Old vs New???

[wkpoor]

New to the site and thought I would start with what might be a common question. I've always owned and used the Homelite SuperXL (currently own 4). Seems to be a good reliable fine running strong cutting unit. Never really had the opportunity to compare it to a new saw though. Anyone care to enlighten me here? I probably cut between 10 and 12 cords a yr with them. Also I use 20" and 24" bars with windsor chain. WK

 

[Ianab]

Seems to be a good reliable fine running strong cutting unit.

Yup.. those XLs were a good machine. But a newer saw is probably lighter, smoother (better antivibe), quieter and has nice things like an inertial chain brake. The new saw will probably have a higher chain speed, and cut faster if run right. The older saws reved lower and had more torque, slower chain speed, but just kept on cutting.

I've run my buddys XL12 just to see how it goes, and it's a cool saw, but I'm not going to swap it for my new Dolmar ( or Husky or Stihl depending on your loyalties)

Cheers

Ian

 

[Cedarkerf]

Welcome wkpoor

Fellow aircraft mechanic here. The new saws are so lite and easy to run you need to give one a try.

 

[musch]

Literally no comparison.
The newer saws have less torque, by some comparison, but they are so nice to run. Somebody here is probably close enough to offer a free trial!!

 

[spike60]

I guess that most of us would think that 10-12 cords of wood is a lot of cutting to do without anti-vibe on the saw. But those old Homelites have produced tens of thousands of cords of wood over the years. I've got a couple myself, and they aren't too bad if you wear gloves and don't squeeze the handles too hard. No, they won't keep up with the newer saws, but how many of todays 13,500 RPM saws will last 30+ years?

You'll find that we tend to evaluate saws the way Car and Driver evaluates autos. Whether it is cars, SUV's, minivans, or pick up's, the ratings are heavily weighted to numbers on the test track, rather than day to day use. How important is 0-60 and quarter mile times to the average minivan owner?

We tend to be that way with saws, and it's all part of the fun here. But your Homelites are doing the job, and you are happy with them, so that's really all that matters.

 

[Tzed250]

Priorities

There is nothing "wrong" with your Homelites, it is just that there is so much "right" about a newer saw. I love my PM700, the way it looks, the way it feels, the way it sounds. However, if you told me I had to go use it for 8 hours in the woods, I would probably be sick to my stomach. My 044 is lighter, has much more and better safety features, has an effective AV system, is easy to service, is quieter(even after adding the dual-port muffler), and is faster in the cut. Figure out what is important to you. New saws cost a fair chunk of change, but the features and benefits make them a sound investment. See if you can get a chance to run a newer saw, you will see the difference right away.

 

[stihl 440]

new saw

I would definetly look into a new saw. You will be impressed on how much faster they are. I only ran a couple homolite super xl's, and I think you should get a couple new saws. They are lighter for the power and they will cut faster.

 

[habanero]

No one could ever argue about a new saw being easier, safer, and probably faster to use. If you do you're just kidding yourself.

But personally, I prefer the oldies just for the sense of keeping the heritage alive-if that makes any sense. Dad taught me to run his XL-12 when I was about 12 years old, and I've been using Homelites ever since. I've run a couple newer Stihls and they were nice and civilized to run, but I didn't feel at all bad about going back to my Super EZ.

If you make your living with a chainsaw, then it's a whole other story. But for me, I'll keep the old dogs. I actually promote the bias towards the new saws, it makes the older ones easier to buy cheap.

 

[wkpoor]

A couple of yrs ago I was cuttin on a guys property and he himself showed up with a brandy new right out of the box Stihl. He promply fired it up and we started on oppostie sides of a nice but log about 20' long. I met him clear over at his side. Basically,,blew em away. Don't know what model it was but it stuck with me how well the SuperXL did. From that point on I just figured the old dogs still had it. Lately though I just got to wondering. I personally hate the chain brakes and don't like anything between me and the log. The later Homelites added a rubber guard which I promply removed from those saws I have it on. I figure the best safety is me using the saw wisely.

