calereeves
ArboristSite Operative
I sold a MS261 on eBay about a little over a month ago. It took a couple of weeks in shipping (Alaska to Alabama,) so the guy has had it for 3 weeks. He sent me a message yesterday saying that the saw had seized up while it was running. He pulled off the starter cover and said he tried to turn it by the nut on the flywheel, and it will turn about a half turn in either direction with some effort, then hits a positive stop.
I had him pull the ignition coil back away from the flywheel to make sure it wasn't hitting it if it'd loosened up, and no change.
The guy is near Huntsville, AL. I told him I'm confident in my work, but that if I screwed something up, I'll refund the money. Now the question is how to determine who screwed what up.
Anybody around here in the North Alabama area? I'd rather not have him take it to some unknown Stihl dealer, who's going to charge him out the ying yang and really tell us nothing about WHAT failed and WHY.
The saw came to me in good shape, I put in a meteor piston and cabers, compression checked out, and I reset the factory settings on the carb and did a few test cuts. Ran, idled, accelerated, and cut as it should. No change in idle when it was tipped over either direction.
I could have him ship it back to me, but shipping on the powerhead is going to run about $40, then it's my word against his when I tear it down. eBay auction was clear about no refunds, but I really want to make it right if I'm the reason it failed. Kind of at a loss as to the right way to handle it, hoping somebody here would have similar experience.
I'm feeling a little bit burned, had a similar situation a few weeks ago--a guy said the saw got to him with a rim sprocket that was 'worn slap out' and "the H needle was missing from the carb, so it wouldn't run right." He started the eBay claim about not receiving what had been advertised. I immediately refunded the money and got the saw back. When it arrived, there were wood chips all over the saw and the b/c were obviously used a good bit. The guy had got the saw in the mail, used it for what he needed, and then said it wasn't right and asked for a refund. Never can tell with some people.
Guess that's why I'm a little hesitant on this one since the guy says he's run a couple of tanks of fuel through it (he said it was one gallon of premium, ethanol free, with the included Stihl oil I sent.)
I had him pull the ignition coil back away from the flywheel to make sure it wasn't hitting it if it'd loosened up, and no change.
The guy is near Huntsville, AL. I told him I'm confident in my work, but that if I screwed something up, I'll refund the money. Now the question is how to determine who screwed what up.
Anybody around here in the North Alabama area? I'd rather not have him take it to some unknown Stihl dealer, who's going to charge him out the ying yang and really tell us nothing about WHAT failed and WHY.
The saw came to me in good shape, I put in a meteor piston and cabers, compression checked out, and I reset the factory settings on the carb and did a few test cuts. Ran, idled, accelerated, and cut as it should. No change in idle when it was tipped over either direction.
I could have him ship it back to me, but shipping on the powerhead is going to run about $40, then it's my word against his when I tear it down. eBay auction was clear about no refunds, but I really want to make it right if I'm the reason it failed. Kind of at a loss as to the right way to handle it, hoping somebody here would have similar experience.
I'm feeling a little bit burned, had a similar situation a few weeks ago--a guy said the saw got to him with a rim sprocket that was 'worn slap out' and "the H needle was missing from the carb, so it wouldn't run right." He started the eBay claim about not receiving what had been advertised. I immediately refunded the money and got the saw back. When it arrived, there were wood chips all over the saw and the b/c were obviously used a good bit. The guy had got the saw in the mail, used it for what he needed, and then said it wasn't right and asked for a refund. Never can tell with some people.
Guess that's why I'm a little hesitant on this one since the guy says he's run a couple of tanks of fuel through it (he said it was one gallon of premium, ethanol free, with the included Stihl oil I sent.)
