An original Jedi sword you now possess. Cut with it, you must. May the force be with you.
Thanks for the encouragement and congratulations, guys. Ray, my Star Wars fanatic 13-year-old will love your reply!
This purchase was definitely a case of things working out in bizarrely excellent ways. First, I had decided to buy the Echo 355T, which by all accounts is a heck of a value in a top-handle saw. I was making one last spin through the Indy Craigslist, when I saw this thing for sale, 28 minutes down the road. He was asking $320 with a 16" bar, which is an incredible price--at least given what these are going for on eBay--and $50 less than a new 355T after taxes.
I couldn't get to see the guy for three days, and in that time he had multiple no-shows who expressed interest but failed to close the deal. Explain that...? We were texting throughout the 72 hours. At one point, I told him that I would prefer a 14" bar. He said that he had an OEM 14" and chain he'd add for $15. I started to think that this wasn't your typical private seller...
Then when I arrived at his house yesterday, I knew this was a good situation. "Harold" was a totally squared away 67-year-old veteran of Vietnam and three military branches (Navy, Army, Air Force), who had been trained as a mechanic (among many other MOSs). The workshop in his outbuilding was amazing, with saws, string trimmers, and a few other 2-strokes hanging neatly from the rafters, or arranged on rubber mats on the floor. Turns out that the two local Stihl dealers pay him for piece work when they get behind.
He fired up the 200T, which promptly attacked a log like a rabid beaver. He said he'd gotten it from a homeowner who had used it very little, and he had been through it and had never seen a 200T in such good shape. He said most of them are totally clapped out by tree guys. (That sounded familiar!) He had the other bar and chain, a scabbard, a scrench, and a ubiquitous tiny orange handled Stihl screwdriver for oiler/carb adjustment all ready to go. We BS'ed for more than an hour--with him taking me through the more amusing parts of a career in the military and corrections--and then closed the deal. I had gotten $340 out of the ATM and gave it to him, saying that the stories from a self-described "dying breed" were worth $5. (How's that for awesome bargaining skills?!)
Upon getting the saw home, I cleaned it pretty thoroughly. The air filter, though clean, had totally ossified. It's probably the original. The plug looks fine, but I may replace it too. Probably will just go with this kit:
http://www.treestuff.com/store/catalog.asp?item=7944
Better pictures to follow!
