Just to prime everyone, this is a Husqvarna 55 I am looking to purchase from a private seller. I do not know what to offer. What would you offer and why?
Edit, pictures just aren't going to work on here, 45K?
What they say:
Yes it starts on the first pull. About 2 or 3 months ago we put it in the shop had a new 18 inch bar & chain put on it, a new clutch installed & just had it looked over real good. The only thing it has been used to cut is tree limbs that would fall in our yard. It has oonly been used like 2 times since we got all the new stuff done to it.
This is craigslist here and they are most likely fibbing about a good bit of what's said. The bar and chain is an Oregon setup. The handguard looks like it got in a fight with another saw.
What years were these made?
I'm more than happy to email the pictures directly to anyone willing to review them.
Evidently you don't know to much about saws. So my advise is find a good dealer and ask him to guide you in your purchase. Tell him what your needs are and what your usage will entail. Any good dealer will have a number of used saws on hand. Buying used saws is a fools paradise if you don't know what your doing & have the ability & tools to fix a pig in a poke........Cheyenne
Quote from: cheyenne on September 03, 2009, 12:16:18 AM
Evidently you don't know to much about saws. So my advise is find a good dealer and ask him to guide you in your purchase. Tell him what your needs are and what your usage will entail. Any good dealer will have a number of used saws on hand. Buying used saws is a fools paradise if you don't know what your doing & have the ability & tools to fix a pig in a poke........Cheyenne
I thank you for your advice, but the dealers here are the big box dealers and a few places that sell Stihl. The Stihl dealers insist that they do not get used equipment. I can fix just about anything, a saw is not that hard to work on.
why would you say he doesn"t know much about saws ys just because he asked an honest question about a particular model you didn"t answer his question but just suggested he didn"t know anything get over yourself
On my older Husky's there is a serial number plate that also has the year the saw was made, they did thid in 1997 anyway. The serial number should offer some help in determining the age of the saw.
What does the saw look like under the top cover, does the air filter look clean, is there a lot of saw dust around the carb and cooling fins on the cylinder head. That will give you a clue as to how well the saw was taken care of. The condition of the outside of the saw with bumps and dings can also tell you if the owner respected the saw or just threw it in the back of the truck.
Years ago when I had a saw at the shop wondering about the condition of the saw the mechanic started the saw with the air filter off. He would watch the air intake of the saw when he rev'ed it. There was a mist of air and fuel blowing out of the intake which he told me was caused by blow by meaning the rings or cylinder walls were not in the best of shape.
You can still buy the Rancher which I think is a 55 cc saw. A friend got one back in Feburary for around $375.00 with an 18" bar. If the owner can not tell you exactly how old the saw is or is the second owner you may not want the saw or you may not want to offer him too much for it. The one thing I worry about is what they used for 2-cycle oil and how long they kept the mixed fuel around before using it in the saw.
Randy
What Randy said + compression test at full throttle (not sure what results should be for that saw)
and also wondering how many hours it takes to wear out a clutch (my dolmar is 20 years old with about 5-6 cords/year cutting down limbing and blocking and other work the clutch is still working fine) in 6-7 years (in the 80's) of repairing saws I can't remember changing a clutch so I would think the first owners must heve used it a lot more than a few times or it failed for some other reason.
To answer a couple of questions:
The id plate is visible in the pictures, but cannot be read even at full zoom. The clutch was probably replaced due to rusting. A saw that would sit useless in these parts of the country for a good amount of time will rust to the point the clutch will not work perfectly. Cosmetics do not bother me the least. As long as the body is not cracked and the saw will run when I test it everything should be good. I've heard these 55's can be a bear to start so I know that. Is there any reason to steer clear from a 55? I have a comp tester for my automotive stuff. I guess I need to see if it will fit my Husq blower and edger. Is there a technique to compression testing on a saw? Thanks guys.
I have a 55, and you can see my posts below "Husqy 55 won't start" for some issues I've had with it. That being said, the 55 is a good saw, starts easily for me, and runs great with pretty good power for its size. Mine likes to gobble chain oil unless I use pretty thick stuff in it; it doesn't have an adjustable oiler. You can find the service manual on-line, which will tell you how to run a compression test if you have a compressor, gage, and fittings.
Some things I'd look for before buying a used one:
* Do a compression test, if you can. Otherwise, do a drop test - see comments in my entry on how to do it. If you suspect a problem, pull off the muffler and look at the piston. I'm told that 55's like to run hot, which results in the outlet side of the piston getting scored. You can see this easily once you pull off the muffler. You'll see rough, verical lines on the side of the piston, and maybe a rough or ragged edge at the crown. If it looks smooth and shiny then it's OK.
