026, will it last???

[87boosted]

I am new to this forum and last night i ended up purchasing a 026 off of ebay for 177.00$$. Not bad but it is used and i had to pay 20$$ shipping. The person i purchased it off of says if your not happy send it back for a full refund, no questions asked, not bad right. Well anyhow i am wondering what i can do to get this saw checked out so i know it will last, looks like it has gotten plenty of use but its a chainsaw and pics can be decieving..posted in the wrong place this morning, hopefully i get more replys here, anyhow what can i do to get this chainsaw checked out, should i take it to the dealer to get the compression checked?? What else can i do so i know its ok, no modifying advice please, i just want to check to make sure it will last longer than a few days, then you can tell me all i want to know about modifying the exhaust...i do love modifying things if you cannot figure that out by my signature...

 

[Crofter]

checking out 026

I'd pull off the air cleaner and check inside carb intake to make sure the filter hasn't been passing dirt, Then pull off the muffler so you can get a look inside at the bore of the cylinder for scratches across on the intake side indicating lean run or dirt eating in the past. Move the piston up slowly past the exhaust port and look at the piston and ring surface for signs of galling, stuck rings etc. Check exhaust port and muffler for carbon buildup indicating having been run overly rich. If these checks are ok and it idles well, put it to work but lock it at night; you have more chance of it being stolen than wearing it out.

Frank

 

[Tony Snyder]

Heck, how would we know? How long will you live?
Don't intend to be mean but that is such an unspecific question, maybe Ben will give it a try.

 

[87boosted]

i did not mean for the title to sound as it does, ill watch my english from now on. What i mean is what do i check so i can make sure it will last longer than a few weeks?

 

[sedanman]

Nothing will kill a saw faster than lack of oil or the wrong fuel mixture (too lean). If the piston looks ok, the mixture is right and there are no air leaks yo should be good to go. I conscider carb kits to be maintenance items, a stiff diaphragm will ruin your day. Replace the fuel filter,fuel line and impulse hose for peace of mind.

 

[xander9727]

still trying.

 

[tony marks]

i suspect that the 026 mite be like the 028 ,in that its a pro saw that a loit of homeowners bought. although probably a lot more opted for the 029 and 025.
i think the 026 would be a fair good bet to be a good saw[bought used] if its running good now.anytime u buy used u are making a bet. keep it sharp and do repairs as needed and she will probably
last well. good luck.

 

[mryb]

87toasted....My dad cut 100 cords with his 026. Just checked the cylinder & it still looks brand new. Used Stihl mix its whole life & didn't baby it...Rick

 

[87boosted]

Ok i finally got it in, everything looks clean but there is a crack on the chain sprocket cover so i stopped by the stihl dealer and I asked if he would look it over, he agreed and said he would replace the cover for free, said he had one in the back. Pretty cool in my opinion, the bar said oregon and they said it is a quality bar....looks good so far and i should be cutting with it once it quits raining...thanks for the advice and ill replace each of these items as long as nothing major is found out...

 

[timberwolf]

Thats the kind of dealer I like to take my stuff to. Pass on the word when you have good experiences like that, it helps the honest hard working dealers compete.

With a guy like that in your corner your likely to have the saw running for a long time.

Dont forget to spend a few bucks on safety equipment. By the stuff from the dealer who looked after you, thats what it's all about.

Timberwolf

 

[87boosted]

Originally posted by timberwolf
Thats the kind of dealer I like to take my stuff to. Pass on the word when you have good experiences like that, it helps the honest hard working dealers compete.

With a guy like that in your corner your likely to have the saw running for a long time.

Dont forget to spend a few bucks on safety equipment. By the stuff from the dealer who looked after you, thats what it's all about.

Timberwolf

Will do, he actually was the first person i spoke with about stihl chainsaws, didnt try to make me purchase anything, just informed me on why i should not purchase any of the cheaper chainsaws...i brought the stihl to him and he was awesome, did not patronize or get angry whatsoever for not purchasing off of him, said i got a good buy and now he has a customer who will purchase everything for that chainsaw from him for as long as i own it.

