Stihl ms290 question

Ralph46

Member
I saw an ms290 farmboss on craigslist for sale in town. Looks good in the pics and it says it runs and cuts good with an 18 inch bar. I'm not a chainsaw guy so I'm wondering what this saw in decent condition goes for. The guy wants 225 for it.
 
You can buy a new Farm Boss for about $390.

The MS290 has been discontinued. I have one and like it, but you never know what a used saw has been through.
 
I have one. It's a good saw.

It's hard to put a price on one without knowing more about it but $225 is a good price if it's in good condition. I would not sell mine for $275.

Dean
 
Bought mine for $150 at yard sale. Immediately became my first choice on medium size jobs.
 
You need to be careful buying a used saw like that, and here's why:

Some years ago, I invested in a Stihl chainsaw. Decided I wanted the very best! Well, one day I ran out of gas for the saw. I always kept a spare bottle of oil on hand, but this particular time I ran out. I liked adding the oil to the can before filling, as filling the can would mix the oil very well. BUT......this time there was no oil, and I forgot to buy some before filling the can. Ended up running straight gas through the saw.

There was just the slightest hint of scoring on the piston, so I bought new rings and tried it out. The saw ran for a while - and it ran good! But suddenly, the rings broke again, this time ruining the engine completely. Was an expensive lesson for me.

I don't like admitting mistakes like this very often, but I also don't like for others to potentially get taken from the same problem that someone else made. If the saw starts up and runs, don't assume it's OK. Offer to cut some firewood. Offer to run through a whole fill of gas-mix in the saw and see if it lasts through the fill. If so, then you can make a good, sound decision.

I "like" to think that most people are honest....but then I also am knowingly naive a lot of the time. Unless you know the person and trust them, you just have to follow the old saying "[i:fbae23e945]Let the buyer beware[/i:fbae23e945]". Doesn't mean you're going to get taken every time - might not get taken ever! But unless you can financially afford to throw that money away, take the required time to insure the saw is good, while also cutting some firewood for the person selling it. That way, both sides win. And if you "can" afford to take the risk blind, then I have to ask why you're wanting to buy a used saw in the first place?
 
From what I've read these are very reliable saws that last a long time with the proper care. As far as the seller being dishonest, you're right there are a lot of dirtbags out there. But I figure it's worth checking out, heck I might even know the guy when I get there. People are still pretty honest around here believe it or not.
 
A used saw is always a crap shoot for those who dont know saws well.The 290s were Stihl's most popular saw when they were made. They are the middle line between home owners saws and professional saws, The current model is MS291 and sells for right around $450 new. Seen a few good ones sell at auction lately and they bring $150-200. A few extra chains, oil,case fuel can etc (if thrown in) add up to many $$$ in extras. Without inspecting it and running it it's hard to say from this vantage point if that particular saw is a good buy or not. If toasted they are generally not worth rebuilding. Anything more than a simple tune up at a dealer adds up the $$ quickly. You can preform these tests. It should start easily, 3-5 pulls unless it has set forever. Take a chunk of wood along and make a few cuts to see if it maintains power an then goes back to idle OK. Then while idling put the chain brake on, it should not change speed or sound. Then with the chain brake STILL ON for safety, turn the saw sideways for a couple seconds (both sides), then upside down for a couple seconds then bar pointed down, then bar pointed up. If it changes speed or dies say no thank you because trouble is soon coming that will cost you lots when preformed at a dealer.
 
I've had a MS290 for about 15 years (bought new) and even after going through countless cords of
osage orange it still works great. Other than the routine maintenance replacement parts (bar,
sprocket, spark plug, air cleaner, etc) the only other repair I've had to make is the replacement
of a screw on the handle that backed out and was lost. Other than that single screw literally
nothing on it has ever broken or failed to work as expected. It is a rather heavyweight saw for
its power level but if that isn't a problem for you then you probably won't find a better saw for
the money.
 
If it starts from cold easily, likely good compression, and that is a decent price depending on condition. It's an 1127 series saw. Removing the muffler will allow you to see some of the cylinder and piston. Removing the recoil cover and using a business envelope to check the gap between the housing and the part that spins will tell you whether the bearings in the motor are within tolerance or not if the envelope binds and there is not enough room.

The only thing that concerns me with a used saw is how the previous owner took care of it and operated it. Most don't have much of a clue about correct operation and maintenance and is why so many of these 1127 series end up as parts saws on ebay with engine problems. I've had a 390 since '02 and last I checked the cylinder and piston were like new. I've used stihl oil and made sure the fuel was correctly mixed with the precise amounts of both being mixed in my 1 gallon fuel container. Moto mix is great fuel to store it with. I keep the chain sharp, air filter cleaned, use stihl bar oil and so on. It's been put to work quite a bit at times and it showed, so I took it completely apart and started with a new engine housing and fuel/oil lines and new oem plastic,2 new bars and it looks new now. I did not have to take the engine apart as it starts easily and runs just fine, bearings within tolerance. That is the only thing I am aware of to monitor peridically with 1127's, the engine bearings, which is easy to check per the above. There is a you tube video that details how to take an MS 390 apart and re-assemble, which applies to all the 1127 series saws, very very helpful, though I did a few things my way. Pretty easy to work on for even the average mechanic.
 
It's more of a high-end homeowner's saw if that makes any difference to you. For someone who cuts a few cords of firewood for personal use every year.

Current version of the saw is the MS291.

It's basically a 50cc saw that weighs as much as a 70cc saw. Same crankcase as the MS390, so you can put a jug and piston from an MS390 on it and have a slightly lighter 65cc saw.
 
There is a good chance it will be fine. Do like Butch says to check it out for signs of trouble. Bought a much older 038 Magnum a few years ago on consignment. Not pretty but runs great and still starts like it did when the dealer first showed it to me.
 
I've had two of those. Both have/were
great. I only cut 2-5 cord/year though. I
liked the first one I had so much that when
it got stolen, along with another saw and
some tools (grrrrrrr), I went out and
bought another. Some are getting older/wore
out now though.
 
Thanks for all the advice guys and I will definitely do what Butch recommended. I mainly plan to use this saw for cutting up fallen trees and maybe taking a few down, but nothing too big so it should work pretty good. Hopefully I'll check it out after work today and I'll let you all know how I make out.
 
I've dealt with some of these problems, any reasonably mechanically inclined person can repair these. The tilting and dying out can be a matter of the fuel intake with filter being positioned incorrectly in the tank, faulty fuel line etc. Heck, the 390 ran ok with a bad fuel line, it should not have even run, surprised the heck out of me. They can be tuned in with a small engine tach, all kinds of videos on you tube and such, + you can get all kinds of parts for these reasonably, check ebay, oem is widely available, I don't use knock-offs, prefer oem.
 
Well guys I liked what I saw and brought it home! It runs and cuts good, just gonna do some basic tune up and let it work. Thanks for all the advice!
 

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