* Check how smoothly the chain runs on the bar when you pull it around manually. If it seems like it's hitting "high" spots, and they appear to be about the same distance apart, then the crank shaft might be bent.
* Is the air filter covered with oil? If it is then there's probably blow back from a worn piston.
How much is a used one worth? Anything more than half of a comparable new one seems high to me, unless it looks nearly new and everything checks out perfectly. Good luck.
I bought one two years ago with a new piston and cyl. for 225$ A rebuilt saw in other words. I like it. Also had a new bar and chain.
Stonebroke
cool guys, I read the 55 won't start thread too. I asked the seller to shoot me a price, so we will see what they want. 50-120 depending on what's going on with the saw. I'd prefer one that doesn't need work so.. we shall see. Thanks for the bit about pulling the muffler off.
ahahahahhahahhahaahh $250 :D That's rich. I told'em 120 is my highest and that's after passing my inspection.
I payed less than that for my 044!
She was king enough to respond to my ad so I thanked her anyway, she knows where to find me.
$150 to $175 if in good shape. Steve
If you are, or are not familiar with saws! A husky 55 is a nice saw! For having mine for over 7 years! It has cut a lot of firewood!!!!!
I am not a husky or Stihl die-hard. Just a person that needs a saw to do the job! Some say that the pistons score easy, just use good gas and good mix.
Like Steve said, 150-175 is a good price if it is in good shape!
Me personally, I have been burned by my local saw shops. I just had to learn how to tear then down!(just like learning how to use them to cut!!!!!) Plus parts are still easy to find. Check Baileys online.
Matt
Quote from: Glenn on September 03, 2009, 05:50:01 AM
why would you say he doesn"t know much about saws ys just because he asked an honest question about a particular model you didn"t answer his question but just suggested he didn"t know anything get over yourself
I didn't get that from Cheyenne's post... He was merely stating that it seemed the OP was not to keen on saws. I kinda assumed the same thing from the original post. I think you kinda jumped the gun a little thinkin' he was slammin' the guy.
Gary
So today I had no choice but to go pick up a saw that didn't run. A guy responded to my CL ad offering a Poulan Woodshark 14" saw that ran once and never again. I denied him, but last night before the LSU game started I heard a loud crack, swosh, and slam. 7-8" dia limb decided it didn't like being in my pecan tree anymore. A little seafoam and priming the little sucker fired up and went to work. After an hour with this saw I got out the axe and made more progress. This was a huge reminder as to why I want a Semi-Pro saw. $25 wasn't bad, but it's most likely going back up on CL.
An hour cutting up an 8" limb? Sorry, but that tells me that the problem is a dull chain (untrained operator). It's really difficult to tell people this and I still haven't figured out how to do it without offending most, but it is almost unheard of for ANY person to be able to operate a chainsaw safely and productively without either training and/or at least a year's experience. I don't think I've ever met anybody with less than 5 years experience that knew how to use a file. You could buy the most expensive chainsaw on the market and would still be unable to cut much with it after an hour of use until you get some training.
An 8" limb is about a 5 minute job to cut up. Unless your chain is dull. An untrained operator can dull a chain in one cut.
The Husky 55 is a good medium size saw for medium duty use. I got one this summer from a landscaper that burned it up in 5 tanks of fuel, dropped a new piston and cylinder on it and gave it to a buddy. His crew is using it for a ground saw in his tree business and it's working fine for them.
Be nice!
every one is at a different pace!
But I recommend a Stihl training video, chaps, HEAVY leather gloves and a helmet with face shield!
I was there once, KINDA still am!!!!!!
Matt
Quote from: Rocky_J on September 06, 2009, 09:08:26 PM
It's really difficult to tell people this and I still haven't figured out how to do it without offending most, but it is almost unheard of for ANY person to be able to operate a chainsaw safely and productively without either training and/or at least a year's experience. I don't think I've ever met anybody with less than 5 years experience that knew how to use a file.
I remember back to when I purchased my first chainsaw after using a Wright reciprocating blade saw for a couple of years. Everything was going good with the new chainsaw until I hit a piece of old barbed wire in a tree I was bucking up for firewood. So I think how hard can it be to file a chain? Well, after many attemps to sharpen that chain I was ready to give the saw away, it wouldn't cut straight and at times wouldn't cut at all.
I must admit it took me several years to be able to sharpen a chain so that it would cut like new, and even now after 35 years of trying if I don't take my time I can still make a chain cut poorly.
Randy
Had one here for 8 years, not used a lot. Mostly used to limb yard trees and buck up windfalls. Have used it to saw up quite bit of firewood the first couple of years I owned it. It's a reliable saw. Cost $450 CDN at the local shop new.
