Orange one? Or orange and white one? Investment wise...

[Bigfoot907]

This is a great question. When looking a an old saw (all I work with) I do not like to get more money in it than it is worth. ( My time is not counted because it is a hobby)
In my area Stihl is more popular than Husky so they are easier to sell. One interesting thing is that a lot of the old saws sell for about what they sold for new because of inflation.
OEM parts are not usually available. There are a lot of parts on ebay for older saws and this helps me a great deal.
I did a breakdown of the value of the parts on an old saw and came up with about $400 if you sell all the parts. This is on saws that sell for between 100 and 200. Here is an example Total of $530 I spent on a Husky 61 I am not able to get $250 for it.

Parts saw no bar 50
Cover Top 20
Cover Clutch 30
Cover Pull Starter 25
Carb 25
Air Filter 10
Manifold
Choak
oil pump 15
Cylinder 30
Piston 20
Crank and rod 30
Case 30
Flywheel 30
clutch 20
Sprocket
Handle 20
Rear Handle Assembly
Trigger
Muffler 20
Fuel Tank 40
Coil 45
Module 45
Shipping total 75
Total 530

Beautiful rebuild on an awesome saw.

 

[Andyshine77]

Putting a saw together with individual parts is never going to be profitable, it for hobbyists and collectors.

 

[swatbwana]

One of these

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[Bigfoot907]

One of these

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Definitely on my list, I’m a husky guy at heart.

 

[vizette]

Sort of a side soapbox about brands:

It's an interesting debacle the manufacturers are in. Husky and Echo for example, will cheapen their product (and name in the long run) to get it into the big box stores for sheer quantity. It also gets them more brand recognition, but is that the type of recognition you want? I guess bad press is better than no press to some. Unfortunately, the big box sets the mark (must be xyz and cost no more than abc) and it's up to the manufacturers to stoop to that level to get on the shelves.

So you end up with companies that can make good equipment, but you have to go to a legit dealer to get it (if you want it new anyway) and you're going to pay for it, and "Norman Knucklehead" isn't going to do that. He's going to go to HD and get that $150 saw because it's the same name for a fraction of the price, right? The stuff that's in the local hardware store is garbage comparatively, but they're making sales and tapping a market that Stihl or Jonsered are not. On the flip side, Stihl or Jonsered are going to have a better name and brand loyalty in the long run, but at the cost of sales.

I've been very happy with my Rancher 455, but what you buy down at Harry Homeowners under the same name is definitely not the same saw. Take Homelite for another example... You say Homelite now and people laugh because they think cheap, plastic, maybe good for one season - but pull out a SuperXL and they're like, "that's a Homelite?" Yeah, back before they sold out. Made in the 70s and still ready to go to work every day along with my 10-10.

It wouldn't surprise me if battery chainsaws take down the gas homeowner market eventually, because people that buy that mostly don't want to deal with the hassles of gas anyway (mixing, tuning, gummed up carb rebuilds...) I just swapped a guy an electric Craftsman for a gas homeowner Homelite I sold him and he was thrilled. Granted you have to drag a cord around, but it was a surprisingly powerful saw, and it will always run as soon as you hit the trigger no matter how long it sits. Battery saws are pretty much there.

Just generalizations to illustrate the example, I can hear the triggered bunch bristling already... Substitute brand names in as you see fit.

 

[Andyshine77]

Sort of a side soapbox about brands:

It's an interesting debacle the manufacturers are in. Husky and Echo for example, will cheapen their product (and name in the long run) to get it into the big box stores for sheer quantity. It also gets them more brand recognition, but is that the type of recognition you want? I guess bad press is better than no press to some. Unfortunately, the big box sets the mark (must be xyz and cost no more than abc) and it's up to the manufacturers to stoop to that level to get on the shelves.

