Where Are Husqvarna Chainsaws Made? – Manufacturing Sites

Husqvarna is arguably one of the most well-known brands on the planet. The Husqvarna team produces a wide range of products that service a number of industries, the most famous of which is their series of chainsaws. Where are Husqvarna chainsaws made, though? Let’s have a look at what products Husqvarna makes, where they manufacture their world-class chainsaws, and if they still make them today.

What Does Husqvarna Make?

Husqvarna is one of the oldest companies in the world. Established in 1689 the Husqvarna team has seen their products and the world around them change significantly over time. Their range of products is constantly expanding, and besides their extremely popular brand of chainsaws, Husqvarna does make a pretty good range of products.

If it’s powered by an engine (electrical or petrol-powered), Husqvarna probably has a tool powered by it. What exactly do they make? Well, their lineup primarily consists of power tools including but not limited to trimmers, cultivators, bush cutters, garden tools, robotic lawn mowers, and (of course) chainsaws!

Husqvarna is also pretty well known for its motorcycles. In the early days, their motorcycles were some of the earliest that were readily purchasable by the public, and they are widely considered to be the oldest surviving motorcycle manufacturer in the world. These days they don’t sell as many motorcycles as Japanese manufacturers, but their products are still objectively well-made and provide excellent performance.

Husqvarna JAP motorcycle 1931; Yesterdays Antique Motorcycles en Classic Motorcycle Archive, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Aside from motorcycles, chainsaws, and garden tools, Husqvarna also makes less rouged tools for everyday life. For example, they make sewing machines, bicycles, diamond tools, and stump grinders too. Virtually all of their products are of an exceedingly good build quality and usually have a price tag to match.

It is the combination of their wide range of products and high build quality that has given Husqvarna its prestigious reputation over the years.

As a brand, their name has become synonymous with high-quality Swedish engineering, so much so that vintage Husqvarna products can fetch a pretty penny at auctions and online marketplaces.

Who Owns Husqvarna?

Husqvarna is well over 300 years old. The amount of trends and technology that have changed over this time period is nearly too much to mention, but Husqvarna has managed to not only keep up with these changes but contribute and even initiate some of them. Like most companies of this age, Husqvarna started out with a product that is far removed from its current lineup, namely rifles.

At its inception, the company was called Jönköping Rifle Factory and was created under the decree of the Swedish monarch at the time.

It would go on to produce 1500 pipe muskets every year, which were pretty good output numbers at the time, and is actually where Husqvarna’s logo is derived from: the iron sight of a rifle! This would continue from 1620 to around 1689. Between 1757 and 1850 the company would be sold by the Swedish royal family to a private buyer, at which point the name would change from the Jönköping Rifle Factory to the Husqvarna Rifle Factory, and all production would be moved to a single facility in Huskvarna, the village after which that company was named.

Drawing of a member of the Jönköpings Läns Regemente (1765); Jacob Gillberg, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Who owns Husqvarna? These days the company is publicly traded as Husqvarna AB and doesn’t have a single owner. Instead, the company has many shareholders and board members who decide on the overall direction of the company, its products, and where the company’s future lies. These days Husqvarna is pioneering the field of robotics with autonomous gardening equipment and even demolition robots!

Where Are Husqvarna Chainsaws Made?

Gone are the days when major brands can say that their products are made in their home country, at least in the same way they used to. One would think that since Husqvarna is a Swedish company their chainsaws would be made in Sweden in the Huskvarna village where it was founded. However, the world has changed considerably, and in a globalized economy, this isn’t profitable.

The reality is that unless a company discloses where their products are made there is no way of you knowing where it is made. Even if the product says “made in Sweden” the chances are that this only means it has been assembled in Sweden, but the individual components have been manufactured elsewhere.

