Help Please Craftsman 24 inch 3.7

[Behemoth]

Sirs... I bought a Craftsman and thought the carb was gummed up my small engine man stated the piston was scored and would have to be replaced. He said the piston and ring was 100 bucks and muritic acid would have to be used to clean up the cylinder. I gave 75 bucks for it so 175 vested after parts and cost of saw not to mention his time / cost puts me up over 200 for the thing and don't even know if its going to cut the behemoth 200 year old oak that fell and is leaning against another oak in my woods behind my house.

Is there cheaper parts available for this saw or should I punt and give the gent in the for sale column 175 dollars for his almost new looking Husqy?

Kev aka Behemoth

 

[TheJollyLogger]

It sounds like you have very limited experience with chainsaws, and an attempt to save money hasn't turned out quite the way you expected. Have you considered the possibility that this is a sign that saving money by taking on the project of dropping a behemoth 200 year old oak that is leaning into another tree might not turn out the way you expected either? The difference is if that goes wrong, the consequences are much greater, maybe even deadly. I would strongly recommend you get professional to take care of that tree. One tree leaning into another is one of the most dangerous situations in this business. Jeff

 

[Behemoth]

So my inexperience is showing that bad huh? Is there anyway you might consider answering my question of having the 24 inch Craftsman rebuilt "Is it worth it" and not worry about a Disabled Marine Veteran worrying about a 48" wide dead oak that may fall on children that ride there 4 wheelers through the wood and play around the creek at all times.

Hey if you gents would like to help pay for the extraction of said oak I will pay a expert logger no problem with that but times are tough at my house feeding 6 on one disabled income. Hopefully you and yours are better off than me and mine.

After all I did say PLEASE

Kev

 

[TheJollyLogger]

As far as the craftsman goes, there's a chainsaw thread further down the main page where the gearheads hang out. One of em may even have a piston, and can talk ya through replacing it, they aren't hard to do. As far as the tree goes, post some pics and we can give you some advice on how to tackle it, or if ya should. Try and catch it from all the angles. Jeff

 

[Behemoth]

As far as the craftsman goes, there's a chainsaw thread further down the main page where the gearheads hang out. One of em may even have a piston, and can talk ya through replacing it, they aren't hard to do. As far as the tree goes, post some pics and we can give you some advice on how to tackle it, or if ya should. Try and catch it from all the angles. Jeff

Thanks Jeff I will definately hit the gear heads up as I am an Electronics Tech by trade and only been cutting dead trees off 10 acres for 4 years. I was disappointed in my Stihl 290 as it smoked the piston after 2 years and I bought it brand new for 434.00 dollars that I had to take a 401k loan to get.

I will take picts and post them hear later this weekend.

Kev

 

[isaaccarlson]

We need pictures of the tree.

Maybe there is a member nearby who can help you.

 

[Guido Salvage]

Tackling a 48" DBH tree that is hung in another with inadequate training or equipment is dangerous. Your Craftsman doesn't have enough power to pull a 24" bar safely through oak to drop the tree. Once on the ground it might do it if you go slowly.

We understand you finances, but if you fail at this task what will your family do? I would cordon off the area to keep people out of the immediate area.

 

[sgreanbeans]

My fellow Jarhead, the saw is not worth it, pitch it. It will cost more than the saw is worth to fix it and it will just burn up again. As far as the tree goes, where are you located, how close to Lejuene?
Get some good pics for us and we will help you as much as we can or tell u your nuts a leave it to a pro. I get the finances, I too have a 90% rating from the VA, BUT!!! If things go wrong on that removal, your wife and kids could be talking about the death benefit. No joke, its serious business.
Get us the pics!

Shrimp or Fries!

 

[Behemoth]

Here's the tree any comments will be much appreciated. If it will help I am a little touched in the head so don't be concerned with my sanity. :msp_unsure:View attachment 307004View attachment 307005View attachment 307006View attachment 307007View attachment 307008

Notice the 15 foot root ball at the end of the Oak. This is a big tree! I hope the wood is still good.

 

[blsnelling]

As mentioned above, you don't have a saw up to the task even if in perfect operating condition. Unless you can do the work yourself, the saw isn't worth repairing. You'll have more in repair than what another runner would cost you.

 

[Flintknapper]

Here's the tree any comments will be much appreciated. If it will help I am a little touched in the head so don't be concerned with my sanity. :msp_unsure:View attachment 307004View attachment 307005View attachment 307006View attachment 307007View attachment 307008

Notice the 15 foot root ball at the end of the Oak. This is a big tree! I hope the wood is still good.

That tree is hung pretty good in the other.

Am I correct (looking at the pics) that this is (was) standing dead wood? IF so....it makes things all the more challenging.

Even if you had enough saw to cut the trunk away from the root ball AND equipment to drag that big rascal away from the tree it is hung up on....it is entirely too dangerous for someone who hasn't tackled that kind of problem before.

I can't tell from the pic....the position of the root ball....but it appears there is a possibility of it 'standing back up' once you get the weight of the trunk cut away from it. Several ways to attack that tree...but all of them have their risks.

Pro-Job........for sure.

Flint.

 

[zogger]

That is a hazard tree. It will take a big saw and most likely to make it safer, some heavy equipment to get it on the ground safely. It is *possible* (most likely, needs eyeballs on site, pics don't tell all the story) without the equipment, but.....that's a pro job there man, just is. 4' diameter oak is tons and tons and tons of kinetic el whammo power sitting there.

