Stihl chainsaw

Carol Reed

In Memoriam
Messages
5,533
Location
Coolidge, AZ
Chainsaw.jpg

I bought this thing ~20 years ago. Haven't run it in over 10 years. Brother used it last. He ran it dry and put it back in its case, so bad gas was not the issue. Non-use was. Figured it ought to go visit the Stihl repair guy.

Learned some things.

Replacement saw would be well over $300. This one has more metal and is well worth resurrecting. I gave the green light. Picked it up today. Cost me $122 and change. But everything in the fuel system has been replaced or rebuilt. Rubber and plastic stuff deteriorates sitting in the case. New plug and freshly sharpened chain. $68 in labor, the rest in parts. It is raring to go and I think I got a more than a fair deal. $68 doesn't buy me much in the way of frustration to try to repair something I have little or knowledge of. Small engines certainly fall in that category.

Here is the object of this repair.

Lot 5.jpg

Behind the sign post is a dead tree leaning badly. About to become turning wood and firewood. On the to-do list.
 
Please be careful. Cutting trees down is dangerous enough, but a dead tree, you don't know how much good wood is available for the hinge. Also another bad thing about this tree is its bend. The top will land before the log, can act as a spring and bounce back past the stump so please be very, very careful and aware.
 
Thanks, Jon. Since that picture was taken, the tree has fallen completely on the ground. And I won't be alone. My turning club has a group of guys who salvage turning wood. A couple of them will be there and they are really equipped well and experienced at these things. My little chain saw was originally purchased (~1982) for turning blanks and some minor trimming, not felling trees. Bar is too short. I can help with the little stuff. I plan to be very, very careful. Those saws can bite really bad.

Ya know, I'll bet that saw doesn't have 20 hours total on it in all those years. I got it on sale, as I remember. It was always put away dry. Wish I cleaned up as well these days. And for as little money. :rofl:
 
You made the right choice. Stihl machines last a long time. My heavy duty trimmer is over 40 years old. My chainsaw is a great tool as is my light duty grass trimmer. For something like this, why screw around? I have a little used Homelite chain saw that needs to be sold, I don't like. I had a Weed Eater trimmer, that, after it died, I learned is built to last only 50 hours in use. And that was just about what it had, then croaked.:mad:
 
I went through several of the big box type chain saws. They all seemed to have a death wish. Then I gritted my teeth and purchased a Husqvarna; that is where I should have started. That is definitely a good example of "Cry once and get it over with instead of crying all of the time when you use the cheapie."

I have never owned a Stihl, however from what I have heard, I think I would say the same thing for it.

Enjoy and PLEASE BE CAREFUL,
JimB
 
Congrats on the (essentially) new chainsaw!

I only wore out one big box chainsaw before I got smart and bought a Stihl. It's one of those tools that makes me smile every time I use it. I wasn't quite so smart with gas-powered string trimmers. I wore out two of those before I bought a pro-level Echo. Bought it from the same shop that sold me the Stihl chainsaw. I originally was planning to buy a Stihl trimmer, but I told him what I was using it for, and he suggested the Echo since it was a bit lighter and in his opinion just as durable as the Stihl. (About the same price, as I recall.) I went with his advice, since he'd already steered me right on the chainsaw. :thumb:
 
Vaughn, I also have the Echo pro trimmer. Picked it up ~25 years ago. Had rented a trimmer to do a quick job & it hit me that if the rental shops rent these out it must be because they do a good job & stand up well. They do & do. So, I decided that was the model I wanted. They also have some neat accessories, one of which is a saw blade ~ 10" dia. that is used for cutting heavy brush/small saplings. However, although it works well, it is a scary tool when it wants to "kick back". Still going strong. Suppose I could have said Stihl going strong, but I suppose Echo wouldn't approve. :rofl:
 
They all seemed to have a death wish

Many of the big box store gas operated tools are designed to 'die' at 50 hours of use.:mad: You learn that only after the tool fails and you read the small print in the owners manual. It should be illegal, and/or a hanging offense.
 
Vaughn, I also have the Echo pro trimmer. Picked it up ~25 years ago. Had rented a trimmer to do a quick job & it hit me that if the rental shops rent these out it must be because they do a good job & stand up well. They do & do. So, I decided that was the model I wanted. They also have some neat accessories, one of which is a saw blade ~ 10" dia. that is used for cutting heavy brush/small saplings. However, although it works well, it is a scary tool when it wants to "kick back". Still going strong. Suppose I could have said Stihl going strong, but I suppose Echo wouldn't approve. :rofl:

I think we should note there's a difference between the Echo tools sold at the big box stores and those sold by authorized dealers (the small local lawnmower/chain saw shops). Like other brands (such as Husqvarna), Echo builds lesser tools to meet price points geared towards the Home Depot shopper, and build better (and more expensive) versions for the pro shops.
 
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