McCulloch Chain Saws

[Maintenance supervisor]

I was kind of the opposite. I started out in the day of the old Homelite. I grew up in the back wood and we had a Homelite dealer in town but to get a MAC you had to drive 25 miles or more to Hazard or Prestonsberg. My Uncle would make that drive but my dad would not. Now I know why he made that trip. We own a telephone company and a cable TV company and had Homelite saws. I know now days that no one in the small town knew how to tune them being the reason we had so much trouble with them. I can remember getting one started and not letting it quit until the job was done. I have actually put the thing in the seat beside me reeving it as I drove down the road because I know if it quit I would be using an axe to cut the rest of the day. I took that saw and started it before I went up the hill to cut a tree off the line in a pouring rain storm in the middle of the night just to get to the telephone line and it not start. I flung that thing over the hill to never see it again. So I did not really like old saws until I got an old MAC 10-10 and got hooked up with Ron and seen that they were good saws that could keep up with new saws. I now like the old saws. I now know my troubles with the old Homelites were just no one in the area knew how to tune them. I have a Husky 262XP, a good saw but my MACs will start better than the new saws. Just now days I really like my old MACs. The marvel of how advanced they were for there time.
Mtc. Supervisor, Get you a PM800 and you will fall in love with it. Your 700 is a great saw, but the 800 is head and shoulders above it. Just such a sweet saw to run. So refined and so smooth.

Brian

Believe me I'm looking for an 800!, but I think it's a regional thing, most of South Carolina hasn't been a big saw place.
The one big Homelite I have was a trade in at a saw shop (probably from up north)and an 088 that a retired saw shop owner had . I have family in Pennsylvania so I'm hoping to come into some leads up there but you guys will be the fisrt to hear when and if I score one.
Well as far as the pro mac 700 goes I think in its class (70cc) its just a great saw ,I've cut with guys using stihl 440s and husky 372s and the stihl guys always want to try it and like it ,the husky guys get butt hurt and tell me how their saw is better, and it might be but I've had my 700 snatched from me by a 24" limb and watched it fly and crash into the ground and just sit there and idle, I climbed down and bucked up the limb , just ridiculous not even a concern with it.
Are all the 80cc macs Anti vibe?

 

[Maintenance supervisor]

The old Mac's certainly live for a very long time most of mine have already seen out 1 or 2 owners days with zero or minimal maintenance. I pick em up from scrap or whatever give them a birthday and then they will probably see out mine too.

I've cut a huge amount of wood with a handful of them this last 6 months and the only problems I had was a carb went silly and a few screws here n there that's it.

The 70cc saws get the call most of the time there just a good all rounder saw light enough to limb a toss around and heaps of grunt.

Ron says they just sound like a saw to him well to us younger guys who haven't grown up with them they sound absolutely amazing like a motocross bike in the trees.

Maint sup and Brian need to hunt you guys down a 7-10

800 with all 32 inches of stihl full comp rs chain buried to its bollocks.

Crazy loud it has the old style duct and a very open homebrew cover on it. Need plugs and muffs if on it all day

After the new year I'll probably be onto a G70 and an 064. I'm on saw probation till then (self imposed). I think the 7-10 and the G70 came out around the same time? So it should be comparable,except gear driven.

 

[Brian Thacker]

Believe me I'm looking for an 800!, but I think it's a regional thing, most of South Carolina hasn't been a big saw place.
The one big Homelite I have was a trade in at a saw shop (probably from up north)and an 088 that a retired saw shop owner had . I have family in Pennsylvania so I'm hoping to come into some leads up there but you guys will be the fisrt to hear when and if I score one.
Well as far as the pro mac 700 goes I think in its class (70cc) its just a great saw ,I've cut with guys using stihl 440s and husky 372s and the stihl guys always want to try it and like it ,the husky guys get butt hurt and tell me how their saw is better, and it might be but I've had my 700 snatched from me by a 24" limb and watched it fly and crash into the ground and just sit there and idle, I climbed down and bucked up the limb , just ridiculous not even a concern with it.
Are all the 80cc macs Anti vibe?

All the modern 82cc saws like the PM800 and 850, PM805 and I think the PM81 are all anti vibe.

Brian

 

[Jethro 2t sniffer]

Believe me I'm looking for an 800!, but I think it's a regional thing, most of South Carolina hasn't been a big saw place.
The one big Homelite I have was a trade in at a saw shop (probably from up north)and an 088 that a retired saw shop owner had . I have family in Pennsylvania so I'm hoping to come into some leads up there but you guys will be the fisrt to hear when and if I score one.
Well as far as the pro mac 700 goes I think in its class (70cc) its just a great saw ,I've cut with guys using stihl 440s and husky 372s and the stihl guys always want to try it and like it ,the husky guys get butt hurt and tell me how their saw is better, and it might be but I've had my 700 snatched from me by a 24" limb and watched it fly and crash into the ground and just sit there and idle, I climbed down and bucked up the limb , just ridiculous not even a concern with it.
Are all the 80cc macs Anti vibe?

