Pioneer chainsaws

[pioneerguy600]

Well Ive only started posting today and he's helped me out alot already! I also read all 80 pages of Pioneer thread and I can see that he is a real wealth of knowledge on these old saws. I Just hope to get mine running I don't expect it to look anywhere near as nice as his!

The 036 and 038 Stihl saws use 48 mm rings and the 1420 uses 47.5 mm rings so with some careful measureing the Stihl rings could be end gapped to fit the Pioneer 1420 cylinder. There is always a chance that I could find a set of NOS rings somewhere in the system if you really need them.
Pioneerguy600

 

[propliner]

Ra

I'm starting to really like the rounded lines of the RA and the other old Pioneers. I might have to get me one of those some day. Jerry, the pics are really inspiring. Sad thing is that I sold all my parts for those models a couple of years ago to concentrate on the P-series. Sigh.

My next project will be a fully restored P41 including paint. I have two to work with now plus a pile of parts for it so I should be able to get one looking and acting like new. It should be fun.

 

[mapleking]

Thanks Jerry I can let you know better after I get a little deeper into the project.

 

[pioneerguy600]

I'm starting to really like the rounded lines of the RA and the other old Pioneers. I might have to get me one of those some day. Jerry, the pics are really inspiring. Sad thing is that I sold all my parts for those models a couple of years ago to concentrate on the P-series. Sigh.

My next project will be a fully restored P41 including paint. I have two to work with now plus a pile of parts for it so I should be able to get one looking and acting like new. It should be fun.

A couple of weeks ago I got a chance to visit with a IEL/Pioneer collector that I have done a ton of buying and trading of parts and info with. He has a collection of the P series saws and a lot of them are NOS. and NIB saws, tools and factory manuals from IEL in Vancouver B.C. and Pioneer in Peterborough Ontario. It was a prividledge for me to be in the company of a man with his knowledge and background of this hobby that I have found myself involved in for so many years. Those new saws gave me an insight into how nice these P series saws looked back in their day. I will look forward to seeing picts of your restored P41.
Pioneerguy600

 

[pioneerguy600]

Thanks Jerry I can let you know better after I get a little deeper into the project.

Yes , keep us posted on your progress.
Pioneerguy600

 

[propliner]

1420 rings

Mapleking, these might be hard to let go, but I have a set of original Pioneer 1420 rings for you if you really need them. Send me a P.M.

Brendon.

 

[propliner]

A couple of weeks ago I got a chance to visit with a IEL/Pioneer collector that I have done a ton of buying and trading of parts and info with. He has a collection of the P series saws and a lot of them are NOS. and NIB saws, tools and factory manuals from IEL in Vancouver B.C. and Pioneer in Peterborough Ontario. It was a prividledge for me to be in the company of a man with his knowledge and background of this hobby that I have found myself involved in for so many years. Those new saws gave me an insight into how nice these P series saws looked back in their day. I will look forward to seeing picts of your restored P41.
Pioneerguy600

Jerry, sounds like a great connection you have there. The first time I ran my first big P-series Pioneer (P62) I knew instantly that these saws were something special. I haven't used or worked on anything as rugged and well built, not to mention reliable and esthetically pleasing since. Everything from the chain brake design to the oiler pump was really well engineered. I can see why they had a 20+ year run. These saws would have been very expensive during that era, and would have been used mainly by pros. They're sure hard to find in good condition now.

The price seems to really be going up for them as well. A 655 just sold on Ebay for $510 USD.

 

[mapleking]

Thanks propliner. PM sent. I saw a P62 at the saw shop yesterday and I was kind of thinking I might have to get me one!! And so the addiction begins...

 

[pioneerguy600]

Jerry, sounds like a great connection you have there. The first time I ran my first big P-series Pioneer (P62) I knew instantly that these saws were something special. I haven't used or worked on anything as rugged and well built, not to mention reliable and esthetically pleasing since. Everything from the chain brake design to the oiler pump was really well engineered. I can see why they had a 20+ year run. These saws would have been very expensive during that era, and would have been used mainly by pros. They're sure hard to find in good condition now.

The price seems to really be going up for them as well. A 655 just sold on Ebay for $510 USD.

The big P series saws were really well built and yes quite expensive in their time. If I remember correctly that was part of the problem with Pioneer was that the competition was able to bring their saws to the market a little more underpriced and with some features that the buyers found attractive. Seems like Pioneers pockets were not deep enough to afford the extra R&D necessary to stay ahead of the competition. Pioneer lost its reputation around here also when they made the small P series saws with their flimsy plastic airfilter covers, those saws turned a lot of Pioneer owners away from that brand and once they found other brands of saws it seemed it was a downhill slippery slope for Pioneer. There is still a lot of the Pioneer saws around here in running condition but they have suffered ingesting fine sawdust for years due to the bad filtration situations caused by those flimsy airfilter covers. Of coures the bigger P series saws had better airfilter covers but were still prone to breakage and it was a hard sell to end users that were coming from an era where all parts were made of metal and not as prone to breakage. The end users from that era were used to handling their saws roughly and when the plastic took to breaking they were less than impressed, many swore they would never buy another Pioneer if the design was not changed back to metal. I think Pioneer was trying to lighten up their saws but made a design flaw in that regard that cost them a lot of sales. Funny how a small thing like that can cause such a big drop in sales but Pioneer owners in general were so used to their saws lasting and lasting for years without much in the way of parts replacement could not get over that Plastic cover breaking inside of the first couple of days or weeks of useage.. Well it makes the surviving ones worth more now that there is a few collectors looking for them. A NIB P62 sure looked tempting but my collecting of Pioneer saws is concerned mostly with the older saws from 1944-1966 so I willed myself to stay away from the P series, gets real expensive real fast. LOL.
PIONEERGUY600

 

[gmax]

My 620 is looking better now,

 

[porky616]

looks dam fine gmax, lucky you got it i was gonna strip it for parts, have you got a bar for it

 

[gmax]

looks dam fine gmax, lucky you got it i was gonna strip it for parts, have you got a bar for it

Strip it for parts.. what a waste

I don't have a bar yet but I have a few old bars around here somewhere, I'll see if I can make one fit.

 

[porky616]

yeah it had the vital parts i needed but ive given up now just gonna paint it and put it on the shelf. ive got a 20" off a 450 that i dont need if your interested. has a pioneer chain with it bit stiff but would free up ok. i dont want no cash for it and id be happy to send it down to you.

 

[gmax]

Thanks that would be a big help, I'll send you $20 to cover postage

 

[porky616]

nah dont worry bout it, only be 10 bucks from here to adelaide. pm me your address and ill send it on down to ya. i work on the karma theory

 

[gmax]

Thanks, the "karma theory" is a good one, I wont forget,

 

[cjcocn]

My 620 is looking better now,

.....

Wow.

That is sweet. :jawdrop:

 

[gmax]

Wow.

That is sweet. :jawdrop:

Thanks, It's amazing what a coat of paint does.

 

[HimWill]

Wayne,is that "Old Smokey"? A before and after picture would be nice.

 

[cjcocn]

Thanks, It's amazing what a coat of paint does.

I know you are just being modest, unless metal cleans itself that well South Australia.

Thanks for posting those pics - your 620 reminds me of Pioneerguy600's restorations (and that is no easy feat!).

You fellas in this thread have really got me thinking about restoring at least one old saw. I should be getting my Jonsereds M36 soon and, while it is from a later era, I will be attempting my first restoration on that saw. I will keep looking for an earlier saw(s), but it's a start.

Thanks fellas!