Nice Runnin' 021 or a dog 029 trade-in for $125?

Got tired of going in circles with the search nonsense here on 021's, so forgive the questions that have probably been answered many times before.

Was at my Stihl dealer today for some 026 parts and saw a guy out front messin' with a coupla trade-ins like he was interested in buyin one. An 029 that was pretty beat, but finally started for him -- sounded like crap and didn't really rev too smooth --, and an 021 that was pretty clean, fired right up, and sounded mighty sweet -- at least to my rookie ears compared to the 029. He bought the 029 because it was a bigger saw even tho the 021 was in way better shape and ran better for the same price.

Questions should be obvious at this point.

Is 125 bux for a nice little 021 "as is" just a little steep? I would actually use it for tons of small stuff around the place vs. just buying it to have it.

So....

How 'bout parts availability and workability convenience for the rascal? Seems from what I've read that the 021 is a bit more rebuild friendly than the 029?

Yeah, it's an impulse thing and I think I can probably snag it for $100 or less.
Jes wonderin' out loud until that $120 044 strong runner comes my way!opcorn:

TIA for any feedback.

Poge

PogoInTheWoods said:

How 'bout parts availability and workability convenience for the rascal?

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first off, i love my little 021. it is light but powerful enough for limbing and light firewood cutting. no, it's not a ported 026 Pro but it will do a lot of good work for you.

rebuilding a 021 is simplicity itself. i see a lot of folks fretting about the small clamshells like the 021/023/025 (and MS210,...) but these things are cake to rebuild. i really don't understand the problem.

take the saw apart. note condition of impulse and fuel lines. order Walbro kit. pull the bottom cover off. take the P/C assembly off. pull the stator off. get down to plastics. fill a 5 gallon pail with some water and simple green. drop the plastics in the bucket. go have dinner. come back swish the stuff around, clean it up good, perhaps use a nylon toothbrush. maybe you'll need just rings, worst case a piston. put it back together again, you'll need some sealant for the bottom end.

jim aka the wrooster

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Dang, Wrooster, those are some HD pics! Nice camera.

P.S. I thing you need a longer hose on your compression tester! J/K

MostShady1 said:

P.S. I thing you need a longer hose on your compression tester! J/K

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not to worry...

MostShady1 said:

Dang, Wrooster, those are some HD pics! Nice camera.

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if you look VERY CLOSELY you will see the problem with this sprocket...

PogoInTheWoods said:

I think I can probably snag it for $100 or less.

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I'd offer him a C note for that saw if it runs that well.

029s(1127 series) are everywhere in Ohio, very common saw.

I probably see close to 40-50+ 029 saws for every 021(1123). The 021 is a saw that many dealers around here part out rather than sell complete used.

In terms of rebuilding, same basic format. Do one and it is a simple process from then on.

I prefer the oil pumps on the 029s to the ones on the 021. The 1127 series shares a couple of parts with the 1125 series(036). The 290 also uses the 12.3mm Stihl bar mount unlike the 021.

Cannot help you on prices but I doubt you will find many good condition operational Stihl chainsaws for less than $120.00 these days.

If I was looking for a project I would not pay more than $50.00 for a well worn non running unknown reason 029(1127). Parts add up fast and if the tub is bad(worn out/common on old 029s) and the P/C is bad it will cost way to much to repair to be a good deal.

Too Clean

Hey, Wrooster!

Looks like the first saw that nice shiny new bench ever experienced -- and vice versa!!!

Great set of pics, but I would have expected more general carnage given the condition of that sprocket. How do ya trash one that bad and even have any of the rest of the saw left over -- especially a pup like an 021? Wow.

So my dealer said I can stop by and do a limited amount of dis-assembly on the 021 for both our sakes. They haven't even touched the thing to clean it up or anything else except to start it. If it needs a piston right out of the gate, they'll probably cut me some serious slack just to get the thing outta their hair. After all, they wanna sell new saws.

Thanks for the response and encouragement -- like I needed any of the latter.

Poge

PogoInTheWoods said:

So my dealer said I can stop by and do a limited amount of dis-assembly on the 021 for both our sakes. They haven't even touched the thing to clean it up or anything else except to start it. If it needs a piston right out of the gate, they'll probably cut me some serious slack just to get the thing outta their hair. After all, they wanna sell new saws.

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- take the muffler off and have a look.
- use their compression tester and get a number.
- start saw and check for smooth idle (not so smooth usually indicates air leak somewhere, probably at main seals).

but if the saw starts, runs ok, and (assuming the chain is reasonably sharp) cuts a 5" log that you brought along, you are in business.

now then you may want to sandbag some of this process while in the presence of the person selling it to you...

