SP80/81

[Lee H]

Very nice Jeremy, Mark i'm sure has more knowledge on those than I but i'll help any way I can.
If the piston-cylinder are good you got a home run.

 

[Adirondackstihl]

Is the AV stuff still available some where?

 

[Adirondackstihl]

Sprockets, bearings, seals, etc......?????

This is my first Mac so......

 

[Al Smith]

Bearings and seals are SAE sized,easy to find .Scott at chainsaw R has stuff .I can list a lot of suppliers on Mac stuff .Flea bay often if nothing else .

 

[CR888]

If I was logging when a Mac was the choice of fallers.....I'd own a SP-81 or two. Maybe a 797 too.

 

[Lightning Performance]

If I was logging when a Mac was the choice of fallers.....I'd own a SP-81 or two. Maybe a 797 too.

Y?

 

[Al Smith]

It's evolved through the years .I'm old enough to remember when the Mac 250's were brand new,I operated one at about 15-16 year old cutting osage orange fence posts .You had basically 2 choices,Homelite or McCulloch .Then it went to lighter weight saws .Mac 10-10, Homelite XL-12 .I never even saw a Stihl until some time in the 80's and it was a Stihl 042 .Never saw a chisel chain until the late 80's,all semi chisel or chipper .
They used to be simple but at the rate they are going are soon to be as complicated as a modern automobile .I'm just not ready for that .

 

[hseII]

It's evolved through the years .I'm old enough to remember when the Mac 250's were brand new,I operated one at about 15-16 year old cutting osage orange fence posts .You had basically 2 choices,Homelite or McCulloch .Then it went to lighter weight saws .Mac 10-10, Homelite XL-12 .I never even saw a Stihl until some time in the 80's and it was a Stihl 042 .Never saw a chisel chain until the late 80's,all semi chisel or chipper .
They used to be simple but at the rate they are going are soon to be as complicated as a modern automobile .I'm just not ready for that .

Around home, it was Poulan or Homelite, with a very few 10 series McCullochs mixed in, but GPaw ran against McCullochs in the 1960s with the souped-up go carts, so McCullochs weren’t allowed.

 

[RandyMac]

OHVs are over rated.

 

[PogoInTheWoods]

I'm glad you finally found one, J. The timing was pretty special too. It'll be your new favorite saw (if it isn't already).​

Action starts around 4:20. Can't help but get a kick outta Billy Ray.​

 

[how57]

So......
Yesterday (Oct 6) was the anniversary of Phil’s passing. (Also my wedding anniversary).

For some time, I have been trying to track down his old SP80 or find one for myself.
He enjoyed that saw. Believe he called it the McNoodle.

Yesterday AM I get a text from a logger friend of mine in Tupper Lake. He sends me 3-4 pics of an SP81 and asks if I wanted it.
Just a little ironic I receive this text on the day I did.

I’m not familiar with these things so I’m gonna be reaching out to you guys for help and/or maybe some parts. In the frontal pic, it looks kinda twisted. I’m hoping it’s just an AV issue and nothing is broke.

@heimannm @Lee H

View attachment 91276 View attachment 91277 View attachment 91278

I have a small handful of NOS parts. I'd have to dig them out to see what I've got left.
Can send pictures if you'd like.

 

[Adirondackstihl]

I have a small handful of NOS parts. I'd have to dig them out to see what I've got left.
Can send pictures if you'd like.

That would be supah!!!

 

[CR888]

Y?

I love an 80cc power head, its muh favourite class. Plenty of rev with enough torque too. Just a fun class of saw I suppose. The 797 got thrown in too cause Randy Mac says they were pretty sweet too when they first hit the hands of loggers.

 

[Al Smith]

Some say the 797 had a leg up on a 125,don't know myself but I have two of the later .Another thing I could never figure out is why in the name of good sense would they hang the starter on the right hand side .That saw came out long before the "acid wars " so something else must have scrambled the design engineers brains .--mumble grumble ---

 

[sawfun]

Some say the 797 had a leg up on a 125,don't know myself but I have two of the later .Another thing I could never figure out is why in the name of good sense would they hang the starter on the right hand side .That saw came out long before the "acid wars " so something else must have scrambled the design engineers brains .--mumble grumble ---

Agreed on the starter. My regular 797 had it all over the two super 797's I've owned. I would say the rgular 797 has way more long bar or low raker torque when compared with the 125. However the 125 is not that far behind and is way more civilized with its AV. I might rate the 125 as a good 50" bar saw and 60" max where the 797 could go 72" if you are not too agressive with it. Im sure others will disagree, but I set up all.of my 125's with 50" as it is the bar length sweet spot on that saw for power and handling. 36" seemed wasted on such a machine deserving of so much more. Then again, i never met a 125 i didnt like.

 

[how57]

That would be supah!!!

Here's what I've got.

 

[jacob j.]

Some say the 797 had a leg up on a 125,don't know myself but I have two of the later .Another thing I could never figure out is why in the name of good sense would they hang the starter on the right hand side .That saw came out long before the "acid wars " so something else must have scrambled the design engineers brains .--mumble grumble ---

Agreed on the starter. My regular 797 had it all over the two super 797's I've owned. I would say the rgular 797 has way more long bar or low raker torque when compared with the 125. However the 125 is not that far behind and is way more civilized with its AV. I might rate the 125 as a good 50" bar saw and 60" max where the 797 could go 72" if you are not too agressive with it. Im sure others will disagree, but I set up all.of my 125's with 50" as it is the bar length sweet spot on that saw for power and handling. 36" seemed wasted on such a machine deserving of so much more. Then again, i never met a 125 i didnt like.

I have a Mac in my shop that my dad built in 1974: CP-125 chassis with a 797 Super motor that's bored .030" over. Left-hand start, SP-125 clutch and drum, CP-style "hockey puck" muffler, and H&S 8" dawg. It was a log-busting machine back in the day with a 60" bar and chain. A couple winters ago I rebuilt the short block with new bearings and seals, and a thin-ring .030" over piston from Vince Hughes. I'm hoping to do the chassis restoration this winter.

 

[sawfun]

I've been told by a knowledgeable member that there were 5 versions of the regular 797. The earliest is said to have the most agressive porting going down from there. Though none are weak in any way period. They are marked on the bottom near the number on the other side of the block designation number. My runner is a 3rd gen and I have a .050 first gen I need to get working on. I expect it to be an even badder azz than the runner I currently have which is in the process of being converted to a 797g. I just need to finish mounting the handles up. Then down to Farleyville with the 72" Cannon to see how she pulls buried in that big fur log.

 

[Al Smith]

Not to skew off the topic too far but I run my 125's with a 36 but remember this is Ohio not Oregon with big fat Douglas firs .We have big oaks but it's a rarity to fell one .The longest I have is a 48 inch which I think I've used 4 times in the 10 plus years I've owned it .Seldom really do I even run my large saws ,those two macs,a Homelite 2100S and a Stihl 084.Then again I doubt I'll ever wear them out .

 

[Adirondackstihl]

Here's what I've got.View attachment 91752

Thats awesome!!!