What's on your bench now?

Replacing the handle on the neighbor’s Stihl MS180. Made the mistake of removing the handle grommets from the motor side and got a hard lesson on how miserably difficult it is replace them. Really sours me on Stihl saws if they are infested with poor designs such as this.

Bottom line is if the grommets need to be replaced, the real labor cost is more than the saw is worth.

 

Yup. Homeowner saws not made to be salvaged/fixed.

 

I'm finally messing around with this top handle Poulan I picked up for cheap back in the springtime. I originally thought this was a XXV model, but the more I look it over, I think it's a 2000 (I know next to nothing about these saws so correct me if you know better) It needs the usual: a fuel line, a carburetor cleaning, and also the air filter element crumbled into oily grit when I gained access to it. Luckily my local hardware store which is also a Husqvarna dealer had some 5/64" I.D. generic rubber fuel line in stock. I bought an 18" section for less than $3. Getting it apart was fun... flat head screws galore. I like to think that Pol Pot, Mussolini, the Austrian painter and the guy who invented flathead screws are all burning in hell together right now. Anyway, I'll be replacing the flatheads with either button head or regular socket head cap (Allen) screws. I watched a few YouTube videos of these saws running so I'm more than a little excited to see this old thing hum once again.

 

Cleaned up decently and all back together. New fuel line and filter, a new air filter and a few missing screws that I had to rummage through my stash for. The carb diaphragm was a little iffy but I decided to try it anyway. It runs but bogs when under full throttle. I’ll order a carburetor kit and that should do the trick. Call me crazy but I think I might actually like this stupid little saw

 

Needs a Poulan bar.

Im pretty sure my late uncle had the same or similar saw. Somewhere there exists a pic of him cutting up a limb in my dads yard from Hurricene Gloria September 1985.

Kinda makes me wanna try a different saw brand!

 

In years past I cut a lot of wood with a small Poulan just like that. Great little saw for what it is, but I'm glad I ended up getting bigger saws.

 

Thanks for your input. I have plenty of larger saws myself but I'm still hoping to get some cheap thrills out of this little saw when the job calls for it.

 

Finally getting around to rebuilding one of the cans on an older dual slip-on exhaust system for the Superhawk. Hope to resell it.


Have to drill fresh holes for rivets.

 

I do miss it sometimes. It was handy to carry around the woods when I am hunting down grapevine and honeysuckle to get rid of. Wish I would have kept it.