I know little about saws but I'm learning. Came across the opportunity to buy some used Stihl saws and need help and suggestions. I was able to pull the muffler off them and see that the piston/rings weren't scuffed. Is this enough to ensure that the saw is a "worthy" buy? It seems from this site that if a saw has been lean seized to the point that it ruined the piston and cylinder, it is too expensive to fix. But, since I know these saws have absolutely no scoring at all, it seems I can repair bearings, seals, case and carb air leaks, etc. cheap enough to "tinker" with the saws and get them running. Am I missing something more important than the "lean seizure" scenerio? The saws consists of some 026's, 036's and 038 Magnums. They are complete minus a side cover on one of the 026's. I haven't been a member to the site long but I am now hooked and want to play with these saws if I can buy them cheap enough to be feasible. I appreciate any comments or "heads up" details.
Buying a used Stihl saw - is looking through exhaust port enough?
- Thread starter BIG
- Start date
Help Support Arborist Forum:
tony marks
Addicted to ArboristSite
some people play the machines others play the horses. its all a gamble when buying used. i look at the saw ,the circumstances of the sale,and whether i can come out fairly well, even if the saw doesnt turn out. parts etc.if your saws have been owned by pros ,u can bet their being sold for a reason. these saws are money makers for these guys and they wont fool with a saw that continuously causes dn time. on the other hand u may take that same saw and with a little tlc have a good firewood saw.jmho
Looking through the port is a good way to tell the condition of the motor. Excessive blowby underneath the rings and scuff marks indicate the piston is worn and has been seized at one time. If the motor is in good shape you should see circular machine marks on the piston and a cross hatch pattern on the cylinder wall. Some new saws have a odd cylinder finish in that there is no hone marks on the cylinder. MY new 440 and 260 are like this so my above mentioned comments may not apply.
Thanks Tony and BWalker
Thanks for your comments. Tony, these saws are surplus county machines. There are 7 of them. 3-026's, 2-036's and 2-038's. I was surprised when I pulled the mufflers and saw none had scuffed pistons or cylinders. I figured the county people would do little to no maintenance, lean seize them since it's seems so common, throw them out and buy new. It really makes me wonder why these saws are "junked" out? I mean, from what I have learned on this site, good pro saws with good cylinders/pistons are worth fixing the other seemingly minor problems they might have. I have owned saws in the past with subtle piston/cyl scoring that ran strong - seems these should be ok with no scratches visible. I realize a beginner like me may be making this to simple - am I? By the way, I have never used an 036 or 038, are they good models? What are they comparable to and what are their pitfalls? Thanks for all the advice.
Thanks for your comments. Tony, these saws are surplus county machines. There are 7 of them. 3-026's, 2-036's and 2-038's. I was surprised when I pulled the mufflers and saw none had scuffed pistons or cylinders. I figured the county people would do little to no maintenance, lean seize them since it's seems so common, throw them out and buy new. It really makes me wonder why these saws are "junked" out? I mean, from what I have learned on this site, good pro saws with good cylinders/pistons are worth fixing the other seemingly minor problems they might have. I have owned saws in the past with subtle piston/cyl scoring that ran strong - seems these should be ok with no scratches visible. I realize a beginner like me may be making this to simple - am I? By the way, I have never used an 036 or 038, are they good models? What are they comparable to and what are their pitfalls? Thanks for all the advice.
treeclimber165
Member A.K.A Skwerl
Sounds like you might have found a good deal. I worked for a local city and my boss was strong on having us thoroughly service our saws weekly, but if something broke we didn't have a skilled mechanic to fix them.
I never ran an 036, but owned an 038Magnum for 12 years. Sold it in a weak moment, still kicking myself over that one.
The only weakness I could find in my 038Mag was the air filter. It wasn't anywhere near as good as the air filters on the 044's. I cleaned it regularly and replaced it whenever crap started leaking in through the seams, but my compression was getting weak when I sold it after 12 years of use. With a better air filter setup it probably would have still run like new. Other than that it was rock-solid and served me well. I ran a 27" bar with Stihl RS chain for the 12 years I owned it.
I never ran an 036, but owned an 038Magnum for 12 years. Sold it in a weak moment, still kicking myself over that one.