Does this mean that Husqvarna chainsaws aren’t made in Sweden? Well, yes and no. Many of the components used in Husqvarna chainsaws are made in different countries at what very well could be a lower price, but if the cost of living in these countries is significantly lower and the company in question meets Husqvarna’s manufacturing standards/specifications, this shouldn’t make a difference.

Photograph of the Husqvarna factory in Brastad, Western Sweden taken in 2013; Bjoertvedt, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Who makes Husqvarna chainsaws? Husqvarna chainsaws, and a plethora of their other products, are made in a number of other countries around the world. This could be for a number of reasons like product availability, the scale of production needed, availability of raw materials, logistical issues, and even expertise. Which countries produce Husqvarna products? Below is a list of the most notable ones.

• Sweden
• Germany
• France
• China
• USA
• Brazil
• Other Scandinavian countries

Even though these countries all manufacture Husqvarna components, some manufacture more than one and/or a greater percentage of their overall product line due to things like infrastructure or the size of their available workforce. These are almost always countries with large established industries and big players in the global economy. For example, most of the assembly of Husqvarna’s products still happens in Sweden, and the actual forging and casting of the components takes place in the United States, China, and Brazil.

The United States has around six manufacturing plants, China also has six, and Brazil has a single plant, and all of them handle specific components for various Husqvarna products.

There is a pattern to where certain products are manufactured too. Husqvarna appears to have some of its cheaper products manufactured in China and Brazil, whereas the components of its high-end products tend to be made in the United States, Germany, Sweden, and France. That being said, this is something of a global trend for many large-scale manufacturers.

As you can see then, Husqvarna is made all over the world, but it is worth mentioning that around 50% of their chainsaw’s (and other products) global valuation is in the United States, which makes sense considering that around 40% of their products sales (a large portion of which is their chainsaws) is also within the United States.

Firsts by Husqvarna Chainsaws

When a company has been around as long as Husqvarna has they are bound to come up with some industry firsts. When it comes to chainsaw features, Husqvarna has paved the way for many features that have become somewhat commonplace in the chainsaw industry. Below are just a few of some of the innovative features for chainsaws Husqvarna has created over the years.

The First Motorized Mower

While it might seem like an obvious progression to us now, Husqvarna was the first to actually put the idea into practice. Between the years of 1947 and 1959 Husqvarna produced and distributed the world’s first riding lawn mowers, ushering in an era of easy lawncare and ultimately setting the stage for other manufacturers to put their own spin on Husqvarna’s design.

This period was quite a busy one for the manufacturer, as aside from the riding mower they also produced the world’s first motorized chainsaw (the Husqvarna 90) for public sale.

As you can imagine, this was a huge source of income, and coupled with the fact that Husqvarna’s design was far quieter than other cutting tools on the market this saw the public opinion of the company increase significantly.

Anti-Vibration Technology

Vibration plays a huge role in the operation of a chainsaw. Internal combustion engines (petrol-powered chainsaws) produce a lot of secondary forces, namely vibration, that are exacerbated at high RPM. These vibrations can affect blood flow in the fingers and arms of the user if the chainsaw is operated for extended periods of time.

In 1969 Husqvarna produced the world’s first anti-vibration chainsaw, effectively allowing the chainsaw to be operated for longer periods of time and increasing the comfort of the user.

This feature was praised by forestry workers and homeowners alike, and all of Husqvarna’s modern chainsaws include some variation of both their noise canceling and anti-vibration technology.

Husqvarna 338XPT chainsaw; User:SB_Johnny, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Automatic Chain Break

Kickback is one of the largest safety concerns when operating a chainsaw and can lead to serious injury or death in severe instances. Kickback occurs when the guide bar unexpectedly shoots upward toward the operator as a result of the chain becoming snagged on the material of the workpiece. As you can imagine, getting a chainsaw to the face is less than ideal.

Thankfully, Husqvarna created an automatic chain break to break power to the chain in the event of a kickback.

This ensures the operator has a few more seconds to react and minimizes the potential severity of injury, especially if a guard is a place. This feature was added to Stihl and Husqvarna brand chainsaws in 1973.

