Italian chain saws?

[Huskybill]

i purchased a bender Castor chain saw from Italy. She runs, smooth body lines, now I’m eye balling a alpina chainsaw and a Castor. Does anyone run these?

 

[Ikeholt]

If we're lucky, Uncle Lee will check in with some pics of his mint Alpina 120.

 

[deaves61]

A customer gave me a nice looking efco, i think it's Italian built, has good compression but i haven't had a chance to check it out yet, hoping to make a loaner saw out of it, seems to be heavy and well built.

 

[EchoRomeoCharlie]

Thread is worthless without pics!

 

[deaves61]

A customer gave me a nice looking efco, i think it's Italian built, has good compression but i haven't had a chance to check it out yet, hoping to make a loaner saw out of it, seems to be heavy and well built.

I was wrong, thought it was an Efco.

 

[TheDarkLordChinChin]

 

[Huskybill]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Castor-cha...pers-tree-pruner-bar-17-11-16in-/362572176825

https://www.ebay.com/itm/MOTOSEGA-ALPINA-P411-P-411-USATA-FUNZIONANTE-E-ORIGINALE-/254473608170

 

[Conquistador3]

Alpina and Castor are the same thing with different colors. Emak sold and still sells saws under a variety of brands (Olympyk, Oleo-Mac, Efco, Folux, Comoto etc). Topso was absorbed by Electrolux and became the European market Mac Culloch (before they were outsourced to China). There are a few more I don't remember right now.

I used to fix these Alpina and Castor pretty regularly until a few years ago so here's a piece of advice.

Parts for older models (built until 2000 or so) are slowly but steadily drying up, so if you plan on collecting them stock up on spare hulks and whatever parts periodically pop up on the Internet. Ignition modules and flywheels in particular, I may add: those for many 80's models have become hard to find and sellers know they have you at their mercy. Be ready to cut your losses and turn the saw in a spare hulk.
Alpina was absorbed by Italian gardening equipment company IGP, so some parts for late 80's/early 90's models were recycled in Stiga branded chainsaws manufactured up to 2005 or so. Don't expect a lot of them though.

 

[MacAttack]

The Italians love 2-strokes, i know that for sure. When we went to Italy there were 2 strokes all over the place. My favorite was a 3-wheeled servi-car cushman type thing with a 1-person cab and tiny cargo bed. It was powered by a single cylinder 2 stroke, loud and smokey, and street legal!

 

[kinetix]

Alpina and Castor are the same thing with different colors. Emak sold and still sells saws under a variety of brands (Olympyk, Oleo-Mac, Efco, Folux, Comoto etc). Topso was absorbed by Electrolux and became the European market Mac Culloch (before they were outsourced to China). There are a few more I don't remember right now.

I used to fix these Alpina and Castor pretty regularly until a few years ago so here's a piece of advice.

Parts for older models (built until 2000 or so) are slowly but steadily drying up, so if you plan on collecting them stock up on spare hulks and whatever parts periodically pop up on the Internet. Ignition modules and flywheels in particular, I may add: those for many 80's models have become hard to find and sellers know they have you at their mercy. Be ready to cut your losses and turn the saw in a spare hulk.
Alpina was absorbed by Italian gardening equipment company IGP, so some parts for late 80's/early 90's models were recycled in Stiga branded chainsaws manufactured up to 2005 or so. Don't expect a lot of them though.

It's the only place I've ever read about Comoto's relationship with oleomac etc

 

[Sepia]

It seems like there are almost as many old chainsaw companies as there are old snowmobile companies
Did Harley Davidson ever make a chainsaw? They made a snowmobile at one time.

 

[kinetix]

Yeah indeed , here is an open chainsaw for sale ,as the owner published it . Wonder who ever made these ?

 

[Pioneer]

My friend has a John Deere cs62 (efco). We call it the "Italian stallion", it has a lot of power but very temperamental to tune.

 

[jackrabbit]

It seems like there are almost as many old chainsaw companies as there are old snowmobile companies
Did Harley Davidson ever make a chainsaw? They made a snowmobile at one time.

Yes on the Harley saw! There was one in an old building on a neighbor's place. When he died, the kids cleaned out the building and through the saw in the dump! AAAAGGGHHHH!!!!! It was the only one I have ever seen.