So you end up with companies that can make good equipment, but you have to go to a legit dealer to get it (if you want it new anyway) and you're going to pay for it, and "Norman Knucklehead" isn't going to do that. He's going to go to HD and get that $150 saw because it's the same name for a fraction of the price, right? The stuff that's in the local hardware store is garbage comparatively, but they're making sales and tapping a market that Stihl or Jonsered are not. On the flip side, Stihl or Jonsered are going to have a better name and brand loyalty in the long run, but at the cost of sales.

I've been very happy with my Rancher 455, but what you buy down at Harry Homeowners under the same name is definitely not the same saw. Take Homelite for another example... You say Homelite now and people laugh because they think cheap, plastic, maybe good for one season - but pull out a SuperXL and they're like, "that's a Homelite?" Yeah, back before they sold out. Made in the 70s and still ready to go to work every day along with my 10-10.

It wouldn't surprise me if battery chainsaws take down the gas homeowner market eventually, because people that buy that mostly don't want to deal with the hassles of gas anyway (mixing, tuning, gummed up carb rebuilds...) I just swapped a guy an electric Craftsman for a gas homeowner Homelite I sold him and he was thrilled. Granted you have to drag a cord around, but it was a surprisingly powerful saw, and it will always run as soon as you hit the trigger no matter how long it sits. Battery saws are pretty much there.

Just generalizations to illustrate the example, I can hear the triggered bunch bristling already... Substitute brand names in as you see fit.

Few corrections here. Jonsered is a dead brand now and only a few low end models are floating around, all the dealers are gone or now selling Husqvarna, Jonsered was redundant. A 455 bought at a big box store is exactly the same as one bought from a dealer. Stihl saws are now sold at most Ace hardware stores, just saw an Ace Hardware commercial with Stihl products.

Yamabiko which owns Echo has a solid company, and Japanese manufacturers tend too keep quality high. Echo equipment has been sold at HD for over 20 years now and quality is actually better now not worse.

Husqvarna has had it's issues for a number of reasons over the past few years, though it seems they're coming back around, as the new models are sound. Lots of new stuff that both Husqvarna and Stihl have had a hard time getting right the first couple generations.

The big picture here is the market is shifting. Cities are growing, average people don't want to do yard work, or don't have the time, and even less know how to change a spark plug, let alone anything else. So yes electric will and is taking over the consumer handheld OPE market.[emoji111]

 

[FlyingDutchman]

I'd say the 288. Just picked up a 266 I don't intend to keep but it's an incredibly easy saw to work on and seems really robust, more compression than about anything I've ever picked up. I'm afraid to run it and get attached.

The 660 is still a good saw, much more modern and smoother antivibe, wider recognition and probably better parts availability, but it will make the carcass of the saw less valuable for sure.

 

[vizette]

Few corrections here. Jonsered is a dead brand now and only a few low end models are floating around, all the dealers are gone or now selling Husqvarna, Jonsered was redundant. A 455 bought at a big box store is exactly the same as one bought from a dealer. Stihl saws are now sold at most Ace hardware stores, just saw an Ace Hardware commercial with Stihl products.

Yamabiko which owns Echo has a solid company, and Japanese manufacturers tend too keep quality high. Echo equipment has been sold at HD for over 20 years now and quality is actually better now not worse.

Husqvarna has had it's issues for a number of reasons over the past few years, though it seems they're coming back around, as the new models are sound. Lots of new stuff that both Husqvarna and Stihl have had a hard time getting right the first couple generations.

The big picture here is the market is shifting. Cities are growing, average people don't want to do yard work, or don't have the time, and even less know how to change a spark plug, let alone anything else. So yes electric will and is taking over the consumer handheld *** market.[emoji111]

Good for Echo then! I haven't kept up with them (as you can tell), I'm just going by what I've seen/heard from others in the past. Again I don't think it's the manufacturer intentionally creating crap, they're just trying to meet the bar that the stores are setting, which most of the time results in a lesser product. Agreed that the 455 is the same wherever you buy it, I just don't anything like that in the big box in this area, typically it's the smaller/cheaper stuff, whether it's HD or Lowes or Menards. Anything over like 38cc is a trip to a dealer/reseller. I have yet to see Stihl out there, but I haven't been to an Ace in a while either.

