Need to Get a Job for a Saw Testing Co., I Ran the Solo 681 & Efco 251 Today

[H60 Hawk Pilot]

I Posted the Picture's Today of the Two Saw's

I have Not Run a New Saw since the late 1970's and it was semi exciting for a 62 year (on the 15th) to try out both of the saws I bought on this Friday.

The earlier post described the...  Buy Risk on buying the Solo 681 and Efco 251 as open boxes from a Freight Liquidator.

I gased them up and started the 681 and forgot to press the compression release on the 1st crank try, the 24 inch bar dipped down and skinned up my leg with chain teeth.... I had a minor wound in a heart beat.

I pushed the comp. release in and the saw fired up on 3 or 4 pulls and idled fine.  I cut down a oak that needed to go to set up my sawmill. The oak was a double trunk growth type tree. The 681 cut through it like hot butter at 1/2 to 3/4 throotle. I was smiling and thinking o the old Homlite's we had in the old days. One of our saw's was the C-9 and good power. The other saw   was a # 893 or something like that No# in a larger Homelite. I sawed for 10/ 15 minutes with the 681 and the chain needed some adjustment because it ran loose... because it was new chain.

I switched over to the Efco 251 and liked it too, it ran well & good power or it's 52 CC's and light weight. I thought it was a great limbing saw & a fast little devil. 

So, it look's like I'm gonna be happy with both of these saws for the money; still (semi) excited to make chips with these new saws and still living at 62 YO.


Avery  

[ladylake]

You got a couple of good saws at a good price, should last you a good long time.  Steve

[H60 Hawk Pilot]

Loaded Saw Pic's.

[H60 Hawk Pilot]

All Righty Then....

I Got the Saw Pic's. Loaded Ok,  and Here Come's the 3,200 + HP (twin eng. chopper) that I promised to Load in the Next Post.

[CX3]

Nice pics.  Glad to hear that you still like sawing wood.  I always wanted to get a solo saw but am scared of not being able to get parts readily.  If a saw breaks on me, I lose money if it aint running right away. 

[H60 Hawk Pilot]

I'm Hooked Up with Parts and 2 year Warranty and that helps me ... Risk Wise from buying them from a Non Dealer.

I like everything I read about the 681 and Solo has been making Saw's for a long time, good quaility too.

I'm Rev's Up.... I use to cut some nice tree's in Penna. when I was a young man. It was lot's of fun and honest work too. I'm a little (health) broken with 60% lung function but Ok if I don't over do it and pace myself.  I still get smile's from my memory's of the 60's to the end of the 70's... over 50 years ago, it's hard to believe... that it's been that long.

I have a 15 year old and he can't wait to try out the 681. He has never had a saw in his hand (scary for me) . His biggest accomplishment is cutting the grass on riding lawn mower; so we will start him out with 100% Supervision.  

Avery

[Hilltop366]

Nice looking saws HP! 

But you do have me wondering what would have happened if the saw had fired while it was rubbing your leg. I'm thinking you might want to look in to a safer way of starting the saw, so the blade is not going to contact yourself during starting remembering that your son will be watching and learning from you , as well as some safety gear for you and your son if you don't already have some.

Cheers and happy sawing.

[H60 Hawk Pilot]

Hilltop 366

Your a 100% Right and I Corrected Myself Right Away.

I'm use to starting smaller saws with placing them on the ground to start them. When I hit my leg with 24 inch bar, I wised up !  Itldmy Son (Avery 3) that I had just screwed up Big Time and could have been on my way to the Emer. Room. If this saw had fired up with all it's power, my leg could be cut into the bone and 1/2off by now.

After my screw up, I put the saw down on the rubber mat of my pick up, pushed the compression release in and fired her up (lesson learned). I do get a couple point's for wearing hearing protection before we fired them up, deduct those point's for wearing low cut shoes. The whole deal... was  a  15  min.  try  out  of  two  saws.

Remember.... Safety is No Accident  ! ! !

HP

[dancan]

Congrats on the new saws !

The 681 cut through it like hot butter at 1/2 to 3/4 throotle. I was smiling and thinking o the old Homlite's we had in the old days.

Avery  

Chainsaw carbs aren't like cars , they tend to lean out between idle and WOT so extended cutting at 1/2 to 3/4 throttle can be hard on the saw .

Stay safe .

[H60 Hawk Pilot]

dancan

I followed the break-in instructions in the Solo Operating Manual. They specified the 1/2 to 3/4 throttle break-in.

I understand your comment regarding the lean mixture at >> less than full throttle.

I think the Saw Company want's to advoid heating the cyl./ piston up and glazing the cyl. walls. Rings have crown on them in the beginning and prone to Not take seat to the cyl. wall when the engine is super heated in the beginning of it's life. I have been a engine builder for over 40 years and have been down this road before.

I mixed the oil a little more required (25:1) than required (50:1) and did not load the engine up at it's full load (did not bear into the wood). The saw just played with cutting of the log and the cyl. (rings) never was super heated up.

It will take about 5 operating hours for the rings to seat.

Avery

[dancan]

Glad you read the manual , did you skip the part about starting the saw ? :D !
A few tests have proven that somewhere around 40:1 develops the best power (they point to lubrication from oil in mix) .

Stay safe !

[H60 Hawk Pilot]

Dancan

I read the Solo manual very well in regard to Oil & Gas Mix 50:1 for Solo T2 Mix, 25;1 for Other Generic Mix.

I did Not spend time on the proper startng procedure and won't make that mistake again. The 24 in. bar came down & (above comment) & ripped into my jeans. If the saw would have fired, I would have been trouble. I did this trick in front of my Son and Not much of  Demo on being Safe (we did have hearing protection on).

Yep, Safety is No Accident !

H P

[Rocky_J]

Owner's manuals lie. Almost every single owner's manual for any type of equipment will lie to promote their own brand of oil. This is faster and easier than the ambiguity resulting from just saying "use a quality two cycle oil" because otherwise people will buy the cheapest junk they can find at Wal Mart or the corner hardware store and then attempt to mix it at 50-1, but they screw up and mix it at 100-1 instead. The instruction to use any other oil except the manufacturer's private label oil at 25-1 is designed to discourage you from using other brands, period. The sad result is that dumb people with 3-4 different brands of equipment end up with several cans of different mix gas, all of it stale and no difference between any of it.

Pick a quality mix oil, mix it at 50-1 (or 40-1 if it makes you happy inside) and use it in all your equipment. Or don't, it doesn't matter.

[H60 Hawk Pilot]

Rocky_J

I agree with You & someone said about the same thing (above)on Solo and other's trying to get the Bucks with their own 2 cycle oil mix. I did mix 25:1 to help the saw break-in (lube wise). I did Not have a name brand oil, it was a Poulan brand or Generc X.. as I recall.

I think everything will be find with the 40:1 mix >> for the next 5 hours & 50:1 thereafter.

H P