Old workhorses vs. modern saws

[Hal]

About 15 - 20 years ago most saws only turned up about 9000 RPM, while todays saws are around 13,000 RPM. How do the older saws compare to today’s saws regarding performance in the cut? Does displacement still rule or does the faster RPM and resulting chain speed make that much of a difference?

For comparison, I’ll use a couple of saws that I’m familiar with… a Jonsered 670 and 820 which both were made in the late 80’s. Can these saws still hold their own today compared with the modern Husky or Stihl, or are the new saws much better performers?

There were lots of others around the same time period, McCulloch, Stihl Farm Boss, Poulan, Homelite, etc. You can still find some of them that have been sitting around in pretty good shape, are they worth adding to the family of saws one might have.

Hal

 

[RED-85-Z51]

I like the older Torque monsters myself.

 

[GASoline71]

Just yesterday I was at a buddy's house helpin' him remove some trees on his property and his wife wanted to make some benches out of Alder for around their deck. After cutting the desired length, I used my ol' Mac 610 to mill the slabs freehand. I did a comparison to my higher revving 361 and the ol' Mac's lower RPM just mowed right through, where the 361 kept asking me for more RPM. I don't do any milling at all, but did this for my friend's wife.

It was a fun comparison to the ol' Dinosaur and the new kid!

I also miss my old 041! :bang:

Gary

 

[BIGBORE577]

Good question. I always seem to grab one of the 028's when it will suffice. They are both close to twenty years old. Maybe it's because I'm old too or I'm just more familiar with them. I have them throttled back to 12.5K and they continue to just purr along.

 

[RED-85-Z51]

High Revs are nice...but are pointless if the saw lacks to torque to keep them up under a load.


It reminds me of The engines back in the 60's versus the mower engines of today.

Low HP, high torque back then. 8-10hp would do anything you needed to do.

Now days, 18-27 hp is the going number, but they lack torque.

 

[Stumper]

Actually the European saws of 20 years ago were turning around 12,000-13,000 NO LOAD RPM-The 9000 figure was operating RPM. Little has changed....we have a handful of saws that are turning 14000 and one or two that go 15,000. Most are still peaking at 12,500-13,500. Poulans,Homelites and Echos of 20 years ago were spinning a thousand or 2 slower than Huskies, Jonseys, Dolmars and Stihls. Go Back 30 years and 8,500-9,000 noload rpm and 6,500 in the cut were normal. Those old saws ARE slower....But actually keep ripping pretty well when the bar is buried so that the "torque monsters" don't lag too far behind in performance.

Both your Jonseys are screamers-New saws of comparable size are less than 10% faster.

 

[Hal]

Stumper,

So your saying the manufacturers have simply changed the way they're rated. I thought the newer saws may have benefited from lighter crankshaft and/or pistons to turn up more rpm's. If what you say is true, it sounds like a marketing decision to give the impression the newer models provide increased perfomrance. But from what I'm hearing, there is not a lot of difference until you go back a few more years.

Hal

 

[RED-85-Z51]

Wouldnt it make sense that a saw that doesnt rev over 9K would last longer than a saw that revs over 13K?

Might be why there are so many old saws still droppin trees.

 

[McC]

Maybe some of you are getting tired of me bragging about my stock Mac 250, but it will cut faster than a stock 044. The Mac is 80cc, the stihl is 71. I have run this saw for 3 yrs at a local contest, and the only saws that beat it in the 5cu and under class sound like they have been modified, and the 7900. I have a roller tip bar with 3/8 round chisel, and a 9pin sprocket to get some chain speed and lug the engine in the 10" square wood. That said, I never take this vibrating beast into the woods. It doesn't start well, and it's heavy. The new saws are so much better. But I really have fun showing up with this 40 year old saw, and beating a bunch of new saws at a contest. Here is a link to a video of this saw at Washigton Co. WI fair contest in July 06.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54v0dIoPz_8
Scott

 

[RED-85-Z51]

Maybe some of you are getting tired of me bragging about my stock Mac 250, but it will cut faster than a stock 044. The Mac is 80cc, the stihl is 71. I have run this saw for 3 yrs at a local contest, and the only saws that beat it in the 5cu and under class sound like they have been modified, and the 7900. I have a roller tip bar with 3/8 round chisel, and a 9pin sprocket to get some chain speed and lug the engine in the 10" square wood. That said, I never take this vibrating beast into the woods. It doesn't start well, and it's heavy. The new saws are so much better. But I really have fun showing up with this 40 year old saw, and beating a bunch of new saws at a contest. Here is a link to a video of this saw at Washigton Co. WI fair contest in July 06.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54v0dIoPz_8
Scott

I never get tired of hearing of a Mac taking a Stihl to the woodshed...

 

[ShoerFast]

A lot of the saws from 15 - 20 years ago just are not going to a lot different then todays saws, there is a chance that your leaning into a comparison of the newer piston-ported saws vs old-iron reed-valved engines?

As the reed valved engines turned much slower, and didn't even think about cutting unless you leaned into them a little.

As I have never ran the Jonny-red's you mentioned, it seems that the piston - ported market has been leaning somewhat on saws that have a lot wider power band (usable power at a wider RPM range) as opposed to WOT only saws, don't get lost in it, but read some of the recent Stihl 441 threads.

 

[Marco]

Some of the little older saws had quite abit of oomph. Had a 361 Johnsred that was a little terror before it was completely wore out. 150 homelites seemed pretty decent too. A friend of mine runs an 80 Johnsred that seems way ahead of its time for speed and light weight for its displacement. I like the ones from about 15 to 20 years ago the most. Those years seemed to have everything balanced out about right.

 

[056kid]

im back

i just got a homie 1020!!! older saws are the best thats why there still here.

 

[RaisedByWolves]

OK, I tried to resist but I gotts chime in.......



HOMELITE


Just power everywhere, and they start in the first few pulls, cold. Hot its allmost telepathic how quick they start.


I got nothing against the newer saws, especially not the stihls and J-reds.


But theres just something about the old Homies that I cant get over.

 

[RED-85-Z51]

i just got a homie 1020!!! older saws are the best thats why there still here.

That sucker can take a 60" bar!!!

What a monster, and it turns a mere 6,000 rpms...

 

[cord arrow]

<------------- there's my favorite.