Test drove a 372XP today

[Jules083]

A friend is selling a few 372XP's, he let me borrow one for a test drive. One word, wow. It's ported and polished by him, one year old. Makes my 55 Rancher seem small. Tomorrow I am going to take on a cherry that's down, and drop a few trees that are hanging over the field. I don't know what they are, I'm not good at ID'ing many trees.

He has 3 for sale, a 2008, 2009, and 2010 models. The 2008 and 2009 models and are currently not running right. He thinks it's crank seals, everything else has been ruled out. If he gets them running right he wants $300 for one, my pick. They each have one years use with him logging, and one year of casual firewood cutting by him. The 2010 he wants $400 for, and he used it for a year logging. He buys at least a new 372 and a new 390 every year for work. He's keeping this year's 390 for a backup next year, and the older ones have been sold off.

Does the price seem right? He has a few parts saws and is giving me a used part warrenty, I'm confident he's not going to screw me over about it. I know that the year that each of them was used for logging they were ran hard, no question about it. He works year round, 5 days a week, for a logging company. Assuming the older ones run right I'll probably get one of them, but if not I can get the newer one.

I know that I want one based on the few cuts I made today. My 55 is a good running saw but it's out of it's league compared to this thing. I always feel like I'm abusing my 55 when I run it in bigger stuff all day, and it would make a better backup saw than my little worn-out Shihl 021.

 

[NORMZILLA44]

Outstanding saw's I own one, and love it. I am curious about the not so good runner's. I would think kind of new for crank seal trouble, but I could be wrong. But if they were run real hard, and not maintained well the trouble could be low compression. Rings or piston, and cylinder. I would give the saw's a real good hard look, not that your buddy would pull a fast one. But a problem he thinks might be minor, he could be unaware, and could be major for you. Pull plug, and muffler if you can look at the P&C. Do a compression check with a gauge if you can. If not test with the pull rope, you can get a good feel of comp, by the pull.

 

[Jules083]

Outstanding saw's I own one, and love it. I am curious about the not so good runner's. I would think kind of new for crank seal trouble, but I could be wrong. But if they were run real hard, and not maintained well the trouble could be low compression. Rings or piston, and cylinder. I would give the saw's a real good hard look, not that your buddy would pull a fast one. But a problem he thinks might be minor, he could be unaware, and could be major for you. Pull plug, and muffler if you can look at the P&C. Do a compression check with a gauge if you can. If not test with the pull rope, you can get a good feel of comp, by the pull.

I was over there today and saw one of them torn down. Cylinder and piston looked good, rings looked like rings.

When trying to diagnose the problem he basically changed parts out with known good ones one at a time. He ended up with a different cylinder, piston, rings, ignition, and carb installed, complete with all new fuel lines, and had the same problem.

They are both doing the same thing. Run good for about 3 or 4 cuts, then cutting out. He's thinking one of the seals went bad and is sucking air. He took one of them to a mechanic who also ran out of ideas, said there was nothing left to test. Anyone have any ideas? One of them is probably back together with new seal, but if it's still not right we're out of ideas. The other one hasn't been touched yet.

*edit* They have definatly been ran hard, but he's pretty good with maintaince. They make him a lot of money, he treats them well. He does have a pretty good sized 'wall of shame' with scored pistons and cylinders though from when he used to run Stihl's.

 

[NORMZILLA44]

Hmmm, that could be interesting. Sound's more fuel, or carb related to me. Crank seal trouble makes an air leak, and when I have seen this several times, you can't get the idle down. Very high idle, and sometimes the engine races. Carb adjustments wont respond most times either. I would try fresh gas, and replace fuel filter, and line. Pick up a carb kit too.

 

[Jules083]

Hmmm, that could be interesting. Sound's more fuel, or carb related to me. Crank seal trouble makes an air leak, and when I have seen this several times, you can't get the idle down. Very high idle, and sometimes the engine races. Carb adjustments wont respond most times either. I would try fresh gas, and replace fuel filter, and line. Pick up a carb kit too.

Changed carbs and fuel lines a while ago, no change. Most of the parts he used to test these two came off his good 372 that he worked with every day, so they should have been good parts. He tore his good saw apart on a friday, spent the weekend switching parts over, and never did get the other two to run right. Put his good one back together for work on monday and gave up.

