# Would like advice on buying new saw



## Fortune50 (Aug 28, 2006)

Hi, I'd like some advice from knowledgeable folks on what chainsaw to buy for the homeowner who needs one for occassional use? here's what I've found:
Menard's:
14" McColluch 34cc engine $100 ($10 off sale)
18" McColluch 35cc engine $124 ($20 off sale)
18" McColluch 42cc engine $129 ($20 off sale)

Sears:
14" Poulan 33cc chainsaw $110
18" Craftsman 42cc $150 ($20 off sale)
Lowe's
14" Poulan 33cc $110 (same model as one sold at Sears)
16" Poulan 35cc $140 
18" Poulan 40cc $150 

Home Depot
16" Homelite 33cc $130 
18" Poulan 40cc $150 (same model as one sold at Lowe's)

This will be replacing a 25 yr old Homelite XL 14" 19cc saw which has a super rich running condition which I haven't looked too much into...THanks.


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## 30yearTech (Sep 14, 2006)

I really like the Poulan chain saws, I feel you get the biggest bang for the buck with them, they are pretty easy to work on and parts are not expensive and are usually easy to find. I would look for one with the shortest bar that you can get by with. The shorter the bar the faster it will cut, also replacement bar and chains cost less.


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## tommyj3 (Sep 16, 2006)

Stay away for the McCulloch brand (there not the saw they use to be) very cheaply made. My choice would be Poulan from what you have listed.


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## Fortune50 (Aug 28, 2006)

Thanks guys for your responses. I was thinking of going with the Craftsman, since it appears to look almost identical to a Poulan Pro model I saw at Lowe's or Home Depot, don't remember, lol. I don't have permission to spend more than $150, so, it appears then that's what I'll be buying. Thanks for the heads up on the McColluch.


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## newz7151 (Oct 15, 2006)

Fortune50 said:


> I was thinking of going with the Craftsman, since it appears to look almost identical to a Poulan Pro model I saw at Lowe's or Home Depot,


Craftsman/Poulan/PoulanPro/Husqvarna = Same company, different sticker. 

You might want to check out an Echo dealer and see if they have any seasonal specials going right now. (stay out of the "returned bin" at Home Depot.)

Also, look for a saw that doesn't oil the whole time the saw is running. (most Poulan units are like this) 

I would suggest finding a Shindaiwa dealer near you, but the lowest priced MSRP would be on the 285S at about $239 which is out of your price range.


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## hankster (Jan 1, 1998)

Depends on the Craftsman model. Some Craftman saws are made by MTD. Husky, while once owned by Electrolux, has a completely different (and better) design.


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## 30yearTech (Sep 14, 2006)

A lot of the Sears saws are made by Poulan, I have not seen the units made by MTD up close and personal, but looking at the breakdowns on them, they look to be re-labeled McCulloch units.


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## geogrubb (Jul 28, 2006)

Take the old saw to reputable small engine shop and spent a few dollars on a tuneup(or do it yourself) and you will have the best saw. They don't make them like they used to. Unless you are buying a Stihl. Just because it's shiney doesn't make it better. Have a nice day. Geo


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## newz7151 (Oct 15, 2006)

hankster said:


> Depends on the Craftsman model. Some Craftman saws are made by MTD. Husky, while once owned by Electrolux, has a completely different (and better) design.


"Husky" owns all the Poulan etc. stuff now.

Thankfully we have not had to deal with any MTD made Craftsman saws. People just don't know what they are getting when they buy from a mass retailer anymore. (not that they care as long as it's cheap......at the beginning)


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## 30yearTech (Sep 14, 2006)

newz7151 said:


> "Husky" owns all the Poulan etc. stuff now.


Do you mean "Husky" as in Husqvarna or Huskee as in MTD???


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## hankster (Jan 1, 1998)

Husky as in Husqvarna. Yes, Husky does own the Poulan brand name but their units are much different then the Poulan line of products. Can't even compare the two in quality... although Huskys have been made cheaper over the past couple of years.