- i would say that show stoppers are: internal rattle (bad crank, conn rod, etc), cracks in either tank (pain in the axe to keep fixed), ignition cutting out (coil is pretty expensive unless you have a donor saw). in fact, the seals aren't so expensive if you get the generics from NAPA rather than the OEMs from the dealer.

btw, does the carb have a H/L speed adjustment? my 021 does, but i understand not all 021's do. whether this is a deal breaker... i dunno what you think but i would say either way is ok.

good luck, let us know how you make out.

jim aka the wrooster

ps
by the way, using this same process and judicious application of Craiglist, i'm pretty sure you could get a decent MS361 for $150. you just have to slowly work your way up the Stihl foodchain with opportunistic buys and good sales.

Plan on crank seals, an air filter, and a fuel line. Almost all 1123 series I see need a pair of crank seals, and they ALWAYS have the tabs busted off the bottom of the air filter. Most times the black summer/winter flap is gone also.

021s serve their purpose for sure. The one I use has a fixed jet high side. If its clean, it would be worth $120 if that's a void you need to fill. Cant think of any problems that I've had with it.

Luck o' the Irish?

wrooster said:

- take the muffler off and have a look.
good luck, let us know how you make out.

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Headed over to the dealer at lunch and never did make it back to work - haha.

They let me run through quite a bit of inspection, but wouldn't budge on the price any way it was gonna shake out. Said if I bought it "as-is" they'd give me 10% or better discount on any OEM parts needed to tighten it up to my satisfaction.

Two pulls choked for first pop. One pull on 'run' to start. Warmed her up, tried to blow her up on the spot WOT. She just sang like an angel with no complaints.

Pulling the muffler seemed to reveal the previous owner was real cautious with his mix and ran this pup on the seriously rich side of the tracks. Lotsa carbon in the muffler and plenty o' glom on the piston but no noticeable scars on either rings or can. Just what appears to be glom from a mega rich mix. Coulda been a lot worse.

Pulled each side to check sprocket and flywheel condition. Dirty. No play in the crank that I could tell either vertical or horizontal. Seemed nice and tight. Sprocket a little worn, but nothing needing immediate attention.

Full tank o' gas, full oil reservoir, chain just sharpened for duty, and that's how the dealer got it from the guy. Same with the 029.

Evidently the guy's sons are home for Spring Break and there was serious wood to be cut. And he DOES have some newer and bigger saws - which they abruptly snagged leaving him with just the 'old beater' 021 and 029.
He gets a little peeved by the disrespect factor of his boys and heads straight to the dealer with these saws in the back of his truck ready to work (presumably by his boys instead of himself) and says, "I want the biggest saw ya got in stock right now and I'll take whatever you'll give me for these in trade. Gotta prove a point to a coupla disrespectful kids." So the story goes...

Here's mine; "Got a full tank o' gas, plenty o' oil, a newly sharpened chain, a half a pack o' smokes, it's 100 miles to Chicago, and I'm wearin' sunglasses at night."

"HIT IT!!!"

Poge

(a few pics to come if they're decent enuff)

Nice Runnin' Little 021

i think i am tearing up a little.... <sniff>


nice job, good pics, now go enjoy it!

jim aka the wrooster

A slight muffler mod will wake that saw up big time. I did mine and was highly impressed with the results.

stihlhead said:

A slight muffler mod will wake that saw up big time. I did mine and was highly impressed with the results.

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details/pics?

wrooster said:

details/pics?

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Sadly I don't have pictures. But I can tell you how I did it. The muffler is rather simple to mod. Go to this thread to see pictures of the guts of a 021 muffler. Post #12 is where the pictures are.....

http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?t=92634&highlight=021+muffler+mod

The muffler itself comes in half, and has a baffle inside. Pic#1 in the mentioned thread. It has holes in one side of it. I drilled four 3/8" holes in the opposite side. I then used a file (didn't have a dremel at the time) to open up the inlet and outlet of the muffler case. Pictures #2 & #3 in the thread.

I only opened the case holes up until they were just smaller then the exhaust port on the inlet and just smaller than the tab that holds the spark arrester screen on. After this the tab that holds the screen on has some louvers on it, I pryed them open with a screw driver to open them up. Put it back together, reset the carb, and cut away.

I was surprised by the way that saw responded to the mod. Cuts better than it ever has!

wrooster said:

details/pics?

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ditto!

BTW, Wrooster, I am gonna tear it down to minimize any surprises and clean it up a bit.