STIHL 029 Super Farm boss

[1Alpha1]

I was just recently given a STIHL 029 Super Farm Boss. It appears to be new and unused. It's in perfect condition. It has a 16" bar on it as well.

A female friend of my wife had her husband leave her for another gal about a yr. ago. He basically took some clothes and just disappeared.

Yesterday, I dropped my wife off at her friend's house, and when I stopped by later, to take them out to lunch, the friend asked me to follow her out to the garage. There, sitting on a shelf, was a STIHL chainsaw case. She asked that I remove it from the shelf for her. I did as she asked and she then said, "I want you to have this".

Lo and behold, inside was a 029 Super Farm Boss, a factory STIHL parts and service manual, extra new airfilter and sparkplug.

She refused to take any money for it, as I offered to buy it from her.

Well....it looks to be a good size saw for homeowner use. I think it's 36cc or so, and as I mentioned earlier, it looks to be unused and it is in perfect condition.

What can you all tell me about this saw? Approx. how old is it? MSRP maybe when it was purchased? Is it a good dependable saw? Any and all info. will be apreciated.

 

[fishhuntcutwood]

Sweet! As far as MSRP, dunno. The MS290 goes for something like $350 I think. If it's an 029 it's at least pre-2001, as that's when they went from 0XX numbering to XX0 numbering. Get ahold of Stihl, and they can sometimes tell you it's date of manufacture. The 290 is a 56.5 cc/3.75 hp saw, and it should be the same, as they're the same saw.

It's a homeowner, firewood saw, and in that role, I'll sing it's praises all day long. Do a search on here for "029" and wade through all the guys that don't like it because it's not a 372 or 460, and you'll see the guys like stihltech, who have a great deal of respect for the saw. It's a good saw with a good track record, and is probably Stihl's most popular saw. A buddy of mine has one, and loves it. Don't ask it to fall heavy timber, and it'll never let you down.

Jeff

 

[Cut4fun]

Even sweeter deal then mine. Go homeowners saws go.

 

[1Alpha1]

Thanks so far for the info.

I'd like to buy an extra chain or two for it. Anything "special" that need to know before I do? Should I get a STIHL chain or an after-market one?

I don't plan on cutting anything other than the ordinary, so will a "regular" chain be okay?

Thanks guys.....I appreciate the help!

 

[fwf]

Thanks so far for the info.

I'd like to buy an extra chain or two for it. Anything "special" that need to know before I do? Should I get a STIHL chain or an after-market one?

I don't plan on cutting anything other than the ordinary, so will a "regular" chain be okay?

Thanks guys.....I appreciate the help!

Go to a Stihl dealer and buy a Stihl chain -- they are some of the best around. You have several choices, so let the dealer explain the differences and choose the one that suits your needs. Some are built for maximum safety while others are designed for ultimate cutting power.

 

[fishhuntcutwood]

I'll echo what fwf said. Many different types of chain, and any of them will do the job, though each has it's strenghts and weakenesses. I always use Stihl chain, as it is some of the best. I use RMF (full skip RM) for firewood and dirty cutting, and I use RSF (full skip RS) for timber. If you're new to saws then the RM2 might be a better option for you.

Jeff

 

[Max]

You will like that saw. I had one for seven years and it was great! Never had a problem cutting with it. I opened the muffler on it and that made a noticable gain in throttle response and some extra power. Keep it clean and it should last a while.
Good luck with it.

 

[1Alpha1]

Once again.....thanks to all for your help.

I'll get on down to my local STIHL dealer and hit him up for a couple of extra chains.

By "opening up a muffler"....do you mean removing it's innards? If so.....I could do that. I did that on my little Poulan and it did make a difference.

 

[fishhuntcutwood]

By "opening up a muffler"....do you mean removing it's innards? If so.....I could do that. I did that on my little Poulan and it did make a difference.

Dano- do a search for "029 muffler mod" and you'll find a thread about just that. Pictures included.

Jeff

 

[Lobo]

I may be wrong but I believe 029 Farm Boss models prior to the MS290 series had 4 hp and not 3.75 hp as on current models.

