Goodbye to an old friend

[Timberhauler]

I have a 288 husky that I bought back in 1995,I used it for work for a little while,then replaced it with an 044 stihl.Although the 288 would outcut the 044,I prefered the 044 due to it's lighter weight,so I put a 36 inch bar on the 288 and only used it for big removals for a short time.I then put a 24 inch bar on it and used it as a firewood saw.What I mean by firewood is I was using it to cut logs into smaller peices so they would burn better on the brush pile.It's hard to remember a Saturday spent burning brush without this saw.Earlier today I had just filled the gas tank and was cutting some white oak logs to dump on the fire,when all of a sudden it revved up way beyond it's normal operating range,then shut down.The whole engine is seized.It was the summer of 95 when this saw was bought so it almost made it 12 years.I am debating on whether to fix it,or give it a proper burial and start using one of my 385's for the task as I did for the rest of the day today.I am not sure why I was so attatched to this saw,several people had tried to buy it,even now that I have at least four or five other saws that will out cut it.It will surely be missed.

 

[olyman]

thats strange---hmmmmm----pull the muffler--and see if shes scored---can replace just the piston if the jug isnt scored--and can clean aluminum from the piston off the jug with muratic acid---

 

[computeruser]

OK, let me get this straight. You like this saw. You have a sentimental attachment to it. And a modern replacement would cost $800 or so.

REBUILD IT and get it back out in the woods! You'll kick yourself if you don't.

 

[Husky137]

Fix it!

 

[Urbicide]

Here is a link for the Husqvarna workshop manual for the 288XP (and around 18 different older Husky saws). The manual is 125 pages.

http://weborder.husqvarna.com/order_static/doc/HWEN/HWEN1997/HWEN1997_1018855-26.pdf

 

[Timberhauler]

OK, let me get this straight. You like this saw. You have a sentimental attachment to it. And a modern replacement would cost $800 or so.

REBUILD IT and get it back out in the woods! You'll kick yourself if you don't.

There is no replacement.Husky no longer makes the 288.I will probably fix it

 

[adkranger]

Fix it

I vote for fixing that ole '88. Especially if it has sentimental value for ya.

 

[Timberhauler]

I got very lucky today.I don't usually deal with this particular shop anymore just because he is so far away from my house,but I was over that way bidding jobs today so I stopped in to say hello and to tell him about this 288 he sold me back then.He just happened to have a 288 in the back he was using as a parts saw,and sold me the plastic off of it so I can somewhat restore mine,for fifty bucks.Then I ordered a new cylinder,crank and piston kit.He sells everything to me for cost so it wasn't too bad of a hit.Hopefully I'll have my brush burning saw back for the weekend