A Lurker Speaks

[Philip Wheelock]

Last Friday was my birthday, and I happened to notice an MS261 on CL for $300, supposedly with only 2 hrs on it. So I went to check it out and, sure enough, it looked almost new; manufacturing date of 12/12. Started and accelerated easily, so I paid the guy and brought it to my local Stihl shop for a tuneup. Got it back today. Turns out that the trip to the shop was a good idea because the old fuel had water in it, and the carb was set too lean. Here are the requisite pix:



On another topic, on Saturday I opened the door to the tool room and caught a whiff of fuel. Turns out the fuel flippy cap on the 10-yr. old MS440 had given up the ghost. New one fits nice and tight.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Hope it wasn't stolen. My 026 was snatched from me and I loved that saw.

 

[XSKIER]

Sweet deal!

 

[Philip Wheelock]

Hope it wasn't stolen...

That thought did cross my mind because of the low price. The guy's story seemed legit, but you can never tell for sure about people. I asked the Stihl shop to check the serial # history. I know the guy's name, where he lives and his phone #; town records show that he and his wife own the house where I went to get the saw.

 

[MasterBlaster]

If it looks new, a receipt should be presented. Any new gear w/o a receipt is suspect.

 

[Philip Wheelock]

The seller wasn't kidding about 2 hrs run time on the 261. No scratches, not even skid marks on the bottom. The shop tuned it to 13.8K rpm. Runs like it needs lots more break-in time; never know what the old fuel & water did while sitting in the carb for 9 months, though. If it ends up needing a carb rebuild, I suppose I'm still ahead of the game.
FWIW, the serial# doesn't appear in the Stihl stolen unit database.

 

[ash man]

Wow. what a steal. No pun intended.

 

[labdad]

What a great deal, good for you. I usually don't hear about those until its too late. Some one has to find the deals might as well be you.

 

[srb08]

Good saw, great price. I love my 261, it's the saw I use the most.

 

[KodiakKen]

FWIW. I just sold a saw that was ten years old that I had the original book and receipt from when I bought it. great find

 

[Franny K]

On another topic, on Saturday I opened the door to the tool room and caught a whiff of fuel. Turns out the fuel flippy cap on the 10-yr. old MS440 had given up the ghost. New one fits nice and tight.

I bought a pole saw perhaps two years ago and got a recall notice for the gasoline "flippy cap" in the mail. I think it has been a over a year since I got that mail not sure if you should have got one but probably would be my guess.

 

[Evanrude]

There was a flippy recall on my FS130 too. Although I don't think there was any of the saws. Sometimes they just go bad. I had replaced one on a 440 of mine last year.

Nice saw OP! Great deal too.

 

[bryanr2]

If it looks new, a receipt should be presented. Any new gear w/o a receipt is suspect.

Not always. I guess that applies to CL deals but from my own experiences on buying saws (and they are always "like new")

562xpw- I sent Randy (Mastermind) the money he said it cost. He ordered it from out west, I have no idea from whom, but I trust the guy so whatever. He ported it, I got it back , kept it a week and sold it to Boxygen. Boxygen never asked for a receipt..... I never asked one from Randy. Didn't even get a manual. Everybodies happy.

Nos- 359 I was on the lookout for one before they went MIA. Cowroy pointed me towards one local on the shelf. I gave the guy $500 out the door- done deal. Couldn't come up with a receipt if I had to.

Mint 2171 from McLaren. He drove that saw from NC- I met him in Johnson City for it. Gave him $850 for saw with 75cc topend, power box, 2 bars, 2 chains. If you saw the saw today you wouldnt know it had ever been used. Dont have a receipt.

Makita 6401 HD. Ad came up in CL for $250. Guy was an employee at HD. I met him in the parking lot after he got off and bought it out of the back of his truck. He said he snatched it up from the rental dept and was flipping this one. I didnt ask for a receipt- hell he might have walked it out the door- not my problem.

and the list goes on.

Point being- what Ive bought and sold... receipt has never been an issue.

 

[066blaster]

a lot of used saw sellers dont understand that they hold their value quite well, but it's because of guys like us that they do!!
if the seller has no use for the saw a few hundred bucks sounds good to them. if it aint running they will take anything they can get.
Also if one of my saws was stolen, i couldnt began to tell you the serial number. I would assume that goes for most people.
and if i kept a reciept for everything i bought and kept it forever, i would have to build on to my house.