McCulloch Pro Mac 700

[2Twannabe]

Keeping both would definitely be my preference. I'm a firm believer that more saws is better, and made in the USA is better still. I'm holding out hope for the PM700.

 

[2Twannabe]

I've been slowed down in my repair of the PM700. Too many other things going on and I'm looking for a decent cylinder to put it back together with. I'd love to find a NOS cylinder, but it looks like Mark's the only one that will confess to having one.

Question about these clamshell engines... I'm assuming (yeah, that's generally not safe) that the top and bottom are machined as a set. Is it advisable to replace the cylinder without also replacing the cap/oil tank?

Jeff

 

[heimannm]

McCulloch did a pretty good job with their machining and I have found the parts can be freely mixed and matched.

I have a couple of saws that I changed the cylinder and kept the old oil tank with no issues. I've heard of others that replaced the oil tank due to problems with the bar studs and reused the old cylinder; no issues there either.

The only catch you may encounter is some large displacement models had an extra sleeve over the PTO side bearing (bearing insert) so you have to have that sleeve and both halves need to come from a model properly equipped.

Mark

 

[joe25DA]

Heres my 4300. Got it as a runner, but never ran "right". Rebuilt the carb and new fuelline and certainly a fun saw to run!

 

[2Twannabe]

McCulloch did a pretty good job with their machining and I have found the parts can be freely mixed and matched.

I have a couple of saws that I changed the cylinder and kept the old oil tank with no issues. I've heard of others that replaced the oil tank due to problems with the bar studs and reused the old cylinder; no issues there either.

The only catch you may encounter is some large displacement models had an extra sleeve over the PTO side bearing (bearing insert) so you have to have that sleeve and both halves need to come from a model properly equipped.

Mark

Well, that's good news at least. I haven't found much on ebay or anywhere else for this saw that seems reasonable. There's a guy on ebay now that has what he claims is a good used cylinder for $70.00. That seemed a little high to me.

Jeff

 

[heimannm]

Hey Joe - If you ever decide the 4300 has to go, please keep me in mind. That is a beautiful saw and somewhat unusual with the 4300 lables.

Mark

 

[mad murdock]

To the O P, I hope you are able to get your PM700 going. Have you called Ed at Wahlenburg Sales in Santa Fe springs, CA? He is sitting on a stash of NOS Mac Parts that he bought from the factory when they went banko. His prices are not the best but he has new stuff, and quite a variety. He called me a couple months back and said he had 2 New PM1000/Partner 100's that he was selling, and price was reasonable considering they were new. I think that the PM700 could be the best all around saw, considering all the factors, weight, power, handling, durability, dependability, looks. The pinnacle of where form meets function as far as a saw is concerned, Just sayin'. And the best part it SOUNDS like a saw should sound!

 

[2Twannabe]

To the O P, I hope you are able to get your PM700 going. Have you called Ed at Wahlenburg Sales in Santa Fe springs, CA? He is sitting on a stash of NOS Mac Parts that he bought from the factory when they went banko. His prices are not the best but he has new stuff, and quite a variety. He called me a couple months back and said he had 2 New PM1000/Partner 100's that he was selling, and price was reasonable considering they were new. I think that the PM700 could be the best all around saw, considering all the factors, weight, power, handling, durability, dependability, looks. The pinnacle of where form meets function as far as a saw is concerned, Just sayin'. And the best part it SOUNDS like a saw should sound!

Thanks for the tip. I just found a whole bunch of places on a vanatten something website that looks promising for McCulloch parts. They mentioned Wahlenburg too. Looks like I'll be running up my long distance bill.

Jeff

 

[joe25DA]

Hey Joe - If you ever decide the 4300 has to go, please keep me in mind. That is a beautiful saw and somewhat unusual with the 4300 lables.

Mark

That is certainly a compliment from the "mac Man" himself! Ill be honest, that saw is one of my favorites. Ive only used it a few times, but like you when you have as many saws as we have, a nice saw like that tends to have a pretty easy life. If I did decide to sell it I would give you first dibs on it, Id hate it to go to some gorilla who destroys it.

 

[piroguejoe]

Those are some good lookin old school saws. I'm lookin for a good 70-80cc saw but waitin for the "one". I thought long and hard about a classic but everyone has steered me towards new style like stihl 044,440,460 or husky 372. Congrats!! Hope to see some vids once you get it goin.

 

[Eccentric]

Those are some good lookin old school saws. I'm lookin for a good 70-80cc saw but waitin for the "one". I thought long and hard about a classic but everyone has steered me towards new style like stihl 044,440,460 or husky 372. Congrats!! Hope to see some vids once you get it goin.

You need both ('modern' and 'classic'). Also don't count out the 268/272XP. Same time frame as the 044/046.....................and I prefer my 272XP to the 044/440/046/460 and 372XP (and have ran them all). Of course I enjoy running my PM700 and 7-10A more than any of those 'modern' saws.

