whats a good project saw?

[husky455rancher]

i was thinking of getting a cheap used saw off ebay or wherever. that way i can go through it and get a handle on how they function. i like to do my own repairs on everything i can. i fugure a old saw is a good place to start.

what would you guys reccomend i look for? i already have the highly unpopular 455 rancher and little 142. i dont know much about saws and the brand differences but i really want to learn. thanks, Mike

 

[PB]

i was thinking of getting a cheap used saw off ebay or wherever. that way i can go through it and get a handle on how they function. i like to do my own repairs on everything i can. i fugure a old saw is a good place to start.

what would you guys reccomend i look for? i already have the highly unpopular 455 rancher and little 142. i dont know much about saws and the brand differences but i really want to learn. thanks, Mike

First of all, there is nothing wrong with the saws you have. They are good for their intended purposes.

Second, I would suggest a Husky 55, 61, or something similar. There are a lot of parts available and are a good basic saw to learn on. This is just my .02.

 

[Bowtie]

Stihl 026 is a wonderful project saw. Parts are everywhere, they are easy to work on, and they are great, reliable saws!!! I know where there are lots of new OEM piston/ring sets as well for cheap!

 

[Banshee]

Get a Husky 261, then convert it to a 262xp. Or maybe an Stihl 064, 066 or 084.

 

[Kogafortwo]

Stihl 026 is a wonderful project saw. Parts are everywhere, they are easy to work on, and they are great, reliable saws!!! I know where there are lots of new OEM piston/ring sets as well for cheap!

Ditto on the 028.

 

[harrygrey382]

+1 on the old stihls - for reliabilty, ruggedness, ease of work and parts availabilty

 

[Scooterbum]

Get an old poulon "wild thing" or similar.That way if you mess it up your not out much.Why learn on a good saw?Experiment on the junk.Then go find yourself an 028 super...........or an 041....................or an 044.........you get the idea?




Oh yeah,with a junk saw you can get it runnin' good then mod the muffler,then come back on this site and read till your eyes bleed then pull the top end and grind and polish till your hearts content and see if ya' learnt' anythin'.
And if ya mess up? so what it's a junk saw..............

 

[Mad Professor]

One of the old Stihls, easy to work on and built like tanks. Sinice you have a 55cc saw I'd look into something bigger, a 038M or 044. Try to find OEM parts where possible.

If you don't need 70+ cc a 026/028 or 034/036.

Bigger? 064/066

 

[sawinredneck]

I like the 55 idea, and the 261 to 262 swap is relativly easy, both saws are VERY easy to dissasemble.
I've never been into an older Stihl so I can't comment on that, but some of the newer ones are a bit more difficult.
I've heard the wild things are a real SOB to get apart and back together, might not be a good starter project.
Keep it simple and you will stay interested, making it hard out the gate can kill the joy of it!

 

[Toyjunkie]

Get an old poulon "wild thing" or similar.That way if you mess it up your not out much.Why learn on a good saw?Experiment on the junk.Then go find yourself an 028 super...........or an 041....................or an 044.........you get the idea?




Oh yeah,with a junk saw you can get it runnin' good then mod the muffler,then come back on this site and read till your eyes bleed then pull the top end and grind and polish till your hearts content and see if ya' learnt' anythin'.
And if ya mess up? so what it's a junk saw..............

+1 - 100% agreed! If you mess up that yard sale special to the point that it won't run any more no big loss. Start with the cheapest most common thing you can find and make it scream like there is no tomorrow! If it stays running like a high performance sports car you know you did it right! If it dies after the second cut go get another one and try again! There are lots of Wild things or Eager Beavers out there that have the gas left in them from 2 years ago so have at it. After all the best way to learn is to learn form your own mistakes.

 

[nikocker]

Oh yeah!

Get a Husky 261, then convert it to a 262xp. Or maybe an Stihl 064, 066 or 084.

I second or third the 261 to 262XP!! I did it and it rocks. . . it was my first time rebuilding a saw as well.

Al

 

[teacherman]

One of the old Stihls, easy to work on and built like tanks. Sinice you have a 55cc saw I'd look into something bigger, a 038M or 044. Try to find OEM parts where possible.

If you don't need 70+ cc a 026/028 or 034/036.

Bigger? 064/066

Oh yeah! The 044 rocks, and I want an 038 Mag cause i hear they are great saws! 084 parts are quite pricey.......026 has good parts availability....easy to work on, I just rebuilt one last night, my first actual rebuild, and it seems to run pretty good.