The Husqvarna 170 CD is a very early version of the Husqvarna 162 SE.
There are very few discussions of the model online, with the best one being here on chainsawcollectors.se (over 5 forum pages). This is a summary of that thread on, sharing what the members concluded about the model.
The featured image comes from user ‘Frits’ who managed to get his hands on a 170 CD!
Chainsawcollectors.se summary
What the chainsawcollectors.se thread concludes (high confidence):
- A Husqvarna “170CD” is essentially a 162-series saw wearing a weird/rare ID tag: the examples shown have a 170CD case tag but a 162SE recoil decal.
- Multiple experienced collectors/admins in the thread (esp. Magnus) converge on: prototype / pre-series / test-run saw, not a normal marketed production model.
- A major supporting clue in the thread is the absence of a KAS number (explained there as Swedish work-safety testing/approval). The implication: not approved for sale in Sweden, therefore unlikely to be standard production.
Known sightings / serials discussed
- USA example (initial post): photos shared, but no hard measurements were obtained in-thread beyond visual comparisons.
- Spain example (later found online, then acquired by Frits): serial clarified as 1000047 (initially misread as 1000347). Frits later states they now “know for sure” it’s effectively “the very first 162,” and mentions “3 162 with a 170 tag.”
Physical differences and “early-run” tells noted in the thread (these are the practical, saw-in-hand differences people kept coming back to):
- Small air filter + matching top cover:
- The 170CD cover “only fits with this small airfilter,” and the cover has no Husqvarna badge.
- Magnus notes early 162s also used the smaller filter (and suggests early 266 may have, too).
- Crankcase differences: explicitly called out (“Crankcase is different”).
- Starter mounting pattern:
- Frits: 3-bolt starter on the 170CD vs 4 on a 162; then confirms no threaded hole at all for a 4th bolt.
- Magnus replies that early 162s also had a 3-bolt starter, and even references a museum example.
- Measured / identified components (hard data finally arrives in 2023):
- Bore: 48 mm (posted by Frits, with photo evidence in-thread).
- Carburetor: Tillotson HS163A (posted by Frits, with photo evidence in-thread).
Why “170CD” became “162” (theories in the thread). Two compatible ideas are floated:
- Pre-series naming / internal project labeling: “100 series” style numbering + CD on the plate as a pre-production identifier.
- Marketing rename to match displacement conventions: a long-time Husqvarna dealer in the thread speculates it was originally destined to be “170,” but was renamed 162 before broad release, aligning better with ~62cc.
Specifications
Because the thread consensus is “170CD = earliest 162-family,” the best way to present specs is:
- Confirmed on 170CD examples (from the thread’s photos/measurements)
- Published 162/162SE specs (used as the reference baseline)
| Spec / attribute | 170CD (confirmed in thread) | 162 / 162SE published spec baseline |
|---|---|---|
| Model family | 162-series chassis (tag mismatch: 170CD plate + 162SE recoil) | Husqvarna 162 / 162SE |
| Serial format seen | 1000047 (Spain example) | (varies by market/era) |
| Bore | 48 mm | 48 mm |
| Stroke | Not measured in thread | 34 mm |
| Displacement | Not directly measured in thread | 61.5–62 cc (sources vary: 61.5cc vs 62cc) |
| Carburetor | Tillotson HS163A | Commonly listed for this platform; parts listings reference HS163/HS163A for 162-family |
| Ignition | Not measured in thread (but “CD” label discussed) | 162 introduced with electronic ignition (and automatic chainbrake highlighted historically) |
| Power | Not measured in thread | 3.0 kW |
| RPM @ max power | Not measured in thread | 9000 rpm |
| Chain pitch | Not stated in thread | 3/8″ |
| Recommended bar length | Not stated in thread | 15″–28″ |
| Chain speed | Not stated in thread | 22.9 m/s |
| Fuel tank / oil tank | Not stated in thread | 0.73 L / 0.37 L |
| Weight | Not stated in thread | 7.1 kg with 38 cm bar+chain |
| Production timing (best available) | Thread belief: pre-series / test run; “earlier than 162” or “first 162” depending on poster | 162 described by Husqvarna as launched in 1975 (Sweden/Finland). Third-party summaries list 162SE as 1975–1977 and other parts sources show documents through ~1980 |
| Heated handles variant | Not stated for 170CD | 162 SG variant noted (heated handles) |
From the thread’s hard evidence: the 170 CD a 162-family saw with a 170 CD ID plate, 48 mm bore, Tillotson HS163A carb, small-filter/top-cover combo, and early 3-bolt starter pattern — plus at least one documented serial (1000047).
If anyone wants to lock this down even further (what the thread still wants), the remaining “would settle it” items were:
- Casting date codes (“casting clocks”) on case/cylinder/crank parts
- Cylinder markings
- Stroke measurement (to remove any remaining doubt about displacement)
However, at the very end of the thread, Frits shared the following image of a Husqvarna 162 from the Husqvarna museum, where they have a saw that’s tagged 170 CD.
Translation (Swedish → English):
“Motorsåg, modell 162 SE” → “Chainsaw, model 162 SE”
“64,6 cc, 4,2 hk” → “64.6 cc, 4.2 hp” (hk = hästkrafter, metric horsepower)
“Tillverkades åren 1975- (272XP)” → “Manufactured during the years 1975– … (272XP)”
The dash after 1975 implies “from 1975 onward” (the end year isn’t shown here).
The “(272XP)” in parentheses reads like a lineage/related-model note (e.g., “this sits in the line that later leads to / relates to the 272XP”), not part of the production date.
“Tillv.nr. 1000070” → “Manufacturing no. 1000070” (or “production no.”)
This is basically the smoking gun for the thread’s conclusion: the museum publicly labels the exhibit as 162 SE, but the saw itself is wearing the same 170CD-style ID plate. That’s exactly what you’d expect if “170CD” was an early internal/pre-series designation that later became the marketed 162 / 162SE name.
The manufacturing number 1000070 is very close to the other early number discussed in the thread (1000047), which supports the idea of a tiny early batch / pre-production run.
One interesting wrinkle: the sign’s 64.6 cc doesn’t match the commonly cited 48 mm bore + 34 mm stroke = ~61.5 cc, and it also conflicts with the thread’s later “48 mm bore” measurement on the 170CD example.
A few plausible explanations:
- Museum placard typo (digits swapped / wrong source).
- Different early cylinder spec on some earliest units (less likely, but possible).
- Loose rounding / inconsistent reference data used for the exhibit text.
- The 4.2 hk figure does line up nicely with the usual published power (~3.0 kW), because 4.2 hk ≈ 3.09 kW.
Net: the photo is strong evidence that at least some “170CD-tagged” saws are the earliest 162-family saws, and the museum chose to present the public model name (162 SE) while keeping the original early ID tag on the artifact.
