Jonsered Chainsaws

[Real1shepherd]

Robin, tell him about the 'junk' Jonsered saws that came out and their model #'s, so there's no confusion.

$350 in 1978 is $1,398.25 now!

Kevin

 

[Zero_sum]

Well, this haul ended up being a bunch of junk. I didn't pay a lot for it; that's the only bright spot. The full wraps are both bent to he11 and back. If anyone needs any 80 parts, let me know, because I'm about to tear everything down and throw parts on eBay. Will not have any spare pistons, but jugs may still be good. No mufflers.

Oil cap any good & how about AV rubbers?

 

[Real1shepherd]

Good dibs.....oil caps are scarce. AV's are usually well used....but ya never know.

Kevin

 

[mogulmasher]

Thanks Cantdog for the run down, exactly what I was looking for! That pretty much tells me what I need to know. Looks like I'll be searching for a 49sp, 521e, 52, and/or 621 in that order!
And yes even though from the same era the Jonsereds were ahead of Mac in many ways and a precursor to the way saws are laid out nowadays. However Mac had fantastic engine technology. A 10-10S is like a factory ported 10-10, they just flat out cut!

 

[bulletpruf]

Scott....I'd take the ignition plate with everything attached and the coil.....if you think they haven't been trashed or underwater at some point. Other than that, I'm poor with 80/90 parts. I thought I needed spare 90 AF covers and it grew to like 4....I have no idea how.

Oh and I'd take another 90 AF if it's decent shape.

Bummer, sorry about all the junk.

Kevin

Kevin - do you need 80 ignition bits or 90 ignition or does it all interchange? I don't have anything to spare in the way of 90 parts besides maybe a jug.

I'm in need of a 90 piston; I'd like to use one of the 90 jugs on my 80, assuming one can be saved.

Scott

 

[bulletpruf]

Oil cap any good & how about AV rubbers?

Lemme see. Will take a day or two to get everything sorted. I also need to ensure I don't end up selling stuff that I need for my 80 or 90.

 

[bulletpruf]

Ok, so something weird just happened. I was going thru my Jonsereds stuff, pulling an 80 off the shelf, looking for more 80 parts, etc. And then I looked in box that was labeled "621 Parts Saw." I peeked inside and saw a big jug with a decomp on it...hmmm...that sure ain't a 621. So I pulled it off the shelf, started pulling stuff out of the box and realized that it was the 110 that I freaking forgot I had!!! It's in pieces, but it's in better shape than the one that I just finished, except for the top. Has a full wrap. Jug and piston look good, no mag rot, etc. This one has a serial number, too. It does have a metal flywheel; wonder if that might have come off a 111/111S or if it's original.

 

[Zero_sum]

Lemme see. Will take a day or two to get everything sorted. I also need to ensure I don't end up selling stuff that I need for my 80 or 90.

Sounds good.

 

[heimannm]

I bought a 621 new in 1981, tail end of their production but no chain brake. I had a 16" and 24" bar and would switch the sprocket between 7 and 8 T depending on which bar I was using. Changing the sprocket was relatively easy with the Jonsereds supplied tool that locked the clutch. I ran that saw hard for 26 years before the PTO side bearing failed and spit balls up through the transfers. That event eventually led me to ArboristSite...

My recommendation for a smaller Jonsered saw would be something like a 2149. I have a 2050 and while it was lightweight and maneuverable it lacks the oomph I like to have even in a small saw. I currently have a Husqvarna 345 that I like to use for a smaller saw and I am quite happy with it considering its inherent limitation.

Mark

 

[bulletpruf]

Oil cap any good & how about AV rubbers?

Good news on oil caps. Have one very nice one and one pretty nice one available. AV rubber will take a bit of time; have to see what my 80 will need.

 

[bulletpruf]

Well, this haul ended up being a bunch of junk. I didn't pay a lot for it; that's the only bright spot. The full wraps are both bent to he11 and back. If anyone needs any 80 parts, let me know, because I'm about to tear everything down and throw parts on eBay. Will not have any spare pistons, but jugs may still be good. No mufflers.

