This weekends' pick up - Bolens 5500.

[Steve NW WI]

A friend called yesterday, his neighbor had a big old chainsaw he was looking to get rid of. He figured (correctly) that I might be interested.

After a bit of negotiation, and some BSing, I came home with a 5500 Bolens. From Acres' site, it's got a 106cc West Bend under the hood. Somebody put an el cheapo paint job on it at some point, and hand painted "Bolens" on it, but I can overlook that.

The chain is beyond junk, whatever it used to have for an air filter is long gone, as is the muffler deflector. Other than that, it's complete.

Model Profile: 5500 SERIES

Danged if it didn't run after a bit of fresh gas and a couple pulls of the rope! I tried to cut a little, but like I said, the chain is J-U-N-K. Gonna have to hunt down a better chain. It looks like .404, though I haven't measured it yet. Acres says 7/16" pitch though. Don't laugh too much at the hillbilly operator trying to force it to cut!

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In case the embedding doesn't work, you can see the short video here: Bolens 5500 - junk chain - YouTube

 

[Steve NW WI]

I just went down and checked the chain, it is 7/16" pitch. Gonna take a little looking to find some of that.

 

[IEL]

I have to say I think these real old dinosaurs are about my favourite type of saw. Neat old suckers.

 

[pennsywoodburnr]

That's a sweet old saw, Steve. Were you able to pin down a date on when it was made?

 

[Steve NW WI]

That's a sweet old saw, Steve. Were you able to pin down a date on when it was made?

I'm not sure exactly when it was made, but Acres says they came out in 1958.

 

[o8f150]

I just went down and checked the chain, it is 7/16" pitch. Gonna take a little looking to find some of that.

steve,, don't hold me to it but I think I have a loop of it,, let me go check

 

[o8f150]

I have a loop of 437 pitch chain,,, its either 18 or 20 inch and about 90%

 

[Steve NW WI]

I have a loop of 437 pitch chain,,, its either 18 or 20 inch and about 90%

PM coming in a bit - gotta go count some links.

 

[RandyMac]

Looks like a Titan design.

 

[Eccentric]

Looks like a Titan design.

I suspect that all the Bolens saws were rebadged from other makers. The Bolens Thrifty 3010 that I worked on sure looks like a Clinton to me.

 

[Steve NW WI]

Sister saws for sure. Titan, Bolens, and Fleetwood were all brands owned by FMC from what I've read, and shared saws.

The 3000 series were AH-47 powered machines, the 5000 and up had the West Bend.

There you have it, my hour or so's worth of knowledge on the subject.