1948 VF4 Wisconsin

[Dunky]

I'm brand new to this forum and to air cooled stationary engines so i could use some advice. I have a bandsaw mill and of course that means i have slabwood which I use for firewood. I have a cord wood saw that i want to power and i was thinking about using a Wisconsin VF4 (not a VF4D) to power this saw rig.

Here's my question(s)
Any reason this would not be a good choiice for a saw rig in Minnesota?

What shoudl I expect to pay for this motor? I found a 1948 VF4 owner says he went through the heads and pistons about 5 years ago hasnt been run for about 4 years but is stored inside. engine appears to be complete and is not stuck. It has a clutch and gearbox. He is asking $400 as is. is that a fair price?
 

[greygoat]

VF4 is a standard engine. VF4D is a "Heavy Duty"
engine, as designated when manufactured, and
has Stellite valves, and hardened valve seats.
The "D" version is better for todays unleaded gas
Wisconsins are notorious for valves getting
stuck if they've been sitting around. Before
purchase, pull the plugs, shine a flashlight
down the plug holes, and make sure you can see
the valves opening and closeing when turning the engine over.Get a Wisconsin
owners and parts manual.
there are a hundred listed on e-bay,search under "Wisconsin Engine Parts". The manual says to pull
plugs and squirt oil down valve stems, before
storeing. If your engine has a magneto, parts,by
magneto model number, are redily available from
This, Y/T website, or "Branson Magneto", at www.
branson enterprises.com. Carb kits and gaskets
are available from NAPA auto parts. Wisconsin
motors are still in business, making engines, and
parts are still available from them, through the
distributors, but priced as if they are gold.
 

[Dunky]

Thanks for the advice! i plan to look at the engine agin next week and make a decision. From what i hear $400-$500 isnt a bad price either.

Dunky
 

[greygoat]

I've got 12, Wisconsin 2 cylinder engines.
The most that I've ever paid was $300 for one
with a hand clutch and reduction gear box that
gave 540 RPM PTO speed when running at "About"
2800 engine RPM. My last 2 purchases were $35
at a May auction for a complete, running engine,
with hand clutch, and $40 for an electric start model, complete, but with no spark,needs Magneto
looked at.
My opinion is that $400 is very expensive for
one, unless its a "D" version, and has electric
start.I'm in Western Wisconsin.All of the Amish
around here are replaceing Wisconsins with
Hondas, Kabotas, or other Japanese engines due
to Wisconsins being ornery and parts expensive.
Most of them don't seem to know that most parts
are still available from NAPA.
 

[JOB]

If it is not electric start I would not pay $400.00
for the engine. I used to have a VP4 on a saw rig
and got tired of the crank. A crank start Wisconsin
can be a miserable piece of______. If that engine
has a gear reduction gear box on it you will need to
get pulleys to give you 10,000 feet per minute on
the saw blade.