Pioneer chainsaws

[crane]

UOTE=pioneerguy600;1080033]

http://lh3.ggpht.com/Myersv/SH31idQUf_I/AAAAAAAAA

This is my IEL model RA from 1957 and it is the last of the IEL models that were made using the sand cast method,all metal construction. The next models were the 600 series and they are die cast. Some say they are die cast RA`s but there were a lot of improvements made to the 600 although they look similar. This saw is an excellent runner and will start and run A1 ,I cut with it at least once a month.
Pioneerguy600[/QUOTE]

Jerry, You wouldn't be able to pm or post a pic of the top of that RA would you? Was looking to see exactly what badges are needed for the top.
thanks
Drew

 

[pioneerguy600]

UOTE=pioneerguy600;1080033]

http://lh3.ggpht.com/Myersv/SH31idQUf_I/AAAAAAAAA

This is my IEL model RA from 1957 and it is the last of the IEL models that were made using the sand cast method,all metal construction. The next models were the 600 series and they are die cast. Some say they are die cast RA`s but there were a lot of improvements made to the 600 although they look similar. This saw is an excellent runner and will start and run A1 ,I cut with it at least once a month.
Pioneerguy600[/QUOTE]

Jerry, You wouldn't be able to pm or post a pic of the top of that RA would you? Was looking to see exactly what badges are needed for the top.
thanks
Drew[/QUOTE]

Crane; Go back to where the pict you have up above is posted and in that series the top of the saw is clearly shown. This RA does not have a round emblem on it, the earliest Ra`s did not have the emblem, they are hard to find as most were pried off for keepsakes, they are green background with Pioneer lettering in plain aluminum color, hope this helps some.
Pioneerguy600

 

[WesternSaw]

Gaskets

Wow, I am armed with loads of gasket information now.I will certainly try this gasket making .You guys are the BEST!Good to hear from some relative newcomers to this thread,glad they are on board.Jerry you are always there for us .Yahoo,and Rennie way to go .This thread will never die!Long Live Pioneer.PS Jerry did you read about the fellow who mention that they buried a bunch of Pioneer stuff under the pavement at the Peterborough airport.That makes me sick.Agghhh.I will try and post some pics of my partly disassembled P20,showing the piston and cylinder.Also found out some more on the BrushKing brushcutter.The same family that owned Rowco the manufacturer of BrushKing also owned an other company BrushMaster saw Inc.They were located on the same street in Keene New Hampshire as Rowco owned by the Rowe family.
Lawrence

 

[pioneerguy600]

Lawrence you keep digging up info on that Brushking , its all very interesting to me and the others on here. Yes I did read about the buried Pioneer stuff and had heard about that through the grapevine years ago but did not know if it actually happened. A lot of experimental development on engines and machinery does not pay off and prototypes sometimes have to be destroyed if not proven reliable or capable of turning a profit etc. It makes the remaining models if they exist worthwhile to collectors like the McCulloch DP that were produced and distributed but recalled early in their production run that only leaves a very few out there and they become very collectable, the recalled ones were destroyed.
If you have any further questions on gasket making let us know, one thing that I did not mention in the last thread is that if you put a block of hardwood up on endgrain and punch your holes on it with the hole punches you strike with a hammer they cut really well and the punches stay sharp longer.
Pioneerguy600

 

[pioneerguy600]

Crane ;This is the top view of the RA that I have and it does not have the round medallion like some of the later saws have,
Pioneerguy600

 

[WesternSaw]

Just some more Pioneer. What Else is there.HaHa

Reply to Jerry and anyone else who is interested in my ramblings. You know what that BrushKing is really bugging the H out of me .I am definitlay obsessed with it.But I keep getting little tidbit's of info on it and that keeps me going I guess.I need to figure out what kind of blade I can mount on it because I am dying to try it out,and I will have to figure out a way to mount a guard on it as well.
I just bought an old Pioneer catalog/flyer off ebay.Really neat .It has some prices marked in there buy someone who wanted to buy one.It would be neat to know what they translate into todays dollars.They go on to describe the saws in the flyer and their best use. Does anyone have one of the Pioneer bow saws? What was the advantage of a chain strung like that? That Pioneer RA was what they used in those HUS-SKI snowmobiles I believe.
Lawrence

 

[crane]

Crane ;This is the top view of the RA that I have and it does not have the round medallion like some of the later saws have,
Pioneerguy600

http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?t=76709&highlight=oldies

Sorry I did not see those pics before. I have posted a link to my original thread, the RA pics are in the second post.

