# Should I? or Shouldn't i buy this saw? Husqvarna 3120



## OakBuster (Feb 17, 2012)

*Well there is this guy in my area selling a husqvarna 3120. He says he used the saw for personal use only and it's 7 years old. 
The saw looks good and runs great.The oiler works and it seems it's been well kept. It comes with a 30" bar and a new chain. 
He was asking $950 and i got him down to $750, now i'm having seconds thoughts since the saw is 7 years old. 
So what do you guys would do in my position? 
Should I buy the saw for $750 or just add a few more hundred bucks and buy a new stihl 660 or a husqvarna 372 or 390 xp series which have less power but would work?
I just started my firewood business and I also cut for myself. I started late in October last year and managed to cut over 28 cords of wood with my Husqvarna 455 rancher which is over 5 years old but never saw real work until last year. I'm expecting to cut hopefully over 75+ cords by the end of this year. Thanks for the feedback 
Here are the specs for the saw:
Specifications for 3120 XP®
Engine specification Cylinder displacement 118.8 cc
Power output 8.4 hp
Idling speed 2500 rpm
Maximum power speed 9000 rpm
Cylinder bore 2.36 inch
Cylinder stroke 1.65 inch
Ignition system SEM AM50
Ignition module air gap 0.01 "
Spark plug Champion RCJ7Y, NGK BPMR7A
Electrode gap 0.02 "
Carburetor model name WG8
Fuel tank volume 2.64 US pint
Oil tank volume 1.48 US pint
Oil pump type Adjustable flow
Oil pump capacity 28-51 ml/min
Cutting equipment Chain pitch .404"
Recommended bar length, min-max 24"-42"
Chain speed at max power 65.95 fts
Bar mount Large
Emission, vibration & noise data Equivalent vibration level (ahv , eq) front / rear handle 7.7/10.6 m/s²
Sound pressure level at operators ear 101 dB(A)
Sound power level, guaranteed (LWA) 116 dB(A)
Overall dimensions Weight (excl. cutting equipment) 22.9 lbs: *


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## Hedgerow (Feb 17, 2012)

The 3120 is an awesome saw... 750 isn't a bad price, but for firewood, it's a little overkill... How big are the trees you deal with?


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## OakBuster (Feb 17, 2012)

[SUB] trees I cut range from 12" to around 42". My main concern is the maintenance on that saw. What if it breaks after I buy it :bang:[/SUB]


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## Hedgerow (Feb 17, 2012)

OakBuster said:


> [SUB] trees I cut range from 12" to around 42". My main concern is the maintenance on that saw. What if it breaks after I buy it :bang:[/SUB]



Any saw can go down on ya, but the daily cost of operation on that saw may be a bit cost prohibitive... Do you do your own maint.? Or does your local dealer take care of repairs for ya?


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## LumberjkChamp (Feb 17, 2012)

$750 is a good deal. The 3120 is nice, but as stated above might be a little overkill for all day firewood cutting. If you do the deal, however, expect it to have a little more power than the 455.


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## Whitespider (Feb 17, 2012)

Buying *used* anything is a gamble, that’s why things are cheaper used. A long-time personal relationship with the previous owner is always helpful because you have some idea how he takes care of things. With that aside…

7-years don’t mean a lot. How much and how hard it was used during those 7-years means a ton more. If you don’t personally know the saw or owner, all you have is how the saw looks… and how it runs. If it ain’t all beat to crap, everything works, the original(?) bar ain’t burnt up, sprocket and air filter show normal wear and signs of maintenance… … … well, sounds like a good deal to me (and I ain’t a Husky fan).

But, buying *used* anything is a gamble, that’s why things are cheaper used.


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## Hedgerow (Feb 17, 2012)

On another note, it shouldn't be hard to unload a nice 3120 if ya decided it was just plain too big... You might even turn a profit if it's in good enough shape...:msp_sneaky:


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## wampum (Feb 17, 2012)

OakBuster said:


> *Well there is this guy in my area selling a husqvarna 3120. He says he used the saw for personal use only and it's 7 years old.
> The saw looks good and runs great.The oiler works and it seems it's been well kept. It comes with a 30" bar and a new chain.
> He was asking $950 and i got him down to $750, now i'm having seconds thoughts since the saw is 7 years old.
> So what do you guys would do in my position?
> ...


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## blackdogon57 (Feb 17, 2012)

I hope you have big arms - you will need them if cutting all day with a monster saw like that. Why would the guy own a 120 cc saw if it wasn't for commercial use ?? Spend a few hundred dollars and get a new saw.


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## computeruser (Feb 17, 2012)

I could think of many better ways to spend $750 on a firewood saw, quite honestly.


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## REJ2 (Feb 17, 2012)

New ones are $1700 so $750 aint too bad at all!


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## owbguy (Feb 17, 2012)

I love my 3120xp. Its gravy to use. All day sawing? It will get heavy. However, if you have the need for a big saw for big logs you would love it.

I agree with wampum. If you made the guy negotiate with you on price and worked him down to $750 then you should be prepared to honor the deal. If you were just discussing a possible purchase and he proposed the $750, then that's different.

If the saw is in good condition then $750 is a very good price. You could list it on ebay and sell it for more.


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## treemandan (Feb 17, 2012)

You wouldn't have got me down to 750, I might have gone as low as 950.


