Mac 550

[andrethegiant70]

Hey, folks! I know that buying from EBAY can be a bit sketchy, but if the investment is nominal, I figure the risk is fairly small. Yesterday I took possession of a McCulloch 550 with a 24-inch bar with the intent to use the large displacement and slow rev features of the saw for some light milling. I figured here in Flagstaff at 7,000 ft, I'd have to fool with it a bit to get it to run... not so! The thing fired as soon as gas hit the carb.. seems to run nicely. The next step is obviously to either look into a ripping chain or file the bejesus out of the chain it came with, which has plenty of life left.

Question one: What in THE hell are the specs on the chain? The thing looks like a tank tread compared to the 3/8 on my Stihl. I took it to my local Stihl dealer (who is pretty much the only game in town) and he did a bit of head scratching too. Seems it's larger than the 404 he had in stock. Anyone have access to such specs?

Question two: I understand some folks run MX2T in their saws... I intend (unless the saw gods who read this give the idea a raspberry) to do this at 32:1 in the Mac. Are any of you folks doing this (obviously at a different ratio) in your Stihls? I wouldn't mind spending a bit more to protect my firewood saw.. the thing is actually making me money.

Thanks!!

 

[Al Smith]

My referance material did not make any mention of chain size,I would have assumed .404.Measure across 3 rivets and divide by 2,that is the gauge.It also,if it's the original chain,likely chipper chain.There is also the remote possibility that it could be 7/16 or 1/2 " chain.I would not have thought that anyone would use 1/2 " on a direct drive saw but anything is possible .

 

[Chris J.]

Close up photo of the chain in question?

:Eye:

 

[ozflea]

A Mc 550 would have been fitted with .404 pitch chain and in my opion it would be better to rip with a round tooth chain or semi chisel, not a super chisel as it will shake the saw apart.
As regards filing stick to the recommended angles for the chain style.

Mc Bob.

 

[andrethegiant70]

SOMEday I'll get some ripping done.

Thanks for the input.... I'm away from home for a while (happens quite a bit), but I'll do some measuring when I get there. I'm hoping that it is indeed a .404 chain as I'm of the understanding that Baileys still carries .404 designed for ripping. Good thing I'm not in a hurry, eh?

I'll add a photo of the saw when I walk in the door!

 

[andrethegiant70]

Ta da!!

Looks like a .404 chain... didn't measure very well because the chain was a bit stretched. I took the whole thing to the local Stihl dealer where we had everyone hemming and hawing. I'm buying the milling chain through them since they did the work. They must just roll their eyes when they have a guy like me walk in the door with an ancient McCulloch bought off EBAY.

I was pleased to hear them say that the saw seemed to have been well cared for and was in nice shape. I just pulled some beautifull yellow pine out of the forest today....millling day is in sight!!

 

[fishhuntcutwood]

So your Stihl dealer treated you OK, and is even helping you out with an old, non-Stihl saw? Do me a favor Andre, the next time someone from the "Stihl Dealers Haters Club" posts on AS that Stihl dealers are a bunch of pompus jerks, who bad mouth all other saws, and treat everyone like idiots, (mine certainly isn't) recite this story for us, and set them straight.

(Do a search for "dealer," and you'll see what I mean...)

Thanks.

Jeff

 

[Al Smith]

In defense of Stihl dealers,it's been my experiance that about 50 percent are pretty good people to deal with.Then again,I could say the same about Harley dealers also.It's not the product,but rather the person.

 

[andrethegiant70]

They did alright by me!

I wouln't have really blamed them if they had given me a bit of the cold shoulder. I have had pretty good experiences with them, save the time they sharpened (or didn't, actually) my chain. So the tech guy in the back had a bad day, no big deal. It forced me to get off my ars and figure out how to sharpen it myself. They seem like a pretty good bunch.