Question to all who buy used saws....

[Khntr85]

Well said.... I think I may wait it out, just hard to wait with this big job I got... Will call around tomorro see what's up locally...

 

[Rx7man]

On used saws.. I've picked up a pile of them now.. Most recently I bought a 394, I paid about $100 for it, and overpaid, the saw was in 5/10 condition, and the big end rod bearing was toast.. it was a stroke of luck the piston and cylinder were good. I salvaged the goodness of the deal by coming across a burnt out 394 (with a good bottom end) for cheap (replace recoil rope on an MS170). It took about 5 hours of scrubbing to get the parts presentable, but in the end I have a nice saw that cuts nice.

I'm not a Stihl guy, I usually don't like the ergonomics, and they're a PITA to work on.. they are a good saw though. I have an 064 (I got for free, had no muffler) with a 3/4 wrap and I quite like it.

One thing you haven't said is what saws you already have (It sounds like you have one or two). Your choice on what saw (OK, SAWS) to buy will be a bit dependent on what you already have.. I think if you had a lineup like a 029/290, 390, and then a 064 you'd be pretty nicely covered for sizes.. the 044 could fit in there too.

 

[Khntr85]

Hey rx7, thanks for reply I thought I listed my saws, but I have a ms250, and a 290..... I know these aren't considered "pro saws" but I would be downing them if I said they have ever let me down... I have a 18" bar on 250 and 20" bar on 290 with yellow label chains of course....so that's kind of why I want a bigger saw, ya I may not need it much but it undoubtedly would get used and hopefully last me a very long time....

 

[Philip Wheelock]

On the footrest part of the handle there should be an information sticker where you can read DOM (date of manufacture) followed by numerical month/year. Might give an idea, along with the general look of the saw, of how many hours are on it.

It concerns me that the seller can't even put a sharpened chain on so you can see how it cuts. You gotta size up the guy and figure out why he's selling it, and if you can believe what he's telling you. I bought a saw from a "nice guy" and found later that it had a broken flywheel fin and master control lever, sheared-off chain catcher and the wrong spring on the carb inlet valve. Plus the carb butterfly was not centered in the bore. Runs now, but took me awhile to straighten out.

My advice if buying used is to be patient, keep looking for a good deal, then jump on it before anyone else finds out. $400 is a lot when you're going to be shelling out another $80 for a new bar/chain.

If you're relying on your saw for work, go new. If you need bigger than a 20" bar (I run that on my ms440), consider an ms461. My ms460 starts easy, will idle all day, and has great torque/speed in the bigger stuff, and the 461 has better AV and fuel economy.

 

[fearofpavement]

My opinion is that the 361 is not a big enough step up from what you have to spend $400 on. That is probably an ok price but certainly not a great deal with a worn bar/chain.
As far as a larger saw, I'd go with an 044, 046, MS440, MS460. Those saws are all in the same family, there's tons of aftermarket (and oem) parts available for them, and they would be a significant improvement over what you have. Also, the 1128 series takes the same bar mount as your 1127 saw although you may have .325 pitch chain vs the 3/8 on the larger saws.
Don't be afraid to buy used, just keep in mind that you may have to put some repairs into something.

 

[Khntr85]

Ya Philip I know a bad bar and chain are easy fixes, but you don't know if the owner cut with it like that or should I say burn threw the wood, or just put the b&c on to sell but always makes a guy wonder....

Ya know I hear people say what you said about you running a 20" b&c on the 440, but I must say I can't count how many times I have had 20" bar buried on my 290, and though it doesnt pull with authority I have never had a real problem with.... I do understand it puts her under stress, that's why I was thinkin bout the 441....however I have never ran 441....

 

[Khntr85]

Fearofpavement ya I do have.325 chains on my saws...I mean I just figured the 440 series saw would pull a 25" b&c in all hard woods with some good power.......I need get ahold some the guys around here and try and make some cuts with 440/441...

 

[Rx7man]

I'd say you need one bigger saw.. a 440 or better, which will extend the life of your smaller saws.

In the husky flavor, I think my '3 saw plan', in a ideal world would be a 550xp, 372, and 394...

 

[Khntr85]

Ya rx, that's the other thing I have been thinkin about, wear and tear on my other saws mainly the 290.... I use the 250 for as much small stuff as I can because of weight of the saw is so light, but I just always seem to be giving the poor ol 290 more work that she really needs, she is old, a little rough looking, but always works and gets the job done without a problem....that's my main reason for wanting the bigger saw....and rx7 I have never ran a husky chainsaw in my life, but I am the type of person that will give anyone or any brand a try at least once....

And to be completely honest with everyone I have been trying to talk myself into getting a new, bigger saw for at good while now....

 

[Rx7man]

There's less leaning over to do with a bigger saw and long bar.. yes, it's heavier though, but sometimes standing straight makes up for that. Bigger saws that cut fast means you have to carry them less long too

 

[Philip Wheelock]

...Ya know I hear people say what you said about you running a 20" b&c on the 440, but I must say I can't count how many times I have had 20" bar buried on my 290, and though it doesnt pull with authority I have never had a real problem with.... I do understand it puts her under stress, that's why I was thinkin bout the 441....however I have never ran 441....

