Some Saw Questions...

[FayettesFinest]

I'm in the market for a saw at the moment. Bad thing is, I need it fast and I don't have the cash to go into a dealer and buy an orange saw off the shelf... Started cutting firewood this year with my buddy so I can make ends meet this winter. We're outfitted with a 36cc Husky that can't cut straight; I think the bar and chain are trashed. A Poulan that we can't get to run, an old Homelite Super2 that I borrowed off my uncle and a miserable, POS, Craftsman that we locked up tighter than two coats of paint yesterday. Long story short, we have two running saws and only one that can cut straight.

I've been browsing craigslist and pennswoods and have found some alright deals. There's a guy close to me that seems to have some good deals on Echos. Then, there's another guy that's selling a newer 46cc Homelite for $75. I'm not trying to get a saw that will last me the rest of my life, I'm just looking for something that will get me through until I can afford an orange saw, but isn't complete crap. I've got about 175$ to spend and I'm trying to stay away from Poulans and Craftsmans. Any advice or suggestions is greatly appreciated...

[ed in idaho]

i'd look into the echos you mentioned.

Ed

[FayettesFinest]

After re-reading this, I realized that I just blabbered on and didn't ask any questions...

What are your opinions on the newer Homelites and on the Echos?

Any interim saw that you would recommend?

And in the long term should I go with something orange or something else? I've always heard good things about the orange saws, but have been hearing good things about Dolmar, Jonesred and I've even heard the new McCulloch's aren't too bad...

[ladylake]

 New Homelites have no quality, get a Cs400 Echo and make sure it's tuned right.    Steve

[beenthere]

Welcome to the Forestry Forum.

First thing, if it were me in your situation, would be to go visit a chainsaw dealer in a small to medium local shop. Talk with him about your situation and low on money and in need of some help getting a running saw. I am absolutely certain that my longtime Stihl dealer would help you out.

Second thing, I'd learn how to sharpen that chain that is sawing crooked. I doubt it is anything but sharpened wrong.

Third thing, find out what is trashing your saws... fuel mix?, carb adjustment ?, ...

You need some help with your saws, and changing brand probably won't solve the problems you are having. They can still cut crooked if sharpened wrong, or not sharpened well enough.

But get that running Husky cutting straight. Wish you well...

[Ianab]

Yeah, if the little Husky otherwise runs fine, then that's fixable. It will be caused by an unevenly sharpened chain, or a bar that's getting worn. One side of the bar has worn down more than the other, or the groove has opened. Either way that lets the chain lay over on an angle, and it wants to cut in a circle.  Bars and chains are consumable items, if you can't get it sharpened right and the bar dressed true again, then just buy new ones for it. OK it's only a little saw, but if it runs, is sharp and cutting straight it's useful again.

The Echo saws have a pretty good reputation

[Caloren]

The newer Homelite's are junk, run away from them! Never mind how I know!  :( Have heard good things about Echo, but no personal experience.

[FayettesFinest]

Thanks guys. I can believe that the chain is sharpened wrong. The chain is kinda warn out, as well. The saw runs really strong.

I'm stumped on that Craftsman. I thought it was the fuel/oil mixture, but that Husky ran all day on the same gas. I'm baffled. It was locked tight, but I threw some oil down the plug hole and broke it free, but it still wont make a full revolution, so I'm thinking that it might be a crank/bearing problem.

Thanks for the advice on the Homelite. I never would have guessed that because I have not been anything less than impressed with the Super2. I love that saw, just wish it was a bit bigger, but it's the perfect limb saw.

I think I'll go with an Echo. I've heard lots of good things about them and the prices aren't outrageous.

[husky2100]

I've been using old homelites and huskys and if you want a good saw that would last is say would be a super xl or a super xl 925 mine are from the early 70s according to the man I got them from and they run good and are usually in your price range the only thing is you have to run good fuel in them and a32:1 mix I run high octane non ethonal gas and I haven't had a problem yet. And a good tool to fix a bar is a bar rail dresser and a bar rail closer

[FayettesFinest]

I've been using old homelites and huskys and if you want a good saw that would last is say would be a super xl or a super xl 925 mine are from the early 70s according to the man I got them from and they run good and are usually in your price range the only thing is you have to run good fuel in them and a32:1 mix I run high octane non ethonal gas and I haven't had a problem yet. And a good tool to fix a bar is a bar rail dresser and a bar rail closer

Thanks, I'll look into them! Eventually, I'll have to give this saw back to my uncle. I'd like to look into one for myself, though. Currently working on an old McCulloch Mac-110 to replace this one when it goes back to my uncle. I'd like to get an old Homelite like that, that would be able to handle a 20"+ bar

[mad murdock]

Those little dinky saws are only good if you are an arborist type or only cutting really small stuff. If you are firewooding, keep the small husky as your small saw, and go after something in the 50-60 cc class. If you want old, then look to a McCulloch 10-10, Homlite XL or super XL. Those saws are very good firewood saws. As for your cutting straight problems, look over the bar and chain real good, a new bar/chain and drive sprocket aren't all that expensive and your husky will be cutting like new again. Just get a file guide and the correct sized files so you can sharpen the chain properly and you will be good to go

[FayettesFinest]

Those little dinky saws are only good if you are an arborist type or only cutting really small stuff. If you are firewooding, keep the small husky as your small saw, and go after something in the 50-60 cc class. If you want old, then look to a McCulloch 10-10, Homlite XL or super XL. Those saws are very good firewood saws. As for your cutting straight problems, look over the bar and chain real good, a new bar/chain and drive sprocket aren't all that expensive and your husky will be cutting like new again. Just get a file guide and the correct sized files so you can sharpen the chain properly and you will be good to go

How big of a bar do you think those saws are capable of handling?