 

[stihltech]

brake

All you need is for that chainbrake to save you from injury just once, and it will be worth thousands in ER bills.

 

[troutfisher]

I have 3 old homelites, an old mac, a few pioneers, I love those old saws and i keep them ready to run. I'll take'em out once in a while and make a few cuts just to hear them run. When I go to the woods to work, I grab one of the new ones.

 

[mattinky]

All you need is for that chainbrake to save you from injury just once, and it will be worth thousands in ER bills.

Amen Brother, WISE words and I could'nt agree more. Matt

 

[Ianab]

Chain brakes are like crash helmets and seat belts, they are a nuisance untill something goes badly wrong, then they can save your LIFE

Cheers

Ian

 

[bigbadbob]

Chain brakes are like crash helmets and seat belts, they are a nuisance untill something goes badly wrong, then they can save your LIFE

Cheers

Ian

Sure glad we don't have ER bills here, I bet they are expensive. My Homolite is the only one of my saws without a chainbrake. It is retired to my ATV and may or may not get used each year. Have seen the kickback results on a few people, not nice, I run my saws with the fear of it!!!! Keeps you on your toes!!! And I guess wearing a helmet while running the Homolite it"s a bit safer??

 

[Brushwacker]

I ran mostly old homelites for about 8 years producing firewood to sell. About 1991 I bought an 034 super and after using it about 3 or 4 days realized I wasted a lot of time and profit not upgrading to the newer, faster,and more user freindly saw.
On the other note the old saws get the job done,are reliable, and their torque feels good now and then and if I had only 1 good newer saw I would use the old homey for backup.
I am not brand specific and use what I salvage off parts saws or pick up at a deal,sometimes buy 25 foot rolls. Windsor seems like softer metal then Stihl or most oregon I have used,but has cut well for me and files easy. Most agree stihl chain is the best for edge holding and stretches less then oregon.

 

[wkpoor]

WOW!! Guys I guess I don't know what I'm missing. I've never given a thought nor had any idea that vib was a problem. I can use the SuperXL all day and feel good about. Never gave a thought about the anti-vib thingy. Well my next question is what would be apples to apples for a good comparison?? If I decide to try something new what would perform as good or better than what I have? Hint, it needs to be able to pull at least a 24" bar easily.

 

[computeruser]

WOW!! Guys I guess I don't know what I'm missing. I've never given a thought nor had any idea that vib was a problem. I can use the SuperXL all day and feel good about. Never gave a thought about the anti-vib thingy. Well my next question is what would be apples to apples for a good comparison?? If I decide to try something new what would perform as good or better than what I have? Hint, it needs to be able to pull at least a 24" bar easily.

Well, having not put any time in on a SXL I really couldn't say what a good apples-to-apples comparison would be. It is 57cc, so I'd guess that you'd want to be in the 60-65cc range. Stihl MS361, maybe?

Regardless, if Al's plan to host a GTG in the Cincinnati area does come into being, you should try to come by and try a few different saws out side-by-side with your current machines. He suggests the possibility of hosting a GTG in post #60 of this thread HERE.

 

[wkpoor]

I'm in!!! Just need the details. I'm located in Amanda, OH so Cincy may be in reach.

 

[1953greg]

wkpoor

sell 3 of the homies, keep the best one. take that cash (w/ some out of pocket) and purchase a ms361 and you will cut w/ a smile!

 

[MAG58]

WOW!! Guys I guess I don't know what I'm missing. I've never given a thought nor had any idea that vib was a problem. I can use the SuperXL all day and feel good about. Never gave a thought about the anti-vib thingy. Well my next question is what would be apples to apples for a good comparison?? If I decide to try something new what would perform as good or better than what I have? Hint, it needs to be able to pull at least a 24" bar easily.

This one will pull a 24" bar, and have good anti-vib and chain brake