Found a Stihl in the middle of the road!

[Whitebread]

I was coming home from work around 10pm last week and came over a hill (rural area) to see something lying on the centerline of the road. At first it looked like roadkill but as I came up on it I realized it was a chainsaw. Slammed on the brakes and pulled over to find a nearly new MS250 laying there. Apparently it fell out of the back of someone's truck. I took it over to the shoulder and waited a couple minutes to see if anyone came by looking for it but no one did. There was a side road about 50 yards away so I left a note on the stop sign with my number but no one's called for over a week so now it's mine.

Judging from the wear/dirt it's less than two years old. I'm guessing they'd pulled onto the highway from the side road and were just starting to accelerate when they lost it because the only damage is a broken twist lock for the rear cover. $1.60 later I've got a decent backup to my 290.

No tech involved but finding-free-gear stories belong in this section, right?

 

[thinkxingu]

I like my 250. Once you feel the weight difference, you may find yourself using it more than you think. Especially if it's a good runner.

S

 

[WhatIsChazaq]

I wouldn't feel right unless I went the "full distance" and posted the saw "found"...on Craigslist.

Leaving out some details like exact local, brand, model, etc. Have the "owner" fill in the blanks. You wouldn't necessarily have to say it was a Chainsaw, but that you found a power tool on a certain road. The owner is probably trolling Craigslist hoping a good honest person will list it. I'd even post bulletins at gas stations, etc.

Imagine how PISSED you'd be if you lost your main saw that way and it just "disappeared" into the fog of this crappy society?

 

[sgt7546]

Depending on how far you'd like to go to find the rightful owner, you could always contact Stihl and have them run the serial number for you. If the person had registered the saw for warranty purposes the actual owner could be located this way.

 

[ironpony]

I didnt find a saw but
I did find a STIHL hard hat with ear protection,
shield and gloves tucked inside
laying in the road one day

 

[ISeeDeadBTUs]

I didnt find a saw but
I did find a STIHL hard hat with ear protection,
shield and gloves tucked inside
laying in the road one day

I suppose you didn't see the lineman in your mirror running after you as you pulled off, though, hmm??

 

[DanCorcoran]

Or contact the closest Stihl dealer...whoever owned it has probably told them of the loss. Put yourself in their shoes, and go the extra mile.

 

[WhatIsChazaq]

Depending on how far you'd like to go to find the rightful owner, you could always contact Stihl and have them run the serial number for you. If the person had registered the saw for warranty purposes the actual owner could be located this way.

Awesome idea. My Stihl dealer actually registered mine for me.

 

[firefighterjake]

Almost sounds like the start of a joke . .

Why did the Stihl cross the road . . . I mean why was the Stihl in the middle of the road?

 

[watchamakalit]

Not my find but Grandad was tellin me a story about them clearing fence lines by his place years ago. He went out to see what they were doing a couple days after the crew left and there layed a Remington mighty mite II. He left it lay for 2 weeks and nobody came to get it so he picked it up and it fired second pull. Carried it home and set it on the shelf. It now resides on my bench in need of an air cleaner and a top cover. Otherwise ready to cut. It sucks to lose gear, especially saws. That is why I keep all my gear in a locked box on the trailer and do an inventory before leaving the wood lot.

 

[Danno77]

I found a pair of chaps, a chainsaw, and a hardhat all in the road one day. Threw them in my car, rolled the body into the ditch, and put a sticky note in the Women's restroom at the nearest gas station (20 miles away). No answer to the sticky note, so I guess they are mine!

I only Kid. I think you should contact a dealership and also contact the police station. Let both know you have a saw and the owner who can ID it, can have it back. I'd use it as my own until someone comes to get it.

 

[smokinj]

Wow I just lost a 250 out of the back of my truck...Is it orange and white by chance?

 

[basswidow]

You beat me to it....

Ah, go ahead and celebrate this find. Maybe you could cut a few cords of wood with it before you run it thru the Stihl dealer registration search?

I guess going the extra mile is the right thing to do. I know I would be sick about it - if I had lost it. Perhaps returning it to the owner will grant you Great Karma from the chainsaw and wood Gods!

 

[DanCorcoran]

Who knows, could be the Miss America runner-up lost it and would be so grateful that you were honest...

 

[CountryBoy19]

I wouldn't feel right unless I went the "full distance" and posted the saw "found"...on Craigslist.