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## newz7151 (Oct 15, 2006)

hankster said:


> although Huskys have been made cheaper over the past couple of years.


With their introduction into Lowes and Tractor Supply Company stores.

I don't use the word "Husky" to refer to Husqvarna products on a regular basis except for when somebody else is calling them that and knows what they mean. It's too confusing in conversation when people don't specify the spelling.


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## roeb (Nov 18, 2006)

Fortune50: You can find mfg. of Sears Craftsman saws by using first 3 or 4 numbers of the model no. then go to website www.owwm.com/craftsman/manufacturers-prefix.asp
I am with geogrubb and would remove the muffler from the XL, look at the cylinder and cylinder walls, If in good shape would rebuild carb. remove bar and clean out oil port. change air filter, clean oil filter, sharpen chain, and you will have better saw than all of those you listed...


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## Fortune50 (Aug 28, 2006)

roeb said:


> Fortune50: You can find mfg. of Sears Craftsman saws by using first 3 or 4 numbers of the model no. then go to website www.owwm.com/craftsman/manufacturers-prefix.asp
> I am with geogrubb and would remove the muffler from the XL, look at the cylinder and cylinder walls, If in good shape would rebuild carb. remove bar and clean out oil port. change air filter, clean oil filter, sharpen chain, and you will have better saw than all of those you listed...


Thanks for that link. I did buy it last night, Here it is.
So far as the old saw goes, I'd need to figure out how to properly repair it, but I don't have a service manual for it. So, I guess I'll have to use the parts manual I downloaded and hope for the best, lol.
The main problem is that raw fuel seems to be coming out of the exhaust, it's powerband is short-ie top speed rpm is too low, and it's smoking like a chimney, so it's harder than heck to get started.
When it's running out of fuel, even though I have my finger off the throttle, it starts reving up on its own really, really high in rpms (probably higher than 6000 rpm!) and then dies once all the fuel is burned up, so I'm assuming that is related to the carb- needs a diaphragm?
Also, the chain oiler doesn't seem to do anything other than dribble out of the hole while running-ie chain is dry and I have to keep hand oiling it and it seeps all over the shelf the saw is stored on, does that mean the oil pump is bad?
Finally, the clutch sprocket seems grooved where the chain rides on it, is that bad?
Well as you can tell, that lil saw needs work.


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## 30yearTech (Sep 14, 2006)

The smoke may be caused by a worn or missing duck bill check valve in the oil tank, Homelite XL model saws add pressure to the oil tank to feed oil to the auto oiler, if the valve is real soft or comes off the end of the hose oil will enter the crankcase and cause a lot of smoke. It could be a carburetor problem or an air leak causing the engine to run like that and if the check valve came off in the oil tank this can cause the engine to run like that. If you have a groove cut in your drive sprocket, it needs to be replaced.

I don't think the XL model saw is any better then what is available today from Poulan, they were good saws with fair torque but limited top end due to the reed valve design, a good ported engine will cut faster and with reasonable care will last just as long.


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## Fortune50 (Aug 28, 2006)

30yearTech said:


> The smoke may be caused by a worn or missing duck bill check valve in the oil tank, Homelite XL model saws add pressure to the oil tank to feed oil to the auto oiler, if the valve is real soft or comes off the end of the hose oil will enter the crankcase and cause a lot of smoke. It could be a carburetor problem or an air leak causing the engine to run like that and if the check valve came off in the oil tank this can cause the engine to run like that. If you have a groove cut in your drive sprocket, it needs to be replaced.
> 
> I don't think the XL model saw is any better then what is available today from Poulan, they were good saws with fair torque but limited top end due to the reed valve design, a good ported engine will cut faster and with reasonable care will last just as long.


