Mcculloch sp125/101b kart saw build thread

Bigmac · Dec 23, 2019

Road trip for sure! I think I found the location on the internwebsz.
Figured I would post up the 101 stuffer vs 125, I think I will prep it for the swap

Frank bierce · Dec 23, 2019

Bigmac said:
Road trip for sure! I think I found the location on the internwebsz.
Figured I would post up the 101 stuffer vs 125, I think I will prep it for the swapView attachment 214470 View attachment 214471 View attachment 214472 View attachment 214473

Soooo, there’s a difference??

. Lol

Lee H · Dec 24, 2019

jacob j. said:
Have you been to Valley of the Giants up above Siletz? An old Forest Service co-worker of mine has a secret squirrel route into it. He said there's 10-12' diameter trees all over in there, some 15's too.

Man i'd like to see that. One of my dream trips is to fly into northern Cali and take a trip through
all the big tree forests up through Washington.

sawfun · Dec 24, 2019

jacob j. said:
Have you been to Valley of the Giants up above Siletz? An old Forest Service co-worker of mine has a secret squirrel route into it. He said there's 10-12' diameter trees all over in there, some 15's too.

I remember when I was 14 or 15 going trapping with a WW1 vet above the Siletz. He fell some for a helicopter outfit in the late 70's. That was one tough old man. No hot water in his house or bathroom, but plenty of firewood. If memory serves, he used an 045 or 056.

Al Smith · Dec 24, 2019

Lady fair took a bus tour starting in LA and going up the entire west coast highway .She's seen the big trees ,I've seen the pictures .

Bigmac · Dec 24, 2019

sawfun said:
I remember when I was 14 or 15 going trapping with a WW1 vet above the Siletz. He fell some for a helicopter outfit in the late 70's. That was one tough old man. No hot water in his house or bathroom, but plenty of firewood. If memory serves, he used an 045 or 056.

That’s cool! The vast majority of Fallers in the 70s here we’re running all 045’s and in the early 80’s 056’s Every once in a while I’ll talk to an old faller or they’ll be over at my place and see the macs and the first thing most of them say was I tried an SP 81, it was too loud and wasn’t a reliable starter they loved how reliable of a starter the 045’s were,That seems to be the complaint I hear from everyone about the McCulloch’s , Had a couple old faller look at the SP 125s and go cool saw but you can never start them pulling on it for a half hour and they wouldn’t start, idk what there problem were, I’ve always felt the SP 125 was one of the easier starting saws in general once you get the routine down. I would even demonstrate how easy they were to start and it still be cursing in memory! LOL it was kind of funny.
My dad would get crowns old o45s for firewood saws, He told me when they were selling out they had a wall full of 090’s they were selling for 100 bucks apiece he of course kicks himself for not buying them, But he also said what would I use them for!

sawfun · Dec 24, 2019

Bigmac said:
That’s cool! The vast majority of Fallers in the 70s here we’re running all 045’s and in the early 80’s 056’s Every once in a while I’ll talk to an old faller or they’ll be over at my place and see the macs and the first thing most of them say was I tried an SP 81, it was too loud and wasn’t a reliable starter they loved how reliable of a starter the 045’s were,That seems to be the complaint I hear from everyone about the McCulloch’s , Had a couple old faller look at the SP 125s and go cool saw but you can never start them pulling on it for a half hour and they wouldn’t start, idk what there problem were, I’ve always felt the SP 125 was one of the easier starting saws in general once you get the routine down. I would even demonstrate how easy they were to start and it still be cursing in memory! LOL it was kind of funny.
My dad would get crowns old o45s for firewood saws, He told me when they were selling out they had a wall full of 090’s they were selling for 100 bucks apiece he of course kicks himself for not buying them, But he also said what would I use them for!

I remember in the late 70's Stihl had gained a good reputation and hearing of the Macs being hard to start and less reliable. Funny today I think the Macs are a better saw, but I wasn't using a large saw back then. I remember we were all skeptical of plastic fuel tanks and wanted saws metal parts not plastic as weight wasn't much of a concern to men then.

Lee H · Dec 24, 2019

JMHO, If fallers and or users of the Mac 125's had a difficult time starting there saws
it sounds like a maintenance problem, The Mac 125's I have ran and or rebuilt were
all easy starters, never any issues with no starts. Are the 045's electronic ignition? if
so that could be there issue as the 125's with the point ignition requires more maintenance.