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## Wood Doctor (Feb 17, 2012)

*Stihl 084?*

I imagine you could buy a Stihl 084 for a lot less. Look around. I wager it could beat the pants off a Husky 3120. At peak HP, the 084 runs 3,000 RPM higher than what you posted here. Just MHO.


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## MNGuns (Feb 17, 2012)

lot of saw for firewood...........


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## Hedgerow (Feb 17, 2012)

Wood Doctor said:


> I imagine you could buy a Stihl 084 for a lot less. Look around. I wager it could beat the pants off a Husky 3120. At peak HP, the 084 runs 3,000 RPM higher than what you posted here. Just MHO.



In large wood??? Not a chance Doc...
Just sayin...
And stuff...
:msp_sneaky:


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## Wood Doctor (Feb 17, 2012)

Hedgerow said:


> In large wood??? Not a chance Doc...
> Just sayin...
> And stuff...
> :msp_sneaky:


Heh Heh Heh...
The 084 has more displacement than a Husky 3120 and rated higher in HP, etc., etc.

A well-tuned 084 can beat most stock MS 880s today. I'm just sayin'... Lay it on me.


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## PEKS (Feb 17, 2012)

Good Price..
Honour your deal and handshake..


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## Hedgerow (Feb 17, 2012)

Wood Doctor said:


> Heh Heh Heh...
> The 084 has more displacement than a Husky 3120 and rated higher in HP, etc., etc.
> 
> A well-tuned 084 can beat most stock MS 880s today. I'm just sayin'... Lay it on me.



Oh, don't get me wrong, I'd love to have an 084, but last year I had the opportunity to run an 880, 084, and a 3120... The 3120 was the shizz of the 3... Now... Could someone have been holdin out some info on me??? Yea, it's possible.... Not likely, but possible... You do realize a ported 372 is faster in 20" wood than any of them... 
Just sayin... :msp_biggrin:


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## zogger (Feb 17, 2012)

That's a big powerful *heavy* saw. Also a good price. And you certainly don't see them come up for sale used too often on like craigslist.... You won't use it all the time, but when you need it, it'll cut *anything*, any tree on the planet earth. That's the top of the line big kahuna saw that husky makes. I was just admiring one a few weeks ago in my local shop, had a new five foot bar on it. I looked at that thing and just went "shazzam", then hefted it. Beast.



You'll need one more saw sized between your rancher and the monstah killer. If you stick with husky, hands down the 372 has by far and away got the most coverage and best press on this website from guys who cut all the time. Tried and true, after market parts all over, tons of howtos and info on any possible fix or modding. The epitome of professional quality saws.

Don't sweat maintenance and repairs, that is what the chainsaw forum is for, and a search engine. Just learn to tune good, do periodic deep cleaning and tighten stuff up. Do a muffler mod at least, retune then. Vac test in the offseason, check all the seals and the boot.

If your saw starts acting funny, running up in rpms for some reason, gets hot..stop cutting. Let it idle for a sec then shut it down and go find out wazzup. fix what needs fixing then. 

Don't think "well, I'll just finish this one big cut or log and..." DON'T do that., that's how twenty bucks and some small labor project turns into 2 hundred bucks and rebuilds. (don't ask me how I know this...)


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## branchbuzzer (Feb 17, 2012)

MNGuns said:


> lot of saw for firewood...........



Yup, that is a WHOLE lotta saw. How often would you absolutely have to have that kind of power? If it was me I would be looking at something smaller that would be more useful and efficient for all day cutting, 70-90cc tops, that could still handle a large tree if need be. I'm sure it's a great price 'n all, but a Ferrari at half price is still a bit overkill for taxi cab use.


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## Hedgerow (Feb 17, 2012)

branchbuzzer said:


> Yup, that is a WHOLE lotta saw. How often would you absolutely have to have that kind of power? If it was me I would be looking at something smaller that would be more useful and efficient for all day cutting, 70-90cc tops, that could still handle a large tree if need be. I'm sure it's a great price 'n all, but a Ferrari at half price is still a bit overkill for taxi cab use.



Oh I know, but have you ever run a 6 cube with a 40+ inch bar??? They're special...:msp_sneaky:


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## OakBuster (Feb 17, 2012)

Thanks for all the feedback, I have yet to see saw. All this is just the guy"s word. I try to do my own maintenane even if I have to watch/read hrs of how to stuff to fix a 5 min job. Anyways, ill be able to see the saw next week.


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## Hedgerow (Feb 17, 2012)

OakBuster said:


> Thanks for all the feedback, I have yet to see saw. All this is just the guy"s word. I try to do my own maintenane even if I have to watch/read hrs of how to stuff to fix a 5 min job. Anyways, ill be able to see the saw next week.



Where in MO are you from... We got a GTG in April where you can run every saw under the sun... Trust me... That's very helpful...
Just sayin...


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## OakBuster (Feb 17, 2012)

Here are some pics he sent by cell phone.




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## OakBuster (Feb 17, 2012)

I live in waynesville, close to FT Leonard Wood. Where and when is this?


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## Hedgerow (Feb 17, 2012)

OakBuster said:


> I live in waynesville, close to FT Leonard Wood. Where and when is this?



Just south of you in the Houston area... You need to get there... Go to the chainsaw forum and subscribe to the okmok gtg thread... The members got everything under the sun... It's the only way to "know" each saw...
April 14th...


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