To new saw or not to new saw?

[byjoshuawilliams]

Hi All,

 

brand new to the site but as always really great to find a forum full of knowledgeable people on the topic I'm looking into! 

 

Basically I have a dilemma. I have an old ms250 I picked up which refuses to run properly and is very erratic. I've had various people look at it and it's with Countrywide atm. Their tech guys say the initial problem is the ignition module, and are charging me £140 to fix that. They also won't guarantee it doesn't need carb work etc as well. 

 

Now, I suspect that the best thing to do would be to buy a new one. The majority of my use is firewood/light land management. I'm leaning towards buying something like the ms231 (unfortunately that is the limit of my budget) and to buy it new as I've been stung by getting a 2nd hand saw before. 

 

Therefore, my questions are (I'm afraid!) multiple. 

 

A, is there anywhere I could try and get my saw fixed at a price that would be justifiable?

B, is it worth getting a ms231 over, lets say, a ms181 or equivalent Echo etc? I just worry that these 'homeowner' saws aren't built so well and therefore won't last as long even though the majority of my work is reasonably light.

And C, is there anywhere I can get a second hand saw that would be less risky than the general WWW? I'd prefer 2nd (more bang for buck, recycling older saws etc) if I could know that the saw hadn't been ragged and ruined. If Ebay/Gumtree is the only option, any advice?!

 

Hope someone is willing to sink their teeth into this one for me. I appreciate that this subject has probably been done to death in the back pages but wanted a concise answer to my problem!

 

All the best folks and cheers. 

[htb]

In answer to question A, Spud is your man on here as Spudulike, see "whats on your bench thread"

[billpierce]

Sounds like you might not have a decent dealer/ tech near you. For the sake of 15 quid I'd send it to spud for diagnoses. Then you'll know where you are.

Or if you have basic skills ignition coil is well easy.
https://www.lsengineers.co.uk/ignition-module-for-stihl-ms200t-ms210-ms230-ms250.html

35 quid for new oem coil.

Carb repair also not too bad bit slightly fiddlier. Approx 10er for carb kit.

What's the problem with yer saw?

[billpierce]

Used saws are like used cars. Total gamble but can save you serious money. Ideally you need to have a go for 10 mins with it to be sure it's all ok. But usually you can tell if a saw has been ragged by how scratched it looks. This however does not mean it's not been well maintained.

I buy lots of used saws over new. If on eBay or gum tree I usually want to have a chat with someone see if they seem ok and if they know what they are on about....

[peatff]

You don't have a location in your profile or anywhere. Someone local could offer you an opinion on whether it is worth mending or how you could go about it.

[Stubby]

Answer A . Spud .

[byjoshuawilliams]

I'm in Oxfordshire, near Banbury. 

 

The saw is extremely erratic when I try to start it. Most of the time it won't run, and then sometimes it will run but die when throttle is engaged, sometimes it will die when finishing a cut, sometimes at low, sometimes at high revs. I changed the air filter and spark plug etc but to no avail. Also took main parts of carb apart but seemed fine. I know ms250 can be a temperamental saw, but if it was worth the time/money it would be good to get it back on its feet.

 

I'll contact Spud. 

[spudulike]

I think the coil may be a wild goose chase as the symptoms you describe sound more carb related to me.

[byjoshuawilliams]

I did wonder, tbh wasn't too happy sending it in to them as I don't find these companies too reliable with tools. Would you be up for looking at it Spud?

[spudulike]

Not a problem, either PM me or contact me on [email protected] and we can get the ball rolling

.