Buying a used Arb chainsaw - swimming with the sharks?

[little_p]

I was wondering what is everyone's general view on buying a used Arb chainsaw? Is it plain daft to even consider it?
Is there any way to check how many hours it has been used for? Whether it has been regularly serviced? Whether it has been previously stolen? Even how old it is?

 

The background is that I am a part-time farmer, the farm that I work on has a river and two streams running through it, so plenty of timber (mostly alder and ash).
I have a Stihl MS231 which is perfect for hedge laying, dealing with fallen branches, small and light stuff etc. Most years we have at least one tree come down that needs to be dealt with by a bigger saw. We also have a Zenoah G561 AVS which we use for the bigger stuff. It is proving to be very unreliable (had a plug and filter change), so are looking for a 'fresh' Arb chainsaw and doubt that will be able to justify buying a new one.

[Steve Bullman]

I’d never buy used but plenty do. If I were to I would make sure it was from a reputable source. Have a chat with @spudulike on here. He regularly does up used saws and sells on. You will know you’re getting something that’s been gone over by an expert with a fine tooth comb 

[arboriculturist]

24 minutes ago, Steve Bullman said:

I’d never buy used but plenty do. If I were to I would make sure it was from a reputable source. Have a chat with @spudulike on here. He regularly does up used saws and sells on. You will know you’re getting something that’s been gone over by an expert with a fine tooth comb 

Exactly what he said    -   ( but join the que - he's porting 3 of my saws 1st - being an MS 200, 346xp and 357xp - all golden age saws) ?

[Stubby]

As above basically . The only way to tell hours used ( unless you know the history of the saw and its user  ) is if its an auto tune saw which can be plugged in and will give you the hours used , time at idle  time flat out etc etc .

[Toad]

I've bought several second hand saws and rebuilt them, I don't think that it is worthwhile in the long run if you are looking at it as a commercial tool or something you are going to use as a business. I do it because it is something to do, bit of a project and something to learn about.

[Khriss]

You get yr VAT back on it and a big load of firewood every year - why would you not buy a Husqvarna Rancher ? Over 20 years of use at your farmer rate ( NOT 5 days a week Forestry screaming rate ) K

[Dan Maynard]

The other question with used saws is how much has been replaced by cheap copy Chinese parts, thereby making it as unreliable as a cheap copy.

I think it's slightly less of a gamble on bigger saws as they last longer and people have upgraded to the latest.

I know one tree firm where the guy changes all the saws every 3 years and sells them off, he hates unreliable saws so you could get a reasonable machine off someone like that but you'd need to know and trust the person. Other people sell a saw because they are fed up of problems with it so you may not be far off in your swimming with sharks. Personally I buy new.

[scbk]

57 minutes ago, Dan Maynard said:

 Other people sell a saw because they are fed up of problems with it so you may not be far off in your swimming with sharks. Personally I buy new.

 

Yes and other people sell a saw because it's not theirs to sell

[Heavy Oil Saw]

If your going second hand, don’t buy online. Sellers say all sorts, and neglect to say the rest. Go local, is there a saw dealer that does trade ins, or like previously mentioned an arb business that is updating their saws.
Without inspecting it, seeing it start from cold, stop, start when warm, and maybe even a test drive. I’d avoid buying a saw for “work” second hand, unless I had all the facts, and being able to test/repair helps. A saw may run when bought, then the carb packs up, or has begun running lean then seizes, it’s your problem then.
Just my opinion, hope it’s helpful and good luck finding a saw.
PS Don’t get a second hand MS261, carb or m-tronic, the cranks aren’t all that good on the clutch side.

[spudulike]

Probably best to buy new. A seller will get a saw in some sort of condition and every time they fit a new part, it impacts on their profit so they will skimp on using OEM parts hence the use of Chinese parts on many of the saws I get in because they don't work too well

Other than that, you need to purchase from a reputable seller that may not offer a real nice low price but will offer a saw that is HONEST rather than full of issues like so many on eBay.

Nothing in at the moment unless you want a vintage 80CC Husqvarna!