Got them pretty much disassembled. Maybe one 90 jug that can be saved (both are 80’s with 90 jugs) and used on my 80, one good flywheel, probably some good ignition bits for Kevin (still need to make sure I don’t need it for my 80 or 90), one full wrap that I think I can bend back into place and use on my 80 (pictured below), one good starter assembly, one decent clutch, 2 good carbs, and not much more. Debating splitting the cases to harvest the cranks.

 

[Cantdog]

..

Kevin

LOL! I really don't like to talk about them but in all fairness they should be described as well. These saw would consist of the 510, 520, 525, 530, 535. These were the last gasp of the original Jonsereds company. Basically they were to replace and improve upon the 49, 52 family. Cheaper to buy, faster and lighter were the selling points. Jonsereds at the time were "THE" go to saw for everyone who cut commercially around here. We had several local paper mills with easy trucking distance. A large percentage of the workforce in many trades were laid off in the winters back then. So most guys cut spruce and fir 4 foot pulp and hardwood for firewood and hauled it out with either tractors with trailers or on home made woods buggies in the winter to keep food on the table. Most could not afford or really need large pro saws as the trees had to be of a size that one man could lift a four foot stick and pile it on a one cord trailer. So the saw needs were filled by the 49, 52 and 621 were the popular choice as was the XL 12 and Super XL and the Mac 10-10. When they discontinued the 49/52 and replaced them with the various 5XX series all the wood boogers grabbed them up....believing the hype from the dealers. They didn't do anything faster than the older saws except burn up....which they were very good at when used hard. There was so much warrantee work the dealers couldn't keep spare parts or couldn't even get enough spare parts to keep up with warrantee work let a lone offer parts to off warranteed saws. The wood boogers around here are a fickle bunch......and they, as a lot, tied the can on Jonsereds.......Partner, Pioneer and Husky took up the slack....for several years in the early 80's any Sunday morning you might see 3-4 pretty good looking examples of these saws at the local dump.....and they stayed there......There are still a lot of them around bought by home owners and lightly used but parts are NLA.......I hate working on them but fix 5-6 a year for old folks who just hate to throw anything away...even when they know should....

My lowly 49sp which I bought new in 1977 is a pretty good example of what the early saws were about. At that time I was a 23 year old carpenter and bought this saw with my income tax refund. Where I lived required 6-7 cord of hardwood per year and the MIL's farmhouse on the top of the hill required 22 cord of hardwood every year. I always cut and stove fit this in the winter along with around 70-100 cord of softwood pulp and around around 15,000-20,000 BFT of pine, cedar and spruce saw logs. I did this for 5 or 6 winters with this saw.....I take good care of a saw and most importantly I have a very keen ear as to when a saw is becoming overloaded and ease up a bit. This is probably the most important thing in the life of a saw. In 1985 I bought an old diesel powered ,rotary saw mill with a partner and for the next 6-7 years we hardly spent a day without running a saw. He had a new 70E and I the old 49....in the winter we would selectively cut various lot for saw logs to saw in the spring and we cut pulp to make a paycheck. A chainsaw is never out of reach when running a mill. The old 49 was getting tired and it finally died in it's sleep around 1992 and at the same time my partner wanted out of the business so I bought him out and picked up an almost new 61 Husky (the regular one in my sig) from a lady client who found it to big for her. I knew I couldn't find the parts to fix the 49 but was to attached (spelled cheap) to throw it out and it kicked around until about 2009 when I discovered this site. The rest is history and the 49sp is once again my goto saw for most stuff......all rebuilt, lightly ported and MM'd.....all is right in the world again. I also built an almost new 70E at the same time to commemorate those saw mill days.....and because I could.

 

[ErnieG]

