Old 028WB from Craigslist

[Billm67]

I put an add out in craiglist...wanted Older Stihl chainsaws running or not. So I had a voicemail on my phone this morning about a guy that had a STIHL that he couldn't get to run and just wanted to get rid of it. Turns out he and his buddy have a tree service business and one of his clients gave him this saw. He said it's all there...but someone took the chainbrake off of the saw. So I go to look at it and it's an 028WB this the solid chain brake that just has a spring (it's the old model that the chainbrake was optional). It looks like it has never ever been cleaned in it's life...but it has compression. The plastic cover on the starter is broken and it has a 16 inch bar. It looks like a non pro user had it and cut up some firewood and never cleaned it.

I asked the guy what he wanted for it and he said $30 and I gave him the money and brought my new project home. I am looking at it and it is just caked with sawdust. I start cleaning all the saw dust out of it and I see it is a model that has points. I figure the is no way it's going to have spark...so I buy a new coil off the internet to convert it to solid state (I'm sorry but I don't want anything with points). The air filter looks like it should have been replaced 20 years ago. So I order a new filter. I saw a nice 3 bolt metal 028 starter cover that NOS on ebay and grab that too. I pull the muffler expecting to see that I am going to need a new piston and the piston looks terrific! So just to check I put the starter back on and checked, it has spark. I cleaned off the clutch cover and gave it a quick coat of white paint...sanded the bar off and gave it a coat too. Wipe off the plastic and it starts looking nice. I am going to stop at the lawn & garden shop and pick up a carb rebuild kit for it and give it a try. With the new coil, a starter cover and the air filter I will have about $100 in the saw. It will have a new coil and no more points, it should look pretty nice and I am betting that it will run very nice.

You gotta love craigslist and old STIHL's.

 

[chainsawwhisperer]

Good score for $30! 028's are a great saw!
j

 

[burnses]

today i feel that is about what a 28 is worth 100.00 but fun to get it going..

sap can

 

[indiansprings]

I rather have that old 028 that half the crap sold in box stores and retailers today, one of the most reliable, tough and productive firewood saws ever made. A wise investment of $100.00. It may not be the latest, sexiest, fastest saw but there aren't many that will put more firewood in your truck. 028 rep sent

 

[Rokon]

Saturday: Sold a converted 028WB on C-list for 165.00.
Sunday: Turned around and bought another 028WB in a case for 50.00 off C-list.

Yeah their old junk and not worth anything. :hmm3grin2orange:

 

[Billm67]

I could have left it like it was...cleaned it up and cleaned the carb and got it running good and I could probably get $125 off craigslist here in PA. I would rather put the new starter cover on it....put the coil in it and make sure it is all ready to go. I will take it up to camp 2 or 3 times and cut some wood with it. Have some fun and get a little work out of it. It will be a nice clean saw and it won't bother me at all having it sit on my bench. It will look good sitting beside my 026. Now all I need is an 024 for the set and maybe an 028 super. Then I can move on to a 034, 036 and 038. Those seven saws would make a really cool set.

 

[Billm67]

Here's a quick update. I checked the carb to see if it was a tilotson carb, because I figured if it was...I would have to order a rebuild kit off the internet (no one locally will have a rebuild kit for it). I pulled the carb and sure enough it was a tilotson. I cleaned out all arounf carb and pulled it off the saw. Took the diaphagm side off carefully and it didn't tear...so cleaned it out with carb cleaner. Pulled the bowl side with the impulse tube and the flappers weren't in too bad of shape. I carefully sprayed it all out and then took out the low and high needles and sprayed them out. Put it all back on the saw. Once I got that far...I stopped for the night. In the morning I got up before work and put the saw back together with it's freshly painted parts. The starter has some chunks of the grill missing...but it still works. And I figured it had spark...so I wanted to try to start it. I put some gas and a little oil in it and after about 5 pulls on choke it tried to start. Put it on high idle and it started right up. I adjusted the idle and ran it a little. I even tried to cut a little wood with it...but the chain is pretty dull. I was thrilled when it started and I can't believe how good the little saw runs.

Tommorow I'm supposed to go look at another 028 and a 038...

 

[mels]

Here's a quick update... Tommorow I'm supposed to go look at another 028 and a 038...

Ahhh, and thus it begins :msp_smile:

I've got three 028's (two supers and one woodboss) love 'em all. There's a sweet 038 on CL I'm having a hard time talking myself out of!

 

[Detri Mental]

Loooove my old 028s I can sling firewood all day with em.

I have been stockpiling parts since they are not fully supported by Stihl any longer.
I plan to keep my 028s around for a loooong time.

 

[joesmith]

You guys are lucky! The only,saws I find on craigslist here are new homelites or craftsman saws that they want as much as they paid for. They always say they paid more than actual retail too...and they try to sell them for really close to retail.

Oh yeah, they always look very worn and they say used once. Yeah, on a 80' cottonwood:msp_biggrin: