flatyre

hey folk been mulling over a new logo for my landscaping business before getting the van's new graphics. Anyway I've cut it down to two designs, both aren't finished but can't decide which one is better (or less bad), opinions welcome....

Why does everyone have an issue with the 039, a local park I do work for has a number of stihls for maintaining their 176 acres including an 039, and I think its a great saw, it sits on a shelf for months and months without being started, only gets cheap 10% ethanol supermarket petrol and low grade oil, couple of pulls and away it goes, some of the guys there aren't very good at looking after the equipment, have a bit of a (f*$k it its not mine attitude) I do the maintenance on the equipment as part of my contract and the only issue with the 039 was when the chain brake spring came off, two minutes on the bench and it was back in action. If this 029 is half the saw that 039 is, i'll be well happy. Some of you guys mentioned homeowner, semi-pro, and pro stihl ranges, what saws belong in what ranges? I have been told the only manufacturer who has one standard across the board is echo, granted that came from the local echo dealer (he is also the local Husqvarna dealer) but he knows his stuff and has always proved a good source of information, would seriously consider an echo based on what he and some of the forum members have to say about them.

thanks for the answer guys, just couldn't understand why its so easy to get stihl parts and not Husqvarna, someones missing a trick.

thanks spudulike, some day when I've not much work on it will give me something to do, hell might as well make a few pound as watch tv! thanks for the advice guys.

hey folks it seems there are plenty of non oem piston and barrel kits for stihl but why not for Husqvarna? There is a guy on ebay with a 550xp that's down on compression, 99p starting bid and no takers so far. Nice saw but I've just been quoted £411 for a new piston and pot, genuine Husqvarna parts but not through a Husqvarna dealer, asked the guy if they could get pattern parts but he said no chance? Surely there must be a factory in china cashing in on this gap in the market?

its the farmboss model so if anyone knows the difference between it an a standard 029 i'd be glad to hear.

Went to have a look at the saw, guy took £25 for it, at that price I couldn't say no as round here even the smallest cheapest stihl something like a stihl 017 sells for £150+. Its a 1997 029, I know a lot of you guys don'r rate them, but I can buy a new pot and piston kit, exhaust, crank bearings and seals, and a service kit for £60, I have a good 18" bar with very little use in the shed, and throw a new chain at it, I'll have a pokey enough saw in mechanically perfect condition for little over £100 all in. Took me 25 minutes to strip it completely down, once the parts arrive I should have it rebuilt in little over an hour. If an 017 fetches £150+ with a scrap chain and hasn't been serviced in years, then an 029 with all new insides should fetch £200 easily, but i'll probably keep it as a spare saw.

hey folks, just been offered this saw for £50 but reckon I can take it home for £30, the owner says its low on compression, no starter toggle, exhaust, bar, or chain, and he has no idea what model it is. I think it might be a stihl 039 but if anyone knows for sure i'd be glad to hear from you. I've repaired and rebuild a few saws and enjoy the challenge of taking scrap machines and getting them working again, even if its cheaper to buy a complete running saw. I've priced up the parts and reckon I can have the saw rebuilt with a new pot, piston and ring, exhaust, pull chord and toggle, and a full service for under the going rate of an 039, with new bearings, I think I could have a like new 039 for under £200?

sorry if its been asked before, I do a fair amount of tree work through my landscaping business, and am hoping to build my own home starting in about two years, and would like to take advantage of the free wood to provide all my own timber as much for the novelty as a money saving exercise. I do feel a bit wasteful ringing timber that could provide the joists, beams etc knowing that at a later date i'll need to buy it. A while ago I had to ring a cracking big larch (cladding) which had come down, and more recently a couple of good sized oaks (beams), as well as the usual pine, birch, ash and so on. Most trees I fell are close to customers houses and not overly mature but still good timber but with no way of moving large sections it usually gets sold as firewood. I'm interested in building a small Alaskan mill but was wondering if my everyday ms250 is powerful enough for light milling? and if so what is the best chain for milling? it currently runs a 16" bar but would move up a few inches if it could handle it. thanks

thanks spudulike you must have replied while I was typing up the last message. yeah the wrong sprocket threw me.

Think the saw i'm keeping which is the top one in the first photo, has been fitted with the wrong sprocket, can anyone tell me if this sprocket, worm gear and spur wheel are the right ones for the older av? Also I can't find a chain brake mechanism this side of the Atlantic, has anyone got an older av for parts? as you can see there is quite a bit missing from mine. thanks, John

thanks buddy, have a fair idea what I need but still not quite sure how the sprocket is meant to line up with the bar!

hey folks, short story long, a while ago I bought an 028av off fleabay with the intentions of tidying it up and keeping it as a backup saw. saw was described as complete, in good condition but needed put back together, turns out the seller was a lying prick and the pot and piston were mashed, however he forgot to include the bar and half the bolts so ebay ruled in my favour and I got my refund. Anyway I have bought a second one which has parts missing too but does run. I know that there were three versions of the 028av with different bores, but assumed the rest of the saw was the same. Turns out the first saw I bought has plastic casings and the second is metal, also the internals are similar but not exact. Just for my own curiosity does anyone have any more info on the 028av range? and the sprocket on the older av (which i'm keeping) sits too far into the saw body to line up with the bar? any ideas would be much appreciated.

hey folks don't know why but I took a real notion for an old av Stihl after reading up on them online. I picked up an 028av super basket case off fleebay with the intentions of rebuilding it, I had planned on replacing the piston and rings and getting a carb kit as the seller said it was all there, it just needed put back together, however the bore is badly scraped as well. The seller said he took it apart to be nosey and couldn't remember how to assemble it. I think it was down on compression so he pulled it apart, seen the damage, and thought stuff that. Anyway I'm used to stripping and rebuilding equipment so am looking forward to the job. Question is where is the best place to get a new pot and piston? Do I need to re mortgage the house to buy genuine Stihl parts or has anyone bought non oem parts off ebay and what was the verdict? thanks

cheers guys i'll give it a go, thanks.

Hey folks a customer has asked me to lay 30sqm of decking with a curved edge. Any decking I have laid had a straight edge so I simply screwed a length of decking board to the joists to hide them. I think the curve will be too great for a board and will spring or snap. I have a few ideas but would like to hear from more experienced landscapers. Has anyone had the same problem and how did they resolve it?

if its unregistered throw a fence up around it. that should bring any knowing owner out of the woodwork, if no-one comes forward after twelve years you can claim it through adverse possession.

Hey everyone i have an old homelite xl in the shed which never gets used so am thinking about making an alaskan sawmill out of it. Question is how big a bar can i realistically fit, and do oregon offer a suitable bar and rip chain? Thanks, john