LOL! I really don't like to talk about them but in all fairness they should be described as well. These saw would consist of the 510, 520, 525, 530, 535. These were the last gasp of the original Jonsereds company. Basically they were to replace and improve upon the 49, 52 family. Cheaper to buy, faster and lighter were the selling points. Jonsereds at the time were "THE" go to saw for everyone who cut commercially around here. We had several local paper mills with easy trucking distance. A large percentage of the workforce in many trades were laid off in the winters back then. So most guys cut spruce and fir 4 foot pulp and hardwood for firewood and hauled it out with either tractors with trailers or on home made woods buggies in the winter to keep food on the table. Most could not afford or really need large pro saws as the trees had to be of a size that one man could lift a four foot stick and pile it on a one cord trailer. So the saw needs were filled by the 49, 52 and 621 were the popular choice as was the XL 12 and Super XL and the Mac 10-10. When they discontinued the 49/52 and replaced them with the various 5XX series all the wood boogers grabbed them up....believing the hype from the dealers. They didn't do anything faster than the older saws except burn up....which they were very good at when used hard. There was so much warrantee work the dealers couldn't keep spare parts or couldn't even get enough spare parts to keep up with warrantee work let a lone offer parts to off warranteed saws. The wood boogers around here are a fickle bunch......and they, as a lot, tied the can on Jonsereds.......Partner, Pioneer and Husky took up the slack....for several years in the early 80's any Sunday morning you might see 3-4 pretty good looking examples of these saws at the local dump.....and they stayed there......There are still a lot of them around bought by home owners and lightly used but parts are NLA.......I hate working on them but fix 5-6 a year for old folks who just hate to throw anything away...even when they know should....

My lowly 49sp which I bought new in 1977 is a pretty good example of what the early saws were about. At that time I was a 23 year old carpenter and bought this saw with my income tax refund. Where I lived required 6-7 cord of hardwood per year and the MIL's farmhouse on the top of the hill required 22 cord of hardwood every year. I always cut and stove fit this in the winter along with around 70-100 cord of softwood pulp and around around 15,000-20,000 BFT of pine, cedar and spruce saw logs. I did this for 5 or 6 winters with this saw.....I take good care of a saw and most importantly I have a very keen ear as to when a saw is becoming overloaded and ease up a bit. This is probably the most important thing in the life of a saw. In 1985 I bought an old diesel powered ,rotary saw mill with a partner and for the next 6-7 years we hardly spent a day without running a saw. He had a new 70E and I the old 49....in the winter we would selectively cut various lot for saw logs to saw in the spring and we cut pulp to make a paycheck. A chainsaw is never out of reach when running a mill. The old 49 was getting tired and it finally died in it's sleep around 1992 and at the same time my partner wanted out of the business so I bought him out and picked up an almost new 61 Husky (the regular one in my sig) from a lady client who found it to big for her. I knew I couldn't find the parts to fix the 49 but was to attached (spelled cheap) to throw it out and it kicked around until about 2009 when I discovered this site. The rest is history and the 49sp is once again my goto saw for most stuff......all rebuilt, lightly ported and MM'd.....all is right in the world again. I also built an almost new 70E at the same time to commemorate those saw mill days.....and because I could.


View attachment 889211

Very cool story
Ernie

 

[mogulmasher]

Great info and stories Cantdog! I suspected that to be the case with the 5xx saws. I've had 1 pass through my shop and I wasn't all that impressed. I've also heard from others that Maine was a big Jonsereds state back then. I'm nearby in NH right on the ME border, guess that's why I still see a lot of them on CL and fb marketplace.

 

[Cantdog]

Great info and stories Cantdog! I suspected that to be the case with the 5xx saws. I've had 1 pass through my shop and I wasn't all that impressed. I've also heard from others that Maine was a big Jonsereds state back then. I'm nearby in NH right on the ME border, guess that's why I still see a lot of them on CL and fb marketplace.

Yep at least here on the coast for sure......back in the 70's there were six Jonsereds dealers in easy driving distance of me.

 

[joe25DA]

Great story!

 

[bulletpruf]

Mangled full wrap from one of the beat up 80's that I picked up. Free if anyone wants it.

 

[Real1shepherd]

Kevin - do you need 80 ignition bits or 90 ignition or does it all interchange? I don't have anything to spare in the way of 90 parts besides maybe a jug.

I'm in need of a 90 piston; I'd like to use one of the 90 jugs on my 80, assuming one can be saved.

Scott

They are the same from lower models way up to the 111S.

If anyone has an 80, you might as well get a 90 and while you're at it, pick up a 801 too....lol! They all share so much, you'll be golden.

I'd harvest those cranks, Scott......if there's no play....just toss the bearings so no one is tempted to reuse them down the line. New bearing are cheap insurance when you're that far into it.

