McCulloch Chain Saw

[edberry]

Whatever you do DO NOT buy a cheap McCulloch chain saw! I bought one from Bunnings for some back yard work. I just had some trees to cut down and some general cleaning up to do.

Bunnings sell these chainsaws for around $200 so I thought hey may as well get one. Here's what happened. Get it home, put it together, start it up, 20 seconds later the chain comes off.

I dismantled and put it back together. Same thing happened after 4min use. Dismantled again, tried tightening whatever I could. Same thing after about 5mins. I take it back. Staff member says "well sorry you have already used it too much we cant exchange it"

Staff member suggested a few things which I did. Started using again, engine started to stall. I had the right mix so it wasn't that. More stalling, chain comes off again.

I take the whole thing apart, checked fuel lines, everything else - came to the conclusion its a piece of junk so I threw it in the bin. $200 down the drain!

Ed

[Virgil]

Stihl or Husqvarna. I don't think there is anything else that qualifies as a chainsaw.

If it looks to good to be true it probably is.

The big green shed might be able to get things cheaper but we are the ones that pay the price.

I take it the tree is still there?

Cheers,
Virg.

[billyt]

Take it back!!! Demand a refund as product not fit for purpose.

[glenn k]

I think you must have put it together incorrectly, there has to be a reason why a chain comes off. Perhaps the parts were not compatible incorrect pitch etc. I bought a McCulloch saw for $80 in the mid 70's heaps of power light weight but my hands were closed in the mornings and I needed to open them with the other hand (due to vibration) so I stopped using it. I gave it to a friend who just did a few small jobs fine for this.
I would write to Bunnings and complain about saw and staff.

[BobL]

I think you must have put it together incorrectly, there has to be a reason why a chain comes off. Perhaps the parts were not compatible incorrect pitch etc. I bought a McCulloch saw for $80 in the mid 70's heaps of power light weight but my hands were closed in the mornings and I needed to open them with the other hand (due to vibration) so I stopped using it. I gave it to a friend who just did a few small jobs fine for this.
I would write to Bunnings and complain about saw and staff.

The 70's macs are a world away from the stuff they make today. Todays mac is a consumer saw and intended for occasional light garden work and a bit of firewood cutting. They are not a professional saw.

[Ozkaban]

I wholeheartedly backup what Ed has said, thgouh for different reasons.

A year or two ago, we had a reipper of a storm on a long weekend. I needed to clear away a bunch of trees, so I needed a chainsaw. First stop, local mower/outdoor center who have always been great. They were shut! What a weekend to not be open. I was aiming for a basic Stihl.

I ended up a Bunnings and bought the best they had - a McCulloch petrol with 18" bar, etc. It cost $350, which wile cheap for a chainsaw was still a chunk of money. I even asked for advice on the oil, etc and got the best they had.

It worked fine for that weekend. A couple of weeks later a friend needed a smallish tree taken out - the trunk was about 6". Fired up the chainsaw and it worked for a while then just died. Completely siezed up.

Bunnings didn't want to know me - "You'll have to take it to the service centre yourself, or we can but it will cost you the courier fee". Bloody consumer laws in this country.

Took it to a service centre and they told me it was my fault - not enough oil in the petrol. I explained that I used the guide that was on the fuel cap - 40:1. They said this was the American spec. When asked what the difference in oil would be, given our oil is almost completely imported, they couldn't answer. Asked why, if Aus oil is so inferior, why didn't they change the fuel cap to reflect our conditions. Again no answer.

After a hell of a lot of arguing, they agree to submit it for warranty but no promises. In the end (about 3 months later), I got a call saying that it was going to be covered - thank goodness. Got the thing back with a sleeve in the cylinder, and now make sure it runs 25:1 oil. It works, but I'd hardly call it a stellar performer.

So basically,
1. It's a cheap saw, cheaply made.
2. After sales service is on the bad side of terrible
3. Buy a Stihl or a Husky (though Husky own McCulloch...)

Cheers,
Dave

[BobL]

It worked fine for that weekend. A couple of weeks later a friend needed a smallish tree taken out - the trunk was about 6". Fired up the chainsaw and it worked for a while then just died. Completely siezed up.

I'm not necessarily saying this is what happened in your case but even really cheap saws with so little use usually don't seize just up like that. Based on your description my first reaction is immediately, it's been very badly tuned, or run on straight petrol, or close to straight petrol. The Stohl guys I know are merciless on people that runs straight petrol in their saws.

Small motor manufacturers are on a hiding to nowhere placing their products in the hands of occasional users where it's so easy for a novice or occasional user to mix up petrol supplies. If in any doubt chuck it out. I strongly recommend starting from scratch with the mix if its more than a month or so old.

BTW The 25:1 ratio is deliberately done to cover their asses and just chucks a heap of unburnt gunk out of the exhaust doing the operator no favours. Those saws run fine on 50:1 using a quality two stroke lube.

[Ozkaban]

I'm not necessarily saying this is what happened in your case but even really cheap saws with so little use usually don't seize just up like that. Based on your description my first reaction is immediately, it's been very badly tuned, or run on straight petrol, or close to straight petrol. The Stohl guys I know are merciless on people that runs straight petrol in their saws.

Small motor manufacturers are on a hiding to nowhere placing their products in the hands of occasional users where it's so easy for a novice or occasional user to mix up petrol supplies. If in any doubt chuck it out. I strongly recommend starting from scratch with the mix if its more than a month or so old.

