The Husky 42/42 special/242/246 thread

[CJ Brown]

The big problem with 242 bearings Chris is the PTO side. I've search after bunch of bearings, special bearing too, but everything comes in conflict with the oil pump.
When you find a normal bearing and want to install a normal seal, you have to remember distance between the bearing seal.
The crankcase itself is just 10mm wide, there is no meat for a seal, 1mm is no meat

The only way I see is to work on the crankcase, at least right now.

But, 242's have so many NLA parts now, that is very difficult to do a rebuild, even oem pistons is NLA in Norway now.

I see what you are saying Tor. I agree 1mm isn't going to hold a seal so that rules out my idea. So sleeve the o.d. and the i.d. of the bearing and install a smaller bearing and seal? Basically build what Husqvarna had the bearing company build initially - this is getting a to be a reach now lol. Well it keeps my OCD brain active if nothing else. Thanks for all the info you provide Tor. You are like an encyclopedia when it comes to these saws.

As a side note, I have all the parts coming to refurbish my 246 so I am looking forward to that project in the next few weeks.

 

[wcorey]

my 42 is from late 1988, H42S.
The 242 Annicersary I got have all been produced in 1989, but early in the year, 10-20th week.

Mine is 89, week 21, 162nd saw...

 

[Spike60]

Gotta question how long did Husqvarna put orange brake flags on these models

From this era the orange brake flags were used on non-XP models that had the dark gray top covers. 40/45, 55, 61, 66 and such. For this chassis that limits them to the 42. By the time the 246 came out, the gray tops were gone. When the 42 went to the orange cover it also got the "special" designation on the starter decal. And like most models I don't think it really means much at all.

 

[ajschainsaws]

Mine is 89, week 21, 162nd saw...

View attachment 226346

thats a nice saw pretty clean

 

[ajschainsaws]

From this era the orange brake flags were used on non-XP models that had the dark gray top covers. 40/45, 55, 61, 66 and such. For this chassis that limits them to the 42. By the time the 246 came out, the gray tops were gone. When the 42 went to the orange cover it also got the "special" designation on the starter decal. And like most models I don't think it really means much at all.

thanks Bob some more information saved for these exciting little saws
That have gained a great following

 

[ajschainsaws]

I see what you are saying Tor. I agree 1mm isn't going to hold a seal so that rules out my idea. So sleeve the o.d. and the i.d. of the bearing and install a smaller bearing and seal? Basically build what Husqvarna had the bearing company build initially - this is getting a to be a reach now lol. Well it keeps my OCD brain active if nothing else. Thanks for all the info you provide Tor. You are like an encyclopedia when it comes to these saws.

As a side note, I have all the parts coming to refurbish my 246 so I am looking forward to that project in the next few weeks.

That’s a nice project coming up plenty of photos

 

[CJ Brown]

That’s a nice project coming up plenty of photos

I guess I can do that. I am hoping the bearings and seals are okay and if so it will just be a disassemble/clean/reasemble thread - so nothing too exciting but of interest to some. My parts are on the way and should be here this week, but the 246 is down the list a bit until I get a couple more saws off the bench.

Too many projects right now!

 

[Spike60]

thanks Bob some more information saved for these exciting little saws
That have gained a great following

I'm surprised that they didn't catch on sooner than they have. I guess that guys who aren't familiar with them dismiss them because they are "small". It's such a great chassis; unique in it's power and weight class. Nobody else had anything quite like it, and Husky never even properly replaced it. As good as the 346 was, it was a "size up" to the 50cc class. Great saw in it's own right, but too different from the 242 to be considered a proper successor IMO. There's something about 15,500 rpm's on that small chassis that no other saw has been able to come close to.

What blows, is how quick the support/parts has evaporated for this family. It got really thin, really quick. There's not much left now. Here in the US, the one group that "got it" with the 242 were the tree service guys who ran them. And their desire to keep 242's going no matter what contributed to the parts getting gobbled up faster than usual.

 

[ajschainsaws]

Yes it’s the best saw of this class ever made for production work

I was sorta hoping this one was going to be made in the 40cc to 45cc bracket
It’s the same physical size only 35cc but a sleek design and some newer features
and lighter but I think there’s potential in there

 

[ajschainsaws]

 

[Spike60]

The Red Max based 543XP isn't very far off the mark either. Not quite a 242XP, but then nothing is. It has slowly gained a loyal following with some of my customers, and they are very happy with it. Partly because the 550M2 got a little heavier, And in large part because I have been pushing them and will not sell or stock the T540. But most dealers don't stock 543's and I don't think it sells that good overall. Hope it sticks around for a while and doesn't go away like the MS241 did.