[husky2100]

Super xl homelite can handle a 20 inch barbut if you put a skip tooth chain on it you could go up to a 24 inch bar  A super xl 925 I've seen with a 24 and up mine has a 20 and she can really move it but that's mostly the 88cc motor though. But anthor good saw is the husky 345,350 saws. Good power fairly cheap but watch out for the plastic intake boot clamps. They will kill your saw they did that on all the 340,346,350,353,357, and 359 chainsaws but you can get the metal clamp for around 20 bucks or so. And the 357 and 359 I would put at most a 24 inch bar on them and I wouldn't go bigger than an 18 inch bar on the 353 on down.

[FayettesFinest]

Super xl homelite can handle a 20 inch barbut if you put a skip tooth chain on it you could go up to a 24 inch bar  A super xl 925 I've seen with a 24 and up mine has a 20 and she can really move it but that's mostly the 88cc motor though. But anthor good saw is the husky 345,350 saws. Good power fairly cheap but watch out for the plastic intake boot clamps. They will kill your saw they did that on all the 340,346,350,353,357, and 359 chainsaws but you can get the metal clamp for around 20 bucks or so. And the 357 and 359 I would put at most a 24 inch bar on them and I wouldn't go bigger than an 18 inch bar on the 353 on down.

Cool beans, thanks!

You said the intake clamps will kill the saw... do you mean that as in it will kill the performance or actually kill the saw?

[husky2100]

I had a 345 husky that had one on it and what happens is they wiggle around and loosen up withe the vibration of the saw which will lean it out and if not caught in time it will blow it up. Mine had great compression but wouldn't start. So I messed around with it and found the intake side of the piston was scored and had cracked the piston and also cause the top of the piston to have bubbles in the top of and that didn't help the poor saw out at all. But if you go on eBay you can get a piston kit for around a hundred bucks shipped. But if your cylinder isn't scored you could just get a piston and call it good. Just remember if you buy a saw from some on and they say it runs don't make my mistake have them start it up and run it I've been burned more than once on people saying it ran.

[hacknchop]

I cut firewood as well as run a litle mill my saws are husky 357 xp and echo cs 400 which i like because it is by far the best starting saw ive ever worked with.As far as bar length goes 18" seems to suit me just fine.

[mad murdock]

I like to run a 20" bar on the 10-10's they will pull up to a 28" in softwood and a full skip chain. Same with an XL/super xl.  I have been running a 28" on the super XL of mine for about a year .050" 92LV? (Not 100% on the chain model) oregon low profile chain. Cuts real nice.

[Al_Smith]

I'll tell ya one that people scoff at who have never seen one much less ever operated one .McCulloch PM 610 or 650 .60 cc,a tad heavy but built like Sherman tank even with all the plastic .Cheap,usually under 100 bucks .

Fact one year I flea bayed 4 of them in the 50-60 dollar range and flipped them for about 80-100 .They are all doing fine or believe me I'd have heard about it if they weren't .

[John Mc]

You said the intake clamps will kill the saw... do you mean that as in it will kill the performance or actually kill the saw?

The plastic clamps were a problem on some models of Husky and Jonsered saws produced within a certain date range. More recently than that, they came with the metal clamp from the factory. Some folks had good luck with the plastic clamps (I've got one on a Jonsered 2152 that is holding up fine so far, but I had to have the one on my Husky 357XP replaced).

Replacement clamps are not all that expensive, and replacing it is something that someone with a bit of mechanical ability can handle without difficulty. I've also heard of folks cutting off the plastic clamp and using a metal hose clamp to replace it - not sure what's involved in that, however.

[Ianab]

You said the intake clamps will kill the saw... do you mean that as in it will kill the performance or actually kill the saw?

It can kill it dead. A leaking inlet manifold for any reason lets extra air into the engine, so it runs lean, overheats, and the piston melts.

Signs of running lean are the saw wanting to rev, but having no power. You will notice it start to do this as it runs out of fuel. If you notice that, stop and work out why. If you keep running it lean, to get a job finished, chances are you will kill it (dead)

[husky2100]

Another way to tell is if your spark plug is very Ashy or very brown by the electrode I bel it's called

[deerslayer]

I have a number of saws available. Most are out of your price range but I have some that would be under that. I mostly deal with Stihls but I have an old Mac 10-10 with manual oiler but runs good, a Stihl MS250, A Homelite Super 2 (small saw) and I believe I have a Mac 610 that runs but the auto oiler doesn't work. I have a couple Husky 55's as well but they aren't ready yet. May be in a few days...

A saw that cuts crooked could be the bar but is almost always the chain. Get a new chain and try that. The bar can be squared up by clamping it in a vice and working it over with a flat file. You should be able to stand it on edge if it's trued correctly.

[sawguy21]

You are looking for a work saw so stay away from the antiques. They are fun to play with as a hobby but parts can be hard to find in a hurry and they are slow. I tried to source a bar for a Homey Super XL today from Oregon, no luck.
I suggest a 45cc to 60cc from one of the major manufacturers to save downtime and aggravation. Echo is offering the new CS590 at a good price, if you want used 026's and 55's are readily available but be aware of what you are looking at, no point sinking money into someone else's problems.

[bedway]

I have two echo saws. One is about 25 years old and runs like a top since I rebuilt the carb. last year. The other one I bought new about a year ago. They both run great and start very easy.