I don't think its smoking is related to the chain oil tank check valve, as I let it go dry (doesn't do anything anyways) and it still ran/smoked the same. Since it revs up while running out of gas, I'm assuming that it's sucking in gas and then air once the gas is ran out from "somewhere not normal" to allow it to rev up even though the throttle plate is closed...I suppose then that sprocket is not easy to replace with it having a spring inside there...


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## 30yearTech (Sep 14, 2006)

You have to remove the the engine from the saw case in order to replace the sprocket/drum assembly. The check valve was just a thought since it could cause it to smoke and run up like a lean run condition, otherwise it is probably a carburetor problem.


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## roeb (Nov 18, 2006)

The problem with the high rpm, smoking and also the raw fuel coming from exhaust could be leakage around crankcase gasket or cyl. gasket. Tighten these screws first and see if it helps the problem. Do not know which model XL you have but noticed in my manuals, some of the models have oil pump made on top of carb. and use carb. vacuum to pump oil. This type is pretty complicated and prone to problems. The smoking problem could also be due to bad duck bill check valve as mentioned earlier. If your model does not use the carb. type oil pump you will need to find leak in oil tank or lines going to oil outlet under blade. You have probably done correct thing in buying new, but you now have a winter project with your old saw, good luck...


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## Fortune50 (Aug 28, 2006)

roeb said:


> The problem with the high rpm, smoking and also the raw fuel coming from exhaust could be leakage around crankcase gasket or cyl. gasket. Tighten these screws first and see if it helps the problem. Do not know which model XL you have but noticed in my manuals, some of the models have oil pump made on top of carb. and use carb. vacuum to pump oil. This type is pretty complicated and prone to problems. The smoking problem could also be due to bad duck bill check valve as mentioned earlier. If your model does not use the carb. type oil pump you will need to find leak in oil tank or lines going to oil outlet under blade. You have probably done correct thing in buying new, but you now have a winter project with your old saw, good luck...


The model of the saw is UT 10618, ser 7c1191735. The parts book I downloaded for this specific model does show an oil pump assembly, but probably no parts are available for it right?  
So far as the crankcase gasket or cyl. gasket, I can check the bolts (4 of them ,right?. Where else is raw fuel & (then air when it runs out of gas) going to come from, the carb?


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## 30yearTech (Sep 14, 2006)

There are limited parts available for your saw. There is no cylinder gasket or crankcase gasket on your model saw. The cylinder assembly is cast to the crankcase and a sealer is used to assemble the crankcase halves together. 

Your unit also has a diaphragm oil pump, the diaphragm is operated by crankcase pressure. After the pressure is set to the diaphragm it is then routed to the oil tank via a hose and a duck bill check valve to pressurize the oil tank. If the diaphragm cover is loose or the diaphragm is worn and the plunger that is attached to the diaphragm is loose, this could be the source of an air leak causing the engine to run away. I looked up the diaphragm but could not find a source for the part.

The oil pump diaphragm is located on the top right hand side of the crankcase behind the drive sprocket, in order to check it you will have to remove the engine from the saw housing.


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## Fortune50 (Aug 28, 2006)

30yearTech said:


> There are limited parts available for your saw. There is no cylinder gasket or crankcase gasket on your model saw. The cylinder assembly is cast to the crankcase and a sealer is used to assemble the crankcase halves together.
> 
> Your unit also has a diaphragm oil pump, the diaphragm is operated by crankcase pressure. After the pressure is set to the diaphragm it is then routed to the oil tank via a hose and a duck bill check valve to pressurize the oil tank. If the diaphragm cover is loose or the diaphragm is worn and the plunger that is attached to the diaphragm is loose, this could be the source of an air leak causing the engine to run away. I looked up the diaphragm but could not find a source for the part.
> 
> The oil pump diaphragm is located on the top right hand side of the crankcase behind the drive sprocket, in order to check it you will have to remove the engine from the saw housing.


That was an awesome reply!! Thanks for that info! :wave: I wonder if I could bypass that oil pump somehow? Hmm........