 

[bwalker]

brought the stihl to him and he was awesome, did not patronize or get angry whatsoever for not purchasing off of him, said i got a good buy and now he has a customer who will purchase everything for that chainsaw from him for as long as i own it.

Try that at lowes or home depot.

 

[jokers]

Try that at 99.9% of any kind of dealer regardless of the brand. Apparently this particular dealer is astute enough to realize that just because he didn`t sell him the saw doesn`t mean that he can`t sell him a bunch of other stuff, maybe even a new saw in the future. True, Sears, Lowes, and Home Depot are not known for their customer service, but unfortunately most of the OPE industry has the same reputation and I think it`s because of the slam, bam, thank you maam attitude most dealers have. As soon as they either have your money or they realize they are not going to get it without some effort, they move on. In their defense, they mostly have a dozen irons in the fire and if you are a confirmed tire kicker or even a likely prospect of being nothing but a tire kicker, you are at the bottom of the heap. Simple prioritization. The problem is that many consumers are too quickly viewed as tire kickers if they come in and start asking questions or they don`t have a fist full of dollars as they walk through the door. Too many sales people will try to swoop in and make a quick kill, but soon lose interest if they have to work for the sale. As the owner or manager of a shop you have to make sure that this is not the M.O. at your place. As soon as a customer feels like they truly are the most important customer in the place, they wouldn`t even think of going somewhere else. Now that Husky has moved into the mass merchandisers, the Husky dealers are going to need to adapt and offer more for the money than just a chainsaw. Just my two cents. Russ

 

[bwalker]

Very true Jokers. In ope industry service is where its at. Too few dealers realize this.

 

[Crofter]

It is easy to criticise sales and service people for being unwilling to provide Cadillac service to customers or would be customers, but somewhere they have to draw the line on how much time they can spend in relation to the likely return in benefit. There are a lot of inconsiderate people who think nothing of going and asking all kinds of questions with no intention of buying anything. They will let on they are interested but may only be killing time while wife is shopping. You cant spend the same time to sell a saw as yoo would a car or a funeral! You cant spend the same time trying to chase down obsolete or off brand saw parts as you might if it were a Purdy rifle. The sales or service person has to make a judgement call and sometimes they are wrong. That young pup might just have a wad of daddys money to spend. Its a fact of life.

Frank

 

[bwalker]

There are a lot of inconsiderate people who think nothing of going and asking all kinds of questions with no intention of buying anything. They will let on they are interested but may only be killing time while wife is shopping.

I run into this all the time with prospective clients. We call them voyuers. The thing is that you never know when someone is sincere or not so you must treat everyone properly.

 

[Crofter]

Like I said you have to make a judgement about how much time to invest and you won't always be right.I am sure you dont spend unlimited time chasing an ever diminishing hope either. It is much different being the greeter at a Walmart store than the proprietor in a small shop. It is a balancing act; some will be too brusque and drive people away and some others will not spend their time wisely and they won't be able to keep the door open.

Frank

 

[tundraotto]

I hope so
.

 

[87boosted]

ok i cut with the saw yesterday and it performed well to say the least. Cut through wood quite effortlessly. The dealer looked at the saw and said it was in great shape! He replaced everything you guys listed including the diaphram in the carb., just like you guys said...Anyhow just out of curiousity since you guys were talking mufflers somewhere else i opened it up and looked at the inside of the muffler to see what some of the threads were talking about when saying they moify the muffler. Low and behold there are 4 holes in the inside of the muffler, behind that is the screen...so all you guys do is connect all the holes with a dremel correct?? ... Great saw and thanks for all the advice, very pleased with the purchase, just out of curiousity how can you find out the age of a saw....i took apart the basic things and could not find a date stamped anywhere...