The only weakness I could find in my 038Mag was the air filter. It wasn't anywhere near as good as the air filters on the 044's. I cleaned it regularly and replaced it whenever crap started leaking in through the seams, but my compression was getting weak when I sold it after 12 years of use. With a better air filter setup it probably would have still run like new. Other than that it was rock-solid and served me well. I ran a 27" bar with Stihl RS chain for the 12 years I owned it.Treeclimber165, you make me wonder
After your comments about owning your 038 Mag for 12 years you state that the compression was getting weak (I assume not due to lean seizure but due to wear). Since all these saws seemed to have no lean seizure evident, I wonder if they may simply be worn out just because of use like yours was. Either way, cylinder wear due to lots of hours use or lean seizure, makes these saws not worth fixing doesn't it? I mean in either case they would need new cylinder/piston and it's just too expensive to fix. Problem is, although I could see no scrathes due to lean seizure, which is good, I don't know of anyway I could diagnose the minimal cylinder wear due to lots of use that may deem these saws too expensive to fix. I did the picking them up by the starter rope trick that many of you pounded me over the head with in another thread I had and, again, they all seemed good. Don't know what to think about these units after you bring up the simple "wear due to high usage issue". Lean seizure is easy to see, common wear as far as I know is not without dissassembling the engine.
After your comments about owning your 038 Mag for 12 years you state that the compression was getting weak (I assume not due to lean seizure but due to wear). Since all these saws seemed to have no lean seizure evident, I wonder if they may simply be worn out just because of use like yours was. Either way, cylinder wear due to lots of hours use or lean seizure, makes these saws not worth fixing doesn't it? I mean in either case they would need new cylinder/piston and it's just too expensive to fix. Problem is, although I could see no scrathes due to lean seizure, which is good, I don't know of anyway I could diagnose the minimal cylinder wear due to lots of use that may deem these saws too expensive to fix. I did the picking them up by the starter rope trick that many of you pounded me over the head with in another thread I had and, again, they all seemed good. Don't know what to think about these units after you bring up the simple "wear due to high usage issue". Lean seizure is easy to see, common wear as far as I know is not without dissassembling the engine.
treeclimber165
Member A.K.A Skwerl
If they have good compression, you might just have a great deal. If one or two need rings, you could still have a good deal. Depends on how much time you have to mess with them and how good you are. I wouldn't have considered putting new rings in a saw 5 years ago, but would do it today if needed. I just slapped a set of rings in a 15 year old 025 for cheap, really picked up the compression a lot.
If they pass the starter rope test and cylinders look good, compression is not an issue. Must be some other reason why they are selling them. If a saw (or any engine) won't run, you look at the 3 main systems, then trace down the problem.
3 main systems are:
Fuel- air and gas in proper mixture getting to the cylinder
Compression- enough to run the saw
Spark- enough spark at the right time to ignite fuel
If they pass the starter rope test and cylinders look good, compression is not an issue. Must be some other reason why they are selling them. If a saw (or any engine) won't run, you look at the 3 main systems, then trace down the problem.
3 main systems are:
Fuel- air and gas in proper mixture getting to the cylinder
Compression- enough to run the saw
Spark- enough spark at the right time to ignite fuel
tundraotto
Addicted to ArboristSite
or also the oiler.
Had a lot of trouble with the oiler in my 051 when I bought it. I had to:
Buy a new pump worm from the dealer that cost $40. After this the oil pump seems ok, but the gears are a little worn and I am thinking about buying a new pump in order to not wear out the new worm gear too quickly. A new pump is $60. That makes a $100 just for fixing the oiler for a saw I got for that price. Other than that the saw is as solid as a rock, great compression and a flawless piston, new muffler etc.
Had a lot of trouble with the oiler in my 051 when I bought it. I had to:
Buy a new pump worm from the dealer that cost $40. After this the oil pump seems ok, but the gears are a little worn and I am thinking about buying a new pump in order to not wear out the new worm gear too quickly. A new pump is $60. That makes a $100 just for fixing the oiler for a saw I got for that price. Other than that the saw is as solid as a rock, great compression and a flawless piston, new muffler etc.
