Restoring an old saw VS buying a new one.

[Jade]

Hi all.
I’ve got an old metal badge 044 that I’ve been wanting to put some work into for a while. Doesn’t run currently but is an awesome saw that I’m pretty attached to, and it ran fine as recently as a year ago. The dude I bought it from (cheap) was very concerned that his old saw stopped working and would rather sell it to me than fix it. Good for me, because the only thing wrong was a bit of wire that got sucked into the sprocket. 😂
But while it sat for about a year, the carb must’ve fouled up, as the saw only runs while choked, but shuts down when I drop it out of choke.
My boss is of the opinion that it would be better to just buy a new or newer saw, but I’m torn. What do you guys think?
- Jade

 

[lxskllr]

Welcome! If you like the saw and do the work yourself, rebuilding a classic can be a good way to save some money. and maybe have fun if you like mechanical work. If you put it in the shop, you could end up spending more than it's worth cause you have to pay them for their time on top of parts cost. Hard to say how it'll turn out if can't troubleshoot before getting started.

Sounds like a carb issue to me(fairly cheap and easy), but I don't work on saws.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

The old 044s are worth rebuilding. Start with the carb and see what you get. The intake boot can be suspect for leaking, easy to replace while you are in there. Jug kits are reasonable if you need to go there. Just make sure what piston wrist pin size you need. 10 or 12mm.
They are an amazing saw. Even worth putting new crank seals in IMO.

 

[Jade]

Welcome! If you like the saw and do the work yourself, rebuilding a classic can be a good way to save some money. and maybe have fun if you like mechanical work. If you put it in the shop, you could end up spending more than it's worth cause you have to pay them for their time on top of parts cost. Hard to say how it'll turn out if can't troubleshoot before getting started.

Sounds like a carb issue to me(fairly cheap and easy), but I don't work on saws.

Thanks for the welcome! I’m certainly no mechanic but I love working with my hands. And I’ve heard similar things from many people regarding the 044. Loss of older tree guys getting wide eyed when I tell them I’ve got an old beast like that.

 

[Jade]

The old 044s are worth rebuilding. Start with the carb and see what you get. The intake boot can be suspect for leaking, easy to replace while you are in there. Jug kits are reasonable if you need to go there. Just make sure what piston wrist pin size you need. 10 or 12mm.
They are an amazing saw. Even worth putting new crank seals in IMO.

Lots of good information here. Thank you for the guidance.

 

[stig]

I simply don't get the veneration for old saws.
They vibrate a lot and the lack of pre-filtration means the air filter clogs up fast.

I'd never consider repairing something like that, I make better money felling trees than fiddling with saws.

 

[Al Smith]

I'm a collector restoration type so I'd restore it .Old saying--one mans poison is another mans meat .Besides that it's not rocket science .

 

[CurSedVoyce]

The power to weight ratio on the old 044s was amazing. When you need a 24-28 bar on a saw cutting through a conifer at 60-100 feet up, you want that.

 

[Raj]

Welcome to the house!

I'm in an economically depressed area, so I fix and rebuild all my pro saws. Currently waiting on a crank shaft for an 088 from Australia.

 

[Bermy]

Also before you get diving into the carb as your suspect area, check the fuel line between the tank and the carb, they can perish over time and get micro cracks that air sucks through...classic that the saw will run on choke (extra fuel to balance the extra air) but die on off choke...now too much air.

 

[Burnham]

I love my old 044, and would absolutely try my best to fix it if it were to become troublesome. But I'm retired, and enjoy more about my old saws than what is represented by just dollars and cents efficiency.

I also understand Stig's point of view perfectly. He owns a chainsaw for only one reason, to make money for him. The best new technology is most likely to perform day in and out without a hitch, and he also needs to protect himself from wear and tear from anything less than the best anti-vibe and low as possible decibels, where new tech wins every time.

 

[Frankie]

The 044 was Andreas STIHLS’ baby and can be made into a strong runner for sure ... It’s all about cost though , STIHL oem parts are all I would use on a re-build and they are getting expensive, so much so that you may find it cost-prohibitive compared to a new unit ... While the performance and weight of the 044 will give satisfactory results the newer saws in that category are easier on the operator especially if one is doing a lot of cutting /processing work ... I have an 064 , 462c and 572xp which are all modded by yours truly ... The 064 (while being the fastest ) gets used the least ... the av and lightweight of the 462c and the smoothness of the 572xp is a lot easier on the man imho ymmv

 

[Burnham]

My box stock 064, less a bit of muffler restriction, is too much fun to ever get rid of.