Other Brands Owned by Husqvarna

A lot can change in 300 years. Back in the day, a company’s logo and brand allowed it to distinguish itself from its competitors and solidify its image in the mind of the consumer. However, these days there are many small brands that are owned by larger umbrella corporations or parent companies, and Husqvarna is no different. Why does this happen though? Well, in a competitive market, it makes more sense to absorb upcoming smaller brands than to force them out of the market entirely. After all, simply owning a controlling portion of the company allows you to benefit from the market and customer base they have established for themselves without having to start from scratch.

In addition to absorbing existing brands, companies could spawn subsidiaries to better market their super high-end or low-end products that their regular customer base may not associate with the brand.

This allows them to sell to different target markets while simultaneously creating a distinction between their product lines, which grants them the opportunity to experiment with different products while protecting the core entity.

Brands associated with Husqvarna; RG72, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

So, we know why Husqvarna has subsidiary brands, but how many of them are there? According to some sources Husqvarna actually has around nine subsidiaries underneath their primary business, many of which sell similar products to Husqvarna themselves. What are some of the subsidiaries that fall under the Husqvarna brand? Here are a few of the big ones:

• RedMax
• Diamond Boart
• Jonsered
• Flymo
• Gardena
• Weed Eater
• Stihl
• McCulloch
• Poulan

Around the world (mostly outside of the US market) these brands are well known and are generally considered to be of great quality. It does seem like regardless of the brand’s tier, Husqvarna prides itself on its brands being associated with durability and reliability, although depending on who you ask and what they use Husqvarna’s chainsaws for, opinions can vary considerably.

What Else Does Husqvarna Make?

As we mentioned previously Husqvarna makes quite a bit of equipment for many industries and occupations, but what do they make specifically? Below is a list of products offered by Husqvarna aside from their chainsaws, as well as what the latest and greatest product is in each category in case you’re in the market for some new power tools.

Power Cutters

Power cutters are in the same vein as chainsaws, but they aren’t restricted by a bladed chain. Instead, they have a single large circular blade that spins at extremely high RPM. These blades can range anywhere between nine and 16 inches and are capable of cutting through everything from walls to metal pipes and even concrete.

Husqvarna Power Cutters; mattbuck (category), CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Power cutters from the Husqvarna team are available in two varieties, namely gas-powered and electric-powered versions. They offer pretty much the same performance, but the battery-powered units come with some obvious advantages like noise reduction and being better for you and the environment overall.

Leaf Blowers

Not all of Husqvarna’s tools are designed to cut through things, some are just meant to help the average homeowner reign in their garden from time to time. Their selection of leaf blowers is a good illustration of this, offering great power and a user-friendly design capable of blowing away large piles of leaves without breaking a sweat.

Husqvarna leaf blowers are also available in both the petrol and electronic variety to ensure you have the right tool for every application.

They generally have a 1.7 cubic inch displacement or 40-volt output for electric models. All units are designed to be as lightweight as possible while remaining as sturdy and user-friendly as possible.

Rider Mowers

Do you have a particularly large front lawn or backyard? Does it take you hours to keep your lines in check? Well, maybe one of the incredibly comfortable rider mowers from the Husqvarna team will make your lawn-mowing experience a bit better. These rider mowers are rather powerful, easy to use, easy to maintain, and shouldn’t give you too much trouble with storage either.

There’s a riding mower for every lawn size, and they range from 16 brake horsepower all the way to 31, which means vines, leaves, and even roots won’t be able to stand in your way. Pretty much all units have rollover prevention and adjustable cutting heights.

Robotic Mowers

Husqvarna has been something of a pioneer in the field of robotic lawn care in recent years. Offering high-end robotic lawnmowers at reasonable prices to countries all over the world. Not only do these mowers do an excellent job ensuring your grass is well maintained but they have the added convenience of being controlled by an app on your phone or tablet.

