Is a stihl 038 a good saw and what's it worth?

[Mad Professor]

And let me confirm this is not a clamshell right

No good ole saw easy to work on. Look for junker parts saws, almost all 038 interchange. Get carb parts and gaskets before NLA from stihl. Look for good rubber too: intake, impulse, fuel ,...........I have a good stock of NOS OEM, and several parts carcasses, if my 038s go down. I'll be wore out before my saws.....

 

[August76]

No good ole saw easy to work on. Look for junker parts saws, almost all 038 interchange. Get carb parts and gaskets before NLA from stihl. Look for good rubber too: intake, impulse, fuel ,...........I have a good stock of NOS OEM, and several parts carcasses, if my 038s go down. I'll be wore out before my saws.....

I'm just learning what you guys have all known for 20 plus years I'm only 41 years old over here

 

[August76]

I think I like just like collecting things...one of my hobbies is ham radio and I probably have 10 radios ranging from 200 to $500 each several amplifiers and stuff. I generally play catch-and-release with ham radios some of them are older so they have tubes in them and stuff and you have to work on them but once I get done fixing them I usually can turn around and sell them for more than what I paid for

 

[August76]

Got it for $125 not running of course. How many times has somebody told me that ass all runs and then they show up or I show up and it doesn't want to start

 

[August76]

And its trashed too fck. I didn't want to pull the muffler when he was here because I was afraid if it looked good that he wouldn't go down on his price this thing is trashed I got screwed again

 

[August76]

What's even worse is I told the guy that was trashed and I told him I'd give him 40 bucks cash if he turned back around and come get his saw and he told me he would and then he blocked my number he was going to have me drive out somewhere to meet him halfway what a piece of work

 

[August76]

Wheres the best place to get new jug and piston set? Or should I just sell it for parts and forget it? And really what caused it. If it wasnt straight has then the problem maybe still there. I don't want to spend more money on it and have it do the same thing again It's not really all that nice of a saw. It's old. I suppose ok for its age.
Damn my fckn luck. Strike 2 on saws
I looked here so far
http://www.sawagain.com/hyway-stihl...der-piston-rings-rebuild-kit-new-11190201202/

 

[Ozhoo]

If you're not familiar with saws and don't already have the tools, you'd be better off listing it here in the fer sale section.

If your gonna keep it then a mityvac 8500 should be your first purchase. Pressure and vacuum test the saw before you tear it down in order to find what failed. After that, clean and inspect everything before you start ordering parts.

 

[August76]

If you're not familiar with saws and don't already have the tools, you'd be better off listing it here in the fer sale section.

If your gonna keep it then a mityvac 8500 should be your first purchase. Pressure and vacuum test the saw before you tear it down in order to find what failed. After that, clean and inspect everything before you start ordering parts.

I'm a auto mechanic.
I have to decide if it's worth it. The goofy part about it is it feels like it has a lot of compression when you try and start it I didn't want to pull the muffler off of it because I was afraid that once we got down to that part and it looked good the guy wouldn't want to lower his price I told him that it might not be starting because the cylinder might be bad damned if I wasn't right I think I'm an idiot nowadays stupid mistakes that I shouldn't be making

 

[Mad Professor]

Sorry for your loss.......at least it has a ~$30 OEM stihl AF that looks new

I've had pistons like that, where the cyl still would clean up. Take it off and see whats inside, if you have the tools yank the fylwheel and clutch first (you'll want to do seals later).

Are you sure it's a 038M? Meteor and OEM stihl have pistons. I think OEM is only choice between new and Chi-Coms for P/C assys. I'd use a used OEM cyl and meteor/OEM piston , before a new Chi-Com kit.

A OEM gasket set/w seals and OEM piston/rings will be about $70, - time/labor you still might be able to have a decent saw for $200

LOL, should have put it in the wood before hankering price.....

 

[JimM]

What's even worse is I told the guy that was trashed and I told him I'd give him 40 bucks cash if he turned back around and come get his saw and he told me he would and then he blocked my number he was going to have me drive out somewhere to meet him halfway what a piece of work

Did he hold a gun to your head and make you buy it? Always the other guy’s fault with you it seems.