No too long ago I put a 25 inch bar pulling full skip full chisel on the beast (borrowed it from the 361 )...just for the fun of it because I'd teased my across the road neighbor that his 311 seemed to be not really doing the job on some 24-32 inch firewood logs he'd had delivered. "Let me come over and buck some rounds with you...my saw needs to be run in real wood anyway, be a favor to me..."

Big round eyes from that young man, let me tell you: ). Didn't help his case that he can't sharpen a saw chain well enough to cut it's way out of a soggy paper sack

 

[ruel]

I love my rebuilt 440, in the process of rebuilding an 066. If you take the cynical attitude that every second of your time is monetarily valued, probably buy new.

Do you like messing around with saws? If so, f it, mess around with a saw. What do you have to lose, beyond a few bucks on parts and some time learning things

 

[stig]

. If you take the cynical attitude that every second of your time is monetarily valued, probably buy new.

I've been a professional logger for over 40 years.
I fall to scale, so if I don't put a certain amount of trees on the ground every day, I go hungry.
So I see nothing cynical about always getting the newest and best tools for my trade.

Tom Kristensen didn't win Le Mans 9 times by driving a Ford T.
Cynical bastard, he.

 

[ruel]

I can see how that came across badly, not my intention. You are certainly right about what works for your own busines.

My comment was about the idea "make more money doing this than that". Certainly valid from a busines perspective. Applied to off hours, hobbies, or interests, why do anything that isn't maximizing your economic value?

I do other things because I enjoy them. You don't have to win le mans to make a vehicle worth driving. Old things are not always the smart money choice. I'm ok with that, for me they have value for other reasons.

 

[lumberjack]

I’m late to the party but for business I buy new. My hobbies have varied over the years, it’s possible I get into rebuilding at some point but it’s easy, inexpensive and predictable to buy a new saw for work.

 

[Jade]

The power to weight ratio on the old 044s was amazing. When you need a 24-28 bar on a saw cutting through a conifer at 60-100 feet up, you want that.

That’s the idea. Need a ripper with a 24” bar. Love it.

 

[Jade]

I can see how that came across badly, not my intention. You are certainly right about what works for your own busines.

My comment was about the idea "make more money doing this than that". Certainly valid from a busines perspective. Applied to off hours, hobbies, or interests, why do anything that isn't maximizing your economic value?

I do other things because I enjoy them. You don't have to win le mans to make a vehicle worth driving. Old things are not always the smart money choice. I'm ok with that, for me they have value for other reasons.

Well said.

 

[Jade]

I love my old 044, and would absolutely try my best to fix it if it were to become troublesome. But I'm retired, and enjoy more about my old saws than what is represented by just dollars and cents efficiency.

I also understand Stig's point of view perfectly. He owns a chainsaw for only one reason, to make money for him. The best new technology is most likely to perform day in and out without a hitch, and he also needs to protect himself from wear and tear from anything less than the best anti-vibe and low as possible decibels, where new tech wins every time.

Two valid takes applied to the same machine. It’s a balance for me, because I appreciate the older saws from a collector’s standpoint, but I also work with a chainsaw for a living... like the majority on this forum. If I can scratch both itches in one saw, that works for me. 👍🏼😊

 

[Jade]

check the fuel line between the tank and the carb, they can perish over time and get micro cracks that air sucks through...classic that the saw will run on choke (extra fuel to balance the extra air) but die on off choke...now too much air.

Great advice, thanks. I’ll check it out. Very new to repairing/tinkering with my own saws, so I’ll take all the advice I can get. Never realized what a wealth of information these forums are.... guess that makes me a sucker! Better late than never, anyhow

 

[Burnham]

Two valid takes applied to the same machine. It’s a balance for me, because I appreciate the older saws from a collector’s standpoint, but I also work with a chainsaw for a living... like the majority on this forum. If I can scratch both itches in one saw, that works for me. 👍🏼😊

That can be a hard itch to reach, generally. A fine running 044, now some 30 year old technology, is a grand thing...but I rather suspect even given my admiration for the 044, that a spankin' new 500i would put the oldster in the shade.

Just sayin' .

 

[Bermy]

Oohhhh mate, the 500i....like butter, smoooth

 

[Bermy]

So...derail...the 064, what is its more modern equivalent in the Stihl lineup?

 

[lxskllr]

For the US market, I'd say the 661, but you could do similar work with a 462.