Quote from: Rocky_J on September 06, 2009, 09:08:26 PM
An hour cutting up an 8" limb? Sorry, but that tells me that the problem is a dull chain (untrained operator). It's really difficult to tell people this and I still haven't figured out how to do it without offending most, but it is almost unheard of for ANY person to be able to operate a chainsaw safely and productively without either training and/or at least a year's experience. I don't think I've ever met anybody with less than 5 years experience that knew how to use a file. You could buy the most expensive chainsaw on the market and would still be unable to cut much with it after an hour of use until you get some training.
An 8" limb is about a 5 minute job to cut up. Unless your chain is dull. An untrained operator can dull a chain in one cut.
The Husky 55 is a good medium size saw for medium duty use. I got one this summer from a landscaper that burned it up in 5 tanks of fuel, dropped a new piston and cylinder on it and gave it to a buddy. His crew is using it for a ground saw in his tree business and it's working fine for them.
Well start teaching us O Great one! The blade was dull to begin with from the previous owner. The saw was used to cut all of the branches up to 1.5". So the saw maybe had 15 of cutting on it. All the larger limbs had an axe taken to them. A woodshark is a disposable saw sold by Walmart. When I get the saw I want things will be much better.
Again, an untrained operator can dull a chain in one cut. Your refusal to sharpen the chain is not the saw's fault. Buy whatever saw you like, and by the 4th or 5th cut it will be just as dull and worthless as that Crapsman. Then who are you going to blame?
Sharpening the chain is not 'major service', it's basic maintenance that should be as common as putting proper mix fuel in the tank and cleaning the air filter once in a while. The fact that you bought a used saw with a dull chain is not uncommon. The fact that you tried to use it without sharpening the chain and now blame the saw for not cutting is laughable.
These are beginning to sound like personal attacks. I'm not blaming the saw. I refuse to sharpen the blade on a saw that will not start reliably. I know it would have been quicker to have sharpened the chain than it took to get it started first time. I don't have a file for this size chain. Let it go man.
I've been kicking around this forum for awhile now, and I doubt anyone's trying to attack you. Rocky_J is most likely trying to help. His advice to me has been really helpful. :) TT
I was thinkin...... well, on second thought. I'll keep my thoughts to myself. :-X
Good luck, Restoman.
Growing up in a family business it was drumed into my head, If what you are trying to sell, may be worth $ 10,000 dollars but if all you can get for it is a $ 1,000 then thats all its worth. I could never understand that thinking until it was the money coming out of my own pocket. You must remember dealer cost is 50% less of MSRP or less because they buy in volume. Now what is a saw worth that you know nothing about & you have to expect the worst. Thats just good business. Have you ever seen a junkman on welfare. A $ 500.00 saw retail $ 250.00 wholesale or less, used & probley beat for 5 years or whatever, now whats it worth. You decide........Cheyenne
I'm just jerking you guys chains. I don't feel attacked and I appreciate all of the help you guys have. The hunt is still on.
Quote from: Restoman on September 09, 2009, 10:35:46 PM
These are beginning to sound like personal attacks. I'm not blaming the saw. I refuse to sharpen the blade on a saw that will not start reliably. I know it would have been quicker to have sharpened the chain than it took to get it started first time. I don't have a file for this size chain. Let it go man.
I dont care if your using a $99 disposable saw or a $1600 pro saw. A SHARP CHAIN IS A MUST!
Take $7 get you a 5/32 Oregon file and guide at wally world if you have a 3/8LP chain and sharpen the chain before cutting, then touch up anytime you start to see saw dust instead of chips.
You can sharpen those 55's to a point it's taking "almost" too much bite to. Mine just has enough "mmph" to chew up hard maple. You should never have to lean on a saw. ;D
Quote from: SwampDonkey on September 11, 2009, 04:42:01 PM
You can sharpen those 55's to a point it's taking "almost" too much bite to. Mine just has enough "mmph" to chew up hard maple. You should never have to lean on a saw. ;D
Right. My Husky 55 doesn't like to be worked at all, keep the RPM's up and it cuts pretty good, load it a little and it falls flat real quick. You need to use a light touch with a good sharp chain. Steve
Stopped at the local Husq dealer today, he has the 55 rancher for $449.00 cdn = taxes.
Well the search is over, I found a nice 026 from Tennessee. I have to go get supplies for the saw and then I will try is out. I need more bar oil, another file, another batch of mixed fuel to last me through autumn. Some of my equipment drinks that stuff like its a party and others just sip. You can guess which ones I like. Thanks to everyone who helped with their advice, it was all taken.