|
|
Post by sweepleader on Jan 16, 2019 18:19:19 GMT -5
Post your best ideas on how to find good deals, whatever they may be!
I use Craigslist but then I have most of what I want.
|
|
|
|
Post by edju1958 on Jan 16, 2019 20:41:17 GMT -5
I found most of my saws at my local saw shop.I went there one day back in Nov.2017 & told the owner that I was starting to collect saws.He told me that he had a barn full of older Homelites & Macs that he'd sell to me for $15 - $20 ea.I've got some good saws where all I had to do was put fuel in them,or put a part or two on to get them going again.I've also had some real mind bogglers too.I'm saving those for when I'm either totally bored,or when I get more experience,whichever comes first.Lol I've also picked up a few saws on CL.I've found that Ebay is probably the worst place to try to find a deal.Like rarefish (joe) said,all the collectors in the world are there looking.Not only that,there are a lot of dishonest people there trying to pass off garbage as "vintage"saws.I have to do most of my shopping from my computer due to the fact that I'm not able to drive anymore. Ed
|
|
|
|
Post by onlyhomelites on Jan 16, 2019 23:03:19 GMT -5
I do an awful lot on Ebay...I know everyone has strong opinions about it, but probably 85% of my saws have come from there. I try to set a realistic budget and then stick to it with a bid at the end. let the chips fall.
My local Craigs List occasionally has an interesting saw, but the prices usually aren't much of a deal. Most sellers seem to think the saws are gold or platinum plated.
I'm really disappointed how few old saw shops are left in the PNW with any old inventory or saws. I hear all the time from customers that their local shop won't work on anything they don't sell or that parts aren't available (almost always are). It's great for my business to have guys shipping saws in for repair, but it sure isn't the most cost effective for the owner!
|
|
|
|
Post by rarefish383 on Jan 17, 2019 8:31:32 GMT -5
My cousin and I are both retired now. We both like to got to farm and equipment auctions. We both use “Auctionzip.com”. Saws at farm auction are not consider valuable enough for them to list in their sales. So, if you do a search for “saws”, they probably won’t show up. If they do show up you might have some bidding competition. I do searches for farm and equipment or house hold. Then I go to the “photo gallery”. If it’s an estate sale and they have pics of the JD rider, look at the work bench in the background. Everybody that has a lawn tractor has a chainsaw. Same with the pics of big farm auctions. Every farmer has a bunch of saws. Here’s some I got last year. Most of which I posted here. Super EZ, runner and XL12 locked up, $2 each, farm auction. Annual Fair Grounds auction, Super 1050 runner $150, 150 Auto runner and C51 no spark, $5 each. Fair Ground Tuesday night auction, 1966 Blue XL12 runner $15 and plastic Super 2 in case runner for $12. I’ve been looking for a Poulan XXV for a long time and found one at the Tuesday sale, badged as a Sears, for 10 or 15 bucks, and it was a freaking screaming demon. Now, I consider walking around a farm sale as high entertainment and often blow a day and bring nothing home, so you have to consider your time. I left the Tuesday sale last week that had an XL12 in case because it was in the last of 5 buildings, and they don’t start building till 7pm. This is where I find most of my axes. You just have to decide if it’s worth waiting 5 hours for a $5. dollar saw or ax.
