shootingarts
ArboristSite Operative
- Joined
- Jan 4, 2010
- Messages
- 448
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- 486
Long story but after using chainsaws off and on clearing bits and pieces of land for a lot of years I lost my last chainsaw. Loaned it out to a brother-in-law that needed it to keep small children warm one winter and knew the saw would be dead when it came back. There are times it is a curse to always be so right! :rolleyes2:
Then the doc's put some hardware in my side that a chainsaw ignition was guaranteed to destroy so no chainsaw for six years. That unit had to be replaced a few months ago and the new unit is fine to run chainsaws near so I'm looking for a saw.
Accidentally or incidentally bought this little MacCat 38cc with a sixteen inch bar when I bought a backyard woodworking shop out about six months ago. It had a few chips and a little sawdust on it but apparently had not done more than cut a limb or small bush, it was terribly anemic the first few tanks I ran and just anemic afterwards so I think it only had a few minutes running time on it. I had one of the little Mac's from pre MacCullach rebirth years ago and cut some pretty big stuff with it, just not in big bites. No idea how old this one is but I assume much newer. It has limiter caps on the adjustment screws and is very wimpy.
Anyway, I'm shopping for chain and bar which I assume I can find info for but I got zero paperwork with this thing so I don't know what model it crosses over to. It says thirty five CC on a decal and 38CC on the spec plate. Think it actually calls itself the super MacCat someplace.
Any quicky muffler mod to help this thing a bit? Other minor suggestions? Obviously not looking to put a lot of time or dollars in this thing.
Probably shouldn't put multiple questions in one thread but I'm saw shopping. After not being able to use a saw for six years I have a serious itch, light on scratch though. Use for a saw is general trimming and clearing, and also cutting up some pretty large fallen stuff for lathe turning blanks. Some storm damage, some just coming ahead of or behind land clearers, but the way blanks are whittled out of trees I'll be dealing with 24" to 36"+ trunks at times. Can't expect one saw to be perfect for that and the lighter work I'll do mostly and I don't want to tote a monster for most of what I'll be doing.
I would like to have a running saw capping the price of the saw itself at five hundred dollars. One saw of interest is the Husqvarna 460 Rancher which just squeaks under that cap with a 24 inch bar. I do want at least a 20 inch bar and prefer the 24, not so much because of the diameter of wood as the fact I'm 6'2" and don't bend so good. Easier to reach down with an extra four to six inches of bar than it is to bend over when limbing felled trees.
I don't know what model it would be but the Dolmar seems to be an option too, don't know about the dollars. Some other brands also, I'm not married to a brand but I do want at least a genuine prosumer level saw, ran enough farm and commercial grade saws and chains to have little patience with the safety chains that gum everything to death. Hell on my back when it takes forever to make a cut too.
I am a former mechanic and high performance mechanic, cars many years ago. Still do most of my own maintenance on most things including my truck and tractor, lawn tractors and such. Rarely mess with two cycle though. Which brings up my other questions: Would I be getting in over my head if I bought a Stihl or Husqvarna pro saw expecting to have to rebuild the saw itself and carburetor? Some general range, what would it cost to rebuild the saws in the 60-70CC size range with either OEM or good third party parts and components? There is the occasional Stihl or Husqvarna for sell around here but the used ones are usually pretty severely overpriced. I might be better off getting a reworking and running saw from one of the board members here. I did see a 441 for 400 dollars in the nearest big city a few weeks ago but it looked pretty rough and that was still an unusually cheap price.
Sorry for the long ramble, I'm pushing 60 but feeling like a kid on Christmas eve after the doc's released me to play with toys again. I have been an unhappy camper trimming with a bow saw or taking a gamble with an electric chain saw running it left handed to keep it away from my right side. At least I didn't ask ya'll how to hotrod the 110V unit!:msp_biggrin:
Hu
Then the doc's put some hardware in my side that a chainsaw ignition was guaranteed to destroy so no chainsaw for six years. That unit had to be replaced a few months ago and the new unit is fine to run chainsaws near so I'm looking for a saw.
Accidentally or incidentally bought this little MacCat 38cc with a sixteen inch bar when I bought a backyard woodworking shop out about six months ago. It had a few chips and a little sawdust on it but apparently had not done more than cut a limb or small bush, it was terribly anemic the first few tanks I ran and just anemic afterwards so I think it only had a few minutes running time on it. I had one of the little Mac's from pre MacCullach rebirth years ago and cut some pretty big stuff with it, just not in big bites. No idea how old this one is but I assume much newer. It has limiter caps on the adjustment screws and is very wimpy.
Anyway, I'm shopping for chain and bar which I assume I can find info for but I got zero paperwork with this thing so I don't know what model it crosses over to. It says thirty five CC on a decal and 38CC on the spec plate. Think it actually calls itself the super MacCat someplace.
Any quicky muffler mod to help this thing a bit? Other minor suggestions? Obviously not looking to put a lot of time or dollars in this thing.
Probably shouldn't put multiple questions in one thread but I'm saw shopping. After not being able to use a saw for six years I have a serious itch, light on scratch though. Use for a saw is general trimming and clearing, and also cutting up some pretty large fallen stuff for lathe turning blanks. Some storm damage, some just coming ahead of or behind land clearers, but the way blanks are whittled out of trees I'll be dealing with 24" to 36"+ trunks at times. Can't expect one saw to be perfect for that and the lighter work I'll do mostly and I don't want to tote a monster for most of what I'll be doing.
I would like to have a running saw capping the price of the saw itself at five hundred dollars. One saw of interest is the Husqvarna 460 Rancher which just squeaks under that cap with a 24 inch bar. I do want at least a 20 inch bar and prefer the 24, not so much because of the diameter of wood as the fact I'm 6'2" and don't bend so good. Easier to reach down with an extra four to six inches of bar than it is to bend over when limbing felled trees.
I don't know what model it would be but the Dolmar seems to be an option too, don't know about the dollars. Some other brands also, I'm not married to a brand but I do want at least a genuine prosumer level saw, ran enough farm and commercial grade saws and chains to have little patience with the safety chains that gum everything to death. Hell on my back when it takes forever to make a cut too.
I am a former mechanic and high performance mechanic, cars many years ago. Still do most of my own maintenance on most things including my truck and tractor, lawn tractors and such. Rarely mess with two cycle though. Which brings up my other questions: Would I be getting in over my head if I bought a Stihl or Husqvarna pro saw expecting to have to rebuild the saw itself and carburetor? Some general range, what would it cost to rebuild the saws in the 60-70CC size range with either OEM or good third party parts and components? There is the occasional Stihl or Husqvarna for sell around here but the used ones are usually pretty severely overpriced. I might be better off getting a reworking and running saw from one of the board members here. I did see a 441 for 400 dollars in the nearest big city a few weeks ago but it looked pretty rough and that was still an unusually cheap price.
Sorry for the long ramble, I'm pushing 60 but feeling like a kid on Christmas eve after the doc's released me to play with toys again. I have been an unhappy camper trimming with a bow saw or taking a gamble with an electric chain saw running it left handed to keep it away from my right side. At least I didn't ask ya'll how to hotrod the 110V unit!:msp_biggrin:
Hu
