Old Macs and Homelites

[svk]

Why do these saws have such a distinctive (and pleasing) sound?

If you open up the muffler on a smaller modern saw it just gets loud and crackly. And if you open up a larger modern saw it just sort of sounds like it did before but louder.

I could listen to a 10 series Mac or Super XL run all day.

 

[Pioneer]

Conservative porting and/or reed valve setup? Owned an old Pioneer 620 (no reeds) that had the low throaty sound, it had very conservative porting. My Homelite 902am has that sound as well.

 

[svk]

Well the Homelite is reed but the Mac is piston port

 

[pioneerguy600]

RPM is the biggest difference.

 

[Tom B.]

Ain't no replacement for displacement.
OK, the reeds or no reeds, RPM's & porting, muffler, baffles have to do with it too, but the sound starts somewhere, in the displacement.
How that gets handled afterwards is the manufacturers choice... with EPA guidelines of course.

SVK, I saw a Super XL online for $325. That thing had better be in top notch shape or the person is too attached to sell it lol.

 

[2broke2ride]

I think it is very much like the exhaust sound of a big block V8 versus a high reving 4 cylinder.

 

[Remle]

I like those big old homies and macs, but lately it seems everyone wants an arm and a leg for them. I see those things on the local Craigslist for over $400. I think I paid $80 for my Homelite sxl925 and $60 for my Pioneer P45, but I haven’t seen any at those kinds of prices for a while now.

 

[svk]

I have 15 bucks each into my two running SXL’s but one has a yet to be diagnosed air leak. The other one (the frankensaw) runs awesome. Also have a $10 XL-12 that needs a little bit of work but runs well.

I see these guys asking mega bucks for ten series saws now. A few years ago you couldn’t give them away.

 

[2broke2ride]

The Homelites seem reasonable still at least around here. People asking $150-$300 for a running Mac 10-10 that I could of bought for $30 five years ago though!!!!!

 

[Remle]

The 10-10’s I still see at somewhat reasonable prices, but anything 70cc or larger and it seems like the sellers think they’re selling a modern saw with available parts and what not.

Stihl 075/076’s seem to be the best value in a really big saw that I’m aware of. They’re not cheap, but the prices aren’t as crazy as the 070/090’s and parts are a lot more available than they are for those old Homelites or macs.

 

[Matt93eg]

Why do these saws have such a distinctive (and pleasing) sound?

If you open up the muffler on a smaller modern saw it just gets loud and crackly. And if you open up a larger modern saw it just sort of sounds like it did before but louder.

I could listen to a 10 series Mac or Super XL run all day.

I agree. I love to hear my Pro Mac 10-10 run as well as my SXL. My Mac 610 sounds good to but not quite like the 10 series.

A lot of people complain about them being loud, I wear ear plugs when I run any of my saws and noise don’t bother me.

 

[Remle]

I had a 605 for awhile, but I never really liked it. It just seemed like a mediocre homeowner grade saw. I got it, not running, for $5. Got it running and traded it to a buddy for some fishing gear. He later gave it away. It seems everyone had a similar opinion of it.

The sxl on the other hand is a beast, it’s old and it’s ugly and I really like that saw...and it is really loud.

 

[2broke2ride]

I got an old Homelite C71 running a couple months ago and in my excitement to get out to the log pile and try it out, I totally forgot my muffs, well the next thing you know I had run a whoe tank through and couldnt hear right for a solid hour afterwards!!! Big mistake, it actually scared me a little, it was worse than the aftermath of a rock concert.

 

[TBS]

Exhaust port size and shape has a big factor in the sound, those saws svk mentioned have huge square exhaust ports, some have round split ports at the cylinder wall.

 

[champion221elite]

Pretty sure it's the reeds. I love the way my SXL sounds. It sounds pissed off even at idle.

 

[46 Poulan]

I believe its just the build quality of the old all metal saws coming out!! Let keep the old ones going. I like them all but homelite xl 12 and jonsered 621 extra fun to run-cut with...

 

[sawnami]

I like the sound of the large displacement Homies. Here's a 5-30N and a Super 2100 and 750 together. The 5-30N has rotary valve induction.





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