So.... I'm back again, and my saw finally died.

[SasquatchMan]

I haven't posted on here in donks.    Been super busy with work and kids and such, and kinda forgot about you guys.   

Anyhow, my issue is that the MS290 I bought about 8 years ago just died, and it's dead, all scored to hell.   I guess it didn't like cutting up that barn or something. 

So.   New saw time.   Stihl dealers everywhere around me, one Husky dealer.   I have no idea if I can get a Dolmar or Jonsered anywhere near here or have them serviced.   So my preference is Stihl I guess. 

Question is, do I just buy another 290 and abuse it till it dies (the saw worked great for years), or would a better quality of saw have some kind of better filter system or something that might protect it in dirty conditions?   I honestly have no idea why the piston is all screwed up - I had a newish air filter, always ran fresh mixed gas... the saw hasn't been treated wrong, just run in fairly ugly conditions. 

I have used a husky Rancher, a stihl 260, a stihl 271, and the 290.   Thought the 290 was the strongest and also the roughest to cut with.    Don't think I need to spend the bucks and get a 361 but it's not out of the question. 

Thoughts?  Thanks gents.   

[cuterz]

I would go with a Husky filters stay fairly clean. 8)

[SasquatchMan]

Doin' some more reading here and I think I just killed the saw by working it too hard on that demo.   That was awful cutting. 

Think I'll buy a Poulan for demo and a nice saw for firewood. 

Dolmar 5100 available for $560 Cdn south of here, Stihl 271 Duro (carbide) is 500, 261 is 600 bucks.  362 is $750.

[Okrafarmer]

You did that which is nearly impossible to do, you killed a 290. I have had my 290 for 7-8 years and out of all the 10-15 saws in our stable, it is my go-to saw for almost everything. If I have to choose just one saw to take with me to a jobsite, it is the 290. If I have to choose two, it's one of them. It is just so much more trouble-free than any of our other saws, Stihl or Husqvarna, that are showing any age. We have some newer Husq's and they're good when they're new, but the older Husqs I find rather temperamental. We also have a Stihl MS360 Pro and an MS440. They both are temperamental (we got both those two used). I will always look to the MS290 as my dearest 2-cycle friend, it just simply doesn't need as much maintenance as all the other saws I've used.

Besides-- you already have another one for parts.  ;D

[SasquatchMan]

There's a good chance I will just go get another 290.   I've beat the hell out of that thing for a long time.  It doesn't owe me anything, and it always ran.  Having a "parter" makes sense. 

Too soon old, too late smart.   

[Ianab]

Buying another 290 (or 291?) is actually a sensible option. The last one served you well, no reason to think that the next wont wont do just as well.

As to why the old one blew up? Maybe an air leak or blocked up carb let it lean out, and under heavy load that's going to cause a melt down. Cost to rebuild is probably more than a well used 8 year old saw is worth. Buy another and you are set for the next 8 years.

I have a MS310 (very similar saw) that only really had light use over the same sort of time, and it's still runs sweet. Hadn't run it for about 6 months, pulled it out, still had gas and oil  :-\ , 6 pulls and it fired up. OK I think our gas is different, but it still fired up.

Ian

[Al_Smith]

Well once again the 029/290 is a popular model that evidently has a following .Most report having had great success with them .However there is always a rebuttal .

In my shed is an entire box full of 029's and 039's that did not survive an entire year in service for a tree triming company .Now granted that is probabley the most severe service a saw can be submitted to .By the same token in that same shed sits a 1980's Stihls 038 magnum that after over 20 years of hard service still runs like a new one .

So using that example it would appear that the professional models although they cost more are more robust in the long haul .I might add the 038 has been partially rebuilt several times but it's the original cylinder .

[Okrafarmer]

Well, I don't know why that is, Al. My 290 I have had for 7-8 years, and 3-4 years of that has been brutal tree service work, where several husqvarnas were ruined and several Stihls failed to shine. It has had idiots pick it up and do strange things to it. We've had abuse of the bar and chain, and the bar has been replaced several times because of it, it's been tuned up two or three times, but no major parts replaced other than the bar.

[Al_Smith]

Oh no doubt the early  demise of those Stihls were directly related to abuse .It was during a time of massive damage caused by the worst ice storm in 40 years .

The reason the two tree services bought them is because they were a less expensive option at the time rather than say 026's or 044's .In spite of their early demise they more than paid for themselves in the work they performed .

As to the clam shell designed Stihls myself and several others look upon them as ample for their intended use but not really rebuildable as a removable cylinder design .Then again you have to remember we are on the rebuilding end of things more so than the average poster .Just an opinion . ;)

[Okrafarmer]

If my 290 died today, it would have massively paid for itself hundreds of times over. There were times where it paid for itself in a day's work.

