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Picked up an old chain saw today

terry_g

terry_g

Ultra Member
I was visiting a friend who is a bit of a hoarder. I was admiring his old chainsaw collection and mentioned I needed a saw he said take your pick. I brought home this old McCullough Pro 10-10. Its from the mid 1970's and in good condition. I'm going to clean out the gas tank and carb and see if it will start. It has spark and compression. The chain is like new I don't think its seen a lot of use.
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terry_g said:
I was visiting a friend who is a bit of a hoarder. I was admiring his old chainsaw collection and mentioned I needed a saw he said take you pick. I brought home this old McCullough Pro 10-10. Its from the mid 1970's and in good condition. I'm going to clean out the gas tank and carb and see if it will start. It has spark and compression. The chain is like new I don't think its seen a lot of use.
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Just in time to have a prop for halloween...

Just remove the chain blade first or it's not a prop...
 
Looks a lot like a John Deere branded chainsaw I picked up at a farm auction. I cannot remember what brand it actually was but it was a solid little saw.
 
I dumped the old gas and filled it with fresh gas put a new spark plug in it took the carb out and took it apart. It looked like new inside so I put it back together and it fired right up. I went into the ravine next to my lot where a maple tree had fallen over and cut it up into 18" lengths. The maple was about 12" across at the butt and the little McCullough had no problem with it.
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I'm very impressed with it! No AV mounting but it does not vibrate too bad. Lots of power for 54cc's. The front grip is small at 3/4" so I'm going the find something to slip over it so it fits my big hands better.
 
The old saws were the best. I have a Saw my dad purchased 52 years ago from Sears. It's says Craftsman on it, but it is really an Echo made in Japan. 4.3 Cubic Inch or 70cc. It is heavy, has a 20" bar but can handle up to a 28" bar. Compression release when you start it. Apart from changing the spark plug and some rubber parts it is a mule. Has the bitey spikes on it as well. I won't part with it, works great and too many memories of dad and I taking down 24" red oaks to make trim and cabinets for my home. You are lucky to find some one to part with a good old saw like that.


TonyK.

Grimsby Ontario Canada.
 
🙄 *bucking spikes or fallers spikes

If you're going to cut all day, you learn to use the "bitey spikes" with your knees or legs, it helps save the arms

Sweet little saw!
 
Yep. If it doesn't have a thumb button you need to hit every so often to lube the chain, I dunno if you can actually call it an old saw, ( 🙂 )but whatever... Pretty neat score!

I've dealt with a couple Stihl saws that were old enough to no be able to get parts for, I would bet that these ones used enough just 'normal' parts that you can keep them running for the next century or so...
 
I have a couple old Homelites, made in Quebec.
I made the mistake of listening to the parts man at the local chainsaw store… “the new synthetic 2-cycle oil can and should be run at 50:1. No need to go 40:1 (or 35:1 to keep the mosquitos away).
Second tank full and the saw was really hard to start. Like compression had jumped to 20:1. It would start but just wouldn’t rev up. Tear down revealed the crankshaft had broken in two inside the connecting rod big end. But it still ran (sort of).
 
FatherWes said:
I have a couple old Homelites, made in Quebec.
I made the mistake of listening to the parts man at the local chainsaw store… “the new synthetic 2-cycle oil can and should be run at 50:1. No need to go 40:1 (or 35:1 to keep the mosquitos away).
Second tank full and the saw was really hard to start. Like compression had jumped to 20:1. It would start but just wouldn’t rev up. Tear down revealed the crankshaft had broken in two inside the connecting rod big end. But it still ran (sort of).
Click to expand...
So you went from 40:1 to 50:1 and that caused problems?
 
DPittman said:
So you went from 40:1 to 50:1 and that caused problems?
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I believe that’s what caused the failure. Not enough lubricant and likely running that much hotter.
I ran the saw at 40:1 with no problems for years. Second tankful of 50:1 and it broke the crank. Could’ve just been it’s time to die, but all my old saws have gone back to 40:1 as per manufacturer’s recommendation and so far, no problem.
I have a Husky 61 (great saw) for my firewood saw and an old Stihl 056 for big stuff. It is a bear, though it needs a new capacitor in the ignition module (obsolete), so it runs til it gets hot and won’t start until it cools down. It’s on my ToDo list…
 
I'm always baffled at the range of oil/gas ratios. Ive had anything from 16:1 to 50:1. I presently have a Chinese cheap chainsaw (which i quite like) that is supposed to take 25:1 . I did that for the first couple of tanks but have since ran 40:1 which all my other saws and 2 stroke equipment get. I haven't had any problems and thats been maybe 5 years running like that.
I do believe there is a difference in quality in today's 2 stroke oil compared to the "olden days" when 16:1 - 32:1 ratios were common.
 
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