That's good to hear you say those good things about the 700. I often wonder if I'm missing very much running these old girls so it's nice to hear that a guy with a 440 says he likes it.

I don't find the lack of anti vibe an issue in fact I like it without. It gives a nice direct feel instead of a big floppy wobbly thing swinging away and lets be honest its better when its hard.....

 

[fossil]

The SP & CP series are also anti vibe.

Jethro, the SP series are not as mushy as the 800 series as they are much lighter.

 

[Jethro 2t sniffer]

The SP & CP series are also anti vibe.

Jethro, the SP series are not as mushy as the 800 series as they are much lighter.

I was more thinking of the wobbly stihl. But yeah the 800 is fairly mushy too. Really want an sp80/81. That 1 my mate was supposed to of had never came to be that guy fell quiet and obviously let someone else have it. Bugger it would've given him a heap more but never mind.

How much lighter?

With no gas and a 32inch bar the 800 tips the scales at 26 and half lbs

 

[fossil]

I was more thinking of the wobbly stihl. But yeah the 800 is fairly mushy too. Really want an sp80/81. That 1 my mate was supposed to of had never came to be that guy fell quiet and obviously let someone else have it. Bugger it would've given him a heap more but never mind.

How much lighter?

With no gas and a 32inch bar the 800 tips the scales at 26 and half lbs

Well I don't have any loaded weights but my 8200 weighs 19.2 lbs empty with no bar and chain and my SP81 ( I think as it has a divided transfer, thought it was an 80) weighs 16.1 lbs. The Sp81 has a short brake cover. Three pounds on a saw is a lot,

A 7-10 with a short brake cover is 1.6 lbs lighter than a PM700.

When B&D bought MAC they should have stuck with the diet.

As a comparison my CP125 weighs 22.55 lbs.

 

[rwoods]

I don’t have the experience to compare between brands like some of you, but I can say that my MACs run fine in the rain and my PNW 125s have rain caps over the fuel caps so they saw lots of water. I can also say that proper tuning and a sharp chain are huge factors. Unfortunately, I am not good at either and from my observations of other amateur cutters I would say most aren’t either. For my first 25 years of cutting I relied exclusively on the dealer for both. Neither of my two MACs (PM510 and PM700) would start worth a hoot but ran better than my usual cutting companions who were always twisting screws. I never had a spare chain or a file, but always cut as much or more wood than my companions that filed at every fill-up. I just dropped my chain off with the dealer on Monday and picked it up before the weekend. Same with any needed saw repairs.

Brian has gotten my saws to crank easy, idle continuously and run good. I can now make one run but can’t fine tune. Thanks to AS and many of you, I now do most of my own repairs, and every now and then a little preventive maintenance. Other than a square grinder, I have a version of almost every sharpening gizmo known to man and my sharpening is still hit and miss.

In addition to his gear drive, my dad ran through many PM6As. He retired the gear drive for a 1010 with a 28” bar. I don’t remember him ever having an easy to start saw with the exception of the gear drive which he always primed with a capful of mix. In the late-70s to my surprise, he bought a Husky - ugliest saw I had ever seen. But he was hooked because it started easily. He owned several Huskys before his death. Like him, reliable starting is what began my affection for my off-brand 036Pro.

As to power, my PM700 has understandably more than my 036Pro, my 82cc MACs are much more powerful than the PM700 and have significantly more power than the 372 I have run a few times and noticeably more than my Echo 800. However, if cutting 12” or under, it is hard to beat a light high revving saw. Right now my top performer in that size wood is a modded off-brand 361.

Ron

 

[fossil]

Ron, I don't know of any 82cc 10 series saw that isn't anti vibe. It's interesting that the direction from MAC when R McCulloch was in charge was to go anti vibe on 60, 70 and 82cc 10 series saws but that seemed to go out the window on the less that 82cc saws when B&D bought the company.

It makes you wonder since MAC was pretty progressive in the the technology area what would have become of them under the control of another visionary.

 

[rwoods]

I am not aware of any 82cc MAC that is not A/V. Would make a nice sleeper 1010 . Ron

 

[Jethro 2t sniffer]

Well I don't have any loaded weights but my 8200 weighs 19.2 lbs empty with no bar and chain and my SP81 ( I think as it has a divided transfer, thought it was an 80) weighs 16.1 lbs. The Sp81 has a short brake cover. Three pounds on a saw is a lot,

A 7-10 with a short brake cover is 1.6 lbs lighter than a PM700.

When B&D bought MAC they should have stuck with the diet.

As a comparison my CP125 weighs 22.55 lbs.

Wow that makes the 8200 very heavy indeed when compared to a 125.

I read a lot that people think the big muffler on the 82cc saws made it heavy and after pulling it all off it's not very heavy at all so I think it goes back to the change in materials hence the 700 weight compared to 7-10 yet when ya weight the clutch covers there is still more weight hiding somewhere.