BTW The 25:1 ratio is deliberately done to cover their asses and just chucks a heap of unburnt gunk out of the exhaust doing the operator no favours. Those saws run fine on 50:1 using a quality two stroke lube.

hi Bob,

I have a Stihl line trimmer that buzzes along really nicely on 50:1, using Stihl oil. the oil in the chainsaw was Masport brand, and was the most expensive than bunnings stocked when I bought it. I agree that it sounds like I did something dumb, but I was very careful to measure out the oil accurately.

I do take your point about petrol/oil not really lasting even a month. In general I only buy small amounts and would rarely go beyond this time.

Not sure what went wrong with it, but it certainly wasn't straight petrol being put through it.

Cheers,
Dave

[glenn k]

Bob the 70's McCullocks were certainly not proffessional saws. I was only doing trees part time when I bought it; my older brother tried it and decided to buy one (he ran Stihls but they were blocks with a bar on the side heavy and hadn't copied the Husky shape yet) His lasted a month before a screw vibrated though the case he put a washer under it then a larger washer but after 3 months the screws had vibrated though the engine mounts. Even the crapy Stihls like an 019 last a year or so where an 010 can last 10 years of hard use.
Ozkaban oils aint oils I used to run Optimol at 70:1 it species 100:1 where Stihl oil 50:1 they are new generation oils (what ever that means) they say the oil sticks to hot parts. If I run other oil I run it 20:1 or 25:1 and suffer the smoke.

[Ozkaban]

BOzkaban oils aint oils I used to run Optimol at 70:1 it species 100:1 where Stihl oil 50:1 they are new generation oils (what ever that means) they say the oil sticks to hot parts. If I run other oil I run it 20:1 or 25:1 and suffer the smoke.

I think that's the lesson I learnt... Still, I bought the best I could at the time

[Shedhand]

I bought a Poulan - new - in 1979. It cost me about 270 bucks which was a small fortune to me at the time. I replaced the original bar with an 18" bar as the specs said it the engine would handle it. I'd never owned or used one before then.
Two days after I bought it, I decided to jump in at the deep end and cut down a gum tree in the back yard, next to the dunny,about 60 feet high with a 4 foot diameter - my 3 year old boy kept climbing the damn thing and couldn't get down. Made the undercut - but not enough - and as a result the tree trunk pivoted on the saw clamping it in the cut. I ran as the tree started to fall but it slid down the bar and somehow landed butt first plumb on the chainsaw engine and then crushed the dunny (with a full tank) to kindling. I pointed out calmly to the SWMBO at the time who was ranting and raving - which was her normal demeanor - that I was alive and the tree was down and I could build a new thunderbox easy. Anyway, I took the crushed little Poulan into McDougall's Chainsaws in Hobart to see if they could fix her -"her" because 2 strokes and she went off and after much mirth and poor jokes they decided to give it ago. A week later I get a phone call, "come and get your Poulan mate". Went in and there it was rebuilt like new and under warranty ( I think they scammed the Poulan maker (Canadians). Anyway, I've cut hundreds of tonnes of firewood, assorted trees, sleepers (and the occasional hidden lump of sandstone with it since. Never misses a beat. Run it on 40:1 with a premium 2 stroke oil. It's never been back for a service -only 4 spark plugs - since it was rebuilt. I've gone through a couple dozen chains over the years, and become a reasonably expert hand sharpener. It was laying idle in my shed in Hobart for about 4 years (gave up woodheaters a long time ago) and I brought it to my new digs when I moved. A few months ago I cast a sideways glance at her and wondered if she would fire up ok as I wanted to cut a big hole in a couple of walls for my housebound "shed". I still had half a drum of chainsaw fuel mix which had to be at least 4 possibly 5 years old. Gave it a good shake, filled the tank up, gave it some choke, 3 yanks and away it went. Smoke everywhere for a minute, stalled twice then away it went again. I was staggered to say the least.
Now I challenge anyone to beat that with a Mac, Stihl, Pioneer (remember the yella terrors), Husky or anything else. The only issue i've ever had is that after extended use the exhaust baffle works loose.
Poulan are great. If I ever replace it - it'll be with a Poulan.
The "Big Green Box" sell alot of crap. Unfortunately while people keep buying it they'll keep selling it.

Here she is today:
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Attachment 120980 The dog is a media tart. Every time she hears the dingle dingle of the handycam firing up she pokes her head in.

[rsser]

Yes, my Poulan worked a treat but I didn't keep it that long. They appear to come out of the same factory as Jonsered.

Now have a Husky. Starts and works well every time. Bit unbalanced on the ground so tends to list sideways; minor niggle.

[Shedhand]

Yes, my Poulan worked a treat but I didn't keep it that long. They appear to come out of the same factory as Jonsered.

Now have a Husky. Starts and works well every time. Bit unbalanced on the ground so tends to list sideways; minor niggle.

The Manufacturers Plate says: Poulan Chainsaw Model 306A, Beard-Poulan Division of Emerson Electric Company, Shreveport, LA.

[glenn k]

The best lasting saws I have ever had were Echo little champs. I was powerline clearing so they ran about 3 hours a day 5 days a week. As you need two because after a tank full or on hot days a bit earlier the petrol boils and they get vapour lock so you need to swap saws so eack saw 15 hrs a week. Did that for 6 years bought in early 80's and some still going strong dropping them is sometimes a trouble. They do need tunning often though and aren't very powerful. My 032 Stihl went for about 15 years before I gave it a set of rings but after 026's came out ~same power ~1/2 the weight it didn't get used much.

[rsser]

The Manufacturers Plate says: Poulan Chainsaw Model 306A, Beard-Poulan Division of Emerson Electric Company, Shreveport, LA.

Poulan side-cover inc. clutch fitted straight onto my Jonsered.