If you click on the first and second pics(I did not open all three pics) you will get the best shots of the top cover I have now. You can make out the three holes that look if a emblem was riveted there in the past along with the round one. Not the same as the three screws on the top of your RA I also do not have Pioneer embossed on the top like you. Any idea if this was a production year change or could it be a model difference. Sorry I don't have better pics but I'm 3hrs away from it at work.

 

[pioneerguy600]

Crane; The three screws you mention are what holds the front clip/hold down mechanism on the front of the cover of my RA. Your RA did have the round medallion on it at one time but as I have stated in one of the previous posts most of the medallions that have a green background with a raised Pioneer logo on them have been pried off by memoribilia collectors. The early production runs of the RA have covers like mine and the later ones have the cover like you have. The medallions were not even riveted on but were a press in fit,the stakes had a rubber coating on them and simply pushed in, they would actually fall out after many years of use and I have suggested to quite a few owners with this problem to coat the stakes with Silicone ATV while the medallion is positioned in the saw cover and it retains them really well.
Pioneerguy600

 

[crane]

Crane; The three screws you mention are what holds the front clip/hold down mechanism on the front of the cover of my RA. Your RA did have the round medallion on it at one time but as I have stated in one of the previous posts most of the medallions that have a green background with a raised Pioneer logo on them have been pried off by memoribilia collectors. The early production runs of the RA have covers like mine and the later ones have the cover like you have. The medallions were not even riveted on but were a press in fit,the stakes had a rubber coating on them and simply pushed in, they would actually fall out after many years of use and I have suggested to quite a few owners with this problem to coat the stakes with Silicone ATV while the medallion is positioned in the saw cover and it retains them really well.
Pioneerguy600

Jerry,
Wish I could get you a really good top pic....but bear with me. On the one side(left side, bar ahead of you) are two holes. They look like they would line up with the top and bottom of a capital "P". on the right side there is just one (I think), that would correlate with a small "R". I hope that I'm explaining this clearly...? Could this be ,or have you seen, a chrome plated or metal "Pioneer" emblem riveted onto a cover before. The holes if I remember correctly do not appear to be drilled after the fact. They had yellow paint on the inside.
I really appreciate the effort you have put into this thread. I have read with great fascination and I hope that it continues.
Thanks again
Drew
p.s. the large red arrow points to the three screws that hold the hinge plate.

 

[RENNIE]

Bow Saw

Pete
If it's the Pioneer bow saw I think you are talking about, giant looped chain with large opening in center of the bar,(for a lack of better terms). That design was to keep the saw from pinching. It was used primarily on downed trees where1. they were either partially stuck, or 2. where limbs were under upward pressure on downed trees. That was the way it was explained to me by the owner of Action Mower in Melborne Fl. when I was service manager there. We had one there. We also had on old Homelite with the bow style blade & some scary .404 chain on it, here in Kentucky when I was Ser, Mgr @ Midland Lawn Eq. Anyhoo, that is the way it was explained to me. Anyone else know of other application specific uses for this type of blade?? I could probably elaborate more but I,m at work & prolly should make the boss happy. Oh, say, Pete don't see any kick back problems there do you. LOL.

Rennie

 

[Bruce Hopf]

Reply to Jerry and anyone else who is interested in my ramblings. You know what that BrushKing is really bugging the H out of me .I am definitely obsessed with it.But I keep getting little tidbit's of info on it and that keeps me going I guess.I need to figure out what kind of blade I can mount on it because I am dying to try it out,and I will have to figure out a way to mount a guard on it as well.
I just bought an old Pioneer catalog/flyer off ebay.Really neat .It has some prices marked in there buy someone who wanted to buy one.It would be neat to know what they translate into today's dollars.They go on to describe the saws in the flyer and their best use. Does anyone have one of the Pioneer bow saws? What was the advantage of a chain strung like that? That Pioneer RA was what they used in those HUS-SKI snowmobiles I believe.
Lawrence

