Thinking about restructuring the wood cutting fleet

[svk]

I've accumulated many saws over the past year, many for no rhyme or reason.

Also after getting my 550 back from being ported it more or less takes the shine off the rest of the sub-60 cc saws in my fleet.

I don't wish to sell my "starting lineup" of 2186, 562, and 550. Plus the 361, EZ, L65, and Mac are somewhat keepers for sentimental purposes.

I'm giving the 272 to my uncle because he's got a lot of larger oak to cut that exceed the capabilities of the 40 cc saws he owns.

The ported 350 is almost completely assembled so after running that a bit I'll be ready to send it down the road. Maybe.

I'd really like to get those other Homelites running at some point too.

I'd also like a saw with a wrap handle and perhaps one with heated grips. For no particular reason.

Anyhow I'm just rambling but am open to suggestions.

 

[CaseyForrest]

I know a guy that you could join up with and start an AA type group......

 

[NGaMountains]

So the 241 hasn't cracked the "staring lineup" yet, or is that just a recent addition oversight?

 

[benp]

I tell you what @svk .

I'll take the 550 off your hands then that dark cloud will lift over the rest of your collection and you will be able to see clearly again.

Yes, I would be willing to do that for you.

 

[NGaMountains]

I tell you what @svk .

I'll take the 550 off your hands then that dark cloud will lift over the rest of your collection and you will be able to see clearly again.

Yes, I would be willing to do that for you.

@svk can be thankful today for good friends like @benp who are right there, always ready to help in his time of need.

 

[svk]

So the 241 hasn't cracked the "staring lineup" yet, or is that just a recent addition oversight?

Well not really a starter because it's not much lighter than the 550.

It may get a starting spot after it's broken in.

 

[svk]

I tell you what @svk .

I'll take the 550 off your hands then that dark cloud will lift over the rest of your collection and you will be able to see clearly again.

Yes, I would be willing to do that for you.

If I can run your 394 with a 16" bar I'll let you borrow the 550.

 

[benp]

If I can run your 394 with a 16" bar I'll let you borrow the 550.

LOL!!

 

[Andyshine77]

I always let the 60cc saws go first. I sure like me a 50cc saw! have 5 of them right now. 70cc saws aren't too shabby either have a few of them too. The 40cc saws sure are growing on me the past couple years, guess I'm getting a little order and wiser, I mean the trees aren't running away from me, and I'm not on the clock, so what's the rush? Stock the 2186 doesn't do much for me. I personally prefer my 7900, it's smoother, smaller, and lighter too, it's just a nicer saw to run IMHO. If the ported 7900 can't handle the job, the 395 or 084 gets the call, and honestly, the 084 may be headed down the road soon.

I guess it really comes down to what you're cutting and what type of weight you want to carry around.

BTW happy Thanksgiving everyone!!

 

[svk]

I always let the 60cc saws go first. I sure like me a 50cc saw! have 5 of them right now. 70cc saws aren't too shabby either have a few of them too. The 40cc saws sure are growing on me the past couple years, guess I'm getting a little order and wiser, I mean the trees aren't running away from me, and I'm not on the clock, so what's the rush? Stock the 2186 doesn't do much for me. I personally prefer my 7900, it's smoother, smaller, and lighter too, it's just a nicer saw to run IMHO. If the ported 7900 can't handle the job, the 395 or 084 gets the call, and honestly, the 084 may be headed down the road soon.

I guess it really comes down to what you're cutting and what type of weight you want to carry around.

BTW happy Thanksgiving everyone!!

If I was to significantly slim the herd the 7900 would make a nice "big saw". Especially a ported one.

 

[cuinrearview]

I don't wish to sell my "starting lineup" of 2186, 562, and 550. Plus the 361, EZ, L65, and Mac are somewhat keepers for sentimental purposes.

Yah, only seven saws. For firewood..... Not sure how you're going to handle it moving forward my friend.....

 

[svk]

Yah, only seven saws. For firewood..... Not sure how you're going to handle it moving forward my friend.....

You're right. Probably should save a few more.

 

[svk]

Unfortunately the little EZ is near the top of its performance envelope already due to the reed valve design. If I could squeeze a little more power out of that it would be cool. Muff mod may help a bit.

I really should just port the three starters plus the 241. Yeah it's tough to compete at the saw races with a work saw when guys show up with dedicated race saws but that's one day a year and it's much more fun to have a ported saw the other 364 days.

