Pioneer chainsaws

[Lou]

Jerry;
My modest little FarmSaw at least twice cut fir so large that her 20-inch bar (no dogs, never had them) would not meet in the middle.
Cut, wedge, - cut, wedge, - finally cut the center.
I think I sold a Pioneer at least once while doing that, to a family running a big (dull) Deere. Probably happened in the early 80s.
Once I settled in Washington I bought her a 24-inch bar. She handles it just like the 20 as long as its sharp.

 

[p61 western]

Go big or go home....LOL

Lmao yeah they do need some exercise from time to time.

 

[pioneerguy600]

Jerry;
My modest little FarmSaw at least twice cut fir so large that her 20-inch bar (no dogs, never had them) would not meet in the middle.
Cut, wedge, - cut, wedge, - finally cut the center.
I think I sold a Pioneer at least once while doing that, to a family running a big (dull) Deere. Probably happened in the early 80s.
Once I settled in Washington I bought her a 24-inch bar. She handles it just like the 20 as long as its sharp.

Any one that knows me well knows I always ran the biggest saws on any cutting crew. Since I cut my teeth on the Pioneer 600 and its sister 600 series saws every other seemed light, even my 090AV and 070 still feel light to me. The P60, 61, 62 and 655 are just mid sized to my hands. I watched my dad clear cut a parcel of land with a Remington Mighty Mite with a 14" bar dropping 36" and over spruce trees, it wasn`t fast but he had the skills to do it.

 

[2stroke_shaman]

They are good little saws .

 

[p61 western]

They are good little saws .
View attachment 650904

Reported Pioneer abuse. Just kidding lol. I have a old 754 I need to work on.

 

[paul hill]

I think of the coil sort of like a transformer. The laminations create a rising and falling magnetic field as the magnets pass under it. That field cuts a wire coil and generates an electric charge. In my opinion, the laminations would do their job even if completely immersed in water or in a vacuum (absolutely no moisture). I'm guessing the Prestolite coil contains a transistor that is wired in a way to inhibit discharge until one of the magnets triggers that discharge. Any moisture could upset its ability to build a charge before discharging. There are other solid state methods of building to a specific voltage level before discharging, water would also inhibit their ability to build an electric charge.
If there is any airspace within the insulating material of the coil it could conceivably condense moisture into a very small amount of water. Again IMO that's all it would take to cause the coil to not charge.
I am not nor do I claim to be an electrical engineer.

Quick transformer lesson. A transformer contains 2 coils of wire, joined by a laminated core. The input side generates a magnetic field in the laminations that induces a voltage in the second coil of wire. With few exceptions, there is no electrical connection between the two coils of wire.

My FarmSaw grew up in New Mexico, probably less humid than is Arizona (I have 8 years in Phoenix). Since 1991± its been in Washington State. Arguably one of the wettest states in the union. Until the GTG and I stored her on the ground I didn't have an ignition problem.

Lou,

Great explanation on the coils. Thank you.

 

[Yotaismygame]

Picked this up for real cheap today p41sh made in 1980. What’s the SH stand for? I think it was straight gassed. Almost no compression and it’s scored pretty good. No spark either. Probably moisture in the coil like my last one.

 

[p61 western]

Picked this up for real cheap today p41sh made in 1980. What’s the SH stand for? I think it was straight gassed. Almost no compression and it’s scored pretty good. No spark either. Probably moisture in the coil like my last one.

View attachment 651104 View attachment 651105 View attachment 651106 View attachment 651107

The sh would have been safety half wrap. Kind of funny it has a full wrap and no chain break. To bad it's scored.

 

[Yotaismygame]

It’s super clean, and for the money spent in not upset about it Cylinder doesn’t look terrible but I won’t know until I get it off. There was red thread locker on the starter cover, but I managed to get them off without trouble. Who does that!? Which coil is this?

 

[Walter Glover]

Worth fixing for sure
https://www.arboristsite.com/community/threads/pioneer-p41-whats-with-the-letters-after-p41.37362/

 

[p61 western]

It’s super clean, and for the money spent in not upset about it Cylinder doesn’t look terrible but I won’t know until I get it off. There was red thread locker on the starter cover, but I managed to get them off without trouble. Who does that!? Which coil is this?
View attachment 651121

That's the stock p41 2 piece ignition set up. It might be worth trying a 372 coil on it. The p41 set up is very hard to find.

 

[Yotaismygame]

I’m going to clean it up tonight and see if that works. If not I have a 372 coil ready. I did some reading on that a few weeks ago, just need to brush up on it again.

 

[Yotaismygame]

https://salem.craigslist.org/grd/d/pioneer-p25-chainsaw/6576825330.html

Anybody want it? Ill ship it out for ya

 

[Lou]

Lou,

Great explanation on the coils. Thank you.

Actually, I should probably thank you and every American taxpayer... 10 weeks of electronic principles followed by 18 weeks of aircraft instrumentation, 1970-71. I was expected to repair any instrumentation malfunction on any aircraft flying in the Air Force at that time. They don't do it like that any longer. They teach a very basic knowledge and provide formalized follow up training at the base you get assigned to for one specific aircraft (that was true 1990 - things may have changed since then). I worked primarily the Phantom (F-4) aircraft, but also 6 years on AT38B (trainer the pilots are familiar with where they learn how to drop bombs and shoot guns) and 1.5 years of KC-135 (tanker) aircraft. The last 1.5 years I very rarely touched a tanker. My job was to crack the whip and git er done...
I never forgot that I made E7 (at 13 years active) because of the people that worked for me... I did everything in my power to keep the BS to a minimum for my subordinates. That made me popular with them but my superiors were not always supportive of my effort.

 

[p61 western]

Actually, I should probably thank you and every American taxpayer... 10 weeks of electronic principles followed by 18 weeks of aircraft instrumentation, 1970-71. I was expected to repair any instrumentation malfunction on any aircraft flying in the Air Force at that time. They don't do it like that any longer. They teach a very basic knowledge and provide formalized follow up training at the base you get assigned to for one specific aircraft (that was true 1990 - things may have changed since then). I worked primarily the Phantom (F-4) aircraft, but also 6 years on AT38B (trainer the pilots are familiar with where they learn how to drop bombs and shoot guns) and 1.5 years of KC-135 (tanker) aircraft. The last 1.5 years I very rarely touched a tanker. My job was to crack the whip and git er done...
I never forgot that I made E7 (at 13 years active) because of the people that worked for me... I did everything in my power to keep the BS to a minimum for my subordinates. That made me popular with them but my superiors were not always supportive of my effort.

No way we should being saying thank you for your service Lou. Thank you for your service Lou.

 

[Yotaismygame]

View attachment 651158 I’m going to clean it up tonight and see if that works. If not I have a 372 coil ready. I did some reading on that a few weeks ago, just need to brush up on it again.

She sparks! Just needed clean

 

[Cookie]

She sparks! Just needed clean

Gotta like that!

 

[paul hill]

No way we should being saying thank you for your service Lou.

Agreed. Thank you Lou

 

[p61 western]

She sparks! Just needed clean

That is great news. Hopefully the cylinder is in decent shape now.

 

[Yotaismygame]

That is great news. Hopefully the cylinder is in decent shape now.

Makes 120psi so I’m hoping it’s not ruined. I need to work on other saws right now. Maybe next week I’ll pull the jug. Of course last week there was a jug on eBay