The Swedish company Husqvarna is one of the recognized world leaders in the production of chainsaws, lawn mowers and all kinds of garden equipment. The products are well-deservedly respected in many countries of the world by both amateurs and professionals. Nowadays, when the requirements for the quality and safety of equipment are constantly increasing, in order to maintain a leading position, it is necessary not only to comply with standards, but also to constantly be “several steps ahead”. Therefore, in any Husqvarna model you can find original technical solutions that appear long before their widespread use by other manufacturers. Development costs are repaid many times over, because a “proprietary” patented technical solution immediately sets the brand apart from the general background, and the user also benefits from having the most modern equipment.
In Russia, the company is known primarily as a manufacturer of a wide range of chainsaws designed for all possible conditions of use: from light household to professional felling.
The line includes several dozen models and is constantly updated. It happens that at first impression the customer becomes either an ardent adherent of the brand, or abandons it forever. But, as a rule, first a person buys a relatively simple and inexpensive tool, and already based on the results of his work, he has a general impression of the brand as a whole. Therefore, the stable quality of all manufactured goods is very important, regardless of their cost and target audience. Continuous product improvement is equally important.
Here the company’s policy is as follows: any innovation, which first appeared on professional equipment, very soon becomes available in the “amateur” segment as well. At the moment, the company offers models 236, 240 and 240e as simple amateur-class chainsaws: they differ from each other in engine size and power and are available in various modifications. Their basic elements are the same.
Let’s consider in detail the “easiest” of them, and then move on to more complex ones.
Husqvarna 236
The range starts with the Husqvarna 236 saw, which is designed for domestic use: trimming branches and harvesting firewood. It can be called “simple” only in comparison with its neighbors in the line, the basic technical solutions can not always be found on more powerful models of other firms. 38.2 cc engine3 and a capacity of 1.9 liters. with. made using X-Torq technology. Before a new portion of the fuel mixture enters the cylinder, the combustion chamber is blown through special channels with atmospheric air, forming an “air cushion” between the exhaust gases and the new mixture. As a result, when compressed, the fuel does not fly out, without burning, into the muffler, the fuel consumption is reduced by about 20%, and the content of harmful substances in the exhaust is reduced by 2.5 times.
Due to a more even combustion of the mixture in the cylinder, engine vibration has decreased and torque has increased, especially at low and medium speeds. This is important for inexperienced users who are trying to work with a saw “not at full throttle”, hoping to save the resource of the motor (although it is much more useful to sharpen the chain more often).
Other features of the engine are also typical for professional-grade saws: a forged crankshaft, the inner surface of the cylinder is chrome-plated, and the crankshaft bearings are installed in a metal housing. Plastic elements are used only in places where the loads are light. There is only one piston ring – this is enough for effective sealing of low-power motors, while, in comparison with two-ring pistons, friction is reduced and, as a result, acceleration characteristics are improved.
The patented Air Injection centrifugal system provides a high degree of purification of the air entering the air filter. Its main flow, twisted by the flywheel blades, goes to cool the engine, while almost all the dust is thrown by centrifugal force to the walls of the housing. The intricately shaped branch pipe takes air to the carburetor away from the walls, at the inner radius of the flow, where the concentration of the remaining dust is minimal. Cleaning is completed by a nonwoven sheet air filter.
All Husqvarna saws use the original Low Vib anti-vibration system, which operates on the “two masses” principle and consists of steel springs and rubber buffers. An inertial chain brake is also required. The design of the brake is also different from analogs.
The brake mechanism has two basic versions: the brake handle and the brake band mechanism are mounted either on the side cover or in the saw body itself. The first option is simpler and cheaper, the second is often used on professional saws, since it allows you to fix the handle to the body on two axes instead of one. Here again, Husqvarna goes its own way: the two-point handle, when triggered, transfers the force to the brake mechanism located in the side cover. This design combines the advantages of both options: the likelihood of lever or cover breakage is reduced, while maintaining ease of maintenance of the brake and clutch mechanisms.
To control the saw, in addition to the throttle lever with a lock against accidental pressing, two levers are used: the ignition switch and the choke lever, located one above the other.
Combined control system: when you press the gas, the damper will automatically open. This not only simplifies control, but also reduces the likelihood of “filling” the engine with an over-enriched fuel mixture.
Other elements are quite common on various saws: primer, frontal chain tensioning system on the side cover, metal chain catchers and a removable spike bumper.
The muffler is equipped with a spark arrestor. Here is such a “minimum set” is present on the simplest household model.
Husqvarna 240 и 240e
The saws of Husqvarna 240 and 240e look similar, the only difference is that their engines are slightly more powerful. By the way, the weight of all these models is the same and amounts to 4.7 kg without bar and chain.
Many household and farm saws from Husqvarna have e-series modifications – they have a number of additional functions that make work easier.
Saw Husqvarna 240e, 2 HP with. and a cylinder volume of 38.2 cm3 differs from the basic versions by the presence of two “highlights”: the tool-free chain tension and the Smart Start system of easy starting.
To tension the chain, it is enough to slightly unscrew the handwheel nut with a folding handle (it attaches the side cover and the bar to the saw body) and adjust with the small wheel located next to the handwheel. This is much more convenient than looking in your pockets for a universal key, which is often forgotten at home.
The Smart Start system is an additional spring in the starter. When the cable is pulled out, the entire mechanism is subjected to variable loads, because at the moment the air is compressed in the cylinder, the force on the parts (and at the same time on the worker’s joints) increases significantly. The torsion spring allows these loads to be more evenly distributed, as a result, the motor starts up smoothly and quickly, without jerking or unnecessary effort.
Chainsaw model 240, with the same 1.5 kW (2.0 hp), is a simplified modification of the 240e, with the tension of the “normal” screw located at the end, and without the lightweight start-up system. Which, of course, is reflected in the price.