 

[CJ Brown]

View attachment 227817View attachment 227818

What model of Dolmar is that? Never seen one like it before.

 

[Graf]

Dolmar ps352/Makita ea3600

 

[82f100swb]

It was a bit of a shock to me when I first moved away from Nova Scotia and I didn't see the saws I had grown up with Dad running anymore. I started working at a Husky/Stihl/Jonsered dealer here when I first moved in 2002; they had been a dealer since the early 90's at that point, and had not ever sold a 254 or 262 let alone any 133 chassis saw.
Locally the majority of pro saws are mid 60cc range, so, 162 chassis and 365/372 on the Husky/Jonsered side. Large amounts of 266's around, and they have high demand in the used market. The vast majority are set up with 16-18" bars.
Dad always ran 15's on his 254(his big saw) and on the 42/242 etc he had at the time, to me a 16 on a much bigger saw still doesn't make that much sense, but it was all cut and skid here with a limber and slasher at the landing, whereas back home it was largely Swedish style, cut to 8 foot and limbed by hand in the bush due to the paper mill having been built and owned by Stora out of Sweden from the late 60's well into the 2000's. Forwarders were adopted very early on as well.

Needless to say I was very surprised to find my 234 languishing in a basement locally.

It is very hard to beat these little guys at their intended application, the weight and balance combined with the huge RPM make them extremely productive when you are using them for the right job. Bucking up hardwood for firewood definitely isn't it however

 

[ajschainsaws]

The Red Max based 543XP isn't very far off the mark either. Not quite a 242XP, but then nothing is. It has slowly gained a loyal following with some of my customers, and they are very happy with it. Partly because the 550M2 got a little heavier, And in large part because I have been pushing them and will not sell or stock the T540. But most dealers don't stock 543's and I don't think it sells that good overall. Hope it sticks around for a while and doesn't go away like the MS241 did.

never heard much about this model you got any photos @Spike60 for this waiting popcorn eating audience and I suppose seeing the Husqvarna 543xp is so close to the 545 etc People didn’t bother with this model
I had a 339xp here some years back and that was a strong little saw

 

[ajschainsaws]

It was a bit of a shock to me when I first moved away from Nova Scotia and I didn't see the saws I had grown up with Dad running anymore. I started working at a Husky/Stihl/Jonsered dealer here when I first moved in 2002; they had been a dealer since the early 90's at that point, and had not ever sold a 254 or 262 let alone any 133 chassis saw.
Locally the majority of pro saws are mid 60cc range, so, 162 chassis and 365/372 on the Husky/Jonsered side. Large amounts of 266's around, and they have high demand in the used market. The vast majority are set up with 16-18" bars.
Dad always ran 15's on his 254(his big saw) and on the 42/242 etc he had at the time, to me a 16 on a much bigger saw still doesn't make that much sense, but it was all cut and skid here with a limber and slasher at the landing, whereas back home it was largely Swedish style, cut to 8 foot and limbed by hand in the bush due to the paper mill having been built and owned by Stora out of Sweden from the late 60's well into the 2000's. Forwarders were adopted very early on as well.

Needless to say I was very surprised to find my 234 languishing in a basement locally.

It is very hard to beat these little guys at their intended application, the weight and balance combined with the huge RPM make them extremely productive when you are using them for the right job. Bucking up hardwood for firewood definitely isn't it however

Yes 40-50 cc saws where the go too saw for production fallers before the machines took over 13” and 15” bars for softwood thinning over here mostly
Sitka and Norway spruce so a fast limbing set up was neeeded I personally
ran a 42 special too start with in 1990 i was looking to by a new 254
But my partner had a new 254 and he wasn’t having to much luck it must have been a Friday afternoon saw , the local dealer we used sold husky and Dolmar
So he convinced me to buy a new 115i and soon was hooked

This little tanaka was the same sorta size as the 242 but nowhere near in power output though

 

[Spike60]

never heard much about this model you got any photos @Spike60 for this waiting popcorn eating audience and I suppose seeing the Husqvarna 543xp is so close to the 545 etc People didn’t bother with this model
I had a 339xp here some years back and that was a strong little saw

I'll follow your lead and take a few side by side photos with a 242. The 543 may be close in price to the 545, but comparing the 543 to the 545./550 chassis is similar to comparing the 242 to the 254. Different saws addressing a different need/customer. Saws like these can't really be measured using the same yardstick.

 

[Spike60]

 

[Spike60]

 

[ajschainsaws]

View attachment 228071

View attachment 228072

There pretty close its defianetly got the family bloodline