Careful about buying vintage saws...

[FreakinCoolUsername]

So if any members that read this recognize me then they know i have been working on a PM 60. This is a saw that i have always wanted after getting to run my grandfathers, one popped up on ebay about a year ago and the seller said it was a runner. He lied. Below is my cost document for the full restoration after finally collecting and buying all the parts (well except for some minor stuff i haven't got yet). Don't make the same mistake i did and belive some one when they say "it ran last year".

-edit- updated pdf with final values.

 

[Jeff Lary]

Sometimes when you have to look up, you need realize it's time to stop digging.

 

[FreakinCoolUsername]

Sometimes when you have to look up, you need realize it's time to stop digging.

This is it if the saw dosn't run after all that im running it over with a dozer.

 

[Modifiedmark]

This is it if the saw dosn't run after all that im running it over with a dozer.

No you won't. You will keep going till you get it right. Its what we do.

Believe me when I say the expensive lessons we learn are the easy ones to remember.

I looked at your list, and maybe I missed it but I didn't see new crank seals on that list. That could come back to teach you another lesson.

 

[FreakinCoolUsername]

No you won't. You will keep going till you get it right. Its what we do.

Believe me when I say the expensive lessons we learn are the easy ones to remember.

I looked at your list, and maybe I missed it but I didn't see new crank seals on that list. That could come back to teach you another lesson.

Your right, i would never do that. But after all this i am pretty shure the saw will be great. i just got the paint and dog bolts for the saw, as for crank seals yeah i guess i did forget about those. I will have to look into them. Never buying another saw on ebay though.

 

[cookies]

80% of what you spent money on was self inflicted. Welcome to buying and building a saw you wanted thats hard to find and old. After all that I truly hope you tore it all the way down to check crank bearings, replace those 100 year old seals/tank gaskets and clean the tank and crank case out. The seller likely put a teaspoon of mix down the carb and fired it for a second, there are a ton of shlt sellers on flea bay often only going off other stuffs prices but have no clue about whats being sold.

 

[FreakinCoolUsername]

80% of what you spent money on was self inflicted. Welcome to buying and building a saw you wanted thats hard to find and old. After all that I truly hope you tore it all the way down to check crank bearings, replace those 100 year old seals/tank gaskets and clean the tank and crank case out. The seller likely put a teaspoon of mix down the carb and fired it for a second, there are a ton of shlt sellers on flea bay often only going off other stuffs prices but have no clue about whats being sold.

Yeah like i said a full restoration, so i will be checking all the bearings and just ordered the new crank seals. As for ebay it is hard to tell sometimes, i have gotten good saws and then stuff like this. But what i don't understand is how these old saws are suddenly worth so much. I did decide to go with an of the shelf yellow though to save a little

 

[Cantdog]

No you won't. You will keep going till you get it right. Its what we do.

Believe me when I say the expensive lessons we learn are the easy ones to remember.

I looked at your list, and maybe I missed it but I didn't see new crank seals on that list. That could come back to teach you another lesson.

Yep you tell 'em Mark!!! Damn good to see you post too!!!!

To the OP.......he is steering you right........vintage saws that have been NLA for a long time require a lot of patience and perseverance to get operational........can't just pop out to the dealer and get the needed parts....but once done are a joy for your ego......

 

[FreakinCoolUsername]

Yep you tell 'em Mark!!! Damn good to see you post too!!!!

To the OP.......he is steering you right........vintage saws that have been NLA for a long time require a lot of patience and perseverance to get operational........can't just pop out to the dealer and get the needed parts....but once done are a joy for your ego......

Oh its gettin done right, i mean as many parts as are coming for this thing it will be like new. Especially after the paint job. I have rebuilt a lot of saws but never had one this bad before. But hey its a fun hobby to me and i love these old things, plus i can show it off to my grandfather and probrobly make him a little jealous.

 

[Modifiedmark]

Yep you tell 'em Mark!!! Damn good to see you post too!!!!

To the OP.......he is steering you right........vintage saws that have been NLA for a long time require a lot of patience and perseverance to get operational........can't just pop out to the dealer and get the needed parts....but once done are a joy for your ego......

Hi Robin, good to hear you too.

I been watching the last year or two whats been going on with the new guys chasing after saws on Ebay, Facebook etc. Some are really paying a bunch for old junkers. They will learn there lessons too.

The Ebay seller who sold this Mac may not have been a liar, it could have run a year earlier but a ragged old saw to begin with very well might not run a year later.

