Stihl 08 chainsaw

18 years ago

Hi All,

Nice lady up the street is cleaning out her late husbands garden shed and there's an old Stihl 08s with either an 18" or 20" Oregon Bar on it. Don't know just how old it is but it's well maintained (hubby was old army motorpool mechanic)and I do need a decent saw (all I have is a 20-25 year old Poulan 2000 with a 12" bar). Lady says it's not working but husband was going to fix it. Is it worth dealing with or should I invest in something with newer safety technology?

Thanks,

jarrall

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Comments (15)

paratrooper
18 years ago
Go to www.arboristsite.com and scroll down to "chainsaws" and ask your question.

The guys and gals there really know their STIHL saws.
tkendr01
18 years ago
The 08S is a very fine unit, gear-drive, plenty of power.
I would say it's worth taking a chance on. It is also a very proven performer as these saws were used in the rental market.
You will, however, notice the difference in weight between a 12" Poulan saw and the 20" Stihl. I have the 038 Super with a 20" bar and I have become accustomed to the weight.

What type of project are you considering that needs this much saw?
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I agree it's a chain problem providing the oiler is working. smoke is a tale tale sign of dull chain or no oiling. Once it smokes if has to be resharpen. Every time my saw cut slows down if from lack of oil to the chain, dull teeth which hitting metal will dull them in an instant, or alowing the chain to run in dirt weather it be by hitting the ground or dirt inside a stump. It's easy to sharpen the teeth at the wrong angle and making the saw cut crooked or get dull very quickly. I would first make sure I got the right size file, inspect the teeth, clean the chain, using sharpen guide (and maybe review a video online in sharpen) and slowly sharpen the teeth and try to bring back the correct angle, then I would take a wet stone and remove any metal that's pealed over and fine tuning the teeth once more by hitting them 2 or 3 swips with file again. see if that helps. I would also make sure the oiler is getting oil to the bar and chain by cleaning out the oiler holes and bar chain track. You are using bar oil or 30w oil right?? as long as you have teeth left on the chain you should be about to bring them back. I have sharpen the teeth on some chains to were they vary have any teeth left and they start breaking off.
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canguy
18 years ago
The 08 is a tough, powerfull saw but it is heavy and with the top handle, not well balanced for the inexperienced user. Some parts are getting scarce, like the early FM rewind. If you are like me and love old saws, go for it but if you are looking for a regular user with minimum fuss, a newer lightweight might be the answer.
chief_crazyhorse
18 years ago
Just so you know, the 08 IS NOT gear drive, its direct driven.
Its a good saw, proven design that survived till recently as the TS350/360 cutoff saw, which was rather well built, but is no longer in production. still a well designed machine, and reliable as gravity, though heavy as lead. a definate improvment over the 07 that was before it.
hlw49
18 years ago
It's like the 009 it's a too saw. Too bulky too heavy and toooo slow. I wouldn't carry it to the woods if you paid me. Horrible design who in the world would design a saw that uses the choke for a gov. so the thing would not over rev and fly apart. What a work of art. Later Butch
paratrooper
18 years ago
QUOTE: Horrible design who in the world would design a saw that uses the choke for a gov. so the thing would not over rev and fly apart.

ANSWER: Our beloved STIHL...........
canguy
18 years ago
Pretty funky design allright but Stihl sure sold enough of them. We had a breakin at the store recently and guess what walked. TS350's. Discerning thief? He missed the Husky 3120K16 LOL
spacemule
18 years ago
Thieves aren't known for being the sharpest knives in the drawer. lol
jerry_nj
18 years ago
Well Stihl is a top line maker, but it isn't new, so...
A new less quality unit at a much lower price may do you fine.
I've been using Homelite and other small saws, 14" and 16" and have been very happy. I do use them, I cut and spilt about a cord of wood a year and do some triming, the lower cost units, under $200, last me about 10 years, that's enough to justify buying a new one at the end, I do not take in for repairs.
torowrench
18 years ago
I just picked up sn old 08 for peanuts. Barn fresh... it's seen little use. Put a new plug in it and it fired right up. It'll be a shop decoration, no way would I cut with this saw. If I'm not mistaken they sold string trimmer attachments and a few others with this saw and it's still in production in South America. Interesting piece of history but I'd pass on it if:

1) I needed a safe, dependable saw for production use
2) I didn't work at a Stihl dealer and could get parts at cost. (I do and can)

The 08 came stock set up for .404 chain. Running .404 chain with a 3.39 cube powerhead is well.....inefficient to say the least.

Info on the 08 (and just about any saw made) can be found at Mike Acres Chainsaw Collectors Corner site.

I might be interested in the old gal it's selling cheap

Here is a link that might be useful: Acresinternet
mathewripcurl_hotmail_com
16 years ago
hey....
i have a sthil 07 very old my my dad got it of his dad than my dad gave it to me. ive just got a little problem with it. its missing some teeth were you pull start it? would that make it harder to start????
canguy
16 years ago
That 07 was built in the 60 s, the O8S was the successor. It likely has the Fairbanks-Morse rewind and the dogs and cup are probably very worn.The parts are NLA from Stihl but there are chainsaw collectors around that might have usable spares.
GARYPHANSEN_GMAIL_COM
15 years ago
Anyone know where I could get piston rings for a Stihl 08 S with a 47mm bore? Thanks, Gary P. Hansen
HU-601175665
2 years ago
Any one know where I can get a set of points for a Stihl 08s

Chris
ssewalk1
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
EBay is your best bet other than a local dealer !

Stihl 08 chainsaw

Comments (15)

paratrooper

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