tek9tim,
If it is one of the "old" saws what is the downfall of this saw? Also how come it has the full wrap handle? Do the 044 saws always had this option?
Regarding the long bar I am 5’10” tall so I figure I won’t have to bend as much when bucking. But I have to decide if I want to keep the Dolmar or get a 20” bar for the 044! For 2 lb more I do not know if I can justify keeping both saws!
Rony
tek9tim,
From the thread below it shows starting S/N 145 are the latest manufactured saws! Are you saying only s/n 145 and up are worth the price I paid? Also where is the 10/12 mm wrist pin located on the saw?
Thanks,
Rony
http://www.arboristsite.com/showpost.php?p=634025&postcount=3
Yup, wrap handles existed LONG before 044s. They've had that option from the beginning. Yeah, I love the 32" bar. Works great for me. But, you have to have a lot of skill & precision to successfully buck a log on the ground while you're standing upright without digging the bar tip into the dirt. It's a whole lot easier to avoid that if the bar's parallel to the ground. (I'm all about long bars, but for firewood I am starting to think shorter's alright)
Yeah, that thread says that 145 is the latest manufactured
044. In actuality, it did run a little longer, there's a tech bulletin for the 044 from 2000 that says the changes (uprated power output) would be put into effect around serial number 148xxxxxx. The 440 came out in 2001, and (like the thread said) their numbers ran up through the high 160s. (Andy actually said 267, but starting with a 2 means it was made in the US, and the 440 wasn't) And yeah, I would say that if the plastic is the original plastic for that saw, you did pay too much. I got (the main donor of) my 044 off ebay, almost exactly like yours (except an arctic), great running condition, nothing broken for $250 shipped. (It was the 10mm version, and I ended up getting tons of other parts (including a 440 bottom end) to make it what is now) My 460 was like new, and I got it for $585 with a full wrap and 32" bar off ebay.
The wrist pin is what holds the piston onto the connecting rod. It's inside the top end. Simple way to know what you've got is to look at the serial number, if it's below 129, you've got the 10mm pin. Why this matters is that you can't get an OEM piston for it, only chinese aftermarket pistons and no big bore.
Downfalls of it being an old saw are of course that it has the potential for having a lot more hours on it, and that there were a lot of design updates to the bottom end of the 044 over the years that increased longevity, so the newer the bottom end, the longer the life expectancy. (and typically the earlier in its life it is) Don't get me wrong, as long as that saw is in as good of shape as he says it is, you have a good saw on your hands. You just paid a little too much for it.
I pull out the Dolmar for bucking my firewood up if it's under about 15". In softwood it isn't that slow, and it weighs 2 pounds less than my 044.
