How To Read Husqvarna Model Tags: Year Made From The Serial Number

Husqvarna chainsaw serial numbers are read differently depending on when they were made.

We have a list of Husqvarna Chainsaw production years, but if you want to know the exact year your specific saw was made, you’ll find that information in the serial number.

This is how to read Husqvarna serial tags to determine the date it was manufactured.

Dating Husqvarna Saws Made After 1996

Saws that were produced after 1996/1997 (ish), like my Husqvarna 450e II, are easy to read – with the e meaning e-series.

Chainsaws with the new serial numbers are either 9 or 11 digits long – if they’re shorter then they’re using the old system covered further below.

You can see the serial number of my saw is 11 numbers long: s/n 2017 3800315

This saw was made in 2017 in the 38th week of the year.

The final digits are the sequential production/production number. In the case of my saw, it was the 315th off the line that week.

Sometimes the serial number on saws made after 1999 will only be 9 digits long. These saws have just had the “20” removed from the front. So my saw would be 17 3800315 where the 17 means 2017 (to state the obvious).

To put it again more clearly:

[2017][38][00315]

[Year][Week of the year][Production number]

And the other names and numbers displayed on the tag are the model name and product numbers.

All Husqvarna outdoor power equipment made after 1999 have serial numbers that are read the same way, from string trimmers and lawn edges to pole saws and power cutters.

Older saws, which we’ll get into next, can be a little more complicated to date…

Dating Pre-1996 Husqvarna Saws

Next up is my neighbor’s Husqvarna 262 XP with the 8-digit serial number 0450855.

This translates to made in the year 1990, 45th week, 855th saw produced that week.

Or like this:

[0][45][00315]

[Year][Week][Production number]

I know that the 262 was made between 1990 and 1996, so that helps me to rule out it being made in 1980 or 2000, plus I know that the tags or serial number format was different at those times as well.

Early 80s saws had silver tags, late 80s and onwards had black tags, and late 90s and onwards had 9 or 11-digit numbers.

You can see the silver model and serial number tag on this old Husqvarna 50 Rancher from the early 80s – unfortunately, I didn’t get a close-up shot of the tag, but it looks a bit unreadable anyway.

Prior to 1982 the dating format on serial numbers was less clear.

However, on these saws you can “look on the starter, top cover, etc., for date stamps, which will tell you the year it was built, supposing all the parts are original,” as shared by a moderator of the Husqvarna Chainsaws FB group.

For very old Husky saws, you can also:

• Check the original manual, if available (it will have the year the saw was made)
• Check the date on the crankshaft near the connecting rod
• Ask in the FB groups or forums – people can narrow it down by looking at the features of the saw

Most Husqvarna saws have small metal tags but a few only came with a sticker. The Husqvarna 136 and its bigger brother, the 141, both only have sticker serial number tags, for example. These are Poulan-made saws which is probably the reason for the difference.

Other Things To Keep In Mind

There are some other complicating factors that come into play when trying to find out what year your Husqvarna chainsaw was made.

One of these which I learned from the post above (Husqvarna Chainsaw FB group) is that different factories can have different tags.

The number on the saw above is 1997 ******** and it’s a very plain tag without the model number.

Here were some of the responses as to why:

• For a time that series was built at the Tomos Plant in Yugoslavia. Hence the silver tag.
• Being 199… it is just the Tomos with the black lettering worn off the tag. This is most likely Tomos made Husqvarna 61 from 1997.
• We have saws made [at Tomos plant] from 1998 in list. I have been told that the 272 and 61 made up to 00, but we need this confirmed.

So there will be a few oddities out there – just search ‘serial number’ in a Husky chainsaw group to find more examples. The 1974 Husqvarna L65 is another example of a saw made in Yugoslavia.

Husqvarna Chainsaw Serial Numbers

Husqvarna chainsaw model and serial tags can be read to determine the exact week your saw was made, and what number saw it was off the production line.

At least, they can be from 1982 onwards. Saws made prior to that will take a bit more research or require pulling your saw apart to look for date stamps on the parts.

Once you know how to read Husqvarna serial numbers you’ll be able to look at them with a whole new set of eyes, so I hope this article has helped you to do that.

Let us know if you have anything to add in the comment section below, and check out these other interesting Husqvarna history articles we’ve put together.

• The origin of the Husqvarna logo
• Where are Husky saws made?
• Why were chainsaws invented?