Jonsered 49sp discussion

[chainsaw kid]

Someone just called me about a Jonsered 49sp he had been thinking of selling. Says he hasn't run it in a couple of years and it's in nice shape. I did a quick search and found out they were good saws in their day. My questions are what today is it comparable too cutting wise, how heavy is it and can you still get parts for it. Also, how many cc's ?

He wanted $100.00 for it but being a chainsaw enthusiast I talked him out of selling it. I can't afford it right now anyways but I am curious about the history of that saw......

 

[taplinhill]

49SP = 49cc. Weren't they clever? It would be roughly close to a 2152 Jonsered today, but the 49SP is heavier, has less powerful, and has less RPM. It is hard to compare old and new saws and be fair. Old saws are awful by todays standards, but some of us still dig them out and make them work. You have to appriciate them for what they were in their day, and the 49SP was a great saw.

 

[COLD_IRON]

I use a 49SP for cutting brush. Dad bought the saw new back in the early 80's, still runs great. Parts are not easy to get, but Oregon bars are still available. I currently run a 16 inch bar on it. It also has anti vibe handles which aren't too bad either.

Its a 49cc and the powerhead weighs a little over 13 lbs dry. Power wise, I would say its roughly equivalent to a Stihl 260-280 in power and a 290 in weight. However, its all metal and very durable. It's been dropped a number of times (once out of a tree) and still starts up and looks great. In fact, starts just as easy as my 361.

 

[Poley4]

Old saws are awful by todays standards

Na, old saws are cool! Yes they are loud, yes they vibrate and no they don't turn 10000+ rpms, but they are a blast to run and in some ways I like them better because a lot of them have gobs of torque.:chainsawguy:

 

[PB]

Someone just called me about a Jonsered 49sp he had been thinking of selling. Says he hasn't run it in a couple of years and it's in nice shape. I did a quick search and found out they were good saws in their day. My questions are what today is it comparable too cutting wise, how heavy is it and can you still get parts for it. Also, how many cc's ?

He wanted $100.00 for it but being a chainsaw enthusiast I talked him out of selling it. I can't afford it right now anyways but I am curious about the history of that saw......

I have my dads saw that he bought used in the early 80's. The carb started to act up a couple of years ago and haven't messed with it too much, but it has served our family well and will for many more years to come. I don't know as though I would pay $100 for one now though. They are getting pretty tired and quite common back in the day. Parts are also hard to come by. A good addition to any collection though.

 

[chainsaw kid]

Thanks guys for the input. I looked up pictures of the 49sp and it looks like it was built very well. I don't really have a use for it nor can I afford it but for some reason I want it.

I remember when I was in third grade I went over a friends house after school. It was his birthday and his mom and dad pulled into the driveway and called us over. Then they told my friend Roland (their son) they got him a puppy and it was sleeping under a blanket in the back seat. They told us to be quiet when we opened the door and all. When he lifted the blanket they had bought him a jonsered that looked just like the one I seen in that picture I found earlier on the computer. I remember the pull cord cover having the silver plate with the drilled holes with that black and white jonsered sticker in the center. This was back in 1982/1983. He was so happy. All I had was an old craftsman with a 14" bar. One of those ones with the built in sharpener.

 

[spike60]

I've got 3 of them, plus a parts saw. Most of what has been said is accurate. Most parts are NLA for any Jonsered of this vintage. Bars and chains however, interchange with todays 2150/2152 and such. I have 2 with .325, and one with 3/8, which it pulls easily. Compared to the new stuff, they are heavier. But unlike many older saws, they are not louder than what we see today.

Top speed was 10,800, which of course seems low to us. But although max RPM's are not there, the 49SP, like most saws of it's era does have a more low end power, and you can lean on it more than the new saws. I think it can hold it's own with most 50CC saws, the exceptions being the class leaders such as the 2153/NE346 and Dolmar 5100.

If the saw is in good shape, I think $100 is a fair price. If I didn't already have so many.............

 

[taplinhill]

Don't get me wrong, I love the old saws. I would use my 49SP and 70E a lot more, but I am afraid of the ignition modules crapping out. I did have a points type ignition for the 49SP, but I can't find it. :bang: :bang:

 

[spike60]

Don't get me wrong, I love the old saws. I would use my 49SP and 70E a lot more, but I am afraid of the ignition modules crapping out.

Yeah, I think about that too. But I figure that you might as well run the thing and hope your luck holds. I only put the occasional tank through them anyway, no heavy use. If it breaks, a parts saw will likely come down the road at some point. It's one thing to park a saw on the shelf cause it broke, by why park it cause it MIGHT break?

 

[taplinhill]

Yeah, I think about that too. But I figure that you might as well run the thing and hope your luck holds. I only put the occasional tank through them anyway, no heavy use. If it breaks, a parts saw will likely come down the road at some point. It's one thing to park a saw on the shelf cause it broke, by why park it cause it MIGHT break?

Good point. I just got in from running the 70E because this thread gave me the itch. And the snow melted enough so I could at least see where to shovel to find the log pile.

 

[belgian]

I really like old jonsereds : well built, no plastic, easy to work on, and very easy on the eye. And they make a very nice, smooth sound, not loud at all. Especially the silver tops are real collector items.
the 49SP is a semi pro saw, and was sold in big numbers in belgium. They pop regularly on local ebay, but do not catch more than 75 to 150 $ for a runner. Parts are difficult to get by. It would compare nicely to a husky 50 or a stihl 260 for power I'd say.

I found one not so long ago that had barely been used and almost like new. The guy still wanted 150 $ for it, so I did not take it (yet), as I have one already. Still hesitating though ....