Bigmac · Dec 24, 2019

Lee H said:
JMHO, If fallers and or users of the Mac 125's had a difficult time starting there saws
it sounds like a maintenance problem, The Mac 125's I have ran and or rebuilt were
all easy starters, never any issues with no starts. Are the 045's electronic ignition? if
so that could be there issue as the 125's with the point ignition requires more maintenance.

Lee I completely agree, a well maintained 125 is a dream, almost cake to start. Original 045’s were points, then they went electronic. I have an o56, it starts well too. A stock 125 is easy to start, even if they have sat for a while.

Al Smith · Dec 25, 2019

On that for the most part Macs have always been easy starters .This is no chit I ran the 250's when they they were brand new and I was 15-16 years old cutting hedge apple for fence posts on my grand mothers farm .It would always start and the old Clinton would not .Recently the only problem I've ever had was in 95 degree heat using a 700 Mac it would over heat and not start until cooled off but a souped 038 Mag always did .
Bucking about 6 cords of dead ash in about 6 hours I flat out wore my helper out who was 20 years younger than me . When he went into the house into the air conditioning I sat on my back patio and and drank beer after the work was done
.Never under estimate old men ,they have more experience in this kind of stuff .

ferris · Dec 25, 2019

Lee H said:
Man i'd like to see that. One of my dream trips is to fly into northern Cali and take a trip through
all the big tree forests up through Washington.

Sell some saws and make the Trip.
It is wonderful

Merry Christmas from Germany

heimannm · Dec 25, 2019

My grandmother Heimann lived up in the hills south of San Francisco in an area near the Oakland and San Francisco "Y" camps. She had a Christmas tree farm and sold some of her property to a Baptist church camp that was adjacent to her place. We used to visit every 3 or 4 years and I could spend hours out wandering amongst the redwoods. She was up from Pescadero near the little village of Loma Mar, her actual address was Redwood Glen and was right next to Memorial County Park. The trees in the area were really quite fantastic.

Mark

Bigmac · Dec 25, 2019

heimannm said:
My grandmother Heimann lived up in the hills south of San Francisco in an area near the Oakland and San Francisco "Y" camps. She had a Christmas tree farm and sold some of her property to a Baptist church camp that was adjacent to her place. We used to visit every 3 or 4 years and I could spend hours out wandering amongst the redwoods. She was up from Pescadero near the little village of Loma Mar, her actual address was Redwood Glen and was right next to Memorial County Park. The trees in the area were really quite fantastic.

Mark

The big trees never get old to visit! I am due up to make a the drive to Northern California to visit! But I think I will visit @jacob j. Valley Of The Giants here in Oregon, I think it’s less than an hour away, I already feel like I am missing out! Must visit!!

jacob j. · Dec 25, 2019

Bigmac said:
Lee I completely agree, a well maintained 125 is a dream, almost cake to start. Original 045’s were points, then they went electronic. I have an o56, it starts well too. A stock 125 is easy to start, even if they have sat for a while.

My dad's and uncle's main complaint about the 125s was breaking the starter spring - at least twice a month they'd have a starter spring go bad and a few times had to build a warming fire on the strip so they could heat-up and re-bend their starter spring. My dad got wise to that action and started packing an extra complete starter in his nose bag. He usually packed a couple extra clutches and drums as well and tools to swap them out on the strip.

Bigmac · Dec 25, 2019

jacob j. said:
My dad's and uncle's main complaint about the 125s was breaking the starter spring - at least twice a month they'd have a starter spring go bad and a few times had to build a warming fire on the strip so they could heat-up and re-bend their starter spring. My dad got wise to that action and started packing an extra complete starter in his nose bag. He usually packed a couple extra clutches and drums as well and tools to swap them out on the strip.

I have had a few broken springs and ropes, the kart saw accelerate those problems for sure, I have been trying to find the balance between rope diameter and getting the correct length, it seems like when the rope is a little short it breaks springs, have taken my propane torch and fixed the ends many times! Lol that’s my theory anyway, its like the spring slips in the housing, especially if the rope is a little short, at least seems. And clutch’s have been a recent issue for me as well! lol
Your story about your uncle and dad are great! I love the history!

Lee H · Dec 26, 2019

I use the 5.5 rope from Dolmar. Works excellent, Install it in the pulley
just as the factory did with the little pin through the rope. Guess i'm lucky
as I haven't had any broken springs yet.

heimannm · Dec 26, 2019

Frank bierce · Dec 26, 2019

heimannm said:
View attachment 215044

Little recoil work?

heimannm · Dec 26, 2019

Broken spring, had to heat the end and re-shape.

Mark

Bigmac · Dec 26, 2019

heimannm said:
Broken spring, had to heat the end and re-shape.

Mark

Have done that a few times myself!

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