Large Husqvarna CEORA robotic lawnmower taken in 2023; W.carter, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Their top-of-the-range model is capable of handling 18 acres of lawn and is equipped with an adjustable cutting height and precise area management. These mowers also have built-in theft protection and GPS tracking, so you always know exactly where your mower is and what it’s doing.

Husqvarna has gone to great lengths to make their robotic mowers feel safe and reliable.

If you don’t like the idea of a machine running around on your lawn unsupervised you could simply activate the remote-control system and sit back on your porch with some iced tea and control the unit from a distance. What’s more is that you can control more than one of these robotic mowers from a single device, essentially making you a robotic fleet manager!

Snow Blowers

If you live in a state that snows heavily during the winter months, then one of these snowblowers from Husqvarna might be just what you’re looking for. Like their leaf blowers and power cutters these snow blowers are available in different trim models and price ranges to ensure that Husqvarna brand is accessible to the largest number of consumers possible.

Snow blowers from the Husqvarna team have a cylinder displacement of up to 301 cubic centimeters, so you won’t be left wanting any more power when clearing your lawn or driveway.

Their prices go up to $2600, which might be a lot for a snow blower but considering their higher-end models can work in up to 30 inches of snow, it seems like a fair trade.

Does Husqvarna Still Make Motorcycles?

Husqvarna motorcycles were some of the first commercially available motorcycles ever sold, putting the brand right up there with names like Harley Davidson. Husqvarna manufactured and assembled its own motorcycles for a long time until the year 1986 when it sold off its motorcycle division, but this didn’t mean the end for Husqvarna branded motorcycles.

Antoine Méo on his Husqvarna E1 bike at the 2010 World Enduro Championship Grand Prix of Turkey, September 2010; Mark Fleming, GOGO Visual, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Husqvarna motorcycle brand has been owned by KTM since 2013, who have been producing official Husqvarna motorcycles since then with resounding success right up to the current day. This is pretty awesome considering that many enthusiasts thought that the brand would never be revived in its entirety within their lifetimes.

Like their chainsaws the motorcycle brand gained notoriety throughout its lifetime, participating in multiple Paris Dakar races, and after its first success, multiple militaries including the French and Swedish armed forces approached Husqvarna to supply motorcycles for both defense applications over various terrain types.

As per the rules of the Paris Dakar race, motorcycles can have minimal modifications to ensure fair competition and representation of the brand’s consumer-end product quality. With that being said, the model that entered into the race by Husqvarna (and won) only had some additional fuel capacity and a more comfortable seat!

Now you know where Husqvarna chainsaws are made and how far the company has come since its inception. As you can see, Husqvarna has and continues to contribute meaningful developments in the power tool industry, and seems to be focusing on the implementation of robotics in their product lines. It appears that the Husqvarna team will continue to be industry leaders, and will likely make even more incredible contributions to the industry going forward.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Stihl Owned by Husqvarna?

Husqvarna and Stihl have a lot of things in common, especially where their safety features are concerned. However, is Stihl owned by Husqvarna? Yes! Stihl is a subsidiary brand of the Husqvarna team and has a very similar product line to the primary brand as a result.

Is Husqvarna Made in the USA?

Husqvarna has many manufacturing facilities all over the world, with many other companies contracted to create various components for their vast product line. Is Husqvarna made in the USA though? Yes! Husqvarna is made here, although it is assembled elsewhere.

What Was Husqvarna’s First Product?

Husqvarna was originally a company owned by the Swedish royal family. It was initially founded in the 1600s to produce muskets for the war effort, but was eventually sold to a private individual who would go on to expand the company’s product line.

Thomas Faessler

I have been into woodworking since 2005 and woodturning since 2011. Because of my love for wood and woodworking, I started woodhappen.com to teach other enthusiasts about how to finish and seal wood, the best woodworking tools, the different types of wood, and everything else related to woodworking! Read more about me here.