Age of Homelite Super XL Auto

[Oldlugnut]

I recently picked up a blue/white Super XL automatic & am curious about it's age. My forum searches indicate that the old Homelites should have an 8 or 9 digit SN, however this one only has 7 digits. The metal plate shows the suffix of "AO" followed by the SN of "3176388". I also have an old blue C-5 that also has a 7-digit SN, with no suffix. Is there someplace I can look that might tell me the age of these saws? Both appeared to be in excellent physical condition when I picked them up as non-runners. The C-5 only needed a carb cleaning & the Super XL needed a fuel line replacement, and now both run great. I'm an old machinery nut and get a real thrill when I'm able to bring something back to life (especially on the cheap:biggrinbounce2.

 

[a. palmer jr.]

The literature I downloaded from somewhere on the net shows the first number to be the assembly line number and the second number is the year of final assembly. Since yours has a 1 for the second number my sheet says it's a 1981. My sheet also says it should be an 8 or 9 digit number.

 

[Eccentric]

The literature I downloaded from somewhere on the net shows the first number to be the assembly line number and the second number is the year of final assembly. Since yours has a 1 for the second number my sheet says it's a 1981. My sheet also says it should be an 8 or 9 digit number.

Seven digit SN's were used up through 1971. That Homelite Technical Service Bulletin doesn't work for those older saws. With that serial number and the description, I'm guessing that the Super XL Auto in question was made around 1968, give or take a year. The C-5 should be 1964 or 1965. The saw in my avatar pic is a C-5.

 

[missouriboy]

How old is this one View attachment 238268

 

[Eccentric]

How old is this one View attachment 238268

That one should be new enough that you can date it using the TSB posted above.

 

[Oldlugnut]

Seven digit SN's were used up through 1971. That Homelite Technical Service Bulletin doesn't work for those older saws. With that serial number and the description, I'm guessing that the Super XL Auto in question was made around 1968, give or take a year. The C-5 should be 1964 or 1965. The saw in my avatar pic is a C-5.

Thanks! I was getting frustrated trying to match the 7-digit SN's to that service bulletin. I made several trips to the shop to re-check the numbers & make sure I wasn't missing anything.