 

[Full Chisel]

I would think twice about selling the 350. I find myself using the 50cc saws the most and having a back up or three comes in handy when one acts up. Although the 241 fits the bill too. Personally with a ported 550 I would send the 241 down the road and keep the 350 for backup.

 

[svk]

I would think twice about selling the 350. I find myself using the 50cc saws the most and having a back up or three comes in handy when one acts up. Although the 241 fits the bill too. Personally with a ported 550 I would send the 241 down the road and keep the 350 for backup.

I'm mad at the 350 right now for sucking me dry. Every single moving part on that saw except for the main bearing and oil pump will have been replaced by the time it's put together.

It was given to me by a fellow AS'er who also got it for free from a friend and his mechanic had diagnosed it as needing a coil. But ended up being a basket case and needing a full rebuild including piston, crank bearings, new carb boot, brake band, and a host of other things.

So if it runs great it may convince me to not send it down the road.

 

[muddstopper]

I find rebuilding saws for resell to be a lost cause. Its very easy to put more into the saw than you can reasonably sell it for. If you have to pay for a clunker, no way you can rebuild it and sell it at a profit. That doesnt keep me from trying as I am always on the lookout for blown up saws. I tend to look for saws that dont run but still have good sheet metal. New clutch and recoil covers needed on a worn out saw makes them to expensive to rebuild and resale. If you have to add a new bar and chain, new clutch or recoil cover and a new P/C it will make a good keeper saw, but its very hard to get your money back if you are building it to sell.

 

[svk]

I find rebuilding saws for resell to be a lost cause. Its very easy to put more into the saw than you can reasonably sell it for. If you have to pay for a clunker, no way you can rebuild it and sell it at a profit. That doesnt keep me from trying as I am always on the lookout for blown up saws. I tend to look for saws that dont run but still have good sheet metal. New clutch and recoil covers needed on a worn out saw makes them to expensive to rebuild and resale. If you have to add a new bar and chain, new clutch or recoil cover and a new P/C it will make a good keeper saw, but its very hard to get your money back if you are building it to sell.

I agree. I bought this saw as a fixer upper for myself and then CAD set in as I was accumulating parts for it. Plus it spent two months in a friend's garage as he was pondering buying it but bought a new saw instead. So once I got it back I decided to make it run.

I learned my lesson with this saw though. Never get involved with a homeowner saw that has more than one thing broken. Should have sent this one down the road as a parts saw.

 

[Full Chisel]

I can attest to that. I picked up my 346OE off eBay for about $100. I knew it was missing the top cover, and the cylinder missing fins. I already had a top end ready to go for it so I figured it would be fairly cheap to fix it up. After finding that it had the wrong clutch/drum and needing the intake replaced the cost went up quickly. Using all OEM parts, including the used P&C I ended up right around $400 in the saw. Obviously I would not make much if any profit if I were to sell it, but it was a good leaning experience and I got a great saw out of it.

Hope you get that 350 running good!

 

[muddstopper]

I tried to buy a 55 a few weeks ago. Guy wanted $100 and claimed it was rebuilt but he couldnt get it to run right. I took a few tools with me to the meet. He claimed OEM top end. Well, I pulled the top off and it was clearly a china topend. I just happen to have a couple of new oem topends for a 55 and I showed them to him. Checked the screws that hold on the carb and the partition was stripped. Probably sucking air the reason it wouldnt run right. Missing the little rubber insert that keeps the throttle rod in place.. Fins broke out of the recoil cover, cracked clutch cover. Did have a new forester b/c. I offered him $80 and he declined. I feel I offered all the saw was worth and only because it did have a new b/c. He had been running it with the stripped partition so it probably had already scored the new piston and cyl. I didnt pull the muffler to look. Been there and done that and know the results. At worse I would be replacing the topend with oem which cost $109 and a partition at $29, $240 in a saw that would only bring $200 resell. With luck, might have cleaned up the cyl and replaced the rings and new partition and made $25 on a resell, not much return for work involved. I have a 55 parts saw ($10) I have just about stripped of anything usable for other projects. Been thinking about building it, but need rear handle, recoil and clutch cover,and of course a b/c. Split the case yesterday, going to replace the bearings and seals. I will probably just put together the parts I have and keep a eye out for the missing parts. Sometimes the local saw shop gets junk that piles up in the back room and I can scrounge a few parts there. been thinking about trying my hand at porting and since this is a junker, nothing really lost if I screw it up. I have a good used Cyl to practice on.

 

[Ironworker]

I'm down to three myself, 70,60, and 50 cc, all ported of course.