|
|
|
|
Post by rarefish383 on Jan 17, 2019 11:09:13 GMT -5
This might be a little picture heavy, but these are the ones I picked up just this year, 2018. Another thing, let all your friends know you collect saws. Every ones grandfather had a chain saw. A UPS driver friend of mine delivered to the Beltsville Agriculture Center. He knows nothing about saws. I asked him to ask if they had any old junk saws. They sent him back with an XL924 and an XL12 free. The 924 was a runner. Don't forget other members here and on AS. SVK lives in Minnesota and was driving to Florida. He mentioned on AS that he would like to restore a big Homelite. I'm in MD about 30-45 minutes off the highway he was using, so I told him to stop by on his down. I sent him home with a Super 1050 with the parts to rebuild, an XL 900 Series that he was seeking info here, a Zip, and 4 XL 12's.  Top row 150 Auto $5 runner. Super EZ $2 runner. Mac 550, yard sale $35 runner. XL924 free from UPS friend.  Middle row Homelite 550 friends brother, he started it and it sounded good, I gave him $100, got it home wouldn't start, ring is stuck in piston. Stihl 08S, friend pulled it out of dumpster at dump. Mac 15 $35 at yard sale no spark. C51 $5 no spark.Super 1050 $150 runs great, had 24" bar and new chain, new lines and rebuilt carb.  Bottom row. Little Echo I bought new. Poulan XXV/Sears Explorer runner, not sure $15, definitely under $20. Poulan 5020, new at Tuesday evening auction, $60. My Dad's Super 1050 with 36" bar.  Super 2 at Tuesday evening auction was in the under $20 range and runs. |
|
|
|
Post by edju1958 on Jan 17, 2019 12:22:15 GMT -5
Wow Joe! You've got some great saws at dirt cheap prices! I got "lucky"back in Aug.with my "free"SXL-925.It didn't have a front handle on it,so I got that from Joyce & a part or two from Leon.It didn't have a bar or chain either.I got the bar on Ebay (it's a Mac bar,but it fits,D096),I got the chain at my local shop.It needed a fuel line & filter,an oiler button,drive case cover,clutch cover.By the time it was all said & done I think I've got about $160-$170 invested.I haven't been able to take it out yet,but I'll see what it can do in the spring. Some saws I got cheap,others I had to put a few bucks into,& as I said at the beginning of this thread,there are some I haven't even touched yet.Looks like you can get your saws at good prices Joe. Ed
|
|
|
|
Post by undee70ss on Jan 17, 2019 12:33:03 GMT -5
. SVK lives in Minnesota and was driving to Florida. He mentioned on AS that he would like to restore a big Homelite. I'm in MD about 30-45 minutes off the highway he was using, so I told him to stop by on his down. I sent him home with a Super 1050 with the parts to rebuild, an XL 900 Series that he was seeking info here, a Zip, and 4 XL 12's. I’m pretty sure he sold the Super 1050 to another member here. |
|
|
|
Post by undee70ss on Jan 17, 2019 12:42:50 GMT -5
I’ve just about did it all, eBay, Craigslist, FB, auctions, word of mouth ect. Good deals require timing and luck. You just have to be at the right place at the right time.
|
|
|
|
Post by rarefish383 on Jan 17, 2019 13:35:51 GMT -5
I’ve just about did it all, eBay, Craigslist, FB, auctions, word of mouth ect. Good deals require timing and luck. You just have to be at the right place at the right time. Hit the nail on the head, "Right place at the right time". Then, if it's not the right place and time, pass on it. I get in trouble if I want something, that some one else wants, and get in a bidding war. Steve actually asked if I minded if he sold the Zip and I said I didn't mind. He said he would split it and I said no need. He kind of promised to rebuild the 1050, it was one of my Dad's last saws I had, so it was kind of special. He did not ask about selling that one. Just glad at the last minute I took the 36" bar off I said he could have, and put a 24" back on it. Those big bars are hard to find. I did pass on a really nice 1050 at a yard sale. The guy told me he got it for $60 and used it to flush off one or two big stumps. The fuel tank leaked, but I have gaskets for those tanks. He was asking $200. I went back a couple hours later and he had just sold it to a 14 year old kid for $180. Oh well, as my Dad used to say, "that's life in the big city". Here are a few of my 2-5 dollar axes on a Fir display board I milled with the 1050.  |
|
|
|
Post by rarefish383 on Jan 17, 2019 19:20:28 GMT -5
I'm bored, some one give me their zip code and see how many good deals I can find in the next hour or so.
