This post is long overdue. About 23 years ago I bought my first chainsaw and I am still using it weekly. It is an air injected Husqvarna 257. It is mixed-gas (50:1) powered high compression motor with a volume of 57cc’s. I am not a professional tree contractor or lumber jack but I do love this saw as a homeowner and recommend it if you have a chance to buy one. I use it with a 20″ bar. It has a 3.7 horsepower motor which has always been enough for me, as long as my chain is sharp. It weighs over 16lbs with the bar and chain which can cause fatique when used for longer than an hour.
I have used it so much the safety chain brake has broken off. I plan to replace this as I’ve found replacement components online. I’ve rarely had to change components. This saw was pricey at the time but it turned out to be a good investment. Although I am not a professional chainsaw user I have used it for a good deal of firewood and tree removal at my properties through the years.
The 257’s were made between 1994 and 2001, before the more restrictive laws about emissions in 2011 and 2012. As with all gas powered equipment, as emissions restrictions are imposed, power and efficiency per volume of fuel used is usually sacrificed.
Husqvarna 257 Features
Some features include a red kill switch, a choke right above the kill switch. It has lower and upper vibration isolation mounts. The bar oil and mixed gas are loaded on the chainsaws side. Falling spike and quiet-tone muffler. It has a chain break (mine is broken off). It has two nuts for loosening the bar. There is a chain tensioner with flat head screw. There is a blue decompression valve that you push in every time you start the saw.
One complaint I have about this saw is that it is heavy, causing fatigue after about and hour of cutting. But perhaps I am just getting weak. I’ve only replaced the spark plug once, the bar I’ve replaced several times but that was due to problems with my cutting technique.
When I purchased this saw around 1997, Husqvarna was not as widespread in the US, as it is now. It is a Swedish manufacturer of outdoor equipment. There were a few Husqvarna dealers around but these saws were not in the big stores like Lowe’s, like they are now. There are now many Husqvarna saws for the weekend warrior on the market.
Each chainsaw product needs its own review. This Husqvarna 257 chainsaw from the mid-90’s is worth its weight in gold to me. The only limits I would put on this saw would involve the limitations of the user.
Now check out my review of the similar saw Jonsered 625.
If you want an equivalent Husqvarna to this 25 year old 257 based on the spec, I’d recommend the Husqvarna 550 XP, click the link below to order your own.
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