# Good price for MS 290 farm boss



## tumm21

What is the going price for a Stihl MS 290.  Also I am in Ni .  Any idea on a good place to buy one.  I'm looking for an 18 inch bar with it.  ThanksGuys.


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## thewoodlands

tumm21 said:


> What is the going price for a Stihl MS 290. Also I am in Ni . Any idea on a good place to buy one. I'm looking for an 18 inch bar with it. ThanksGuys.


http://www.stihlusa.com/locator/
Punch your zip in, it will give you the dealers in your area with prices.
zap


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## thewoodlands

http://www.stihldealer.net/productd...45-toplvl-2-catid-2-subcat-2-catprods-39.aspx

This is our local dealer.

zap


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## MasterMech

tumm21 said:


> What is the going price for a Stihl MS 290. Also I am in Ni . Any idea on a good place to buy one. I'm looking for an 18 inch bar with it. ThanksGuys.


We talkin' new or used?

New they start out at roughly $389 for 18" Bar.  Dealers prob won't dicker much with a 290 so expect to pay that and maybe get some oil or a hat for free.  The only place you're going to get one is from a dealer.  No mail-order, internet, or box-store sales. Period.

Used they're all over the map.  I've seen "like new" 290's sell for over $350.  Not asking price, actual sold, cash-in-hand price.  Most of the pro saws don't even hold value that well.


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## steeltowninwv

i bought one last year used in very good shape for 200.00............have passed on 2 more...one was 225.00 and the other 200.00.......if u can pick one up for the 200.00 range do it..cant go wrong...but new for 389.00   i would take that money and buy a bigger used saw....the 290 will get things done but its a bit underpowered for the weight..i traded my 290 off after buying a 460....


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## HittinSteel

Didn't they come out with a 291? Does stihl plan to continue making the 290?


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## TreePointer

290, 310, and 390 are all the same platform. My dealer told me that the 310 and 390 are discontinued (in the USA) and have been replaced with the strato-charged 311 and 391, respevtively. 290 and 291 are both listed in the current Stihl USA product offerings. Even though it's their best selling saw and the '290 FarmBoss" has great name recognition (marketing), I imagine Stihl will discontinue the 290 (old technology, orphaned platform, less enviro-friendly), but they want to clear their distrirbution centers of all their 290 units first.


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## Danno77

The 290 is today's version of the old 028. Tons of them sold, and will last forever with a solid following for a good homeowner saw. I expect it to go bye bye any day now, though. If you want a new one, then buy it soon.


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## Danno77

to be clear, I don't think the saw is the updated 028, I think that conceptually, it holds the same spot in people's hearts, but for a different generation. I bet in 20 years our kids will be chatting in whatever format the internet has assumed about how they are using dad's old 290 to cut firewood for their new stove that has septenary burn technology.


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## MasterMech

HittinSteel said:


> Didn't they come out with a 291? Does stihl plan to continue making the 290?


 AFAIK the 290 is still in active production.  It's at a fantastic price point of $379.95 which is bound to be a thorn in Husqvarna's side ($419.95 for the 455 Rancher IIRC).  Yup, the 290 is old tech and heavy but old, slow, and reliable has a pretty good following.  I think Stihl will sell 290's as long as the EPA will let them.  Will probably be the last non-stratocharged saw in the line-up.

Check the price on the MS291, $479.95 (16") and up. Sure there is a ton of tech on it compared to the 290.  Do I think it's worth $100 more than a 290?  Hard to say without getting one in the wood but on paper I say yes.  Problem is Stihl needs a saw capable of running a 20" bar in the sub-$400 category, where they sell the most saws.  If they ever replace the 290, it would be interesting to see what the outcome is.  I doubt they will simply retire the 290 and let the 271 or 291 take the torch.



Danno77 said:


> to be clear, I don't think the saw is the updated 028, I think that conceptually, it holds the same spot in people's hearts, but for a different generation. I bet in 20 years our kids will be chatting in whatever format the internet has assumed about how they are using dad's old 290 to cut firewood for their new stove that has septenary burn technology.


 
028 never wore the "Farm Boss" title, it was the "Wood Boss" for awhile tho.  A title it passed on to the MS270.  I think you're right on the MS290 playing a similar role that the 028 did even though the MS290 sure is a step-down in ergonomics.  Customers looking to replace or upgrade their 028 were much better served by handing them a MS270/280 IMO.


