Reeds VS Port, old VS new

[Pioneer]

I keep seeing Homelite XL 925's go up for auction on E-bay and get loads of bids. They seem to be a popular saw, especially considering how long they have been out of production. Has anyone put one of these up against a modern Stihl or Husky of similar displacement? How did it stack up? I know that a reed valve engine is supposed to have a more flexible power band, but are they just too expensive to make now, or is it just easier to make power with revs in a port style engine.

 

[Mike mandry]

I have a 925 & love it. TONS of grunt. Its all the saw I will ever need. Ive ran it next to a poulan pro 330 22" & smoked it.

Im sure a modern stihl or husky of like displacement would blow it away, but you cant beat the tourqe.

Imagine your XL1 with 81 cc's.....

If you have the chance to get one in decent shape, I would go for it. You would be pleased I'm sure.

 

[Greg Carberry]

Thats something I've often wondered my self. Of all the new and old saws I've run I prefer a reed valve engine. Just seems like more usable power to me, easier for less experianced users to handle also.

 

[galde]

I still use the 925 that I bought new (for about $269!) around 1972. It is my only saw that will immediately start slinging chips even if I rev it up from idle with the chain against the wood in a 30" cut! It has a very heavy clutch and loads of low-rpm torque. This is a saw that must be handled with great care since it has no chain brake or hand guard.

 

[SIRCHOPALOT]

I've often wondered why they don't make the saws reed valve. it would make better power with a wider band and it would be more efficient. It wouldn't cost that much more, once the tooling was changed over.

 

[Marco]

They start much easier too. My father is getting up there and he can't start alot of these new saws, can't pull the rope fast enough. Give him an XL-12 and he's on his way. Those old reed valve saws are nice to keep around on building projects or by a saw mill where you don't have to run them that much, but you want something that will start with one pull. Throw 10 new Stihls or Huskies out in the cold with an XL-12 and the Xl-12 will start better than 8 of them, haven't stripped an oiler gear yet either..........ahhem. Cylinders and pistons can get much uglier and they still go.

 

[Al Smith]

Well,this true ,about an XL-12,starts good in cold weather.Hot weather,is another story.I have 2 Lombards which are larger cu in take offs of the famous XL-12 ,which don't like to start when the temperature hits about 80.If you took a pole of XL-12 owners,most would say the same thing about their saws.

 

[Marco]

I make hay in hot weather. Some of those Lombards liked to flood the crankcase with bar oil. Crankcase pressure was suppose to move oil out of tank and possibbly in warm weather it moves it to the crankcase if you store it with a full oil tank. We ran our blue XL-12 with the funky spark plug last summer and it seemed to work fine, I quit before it did.