Gift Reciepient Guilt?

[martyinmi]

My 12 year old son is finally starting to show some interest in things mechanical, so I suggested that we get a hold of a toasted Stihl 029/039/ or MS 290/310/390, tear it apart, and put a cheap engine kit in it. A completely new engine can be bought for about $150.
I got in touch with one of my friends who is the owner of New Holland dealership that also handles Stihl products, and asked if he might have any basket case saws in that saw family. He didn't have any of them, but he did have an old 028AV Wood Boss that he said I could have. He even delivered it too! (We needed about $550 worth of filters for our TJ435, and he lives near us, so he always delivers parts when we need them.)
Anyway, before I took it home to tear apart with my kid, I thought I might just check it over at work first. The only thing that I could see that was wrong with it was the front bar stud had pulled out. I drilled, tapped, and put a heli-coil in it, and it is now better than new.
Then I drained the old fuel out, put some new in it, gave it a sniff of either, and that 'ol bugger started ON THE FIRST PULL! It runs like a top! 8)
I noticed that it was barely oiling, so I pulled the cover and clutch drum off to find out that the drive and driven gears for the oil pump were almost completely shot. I drove to my local Stihl dealer and bought both gears ($18 bucks even), installed them and the bar and chain. I fired it up and cut a half dozen square cookies from a leftover treated 8x8. That thing runs like John the bear! It is comparable in power to my 024 Super.
It's hard for me to believe that folks would just give up on a good pro saw that easily.

I guess I'm thinking the right thing for me to do would be to offer the saw back to him. Being the business owner, I don't think he knew what he had, and he just assumed it was a basket case.
$18 to fix the oil pump, a buck or two for the heli-coil, some fresh fuel and oil, and about 2 hours tinkering is all I'm out.
What do ya'll think? Should I offer it back to him for $50 bucks?
He's a business owner, but he's also my friend....??

[beenthere]

Started out being the kids project.. what happened to that?   ;D

For the business owner, they want to sell new... not talk a customer in to investing in repairing an old saw. So makes sense (to me) that it was something he'd pass on to a "friend".
He didn't have time, or take time to tear it down, nor likely had any interest in ever seeing it again.
Enjoy it. But don't rub his nose in it. ;)

[WmFritz]

I hate to see you losing sleep Marty. To help you out, I've got two old Craftsman's under my work bench that could use some TLC. I could trade them for the 028 so your boy could back on track with his training.  ;)

[sablatnic]

No need to feel guilt!

Where I live, it is quite often seen that people won't use that kind of money to have an old saw repaired.
Two hours of work is close to $200, and then the parts; and it will still be an old and heavy saw.

[Mn woodchuck]

Should of had the kid do the work   Then he would have learned   

[drobertson]

It does seem like you had a basket case, went through a triage, and got it going, so really kudos on that!  No reason why you can't resume the original plan, as to your friend, I suppose another thank you would suffice, you just never know how things are going to turn out when working on things,

[BradMarks]

Keep it, no guilt, Merry Christmas. So the son's training will be proper use and maintenance.  I sell new (not saws) and when we get damaged goods, we always try to make someone happy with "here, you can have this" (either free or greatly reduced pricing).  Go cut some wood!

[martyinmi]

Well, my friend dropped off a MS270c today.
It got strait gassed, and there is very light scoring on the  piston as seen through the exhaust port.
The fool thing still has 135 lbs. compression!
Other than checking the compression and removing and replacing the muffler, I didn't tear it apart...yet. 8)
This one will be a good father/son learnin' experience for us.
Looks like I can get a brand new engine shipped to my deck for about $120.00.
I wish he were home tonight instead of staying overnight at a friends for a birthday party.
Geesh, the kid has got the rest of his life to jump around at sky zone and eat birthday cake. :

Maybe I'll just pull the recoil cover off and hit the engine with compressed air.
'Course, I can't really get it clean with the clutch and top covers still on, can I?
And the intake boot and the carb might just as well come off too.

On second thought, I'd better just wait 'till he gets home tomorrow.
If I start rippin', I'll likely not be able to quit until the crank is in three pieces. ;D

Yep, I'm that weak! :D

[Mopar70]

Good friend of mine is a stihl dealer.
cannot agree with more, rather sell new instead of fix old.
Stihl Dealers get a commission on new sales, "Stihl Points" to put towards their personal Stihl wish list. Plus gets them chummy with their local reps=== "a last years Demo saw in the shop!