Cheap saws that became money pits

[Boomer 87]

Someone mentioned starting a thread about saws you got on the cheap, then turned into a monetary disaster. So I'll start it off. Attached is a pic of my 038 stihl first off told it was a super, it wasn't. After $70 dollars worth of just bolts and screws. New intake boot, carb kit, and I had to buy a complete fuel tank assembly air filter and cover cylinder cover,fuel line and filter, recoil rope. Got it all together and the new fuel tank leaked at the seams lol. I didn't even want to add up what I had in it, at a certain point there's no turning back. But it runs real good!

 

[pioneerguy600]

As long as there are more cheap saws that can be fixed easily and cheaply than there is money pits one is doing ok. I have been more than lucky with my chainsaw purchases and only had a dozen or so money pits out of several hundred chainsaws.

 

[67L36Driver]

I have a Jonsered 520 that took me down the rabbit hole. Got close to two hunnert in a hundred dollar saw. Still needs a choke handle.[emoji21]

And, a kill switch. And a better piston. The mint replacement cylinder wasn't for a 520.[emoji37]

 

[67L36Driver]

Another made me swear off vintage Stihls. Found out about 'unobtainum' parts.

048

Front bottom buffers are pricey if you can find them.

Good muffler? Forget it!!

 

[Full Chisel]

My 346OE project started out cheap enough...I bought it as a runner with some issues off feebay for a little over $100. It had apparently been dropped or crushed and I figured it just needed a new cylinder/piston as well as a top cover. Well after digging into it, I realized it didn't have the correct clutch and drum and wouldn't engage the brake. $60 bucks. It also had the plastic intake clamp and needed a new partition, bellows and flange. $60 bucks. I paid $80 for a couple used cylinders and a good piston. Add in a new air filter and elbow and a few miscellaneous parts and the total came out to around $400. Granted, the saw is all OEM and it runs great...but I didn't expect it to cost near that much.

 

[Boomer 87]

Haven't started this one yet but I have all the parts on the way, before I even touch it I'm in $400

 

[skipster]

All of mine.....

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

Anytime I see a Wild Thang come in the shop. Not sure why they even make bar nuts on those, once the chain is dull throw out the saw and buy another!

 

[svk]

Glad you started this thread. That was me who suggested a "suck you dry" instead of a "you suck" thread.



Saw in the front was free but balanced out by the fact that I have nearly $300 combined sunk into the middle and rear saw. The Mac was my buddy's late father's saw so I do have reason for sinking cash into that one.

 

[67L36Driver]

Glad you started this thread. That was me who suggested a "suck you dry" instead of a "you suck" thread.

View attachment 519348

Saw in the front was free but balanced out by the fact that I have nearly $300 combined sunk into the middle and rear saw. The Mac was my buddy's late father's saw so I do have reason for sinking cash into that one.

Antivibe SEZ are rarely seen.

 

[svk]

Antivibe SEZ are rarely seen.

Oh the Super Mini? That's good to know. I had never seen one either and this one is cherry.

 

[cedarshark]

I always get stung on the liquidators that hawk non running incomplete newer model saws. Bought a 450 husky for 70 and I am in it for $100 and it still doesn't run(but it's complete).

 

[MnSam]

My first 028 project sucked me right in.

 

[pioneerguy600]

This one started out as a $70.00 to my door purchase. It had a tag on it stating it needed a new P&C set and likely a carb. To my dismay it already had a brand new OEM piston and cylinder on it, I just cleaned and kitted the carb and its been running perfect ever since. Not all of them turn out to be a money pit.

 

[pioneerguy600]

All of these saws came from the same purchase, each one was between $70. to $50. each, the whole lot of them cost me $300. and all of them together required less than $100. out of pocket for airfilters and carb kits. They did require many idle hours to clean them up as they were quite dirty, plenty of tree sap all over them.

 

[JT78]

Had a husky 575 given to me was told it needed a top handle and a new jug and piston. In the end replaced the crank case, bearings seals, jug, piston, top handle, and rebuilt the carb. Had 300 in the saw when I was done got lucky and sold it for 300.

 

[67L36Driver]

Had a husky 575 given to me was told it needed a top handle and a new jug and piston. In the end replaced the crank case, bearings seals, jug, piston, top handle, and rebuilt the carb. Had 300 in the saw when I was done got lucky and sold it for 300.

But, the education was priceless? [emoji6]

 

[Mad Professor]

I've been lucky I guess.

038M given to me by a logger friend, had carb and recoil full of dust and grime. After clean up ran so good I invested in a 25" ES bar and RS chain. PC was great with machine marks still on piston. That was 1998, stihl running strong but looks like a junk yard dog. That was about $60-70 for BC back then?

038S (3) given to me. These were my super to mag conversions. 1st one got a NOS 52mm mahle PC all new rubber filters seals AV mounts new RS chain. 2nd same treatment but tecomec PC. About $250 and $200 respectively. Both solid near new running saws, I ebayed many of the parts over about a year. 3rd 038S is waiting for time and money, turned out a crank bearing that lunched the top end, I got a box of parts from Bcorradi (thanks Brad) that have good crank and am shopping PC assys on the cheap.

036 pros given to me. One just needed cleanup/tuning, so it got a new air filter 20" ES bar and RS chain < $100. The second was lean siezed, I cleaned up the Cyl and put a NOS piston assy in, all new rubber, seals, filters, and a 20"ES bar and RS chain < $200 and a near new saw. Did a write up with pics on that one, but site crash lost all the pics.

026 craigslist for $95. The dirtiest saw I've seen. But came with 5 extra chains and a gallon of winter stihl oil. All it needed was a clean up air filter. $115

056M given to me by same logger friend, dirty and well used, PC O.K. Carb full of crud. Had bad ignition so did the foggsail fix. Nothing invested but a capacitor.

056M and 026 pro $50. Need to fix oiler on the 056, the 026 had bad PC, might be able to salvage jug, but bcorradi $85 NOS PC and some seals filters and rubber a great saw < $150 minus the initial $50. The 056M will be a strong runner when I fix the oiler. I forgot the saws came with a NOS 20" stihl bar too.

028S, my first stihl, collected on bad utilities debt from dirt bag college roommate, 1980s, it got a new OEM PC 1990s. One of my most reliable saws.

064/024/028 parts lot $200. The 064 just needs a coil and the rest is there, could use R + R filters and hoses, have a NOS PC (ebay $120) in reserve. There were two complete 028s and a 024(S?). All the 028s/024 look to have good PC, but no time to work on these

 

[Boomer 87]

I actually have only taken a bath on the 038 and the 056 all the rest 40 plus saws I've done real well on, very minimal repair . For reasons unknown stihl is very proud of thier parts, is most of the reason for the bad deal on those two saws. I've probably repaired and fixed the other 40 saws I have for less than I'll have in the 038 and 056.

 

[pioneerguy600]

Glad you started this thread. That was me who suggested a "suck you dry" instead of a "you suck" thread.

View attachment 519348

Saw in the front was free but balanced out by the fact that I have nearly $300 combined sunk into the middle and rear saw. The Mac was my buddy's late father's saw so I do have reason for sinking cash into that one.

I guess its a sad fact that I have tended to dumpster almost all of the Echo`s, Homelites and Macs that came my way, just can`t store them all. The Homelites are pretty nice looking saws.