McCulloch Question

[Vernon Tull]

How solid of a saw was the McCulloch Timberbear, and when was it made? A couple of years ago I bid on a very clean one on E-Bay, but ultimately I lost the auction to someone else. Any of you gentlemen know about this model?

 

[ray benson]

Never ran one, but here is a pic and some info from M. Acres site.
http://64.180.101.188/cscc.nsf/ed1d...1918b2fc251a6ffb88256c3b004fe4ad?OpenDocument
Ray

 

[rubberducky]

I ran one for a while, but i didnt really like it.

 

[mbopp]

I think the Timberbear was a re-badged, late-model 610.

 

[Andyshine77]

Yup 610, they have good torque but they are bricks at 15 lbs dry. The oilers never worked right on them and they are very loud saws. Displacement 3.4 cu. 55cc

 

[ozflea]

The 600 series Mc are great saws at 3.7 cu in or 60 cc the hang in there all day they have been around now for a very long time since they started off as PM610/ PM650's a good all round farm saw. Very easy to service and maintain.
The 610 was the detuned version with a smaller outlet size for the exhaust where as the PM 650 was considered the Hi/Po and was used by many Pro timber cutters out here in Australia.
I sold many of both models and the Eager Beaver 3.7 / Timberbear or whatever you fellas call them over there are the same thing but with a different badge with 99% interchangeability with the more current models thats about 25 years of the 600 series.

Mc Bob.

 

[usmc50bmgsniper]

to me the timberbear was nothing more than a pm610, i had one and it ran good but i had alot of problems with the oiler, other than that it ran good until i discovered husqvarna saws. the ole mac 610 is a good yard saw but if you are doing some serious cutting then get a husky

 

[usmc50bmgsniper]

oh ya, ozflea as for hanging in all day? my 257 husky runs rings around my pm 610 i used to have and it's a smaller saw

 

[ozflea]

I'm not knocking newer saws, time is like that but to the old Mc's with 25 yrs of production it couldn't have been too bad, as for the oilers at least they were easy to access and replace better than some european saws that i know and you have one old mate.

Mc Bob.

Yep i had a Mopar but not with a Hemi.

 

[Al Smith]

I have a 610 .Keep in mind that it's just a bigger firewood cutter,not a pro saw.Although it rarely gets used any more,I have worn out about a 5 gal bucket of chain with that old saw.Of the saws I have today,it's one of the slowest but in it's day.it was not.It's been a dependable old buddy,all these years,and I really can't say much bad about it.

 

[usmc50bmgsniper]

i agree with you al, i wasn't knocking the ole mac 610, mine served me well to but they just don't compare to the newer euoropean saws

 

[Mange]

McCulloch is not more a US saw than Husky or Partner now day's.
Things change the Mac plastic built today is 100% hobby saw!
I was told there was a Italian pro line, but i never got that confirmed.

 

[Vernon Tull]

After I posted this question, I visited my step-father in Atlanta and looked at his saws. He has, unknown to me before this weekend, a TimberBear in good condition. He said he had cut quite a bit of wood with it, and the only problem the saw has is that it leaks/seeps oil badly after the engine is shut off and he sets it down.

For a homeowner-class saw, it is awfully heavy though. He says that it cuts a bit slow despite its engine size.

 

[Al Smith]

On the subject of McCulloch oilers,they are very much mis understood.I say this,not to be a smart alec but for some good info.They are a very simple ,impulse driven piston pump.In other words you have the pulsations of the engine pulse on one side of a piston ,and oil on the other side.This,through a series of check valves,pump the oil on the bar.In addition is a manual over ride pump.Un like the gear driven pumps on Stihls,which only pump when the chain is turning,the Macs pump as long as the engine is running.The amount of oil delivered on each stroke of the pump can be adjusted by means of a screw that limits the piston travel of the pump.Most problems seem to occur because of infiltration of saw dust into the oil tank.The easiest fix is to dump the oil and fill with kerosine or diesel fuel and basicaly flush the system .I've also had luck by saturating the area around the oil hole discharge with wd 40 ,allowing it to soak in and then blowing compressed air backwards toward the pump.I've only ever had to disassemble several,to get them working.Bear in mind also that there is a pretty good sized void in the saw body,where the oil comes out and this could dribble a good bit of oil.I might add that I have my pumps set up to pump a lot of oil.As I've said before,oil is cheap ,bars and chains are not.

 

[Vernon Tull]

Good info, Al Smith. Thanks for the discussion.