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## StihlHead

I would try to get a 310 if you can. I have had an 029 (the original 290 based saw that is too underpowered), an 029 special (beefier engine, same as the 290) and a few 290 saws, as well as a half dozen 310s. I like the 310 a lot, and with a slight modification to the muffler and carb, they can almost keep pace with my 361s. Almost, but they do not have the RPM that the pro saws have. The 310 has a lot less vibration than the 290, weighs the same and has more power. They have been phased out with the 311 which weighs more and has less power, and is more expensive. They come up here on Craigs List a lot for about $300.


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## MasterMech

StihlHead said:


> I would try to get a 310 if you can. I have had an 029 (the original 290 based saw that is too underpowered), an 029 special (beefier engine, same as the 290) and a few 290 saws, as well as a half dozen 310s. I like the 310 a lot, and with a slight modification to the muffler and carb, they can almost keep pace with my 361s. Almost, but they do not have the RPM that the pro saws have. The 310 has a lot less vibration than the 290, weighs the same and has more power. They have been phased out with the 311 which weighs more and has less power, and is more expensive. They come up here on Craigs List a lot for about $300.


 MS390 was more popular and more power.


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## StihlHead

MasterMech said:


> MS390 was more popular and more power.


 
I do not know about more popular, around here at least. I see way more 310s and 290s here. I have owned, rebuilt, modified and flipped many 1127 Stihl saws. The 390 has more vibration than I like and a lightly modified 310 has the same power as a stock 390, for less money. All historic now though, as they have all been replaced with the smogged model saws.


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## HittinSteel

MasterMech said:


> MS390 was more popular and more power.


 
A muffler modded 039 is a very respectable homeowner grade saw. I really liked mine until I ran a 70cc pro saw


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## Danno77

MasterMech said:


> Customers looking to replace or upgrade their 028 were much better served by handing them a MS270/280 IMO.


I do not disagree with this statement, but neither of those two saws seem to be the direction people take these days. I sometimes wonder if they'll be discontinued because people just don't buy them!


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## MasterMech

Danno77 said:


> I do not disagree with this statement, but neither of those two saws seem to be the direction people take these days. I sometimes wonder if they'll be discontinued because people just don't buy them!


The MS280 is long gone and the MS270 has morphed to the MS271.  It's too bad the 280 is gone, I used to love selling that saw.  I can speak from experience that it is _real_ easy to narrow the saws you sell down to the MS180, MS250, and MS290.  If all that mattered was bar length and price.  Which brings me to my point, it's the guy working the sales floor that sells a saw like the MS280 over a MS290 that had similar HP numbers.  Can't cry too much however because the MS291 brings better engine tech and AV to the table, pretty much the selling points the MS280 had on the 290.


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## Danno77

I did not know the 280 wasn't made anymore.


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## StihlHead

The 270 and 280 were hybrid pro/homeowner saws. Better plastic handles but still had clamshell engine cases. I never got a 270 becasue the 260 is smaller/lighter/more power/better/can easilly be modified. As for the 291 (and 311 and 391) being 'better', I would say not, as they are more expensive, heavier, and they all have less power than the saws that they replace. Better smog and AV, yes. In the 1127 line, I would put my Euro modified 310 up against any of them.


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## mecreature

I have a 280 and love that saw

I have a $30.00 email discount on a saw and you can get the 290 right now with a 16 inch bar for $379 with a case thats $349.00 plus tax out the door. I'm tempted.


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## MasterMech

mecreature said:


> I have a 280 and love that saw
> 
> I have a $30.00 email discount on a saw and you can get the 290 right now with a 16 inch bar for $379 with a case thats $349.00 plus tax out the door. I'm tempted.


 
Since you own a 280, why are you tempted by a 290?  It has nothing to offer from a power/performance standpoint.


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## Danno77

Because he has 30 bucks towards a new saw and the 290 is a good deal, lol. Otherwise, I'm with you.


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## MasterMech

I'd be looking to pick up a small saw like the MS192 (back handle or top handle, take your pick) or a MS180.  New MS180 for $170, yeah I'd do that.  Actually I need a SH86 to clean up all these F'in leaves.....


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## mecreature

yeah i know i dont need anything that is not an upgrade i have the 435 which probably hangs with the smaller stihls

just tempted

the leaf blower is tempting too, but how much i would use it i dont know


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## BIGDADDY

I have a 280 also. I like it but it seems like its been lacking a little power today when I was using it.


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## JOHN BOY

Sorry Guys but i dont like the 390 ive owned one and it was a pig. Weight ta power ratio is horrible. My buddys 260 ran neck and neck with my 390 which i sold long ago. I would'nt put anything bigger then a 16 inch bar on the 290. But thats just me..


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