Kevin

 

[Real1shepherd]

LOL! I really don't like to talk about them but in all fairness they should be described as well. These saw would consist of the 510, 520, 525, 530, 535. These were the last gasp of the original Jonsereds company. Basically they were to replace and improve upon the 49, 52 family. Cheaper to buy, faster and lighter were the selling points. Jonsereds at the time were "THE" go to saw for everyone who cut commercially around here. We had several local paper mills with easy trucking distance. A large percentage of the workforce in many trades were laid off in the winters back then. So most guys cut spruce and fir 4 foot pulp and hardwood for firewood and hauled it out with either tractors with trailers or on home made woods buggies in the winter to keep food on the table. Most could not afford or really need large pro saws as the trees had to be of a size that one man could lift a four foot stick and pile it on a one cord trailer. So the saw needs were filled by the 49, 52 and 621 were the popular choice as was the XL 12 and Super XL and the Mac 10-10. When they discontinued the 49/52 and replaced them with the various 5XX series all the wood boogers grabbed them up....believing the hype from the dealers. They didn't do anything faster than the older saws except burn up....which they were very good at when used hard. There was so much warrantee work the dealers couldn't keep spare parts or couldn't even get enough spare parts to keep up with warrantee work let a lone offer parts to off warranteed saws. The wood boogers around here are a fickle bunch......and they, as a lot, tied the can on Jonsereds.......Partner, Pioneer and Husky took up the slack....for several years in the early 80's any Sunday morning you might see 3-4 pretty good looking examples of these saws at the local dump.....and they stayed there......There are still a lot of them around bought by home owners and lightly used but parts are NLA.......I hate working on them but fix 5-6 a year for old folks who just hate to throw anything away...even when they know should....

My lowly 49sp which I bought new in 1977 is a pretty good example of what the early saws were about. At that time I was a 23 year old carpenter and bought this saw with my income tax refund. Where I lived required 6-7 cord of hardwood per year and the MIL's farmhouse on the top of the hill required 22 cord of hardwood every year. I always cut and stove fit this in the winter along with around 70-100 cord of softwood pulp and around around 15,000-20,000 BFT of pine, cedar and spruce saw logs. I did this for 5 or 6 winters with this saw.....I take good care of a saw and most importantly I have a very keen ear as to when a saw is becoming overloaded and ease up a bit. This is probably the most important thing in the life of a saw. In 1985 I bought an old diesel powered ,rotary saw mill with a partner and for the next 6-7 years we hardly spent a day without running a saw. He had a new 70E and I the old 49....in the winter we would selectively cut various lot for saw logs to saw in the spring and we cut pulp to make a paycheck. A chainsaw is never out of reach when running a mill. The old 49 was getting tired and it finally died in it's sleep around 1992 and at the same time my partner wanted out of the business so I bought him out and picked up an almost new 61 Husky (the regular one in my sig) from a lady client who found it to big for her. I knew I couldn't find the parts to fix the 49 but was to attached (spelled cheap) to throw it out and it kicked around until about 2009 when I discovered this site. The rest is history and the 49sp is once again my goto saw for most stuff......all rebuilt, lightly ported and MM'd.....all is right in the world again. I also built an almost new 70E at the same time to commemorate those saw mill days.....and because I could.


View attachment 889211

I knew I could get a story out of Robin about old Jonsereds saws...he doesn't disappoint! He's got three yrs on me....I bought my first Jonsereds in1980....a completely rebuilt 80 I used as a back-up saw in smaller timber. Not just because it was lighter than my Husky 2100, but because the bar was only 28", I could swing it around faster in smaller timber and limbin'.

Kevin

 

[bulletpruf]

They are the same from lower models way up to the 111S.

If anyone has an 80, you might as well get a 90 and while you're at it, pick up a 801 too....lol! They all share so much, you'll be golden.

I'd harvest those cranks, Scott......if there's no play....just toss the bearings so no one is tempted to reuse them down the line. New bearing are cheap insurance when you're that far into it.

Kevin

The ignition from the 80 that I got the flywheel off of was configured a bit differently than the 110, 111, or 621. Will have to take a picture and post.

I do have a 90, but I'm still paring down the collection. Started liquidating when I hit triple digits in saws and now I have maybe 35, depending on how you count. Might take me a decade to get to a 3 or 4 saw plan, but I've made some progress.