Greg Carberry
ArboristSite Operative
I would go for it if you can get a decent deal. Are they trying to get every last penny out of them or just get rid of them? I'm cheap and always shop around for a bargain Sounds to me like they are in good shape. Could be just carb problems that took them out. No big problem there just a rebuild kit, air filter and cleaning. Maybe bad spark too that will be a little more expensive to fix if its the case. I'll tell you what I may be interested in an 026 for the right price if you get these.
Sounds to me like they are in good shape. Could be just carb problems that took them out. No big problem there just a rebuild kit, air filter and cleaning. Maybe bad spark too that will be a little more expensive to fix if its the case. I'll tell you what I may be interested in an 026 for the right price if you get these.Pioneer, here's the deal
They are going to sell these saws regardless of how low the bid may be - there is no "reserve". Therefore, I will be able to get them as cheap as other bidders will let me. There are 7 of them as listed earlier in this post. I was thinking I would come up with a good figure that a Stihl saw would be worth as parts, assuming it would never run, then multiply it by 7 and that would be my high bid. That way I could get my money back if none ran well and some other users would have good useable parts at a good price. Sounds reasonable to me but the question is, what is a Stihl saw worth just for parts? (rememeber they are 026's, 036's and 038's)
They are going to sell these saws regardless of how low the bid may be - there is no "reserve". Therefore, I will be able to get them as cheap as other bidders will let me. There are 7 of them as listed earlier in this post. I was thinking I would come up with a good figure that a Stihl saw would be worth as parts, assuming it would never run, then multiply it by 7 and that would be my high bid. That way I could get my money back if none ran well and some other users would have good useable parts at a good price. Sounds reasonable to me but the question is, what is a Stihl saw worth just for parts? (rememeber they are 026's, 036's and 038's)
treeclimber165
Member A.K.A Skwerl
If the saws are basically whole (no major pieces missing) then I'd think $100 per saw minimum. But you will more than likely have at least 2-3 running saws easily. If I had the money and time to play with them for a while, I'd think $700-$900 would be about tops for me (based on your description).
Treeclimber, here's some specifics
There are 7 saws.
4 - 026's: 2 have missing side covers and only 1 has bar/chain
2 - 036's: Both complete, one has bad bar other one has a Stihl
case.
2 - 038 Mag's: complete except one is powerhead only
Besides the misisng bars on some and the two 026's with missing side covers they are all completely there. I was thinking of getting them for a lot less than $100 each but I am not saying you are wrong. I just thought I could get them way less. Also included in the deal are 5-FS86 Stihl weed trimmers and 2-TBC300 Tanaka weed trimmers. These I am assuming I couldn't get much for but who knows they are kind of like a subtle "bonus".
There are 7 saws.
4 - 026's: 2 have missing side covers and only 1 has bar/chain
2 - 036's: Both complete, one has bad bar other one has a Stihl
case.
2 - 038 Mag's: complete except one is powerhead only
Besides the misisng bars on some and the two 026's with missing side covers they are all completely there. I was thinking of getting them for a lot less than $100 each but I am not saying you are wrong. I just thought I could get them way less. Also included in the deal are 5-FS86 Stihl weed trimmers and 2-TBC300 Tanaka weed trimmers. These I am assuming I couldn't get much for but who knows they are kind of like a subtle "bonus".
I 'll report back if I get them
Dozerdan and others, I will let you know if I get them. Dozerdan, what is a fair price you would give for one of the saws complete in non-running condition? I mean assuming it would only be a good parts saw? I ask this not to hammer anyone on the price later but to have a real shot at reclaiming my initial investment and share good parts saws with this board at fair prices later. Remember, I am new to this and I'm just asking for real world type numbers. Treeclimber165 says maybe as much as $100 a unit, what do you think?
Dozerdan and others, I will let you know if I get them. Dozerdan, what is a fair price you would give for one of the saws complete in non-running condition? I mean assuming it would only be a good parts saw? I ask this not to hammer anyone on the price later but to have a real shot at reclaiming my initial investment and share good parts saws with this board at fair prices later. Remember, I am new to this and I'm just asking for real world type numbers. Treeclimber165 says maybe as much as $100 a unit, what do you think?