 

[njforestfire]

I believe you are right Lobo...4 h.p. Mine was a 1995 model - 029 Super (Farm Boss) and I have no quams about that saw. It was my first 'serious' saw other than the old John Deere 045EV that I had. Good saw in my book. Used to run 20" bar with 30RC chain from Bailey's - never had any problems. Good luck Dano and be safe (don't forget about all the PPE you should be using when cutting).

 

[Max]

Mine was new in 1997 and it was rated at 3.6 hp.
In 98 (I think) Stihl went to the "Intellecarb" on the 029 and then 290 series and the power went from 3.6 hp to 3.75 hp. I don't recall 4 hp on the 029/290 but I have been known to be wrong...

Bottom line, real durable/reliable saw. You will like it.

 

[1Alpha1]

I was thinking that if I buy an extra chain or two, why not just a buy a little longer bar and chain?

Can I run a 20" bar w/o putting too much demand on the engine?

 

[Cut4fun]

You might like this info link I found for you dano. http://www.stihlman.com/chainsaws/029.html

 

[fishhuntcutwood]

Can I run a 20" bar w/o putting too much demand on the engine?

Depends on what you're cutting, but under most circumstances, I'd say yes. Out here you'll see mostly 20" bars on those saws, while most guys I think would like to see a 16" or 18" on there. I'd say if you aren't buried in oak or other hardwood all day long, the 20" would work fine.

Jeff

 

[computeruser]

Ah, the choice of 16" versus 20"...I have 290s with 18" and 20" bars, and there really isn't any meaningful difference in performance until you get into the really hard stuff. Then what you need is simply something bigger than a 290, period.

If you can use the 20" bar, then go ahead and get it. If you really don't need it, meaning if your work doesn't require 20" of bar to handle the size of what you regularly cut, I'd stick with the 16" bar you have already and run a more aggressive chain (think: Stihl RS rather than the RM2 safety chain that you probably already have), because that way you'll get nicer, faster cuts and not tax the engine more than is necessary. I run RS on my saws and find that it has been an amazing combination in all the deceased Green Ash trees that we have here in Michigan, even working pretty well in 30"+ trunks.

You have a good, durable saw. I have been pleased with mine, and a number of other folks - individuals and municipalities - have them and have been pleased with their performance. Recognize the limits of the saw - 40" oaks are not 029/290 territory - and you will be more than pleased. Take care of it and it will serve you well!

 

[1Alpha1]

Once again....I thank you all. This forum is amazing and information rich. I'm learning more and more about saws....a little at a time, and you guys have been most helpful.

A tip of the ole hat to you all.............

 

[buckwheat]

Before I got into serious firewood cutting I owned an 029 for about a year. For cutting less than 10 cords a year of typical hardwoods, it did a fine job. Mine had an 18" bar with .325 chain. In hindsight, I would probably drop to 16" - 3/8" to keep from bogging it down and should probably use a bigger saw for anything over that anyway. While a tad heavy by today's standards, I remember that it was very smooth running.

 

[1Alpha1]

I stopped by my local STIHL dealer yesterday, to see if he had a 20" bar and some chain in stock.

Happy to say that he did. Got me a genuine STIHL bar and some STIHL chain. I paid $ 68.00 and change for the both. Thought that was a pretty fair price.

 

[j_krebs]

Stihl 029

It's good to hear the 029 is a reputable saw. I picked up an MS 290 after Katrina and have only put one tank of fuel through it but it cuts very smooth. I've cut a couple of big pines and a small oak and it was like a hot knife cutting butter. I noticed earlier in the post there was a discussion about the horsepower and wanted to report that I don't know how the horsepower was rated for the 029 but in the US, today's line of Stihl saws are rated in Brake Horsepower (bhp). This may explain the discrepancy some have reported. If you take a look at the Stihl site for Canada you will notice the MS 290 is rated at 4.1 hp compared to 3.75 bhp on the USA site. Brake horsepower is understandably lower ...