Homelite Super XL Review!!!!

[leeave96]

My brother and I took my Dad's old Homelite Super XL and gave it a carb kit/tune-up a while back and finally got to put the old saw to work cutting some firewood. This saw was bought new in the mid 70's and is red in color. It has cut tons of firewood over the years, but until recently had been setting on the shelf in favor of newer Stihls, Echos and Poulans.

Firstly, the muffler looks like an empty box. I think the only thing in it was a spark arrestor screen. I'm thinking that back when this saw was made, mufflers were more of an ornament than a functional piece AND when we fired-up the saw in the woods, there was no mistaking someone was running a chainsaw! Ear plugs most definately required.

The saw started and ran like a new one. It had been many years since I had been around the saw when it was cutting firewood and we had a sharp chain on it - with a 16 inch Homelite bar. WOT was slow compared to my Stihl MS210, but the old Homelite cranked out a steady stream of chips and never seemed to bog while cutting oak firewood.

The saw has a manual oiler too. As a teenager, I think I always pumped oil onto the bar. This time out while running the saw, I had to remember to pump a bit of oil after using saws with automatic oiler.

There's a lot of life left in my Dad's old Homelite and after running it again, I'm thinking it's to bad these saws can't be bought new again, what a great saw.

Bill

 

[Modifiedmark]

Yep they were for sure one of Homelites classics!

 

[sly13]

Have one and use it regular to cut firewood for our house up til' lately it was my go to saw. Been working on a Homie 410 lately and that's my new saw. I like old sawsthough and diffenately agree with yuo.

 

[Saw Dr.]

Firstly, the muffler looks like an empty box. I think the only thing in it was a spark arrestor screen. I'm thinking that back when this saw was made, mufflers were more of an ornament than a functional piece AND when we fired-up the saw in the woods, there was no mistaking someone was running a chainsaw! Ear plugs most definately required.

You should try an XL-12 with a straight stack on it. Definately noisy. I did a full mechanical, and partial cosmetic resto on one earlier this year for a guy. That thing was quite a hoot to run for a few minutes!

 

[sly13]

Missed spell check and hit submit reply, my bad.

 

[Brian VT]

"Those were the days."

I've got a really clean Super Mini SL I need to give some attention to.
What a pretty saw.

"Those Were The Days"
by Lee Adams and Charles Strouse

Boy, the way Glen Miller played. Songs that made the hit parade.
Guys like us, we had it made. Those were the days.
Didn't need no welfare state. Everybody pulled his weight.
Gee, our old LaSalle ran great. Those were the days.
And you know who you were then, girls were girls and men were men.
Mister, we could use a man like Herbert Hoover again.
People seemed to be content. Fifty dollars paid the rent.
Freaks were in a circus tent. Those were the days.
Take a little Sunday spin, go to watch the Dodgers win.
Have yourself a dandy day that cost you under a fin.
Hair was short and skirts were long. Kate Smith really sold a song.
I don't know just what went wrong. Those Were The Days.

 

[Modifiedmark]

Have one and use it regular to cut firewood for our house up til' lately it was my go to saw. Been working on a Homie 410 lately and that's my new saw. I like old sawsthough and diffenately agree with yuo.

I have a feeling that when you get the 410 finished the SXL won't be used quite as much as before.

 

[GNAR13]

You should try an XL-12 with a straight stack on it. Definately noisy. I did a full mechanical, and partial cosmetic resto on one earlier this year for a guy. That thing was quite a hoot to run for a few minutes!

seriously. i think the muffler on those are just a box to hold the spark arrestor...man, i love old homelites

 

[Wildman1024]

seriously. i think the muffler on those are just a box to hold the spark arrestor...man, i love old homelites

:agree2: Old Homelite's RULE!!!!

 

[Longwood]

Here is a pic of a 1971 model Homelite Super XL that I ran for years. It was 129.95 new. Never had to do anything to it other than clean the air filter and new spark plug once in awhile.

 

[The Burning Rom]

You should try an XL-12 with a straight stack on it. Definately noisy. I did a full mechanical, and partial cosmetic resto on one earlier this year for a guy. That thing was quite a hoot to run for a few minutes!

I definitely recommend the straight stack My XL-12 has one on it, and I like it much better than the bulky can muffler.

 

[FamilyTradition]

Absolutely my favorite Homelite saw of all time! My Dad's early blue and white XL-12 has the stack muffler, and it is as loud as a demon. I have larger Homelite's and love them, but the XL-12 is what I grew up with. They're fun, reliable, and easy to take care of and work on. Wish I had one in every color and variant!

 

[FarmTough]

The old Homelites are fun to run. Anybody have a picture of the straight stack exhaust?

 

[OR nurse]

Awesome to hear about your Super XL Bill! I inherited one from my Dad when it became too heavy for him and he took over my old Stihl. He refused to buy one of those "plastic" stihls back when Homelite still made them out of metal. SXL's are great reliable saws. I need to get a pic posted of mine. Mine has a 20" bar I think, and sounds like a Harley in the woods. Love it!

Mark

 

[joe25DA]

Some XLs

My newest. XL12, looks better than the pic shows. needs a P&C
<a href="http://s729.photobucket.com/albums/ww294/joe25da/?action=view&current=saws415.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i729.photobucket.com/albums/ww294/joe25da/saws415.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
Heres a Stack exhaust, off an SL9 Remington
<a href="http://s729.photobucket.com/albums/ww294/joe25da/?action=view&current=saws398.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i729.photobucket.com/albums/ww294/joe25da/saws398.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
Super XL, 20" bar
<a href="http://s729.photobucket.com/albums/ww294/joe25da/?action=view&current=saws400.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i729.photobucket.com/albums/ww294/joe25da/saws400.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
Another SXL
<a href="http://s729.photobucket.com/albums/ww294/joe25da/?action=view&current=saws263.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i729.photobucket.com/albums/ww294/joe25da/saws263.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
Older SXL sold

Sold this one, kickin myself!! Easliy the nicest SXL i ever saw. It was the "old Blue" addition
<a href="http://s729.photobucket.com/albums/ww294/joe25da/?action=view&current=saws117.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i729.photobucket.com/albums/ww294/joe25da/saws117.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<a href="http://s729.photobucket.com/albums/ww294/joe25da/?action=view&current=saws119.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i729.photobucket.com/albums/ww294/joe25da/saws119.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

 

[barneyrb]

That old SXL and the Winchester '94 have a lot in common. Both have been around forever, both have slayed more than their fare share, both are adequate for most jobs, both are quality equipment, and are dead reliable. Sure there are sexier saws and guns out there but they'll get the job done.

 

[Modifiedmark]

Pretty good analogy there Randy.

I have to agree with all that.

 

[zr900]

The pics of those super xl's look a lot like the Pioneer Holiday that was given to me by sefh3. Are they the same saw?

 

[barneyrb]

The pics of those super xl's look a lot like the Pioneer Holiday that was given to me by sefh3. Are they the same saw?

I don't think so as the SXL design was copied by a lot of manufacturers. Take a look at the Poulan 361, SXL, Lombard, and Roper to name a few. I don't know who built the first one, but they sure look alike.

 

[FarmTough]

Thanks for the pic of the stack exhaust. I like my saws with some noise