hate to be "that guy" but i just don't know

[bcarroll]

i've spent the better part of a week off and on, and well over 20 hours on this and other forums and i'm just having trouble figuring out a best move. i want to get a "general purpose" saw (if such a thing exists) for working here and there clearing small deer fields and cleaning up blow downs. I'm a big fan of buying used and i've just happened to come across 2 saws near me priced pretty close to each other. one is a 028av super that the guy says was his dad's that was bought about 10 years ago. saw looks clean, and the guy says it was bought originally to replace another 028 that just never quit, so it got used to mostly cut fire wood. he wants 250. the other is a husky 455 rancher i don't really know anything about. its in a pawn shop. it looks clean but i wasn't really looking to buy when i saw it so i didn't hear it run or anything. it can be had for about the same price..probably a little less. after all my looking i know the 455 has the edge by a few cc, but from everything i've read about the 028 they're like the energizer bunny and just keep going and going...! i don't generally buy cheap tools-which is why i buy a lot of used tools. its my experienced used quality outlasts and out works new crap every time.. and i'm not sure which of these has the edge where that comes in to play. my questions come in about prices and what each is worth and what's the better saw to just have around...or, if neither of these is the answer- what is. sorry for the novel..its monday, and this is about all i've thought about all weekend.
thanks!

 

[Fish]

The 028 is a lot older than that, but is a great saw.

 

[ckelp]

can't go wrong with a 028 IMHO if i had the cash i'd buy it in a heartbeat

 

[atvhead]

028 over the rancher anyday. but i dont want to start this as a husky vs stihl battle. my father bought an 028 new many years ago (not sure, maybe 30 yrs ago?) and now my brother has it and it gets used every season for fire wood and cleanup. cant kill it.

 

[bcarroll]

great. i had a feeling things were going to lean toward the 028 at even money. now, value? i know the word "budget" mixes about like oil and water with a lot of things-- a lot of things i manage to get myself into coincidentally-- that said, this guy's at $250 solid on his 028. i've got pics, but he's about an hour or so south of me and i haven't held his saw yet. he says the fluids have been drained every summer (that his dad was really particular and even cleaned it after use-- i don't think he's a used car salesman, but he may have missed his calling), the bar's pretty straight, the chain could probably use sharpening, and that he's got a bar cover.
i talked to the pawn shop, and i could get that husky for 50 bucks cheaper- but absolutely no history, and i'm shying more and more away from that as an option as i type.
so, what do you guy's with the experience think about that price on that 028. i watched one on ebay yesterday, in much worse cosmetic shape go for a hundred bucks cheaper and have seen a few here and there a little less, but i just don't know how to value one. obviously there are differences, i just don't know how big the gap is.. don't know if that makes sense.. am i getting ripped at 250 if its a pretty clean saw i guess

 

[Diesel Pro]

You haven't set out a budget that I could see, but of the two I'd lean towards Stihl. The Rancher is a solid saw, but certainly not one of the better models from Husqvarna.

I don't wear brand loyalty blinders, but I will admit to a bias towards the familiarity and excellent service of my Husqvarna saws.

 

[bcarroll]

you're right, i didn't say a number. i really just meant, "most bang for your buck"-because the bucks are limited. i can get either of these saws, but if i'm better waiting on another 028 cause this price is high, or if there is a model that is a better fit in this low money range, i'm not set on brand or models either.
thanks for that

 

[dingeryote]

Check your local Husky dealers for Factory refurbed 455's.

My dealer has 2 Skids of them going for $325.
Full warranty, new 20" Husky (Oregon) Bars, and LGX chain.

No point in spending 250 bucks for flogged 455 with no warranty.

The 455 will get a LOT of wood cut, and really is a Rodney Dangerfield of saws. It's heavy for it's power output, compared to similar displacement Pro saws, and gets slandered for that aspect just like the Stihl 290.
455's are about as reliable and smooth cutting as they come though.


The 028 is a solid old saw that is as reliable as they come, maybe even more so than the majority. They just keep going.
They also lack any menaingfull antivibe, are a tad slower than the 455, and some lack the inertia brake safety feature.
If ya want a saw that will last you forever, the 028 would do ya proud.

$200 bucks for the 028 would be a decent price, and I have seen them down at $100-$150 most times, but didn't know thier history.

Good luck either way ya go!

Stay safe!
Dingeryote

 

[sawinredneck]

Bang for buck the Husky wins hands down BUT, you don't know anything about it's history, I doubt the pawn shop will let you pull the muffler or run it AND, those saws are notorious for being owned by homeowners that have no clue how to use them, much less maintain them!
The 028, you get a history, I'd bet he'd help you pull the muffler and probably has wood you can use to try it on.
It's nothing to do with manufacture at all, this is a no brainer! I'm also not a big fan of buying saws from pawn shops, I've seen too many people get burnt on them, they own a boat anchor in a few weeks if not sooner.

 

[Chris J.]

My two cents, keep the change.

$250.00 for a used 028AV seems on the high side, but if it was indeed well maintained it might be worth it. To muddy the waters I got my MS361 with a nearly-new 25" ES bar for $300.00 out-the-door at a pawn shop. But as others have pointed out that saw could have hidden problems that won't surface until later, or it could even be a stolen saw (I hope neither case is true!).

 

[parrisw]

Sounds like you need to visit your local Home Depot and buy a used Makita 6401, they can be had cheap there and are better then any saw you listed that your looking at.

