Chainsaws and those who use them

[mdwest]

Just added another Stihl to the now growing collection.. I might have found the deal of a century on it..

I picked up a used MS180 16" residential saw.. dirty as hell, and missing a chain (easy enough to replace), but running just fine at an auction just outside of Dallas..

$15 plus a 12% "buyers premium"... so I am $16.80 into a nice, lightweight saw I can use for smaller tasks rather than having to pull out the much larger/heavier MS291 20" saw..

 

[Cheesehead]

Just added another Stihl to the now growing collection.. I might have found the deal of a century on it..

I picked up a used MS180 16" residential saw.. dirty as hell, and missing a chain (easy enough to replace), but running just fine at an auction just outside of Dallas..

$15 plus a 12% "buyers premium"... so I am $16.80 into a nice, lightweight saw I can use for smaller tasks rather than having to pull out the much larger/heavier MS291 20" saw..

That is great deal! I just picked up a Jonsered 490 for free, just had to help an elderly lady clean out her late husband’s storage unit.

Put a little fresh gas in it and she fired right up! I hear these were a pretty desirable saw back in the day

 

[mdwest]

That is great deal! I just picked up a Jonsered 490 for free, just had to help an elderly lady clean out her late husband’s storage unit.

Put a little fresh gas in it and she fired right up! I hear these were a pretty desirable saw back in the day

Jonsered still command pretty high prices whenever you see one pop up at the various auction houses, eBay, etc.. I’m not sure why husqvarna discontinued the Jonsered lines.. by all accounts they were popular and had a good piece of the North American market at a time that Husqvarna was running a very distant second place behind Stihl..

 

[mdwest]

the $15 saw in question

picked it up, brought it home.. hit it with a can of compressed air and then wiped it down with some degreaser... put a little fuel in the tank and a little bar oil in the reservoir.. just a couple of pulls on the handle and it fired up with zero issues..

I figured with a $15 price tag I was going to find a couple of minor issues with it, and probably have to do some minor repairs to get it running well... but that wasn't the case.. the air filter looks like it was replaced fairly recently, the spark plug is in good shape.. the carb is functioning perfectly, etc.. etc..

The bar is still straight as an arrow and doesn't have any mushrooming on it at all.. but its obviously been very well worn.. so I ordered a new Oregon bar and chain combo ($36 delivered to my door) and will keep the old bar in the case as a back up..

Super stoked to add this little gem to the arsenal at the price point it was acquired..

 

[Daniel Cary]

View attachment 696498

the $15 saw in question

picked it up, brought it home.. hit it with a can of compressed air and then wiped it down with some degreaser... put a little fuel in the tank and a little bar oil in the reservoir.. just a couple of pulls on the handle and it fired up with zero issues..

I figured with a $15 price tag I was going to find a couple of minor issues with it, and probably have to do some minor repairs to get it running well... but that wasn't the case.. the air filter looks like it was replaced fairly recently, the spark plug is in good shape.. the carb is functioning perfectly, etc.. etc..

The bar is still straight as an arrow and doesn't have any mushrooming on it at all.. but its obviously been very well worn.. so I ordered a new Oregon bar and chain combo ($36 delivered to my door) and will keep the old bar in the case as a back up..

Super stoked to add this little gem to the arsenal at the price point it was acquired..

This guy sells kits on Ebay. Though it was bs .. however, small saws with sprokets, long bars & 325 chain. Not Ported!

actually pretty slick.

 

[Daniel Cary]

Stihl MS250 with a 24

MS 261 with a 28

 

[mdwest]

Here’s a question for you you more serious chainsaw guys…

What’s a good option for a hard case for the little Stihl 180?

Stihl sells a medium and a large case… they say the medium is for the 170-500 series..

It’s about a perfect fit for my 291… I can fit a few tools and a spare chain in there etc. and the power head itself fits reasonably snugly inside..

But it is in my opinion WAY too big and bulky for the 180… I’d like something as low profile and lightweight as possible.. but also durable to long road trips and bouncing around in the back of the truck and Side by Side on improvised roads, etc

Are there any reasonable options out there for small residential sized saws?

Google hasn’t been my friend on this…

 

[Altitude sickness]

Depending on what type of vehicle you are carrying it on. A clamp mounted or magnetic mount scabbard is very handy.

 

[mdwest]

Struck paydirt again on another 2 stroke power tool…

Picked up a barely used Husqvarna 125BVX blower for $45 all in (tax, buyers premium, etc)…

I don’t know that I really needed a 2 stroke blower.. I’ve got a Ryobi 18v battery blower that pretty much does everything I ask of it… but at less than $50 for a $269 blower I couldnt resist…

Truly night and day difference.. the battery blower produces 90mpg wind.. the husqvarna produces 170mph… and the husqvarna has a cool vacuum option as well that the battery blower does f have..

When I picked up the blower it already had a full tank of fuel, so I thought I’d see how easy it is to crank.. it fired up immediately…

So far I’m pretty happy with the purchase..

