Craftsman saws

[Campin' Cutter]

It's not hard to tell when they look virtually identical except for colors and decals. Haha.
Your post reminds me why so many small power tools are going to battery power, because the average homeowner is too stupid to maintain gas equipment.

Yeah well that's why gas equipment had a 30 day return policy hahaha! True story-we used to have so many returned lawn mowers with nothing wrong with them (just returned out of homeowner stupidity) that every morning I'd wheel about 20 mowers out the front of the store and chain them up for sale as used at way cheaper prices. I sold so many 'used' mowers to customers that were basically brand new and they loved me for it cause it saved them money. Truthfully, I just hated wheeling a mower train in and out twice a day and wanted them gone!

 

[MacAttack]

Yeah well that's why gas equipment had a 30 day return policy hahaha! True story-we used to have so many returned lawn mowers with nothing wrong with them (just returned out of homeowner stupidity) that every morning I'd wheel about 20 mowers out the front of the store and chain them up for sale as used at way cheaper prices. I sold so many 'used' mowers to customers that were basically brand new and they loved me for it cause it saved them money. Truthfully, I just hated wheeling a mower train in and out twice a day and wanted them gone!

My dad has a collection of customer-return string trimmers (cheaper ones, Ryobis, Homelites, etc) that he bought dirt-cheap. Most of them just needed fresh gas and some carb adjustments.
He also once bought a like-new Husqvarna push mower from Lowe's. It said it would barely run and smoked. He bought it dirt cheap because when he looked it over, he realized the previous idiot owner had filled it with oil...as in they filled it right to the top of the oil cap! Lmao.
Got it home, drained and refilled with the correct amount of oil, and it was perfect.

 

[a. palmer jr.]

I have several little Stihl, Husqvarna, Echo and Homelite saws and really don't need that many but I do plan to keep the Craftsman and get rid of the little Stihl and Homelite saws. I only have one Echo top handle and will probably keep it..Don't know about the Husqvarnas yet, they're worth a bit of money so I may wait for the right buyer..

 

[Okie]

I'm not a Craftsman chainsaw guy unless they are FREE. I have some, the ones with the primer bulb are usually start easier after storage.
I do not trust any of them for reliability and do not think anything about such when one quits working.
I repair them myself.
I would suggest that if you do not like repairing your own chainsaws do not buy a craftsman saw. Usually right on the front page of the owners manual in big black letters is: For occasional use only
This is a hint of things to come.
Experience sometimes is the only thing I have to offer.

 

[a. palmer jr.]

I'm not a Craftsman chainsaw guy unless they are FREE. I have some, the ones with the primer bulb are usually start easier after storage.
I do not trust any of them for reliability and do not think anything about such when one quits working.
I repair them myself.
I would suggest that if you do not like repairing your own chainsaws do not buy a craftsman saw. Usually right on the front page of the owners manual in big black letters is: For occasional use only
This is a hint of things to come.
Experience sometimes is the only thing I have to offer.

I had a feeling they won't last forever but even the pro saws need repair from time to time...
Most of the time when you get a free chainsaw you don't get an owner's manual..

 

[Cricket]

"For occasional use only"

Hah! A friend bought me one once, and I finally (after having to retighten something every single time I used it - it did always start well...), and the balance being way wrong for me - that it was intended for some suburban guy to cut up a tree in his driveway once a year or so... not cut masses of firewood and clear land (though it was balanced in such a way that it was good for slashing down elderberries...). He didn't believe me... hah!

 

[Kevin GB]

I've had a bunch of Craftsman saws over the years, most of them Poulan rebadge units that were OK but nothing more, but few years ago I got a model #358.356070 saw for $5 that I have grown pretty attached to. It's a 49cc saw with a .325 chain but it runs like a beast (After I replaced the impulse line hiding under the carb). I'm down to 15 saws now, everything from an Echo CS-670 to a Poulan Wild Thing (Which actually runs great as well) I got some of the cheaper saws to use in my woods on trees that were leaners or had a chance of pinching and some turned out to be very good saws. I guess what i'm saying is that if you take care of them, most all of them will serve the average homeowner fine. If I keep the fuel fresh and run them regularly my Craftsman starts and cuts pretty much as well as my Echo CS-590 (That's my favorite of the group and probably gets the most use) just have to change out the fuel lines and rebuild a carb once in a while.

 

[RogerD]

Still have the old, old Craftsman my mom bought to clear vine maples with. 2.0, red, came in 10", 12", 14" bar lengths. Has a 14" on it these days. Works great for light firewood cutting and delimbing.

 

[Wood Doctor]

About two years ago I took three Craftsman saws that were dumped into my shop. None ran. I took the parts I found that did work to make two that did run. Five years ago I did the same thing with three non-running McCulloch saws. The remaining unused parts that stil looked good I kept in my boneyard. It's a great hobby. Cheers!

 

[TBS]

I have an s145 which is just like the s160 and they are a far cry different than the poulan craftsmans and imo an improvement. See my post here.
https://www.arboristsite.com/threads/dissecting-an-earthquake-chainsaw.214984/page-157

 

[a. palmer jr.]

Even though it was raining here I fired mine up in the garage just to see how it ran today and it didn't disappoint..

 

[joe25DA]

My dad has a collection of customer-return string trimmers (cheaper ones, Ryobis, Homelites, etc) that he bought dirt-cheap. Most of them just needed fresh gas and some carb adjustments.
He also once bought a like-new Husqvarna push mower from Lowe's. It said it would barely run and smoked. He bought it dirt cheap because when he looked it over, he realized the previous idiot owner had filled it with oil...as in they filled it right to the top of the oil cap! Lmao.
Got it home, drained and refilled with the correct amount of oil, and it was perfect.

Back in ‘99 senior year HS, I had a part time job at Pepboys. This guy brings in a newer Audi for an oil change. Has it done and leaves. Comes back the next day saying the car runs like **** and something we did. Mechanic takes it in, yeah it’s barely running. Pulls the oil cap off the valve cover and oil pours out. He said he “checked the oil and didn’t see any” so he put about 2 cases in till he did.

 

[Okie]

About two years ago I took three Craftsman saws that were dumped into my shop. None ran. I took the parts I found that did work to make two that did run. Five years ago I did the same thing with three non-running McCulloch saws. The remaining unused parts that stil looked good I kept in my boneyard. It's a great hobby. Cheers!

Yep, that is the best way to do old chainsaw repairs. I sometimes get a donor saw for parts and I end up repairing the donor saw because it's better than the intended saw.

 

[Okie]

I think I know that guy and some of his kin folks. (and I have had to repair stuff that they had tried to work on)

 

[Okie]

Back in ‘99 senior year HS, I had a part time job at Pepboys. This guy brings in a newer Audi for an oil change. Has it done and leaves. Comes back the next day saying the car runs like **** and something we did. Mechanic takes it in, yeah it’s barely running. Pulls the oil cap off the valve cover and oil pours out. He said he “checked the oil and didn’t see any” so he put about 2 cases in till he did.

I think I know that guy and some of his kin folks. (and I have had to repair stuff that they had tried to work on)