Borrowed a friend’s Husky chain saw last week to buck up some firewood I picked up. It was reluctant to start but ran OK. This guy is a really good friend and has helped me out before so I thought I’d be a nice guy and drop it off for a tune up as a thank you. Over the wekeend we were having a beer and he asked me how the saw was running. I said it was in for a tuneup and he would have it back on Monday. His response was, “Ah, just keep it. I never liked that saw much anyway. Huskys never run good for me.”
Despite my protest, I am now the owner of a 7 year old 371XP for the price of a tuneup, which turned out under $100. Needless to say it now runs flawlessly. Never really used a saw this big, it has 24″ bar and a LOT of horsepower. Sure will come in handy next spring when I have a rough sawn timber arbour to build for a local winery.
Wally
Replies
Certainly one of those deals thats hard to complain about, congrats! DanT
I did one better...David Doud just sent me a perfectly good McColloc 14" for the cost of shipping!!
Good deal on yours tho'...wanna swap?
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations.
Looks to me like next season will need a new chain too. There goes another $30. Sigh.
Checked the price of the current model at the dealership the other day and my jaw dropped. $949 CDN ($800 US). Egads, what have I got here? Apparently this is a pro model faller's saw. Although it has had some rough treatment - you can see where the hand guard was broken and repaired with a metal strap - it should last many many years with my light use. Maybe now I should really go hard for those timber frame jobs!
Wally
Lignum est bonum.
The XP series is their pro line of saws and that size oughta be around four horses worth of power. That saw was designed to cut BIG trees forty to sixty hours a week without overheating.
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
I got a red xl- 12 that will not die eiter. its a 72 model.
Yeah, I figured anything with that much bar and power at that kind of price had to be pro series. I've bucked about 3 cords with it now and it starts and runs very nicely. Sharpened the chain using dremel w/diamond burr; now it cuts larch and fir like they were butter.
WallyLignum est bonum.
I got a free saw too, a big old Homelite from my father in law, who has decided that he might start liking me this decade. $80 workover at the rental shop and the thing will cut steel trench plate and granite. It also never runs out of gas, which I fail to understand.
Is it a blue xl-12? I have a '66..keeps on keepin on..but LOUD. I run outta chain oil WAY b4 gas too. Added a ele. chip 'stead of points, makes a huge difference.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations.
If you come to Whitehorse for the Sourdough Rendezvous in February you can observe a contest called the "chain saw chucking contest". I invented that and I will briefly tell you how it came about. Back in 81 my brother in law phoned me up and said a chain saw was returned at the hardware store he worked in and it was perfectly good and I could have it for $100.00. I bought it, rented a stake truck from Avis headed for the bush to cut a couple of cords with a buddy and life would be good. The saw would not work for more than a few minutes, if I could get it going at all. I had no wood and was out the cost of the truck which was more than the price of the saw.I tried and tried to get that saw to work, a shop took a look at it for $25.00, they just shook their heads. I was now out about $250.00 and still no wood, at $50.00 a cord then I could have bought all I needed.I was standing in the garage, having exhausted all efforts, I could not throw the saw because it would wreck the place and my wife would give me "the look". I wanted to go out in the street and chuck it as far as I could and drive over it with my truck but what would the neighbours think?I finally gave it away to a friend of mine who was more mechanically talented than I was, I don't know it he ever got it started, one person told me it was the small hole in the gas cap that was plugged.Anyway out of all this came the rules for a chain saw chucking contest. The original rules were:
1. You had to pull the cord with both hands 20 times each.
2. After step one you picked it up and threw it to the ground.
3. Grabbing a 4" log you dealt 10 blows.
4. Finally you grab the saw and chuck it as far as you can.
5. If you should happen to get the saw running and you chuck it and it lands in the crowd of spectators you are disqualified.The Sourdough Rendezvous Committee liked the idea (they modified the rules so they were not so violent) and they still include it in the events to this day. I think a lot of people identify with it. That was almost 25 years ago I am a lot more mellow now and smarter, things don't bother me so much and I taught the wife how to use and repair the chain saw.
David: Do you know what a lawnmower is? Or do you do take care of the front yard w/ a snowblower?Loved your story about the chainsaw that wouldn't start & it apparently was a clogged hole in the gascap. Once upon a time, I had a neighbor whose husband was in Thailand for a year. Her lawnmower wouldn't start until she got very angry, discussed the marital status of its parents and kicked it. Started imediately every time after that procedure. One day she came over and asked if I could fix it. The cussing didn't bother her, but she was afraid she'd hurt her foot. Turned out to be two slightly lose carb holddown bolts. When she kicked it, the carb got close enough to the cyl head to let it start. The vacuum kept it tight while she mowed the lawn. When she quit & turned it off, the carb fell away from the cyl head. Tightened bolts & it started like a dream.Like to enter the chainsaw chucking contrest but live too far away in Nawth Jawja, US of A.DonThe GlassMasterworks - If it scratches, I etch it!
It's red... never noticed the model but I will look.