[clww]

I used the heck out of my one 290 doing tree removal work/firewood sales for over three years. Now it's working for me up in the mountains daily. Not as powerful as others in the truck, but I would never hesitate buying another.
As Okra pointed out, you'll have spare parts, too. ;)

[Al_Smith]

I was able to get I think two runners going from that pile of dead ones .Some of the parts ended up on other saws etc so it wasn't a total lose .The two runners have long since died themslves though but when you start out with half worn out stuff you can't expect too much .

About all that's left is filters and a couple of cooked cylinders and maybe  carb or two and assorted stuff that will never find any use .

Now I'm not just picking on Stihl either because I have slew of busted 335 Huskey trim saws that couldn't cut the mustard either bought during that same time period .

[SasquatchMan]

Cost to rebuild is probably more than a well used 8 year old saw is worth. Buy another and you are set for the next 8 years.

Yeah cost to do the repair gets me to within 100 bucks of the new saw with the current promo, and leaves me with a saw that has questionable airlines or carb perhaps, so I'm better off new. 

[lumberjack48]

I've got a feeling if you buy anything new and run it the way the 029 was being used when it went south, the same thing will happen. Every saw i had that burnt the piston up was my fault i stayed in the throttle just a little to long. After yrs an yrs of use i never had the piston go up in smoke, i wore the crank bearings out and the butterfly shaft in the carb got egg shaped.

The worst saw i had for scorning the piston was the 266 Husky, i loved the saw, fast, nice handling saw for limbing, but i had to be careful, it couldn't get rid of the heat, she'd score the piston on the port side.

When i had something like this happen i wanted to know if it was saw failure, gas mixture or operator.   

[SasquatchMan]

Yeah I don't know the cause for sure, will probably open up the 290 and check it out further, but I just picked up a Poulan 2050 for beating on (cut up 1000 square foot deck today, nails and all... sigh).   

Grabbed a nice little Stihl 271 for the firewood duties.   This way I can keep it sharp and happy, and beat the Poulan into the ground.   It paid for itself this afternoon cuz it was on sale for $229 at Crappy Tire.   

[Al_Smith]

So then you use the saws for demolition .That really shouldn't  be hard on them .Well it would be on the chains no doubt about that .

[SasquatchMan]

Demolition and firewood, and now I have 2 separate units.   

The demo in question was a fairly old building, all sorts of layers of ply and drywall and plaster and insulation and plastic, shingles.. and ... just everything.   It was a terrible day, BUT I didn't think it was a saw killing day.    Just as likely, or most likely I guess, the saw's been running a little lean either by carb or maybe a broken line somewhere, and this was just the end of that road.    Live and learn.   

I looked at the dead hulk tonight and thought "Huh, I have no idea how to get this thing apart to look at it."    :D :D

[AdkStihl]

Rebuild that 290 with a 390 shortblock from Baileys.
Nuff said

[jteneyck]

Hi all.  Long time away.  To the OP, I would pull the piston and cylinder out and check to see if the cylinder is scored.  I've repaired two 290's with fried pistons, but the cylinders were fine; just cleaned them up a little.  I put after market pistons in them and they are both running fine several years later.  I think those pistons cost less than $50.  A 290 is not the easiest thing to tear down or put back together, but with patience it can be done. 

Anyway, before you trash it, pull it apart and see how bad it really is. 

John 

[SasquatchMan]

I have no idea, no time, no ability, and no desire to rebuild it.   Because I don't know how to trouble shoot it anyhow, so I'll just as likely fry the new parts.   

I looked at it for about 5 minutes, thought "Huh, I have no clue how to get this thing apart, let alone back together if I did."

If they built chainsaws out of dovetailed hardwood, I bet I could fix it. 

[banjerplayer]

trade in your old chainsaw for a  new husqvarna special going on for next few weeks and they are jonsered sister company. saws, parts & service shouldn't be an issue.

[Okrafarmer]

Welcome, Banjerplayer, I don't recall meeting you before!

There's nothing like a new chainsaw, even if it is a Husqvarna.  ;)

[SasquatchMan]

I started with a Stihl a long time ago because there's Stihl dealers in every direction from my house, and only 1 husky dealer and it's 1/2 hour north of me.   

[mad murdock]

Welcome banjerplayer. Nothing wrong with a swede saw. I started on mac's, moved to swede saws (jonsereds and husky) I have rediscovered my roots and am looking for more yellow gold (McCullochs). A good saw is one that works every time you pick it up to use it, and when you put it down, you don't feel like it worked you over!

[grweldon]

banjerplayer... got more info about that Husky special?