Now I just need to find a $15 stihl pole saw and a $45 husqvarna 2 stroke hedger and my collection will be complete

 

[Daniel Cary]

Here’s a question for you you more serious chainsaw guys…

What’s a good option for a hard case for the little Stihl 180?

Stihl sells a medium and a large case… they say the medium is for the 170-500 series..

It’s about a perfect fit for my 291… I can fit a few tools and a spare chain in there etc. and the power head itself fits reasonably snugly inside..

But it is in my opinion WAY too big and bulky for the 180… I’d like something as low profile and lightweight as possible.. but also durable to long road trips and bouncing around in the back of the truck and Side by Side on improvised roads, etc

Are there any reasonable options out there for small residential sized saws?

Google hasn’t been my friend on this…

Idk if this might help .. one stop shop for anything relative.

https://www.baileysonline.com/chainsaws/chainsaw-accessories/chainsaw-storage.html

Anything OEM Stihl, usually has to come from a dealer, unfortunately. They'll answer any questionable questions,

 

[Happy Myles]

My, a swanky chainsaw case. Treat that saw like a fine violin. Good for you

 

[BonUm16]

Here’s a question for you you more serious chainsaw guys…

What’s a good option for a hard case for the little Stihl 180?

Stihl sells a medium and a large case… they say the medium is for the 170-500 series..

It’s about a perfect fit for my 291… I can fit a few tools and a spare chain in there etc. and the power head itself fits reasonably snugly inside..

But it is in my opinion WAY too big and bulky for the 180… I’d like something as low profile and lightweight as possible.. but also durable to long road trips and bouncing around in the back of the truck and Side by Side on improvised roads, etc

Are there any reasonable options out there for small residential sized saws?

Google hasn’t been my friend on this…

May not be exactly what you’re looking for but I use a 28in Tool Box for my 12in Dewalt. It lives in my vehicle when hunting the state and national forests in the fall. There is plenty of room for the saw and all accessories to be contained in one location.

The pole saw chains don’t go along, just there for storage at home. I’ve 50+ 20v batteries so it’s easy enough to toss in half-a-dozen plus a charger and go. No worries of running out of juice.

 

[mdwest]

May not be exactly what you’re looking for but I use a 28in Tool Box for my 12in Dewalt. It lives in my vehicle when hunting the state and national forests in the fall. There is plenty of room for the saw and all accessories to be contained in one location.

The pole saw chains don’t go along, just there for storage at home. I’ve 50+ 20v batteries so it’s easy enough to toss in half-a-dozen plus a charger and go. No worries of running out of juice.

View attachment 697644

I hadnt thought about a regular storage box as opposed to a dedicated "chainsaw" case.. thats actually really good and would perfectly fit my needs.. Ive actually got a 27" x 13" x 18" lockable plano case that Im certain the saw would fit into plus a fuel can, spare chain, some tools, eye and ear pro, gloves, etc.. etc..etc..

what Im looking for is something I can just "grab and go", that keeps everything I might need in one organized place, and also contains the saw so that its not leaking bar oil all over the garage floor or shelves, etc...

Thanks!

Im with you on the batteries.. I went with Ryobi for all of my normal household tools (everything from drill to circular saw to string trimmer to jigsaw, etc.. I bet Ive got at least a dozen 18v Ryobi tools out in the garage..

I learned quickly that big projects require far more batteries than I ever planned for.. and freaking batteries are expensive.. So now every time I see them go on sale, I grab a few.. I think Im up to 10 total now, and I've got a large bank charger (will do 6x at one time) as well.. I'll probably stop at 20.. I burned through all Ive currently got a couple of times over a weekend at the deer lease working on various stuff..

 

[Wyatt Smith]

Chainsaws are pretty tough, mine just ride on top of the wood on the way home. They have been dropped, thrown and stuck under trees. I can’t see the what the case would protect it from that wouldn’t destroy it either way.
I think the cases were invented so people could have something to get their dad for Father’s Day, or maybe for the occasional worrywart.

 

[Boyd Brooks]

 

[BonUm16]

I hadnt thought about a regular storage box as opposed to a dedicated "chainsaw" case.. thats actually really good and would perfectly fit my needs.. Ive actually got a 27" x 13" x 18" lockable plano case that Im certain the saw would fit into plus a fuel can, spare chain, some tools, eye and ear pro, gloves, etc.. etc..etc..

what Im looking for is something I can just "grab and go", that keeps everything I might need in one organized place, and also contains the saw so that its not leaking bar oil all over the garage floor or shelves, etc...

Thanks!

Im with you on the batteries.. I went with Ryobi for all of my normal household tools (everything from drill to circular saw to string trimmer to jigsaw, etc.. I bet Ive got at least a dozen 18v Ryobi tools out in the garage..

I learned quickly that big projects require far more batteries than I ever planned for.. and freaking batteries are expensive.. So now every time I see them go on sale, I grab a few.. I think Im up to 10 total now, and I've got a large bank charger (will do 6x at one time) as well.. I'll probably stop at 20.. I burned through all Ive currently got a couple of times over a weekend at the deer lease working on various stuff..

