Husqvarna 120 Mark III Review: The 38cc Homeowner Saw That Starts Easy and Stays Light

Who this saw is for

The Husqvarna 120 Mark III is the entry point to the Husqvarna gas range: a 38cc, 1.8 horsepower two-stroke with a 16-inch bar, built for the homeowner who drops a few small trees a year, bucks storm limbs and cuts a cord or two of firewood. It is not a landowner saw and Husqvarna does not pretend it is. What it offers over the imported budget saws at a similar displacement is a known dealer network, parts that are stocked, and starting and vibration systems carried down from the pro line.

This review is based on the maker’s published specifications and on recurring owner feedback. We have not run this product ourselves.

What you get

The listing covers the saw with a 16-inch bar and chain, model number 970860116. The engine is a 38cc X-Torq two-stroke rated at 1.8 horsepower, with an automatic chain oiler, an air purge bulb and a combined choke and stop control. The chain brake is inertia activated. Husqvarna recommends bars from 14 to 18 inches on this saw. The listing does not state a weight, a fuel tank volume or the chain pitch; the class norm is around 10 to 11 pounds for the powerhead and a 3/8 inch low-profile .050 gauge chain, and the manual is the place to confirm both before ordering spares.

Cutting power

At 38cc and 1.8 horsepower, this is a limbing and small-log saw. With the 16-inch bar it will fell and buck trees up to roughly a foot in diameter at a comfortable pace, and larger logs with patience and a sharp chain. Owners report that it pulls the 16-inch bar well in softwood and green hardwood, and that it bogs if forced through seasoned oak or if the chain is dull, which is the honest limit of the displacement. The 18-inch bar Husqvarna allows is best left for soft wood; the 14-inch option makes the saw noticeably livelier for limbing. X-Torq is Husqvarna’s scavenging design, aimed at lower fuel use and emissions than an older two-stroke, and owners generally describe the fuel economy as good for the class.

Starting and the engine

Starting is where this saw earns its price over a no-name 52cc. The purge bulb pulls fuel to the carburetor before the first pull, and the combined choke and stop lever means the sequence is choke, pull until it pops, push the choke in, pull again, with the same lever shutting the saw down. Husqvarna says the design reduces flooding, and the recurring owner comment is that the saw starts in two or three pulls once the sequence is learned. Air Injection, the centrifugal pre-cleaner that throws larger chips away from the filter, extends the interval between filter cleanings, which matters on a saw that gets used in bursts and stored dusty.

Build, handling and ergonomics

LowVib dampeners isolate the handles from the engine, and that is the single biggest comfort difference between this saw and the budget imports, which often transmit enough vibration to numb the fingers in twenty minutes. The chain brake is inertia activated, so it trips on kickback without the wrist touching the guard. Chain tensioning is by the bar nuts and a screw, so the scrench stays in your pocket. The plastic housings are standard for the class; owners report the saw feels light and balanced with the 16-inch bar.

Living with it

Run fresh premixed two-stroke fuel at the ratio in the manual, typically 50:1 for Husqvarna saws, and drain the tank or run it dry before a long layoff, since stale ethanol fuel is the usual cause of a saw that will not start in spring. Keep bar oil topped up, flip the bar at each chain change and clean the air filter after dusty work. Warranty terms are not stated in the listing; check the Husqvarna product page, since the maker has run extended consumer coverage offers tied to buying its own premixed fuel.

Alternatives to Consider

The Husqvarna 130 is the same 38cc engine rated at 2 horsepower with a 16-inch maximum bar, worth a look if the price gap is small. The Stihl MS 170 and MS 180 are the direct dealer-channel rivals at 30 to 32cc, lighter and a little less powerful. The Echo CS-310 is another 30cc class homeowner saw with a long consumer warranty. If the work is limbs and occasional small logs near the house, the Husqvarna 120i battery saw avoids fuel storage entirely.

Verdict

Buy the Husqvarna 120 Mark III if you want a light, easy-starting gas saw with dealer support for storm cleanup, limbing and a modest firewood pile, and you accept that 38cc means patience in big hardwood. Skip it if you cut more than a few cords a year or regularly buck logs over a foot thick, where a 50cc class saw such as the 455 Rancher is the right tool.