Pointers on buying second hand saws?

[TKO]

Hi there guys!

Going to view an '08 441 and a '03 ms 660 tomorrow to buy and was wondering if any of you guys had any pointers on what to look out for? Especially regarding saws of this year/age.

Any help would be sweet, cheers

[Adamam]

Take a torx 27 and a 4mm allen key so there's no excuse for not taking the exhaust off and seeing what the piston looks like!

 

Compression test if possible.

 

Roll the saw over/around while idling to check crank seals (shouldn't suddenly increase/decrease).

 

Sorry if these are too obvious!

 

Check if cylinders are aftermarket...

[TKO]

Nah anything is helpful bud! Cheers man

[agg221]

First thing I would do is check they're cold.

 

Check serial numbers are present (ideally get these first and get them run past the database).

 

I would take the plastic shrouds off (take the torx screwdriver for this with you) and check the pots are stamped Mahle.

 

Look for the overall condition under there - a bit burnt with some old sawdustbut not totally caked would be ideal - suggests they have done some work, ie not recently lashed back together, but have been looked after by occasional blowing out with an air line.

 

Look at the clutch side - you could take the sprocket off and check the clutch is OK, ie springs are all there and the faces of the segments aren't chewed up.

 

I would then put it back together and check the action on the throttle - does it lock correctly in all three locations?

 

Then hold it by the starting cord and let it drop, checking it goes down slowly (several seconds) which is the poor man's compression check.

 

If the bars are decently long, they will form a significant part of the value so I would check the rails aren't splayed (chain doesn't wobble side to side) or chipped on the tops and the grooves aren't worn down too far.

 

I would then set up the bar and chain and check that the tension sits in the normal range, then pull the chain round by hand to check that it doesn't go tight at any point.

 

I would then start it and see how many pulls it takes to cough on choke - more than half a dozen and I would be concerned, and want to check it again at the end.

 

Assuming it starts, I would check it settles to idle quickly, then when it's been warmed a bit, try revving it out and check it revs up to full quickly, settles back to idle immediately when released (otherwise if it wanders on idle there is likely to be an air leak) and then check for the oil streak to see that it's oiling properly. Both these saws have adjustable oilers underneath, so check the screw is present and whether it is turned up or not - you could check it on full to see if there is a fatter oil streak.

 

I would then test it in some wood. If the chain isn't brilliantly sharp then it may not cut fast, but it should not feel gutless or bog down easily - the 660 in particular should be virtually unstoppable with up to a 25" bar.

 

Finally, check it stops properly.

 

Otherwise, it's just the chain brake operation and the general condition of the AVs, which at this age should not be perished, so cracked is a sign of really hard use. If the paintwork is really scruffy, again it suggests hard use or poor care so look to knock a bit off but I wouldn't assume it's shot because of it.

 

Sure I've missed some things, but it's a start!

 

Alec

 

edit: agreed on pulling the muffler for a quick look - you will need a small screwdriver to tweak the front part out to do this, and be prepared for some hassle getting the inner screws back in. Also worth having a look at the screws straight into the case (the lower two on the front part of the muffler) to check that the threads haven't been stripped.

Edited October 25, 2013 by agg221

[TKO]

Sweet! There's a bunch of stuff in there I hadn't considered! Cheers for the help

[spudulike]

Take a torx 27 and a 4mm allen key so there's no excuse for not taking the exhaust off and seeing what the piston looks like!

 

Compression test if possible.

 

Roll the saw over/around while idling to check crank seals (shouldn't suddenly increase/decrease).

 

Sorry if these are too obvious!

 

Check if cylinders are aftermarket...

 

This advice is damn spot on, only thing to add is look at the bottom of the saw for a judge of how harsh it has been used and check the oiler works.