I Got A Used 440 Today. Did I get hosed?

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TravisL

TravisL

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Today I picked up a used 440 for 400 bucks. The whole ride home I felt like I should have let this one go. This was the first used saw I ever bought without cutting with it first. It starts and idles fine, I got home and tried to cut after letting it idle for a minute or so and it cut just like you would expect a 440 to cut, even with a dull chain, but when I lifted the saw from the log It was smoking after I shut down the motor. I imediately pulled the plug and it looks fine, but was extremely hot to the touch. I dont recall ever taking a plug out imediately after cutting and it being super hot, but im about to try it with my 361. What should I do? What do you guys think this is? The compression appears fine with a drop test, but who knows.
 
sloch24

sloch24

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Today I picked up a used 440 for 400 bucks. The whole ride home I felt like I should have let this one go. This was the first used saw I ever bought without cutting with it first. It starts and idles fine, I got home and tried to cut after letting it idle for a minute or so and it cut just like you would expect a 440 to cut, even with a dull chain, but when I lifted the saw from the log It was smoking after I shut down the motor. I imediately pulled the plug and it looks fine, but was extremely hot to the touch. I dont recall ever taking a plug out imediately after cutting and it being super hot, but im about to try it with my 361. What should I do? What do you guys think this is? The compression appears fine with a drop test, but who knows.

Clean it up, tune it up, and cut with it! :)

As with all saws, pull the muffler so you can take a look at the piston. Make sure it 4 strokes a little at WOT. If it starts and runs fine, and everything else checks out, RUN IT! It's a damn fine saw.
 
THALL10326

THALL10326

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Today I picked up a used 440 for 400 bucks. The whole ride home I felt like I should have let this one go. This was the first used saw I ever bought without cutting with it first. It starts and idles fine, I got home and tried to cut after letting it idle for a minute or so and it cut just like you would expect a 440 to cut, even with a dull chain, but when I lifted the saw from the log It was smoking after I shut down the motor. I imediately pulled the plug and it looks fine, but was extremely hot to the touch. I dont recall ever taking a plug out imediately after cutting and it being super hot, but im about to try it with my 361. What should I do? What do you guys think this is? The compression appears fine with a drop test, but who knows.

No no no, sharpen that chain, better yet put on a new one on and try that saw again..
 
TravisL

TravisL

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I was scared to run it after I saw it smoking heavy after I shut it down and it had that "small engine not so good" smell. I just pulled the exhaust and i was expecting ALOT worse. it Looks awsome . Very clean. IDK it heating uo like that after one piece of pine just scared me. it seems like my other saws take forever to get that hot, if ever. Thanks though sloch you calmed me down a bit.
 

Evan

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all saws cut horrible with dull chain.

i wouldnt have even ran that thing in wood. you probly felt perfromance similar to a dull chain on 361 with 10" bar rather than 044 self feeding itself through the log with a sharp chain
 
computeruser

computeruser

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Go through the usual steps:

1. Pull muffler. Inspect. Clean muffler.

2. Pull plastic covers. Inspect. Clean as necessary.

3. Replace fuel filter, inspect fuel and impulse line.

4. Start and tune.

5. Test with proper chain.

Then, and only then, can you really know what you've got.
 
the westspartan

the westspartan

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Check the cooling fins on the cylinder. You never know what your going to find with a used saw. When I bought my 028, grass kept flying out of it every time I reved it. When I took it apart it looked like someone mowed the lawn with it. It was all full of grass clippings in the bar cover and the plastic pieces! Cleaned it up, and it runs fine now!
 
sloch24

sloch24

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Check to make sure the Chain Brake wasn't hanging up. that smokes like a SOB when locked up or hanging.
A
I say dull chain though or even backwards chain. Was it a wood burn or metal ?

I guess I read right past the "dull chain" part of the original post.. yep.. sharpen that damn chain! :)
 

KMB

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Go through the usual steps:

1. Pull muffler. Inspect. Clean muffler.

2. Pull plastic covers. Inspect. Clean as necessary.

3. Replace fuel filter, inspect fuel and impulse line.

4. Start and tune.

5. Test with proper chain.

Then, and only then, can you really know what you've got.

:agree2:

Kevin
 

Evan

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when i first got my 044 running it smoked from the clutch because that bearing was shot, swapped it out and all has been good every since
 

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