna 266 SE Chainsaw, 66cc, 20" B/C ?

[Dug8498]

Morning All,

Looking to get my first chainsaw. I'm trying to decide between buying used and new. I tend to be unwilling to spend money on less than really nice equipment, so the new husky/Stihl chainsaws I was looking at were around $550 min (wife doesn't approve). I came across an ad on Facebook Marketplace for a used Husqvarna 266 SE Chainsaw. here are the details as posted in the ad:

"Husqvarna 266 Special Edition chain saw, 66cc motor, 20" bar and chain @ 50% Everything on the saw works good. 160+ PSI compression..see pics, It usually starts in just a couple pulls, and idles well and has plenty of grunt. Chain brake/oiler and starter recoil all work."

He posts plenty of pictures of the saw including pictures of compression reading of 160 PSI. He wants $300.

I know older chainsaws have a good rep, and I have read a lot of good things about this particular saw.

I would be bringing a friend that knows about chainsaws. Is this a good price if everything checks out? If not, what would a fair price be? Is there anything in particular I can do to while checking it out to make sure I'm not getting ripped off? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

 

[dougand3]

Good saws. Around here, $225-$250 would be the price. A thing I don't like - they can't take a direct fit 272 top end, if/when you need to rehab. You can get a 52mm topend but much more expensive.
I'd pull muffler and look at piston/ring/intake wall - should be 5mm Allen. When hot, see if it starts really easy.

 

[Dug8498]

Good saws. Around here, $225-$250 would be the price. A thing I don't like - they can't take a direct fit 272 top end, if/when you need to rehab. You can get a 52mm topend but much more expensive.
I'd pull muffler and look at piston/ring/intake wall - should be 5mm Allen. When hot, see if it starts really easy.

Thank you! Used chainsaws, especially if they are Stihl, husky, or jonsered, tend to be very expensive around here. Appreciate the info, I will check those things out if I wind up going to look at the saw.

 

[Ashful]

I paid $300 for a seldom-used 63cc Stihl 036 Pro with a brand new Stihl ES rollertip bar and carry case, several years ago, which seemed to be the going rate for a clean 036 at the time.

This one, according to the owner, had only been used twice. But one of those two times was cutting roots below grade, hence my insistence on a new bar (the original bar was mounted, but it was toast). Saw was so clean that I really believe it was run only twice.

In any case, 20 inches of bar can work on 66cc, you’ll just need to exercise some patience when you get that bar buried nose-deep in oak. Anything on which the nose protrudes thru, the saw should sing.

In my case, I decided to put felling dogs on the saw, to shorten the exposed bar length an inch. It made a difference in how it performs when cutting big stuff with the nose buried, but it does make me feel a little like one of those posers with diesel stacks in the bed of their pickup truck, when I carry it. ;-)

 

[bholler]

66cc should be more than enough to run a 20" bar.

 

[Ashful]

66cc should be more than enough to run a 20" bar.

Well... yes, if just getting thru it is your goal. But it really depends on species, chain type, and desired speed. I can tell you from experience that it’s a hell of a lot slower than an 85cc saw with full-chisel buried in oak, even though the bigger saw has a slower unloaded chain speed specification.

Switch the 66cc saw down to an 18” bar, and now it keeps up much better with the bigger saw.

 

[DiscoInferno]

I inherited one of those from my father-in-law. It's a nice saw, but there are a couple of things to note. The chain brake is not inertial, it is only triggered by hitting your hand hard enough. So if you get kickback when you are holding the saw at a funny angle it may not engage the brake. Also, I like to engage the brake manually whenever I put a saw down, and that wire brake leaves a serious bruise on the back of my hand after a while. And finally, it has no compression release valve, and it is a real pain to start. (Literally; it nearly pulls your fingers off sometimes.)