GardenKit

Appreciated, but as these threads develop we sometimes lose sight of the OP question. He was watching fleabay for an ms390 so I guess a used 034,036 or044 would fit the bill.

Even worse to reassemble!:lol:

Does the fuel leak from the carb, or from the hose between the carb and the tank? Also does it only leak with more than half a tank of fuel?

I once had a domestic user complain to me that, following a service " for which I paid good money" (his words) I had returned his saw with the bar upside down.

Personally I would stay clear of the lower end machines if buying used, as you will get top end domestics for not a lot more money IMO lower end includes Murray,Lawnflite, McCulloch AYP etc. Mid range is Hayter (although some are Murray) ALKO, Twin Cut Countax etc Top end is John Deere, Stiga Kubota ISEKI. Top end domestic is suitable for footy field size (1 1/2 acres) no need to go fully commercial.

I have noticed several threads just dissapear. Some seem to have obvious reasons to be deleted, but the recent 'ask the dealer' thread by pleasant seems to have gone, although initially popular. Any ideas why?

I'll second that,:thumbdown:

thanks for the rep steve. Rich, the part number is 54510-veo-M12 and the RRP is £13.45 plus the vat.

I would just go for a 361 or 362, a little more expensive but tougher IMO. Others are welcome to disagree.

Any news today? How is he doing?

i had an MS180 in today. The elderly owner had driven about 8 miles to get here. " Clutch siezed solid" he said, "please fix". A very quick check revealed the chain brake on. Very embarassed gent muttered all sorts of things I could not understand, but it turns out he had not used it for about 3 years and simply forgot what a chain brake is. This is the fifth this year like this. I smile about these afterwards, but its very difficult to handle at the time without making the owner feel stupid.

Guess its that old dealer mentality again. i would rather fit a new coil, because its the proper way to do it, it cannot go wrong, and the next person to look at it can't accuse me of bodging. However, I have to sgree, if was my own machine I would join it.

Charles, to be honest if the lead is damaged and its not replaceable you are going to need a new coil anyway, so nothing will be lost by trying to undo it. Firstly squirt a drop of WD40 round where the lead goes into the coil (cap pulled out of the way) Second, get a good grip with good pliers as low down as possible on the HT lead and turn ANTI CLOCKWISE. It may require a little force but it may undo. If it breaks the you will have to get a new coil. Someone will pop up and say NO , join it. Yes you can do this. Cut it a couple of inches from the coil, bare the centre wire. Twist a new piece on and bind very tightly in insulating tape, or self amalgamating tape and give it a try. Its a bit of a bodge but it may work. It must be well insulated or the spark will track to earth.

Its a bit confusing The MSA 160c-BQ (shell) is just the saw, no battery, no charger £269 rrp The MSA 160c BQ with the AP160 battery and AL charger is £509 rrp The AP160 battery alone is £175 rrp! Hope this helps

Not till I've had my back done Steve. BTW, i've PM'd rich, Ta

This mower had been used this morning before being brought it to see if I would PX it. The owner said it must be worth something as the engine always starts first time, very reliable, he said. Any keen welders want a project?

Here's one thats not a saw. I had a garden tractor in with a 22hp engine which was revving its nuts off, and would not shut down. It was a bit scary, I reckon it was doing about 8000 revs rather than the stated 3400. Investigation revealed the governor weights had broken free of their carrier. All fixed now but no idea what caused it.

I know its an old thread, so probably irelevant now, but although anything is possible, it is an enormous task to fit any deck. What you would find is that a complete set of deck hangers would need to be made, and almost certainly at least one would need to be positioned where a pulley, or belt line is. The travel of the engagement cable would not be right and finding a belt of the right profile and length would be tedious. If you got it to fit you would be very lucky to get it to lift without fouling the chassis. Life is really not that simple. Why bother when you can pick up a working machine for a few hundred quid?

As you may have noticed, although I am a dealer I dont always fit into the stereotype dealer model. I am quite happy that competant owners service their own saws, and learnt a long time ago not to encourage them to let me do it, they will only resent the money spent. Some professional users however, although happy to do their own servicing, entrust me with their repairs. Some do this because they do not feel competant, others because they can spend their time more profitably. Others entrust their work to friends or contacts who work from their home in their spare time. People like Spud. This is also fine by me, I have more than enough work from the domestic sector, who are usually not able to do their own work. Dealers and users can work together in total harmony if there is mutual trust and respect.

I like the way he still feels the need to steer:biggrin:

I have noticed it too. I'd say it smells a little more 'organic', sort of rotting smell, rather than the normal sharp 'solvent' smell?

Also the effect of ethanol on rubber and plastic must not be discounted. There will be problems, especially on older saws where the effects of ethanol were not thought of when they were made. It might be an ideal time to consider Aspen, which contains no ethanol.

I decided to use Aspen in my workshop last September, and since then I have filled every serviced machine, except ride-ons, with it. This amounts to several hundred machines. All of these will have been weaned on pump fuel and have adapted to Aspen with no problems. Sure, some have needed carb adjustment, but most machines need adjustment on service anyway, its no different on Aspen. Some machines have needed tank grommets replaced, Aspen seems to dry out some perished grommets which are close to failure. Tanaka have suffered most from this, but I have had no leaks on Stihl. Its down to the type of rubber I think. So far I have to replace no more diaphragms than in other seasons and the ones I have done have been for pre existing problems. No matter how good the dealer, there are always some machines returned after service for slight adjustments. It may be coincidence, but there have been less returns this season than in others. Starting is very slightly easier on the whole, WOT speed increases a little and the machines tend to run smoother. Fumes are greatly reduced. 90% of my commercial customers have converted, particularly for hedgecutting. As a result, the owners have been very pleased with their machines and many will now use nothing else than Aspen. My workshop smells better, and the chest problems I have suffered for several winters, have gone. I am well pleased.

Good reply Spud and well put. But I agree with Andy, draw a line under it and move on.

thats always a good sign