Prepping a saw for sales.

[sb47]

I’m selling my MS290 and need to give it a good cleaning so I can get a little more money for it or at least make appealing to a buyer.
What kind of cleaning fluid works best at getting it looking its best?

 

[Hedgerow]

Take it to a car wash and "let er have it"!!!

 

[Mike from Maine]

Purple power for general cleaning, then easy off oven cleaner for the tough stuff (rinse well). Followed by a magic eraser for final touch up. Works for me.

 

[Swamp Yankee]

Multiple Steps

First, blast away everything you can with compressed air. This is where one of the long, narrow tubed air guns comes in handy.

Second, soak what can be submerged in a solvent, Purple Power or Simple Green work well. Use an old toothbrush to scrub the parts clean. Repeat the first step.

Third, get out the carb and choke cleaner and some dental picks to finish off the really caked and nasty crud. Repeat first step.

Fourth, use some quick detailer, I like Meguires. It will impart a nice sheen to the plastic and painted parts.

Fifth, grab a fine point black Sharpie and recolor in all the Stihl logos in the castings that were originally black.

Optional step that I've always found worthwhile, especially if the saw cleans up nice, is to get a cheap new bar and throw it on with a new chain. Keep the old B & C to install for test run purposes.

Take Care

 

[ShaneLogs]

Simple Green works good too. Engine Degresser in the spray can works good too if you have a lot of built on grime.

 

[Ironworker]

Does anyone spray down the cylinder fins and other hard to reach parts with water or a pressure washer after spraying some sort of engine cleaner or degreaser.

 

[mitch95100]

I normally keep my saws clean so i dont have this provlem...
But a tip would be to sweeten the deal a bit... like a extra chain, or a new air filter something like that.

Sent from me to you using my fingers

 

[sb47]

All cleaned up and ready for sale.
It has a fairly new bar, new chain, new sprocket and sprocket bearing.

 

[zogger]

Does anyone spray down the cylinder fins and other hard to reach parts with water or a pressure washer after spraying some sort of engine cleaner or degreaser.

You can, just air dry it afterwards with a compressor. Doesn't hurt, it is aluminum and plastic mostly, not much to hurt there unless you use some weirdo chemical that discolors plastic. An older painted saw, yep, too much high pressure could bork the paint, so it is always a judgement call.

I also wouldn't aim it directly at seals or the more ..hmm..delicate parts of the saw.

Lot of guys here run the covers, etc through the dishwasher for that matter. (when the coast is clear...)

 

[sb47]

Purple power for general cleaning, then easy off oven cleaner for the tough stuff (rinse well). Followed by a magic eraser for final touch up. Works for me.

Just a heads up on the oven cleaner. Oven cleaner will have a reaction to aluminum and could damage those parts. I tried that on some aluminum wheels one time and it completely destroyed the finish.

 

[Fedaburger]

I keep a spray bottle with dish soap water for cleaning saws and trimmers. After blasting with air first it cleans stuff up like new. Cheap and readily available.

 

[angry inch]

i have found, not selling saws is the best way to remedy this problem. also keep them clean on a regular basis is good practice!

 

[ShaneLogs]

i have found, not selling saws is the best way to remedy this problem. also keep them clean on a regular basis is good practice!

Agreed!

 

[pickupporter]

a quick coat of spray paint on the bar works well too. (not me - my son)

 

[ShaneLogs]

a quick coat of spray paint on the bar works well too. (not me - my son)

You painted that bar ? Looks good!

 

[pickupporter]

You painted that bar ? Looks good!

Yes. I dressed the rails, scraped out groove, cleaned up the faces with some lacquer thinner, and gave it a quick coat of spray paint I had on the shelf. In that photo the saw hadn't even been started after the rebuild. I think this is the same bar after some noodling.


View attachment 303785

 

[Dons kids]

I use brake clean, WD 40, and a compressor. Never seems like it damages anything, brake clean eats away the grease and WD 40 gives the saw a shine.

 

[GVS]

prep for sale

Unless you actually want to remove paint stay away from the oven cleaner.

 

[bower4311]

i have found, not selling saws is the best way to remedy this problem. also keep them clean on a regular basis is good practice!

Haha

 

[isaaccarlson]

pain that bar and you will get twice as much for the saw. Looks are everything. Think like a car dealer. You want the buyer to say it looks brand new.