Him and I are both out of ideas with the air leak, that's pretty much a last ditch effort. I don't know what the idle was like on either saw. If new seals on the first one doesn't fix the problem there's still that saw and another one to experiment with. He told me that if he can't get either one running right he's going to give me one for parts with the new saw, so I might have another chance to fix it and end up with 2 saws for the price of one.

 

[blsnelling]

Breaking up? Bad coil. Put a black coil on it, problem fixed.

 

[Jules083]

Breaking up? Bad coil. Put a black coil on it, problem fixed.

I was just starting to wonder the same thing while re-reading this thread. We'll see what happens when he has it put back together, that makes sense.

 

[parrisw]

runs ok for a few cuts then goes bad? Possibly a plugged tank vent.

 

[Steveo_supremo]

Smells like a plugged tank vent to me, too.

 

[SawTroll]

runs ok for a few cuts then goes bad? Possibly a plugged tank vent.

Smells like a plugged tank vent to me, too.

I was thinking of it too - it could be that simple......:smile2:

 

[WoodChuck'r]

Where lies the problem with buying all 3.....??

 

[SawTroll]

Where lies the problem with buying all 3.....??

:hmm3grin2orange::hmm3grin2orange:

 

[Jules083]

Where lies the problem with buying all 3.....??

I never gave that much thought. A good running 372 should last me a long time, I don't know what I'd do with a second one. It would be nice to have a 20" bar on one for normal use and a larger bar on the other one. The other $300 saw is spoken for if we get them both running good.

 

[mdmaniac]

As im sure you may know, easy way to check for bad vent is to simply open the tank cap, but I would lead more toward that coil, they can be a real pain in the butt to figure out....but noted to be bad!

 

[CJ1]

All of my 272,372's that I have sold to friends are still running great. These saws were used hard everyday. 1 in particular was used over 2 years by myself and my cutting partner and that saw feels loose but my coworker who I sold it to still cuts 20+ face a year with no problems. A casual user will never wear one of these pro saws out. As far as your buddies shelf of shame, I can honestly say I have 1 piston out of a 272 that the intake had a leak, saw still ran but it was down on power and that is it. CJ

 

[Jules083]

As im sure you may know, easy way to check for bad vent is to simply open the tank cap, but I would lead more toward that coil, they can be a real pain in the butt to figure out....but noted to be bad!

Next time I go over there I'll switch coils out on one of them and see. I'm pretty sure that was checked, but it won't hurt to double check.

I makes me wonder how two saws, both fairly new, are having this problem.

 

[4xrpm4x]

I have no idea what the market is for used saws around you. But there are some ugly 372's selling for $400+ on ebay. I've been loosing auctions all month. If you have the money, get the good running saw. You even got to try it out.
it's nice to save some money but you could end up spending more in the long run.

Try running the saw with the fuel cap not all the way tight. If it runs fine like that. You just saved yourself 100 bones. I agree with the above posts though, it sounds like a coil prob.

 

[WoodChuck'r]

I never gave that much thought. A good running 372 should last me a long time, I don't know what I'd do with a second one. It would be nice to have a 20" bar on one for normal use and a larger bar on the other one. The other $300 saw is spoken for if we get them both running good.

Hmm.....

Sounds like the the good running one would be a hell of a great woods saw with an XPW top end.

Then keep the other top end. It'll be a great spare to have laying around for your 5cuber which burns nitro and sports a pipe.

 

[blsnelling]

A plugged tank vent would make sense, except for the cutting out part. A plugged tank vent will cause the saw to go lean and start over-revving, not breaking up. But then again, maybe that's exactly what it's doing and just not described as such by the OP. Obviously, the tank vent is easier to test.

 

[Jules083]

A plugged tank vent would make sense, except for the cutting out part. A plugged tank vent will cause the saw to go lean and start over-revving, not breaking up. But then again, maybe that's exactly what it's doing and just not described as such by the OP. Obviously, the tank vent is easier to test.

I've never actually heard either one run. Everything I've said about the way the saws act is what my friend has told me.

Just came back from cutting about a cord with the good one, this thing runs good. I see why everyone likes them. It's heavier than my 55, but I'm sure I'll get used to it quick. I ended up going back to my 55 for the tops, it was just easier that way.