Stihl 026 Mfg date

[Ladrhog]

I am trying to figure out year of my newly acquired 026. It is a very lightly used example. It has a serial number of 219227779. Here are som photos if anyone can help.

 

[av8or3]

There is a casting mark on the bottom of the engine case. Circular with a circle in the middle containing a letter. The letter “O” is 1989. “P” would be 1990, and so on. I remember “o” is 1989 because I have an 026 from then. The oldest one I have seen.

 

[av8or3]

The 026 is one of my favorite saws.

 

[av8or3]

Judging by all the 0’s on all the parts I’d say it was also made in 1989. It also has the sharp splined knob on the air filter cover that would be typical of the 1989 model.

 

[drf256]

Interesting thread. The 026 came out in 1988 after the 024S. I didn’t know that the K$ jug was one of the oldest 026 cylinders, as I’ve only seen Mahle 024/024S jugs.

I goes along with the ”red lever” stories. They started out black, then went red, then back to black. The chamber in that jug is similar to the mahle red lever.

 

[bigbadbob]

Decoding Stihl Chainsaw Serial and Part Numbers – workshoppist.com

might pump the serial number in here.

 

[Wonkydonkey]

Decoding Stihl Chainsaw Serial and Part Numbers – workshoppist.com

might pump the serial number in here.

Yeh that’s what I was going todo.

1987 +/- a yr

 

[Ladrhog]

So I called stihl to see if they had any answers. I talked to a gentleman that said due to it being a 9 digit serial number it had to be after 1991 as that is when they went to that. It was not in his database. After 20 minutes he could not tell me any more but guessed probably a 1991 model. Now I am going to look at all my other saws and see what kind of serial numbers they have.

 

[Paul Fithian]

Here's what I have in my notes for the vintage 024's here:

- 024 AVS 115000914: Produced 10/1985 in West Germany. Purchased new March 1986

- 024 AV 115607671: Produced 05/1986 in West Germany. Purchased dead December 2022.

 

[Junk Meister]

So I called stihl to see if they had any answers. I talked to a gentleman that said due to it being a 9 digit serial number it had to be after 1991 as that is when they went to that. It was not in his database. After 20 minutes he could not tell me any more but guessed probably a 1991 model. Now I am going to look at all my other saws and see what kind of serial numbers they have.

My 056 saws have ?7? digits for the early saws but all of the Magnums and Supers have nine digits starting from 114 xxx xxx ending past 12? xxx xxx I bought am first Magnum Here in Nebraska in the fall of 1988. So your Stihl rep must have been discussing the 026 models not all of the Stihl line of saws. Most all of my Supers start with 113 xxx xxx but a 52 mm P/C could have been swapped . The 2 magnum saws I saws I bought new started with 114 and are like 20 or 200 apart from each other.
Soo I CONCURR with av8or3 ,not the Stihl REP.

 

[BobbyC]

I bought my 026 in September of 1989. Serial #: 219188200. $330 + tax.

I used it today!