# Stihl Farm Boss Dead at 21



## Clodhopper (Feb 18, 2012)

Well, my trusty old Stihl died suddenly yesterday.  That saw never gave me a bit of trouble for 21 years, and ran great right up till the end.  Only thing that was a little problematic at the end was that the chain brake  got soft, and would engage unnecessarily.  Yesterday I started her up, she ran for about 20 seconds, and then the engine seized.

I'm all ready to go buy another Farm Boss, but I thought I might check here to see if they are "stihl" as good as they used to be.  It seems like a lot of things are being made more cheaply then they used to.  My other consideration for a saw would be a similar model Husqvarna.

Thanks for any thoughts on the subject.


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## woodsmaster (Feb 18, 2012)

:shut: Very sad day indeed.


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## MasterMech (Feb 18, 2012)

What model was your old Farmboss?  The 029/MS290 is still being made today.  If you had a 041 then the newer Farmboss saws will leave you wanting for power.  Keep in mind that if it indeed was a 029 Farmboss then you can repair it for less than $100.  Replacement cost for a MS290 Farmboss with 18" bar is $390 approximately.  And yes, Stihl's quality is just as good today as it was 20-30 years ago.


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## Clodhopper (Feb 18, 2012)

My saw was the 029.  What is involved in repairing it?  I've done some engine work but I have never worked on a 2 cycle.  I'm probably going to buy a new saw anyway, but if I could repair that one for $100 it might be worth it to have a backup saw.  Maybe I could build a frame to mount them 22 inches apart and double my output. :lol:


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## taxidermist (Feb 18, 2012)

Clodhopper said:
			
		

> My saw was the 029.  What is involved in repairing it?  I've done some engine work but I have never worked on a 2 cycle.  I'm probably going to buy a new saw anyway, but if I could repair that one for $100 it might be worth it to have a backup saw.  Maybe I could build a frame to mount them 22 inches apart and double my output. :lol:




Buy  A after market piston and cylinder from baylies for 100.00 and fix it. How old was the fuel in the saw when you started it?

Rob


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## MasterMech (Feb 18, 2012)

Clodhopper said:
			
		

> My saw was the 029.  What is involved in repairing it?  I've done some engine work but I have never worked on a 2 cycle.  I'm probably going to buy a new saw anyway, but if I could repair that one for $100 it might be worth it to have a backup saw.  Maybe I could build a frame to mount them 22 inches apart and double my output. :lol:



Check this out: http://baileysonline.com/itemdetail.asp?item=SBN+390&catID;=

Give that 029 a 10cc kick in the a$$.  Open up the muffler and retune the carb, say hello to your new MS390!  For $150 it's a deal too. Complete engine.


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## Thistle (Feb 18, 2012)

Nice looking Black Walnut there.


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## MarkinNC (Feb 19, 2012)

Always nice to hear stories like this.  I too would repair it and replace it but I would replace it with a 261 as it should last much longer


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## turbocruiser (Feb 19, 2012)

If you don't want to fix it would you want to sell it to someone who would fix it and use it?  If so, please make my place in line #1.  Thanks!


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## quads (Feb 19, 2012)

Clodhopper said:
			
		

> Well, my trusty old Stihl died suddenly yesterday.  That saw never gave me a bit of trouble for 21 years, and ran great right up till the end.  Only thing that was a little problematic at the end was that the chain brake  got soft, and would engage unnecessarily.  Yesterday I started her up, she ran for about 20 seconds, and then the engine seized.
> 
> I'm all ready to go buy another Farm Boss, but I thought I might check here to see if they are "stihl" as good as they used to be.  It seems like a lot of things are being made more cheaply then they used to.  My other consideration for a saw would be a similar model Husqvarna.
> 
> Thanks for any thoughts on the subject.


You may have already checked this, but one of my old 026 Stihl saws had trouble with the chain brake.  Then one day the engine seized.......or so I thought.  I took the side cover off and what had happened is the steel band that acts as the chain brake had worn and somehow wedged itself all around the clutch stopping the engine and acting as if the engine had seized.  Just a long shot, but you may want to pull the side cover off and look at the steel band.  It's possible it isn't a seized engine.  Just a thought!


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## MasterMech (Feb 19, 2012)

quads said:
			
		

> Clodhopper said:
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Good call Quads!

And Thistle... yeah, it's a shame he's cutting cookies off it!


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## jcjohnston (Feb 19, 2012)

Stihls only die if you consider them that way, for even if you are not able to repair it, shops all over sure can do it. Baileys will do it also if you ship it to them. While Stihl makes quality still of course, in IMHO they aint what they used to be. But then again, me neither.


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## Clarkbug (Feb 19, 2012)

I would definitely check out what quads mentioned...  Normally something gives you a heads up before it would do something bad, especially to seize like that. Unless it got a dose of straight gas or something....

Either way, if its not the chain brake, you should definitely think about fixing it!  You and the ol' girl have history!


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## RNLA (Feb 19, 2012)

X's 3 or 4 on the chain brake thing. IF your considering a new saw, I would only consider Farm Boss or better like a Pro STIHL. The new cylinder is an excellent option too. Make double sure you either can do the work or have an excellent saw mechanic do it for you. The after market stuff from Bailey's is top shelf. You also can check for just a piston from Wisesco. All of this is speculative work though. You need to find out if it is really stuck.


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## Clodhopper (Feb 20, 2012)

Thanks for all the info, I'm going to look into fixing this one as well as getting a new one.


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## MasterMech (Feb 20, 2012)

Clodhopper said:
			
		

> Thanks for all the info, I'm going to look into fixing this one as well as getting a new one.



Another one falls victim to CAD. :lol: (Chainsaw Addicts Disease)


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## mecreature (Feb 20, 2012)

MasterMech said:
			
		

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+1


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