 

[bcarroll]

haha, yeah there never seems to be a definite yes or no when it comes to stuff like this does there?.. here's the pics i got sent, maybe the experienced eyes here will be able to tell something i can't from them about what this saw is worth.
i know the guys at this particular pawn shop would let me run that saw before i bought it, but i don't know about taking anything off...i may be able to talk them into in if i happened to drop a stack of 20s out of my pocket while looking for my cell phone or something though .
--but the problem there, again, is even with the fella at his house, i'll need a pretty good coach here to tell me what i'm looking for once i get bolts out.
i know i sound/am pretty incompetent with all this, but in real life i did auto mechanic for a few years, and have spent some time around the farm. i just never got into small engines at all.

 

[dieselram]

haha, yeah there never seems to be a definite yes or no when it comes to stuff like this does there?.. here's the pics i got sent, maybe the experienced eyes here will be able to tell something i can't from them about what this saw is worth.
i know the guys at this particular pawn shop would let me run that saw before i bought it, but i don't know about taking anything off...i may be able to talk them into in if i happened to drop a stack of 20s out of my pocket while looking for my cell phone or something though .
--but the problem there, again, is even with the fella at his house, i'll need a pretty good coach here to tell me what i'm looking for once i get bolts out.
i know i sound/am pretty incompetent with all this, but in real life i did auto mechanic for a few years, and have spent some time around the farm. i just never got into small engines at all.

There is no right, wrong or definite answer for this one... I like Stihl saws, so I would get the 028 Super... It is all in how the saw feels to you... As for money $250 is a little too much but not absurd. If you can wait you can find deals on Craigslist, but you can get someones can of worms too. So $250 for a saw that you kind of know the history is better than nothing.

She looks like a sweet heart!!! Nice shape...

 

[willysmn]

Husky 455

I've seen these on eBay as well at less that $325. What happened that so many need factory refurbs?

Check your local Husky dealers for Factory refurbed 455's.

My dealer has 2 Skids of them going for $325.
Full warranty, new 20" Husky (Oregon) Bars, and LGX chain.

No point in spending 250 bucks for flogged 455 with no warranty.

The 455 will get a LOT of wood cut, and really is a Rodney Dangerfield of saws. It's heavy for it's power output, compared to similar displacement Pro saws, and gets slandered for that aspect just like the Stihl 290.
455's are about as reliable and smooth cutting as they come though.


The 028 is a solid old saw that is as reliable as they come, maybe even more so than the majority. They just keep going.
They also lack any menaingfull antivibe, are a tad slower than the 455, and some lack the inertia brake safety feature.
If ya want a saw that will last you forever, the 028 would do ya proud.

$200 bucks for the 028 would be a decent price, and I have seen them down at $100-$150 most times, but didn't know thier history.

Good luck either way ya go!

Stay safe!
Dingeryote

 

[sawinredneck]

I've seen these on eBay as well at less that $325. What happened that so many need factory refurbs?

I doubt there was that many that had problems, remember, these are sold at Lowes, Home Depot, Mernards, Tractor Supply etc............. by the THOUSANDS! Saw wont start, take it back, the kid at the register can't do anything with it, he's never run one. They give out a new one and send that one in. Never mind it was just flooded, the plug wire came off when the owner checked the air filter, whatever.
Now the factory has to look them all over and sell them as refurbs.

 

[volks-man]

i wouldn't buy either one for $250.
be patient.
a better deal will come along.

if you were absolutely limited to just the two saws i'd lean toward the 028. but, at $250 it'd have to be real cold outside and i'd have to be out of firewood.

 

[a. palmer jr.]

Both Stihl and Husky are good saws and there are several other brands as well that are good. May I suggest that if you do end up buying used that since you'll be paying a pretty good amount for either that you remove the muffler and check the piston and cylinder to see what shape they're in. A p&c replace on either saw is kinda expensive so it might be good to check them out.

 

[bcarroll]

at $250 it'd have to be real cold outside and i'd have to be out of firewood.

ha, well as much as i actually do hate it, it seems like the price is just not right for a saw i don't really need. i can borrow one to take care of that one down tree pretty easy. i just got wrapped up in wanting to buy one while i had a good reason-- i'm sure that never happens to anyone else

i appreciate all the help guys

i'm going to try to search here some more, but if i don't manage to find it, is there any info online about how to "inspect" a used saw before a buy- particularly what i'm looking for/at inside the cylinder (assuming scoring in the walls, etc..but again, i'm 0-experience)

have a good one

 

[Anthony_Va.]

Man, that 028 looks to be in awesome shape. I would drop 200 on it in a heartbeat. 250 seems just out of my range though. Thats just too much for a saw that old. If I were you, I would shake two bills at him and tell him thats all you can afford.
Thats way too high for a used 455 IMO. I am biased toward Stihl in a way, but I still love any good running saw. I just don't like a 455. I think the 028 may be a little lighter too. You can't feel the power diffwerence in either one without timing them.
I say, if he will take 200 for the 028 that you should buy it. If not, pass it by and watch Ebay, CL, and the classifieds on this site for a better deal.

 

[Anthony_Va.]

ha, well as much as i actually do hate it, it seems like the price is just not right for a saw i don't really need. i can borrow one to take care of that one down tree pretty easy. i just got wrapped up in wanting to buy one while i had a good reason-- i'm sure that never happens to anyone else

i appreciate all the help guys

i'm going to try to search here some more, but if i don't manage to find it, is there any info online about how to "inspect" a used saw before a buy- particularly what i'm looking for/at inside the cylinder (assuming scoring in the walls, etc..but again, i'm 0-experience)

have a good one

Perrty much just looking for scoring on the cylinder walls and piston skirt. Also, if you have a comp tester or can get ahold of one, it would be good to do comp test on used saws before buying them. Look for a number of 150 or more for good comp. Even 140 would be okay but any lower I think would be a sign of wear. I like to look at the air filter too, just to see how clean they keep it. I really dirty air filter could mean that the carb may be contaminated.