Leaving out some details like exact local, brand, model, etc. Have the "owner" fill in the blanks. You wouldn't necessarily have to say it was a Chainsaw, but that you found a power tool on a certain road. The owner is probably trolling Craigslist hoping a good honest person will list it. I'd even post bulletins at gas stations, etc.

Imagine how PISSED you'd be if you lost your main saw that way and it just "disappeared" into the fog of this crappy society?

This ^^^^

Or contact the closest Stihl dealer...whoever owned it has probably told them of the loss. Put yourself in their shoes, and go the extra mile.

and This ^^^

Just put yourself in that guys position... we've all done boneheaded things before... it sucks a lot to lose gear, especially expensive gear (yes, I realize that a 250 isn't really "expensive" but it is one of the more expensive items a wood cutter has).

 

[homebrewz]

+1 on everything posted thus far about finding the owner. It would suck if it happened to you!

You could also try the local Pennysaver/Trade Ads type free paper.

 

[sgt7546]

It's been in my experience that going to the manufacture is usually better than going to the local dealer. The reason for this, and I'm not saying that its true in this case, is that from time to time we find a local retailer that is less than on the up and up. When this is the case the dealer has no incentive of finding the rightful owner, since he now has a chance of selling the rightful owner a replacement item. Now if I know and trust a local business then that would be my first stop.

 

[basswidow]

If you can't locate the owner ---> Man, what an awesome FIND! And no damage at all? I'm surprized no other vehicles ran over it.

 

[K2Orion]

I lost a milk crate full of straps, chains, bungees and a few shackles when I left the tailgate down one evening. It was at a busy intersection less than a mile from home. I know this is where I lost it because the guy behind me honked and waved but I just figured he was dissapointed in my driving ability. Luckily the MS390 stayed in the truck. I searched CL hoping to find it.

 

[billb3]

I once had someone bring in two long 16 foot VHF antennas into the store.
Found them in the middle of a busy intersection in town. They don't have serial numbers or anything.

Sure enough a couple days later someone comes in wanting prices on replacements.
Asked him where he might have lost his and sure enough he went through that intersection that day.

Guy must have stopped and picked them up seconds after they fell off the truck because fiberglass crushes fairly easy when driven over.


Sometimes karma gets around.

 

[Whitebread]

Called local dealer - there's not one real close, but he's about 25 miles away. S/N was never registered. Don't know the dealer personally but I bought my 290 from them and they seem like honest folks. Checked CList lost and found - nothing. My sign's still up and clearly visible, so I'm not going further out of my way over it. If he/she calls I'll gladly return it, but at this point that seems unlikely.

Basswidow - I was also shocked there wasn't more damage. I haven't cut with it yet, but I looked it over good and fired it up. So far everything but the twist lock is pristine.

 

[firefighterjake]

I once lost my old pulp hook . . . was in pricing new pulp hooks at the local dealer and mentioned that I had lost my pulp hook and lo and behold it turns out the very guy I was talking to had found it on his way into work . . . made my day.

 

[NH_Wood]

I'd put a sign on a tree near that spot saying 'Chainsaw found on Road' plus your phone number. I'd bet the guy travels that road everyday. Think of how glad you'd be if it was your lost saw and you saw that sign on your next trip down the road. Who knows, could be a guy trying in tough times trying to get wood to heat his house for his family. I'd only be able to be happy using that saw if I did EVERYTHING to try to get it back to the owner. Cheers!

 

[CarbonNeutral]

Called local dealer - there's not one real close, but he's about 25 miles away. S/N was never registered. Don't know the dealer personally but I bought my 290 from them and they seem like honest folks. Checked CList lost and found - nothing. My sign's still up and clearly visible, so I'm not going further out of my way over it. If he/she calls I'll gladly return it, but at this point that seems unlikely.

Basswidow - I was also shocked there wasn't more damage. I haven't cut with it yet, but I looked it over good and fired it up. So far everything but the twist lock is pristine.

I think you've done everything reasonable now as well (maybe I'd have posted on CL as well). Enjoy your new saw.

 

[basswidow]

I also think you did all you could.

Maybe it fell off a Tree Service truck or maybe a County worker. They may not have even noticed it gone and may never figure it out. We are all think about it as if it was OUR lost saw. But a contractor may simply just buy another one. They probably make enough on one job to absorb that loss of equipment. And most homeowners would have registered the saw. Finders keepers, losers weepers.

It's cutting time!