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| It comes with seventeen extra chains! |
Some of has never been in the woods.
I have always been leery of buying used chainsaws because of my concern that the user may have used "straight" gas in it. Illogically, I am far less concerned about buying two-stroke outboard motors.
Is it even worth my time to look at these chainsaws? Can a buyer determine anything by starting the equipment and checking the power by bringing some logs to cut?
Buy new and take care of it. All those extra chains mean it's been used... Like a rented mule!
ReplyDeleteWhat Fred Said.
ReplyDeleteUsed is buying someone else's problems.
Seriously. Don't. You'll regret it.
Spend the cash, get a stihl or a husqvarna (I prefer stihl) buy good oil and mix your gas from NON ethanol stuff. (Or buy the canned stuff).
Run it empty when done.
I a Stihl 029 Super (equivalent model today is MS290) that has cut 10-15 ricks of wood yearly for over 20 years. Plus helping others with their trees.
I took good care with it and it has lasted. Good fuel, good bar oil, warm it up before using it, idle it for 5 minutes to cool down before shutting it off....
You have no idea how these used saws were cared for. There is a reason they are being sold.
I have no expertise on the question, but you might check a Youtube channel 'Mustie1 '. He seems to make a business of picking up cheap / free used gas equipment then restoring it for use and resale.
ReplyDeleteI bought a team used chinsaws and regretted it.
ReplyDeleteI bought a new cheapie Poulan and regretted it.
I bought a new husqvarna. Love it.
Background, I buy used almost everything: cars guns motorcycles, reloading gear rvs, etc.
New was worth it in terms of ease of starting and reliability
Above, team should be "few"
ReplyDeletePoulan is junk now adays and has been for the last 30 years. Keep looking for a new one and make sure it has Husqvarna or Stihl on it and not bought in a big box store.
ReplyDeleteThat's funny, I just bought a new Stihl 2 weeks ago after the Poulan gave up the ghost. Lasted about 4 years I guess. B, thanks for the suggestions about running it dry, etc.
ReplyDeleteStay away from Poulan.
ReplyDeleteThey don't call them "Pulling Pro" for nothing. I had one fail abotu 2 hours out of the box. It's replacement worked OK - Twice. Then every time I needed it, it failed. I threw it out.
I don't know if I'd have an issue with a used Stihl, if it started and ran OK when I bought it. They are well built, and worth fixing.
Thanks for popping in and commenting.
Delete-Joe
Use trufuel. You won't regret the cost.
ReplyDeleteWe heat with wood. And we cut all our own trees. Get a Husky, buy the expensive Husky oil and use the expensive Husky fuel for the first year. If there is an issue, the Husky dealer can run a check to see what type of fuel you have been using. My husband ran into this one. He had been using their oil and fuel, so the warranty covered the issue. We buy our chain saws at the Paul Bunyan Show down in Ohio. And thought we got a GREAT deal with a brand new power head and bar for $350 I want to say. And, yes buy new chains to go with. He has a sharpener that he uses to keep the chains sharp. The last one he bought was a 562XP, but he says the better deal for a homeowner with normal use would be a 555. It's a little lighter, but the dependability has been just awesome!! And, no, never ever put anything but either canned fuel or pure rec gas into or you will have carb problems. He has 6 Huskys, and they all get lots of use.
ReplyDeleteI have a Stihl that is 30 years old and still starts easily. Buy new, they're not that expensive. Use the canned fuel mix from the manufacturer unless you are cutting lots and lots of wood and going through the fuel quickly. Use manufacturer's oil, 2-cycle and bar&chain. Empty the fuel tank if it's going to be idle for more than a week, and run it dry. I also use SeaFoam or Techron, few extra drops but that's only because I don't always run it dry like I ought 'ter.. Everyone here is right. Don't buy a rented mule.
ReplyDeleteAlso I have found over time that the handiest chain saw is usually also the smallest one.
DeleteLike they said don't even go near a poulan. They don't last very long!!!
ReplyDeleteI looked at used Stihls before buying a new Echo. Seems like there was a premium on the used Stihls in my area. The Echo isn't as heavy duty as the Stihl but was at a great price. Use Trufuel and keep the bar lubricated.
ReplyDeleteOne of the things that impressed me about the Echo is that they have a chrome plated cylinder. The others may have that feature but they don't come right out and tell you.
DeleteMost of the local landscaping companies use Echo and they beat the snot out of them and they keep running.