Getting the tree away from the rootball would be a job. It might be possible to rope it high and drag the top sideways out..who knows... that would be the best, much easier to deal with it all the way on the ground then. Although from the pics it looks the only way down is straight back.

Call for backup! Put out the word to your friends and contacts in the area, and maybe a member here who lives near to you can come help as well.

As to your saw, you can repair it yourself, plenty of info on the site here about cleaning up jugs and putting in new pistons. Your saw is worth repairing yourself, but not so much hiring someone to do it.

No harder than taking your weapon down and putting it back together, two strokes are basically simple machines. First time, hard, second time easier, etc. Take your time, clean as you go (CLEAN), you will see how it comes apart. Keep track of what goes where, really not much to them.

 

[Jim Mesthene]

Don't know much about the saw, I'm a rank amateur tree-cutter who's only cleared a dozen acres or so. My warning is: The second you say to yourself "I know what I'm doing", is when the trouble starts.
That doesn't look like the right kind of tree to start learning on.

 

[Flintknapper]

Sirs... I bought a Craftsman and thought the carb was gummed up my small engine man stated the piston was scored and would have to be replaced. He said the piston and ring was 100 bucks and muritic acid would have to be used to clean up the cylinder. I gave 75 bucks for it so 175 vested after parts and cost of saw not to mention his time / cost puts me up over 200 for the thing and don't even know if its going to cut the behemoth 200 year old oak that fell and is leaning against another oak in my woods behind my house.

Is there cheaper parts available for this saw or should I punt and give the gent in the for sale column 175 dollars for his almost new looking Husqy?

Kev aka Behemoth

If you could post a pic of the saw....we can tell you what you have. Sounds like you might have a Craftsman badged Poulan 3700 (if an older saw). If so....go to the chainsaw 'stickies' section and then to the 'poulan' thread, lots of good folks there that can help.

If it is not a Poulan based saw...we can surely tell you what it IS.

 

[a. palmer jr.]

It's probably a 3.7 Craftsman made by poulan. Some of them have a chrome bore and some do not. If it's a chrome bore the muratic acid is the way to go along with a little fine automotive sandpaper for cleanup on the cylinder. I would have to see a pic of the piston to tell if it's in need of replacing or it might just need rings which are relatively inexpensive.

 

[TheJollyLogger]

Kev, sorry buddy, but you don't want any part of that tree. Is it on your property, or a trail you and your kids use? Jeff

 

[FergusonTO35]

I'm not a pro tree guy nor will I pretend to be one, just a hack who likes his Echos and Poulans. One suggestion that I have used before is the next time you see the power company or their contractor trimming trees around power lines ask the guys if they do side jobs. Sometimes they can even use company equipment. Tell them you just want the tree on the ground and the hazard eliminated. Them you can cut it up at your leisure. Or, maybe someone with a Cat D9 might be willing to push it over for you?

 

[Behemoth]

Kev, sorry buddy, but you don't want any part of that tree. Is it on your property, or a trail you and your kids use? Jeff

Jeff me and my wife are in a trust to receive this land 12.5 acres. It is directly behind my 2.5 acres in the woods about 30 foot in. If it would fall and hurt someone everything around here would be sold to pay someones final expenses. I am in a pickle.

 

[TheJollyLogger]

One thing you will learn to love or hate about this forum, and tree guys in general, is we are brutally honest. There is no room for ego in this business, Sir Isaac Newton set the rules, and they are unforgiving.

You aren't in a pickle at all, it looks like it's already pushing pretty good on the root flare of the tree it's leaning against. So right now, you have about a thousand square feet out of 12 acres that isn't usable. 5 bucks worth of caution tape and a stern warning to the kids, and the next big storm will probably solve the problem. If it was threatening a structure, that would be different, but from how you've described your situation, this would be about 337 on my priority list. Good luck, Jeff

 

[Flintknapper]

Jeff me and my wife are in a trust to receive this land 12.5 acres. It is directly behind my 2.5 acres in the woods about 30 foot in. If it would fall and hurt someone everything around here would be sold to pay someones final expenses. I am in a pickle.

First thing to do (if not already done) is to 'post' the property (per regulations for your State), that way...it is less likely for any legal trouble to come from a mishap.

That tree isn't going to fall anytime soon (barring a storm that would blow down the tree it is leaning against).....so you have time to think this out.

Looking at the pics...it appears that the tree was already dead (or at least part of it). Dealing with the root-ball and getting the trunk cut away from it will be a challenge. Did the tree fall because of root-rot, dead-roots, storm....?

IF the tree was healthy (doesn't look like it was) and it pulled up a bunch of dirt with the root system, then you will have a big 'crater' under the root-ball. When you cut the trunk away from it...the root-ball might stand back up on you (potentially dangerous situation).

To compound things, IF this was 'standing dead wood'....it can act very differently than wet/live wood.

Too...we don't know if the trunk is hollow or dody....and you don't really have the ideal saw to bore into it to find out.

At the very least...have a pro get it on the ground for you. Then... with judicious use of wedges (and careful planning) you can probably buck it up with the 3.7 and a GOOD chain.

Please be very careful around that thing if choose to work on it yourself, that is a hazard tree, no two ways about it. I would let a pro do the whole thing.


Flint.