Is it really that bad TreePointer .......seriously........ I'm working another "old ammo trade" for a like new 290 Farm Boss right now with a guy. It would be a good "financial" deal for me, but you have me wondering if I should just keep the .22, 9mm, and 12 ga stuff I was going to trade for a theoretical "better deal". I've got 3 old real boat anchors in the garage now for my Starcraft and Boston Whaler ..... don't need any more "anchors"! Then again, I fish up on the Niagara River sometimes, you never can have too many anchors in the boat when your above the falls.
MS 290 STIHL FARM BOSS
- Thread starter KaptJaq
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Is it really that bad TreePointer .......seriously........ I'm working another "old ammo trade" for a like new 290 Farm Boss right now with a guy. It would be a good "financial" deal for me, but you have me wondering if I should just keep the .22, 9mm, and 12 ga stuff I was going to trade for a theoretical "better deal". I've got 3 old real boat anchors in the garage now for my Starcraft and Boston Whaler ..... don't need any more "anchors"! Then again, I fish up on the Niagara River sometimes, you never can have too many anchors in the boat when your above the falls.
Its not that bad at all. Its just that there is better if you want to pay for it. The 290 will serve you very well for years and years. You can drive to work in a Chevy or a Lamborghini. Is the Chevy a boat anchor?
Yah, the 290 gets no respect. They will cut wood though, and they will run a 20 inch bar with no problems. They are also the most popular Stihl saw sold over the past 10 years or so. I see them all the time, used by road crews, county workers, wood scrounges, etc. They take a beating. Downside of the 290 beastie is the power to weight ratio, vibration, and somewhat lacking in power for a saw that size. I have done a lot of cutting with a 290 and more with a 310. The 1127 series has the downside of lower grade plastic handles, a plastic side cover and engine casing, not so great air filter, clam shell engines and spur sprockets. They have the upside of a good adjustable oiler, the sprockets can be swapped out with a 360 rim drive and they can be easilly modified to get 10% more power. Oh, and they are cheaper than the pro models. As a group they are all better then thier replacement EPA models as well, with more power, lower weight and cost. The EPA models have better AV and they run cleaner.
(Doning asbestos suit)
Ummm, at the risk of getting seriously flamed here, yeah, that's pretty much what I consider most of them from the last 30 years to be. I've been a Toyota person since the 80's ........ well, I do have an E-150 conversion van in the drive too. Now, many of the pre 80's Chevys, now that's a diffrent breed of car!
I'm not a Chevy fan either, but what I was trying to say is that both cars would get you to work on time. While one of them is capable of blistering speed, it wouldn't help much in the morning commute. On the race track might be a different story, but who drives on race tracks, and how often?
Is it really that bad? No. I was just consolidating all the criticism and friendly banter the 290 has received in many forums. I owned one and it was very reliable--always started on a couple pulls.
I cut more than the average homeowner and 5 cord firewooder. On our farm we send trees to the mill and I cut treetops for firewood. Straight bucking on a timber landing can be accomplished with any moderate to high displacement saw, and being heavy doesn't matter that much. However, using a 290 to limb and buck treetops in the forest gets tiresome during long cutting sessions (done it many times). I have the added issue of being more sensitive to vibrations than most sawyers I know, so good antivibration technology is important to me.
The 290 is not a bad saw but compated to say a 361 (and other modern 50-60cc pro saws), it is a decades old design with relatively low power-to-weight, poor antivibration technology, lower fuel economy, and not as good a stumper. I'd even take a 50cc 346XP (16/18" bar) over the 290 every time. With all that being stated, every saw has its place, and not everybody needs to spend $470+ on a saw to cut a couple cords per year. The 290 has served many people well, and if it doesn't fit your needs you can always resell it .
Unless you plan to sell the 290 and turn it into cash, I wouldn't bother. Just a quick look at your saw inventory tells me the 290 would just collect dust.
I had one for 8 years. I beat the dogsh_t out of it. Cut 100+ cord with it. And did ZERO maintenance. I sold it for $140 to a buddy and it still runs like a top.
i didn't read this whole thread....
i have a ms290 farm boss, 18" chain. it works great ! cuts anything i need it to cut, and does it quickly.
i paid $290 for it, bran new from a dealer = i had a "hook up".
i have a ms290 farm boss, 18" chain. it works great ! cuts anything i need it to cut, and does it quickly.
i paid $290 for it, bran new from a dealer = i had a "hook up".
And at the end of it all I lied. Rather didn't read what I typed in the dark and never was so accurate with numbers. The price is $390 locally. That's about right around here, take the highest prices in the country and add some more. Go figure and sorry about the misquote. Where did one of you guys find one in the Upstate Vermont area lately for around $300???? Every place around here is at least MSRP+.
![[Hearth.com] MS 290 STIHL FARM BOSS](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/82/82519-6657a3f0b8f47634bea4f7d915f2aada.jpg?hash=QqNjqO8X2R "[Hearth.com] MS 290 STIHL FARM BOSS")
You can buy decent 290's on CL for $300 or less. Sometimes you'll get a case and extras thrown in, too.
Personally I'm pretty satisfied with my own 400 Echo and the nice litttle pump bulb makes it start pretty well considering how iffy every small engine has become since the EPA started designing everyone's engines for them. This Stihl is going to be a gift so I'm having to get a new one rather than hunt CL like I'm accustomed to. I sort of appreciate old models too. I never did like being the crash test dummy for newer better ideas. Give me the old designs any day
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