I guess this 3816c is 38 cc engine? Has 16" chain. I got this as part of a package deal, a utility trailer and several tools. I have been searching to add a lighter saw to my ms290 for limbing and light work. I would not have bought this one, lol, but here it is. It is definitely lighter. Just wondering if a $100 saw is pure junk. He bought it at Home Depot, I don't know what they sell for, guessing $100. Anything I should do to it other than just sell it, lol? I wonder how much I could get? The guy said he used it one time to cut a tree off a house and it does look, essentially, new. I pulled it one time and it fired up and ran. And as far as me using it, any warnings, lol?
If it runs and does what you want it to do (limbing and light work to accompany your 290) than it's a good deal. I would dump the fuel and refuel with good mixed gas as I would not trust that a guy who bought it just to use once to remove a tree off a house spent the time to mix properly or used premium fuel. Edit: When I look up 3816C it says it's a 42CC engine.
I would use it till it falls apart. All those (ahem, affordable) saws, Poulan, Macs, Homelites, are shadows of their former glory and basically are "use it till it blows" throw away saws, kind of like Bic pens. They do what they were designed to do, what the guy used it for whom you bought it from. If it lasts a few years, and you buy better saws, keep it for a loaner.
Tough call here. Sell it now and get a few bucks out of it or use it until it doesn't have anything left to give? If you do decide to hang onto it, I'd replace the fuel lines with better material (Tygon unless they are exposed to extreme heat) to ward off the inevitable problems it will have there. I would make the decision based upon use. If you will use the saw often, for extended periods, and would like it to be reliable, I'd sell it now and buy better. Otherwise it may do just fine as a "whatever" saw. I have a couple cheap saws that I use to cut up the odd stick or two that lands in the yard from time to time. I'm not worried about anti-vibe, reliability, or power output when it's going to take 60 seconds or less to zip up the 2-3" branch I need to get rid of.
This saw was bought new 6 months ago and (supposedly) used once to cut one tree. It does look pretty new. How much do you think I could sell it for? I think they might sell for $100 retail new at Home Depot? It has plastic case.
I took the Homelite out today and cut a 12" oak down that I think has seen its better days. The saw ran great, but talk about stink! Wow, that sucker made my eyes burn. After awhile I dumped the gas and put in some 50:1 premix. I don't think it smelled as bad. It cut great, I was surprised, actually. Now I gotta figure out how to sharpen the chain if I keep it until it drops. If I got $50 out of it, it's almost worth more to just use it until it quits to get the sense of using a small saw, which is something I have wanted for limbing.
Yeah, run it until it dies. It's not likely to blow up in your face, or anything. I actually bought a Pooplan 4218 on sale at Menards for $99 to use as a loaner. I keep it in two garbage bags when it's at my house, so if one of the bags breaks, nobody can see that I actually have one of these. Yup. It's a double-bagger.
The green machine counterparts to those saw are labeled as 38cc and 42cc on the box and recoil but emissions sticker says 42cc for all versions of these saws that I have seen
Sharpening a chain just got easier. Get a Husqvarna roller guide and files. Be sure to get the correct one for your chain size. Chainsaw Accessories
Use it and don't look back..... As long as it's throwing chips, the effort to put it up on CL (or anywhere else) and all that drama just ain't worth it.... Unless..... yer neighbor asks, "would you take $100 bucks for it?" Gone.
Usually those chinese saws model is the size engine and bar that they come with. The 38 would mean 38cc and the 16 would be a 16" bar like he confirmed. You could be right though but usually the way I have it and he said it was 38 too. They usually advertise that with big stickers and or badges. I have some chinese saws in the earthquake variety. There named the same way. I have a 3814 which is 38cc and 14" and a 4518 a 45cc and 18" bar.