 

[August76]

And yes I have a mityvac somewhere I have to look for it it's one of the cheap ass plastic ones I think they're all plastic nowadays

 

[August76]

Sorry for your loss.......at least it has a ~$30 OEM stihl AF that looks new

I've had pistons like that, where the cyl still would clean up. Take it off and see whats inside, if you have the tools yank the fylwheel and clutch first (you'll want to do seals later).

Are you sure it's a 038M? Meteor and OEM stihl have pistons. I think OEM is only choice between new and Chi-Coms for P/C assys. I'd use a used OEM cyl and meteor/OEM piston , before a new Chi-Com kit.

A OEM gasket set/w seals and OEM piston/rings will be about $70, - time/labor you still might be able to have a decent saw for $200

LOL, should have put it in the wood before hankering price.....

It wasn't starting so I never got to test it it doesn't run I pulled the plug and it look like crap so I figured that was the reason it wasn't starting

 

[August76]

Did he hold a gun to your head and make you buy it? Always the other guy’s fault with you it seems.

No it's my fault for not removing the muffler and checking it but he was telling me what a stand-up guy he was and that if I run into any problems with the saw just let him know and he will make it right because I told him that it very well may be damaged like the last Saw other than that it's shame on me it is my fault for buying it I don't think I'm really that screwed for $125 there's still a lot of saw there

 

[August76]

Realistically I thought it wouldn't start because of the spark plug and I thought I was getting over on him. he seemed a little shady I think I saw some track marks on his arm. That's what I get. Trying to be cheap lol. 100% my fault here. I knew better. The bar looks good the chain looks good. It's a lil worn here and there. The plastic said magnum one point. So if it's not a mag can I just use a mag jug and piston to make it 72cc

 

[August76]

Sorry for your loss.......at least it has a ~$30 OEM stihl AF that looks new

I've had pistons like that, where the cyl still would clean up. Take it off and see whats inside, if you have the tools yank the fylwheel and clutch first (you'll want to do seals later).

Are you sure it's a 038M? Meteor and OEM stihl have pistons. I think OEM is only choice between new and Chi-Coms for P/C assys. I'd use a used OEM cyl and meteor/OEM piston , before a new Chi-Com kit.

A OEM gasket set/w seals and OEM piston/rings will be about $70, - time/labor you still might be able to have a decent saw for $200

LOL, should have put it in the wood before hankering price.....

Who and where should I order the piston and cylinder from at $70 I looked on the internet real briefly on saw it again and it was like $89

 

[Tinman204]

Sorry that your new saw ended up needing a top end.

My go to "big saw" is a 038 magnum. It's probably late 80s, early 90s. Yeah it's a little heavier then most 70cc saws and the filter does get gummed up fast. But it's built like a tank and has all kinds of grunt when I need grunt.

Fix saw up and give her a try, I think you'll be really happy with it.

I feel no need to upgrade to newer fancy saw as my 038 does the job.

 

[August76]

Sorry that your new saw ended up needing a top end.

My go to "big saw" is a 038 magnum. It's probably late 80s, early 90s. Yeah it's a little heavier then most 70cc saws and the filter does get gummed up fast. But it's built like a tank and has all kinds of grunt when I need grunt.

Fix saw up and give her a try, I think you'll be really happy with it.

I feel no need to upgrade to newer fancy saw as my 038 does the job.

I just need to be 100 percent sure it's a magnum and my friend says he thinks it looks like someone ran straight has in it based on the damage

 

[Tinman204]

Measure the bore, if its 52mm it's a magnum.

My magnum doesnt have a magnum sticker on it so when I bought it I wasn't sure either if it was or wasn't a magnum. I used a plastic straw and measured the bore that way.

 

[August76]

Measure the bore, if its 52mm it's a magnum.

I have to unbolt the jug and see. Can I easily remove the jug or is it a pain?