Option A- and my first choice. Find a Stihl on the FHC board and have it gone through. Option B- find one local and ship it off to a FHC member for work over. If I find one local what would my buying guides be? Compression check, general overall condition? I'm close to the montains in Albuquerque/work so a fair selection of Stihl saws on CL. I don't belive "the only cut a few cords of wood" being this close to the mountains and I'd prefer something with a 28" bar. You guys are going to drive my wife to drink, but such is life. Thanks everyone. http://albuquerque.craigslist.org/tls/4597942821.html $1000
I think your option A is the right way to go. There's no point in taking chances with a saw you're not confident in your ability to assess, only to ship it off to someone else to go through. I've gotten pretty good at quickly assessing saws on CL, but only because I've worked on a bunch of them and made some mistakes along the way. I don't have any quick and simple explanation of what to look for... at least not one that I'd feel good advising you to apply to a $1000 potential purchase. If you needed a ~60ish cc saw I'd sell you one myself, but for a 28" bar you want 70cc+ and the only saw I have in that class isn't a Stihl.
Hang tight and stick to the classifieds here. If that 441 listed isn't your cup of tea, something else will pop up soon enough. There have been some good deals here in the last couple of months, and there are bound to be more.
That 441 would be good...could even send it off to be ported or want to bigger and heavier wait on davlee 660!
If it was me, I would wait for 660 from Mike (mdavlee). He knows his stuff, and knows it well. I bought a ported 576 from him (that he did), that ran with a masterminded 576- and Mike's didn't even have a cut combustion chamber or have as much compression. I have heard he can build a mean 372 too
My plan is to own a certain 372 that Mike will be porting ! But a 660 from him would be a mean machine!
No 660 for me.. But the 372 is the member saw from KilliansRedLeo. I would like to hope that numerous members will be bidding on that saw. To not bid on it would be crazy. And I am done.. Other than the 372 when it goes up for auction and the 261C-M I am getting from Randy. A man can never have to many saws. They are an investment and keep much of their value. So if I ever need money? One would go down the road. But the 261 I have been wanting for some time now. Plus, the Solo landed in my lap by pure happenstance. I never would have bought one if it wasn't for KilliansRedLeo and the deal he gave the members here. So that one holds a special place in my collection. A saw is a saw and I really only need one. But it's something I enjoy, they keeps me busy, and out of trouble. I could be doing far worse things with that money. But instead, I buy saws
How much are you thinking? I liked Nate's saw, but it looked a little less than I like cosmetically for the asking price. Sorry! I'm picky.
You know I'm just picking at you Yes I knew which 372 you were talking about. Coming from an economics background , sort of I really would argue the value thing. May work on some wives etc and for a rare saw from 20-50 years ago. Bit todays saw are so mass produced And expensive there is no way that can be true. Now if you buy that $500 saw for $250 id saywith good care you sshould get your money back for many years. But in no way can I be convinced that if I go and buy a $1000 stihl saw that you can convince me its an investment. Maybe better than buying g match books or ford tarus's or something. But an investment is me using my says I have or pick up used and stuffing that $1000 in my 401k that has been consistantly returning 20% or better on my investment. Now what do you have in 30 years even if you shelf that ms460... a minty 460 that might bring 3/4 new value if your lucky. Now what would you have of you invested that $1000...hard to say with the volatility of the market etc bit I would say a safe long term number would be in the 7-8% range for long term. And I dont do those calculations anymore and would have too look it up bit I promise you out would be higher. As for needin money back. i can have a loan check at my house in like 2 days from my 401k . A loan yes but I hope thats all it would need to be. Do I think to literal..I have been told yes. And do you care probably not. And yes I am long winded. For those of you who read this snoozer, I am sorry back to regular scheduled programing.
Not disputing the benefits of a 28" bar. But the weight is going to be a factor if you're using it a lot other than for felling. That's just my opinion and you know what you like and have other saws obviously.
More confuser than snoozer. Reads like it's been sequentially translated into three Asian languages and then back into English. By a Russian.