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## 30yearTech (Sep 14, 2006)

New models of this saw did stop using the diaphragm, they inserted a restricting orifice in the delivery line of the oil tank just above the pickup filter, then ran the line straight to the oiler port for the bar and chain. Just used pressure from the crankcase to run the oiler. On really cold days this set up would not oil until the oil heated up and thinned out some.

If you did this you would still have to seal the area where the diaphragm is, to prevent an air leak that would affect the running of your engine. :thumbsup:


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## frank1463 (Sep 22, 2006)

stihl there is no other saw !!!!!!


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## Fortune50 (Aug 28, 2006)

Fortune50 said:


> Thanks for that link. I did buy it last night, Here it is.


Well I used the new saw today, it ran good once started (took some extra steps to get started vs. the old Homelite, but this Craftsman had a more consistant idle and way more power under load then that Homelite ever had), but seemed more fragile so far as the bar goes. Really cannot let the saw bend the bar while cutting AT ALL, it'll throw the chain right off (did it twice).... Happy with it otherwise, I gave it a 5 hour workout today  .


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## Fortune50 (Aug 28, 2006)

30yearTech said:


> There are limited parts available for your saw. There is no cylinder gasket or crankcase gasket on your model saw. The cylinder assembly is cast to the crankcase and a sealer is used to assemble the crankcase halves together.
> 
> Your unit also has a diaphragm oil pump, the diaphragm is operated by crankcase pressure. After the pressure is set to the diaphragm it is then routed to the oil tank via a hose and a duck bill check valve to pressurize the oil tank. If the diaphragm cover is loose or the diaphragm is worn and the plunger that is attached to the diaphragm is loose, this could be the source of an air leak causing the engine to run away. I looked up the diaphragm but could not find a source for the part.
> 
> The oil pump diaphragm is located on the top right hand side of the crankcase behind the drive sprocket, in order to check it you will have to remove the engine from the saw housing.


Ok, tore apart the lil ol Homelite today, has no oil pump, just the line with restrictor inline, replaced the duckbill in the oil tank, no duckbill vent on the fuel tank, put in a new bar mount stud, new chain adjuster screw, cleaned the carb's exterior (did not take it apart) but did spend $23 in parts ($13.50 for the carb kit which I didn't use). Put about 6 psi pressure on the oil tank & lines and found no leaks, (but only if the cap was tight), 2 hrs labor later and she's running again like a dream.  The only issue I kind've noticed is the bar oiler, it runs oil down the side of the saw, is that normal? Time to get busy...


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## 30yearTech (Sep 14, 2006)

Is the restricting orifice in place in the oil pickup line?
What type of bar and chain lubricant are you using?

It's a pretty basic oiler system and not much can be done to slow flow other then using a heavier lubricant, 30wt or Bar and chain lube would be the best choice.


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## Fortune50 (Aug 28, 2006)

30yearTech said:


> Is the restricting orifice in place in the oil pickup line?
> What type of bar and chain lubricant are you using?
> 
> It's a pretty basic oiler system and not much can be done to slow flow other then using a heavier lubricant, 30wt or Bar and chain lube would be the best choice.


Yes the little tube that the duckbill slides over on is still in place. The lube is 30wt bar & chain oil, don't remember the brand offhand, it's from a 5-7 year old 1 gallon bottle that my father had laying around.


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## 30yearTech (Sep 14, 2006)

No, thats not what I am talking about, the units that did not utilize an oil pump and a restricting orifice in the oil pickup line just above the oil pick up filter, to check and make sure it's there, you have to remove the oil filter and visually inspect the filter and oil line where the filter plugs onto the line.


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## Fortune50 (Aug 28, 2006)

30yearTech said:


> No, thats not what I am talking about, the units that did not utilize an oil pump and a restricting orifice in the oil pickup line just above the oil pick up filter, to check and make sure it's there, you have to remove the oil filter and visually inspect the filter and oil line where the filter plugs onto the line.


OK, I'll have to look into that, thanks again...


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