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My New Chainsaw- Stihl 028 AV Wood Boss

11K views 13 replies 7 participants last post by  Forest Gump 
#1 ·
I don't burn firewood to heat my house in the winter so I don't do a whole lot of firewood processing, but I've had several big oaks fall around the property in the past year and I want to start cutting them up and getting rid of the wood. I also had a couple trees near the house I wanted to get rid of anyways, so I decided I better get a bigger saw.

I have had a little Echo CS-310 for maybe 5-6 years and it's a really great saw, but too small for the work I need to do. I've used it for jobs that were really way out of it's league and it survived but it really wasn't the right tool for the job.

So last week I picked up this Stihl 028 AV Wood Boss off of Craigslist. It is not the "Super" 46mm bore version, it is the more common 44mm bore version, 47.1cc displacement. It is an electronic quickstop though, so no points ignition and it does have a chain brake.

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It has a new spark plug, fuel filter, air filter, fuel line, impulse line, rebuilt carb and a new RS chain on it. It has great compression and was clearly well cared for. It included a case too.

I bought it from a guy who is a huge chainsaw enthusiast. He builds race saws, and clearly had a lot of knowledge regarding chainsaws. He did all the work to it, and he also completely disassembled, cleaned and tuned it. He let me run it and do some cutting with it before buying and he also let me run his ported Stihl 066 and ported Dol-kita 7900, very cool saws.

I took down a Bradford Pear with it over the weekend and this 028 made fast work of it. Afterward I spent an hour or so cleaning it, and I bought a spare chain and also a new bar for it. Nothing wrong with the bar it came with, but I like having spares.

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It's really a powerful saw, makes my little Echo feel like a kid's toy. It's not something I'll use all the time, but its something I'm glad to have around. I've always had a liking for chainsaws even if I don't have a frequent use for them, and after running those ported saws I can certainly see how it could be an addicting hobby.
 
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#2 ·
Very nice survivor. Buying it from an enthusiast who went through it checking for air leaks is a huge positive.

The 028 is a pro line,metal chassis that will serve you well. My first saw is an 028 Super that I had and used solely for many years. Eventually had it rebuilt although it probably didn't need it and had some port work done. It only get run in the vintage division of the County Fair chainsaw races and it does well.


Note, these are old pics and this file had my now deceased dog Yatt.:tango_face_crying: He passed in Jan., he was a cool dog. Kade was much younger then too. Kade is crashed on the bed behind me right now.:tango_face_angel:
 

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#3 ·
Very nice survivor. Buying it from an enthusiast who went through it checking for air leaks is a huge positive.

The 028 is a pro line,metal chassis that will serve you well. My first saw is an 028 Super that I had and used solely for many years. Eventually had it rebuilt although it probably didn't need it and had some port work done. It only get run in the vintage division of the County Fair chainsaw races and it does well.


Note, these are old pics and this file had my now deceased dog Yatt.
He passed in Jan., he was a cool dog. Kade was much younger then too. Kade is crashed on the bed behind me right now.
Thanks, I'm really happy with it. I wanted a true pro grade, magnesium case saw. I had a Stihl MS271 for a short period of time and wasn't very happy with it. The 028 weighs a bit more but is a better balanced saw, much more comfortable to use. That's a really nice looking Super you have there.

Those look like some very nice dogs, sorry to hear that your one has passed away.
 
#5 ·
Congrats on the 028, imho it was one of Stihl's best bullet proof saws back in the day period end of story. It was a local pulp wood harvesters dream saw; there were times we placed 2 orders/month for them and the 044 to meet demand. You got a good one.:thThumbsU
 
#6 ·
Them are good saws. Just give it a little bit of TLC. Re-gas and re-oil it before it runs out of gas. I use Stihl oil mix and Stihl bar oil. (in all my saws even the Poulans that I have as loaners)

Don't store it in a hot place in the summertime. I've got couple of them that just keep runnin like the energizer Bunny.

Only thing they have needed is a new chain. Learn to hand file your own chains and you will be good.
 
#7 ·
Thanks everyone. I'm really happy with it. It'll probably live a pretty leisurely life as long as it's in my possession. As I said before it's not something I use daily, or even monthly, usually only 3-4 times a year when I have to take a tree down or clean one up. But I might start finding things to do with it just because I like it so much lol.

The previous owner told me to run Echo RedArmor oil in it, at 40:1 with 90 octane or higher ethanol free gas. The only way I can get ethanol free gas without taking an hour trip is to buy the pre-mix stuff. I guess I can either buy the Tru-Fuel at 40:1 or buy Stihl MotoMix or Echo RedArmor and add a little bit of oil.
 
#9 ·
Nice saw you have there


I borrowed my neighbor's 026 since I have trouble with my Husqvarna 435 and I needed to finish the job by this weekend. They look alike, I'm no expert in chainsaws but I liked the experience I had with the 026
The 026 is a nice saw, I think the 026 is a little more powerful than the 028.
 
#11 ·
Awesome! I hope to keep this one nice and clean! I'm usually pretty meticulous about caring for tools (especially good quality ones) so I'll probably be scrubbing it down every time I use it, lol.
 
#12 · (Edited by Moderator)
Is it a good chainsaw? I know that STIHL is a good brand, but I heard a lot of people, which are thinking that this brand is overrated, and overpriced, I am not a part of them, I just said what I heard. I am looking actually for a good chainsaw for myself, but there are so many brands on the market, that you don't know which one to pick. So guys I really need your help. In case someone has more information about the chainsaws, or is using a specific one for a while, please leave me a message. I will be grateful. Thank you in advance.
 
#13 ·
Is it a good chainsaw?

Well it comes down to, compared to what?

IMHO, an older pro line saw, (with electronic ignition) like this one, is much better than the homeowner grade saws at the big box stores such as MS290/291 or MS271 or the Husky Rancher series.
 
#14 ·
Did not read all of this thread but about the 028:
I've have 3 of different versions of 028's and one that is probably 30 years old, maybe older and only needed a carb kit once and still going like the energizer bunny.
One of my favorite saws for firewood and using a 16 inch bar and aggressive cut chains and also favorite ones to reach for for reliability when in the woods.

Do not store it in a building that gets excessively hot and start it up every once in awhile. (like every 6 mo's or so)
I always have dumped the fuel and ran the carb dry before storage of 6 mo's, but I've heard rumors that the new Stihl fuel mixes will actually keep the carb from drying out or ruining by not running all the fuel out. You can see you tubes videos about such.
I've always used non-ethanol gasoline and Stihl products, fuel mixes and bar oils.
 
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