|
|
|
|
Post by sweepleader on Jan 17, 2019 19:54:09 GMT -5
55356
|
|
|
|
Post by rarefish383 on Jan 18, 2019 7:26:53 GMT -5
Wow, it must be my southern accent. I did my search for antiques and household and it gave me storage lockers. Then I did agriculture and farms and it gave me sporting goods and guns. Since I have relatives in Duluth I did searches there and had zero auctions in Jan-Feb. I did my zip, 21771 and there are over 200 auctions in Jan. I did the zip to my property in WV and got 90+ auctions in Jan., Two hours of random looking I got nothing in MN. No farm or estate sales in WV, lots of at the action house sales, but too many to look at. At my favorite sales there was one little yellow Mac, one red XL12, two power pruners, one echo, and a couple electric chainsaws. There no farm sales or private estate sales. I guess this isn't the best time to be selling a farm. I haven't been to a sale since I had my knee done Dec 4th. I'll keep looking randomly around the country as it gets warmer.
|
|
|
|
Post by sweepleader on Jan 18, 2019 7:56:57 GMT -5
Sort of brisk here for outdoor or unheated barn auctions, high will be 12F today. :{)
|
|
|
|
Post by rarefish383 on Jan 18, 2019 8:50:23 GMT -5
Sort of brisk here for outdoor or unheated barn auctions, high will be 12F today. :{) Yeah I was thinking that might be a factor. I did a little better on Gregs zip. Within 30 miles there was a Remington electric and a Stihl 032 in case. I only looked at January. |
|
|
|
Post by rowdy235 on Jan 19, 2019 18:59:35 GMT -5
Its time consuming but search for more generic terms like "chainsaw" versus looking for homelite. Seems like less people find the listings that way, thus less competition. I once bought a 770-g in near pristine condition from an ad without photo that was for "old chainsaw".
I also find auctions a good place, as its unusual to find another collector there.
|
|
|
|
Post by rarefish383 on Jan 20, 2019 4:41:31 GMT -5
Its time consuming but search for more generic terms like "chainsaw" versus looking for homelite. Seems like less people find the listings that way, thus less competition. I once bought a 770-g in near pristine condition from an ad without photo that was for "old chainsaw". I also find auctions a good place, as its unusual to find another collector there. Yep, that’s what I do. Auctions don’t usually list saws, so I spend my time going through the photo gallery, looking in the background and under benches. Just for kicks, I went to the auctionzip search I use. The 30 mile radius around me showed around 200 auctions in January, under categories I putt ALL, keywords I left blank. I just went back and entered chainsaws in the keywords, and not one single auction popped up. Around here they just don't list chainsaws at auctions. When I left it blank I found 2 power pruners and a couple electric chainsaws, but I had to scan the photo gallery for stuff in the background. CL and FB is different because people are trying to sell individual items. Big auctions don't care about $5 sales. They want to sell the cars, trucks, and tractors. I only looked at the sales on Tuesday and Saturday when my cousin is available to go with me. |
|
|
|
Post by blythkd on Jan 20, 2019 13:10:14 GMT -5
I've bought on Ebay, Craigslist and at auctions. One thing to keep in mind, probably most of you already recognize, I've noticed when I do a search on Search Tempest that if I search for "chain saw", it will not pull up an ad with "chainsaw" in it. I think some searches, like Google for instance, can be a little more capable to recognize small differences like that but ST is not.
For those of you not familiar with Search Tempest, it's the easiest way I've found to do a more global search on Craigslist, rather than just searching one area at a time like you have to do through the CL search function.
Happy Hunting!
|
|
|
|
Post by tjthechainsawmech on Jan 20, 2019 14:06:03 GMT -5
My deals are not explainable.....I guess I could say I've been severely lucky with some of my finds. Like the two sought after stick shifts I have. First one given to me....2nd on craigslist for a price way less than I was willing to pay. I've found I don't LOOK for deals...I let them find me.
Knowing people from saw shops due to working for them is awesome as well. They all keep an eye out for me if a freebie or cheap one comes around.
Heck Leon knows the story of a 9-26 I came across for $50 that was PRISTINE. Unfortunately I was 30 minutes late. lol
|
|
|
|
Post by onlyhomelites on Jan 21, 2019 0:01:14 GMT -5
Heck Leon knows the story of a 9-26 I came across for $50 that was PRISTINE. Unfortunately I was 30 minutes late. lol That one still makes me want to cry! |
|
|
|
Post by undee70ss on Jan 23, 2019 5:22:01 GMT -5
|
|
