I found a used non pro 026 for sale in good shape for $250. I'm not sure if that's a fair price. I was thinking about offering $200. The bar looks like is a non pro bar and looks to be almost shot. Thoughts?
Fair price on a used non pro 026?
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Jon1270
Minister of Fire
I don't know your particular market, but that would be a high price in western PA. Craigslist sellers do ask that much fairly frequently, but the ads just sit there with no takers.
My rule of thumb for a reasonable (not cheap, mind you, but reasonable) Craigslist price is to look at completed listings on eBay, find what saws in similar condition are going for (shipping not included), and multiply that by 75%. Or, to back into it, for a saw to be worth $250 on CL I'd say it should look very much like saws of the same model selling on eBay for $333.33 plus shipping.
Here's what you might get for $328.69 plus shipping on eBay. Does that look like the saw being offered locally? If the local saw is in worse shape, I'd say it's overpriced. It would have to be in really exceptional condition to clear that bar.
EBay and PayPal take 13% right off the top, so that seller cleared about $285. For the extra $35 over what I think they could reasonably hope to get for it locally, they have to go through all the PITA ad-writing, careful photography, packaging, shipping and reputation-maintenance that eBay effectively requires, and eBay and Paypal tend to favor buyers when transactions go wrong, so eBay sellers bear risks that CL sellers don't. The extra $35 isn't gravy.
My rule of thumb for a reasonable (not cheap, mind you, but reasonable) Craigslist price is to look at completed listings on eBay, find what saws in similar condition are going for (shipping not included), and multiply that by 75%. Or, to back into it, for a saw to be worth $250 on CL I'd say it should look very much like saws of the same model selling on eBay for $333.33 plus shipping.
Here's what you might get for $328.69 plus shipping on eBay. Does that look like the saw being offered locally? If the local saw is in worse shape, I'd say it's overpriced. It would have to be in really exceptional condition to clear that bar.
EBay and PayPal take 13% right off the top, so that seller cleared about $285. For the extra $35 over what I think they could reasonably hope to get for it locally, they have to go through all the PITA ad-writing, careful photography, packaging, shipping and reputation-maintenance that eBay effectively requires, and eBay and Paypal tend to favor buyers when transactions go wrong, so eBay sellers bear risks that CL sellers don't. The extra $35 isn't gravy.
I'm going to look at the saw tomorrow and the seller came down to $220 which I think is a fair deal as long as the saw works as it should.
Make sure you try it from both a cold as well as a hot start. Feel the muffler and make sure it's cold before you start it the first time. Rev it a number of times and make sure it runs smooth on full throttle, then it returns to a smooth idle with no chain movement. Once it's warmed up, start it again and go through the same thing. Point it at sidewalk or something light and you should easily see the spray from the oiler.
If you are not sure, you can take the muffler off and see if there is scoring on the piston.
If you are not sure, you can take the muffler off and see if there is scoring on the piston.
Thanks for the advice DougA. I was also thinking about bringing a log along to cut to see if there is any loss of power
Jon1270
Minister of Fire
Good advice from Doug. The standard quick-and-dirty way of checking compression without a gauge is to lift the saw off the ground by its starter handle. When hanging by the starter rope it should drop only very slowly, if at all. Pulling the muffler cover so you can see the piston is the safest way to go, though, and it's just two torx screws (T27).
If the saw is cosmetically in decent shape then the engine is very unlikely to be worn out, but it's entirely possible that someone damaged it by mis-adjusting the carb or forgetting to mix oil into the gas. On saws the age of an 026 it's common for important rubber parts like fuel lines, bar oiler hoses and impulse hoses to need replacement. The rubber intake boot and AV mounts can fail too, but that's less likely. I'd also look at the cylinder (fins visible on the clutch side of the saw, under the orange plastic shroud). If it's too clean and shiny then I'd suspect a replacement top end instead of original, and likely aftermarket.
If the saw is cosmetically in decent shape then the engine is very unlikely to be worn out, but it's entirely possible that someone damaged it by mis-adjusting the carb or forgetting to mix oil into the gas. On saws the age of an 026 it's common for important rubber parts like fuel lines, bar oiler hoses and impulse hoses to need replacement. The rubber intake boot and AV mounts can fail too, but that's less likely. I'd also look at the cylinder (fins visible on the clutch side of the saw, under the orange plastic shroud). If it's too clean and shiny then I'd suspect a replacement top end instead of original, and likely aftermarket.
If the saw is out of adjustment, the high end rpms will whine too high, meaning it is revving too much. That's a bad thing and will cause premature engine wear. Many of us can tell by hearing that although you can use a tach to measure it. You can also have a saw that will fluctuate at full throttle. That's normally a sign of a carb or air filter problem.