If you can run your 290 w/20" b/c, so much the better. As long as you're keeping the rpm's in the normal power range and running quality mix oil, I wouldn't be concerned about stressing the saw. The local Stihl tech told me it's consistently over-revving a saw that will lead to bearing failure sooner than later. He also recommended a 20" b/c on a 440 for hardwood (full comp chain); 25" b/c for softwood. The Stihl website recommends a 25" b/c for the 441 & 461; knowing what I know about my 460, I'd go for the 461 if you're looking for a significant step up from your 290.

 

[Conquistador3]

Ya rx, that's the other thing I have been thinkin about, wear and tear on my other saws mainly the 290.... I use the 250 for as much small stuff as I can because of weight of the saw is so light, but I just always seem to be giving the poor ol 290 more work that she really needs, she is old, a little rough looking, but always works and gets the job done without a problem....that's my main reason for wanting the bigger saw....and rx7 I have never ran a husky chainsaw in my life, but I am the type of person that will give anyone or any brand a try at least once....

And to be completely honest with everyone I have been trying to talk myself into getting a new, bigger saw for at good while now....

To be completely honest, don't worry about that 290. There's a very good reason why Stihl sold millions of them.
I have a 290 running 3/8" chain, usually with a 20" bar because I cannot be bothered swapping it around. With nothing more than an open muffler and some carb fine tuning it can push that setup more than decently. You can find all the instructions you need on this forum.
Granted, it won't win any cutting contest, especially with a 044/046/460/whatever but it never bogs down if you keep the chain well sharpened.

The beauty of the 290 is that there are so many of them around chances are you'll never run out of spares to keep it running. There are even full aftermarket engines should you need them.
And should you need a bit more power, just put a 390 cylinder and piston on it and you'll gain some cheap power and torque.

 

[user 122190]

Basic operations for me. Runs, responds to throttle, parts are there, etc.

 

[Khntr85]

Thanks Philip yes I run the synthetic oil from stihl in the gray bottles.... I think it is supposed to be the best they sell, if you have any suggestions I am always listening.....I try not to stress 290 as I depend and use her a lot.... So Philip do you have a 440 and a 460 or both.... And how do you like them and how good do they act buried in hard wood with the 25" b&c....

Conquistador yes I know it's a "homeowner" saw but like I said she has treated me good as well....funny you say look at threads on this site for muf mods, because that's exactly what I did before I ever joined this site. I actually did my MM on my 290 based on info and pics from this site
And to tell you the truth conquistador I can't believe the difference a simple modification makes, so much so that I did it on my ms250 also....

And to montanaresident and conquistador both, have you guys turned the 290's into the 390's before...... I actually have about doin that when the ol girl finally does die.... Which leads me to the next question to you 2 guys..... How much ruffly would it cost me to do the switch from 290 to 390...

Thanks a lot Kyle.....

 

[Greg Perryman]

Never was crazy about the 441. Very little torque down low high reving though. Compared to my 038 the 441 isn't my first choice, backup saw mainly. Right now Stihl has a deal to buy a 461 at a 1000.00 the same price as a new 441.

 

[Philip Wheelock]

Thanks Philip yes I run the synthetic oil from stihl in the gray bottles.... I think it is supposed to be the best they sell, if you have any suggestions I am always listening.....I try not to stress 290 as I depend and use her a lot.... So Philip do you have a 440 and a 460 or both.... And how do you like them and how good do they act buried in hard wood with the 25" b&c....

I run Stihl Ultra (gray bottles) at the recommended ratio w/93 octane E10 gas - no significant problems to date, although the two ms440's (bought used) can have an inconsistent idle, sometimes to a stall, and it often takes 9-10 pulls after a few cold days to get the saws to pop. Rebuilt carburetors helped somewhat, but new carbs would probably make the total fix.

The ms440 w/20" bar has good balance front-t0-back, and handles better and is noticeably lighter than the ms460 w/25" bar. Cuts well w/25" bar buried in softwood. Excellent general purpose saw. The ms460 (rebuilt from a blown p/c & bad bearings) starts easily and has a nice, easy idle. Don't know what it is about the power curve & throttle response, but it's as user-friendly as a chainsaw can get in the cut with good power. Uses more fuel and has a more noticeable vibration at idle. If I needed to run a 25" bar buried in hardwood, I'd go with the ms460.

 

[Khntr85]

Ya no one has any 441 may look like a461 with have to do.... Guys is there any difference in the air filtration systems I can't seem to get a straight answer... And the dealer I called said they weigh the same but 461 has little more power...

 

[Philip Wheelock]

Ya no one has any 441 may look like a461 with have to do.... Guys is there any difference in the air filtration systems I can't seem to get a straight answer... And the dealer I called said they weigh the same but 461 has little more power...

441 air filtration is better, but the 461 system is nothing to sneeze at. 461 has manual carb adjustments; one less thing to go wrong.

 

[Khntr85]

Is the air filtration that much better in the 441,,.. Or should I say is the 461 have that bad of a filtration system

 

[Philip Wheelock]

The ms460 air filter system works well. Same HD-2 filter as the ms461. I wouldn't be concerned with cutting typical North American hardwoods.