While trolling Craigslist I found this 031AV. Looks decent for a decent price. I don't know much about the older saws, I just know this looks pretty badass! Thought Id ask you guys before I go pick it up. What's the good/bad about this piece?
70s saw Heavy for its size, high vibration . At the right price, could be fun. Some older ones had points, not sure when they changed to electronic module. Not a high value saw IMO
I'd pass on it Bryan. This was my first Stihl and served me well for almost 30 years. Eventually rebuilt it, as well as 5 more that I picked up in various ways. However, I sold them all in favor of more modern Stihls with a chain brake. Definitely a grand old saw with a stellar past ............... but its time has come and gone.
Ignitions are the weak spot on these saws. I have several in boxes as a result. They were a homeowner, not a pro saw.
Well ok, as an 031 owner, I'll tell you what I like about it. It's got torque in buckets. It's only a 50cc class saw but it will run the snot outta a 16"-20" bar with no trouble. Mine has the internal baffle in the muffler missing and I gotta say, it makes the saw that much more fun to run and adds even more power to this surprisingly powerful saw. The downsides are that it is relatively heavy, and the AV is nowhere near what a newer saw is. Not all of them have chain brakes either so that may be a safety concern for you. They were built with either a points/magneto ignition or a more modern solid state type. If the model plate says "031AVE" or "electronic" then it has the newer ignition system. The points ignition is pretty reliable if the saw gets used on a semi-regular basis. If it sits for months at a time, then you may need to clean the points from time to time and that can be a PITA. I don't know why you guys are calling it a "homeowner" saw either. The 031 was a very well built machine that performed quite well even decades after it was introduced. Yeah, a lot of homeowners bought them but that doesn't take away from the quality of the unit. Stihl built a ton of them as well, making used parts easy and reasonably inexpensive to find. If the price was right, and you were ok with owning a 40 year old saw, I'd say go for it.
Hey Brian, if you like 'em so much, why not buy this one http://cleveland.craigslist.org/grd/4232365364.html
Yeah yeah, you got jokes, I see how it is. Honestly, the fact that they are a bit of a dinosaur (but only a bit ) and that there are so many of them works in favor of the firewood cutter on a budget. Excellent examples routinely sell for well under $200 and like I said, they pull up to a 20" bar with no trouble.
My first saw was an 031AVe. Had good power and would run a 20" with a certain amount of authority. Was pretty heavy and the AV wasn't terrible but left a lot to be desired. I got it for free and gave it to my BIL a while ago. When I got it I had to replace the ignition to make it a runner. Good entry level saw but I wouldn't want to make a living with it.
Thanks for all the imput guys. They are only asking $100 for the saw, if its in decent shape and I can get it a little cheaper Ill grab it.
I saw that one too Bryan and just laughed !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I rebuilt and painted 6 of these and sold them for just south of $200/ea. Here is what mine looked like when I sold them, almost as good as that $500 saw!
I have my dad's first real saw, an 031av. It was at the Stihl shop several years back and they said it need a carb kit and clutch springs. Still sparks and has compression. Makes me want to get some creamcicle paint and$10 worth of parts to make her look like that. Mostly just to see dads face when it was finished.
My buddy has one he would prob ship for $100? I just gave it a good tune up last year (impulse, fuel line, air filter, plug, fuel filter) Good saw, but way to heavy, old, and old..
Hell I have one here that I refer to it as "the charity case". I'd ship it to someone for a nominal fee if they wanted one. It runs excellent, and the muffler has already been "modded" since the center baffle broke loose. It sounds awesome BTW. Maybe one day while I have the camera out, I'll get a minute or two of it shredding wood.
Seriously? What's nominal? I'd love to have another one! My fist saw was an 031 old school lead weight lol. It's more out of nostalgia I never should have gave the old girl up. It didn't cut for crap compared to new saws but man I miss it.
