New (to me) chainsaw,

teakboat · December 02, 2008, 12:29:47 AM

Stihl 036, with case, 20" bar and extra chain, original manual and literature, practically new condition, hardly a smudge. The old fellow just got too up in years plus heart surgery after he bought it, I think. Stored for a couple of years without fuel in the tank. Paid $285, how bad did I overpay?

Also, what steps should I do prior to firing it up, concerned about the carb needing a cleaning else it might run too lean?

Dave Shepard · December 02, 2008, 12:36:15 AM

I think you did just fine. I think I paid over $500 for mine many years ago.

sawguy21 · December 02, 2008, 12:39:55 AM

Welcome to the forum, pull up a stump and join in the fun.
Sounds like you did alright, probably very low hours on it. Check the fuel and impulse lines they should not be hard and brittle or soft and spongy. If in doubt replace with new line and don't forget the in tank fuel filter. Mix fresh gas at 50:1 and give 'er a try. You will not hurt anything by firing it up, if it does not perform well you may need to o/h the carburetor.

timber tramp · December 02, 2008, 11:39:24 AM

Bought a MS360 pro (same as the 036 just newer) off of craigslist 2 years ago paid 325.00, so IMO you did'nt pay too much. Might mix your fuel a bit richer than 50:1 for your maiden voyage, 32:1 would be my reccomendation, make sure everythings in good shape, and then go to the leaner mix later, if you want to. Better to buy spark plugs than pistons.

Cut4fun · December 02, 2008, 02:51:41 PM

I paid $325 for a like new 361 with 16" b+c. So your price is a fair one too imo.

sawmilllawyer · December 02, 2008, 09:17:45 PM

Check it over very carefully, and depending on how the maiden trip to the woods goes, well you will have your answer. Without seeing or better yet hearing the saw run, the price seems to be a good deal. Time will tell, though.

teakboat · December 02, 2008, 09:34:22 PM

Thanks for the replies. Looking over the saw things appear in order. I think the carb was run dry prior to storage, I hope.

I was thinking about trying to use one of those mini milling machines on some red and white oaks I have (bunches of them really), but I wonder if that is really practical. Seems like it would just wear out the saw and burn a bunch of fuel for any amount of board feet of wood?

Short of buying a real sawmill like you guys, is there any practical way to harvest any hardwood timber?

sawguy21 · December 02, 2008, 11:24:06 PM

The chainsaw mills are inexpensive and a good way to start. Bear in mind they are slow and labor intensive, they also produce a lot of sawdust. Fine for small projects but I would not have the patience to build a house using one.

Woodchuck53 · December 04, 2008, 11:15:19 PM

You probably know this but here it goes anyway. Never ever 1. loan it to a friend, 2. make sure friend does not use other than Stihl oil in it as you will lose said friend. Chuck

KyMasterLogger · December 05, 2008, 10:07:47 AM

Quote from: Woodchuck53 on December 04, 2008, 11:15:19 PM
You probably know this but here it goes anyway. Never ever 1. loan it to a friend, 2. make sure friend does not use other than Stihl oil in it as you will lose said friend. Chuck

bar oil or mixing oil???.... ;D

Dodgy Loner · December 05, 2008, 11:32:40 AM

Woodchuck, what's the rationale behind using only Stihl oil? I recently bought a Stihl 440, but since I don't have a Stihl dealer near me, I've been using Husqvarna bar and chain and engine oil. I want to keep the saw in good condition for many years to come.

Ianab · December 05, 2008, 04:18:18 PM

Quote from: Dodgy Loner on December 05, 2008, 11:32:40 AM
Woodchuck, what's the rationale behind using only Stihl oil? I recently bought a Stihl 440, but since I don't have a Stihl dealer near me, I've been using Husqvarna bar and chain and engine oil. I want to keep the saw in good condition for many years to come.

Agreed. The most important thing is to use a good quality 2 stroke Oil. If it has a Stihl sticker on the bottle it's safe to assume that it's the good stuff. But same with the Husky brand.

Chain oil isn't so important, but the better stuff is stickier, stays on the bar better so it may help the bar and chain last longer.

Our local Stihl oil has fine print on the back "Made in NZ by Castrol". If I go to the Auto parts store and buy normal Castrol 2 Stroke Oil, it's in the same bottle with a different sticker and has a different colour dye, but I bet it's exactly the same stuff.

Ian

teakboat · December 05, 2008, 06:27:58 PM

Well, I did fire it up today. Seems to run fine. The guy had missed the chain off the sprocket and I didn't notice that, so the clutch probably got a little hot while I fumbled around with it. Corrected that and it works fine. Looking in the cylinder it looks fresh (and unscored), very little carbon on the piston. Soon I will take it to the woods and see how it works under a load.

Woodchuck53 · December 05, 2008, 11:18:12 PM

Evening Dodgy, When my saw was returned to me we found it had a problem. When it was hard to pull over I removed the muffler and could visually see the scoring on the piston. I went to buy parts from my dealer to repair and he inquired what was the problem. Did I mind if he took a look at it. Knowing he would want to I had brought it with me. The first comment out of his mouth was something other than Stihl recommended oil had been used. I'm sure there are many fine oils out there. I have no knowledge of Husky products so can't say. Just relaying to a new Stihl owner my limited knowledge of my dealings with the Sthl people here in our area. I currently own 4 Stihl's and want loan or take anything for them. Am well pleased with our dealer also. Just my .02's worth. Chuck---PS. Our company makes the fine Castrol product.

John Mc · December 06, 2008, 01:13:31 PM

There may well be differences in quality between various brands of chainsaw oil. The way I figure it, I'm safe with any of the "name brand" chainsaw mix oils. Husqvarna/Jonsered or Stihl are not going to put their name on an oil that doesn't do what it needs to. Problems caused by poor oil would also hurt the reputation of their saws, since some users would blame the problem on the saw. There are almost certainly other good chainsaw oils out there.

This does NOT mean you can run an good-name 2 cycle oil in your chainsaw. The base stock may be similar, but other additives are very different for a water-cooled, marine outboard engine as compared to an air-cooled chainsaw engine.

Also, the fact that two oils are made by the same company does not mean they are the same. They can be made to different specifications, and/or designed for different end uses. A company that makes only one kind of oil probably isn't going to be around long, even if they relabel it under a variety of names.

John Mc

Rocky_J · December 06, 2008, 03:25:38 PM

Oh, but Stihl uses special metal compounds in it's saws and they will implode if you use any other brand of oil other than Stihl oil. :

:

Correlation does not equal causation. Just because some nimrod burnt up his saw doesn't mean that the brand of oil was at fault. Dealers will often times say anything in order to promote their own line of products. This includes bald-faced lies about "You can't use anything but Stihl oil or else it will......"

Here's a newsflash for ya. Dealers lie. ;)