Stihl MS460 price question

[MichMich]

Hi Folks,

As stated in another thread, I'm building a MS460 by OEM specs. Got OEM case siting on my bench beside the tank assembly, waiting on the crankshaft and a brand new OEM P+C kit.

I'm building a MS461 in parallel, and think I'll stick with my two 461s (already builded one that's up and running fine), instead of having a 460 and a 461. Everything will be brand new except 3 parts. The crankshaft, the flywheel, and the oiler (high output model).

Basically, it will then be a brand new saw, I'm thinking on selling, once the P+C kit will arrive from Australia.

What price could I set for this baby?

Thanks for your help in advance...

 

[Johnnysef]

In my area a used 046 / MS 460 in good condition sells between $400 and $500. A running serviceable condition saw will run less than that depending on how hammered it is or isn't. Now if the saw is in decent shape and has been freshened up, ported, re-timed, tuned, etc. by a reputable shop $600+ is not out of the question. The big disclaimer on this is that you will wait for a buyer that knows what they are getting. The average guy who cuts a few branches in his yard and maybe a few chunks of firewood will not have much interest in a ported higher dollar saw.

I have not been following your build so I cannot throw a number at it directly, but here are the questions I'd ask to figure out where to set the price. How close to new is it really? What has been done to make it special, better, or different than a new saw from a dealer? How much is invested, both parts and time? Most importantly, what market are you looking to sell it to; an average buyer on a local classified or an avid collector / wood cuter?

I build the occasional saw to run and use at the farm until I get tired with it or find another I want to build. Unfortunately I can't justify keeping 25+ saws to the wife and they are difficult to keep out of her sight in those numbers, so I sell them locally. Generally I break even on the parts or make just a little bit on the sale. At one point I tried to make it a business and that really sucked the fun right out of it so it went back to being a hobby. Generally speaking hobbies do not make money or much of it. That is why I have a day job and I find saws and engines to be a fun hobby.

Hope my ramblings are at least somewhat helpful to you.

 

[MichMich]

Initially, this build was for me, so I'm looking for any specific "customer".Everything but flywheel and oiler is new, even the cylinder/piston. Saw will only be run to set it up and tune the carb.

I pretty much prefer the 461 over the 460, and two big saws like these are more than enough. Plus, Wife knows I have two saws, not 3 (et least 2 for now, she knows I want a smaller one later on, probably a 261)

Haven't tried Porting, never done that, and don't want to screw up the machine

 

[Johnnysef]

Your saw is very clean and new and because of that I'd say it should command top end pricing in your area. What are clean, used saws of similar size selling for where you are? Keep in mind a new comparable saw is over $1000, but they come with a warranty and all the proper receipts to claim as a business expense. Maybe that matters to your prospective buyer, maybe it does not.

I just checked my local craigslist and found a used Stihl 044 for $550 and a new Husqvarna 450 for $350. Asking prices are not always the selling price and the Husqvarna is smaller than your Stihl but the point being the Husqvarna's price is not drastically lower than you'd find at the store.
Location and demand have a huge impact on pricing this sort of thing, but if I were selling your saw here I would probably ask between 700 and 900 depending on how fast I wanted to sell it. As I mentioned in my first post, a saw of this size would not be a fast seller here so I may pick a number on the higher side and see what kind of offers it generates. The flip side to that is I bet a used 40cc craftsman or poulan would sell pretty quickly at 100 or 150 because that is the price range and size people here seem to like. Most people shopping the local ads are homeowners and do not need a large saw or do not have the budget for one and especially not a new one.

 

[MichMich]

Thanks a lot for all these smart advices! FB groups told me the pretty much same average, up to 1000. So I'm trying a first shot at 1100€, to see what happens, and will lower it gradually to an acceptable low level

The Farmertec 460 went pretty fast, sold it at 300€

The ebay link to the OEM 460