To many donuts on the table at black n decker

How much more grunt is in a 372 compared to the 700 Ron?

 

[rwoods]

Don’t know that it has a lot more grunt it just turns faster. Ron

 

[Jethro 2t sniffer]

Don’t know that it has a lot more grunt it just runs turns faster. Ron

Ok good as. Yeap not after speed really they cut plenty fast enough

 

[Maintenance supervisor]

I don’t have the experience to compare between brands like some of you, but I can say that my MACs run fine in the rain and my PNW 125s have rain caps over the fuel caps so they saw lots of water. I can also say that proper tuning and a sharp chain are huge factors. Unfortunately, I am not good at either and from my observations of other amateur cutters I would say most aren’t either. For my first 25 years of cutting I relied exclusively on the dealer for both. Neither of my two MACs (PM510 and PM700) would start worth a hoot but ran better than my usual cutting companions who were always twisting screws. I never had a spare chain or a file, but always cut as much or more wood than my companions that filed at every fill-up. I just dropped my chain off with the dealer on Monday and picked it up before the weekend. Same with any needed saw repairs.

Brian has gotten my saws to crank easy, idle continuously and run good. I can now make one run but can’t fine tune. Thanks to AS and many of you, I now do most of my own repairs, and every now and then a little preventive maintenance. Other than a square grinder, I have a version of almost every sharpening gizmo known to man and my sharpening is still hit and miss.

In addition to his gear drive, my dad ran through many PM6As. He retired the gear drive for a 1010 with a 28” bar. I don’t remember him ever having an easy to start saw with the exception of the gear drive which he always primed with a capful of mix. In the late-70s to my surprise, he bought a Husky - ugliest saw I had ever seen. But he was hooked because it started easily. He owned several Huskys before his death. Like him, reliable starting is what began my affection for my off-brand 036Pro.

As to power, my PM700 has understandably more than my 036Pro, my 82cc MACs are much more powerful than the PM700 and have significantly more power than the 372 I have run a few times and noticeably more than my Echo 800. However, if cutting 12” or under, it is hard to beat a light high revving saw. Right now my top performer in that size wood is a modded off-brand 361.

Ron

You certainly have alot more time and experience on saws than I do Ron, and I value the opinion of that experience. The 361 is one of my favorite off brands but I own a couple of 028s.
Cutting technique is were I struggle the most but its were the Mac's are forgiving for me, if my angle sucks and I'm trying to correct it other saws of equal size will bog and bind , but not the hot rod McCulloch! It almost makes me look like I know what I'm doing!
Tuning and sharpening are 2 things that I am good at but I got into cars young and started rebuilding them by myself around 20yrs ago . Carburetors are my specialty I've literally built 100s , from 1936 one barrels to variable venturi Predator carbs , I still have boxes of Holleys and Edelbrock carbs. Guys in Pennsylvania would bring me dual quad set ups to tune or company dump trucks . Once I figured out the impulse fuel pump of the chainsaw carb it became second nature to tune it.
I was very fortunate to learn sharpening from a master . The man I learned to hand file from was the son of a logger who cleared the mountains around the upstate by mule and man power! He told me his father had him learning to sharpen around 6yrs old since he was too little to run a saw! His hand filing was amazing, he'd take a couple of swipes with the file and you could see a fountain of steel pouring off the back of the tooth! I spent hours at the vise with him and when anyone where I worked brought in a saw he'd have me sharpen it , now people ask me to sharpen their chains, which is a good indication that I'm doing it right and people at work comment on the chip size when I'm cutting.
With all this stuff with saws though I think you have to have a passion for it , which is probably the case if your a member of A.S., if you don't then it's too much like work!

 

[ML12]

Got my first ever 10-10 running on the weekend. Runs great, starts easy and sounds awesome. Just need some wood to try it in.







Needed nothing but a carb kit, recoil handle and rope and a good cleaning, guess I got really lucky for $20 USD.

 

[PogoInTheWoods]

Nice one. My kind of deal right there. Looks like you may have a minor fuel cap issue? Tank vents are easy to service and cap gaskets are easily made or can be frequently found pretty cheap on ebay.

 

[ML12]

Nice one. My kind of deal right there. Looks like you may have a minor fuel cap issue? Tank vents are easy to service and cap gaskets are easily made or can be frequently found pretty cheap on ebay.

Replaced the duckbill already, cap doesn't leak, but I opened the cap after running it and there was some pressure built up, so there was a little spray.

 

[PogoInTheWoods]

Good to go, then!

 

[rocketnorton]

wood here.
could have some 10-10 races.

 

[Maintenance supervisor]

Got my first ever 10-10 running on the weekend. Runs great, starts easy and sounds awesome. Just need some wood to try it in.

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Needed nothing but a carb kit, recoil handle and rope and a good cleaning, guess I got really lucky for $20 USD.

Got a great bar too!