Hi Lawrence.
All you have to do, is to Measure the Diameter of the Drive Shaft, and go to any Dealers who sells Brush Cutters, Stihl comes to mind, and measure the Diameter of the hole, then you are all set for the blade.
Look at the base where the blade mounts, and there should be a locking collar of some sort, that is either held in place with Screws, or Threaded to the Shaft of the Brush Cutter. Bruce

 

[Bruce Hopf]

Those new bolts should hold the carb good an tight and if the crab is assembled correctly the saw should be up and running. It is getting to be the time of year to make working in the woods and the woodpile enjoyable, we have moved out a lot of wood to our customers. It was cut up,split and piled earlier this spring and now is very dry and ready to burn. Was that wood that was piled on the trailer Ash, it looks like the ash we have around here.
Those tops would be quite dry if they were cut in January, at least the parts of them that were up off the ground.
We delivered another tandem load of yellow birch to to my friend last night and that makes a total of 6 cords for him for this winters burning. He has cut 6-7 cords of wood himself and between us we got 4-5 cords out to his place in 8' foot lengths where he cuts it up , he can borrow a splitter from time to time and has most of it split up currently. The little 260 works so good for him,starts easy and runs without a hitch every time out and its light in weight but quite powerful and cuts rapidly in the 6"-12" wood he is cutting.
I am still building saws and have done 3 of the Stihl 044`s and 440`s and two more Sachs Dolmar 116 si saws. I picked up a 026 that needs a muffler and air filter and three Jonsered saws that need pistons so they will be winter project saws,I may have to start selling some of them off. LOL.
PIONEERGUY600

Hi Jerry.
That's good to hear that your friend is doing OK with his new Chain Saw. Being in a Position like he is, is not good. I know since I injured my back, there are something I can't do like I used to, and now and again, I too get bum bed out, and down on myself, and felling worthless.
But on the other hand, there are things that I still can do, with some modifications, I can get them done.
I also wanted to drop you a line here, and to Thank You for all your help, and advice with these Carburetors. I got my Mac 1-10 running like a top again.
The other day, when it was raining, I got to it, and a turn here and a turn there with the Needle Valves, I got it to run really nice. All I have to do now, is do a repeat performance with my Pro Mac 10-10, and it will be all set to go to.
This is the Chain Saw, I decided to fix up for my Step Son, and he will have a descent Chain saw, when it is finished. I also have about 8 or 10 Mini Macs I need to play with the Carburetors as well. Once I get one figured out, the rest should fall into play too.
Well thanks again Jerry, for all your assistance with these Carburetors. Bruce.

 

[pioneerguy600]

Bruce , its good to hear that the carb things are working out for you, I rebuild a lot of them and know some of them inside out but on occasion I have to remove and reset the odd one that will not perform up to my expectations.
I know what you mean about adapting our working habits as I am getting older I don`t work the way I once did but can still put in a good days work in the woods and still enjoy it the way I always have. If I choose I can work around the big machinery, harvesters,feller bunchers,skidders and porters.I do it once in a while just for fun but I really don`t like the noise and destruction these machines make, they are a fast way to collect wood but I enjoy working with the chainsaws for falling and skid it out to a landing,then cut it up with the big saws,thats the fun part. Loading with the 621 C and hauling with the L8000 dumptruck is less fun but necessary to move the wood. I will continue to work with wood as long as I still enjoy doing so and work on the saws when the time and weather allow.
If you ever tire of working with the Macs for every day cutting I recommend using some of the Orange and White saws, they really speed up production and are much less tiring on your body. I work with quite a few of them now and run my Pioneers for fun, the vintage saws are just too slow and heavy for every day cutting.
My friend has improved quite a bit this year and he thinks it has a lot to do with getting out and doing some productive things,one being cutting wood where he pushes himself to step over downed trees and walk on uneven ground. Even picking things up and moving them about improves his balance and mobility, he says he can feel the strength coming back in his legs and back by getting out and working some. I know that I can see a lot of improvement in him myself,he always has a positive outlook,smiles a lot and is a bit proud of his abilities and improvements. All positive,thats my payback.
Pioneerguy600