 

[piroguejoe]

I've seen some good deals on Both the 044/272 got me thinkin. Leanin more towards a 044 at this point. But I'm am going to have to own a classic at some point.

 

[heimannm]

Run one of those "modern" saws, then try one of the classics and you will be spoiled for good.

Mark

 

[Tim Carroll]

Run one of those "modern" saws, then try one of the classics and you will be spoiled for good.

Mark

This may be a crazy question Mark but you have mentioned you have a Dolmar 7900 and I see you have a SP81 in your signature. How does your 7900 compare to your SP81. I know the old Mac will be louder and and shake your bones but are they comparable in the cut?

 

[heimannm]

If I have a need to run a saw all day and cut as much as possible, I use the 7900. That said, I really enjoy running any of the 82 cc McCulloch saws but prefer the 80/81/81E due to the real saw sound.

I would say that either of my fresh PM800's would outperform the 7900 in stuff over 25" in diameter, the 80/81/81E saws I have are not quite as fresh and would not perform as well as the 7900 in the same stuff.

Bottom line, I think the 7900 is quicker with the 24" bar but the PM800's are better on bigger stuff. My SP models are not quite as fresh and don't compare as well as they might, I do have some NOS parts in the attic and will put together a really fresh SP81 some day.

Mark

 

[piroguejoe]

Oh I'm sure the new age stuff is a lot more refined. But when I get my new(er) saw I'm scratching this old school itch. If my dang refund ever gets here

 

[Tim Carroll]

I would like to find an old school McCulloch 80cc or bigger, i would like to go newer than the 1-40 or 1-50 series and probably older than the PM 800 series for the reasons that Mark mentioned. It has to have that McCulloch sound like my dad's PM 55 and the big McCulloch power.

 

[Eccentric]

This may be a crazy question Mark but you have mentioned you have a Dolmar 7900 and I see you have a SP81 in your signature. How does your 7900 compare to your SP81. I know the old Mac will be louder and and shake your bones but are they comparable in the cut?

The 82cc Macs aren't "bone shakers". In my hands my SP-81 doesn't seem to vibe much more than my 272XP. A 372XP does vibe noticeably less than either of those saws. I ran a 372XP with a 32" bar alongside my SP-81 (also with a 32") in big douglas fir, oak, and maple. In wood beyond 20" or so, my SP-81 was MUCH stronger than the 372XP, as it should be with an 11.5cc advantage. Both saws felt like they weighed about the same. I haven't ran 7900 Dolmar yet. I have ran a 6401 however. It was faster than my PM700 in 16" or smaller wood, but lost its advantage in the bigger stuff. The Dolkita is lighter.

The older 1-40 series, 1-50 series, and 200/250/300/etc Macs do vibrate more and are heavier (and for the most part, slower) of course. I use my SP-81 as an 'all day' cutting saw, along with my PM700 and 272XP. The SP-81 runs out of fuel often (it's thirsty, and has a small tank). That's good, as I 'run out of gas' at about the same time it does (and the break is welcome). My larger, older Macs and Homelites are mostly 'fun saws'. I try to bring at least one of them when I go cutting just to have a bit of fun. They come in handy for ripping as well...

 

[Tim Carroll]

The 82cc Macs aren't "bone shakers". In my hands my SP-81 doesn't seem to vibe much more than my 272XP. A 372XP does vibe noticeably less than either of those saws. I ran a 372XP with a 32" bar alongside my SP-81 (also with a 32") in big douglas fir, oak, and maple. In wood beyond 20" or so, my SP-81 was MUCH stronger than the 372XP, as it should be with an 11.5cc advantage. Both saws felt like they weighed about the same. I haven't ran 7900 Dolmar yet. I have ran a 6401 however. It was faster than my PM700 in 16" or smaller wood, but lost its advantage in the bigger stuff. The Dolkita is lighter.

The older 1-40 series, 1-50 series, and 200/250/300/etc Macs do vibrate more and are heavier (and for the most part, slower) of course. I use my SP-81 as an 'all day' cutting saw, along with my PM700 and 272XP. The SP-81 runs out of fuel often (it's thirsty, and has a small tank). That's good, as I 'run out of gas' at about the same time it does (and the break is welcome). My larger, older Macs and Homelites are mostly 'fun saws'. I try to bring at least one of them when I go cutting just to have a bit of fun. They come in handy for ripping as well...

I used the 7900 to 82cc Mac comparison because they are closer in displacment. I does not suprise me that that the Macs will pull harder in bigger wood and I realize that the 82cc Macs did have anti-vib features so they are probably smooth runners. I was just looking for a comparison by Mark who has both. I am looking for a project to put together and play with, maybe the SP-81 is what I am looking for.

 

[2Twannabe]

Is this turning into the new McCulloch sticky thread?

A fellow AS member sent me a timely tip about a cylinder and piston for the PM700. Thanks! Hope it turns out to be as nice as it looked in the pictures. Hopefully the project will get moving again soon. I just couldn't bring myself to put this saw back together with a trashed cylinder.

Jeff