Then you have the guy who squirts some fuel in the carb to hear it run for a second then declare it a "Runner". Or it actually will run a bit, runs like crap, wont idle down etc but technically it did run..

Buyer beware.

 

[Modifiedmark]

Oh its gettin done right, i mean as many parts as are coming for this thing it will be like new. Especially after the paint job. I have rebuilt a lot of saws but never had one this bad before. But hey its a fun hobby to me and i love these old things, plus i can show it off to my grandfather and probrobly make him a little jealous.

Nothing better then making Grandpa proud! Be glad you still have one.

 

[FreakinCoolUsername]

Hi Robin, good to hear you too.

I been watching the last year or two whats been going on with the new guys chasing after saws on Ebay, Facebook etc. Some are really paying a bunch for old junkers. They will learn there lessons too.

The Ebay seller who sold this Mac may not have been a liar, it could have run a year earlier but a ragged old saw to begin with very well might not run a year later.

Then you have the guy who squirts some fuel in the carb to hear it run for a second then declare it a "Runner". Or it actually will run a bit, runs like crap, wont idle down etc but technically it did run..

Buyer beware.

I saw a old 850 that was just for part, obviously didn't run, sell for over $200. Is it just me or is that a little high it wasn't even a complete saw.

 

[cookies]

Yeah like i said a full restoration, so i will be checking all the bearings and just ordered the new crank seals. As for ebay it is hard to tell sometimes, i have gotten good saws and then stuff like this. But what i don't understand is how these old saws are suddenly worth so much. I did decide to go with an of the shelf yellow though to save a little

Reality is they are not worth much even in running condition although a original in pristine condition can be worth a small mint, restored correctly it can be worth good money too. At this point I would have it blasted then powder coated if I were you. Build it once the way you want it to run and look and use it for 20 years, the problem is coming across another saw then another and another LOL Then you get better at knowing what to buy and keep certain things on hand. Now when I build a saw I get gaskets, bearings, seals and rubbers coming before I tear into it, that way the second order is smaller and im waiting like a kid at christmas for it to arrive so it can be finished up in a single sitting in a day.

 

[Modifiedmark]

Even when you get a so called cream puff, you can still get into way more then you originally planned .

I just a while back picked up this super clean low use McCulloch 250 that was said to run just last year too, I figured it just needed the regular old chainsaw stuff, fuel line, carb diaphragms.

No it wasn't that easy. Needed way more, recoil parts, ign parts, carb parts, sprocket, chain, air filter and crank seals. It also reminded me why I'm not a Mac guy.

In the end it turned out to be a pretty nice saw but I already traded it off.

 

[FreakinCoolUsername]

Reality is they are not worth much even in running condition although a original in pristine condition can be worth a small mint, restored correctly it can be worth good money too. At this point I would have it blasted then powder coated if I were you. Build it once the way you want it to run and look and use it for 20 years, the problem is coming across another saw then another and another LOL Then you get better at knowing what to buy and keep certain things on hand. Now when I build a saw I get gaskets, bearings, seals and rubbers coming before I tear into it, that way the second order is smaller and im waiting like a kid at christmas for it to a

im waiting like a kid at christmas for it to arrive so it can be finished up in a single sitting in a day.

thats the stage im at, except i have to do all the work on it on the weekend so i always hope parts arrive on friday otherwise im just thinking about the weekend all week.

 

[Yukon Stihl]

Call it an education tax

 

[FreakinCoolUsername]

Even when you get a so called cream puff, you can still get into way more then you originally planned .

I just a while back picked up this super clean low use McCulloch 250 that was said to run just last year too, I figured it just needed the regular old chainsaw stuff, fuel line, carb diaphragms.

No it wasn't that easy. Needed way more, recoil parts, ign parts, carb parts, sprocket, chain, air filter and crank seals. It also reminded me why I'm not a Mac guy.

In the end it turned out to be a pretty nice saw but I already traded it off. View attachment 961736View attachment 961737

Personally that a little to old for me but its a nice looking saw none the less.

 

[FreakinCoolUsername]

Call it an education tax

Consider me edumacated

 

[Modifiedmark]

I saw a old 850 that was just for part, obviously didn't run, sell for over $200. Is it just me or is that a little high it wasn't even a complete saw.

I think you already know that answer

 

[FreakinCoolUsername]

I think you already know that answer

Yeah, even locally prices for mac's are pretty high and they are in high demand.