Found these on Craigslist for the princely sum of $0 today! I started cleanup on one of them, and she fired up with a little starting fluid, fresh gas, and the correct plug gap. (Something told me "smashed flat" was wrong.. ) Torquey little girl she is. The chain is shot to hell, so I'll grab an appropriately sized file and do what I can with it tomorrow just to see how she does on some wood. The plan once I get them both running smooth is to give one to a buddy who is struggling at the moment who I've been cutting wood for - this will let him do some more work to keep the house warm at no cost. Well, maybe the cost of a box of suds for me, since he doesn't always accept a gift easily, and money between friends is a bad idea most of the time. The other I'll keep with its 16" bar for limbing and smaller jobs. Looks like it will be a fun tool to use. My question is this - these were spec'd at 32:1, but I've done a little reading that says with high quality oil 50:1 is acceptable and won't shorten service life. I run Stihl HP ultra for my main saw (ms362c) and string trimmer, and would prefer to keep one can of mix around if I can. Anybody running this mix have any issues? Would just running the 32:1 be safer? Thanks for any advice.
I personally don't like 50:1, but many people use it no problem. I use 32:1 dino oil in everything I own...if I were to switch to a synthetic, then I would run 40:1 in everything I own...moral of the story is run whatever is in your can, it won't hurt those babys any. Nice snag!
Nice old saws. Sometimes shiny and new doesnt rule the day. Its awsome that you are gona give one to your to friend. My grandmother was a very generous person and was always repaid by others being kind and generous too her.
What a blast from the past . Wow. I generally run all my saws around 45 to 1 with the modern full synthetic oil. Those should be fine.
I've heard with good authority by several others that the venerable Super EZ Automatic is the baddest 41cc saw ever made.Tons of power for a smaller saw,high chain speed also. Lots of them still out there cause a bunch were sold over the years & they're pretty much bulletproof with great balance too. Mine looks good,but needs some tinkering to be a strong runner.
Got the second one running this evening. Can anyone confirm that this is a replacement clutch? Funny thing - these saws seen to run much better with a spark plug that isn't broken. This one had a few very loose screws and a couple that were missing. Should have had a "Backyard Bubba Was Here" tag on it. It's got a little hesitation off idle, I'll see how cleaning the carb does for it - the bracket with the air filter stud was missing a screw, so it's all gunked up in there. A thorough cleaning and a couple new air filters and I think we're good to go. Can't wait to surprise my buddy with this gift!
I am fond of XL-1/Super Mini etc. I keep several in rotation. Strong saws. The HDC's can be really finicky to set up well on the low and idle circuit. They really benefit from a strong impulse signal. It is worth pressure and vac testing and making certain the reed block/carb/seals are tight. After market seals are available. The later Prestolite electronic ignitions (blue coil) are the Achilles heel. Many a SXLAO, XL-12, XL-76/130 were shelved due to coil failure. I've seen a few Super-EZ/Mini/XL-1 with scorched pistons because folks lean them out too much looking for chain speed. They are not high RPM saws. At least not for long. Old school pyramid reed valve design. Easy to work on. That clutch under the cover looks OEM. They were "S" shaped. Not the strongest design, particularly on the much stronger XL-76/130's. A sharp round of 72LGX and a 16" bar and they cut outside their weight class. Especially in softwood. Here is a real treat if you haven't seen it. Super-EZ in full effect. Legendary saws. Legendary operator.
Harold "Hap" Johnson of Castle Rock,Washington born 1922 was a world renowned high climber,logger & axe thrower.He was John Wayne's stand in during the filming of North To Alaska in 1960. 3 time World Champion Logger,from the late 50's to the early 70's there was no one better. Harold 'Hap' Johnson
That's one bad hombre. Thanks for the video and pics! Your saws look pretty "sharp" there. Did you restore them, or just keep them clean, or come across then in that condition? You mention the blue coil ignition module being a weak point - is there an aftermarket replacement that you know of that would work in the event that either of mine start giving trouble? Or just try to source another and understand that it's got a finite life span? Thanks for the comments on the clutch as well.
I have one that I got for free and thistle is correct they are good strong running saws for their size.
Looking good! Mine will be cutting their teeth (well, for me. Somebody else put plenty of miles on them before I came along!) tomorrow on some pine I've been working up lately.
I just keep them clean and usually try to find them in decent shape. Standard Magneto makes a replacement for the A94111 coil. I do not know if they have the same failure rate. I spent a lot of time trying to trial and error a replacement coil for the XL-76/130. A few fellows have tried one I used and it works well on a few different saws. I will try to use the same coil on a Super Mini this winter. We'll see if it can be mounted appropriately without having to redo the timing. If you have a saw that pre-dates '77 you may have points. That would be a bonus.
Thank you for the info! Looks like a '73 and a '74 by the serial numbers. Both are eight digits, one begins with "4" and one with "3."
