Stihl MS-290 Farm Boss with 18" bar and carry case.

As much as I'm loathe to get rid of such a great saw, I'd rather sell it than let it turn into junk. This saw is LIKE NEW.

My step father gave me this saw as we were cleaning out his property. He bought it a few years back and was never able to use it as he fell ill shortly after buying it. I would be surprised if he ran one tank of gas through it. In fact, I probably ran more gas through it while deciding to keep it or my Husqvarna 450. I decided on the Husky simply because I have a ton of spare chains, bars, etc for the Husky and the Husky is enough saw for me.

The chain is really dull right now so it needs a good sharpen. If the buyer wants, I'll give it a touch up, but while I'm pretty good, I'm not a pro at sharpening.

Currently has an 18" bar on it and the Stihl Oilomatic RM3 .325 reduced kickback chain.

$325.00 takes it. This is a pretty firm price. I'd just as soon keep it than sell it for less than it's worth because I do use saws fairly often. It was $400 new and the case is worth $50.


Video of it running and some more pics.:


https://youtu.be/x2AWbRZn2QE


Shipping is going to cost about $20, so factor that in.

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http://thewellrats.com/malbor2/njgf/ms290.jpg

You don't wanna keep that? You know... zombie apocalypse and all? :)

Never know when a second one will come in handy!

I'd love to keep it, but I do have a backup saw anyway. I just know that if I don't use it, and I won't, there will come a day when it needs repair. I have sharpeners, chains, bars and other junk for my Husky, so the Husky is the go-to saw.

Damn! That is a really good price for a really good saw.

I'd be all over it but I just bought a Husky Rancher 460 with a 24" bar last fall.

After using my Husky and this saw, I like the higher RPM on the chain on the Husky and it's a pound or so lighter. This saw does have a touch more power than my Husky but i've never run into anything I couldn't cut with my Husky, so the power issue is somewhat moot to me. I prefer an 18" bar and the difference may well be noticeable on a 20" or bigger bar. I've not needed anything bigger and that length helps me from cutting my toes off.

As to your saw...what the heck are you cutting that you need a 24" bar? Geezus.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Malsua

As to your saw...what the heck are you cutting that you need a 24" bar? Geezus.

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They must grow them zombies BIG in Ohio.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MinutemanCO

They must grow them zombies BIG in Ohio.

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Exactly! Gotta keep them past arms length!

And Mal, the question should be what can't I cut with a 24" bar. :D

Seriously though, figured better to have too much bar than not enough. There are some pretty large older trees around me and I very much wanted to have the ability to handle them if needed. It is a very well balanced saw despite the long bar.

I've got nothing on this guy though... :(

http://i.imgur.com/KGgspiA.jpg

How much time have you spent on a saw?

A 24" saw is fine for felling big trees but the front is heavy, and harder to control. Not only that, but when you're cutting limbs and whatnot you have to really watch where that extra 6" is sticking out into.

I've just found that for general use, 18" is enough and still leaves the powerhead with a ton of torque without going to a very heavy saw.

I have used short (12" length) saws and a long 24" before. I prefer the smaller saws.

These days, I have no chain saws left.

If I have to cut branches my favorite tool now is a sawzall.... lol

I just looked up that 460 with a 24" bar...that's sitting at just north of 16lb without fuel and bar oil. OUCH.

You're going to end up with Popeye arms if you have a big storm and you're out all day with it.

My Husky is just under 12lb and I'm good with it. The Stihl is about a LB heavier...and after about 20 minutes, I definitely noticed but still doable. 4-5 more lbs? ugh. Your arms are going to be noodles unless you work on it.

Mal,
Admittedly, not a ton of time on the saw. A lot of the area around my house is already clear of trees for farming so the saw doesn't come out too often. The areas that aren't have a lot of the mentioned large, old trees though.

From the videos I've seen you post your area is much more densely wooded than my area so I can see how you'd need to be using a saw more often and opt for something lighter.