Like I said, I was just throwing out names for the sake of the example.

Market is definitely shifting, in many aspects... people seem shocked when I tell them I sweat copper for a plumbing project over the weekend, or built a new shed from a basic lumber drop and shingled it. Skills that used to be more common, which are now apparently voodoo hehe. Can't wait to teach my boy how to fix stuff!

 

[U&A]

I see them all going to lesser quality in the next 15 years.

I really have no hope for any of them. Now that Stihl is advertising like crazy to the every day consumer we know they will go down hill too.


So buy them up now when you can. In my lifetime i will be able to re-build them until im dead.

We can just hope that there will always some dealers around with true PRO saws and other power equipment.

Otherwise we’re all going to be buying professional series saws from overseas.


Sent while firmly grasping my redline lubed RAM [emoji231]

 

[Leonard Meehan]

@Andyshine77 makes an interesting point.
The manufactures have a dilemma. Short term profits drive a lot of company decisions. Long term brand name often suffers.
Shipping costs can be greater than manufacturing costs. As fuel cost go up getting products to markets goes up. Does any one know what is actually costs to make a saw. Not counting shipping, advertising, design, or tooling. I would love to know.

I build old saw for fun. They are tough, heavy, and require maintenance. My Jonsered SP49 is one of my favorites. I wish I had wood big enough for my Homelite XL944. Dealer support is not expected with saw this old but you guys on the forum groups are fantastic. I think I will buy a Stihl MS170 form Cal Ranch Store down the street.
I will leave it in the box so it will last a long time. Then I will have one new saw that is pretty and orange/white. I can buy it for under $200. My trouble is that I do not want to give up any of my old saws to get it.

 

[Leonard Meehan]

Rate what you have for your priority in quality.
Quality can mean many things. Costs, weight, power, durability, maintenance, ruggedness. Rate what you have for your priority in quality.
Lets say that you are the boss and I am the engineer. We have the capability to build it any way you want but there always trade offs. Now lets add in ease of repair and maintenance for the dealer and the customer. By the way do you want me to build in obsolesces to gain future sales at the risk of damaging the brand reputation. I am glad I am not the boss and only the engineer.

 

[Andyshine77]

I see them all going to lesser quality in the next 15 years.

I really have no hope for any of them. Now that Stihl is advertising like crazy to the every day consumer we know they will go down hill too.


So buy them up now when you can. In my lifetime i will be able to re-build them until im dead.

We can just hope that there will always some dealers around with true PRO saws and other power equipment.

Otherwise we’re all going to be buying professional series saws from overseas.


Sent while firmly grasping my redline lubed RAM [emoji231]

What I believe you're saying is. The European manufacturers look to be headed down the same path as the North American went in the 80's and early 90's, and Asia will dominate the market. Seeing as all the pro saws I know of are already manufactured by overseas owned companies.

 

[Andyshine77]

@Andyshine77 makes an interesting point.
The manufactures have a dilemma. Short term profits drive a lot of company decisions. Long term brand name often suffers.
Shipping costs can be greater than manufacturing costs. As fuel cost go up getting products to markets goes up. Does any one know what is actually costs to make a saw. Not counting shipping, advertising, design, or tooling. I would love to know.

I build old saw for fun. They are tough, heavy, and require maintenance. My Jonsered SP49 is one of my favorites. I wish I had wood big enough for my Homelite XL944. Dealer support is not expected with saw this old but you guys on the forum groups are fantastic. I think I will buy a Stihl MS170 form Cal Ranch Store down the street.
I will leave it in the box so it will last a long time. Then I will have one new saw that is pretty and orange/white. I can buy it for under $200. My trouble is that I do not want to give up any of my old saws to get it.

I don't know how much shipping would be exactly, but I would think Engineering, parts, assembly and marketing would still be the main cost. Freight is still relatively speaking inexpensive in my experience.

 

[Bigfoot907]

288’s are made in Brazil now, is that something I should consider or is a 288 a 288? It’s still a new oem saw just not put together in Sweden.