Lets talk new saws vs old iron

[BlueSmoke]

I've got some new(er) saws and recently some vintage iron.
I want to hear your experiences and opinions on whatcha run and whatcha ran.

In the world of throw away junk, I enjoy giving a second life to outdated power equipment.

So I have a ms261c for example that runs an 18" 325 full comp full chisel. I recommend it for general use lightweight saw, I think it's great. I hear plenty of people say do NOT put a 3/8 chain and/or long bar on this 10lb saw.
Interestingly enough the old homelite sxl, rated up to a 24" bar and runs 3/8 chain. It's old, heavier, turns slower rpms but is still spitting chips being 40-50 years old. So where these opinions lose me is, factory rated the 261c is 4hp and I believe homelite said 3.33hp for the sxl.
Now I'd like to do some side by side comparisons to test results of the two when I get time.

Do old saws have that much more torque than new saws? Or just expectations of cutting speed? What's your experience?

 

[FergusonTO35]

Only really "old" saw I have alot of hours on was my dad's old Homie Super 2. Performance wise, I think it would keep up with almost any other 2 cube saw out there. Of course, it was heavier and had no anti-vibe or chain brake. I think skill and technique makes more of a difference than anything else, dad cut some humongous trees with that thing and made it look easy.

 

[Vintage Engine Repairs]

I enjoy messing around with the older saws, but I don’t cut firewood lol. After a tank on a large log with the 076 Super, it’s nice to put it back down and just go back to admiring it

 

[cus_deluxe]

if ur at a gtg or whatever its neat to run old saws for a few, just to see how brutal it was to run a saw back in the 60s-70s or whatever. but if you are trying to be productive today, its not just the low rpms but the ancient (or non-existant) anti-vibe system on many old saws that is a deal breaker. not to mention difficulty finding parts…its all about what your into.

 

[FergusonTO35]

I love old stuff, but there just comes a point where you have to put so much time into fixing them that it may not be worth it. Sadly, I think my trusty 340k Mazda 626 is at that point. Yes, I could keep it on life support forever but it's not fair to my wife and kid for me to spend so much free time on it. The plan right now is to drive it once a week and keep as a backup, much like my high mileage 2001 Poulan weedwacker.

 

[Skiptooth Fred]

I enjoy messing around with the older saws, but I don’t cut firewood lol. After a tank on a large log with the 076 Super, it’s nice to put it back down and just go back to admiring it

Understand this i do! Most old saws were reliable if looked after but boy were they uncomfortable to use, 08 076 090 in particular! Slow n steady as opposed to speed and ergonomic comfort these days … 592 but i still love the old stuff.. i want a huge bar for my 895 geardrive Mc

 

[sawmikaze]

if ur at a gtg or whatever its neat to run old saws for a few, just to see how brutal it was to run a saw back in the 60s-70s or whatever. but if you are trying to be productive today, its not just the low rpms but the ancient (or non-existant) anti-vibe system on many old saws that is a deal breaker. not to mention difficulty finding parts…its all about what your into.

I agree with cuthter.

 

[av8or3]

For me, as much as I love running old saws, and I really do, the new saws are what I bet the farm on. Anything I cut is close to home so I may take an “old” but fun saw to work with and back it up with a new one.

 

[legdelimber]

Those old Homelite xl had a distinct exhaust sound!
Would occasionally hear one somewhere in the distance up til late 80's, I guess.

I was among 3~4 guys that the campus directer picked for some pine removal one weekend (mid 70's) to extend a driveway.
No way the safety crowd would let that happen nowdays.
I seemed to "read" the trees a little better than the others (tried not to pinch the bar & kept it out of the dirt, was all really), so Mr P pretty much let me do most of the cutting after trees were down.
Seemed way cool at the time, but Dang hands felt fuzzy for several days afterwards.

 

[FergusonTO35]

Old Homelite is my favorite 2 stroke noise of all. Nice crackle at idle and perfect tone when WOT and working. Lots of 32:1 outboard oil mix smoke is a big plus too. Every Homelite product I ever ran was smoky no matter what you fed it. Always had oil dripping out of the muffler too. I can still remember opening the case on dad's Super 2 and being greeted by the unmistakable smell of bar oil mixed with shavings. Like opening a bottle of good wine or whiskey!

 

[Hoser]

When I started selling wood on my own I bought some Mac 10-10’s and a Homelite xl because I only owned a Stihl 271. Started selling more wood bought a 400, 461, etc.
I love the old saws but for actual work no way I’d go back, the sound and torque is fun the white knuckle and tinkering isn’t

 

[pro94lt]

I cut for a living, and honestly the difference in a 3 series husqvarna vs any rubber mount stihl is night and day. the same can be said on a 5 series husqvarna or a 201,241,261,361,661 vs the older ones. The old ones might hold up riding around the bed of a truck better for 30 years but in no way are the older ones worth me running anymore. safety, and ergonomics become the most important thing to consider. Even if the old ones cut faster but they do not...

 

[Maintenance Chief]

What a bunch of old FARTS! lol
I've handed out quite a few of the old mag saws to guys in their 20s who otherwise wouldn't be able to afford a saw that could handle a 20-24" bar ,( new babies are expensive apparently?) Those guys can run and angry yellow, green, or red saw all day without *b-wordin and love it!

 

[bogieboy]

Love the old saws, had a homie super ez, super xl, an old poulan 1800 top handle, mac 1-1, and an 056 stihl....they are fun and loud, but when the work needs to get done, i pull out the newer stuff, because its reliable... i sent the homies and the 056 down the road, and will probably do the same for the mac sooner than later as well... gotta make room for the ms661 i am building, and potentially an ms261 build to park with the ms170, ms280, and 044...

 

[FergusonTO35]

Would be interesting to compare the reliability and performance of the old saws during the actual time when they were new versus new saws today. Thing is, if you're running an old saw today it almost certainly has alot of hours on it and/or has received alot of work. Both of which can skew the results.

 

[heimannm]

 

[slackinoff]

Nice @heimannm The pictures certainly speak for themselves.

 

[82f100swb]

My old man started running saws in 1954, and finally had to retire from the bush in 99 due to injury(back was pretty much toast from having a tree fall on him in 91.) He didn't have much good to say about the reliability of what he considered to be the old saws, especially North American ones. He switched to Swedish saws in the mid 70's starting with Partner, and then Husky, and while he did try Japanese(Komatsu Zenoah and Shindaiwa) and German(Dolmar and Solo) saws he never considered something built in NA again.

 

[jakethesnake]

I still prefer the 2 series husky saws. Almost a cross between old and new. Anti vibe is good enough. Actually a little more simple built than old point style saws. Weight is good. I can fix them usually. They don’t have the super high rpm but they cut fast enough you could still be very productive with one. I’m not too interested in any of the antique stuff. If I had any they’d be a shelf queen. I don’t intentionally collect saws. Might downsize the ones I have. Keep a couple 272s and a couple 55s

Never run my 346 288 hasn’t been run hardly in 2 years. In the event I run into something huge the 272 will still get the job done.

 

[Loony661]

I think old saws are fun, and definitely have that cool factor, but there’s no way I would expose my hands/wrists to that kind of vibration daily. We obviously know a lot more today, than we did back then, about the negative effects vibration can have on a person. Old saws make power, and we know that. But the lack of A/V is the deal breaker for me for anything beyond playing around.

My daily work saws are all late model, spring mounted saws that vibrate very little in the hands.