The reality is that it's a used saw and unlikely to be perfect. I just saw an ad for someone trying to get rid of their used Husq and wanted to trade fro any Stihl. Sorta makes you wonder what happened.
The reality is that it's a used saw and unlikely to be perfect. I just saw an ad for someone trying to get rid of their used Husq and wanted to trade fro any Stihl. Sorta makes you wonder what happened.
I cannot use a tach on any of my saws, as they have all been at least muffler modded. I have been tuning two strokes by ear since the mid 70's and was taught to have them miss, four stroke, burble.... on the high end and clean up as soon as it touches wood. I have never blown up a saw/bike/ or outboard using this method a "smooth" high (to me) means it is lean and will weld the piston to the cylinder. If you cannot get the miss there is a good chance the motor has an air leak and should not be run until it has had a vacuum/pressure test run on it. Madsens has a really good wav. file on their website that shows the noise a properly tuned two stroke should sound like.
I looked at the saw yesterday and decided to pass on it. It seemed to run just fine other then when it was at idle the chain would run a little and the oiler was working fine but the compression came in at 120pounds. Bummer
One thing I forgot to mention is some of the later 026's came with Wt-403b and 426a non adjustable carbs. You can set the low side but not the high. They can be swapped to a fully adjustable carb Wt199 with a little work, the carb box needs another hole for the screwdriver to reach the screw. When checking compression you must have a tester with a schrader valve in the end of the hose and keep pulling the string until it stops climbing. If that thing is only producing 120# compression it may run but not well.
Funny you mention the older style 026 w/ non adjustable carb Firelaker. That is exactly what I found on craigslist except the owner of the saw had changed it out so that it is adjustable. The compression was over 150 and it runs like a champ....can't beat it for $175
and it came w/ 3 newer chains and a lightly used 16" bar. Very happy!They also came with two different oilers. The oiler on the pro was adjustable the other was not. The oiler is usually not a biggie as both oilers slobber oil enough to oil an 18" bar. Depending on how old, the air filters can be tough to find for reasonable $$$ (it depended on which tank vent you have) The hard ones to find have the tall tank vent. I am going to look into what it will take to switch mine over to the low vent so I can use the cheaper filters. One design feature I hate in this series is the choke is in the air filter instead of the carb body where it should be.
Where do you get the filter replacements and how can I tell which one I need? I assume it is the older more expensive filter but I want to make sure
Jon1270
Minister of Fire
First thing is to clean the old filter so you can judge its condition. I typically soak it in Simple Green for a few minutes, then rinse it thoroughly and either air-dry or blow it out with compressed air. They usually clean up well, but if the flocking is wearing off or much of the area remains stubbornly plugged with fine debris (hold it up to a strong light), then replacement might be needed.
There are aftermarket filters available, but I generally go OEM. Sometimes that means going through a Stihl dealer, and sometimes I can find the OEM part on eBay. It's worth calling a dealer and inquiring, because eBay isn't always cheaper.
Looking at Stihl's parts diagram and technical bulletin, it looks like they went to the new style to accommodate the compensating carburetor used on later models. That's easy enough to look for; a compensating carb will have a little snorkel on top that goes into the air filter above the standard carb throat.
There are a couple different part numbers for each type, depending on whether you need fleece or wire mesh. I think the wire mesh type is supposed to be less likely to ice up during sustained winter cutting, but otherwise fleece is generally preferable.
Part numbers:
1121 120 1611 (old, wire mesh)
1121 120 1612 (old, fleece)
1121 120 1617 (new)
1121 120 1618 (new, fleece)
I agree with Jon try cleaning first. The dealer may have one. They are not making the old style in aftermarket yet. If memory serves me there is two filters for the non Intelicarb models, they put two different tank vents on them, a short round one and the earlier tall one with a grub screw. The same filter was also used on the 024. Does your saw have a red or black "operator presence lever" That is the on,off, choke lever?
Funny you mention the older style 026 w/ non adjustable carb Firelaker. That is exactly what I found on craigslist except the owner of the saw had changed it out so that it is adjustable. The compression was over 150 and it runs like a champ....can't beat it for $175
Congrats. Sounds like a great deal. Pics?
Jon1270
Minister of Fire
The IPL and technical bulletins I have make no distinction based on tank vent type. There are two old-style filters and two new, but the differences are just filter media.
Oldman47
Minister of Fire
You at least need an owner's manual. It tells you how to clean the air filter. It is available here http://www.stihlusa.com/WebContent/CMSFileLibrary/instructionmanuals/026_Manual.pdf
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