 

[pioneerguy600]

Jerry,
Wish I could get you a really good top pic....but bear with me. On the one side(left side, bar ahead of you) are two holes. They look like they would line up with the top and bottom of a capital "P". on the right side there is just one (I think), that would correlate with a small "R". I hope that I'm explaining this clearly...? Could this be ,or have you seen, a chrome plated or metal "Pioneer" emblem riveted onto a cover before. The holes if I remember correctly do not appear to be drilled after the fact. They had yellow paint on the inside.
I really appreciate the effort you have put into this thread. I have read with great fascination and I hope that it continues.
Thanks again
Drew
p.s. the large red arrow points to the three screws that hold the hinge plate.

Crane; On your saw the Pioneer lettering was also a stake on arrangement and the holes you show are where the Pioneer logo were fastened to the cover, these covers are really hard to find with the round medallion and the Pioneer logo still attached, damd trophy hunters. LOL . Those covers are worth more than a half dozen RA`s. I sold one mint one two years back for $ 150.00 and a couple in good shape for $ 75.00 each so if you find one you know what they are worth.
Pioneerguy600

6000

 

[pioneerguy600]

Jerry,
Wish I could get you a really good top pic....but bear with me. On the one side(left side, bar ahead of you) are two holes. They look like they would line up with the top and bottom of a capital "P". on the right side there is just one (I think), that would correlate with a small "R". I hope that I'm explaining this clearly...? Could this be ,or have you seen, a chrome plated or metal "Pioneer" emblem riveted onto a cover before. The holes if I remember correctly do not appear to be drilled after the fact. They had yellow paint on the inside.
I really appreciate the effort you have put into this thread. I have read with great fascination and I hope that it continues.
Thanks again
Drew
p.s. the large red arrow points to the three screws that hold the hinge plate.

Crane, some how I got the reply in the wrong part of the post so just look up in the grey area and the reply is up where the quoted area is usually, on the post above this one.
Pioneerguy600

 

[pioneerguy600]

Crane, I went over to the Mike Acres chainsaw collectors site and there is a pretty good picture of your saw over there.
http://www.acresinternet.com/cscc.nsf/ed1d619968136da688256af400C

Or you can Google chainsaw collectors and Chainsaw Collectors Corner Home will come up,click on Chain Saw section and then find IEL in the listing and click on the blue triangle by IEL and a list of models will appear, scrowl down to near the end and RA is 4 th from last,click on it and your saw will appear.
Pioneerguy600

 

[crane]

A BIG THANKS Jerry, sorry to hear that they are that hard to find, but I love a good hunt
Drew

 

[WesternSaw]

Rennie,Jerry,Bruce ,Propliner in no special order

Reenie I just watched the video on YOUTUBE with that fella running the Poulan bowsaw.That thing looks like quite the machine.I don't know if the saw was used the correct way but I looked like it.Worked pretty fine indeed.I am sure most of the saw manufacturers made these at one time or another I know Pioneer did.Check out the videos

Jerry,Do you have the bowsaw that Pioneer made?You seem to have all their others LOL
Propliner,i will ask you the same question, do you have the bowsaw Pioneer made?

Bruce ,the shaft on the Brushking where the blade would be mounted is three sided at the base.The first part is threadedand right at the base where you could not push a blade on any further it has three sides so I am assuming that the hole in the blade centre would also need to be three sided.I will try and post picturers
Lawrence

 

[pioneerguy600]

Lawrence that is one POS that I would never own or use on a chainsaw. Its just an oddity and has no place in a working environment. They are too clumsy and dangerous with no real value to production and even a rank amateur with a conventional bar and chain could out cut a saw with a bow bar on it. As far as collecting them goes oddities do make good things for collecting but the only thing that has collected bow bars from me was a scrap steel dumpster.LOL
Pioneerguy600

 

[artie__bc]

Here are some pics of my P series saws. Also, something I learned today; if the handle grips on your P series saw are shredded or missing, Stihl handle hose p/n 0000 791 2009 makes a great replacement. I just put it on the P-62 with the bar in the photo below. It's not grey, but it fits just fine. It's a bit of a pain to pull the full wrap handle apart to put it on!