I'm new here, and new to saw ownership. I grew up running Stihls - cut my teeth on my grandfather's Stihl 028 Wood Boss that is easily as old as I am (and still running to this day). The biggest I've ever run at length was an 044 Magnum on a farm I worked on as a teenager. The fiance' and I bought our first house about two years ago and I decided it was time to pick up my first saw that I could call my own. I found a decent deal on Craigslist the other day - traded an inexpensive single shot rifle for an MS 290 with original chain and bar. Owner bought it after Hurricane Katrina to cut two pecan trees, and then put it under the shed. He hadn't touched it since, and it needs a little work. I think the carb just needs to be cleaned - started fine with a little gas in the carb, but that was about it. It came with a 16" bar, and the chain needs to be replaced. Overall I'm happy with the deal, but I want to get the most out of this saw. I am wanting to run a 20" bar. I've read a little bit about the muffler mods and carb tuning, but I am not sure it is something I can handle on my own. I feel pretty confident I could do the actual mod, but I don't do to well with carbs. I've never worked much on smaller engines. Something else that intrigued me was that 390 short block from Bailey's - how hard is that swap? This is pretty much going to be a firewood and cleanup saw - Hurricanes/tropical storms happen every couple of years to some extent.
Any advice or help anyone wants to give would be phenomenal and much appreciated. My local dealer is anything but friendly so I don't feel real comfortable asking for advice there (plus I would assume most dealers frown upon modding saws).
Any advice or help anyone wants to give would be phenomenal and much appreciated. My local dealer is anything but friendly so I don't feel real comfortable asking for advice there (plus I would assume most dealers frown upon modding saws).
