>>937600No horror stories, fortunately. I did a bunch of lurking at the arboristsite forums, read up on saws in the size/power classes I wanted, and started trolling craigslist. Many older pro saws are a fraction of their original price and run forever. My 034 is early-mid 1980s manufacture and on its 2nd piston but still running strong. I like the pro saws over the consumer grade because the saws are better made and much easier to work on. You will need to learn to tune a 2-stroke carb to avoid running too lean and wrecking the saw.
Question the seller about the saw's history, remove the muffler to check the condition of the piston through the exhaust port (should be free of scratches), and run the saw before you hand over any money.
The bar/chain may be shot, so factor that into the saw cost if those items are beat up.
Understand you may need to replace minor parts like carb boots, impulse line, fuel line, air filter, etc. but it's usually worthwhile as those parts are cheap and easy to install.
My best deal is pic related, a Stihl MS460 w/ 28" bar/chain for $220. The bar needed a new tip, but that was $30 and half-hour of labor.
Any other questions?