Glad I could help. It’s a big plus having everything all in the same place and ready to go. I will suggest that if your Plano case doesn’t have a gasket around the rim, consider getting another case that does if you’re going to transport fuel in it. Not a big deal if things get knocked over in the bed of a truck, bit more of an issue if it happens in a SUV or car.

As to batteries, yes, they are expensive. Thankfully, until recently, I could write mine off my taxes. Glad I had the forethought to upgrade the majority of my power tools the last years of self-employment.

 

[ZG47]

I hadnt thought about a regular storage box as opposed to a dedicated "chainsaw" case.. thats actually really good and would perfectly fit my needs.. Ive actually got a 27" x 13" x 18" lockable plano case that Im certain the saw would fit into plus a fuel can, spare chain, some tools, eye and ear pro, gloves, etc.. etc..etc..

what Im looking for is something I can just "grab and go", that keeps everything I might need in one organized place, and also contains the saw so that its not leaking bar oil all over the garage floor or shelves, etc...

Thanks!

Im with you on the batteries.. I went with Ryobi for all of my normal household tools (everything from drill to circular saw to string trimmer to jigsaw, etc.. I bet Ive got at least a dozen 18v Ryobi tools out in the garage..

I learned quickly that big projects require far more batteries than I ever planned for.. and freaking batteries are expensive.. So now every time I see them go on sale, I grab a few.. I think Im up to 10 total now, and I've got a large bank charger (will do 6x at one time) as well.. I'll probably stop at 20.. I burned through all Ive currently got a couple of times over a weekend at the deer lease working on various stuff..

Ryobi battery tools are good value for home handymen and can be useful for tradesmen with cash flow issues. Just remember that Lithium batteries like cooler days NOT hot days. Keeping them under cover i.e., out of direct sun until needed, is good practice. A woollen travel rug or heavy woollen shirt works just as well at protecting those batteries as it does for rifle scopes and ammunition that you leave out. I know this because I have been doing exactly that for years—decades with cameras, scopes and ammunition. Cheers from NZ.
P.S. One hot summer day on site, a young fella ignored my repeated advice to keep his company cell phone out of the sun. It took at least an hour before it cooled down sufficiently to function and he received an appropriate ‘bollocking’.

 

[mdwest]

Chainsaws are pretty tough, mine just ride on top of the wood on the way home. They have been dropped, thrown and stuck under trees. I can’t see the what the case would protect it from that wouldn’t destroy it either way.
I think the cases were invented so people could have something to get their dad for Father’s Day, or maybe for the occasional worrywart.

Im not worried about "protecting" the saw per se.. I figure if the tool is designed to be drug all over the woods, slammed into trees, etc... it doesnt really need protection from a ride in the back of the truck..

Im more interested in keeping the saw, some accessories, ear/eye pro, etc all organized and together so that all I have to do is pick up the box/case and go.. when I get to wherever it is I am going everything I need is with me..

For example.. I have a Stihl MS291.. in the factory case (was a freebie as part of the incentive/deal to buy the saw), is the saw, 2 wedges, a pair of gloves, eye and ear pro, the scrench, a spare chain, a file, and a can of pre-mix fuel, and some bar oil....

Id like to do something similar for the MS180.. but the factory case comparitively to the size of the MS180 is freaking huge.. I was hoping to find something a little smaller/lower profile, but with enough space inside to still fit all of the "extras" in addition to the saw so that it also is a simple "grab and go" type operation..

 

[mdwest]

View attachment 697644

I went with a very similar solution.. thanks again for this recommendation...

Cabelas has a 17 gallon "sportsmans" box made by Plano for $25.. Its slightly bigger than your box, but dimensionally I think perfect for my needs.. the box is 30" long for example and my saw with bar and chain is 29" long.. so pretty close to a perfect fit.. with plenty of room left over in the box around the bar and power head to pack other saw related "stuff" in there.. I have enough Cabelas points to pay exactly $0.00 for the box.. and its a nice "chainsaw orange" color.. so it will be pretty easy to identify in a garage already full of black and OD green cans, boxes, etc that contain tons and tons of other "stuff"..

My little saw now has a home (as soon as I make time to run up to Cabelas and pick it up )...

 

[BonUm16]

I went with a very similar solution.. thanks again for this recommendation...

Cabelas has a 17 gallon "sportsmans" box made by Plano for $25.. Its slightly bigger than your box, but dimensionally I think perfect for my needs.. the box is 30" long for example and my saw with bar and chain is 29" long.. so pretty close to a perfect fit.. with plenty of room left over in the box around the bar and power head to pack other saw related "stuff" in there.. I have enough Cabelas points to pay exactly $0.00 for the box.. and its a nice "chainsaw orange" color.. so it will be pretty easy to identify in a garage already full of black and OD green cans, boxes, etc that contain tons and tons of other "stuff"..

My little saw now has a home (as soon as I make time to run up to Cabelas and pick it up )...

View attachment 697874

Nice. A Stihl decal or two wouldn’t look out of place on that.