Husqvarna XP 2 Cycle Oil, 12.8 oz Bottle

This is Husqvarna 2 cycle oil from the XP line, a synthetic blend made for hard-working saws, blowers and trimmers. One 12.8 oz bottle mixes with 5 gallons of gasoline at 50:1, which is the right size for a crew's main fuel can.

Why the oil matters in a saw

A 2-stroke saw has no oil sump. Every bit of lubrication for the crankshaft bearings, connecting rod and piston comes from the oil you mix into the fuel. Cheap oil or the wrong ratio shows up as carbon buildup, a scored piston or a saw that will not hold a tune.

Husqvarna XP oil is a synthetic blend made for engines that spend all day at high rpm, which is exactly how a felling saw or a climber's top-handle runs. It is meant to burn clean, protect at high temperature and keep exhaust ports from loading up with carbon.

Top-handle saws in particular run hot and hard. A climber may rev the saw hundreds of times a day for short cuts, with little time at idle to cool. That kind of duty is where a quality synthetic blend earns its price.

Mixing at 50:1 without guessing

At 50:1, one gallon of gas takes about 2.6 fl oz of oil. This 12.8 oz bottle is sized for 5 gallons, so you dump the whole bottle into a clean can, add 5 gallons of fresh gas and shake. No measuring cups, no math on the tailgate.

Put the oil in first, then the gas, so it mixes as you fill. Shake the can before each refuel, since oil can settle if the fuel sits. Use fresh gas at the octane your manual calls for, and use it up within a few weeks. Ethanol fuel goes stale faster than most people think.

If you only need a small batch for a homeowner saw or a climber's spare bottle, the 6.4 oz bottle mixes 2.5 gallons and wastes less.

Husqvarna mixing oil for the whole crew

Using one oil and one ratio for every 2-stroke on the truck takes a lot of risk out of fueling. Saws, pole saws, blowers and trimmers that call for 50:1 all run on the same mix, so nobody has to remember which can goes with which machine. Label the can with the ratio and date you mixed it.

Check each machine's manual before you standardize. Some older equipment calls for a different ratio, and 4-stroke engines never get mixed fuel. If a machine calls for something other than 50:1, keep a separate, clearly marked can for it.

If you would rather skip mixing entirely, Husqvarna 50:1 premix fuel comes ready to pour and stores longer than pump gas.

Storage and good habits

Keep unopened bottles in a cool, dry place out of the sun. Once you mix fuel, store it in a proper safety can, and do not keep mixed fuel for months. Old fuel is one of the most common reasons saws will not start or idle right.

Refuel with the saw shut off and cooled down, away from where you will start it, and wipe up spills before pulling the cord. Clean fuel, good oil and a sharp chain do more for saw life than almost anything else you can buy.

Keep a log of when each can was mixed, or write the date on a strip of tape on the can. It sounds fussy, but it settles the morning argument about whether the fuel in the back of the truck is still good.