Jonsered 361, worth messing with?

[Clockwork]

my dad has been wanting a small(~12-16" bar) saw for mom and his motorhome. he thought his 20" echo 550 was too bulky. but i knew he really just wanted an excuse to buy a new saw that could be justified in mom's eyes. so i find this guy whos selling a few saws for cheap, ones an old 20" husky(mod 61 come to find out) and the other, an almost new Stihl 024 woodboss. end up getting the Husky for myself for $50 and the Stihl for my dad for $100. both great running saws. but it has an 18" bar so its still a little too big he says.

well his dad had an older but pretty much never used Jonsered 361 14" that he gave dad because its too hard to start and really hard to pull(which it is). we couldn't get it going, carb problem i figure. new carb is $45. been stored with gas in it for probably near 15 years possibly without use so the carb's probably beyond rebuild i figure. long story short, is this saw worth the $45 and the time? my dad thinks this jonsered is a screamer(although small). thanks-ryan

[Chris J]

Hi, Clockwork.  I'm not familiar with the Jred 361.  Forgive me if I'm pointing out the obvious.

If it were mine I'd check the fuel filter & the fuel lines.  A filter & some line should be relatively cheap.  If that didn't help, I'd try rebuilding the carb with a carb kit.  Last one I purchased, full kit for Tillotson HL, was $5.30 on-line, $11.50 locally.  The prices vary, best to shop around. Maybe check the plug, & replace it if necessary.  All of the above should cost a lot less than $45.00.  If you're mechanically inclinded a carb rebuild shouldn't be a biggie, just a matter of doing your homework (try checking the carb maker website) & taking your time.  Hope you get the saw put right!

[FiremanEd]

Clockwork, we used to run Jonsereds 20 + years ago, as best I remember the parts are usually interchangable with a like sized Husky. FYI

[sawguy21]

The Jonsered 361 was built by Trail Manufacturing in Vancouver B.C. in the 70's. It was also sold as a  Frontier, Husqvarna 35,  and Pioneer P10. Skil also had a version.
It is very easy to work on, reliable and in my book, still one the best small saws ever built. I saw the powerrhead being used to run RC aircraft Great power to weight ratio and, at the time, only one reliable enough.TML was bought by Electrolux.
Rebuild the carb, replace the fuel filter, and you should have a great unit. Wear earplugs