New Toy

I bought a new saw from a member here. It came wrapped in plastic, then taped with a couple of hundred feet of tape, then wrapped in bubble wrap, then packed in packing peanuts, in a cardboard box, sealed with a few hundred feet more tape. Overkill if I ever saw it.

It's a McCulloch PM610. I'm a Mac fan, so debated for about a second before buying this saw. This is seen by many as either the beginning of the end, or just another saw in that transition from the old heavy all metal saws to complete plastic junk from McCulloch. This saw is heavy, but has its fair share of plastic. I think it seems to be fairly well built when compared to newer saws. Weighs a ton dry, then I swear it took half a gallon of mix and another half a gallon of B&C oil. Short version? Love it. Think I might use it as my primary for a while. Runs like a champ, maybe needs a slight tune to my 50:1 mix, but otherwise pulls the 20" that Scotty sharpened quite well.

Also got a chance to use a gift I got from wife and kids. A new hard hat with shield and ear protection all built in. I like it, but it's gonna take some getting used to that shield. I kept forgetting to put it back down. I might wear some eyewear under just to make sure until I get better about it.

I uploaded the video of the new saw to YouTube and also a video of my cheap timber jack for anybody who wants to see one in action. Give me a second to pull up the links in another window on my iPad...

First cut letting saw pull through on its own, second cut pushing on it. You can see the chain really slacked up, so I had to tighten it before I did more cutting.

Oops, almost forgot:


That log is about 95" long, IIRC. I wouldn't do any more weight on that old jack, it was about to fold in half.

Pretty good old beast.I owned one of those from '92 to 2000,when the Super 380 replaced it.Milled a few logs with it,was a struggle for those 61cc's lemme tell ya.....But pulled the 24" b/c with authority when normal felling/bucking was its primary job.Sat under bench in parents garage until I sold it in Mar. 2011 w/ NOS 20" bar & extra NOS air filter.Put fresh mix in it,was a growling after the 4th pull.Always did like the sound of those older Macs.....

One helluva saw for its size,it was one of the last models.One thing I didnt like was it was a real pain to start after shutting off or refueling.Always started easy cold though.

I didn't use a whole tank of mix, but one of the best features of the new Mac is that there is a viewing window for mix level. The antivib on it is pretty danged good, too, if I do say so myself.

I agree.My old one had the fuel tank window & good anti vibes also.

I should have taken more pics of this saw. It still has the stickers on the air cover for hearing protection and it's extremely clean. Not the kind of clean you get from taking good care of a saw, the kind of clean that indicates it just hasn't been used much. I can't believe the rubber from the anti vibe system is so soft and flawless. It's like stepping back in time 30 years. This is coming from a guy who worships his 028.

Mine had the 'earmuff' sticker,usual scratches/scrapes,normal small burn mark on clutch cover from muffler & a small chip out of air filter cover.Liked the manual override on oiler too,if I'm not mistaken the only new saws sold today of any size that still has manual oiler is the Echo's 2 biggest models - 67 & 81cc,respectively.

Damn now I miss that old beast..... Still have a few pics taken when I listed it on Ebay.One of these days when I can spare the cash I'll look for a nice one fairly priced.Still quite a few out there I've noticed,sold a bunch for almost a decade.

Love the sond of that saw Danno, looks like a new one.

Nice vid! My friend its bringing back to life the timberbear 640 or something. Nice saw, and yes heavy. I think its an early 90's, built like a tank, 22 or 24" bar. I need one if those timber jacks! Any suggestions to a reasonably priced well built one? Awesome videos. Went through the wood like butter

Looks to be in great shape still. Love the sound of those older saw's

Check out this thread, it talkes about options for timber jacking.....It also has a link to wood chuck tool and it seems they have some pretty cool products!
http://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/anyone-use-a-hand-truck.91975/#post-1208802

Have you spit on that screen yet? It has been awhile since I have spit on my Labonville hard hat screen as I finally got accustomed to it.
I always try to wear some type of eye protection under the screen as little bits of debris find their way in around the screen.

Thanks fire bones!

LOL Havent done that in a few yrs,its worse in winter when it freezes on there.Always wear safety glasses (either clear or dark depending on weather conditions) under the screen.Normally its safety glasses only when bucking,except for Shagbark Hickory.That very hard loose bark is quite painful when bits of it hit your arms or face.

Nice Saw Danno. Pretty cool vid. Thanks for sharing. Who the hell is this Scotty guy your talkin bout? Never heard of um.
My father has an old Mac in his garage. It has been sitting there for probably 20 years or more. I will have to ask him if it still runs. I know he has not used it in more than 15 years at least. It would be interesting to see if we could get it running. I may be calling on a few of you guys for some info. A mechanic, I am not.

Glad you like the saw, Danno. I wouldn't have hyped it up if it wasn't what I said it was.

How'd you like that packing job?

I've bought many things off of the internet, and lots of times they were broken from shipping (yes, chainsaws too), I won't let that happen to my stuff in shipping.

Stay safe bro, keep those pics coming and keep that ol' girl alive for years to come!

Will do, Scotty. Thanks again for getting it to me. Hard to believe the first message I sent you was

Now that I have it, I know it's meant to live with me. Now you see why I have a "saw problem."

I almost guarantee we can get it running. the question is a matter of funds, time, and skill. If it's sentimental in any way at all, then you should definitely pull it off the shelf and start taking pictures. I bet it will be easier to get going than you expect.

Gas, we'll help you get that saw running. That's one of my specialties. I love working on them, just about as much as running them......

That is awesome. I just thought of something. I will send it to you and Danno and you can send it back when you are done. What?

Danno may claim it when it's done......you'd have to rip it from his bare hands!!

That won't work. I keep forgeting to ask my father about it when I see him. I think he will be happy to see me use it instead of it just sitting there.

Well, I can almost guarantee you that we could probably walk you through the process to get it running again.....If it has spark and compression, that is half the battle.