I really appreciate your sincerity. I just purchased a 610 and I look forward to hearing it work. Your honest style of review is so much appreciated. Please keep it up.
My dad purchased a Montgomery Ward 610 saw back in 1980. It sat for 20 years until I restored it. I now have 2 more of the PM 610s. I absolutely LOVE these saws. Yes they are a little heavy but man the power they put out is unbelievable. Thanks for the video!
Great video, thank you. I picked one of these up at an estate sale and am thrilled to hear how simple they are to work on. I am new to chainsaws and your video has me very excited to get it tuned up and back to work!
I just got on the Mcculloch train. I bought two pro Mac 610's for $40 each on ebay, put carb kits in them and gas line in one and an oil pump and I'm off to cut! I also bought a mint condition Timberbear. I just put new gas line on a Homelite super xl 925 and it fired right up after 20+ years of not running. You hit the nail on the head! Antique is best!
Like you say, they have no collector value so people almost give them away knowing almost nothing about them. That's a gain for collectors of these saws!
Really enjoying listening about the history and your love for the older saws as I own a few myself, BUT we are all just sitting here frothing at the mouth waiting for you to start them up. LOL
I usually keep about a dozen saws in operating condition that I use on a regular basis, so check out some of my older videos to see them in operation. On the older vintage saws, I will pick out some, do a full go through and run and cut with them, but if I do too many at a time they will end up just sitting, and will require more work next time to get them in operation. Check out the videos to see all of them in action. Thanks for watching.
Here again, trying to learn all I can from one of my chainsaw Sensei's...On these vintage Mcculloch chainsaws. Just bought a Mcculloch 140. Now, my journey begins to find a decent 610. Thanks for your free video tutorials.
Appreciate the info just bought a 610 had been sitting a year and it fired right up also got a 650 I’m gonna get and get running and an eager beaver I need to fix up aswell essentially the same as the Mac pros nothing beats these old mccolloch chainsaws
I was just given a Pro Mac 610 with Walbro carburetor. Been sitting 3 years, I filled it with fresh gas and bar oil and it fired on 3rd pull with the choke pulled out. Closed the choke, pulled one time and it started, held at fast idle for about 10 seconds and after that it idled beautifully.
@@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156 yep. I've had probably 15 chainsaws from Poulan, Homellight, Husqvarna, and a couple others, all made from 2000 to 2010, and honestly none were worth half of what they cost. Now I've got a small 16" Echo I got for my 51st birthday the other day, brand new, that I'll use for really light duty like kindling and keeping the trees trimmed back, but this Pro Mac 610 is my forever saw. Yeah she's heavy but if it takes me half as long to get it done, if I pull the starter 3 times vs 6+, then the weight doesn't hurt me none.
If a miracle happened and I purchased a new chainsaw, it would be an Echo. The Mac 610 will outlast and out perform most new saws of similar size.@@oldhillbillybuckkowalski
Great video , I have a timber bear myself from 1992 haven’t ran it in awhile but I’m getting ready to put it back in service , thanks for the motivation sir.
It is always good to put another McCulloch back in operation. It never ceases to amaze me about how many of them are still around. An excellent mid size saw that will do just about any job. Thanks for the nice comment.
Very well said. I've probably had over 15 of these since ive started collecting/working on saws. Everyone of them started up with fuel. Even if they were sitting for 25 years.
You have found the same thing I have with the Mac 600 series saws. They run the longest with the least repairs and just minimal maintenence of just about any saw ever made.
Absolutely love ya man!!! You’re a weenie!!! Toughen up!!! LMFFAO!!! Beautiful!!!! I love it!!! I came over here to see you after your comment on old Harvey’s channel iron horse… I’m surly glad I did!!!! LMFFAO!!! I love it! Toughen up!!! Awesome stuff!!!
My dad gave me his old 610 that sat for 20+ years. He used it to cut tree service wood to burn in their fireplace until he had a chimney fire. I just put in a fireplace and going to use the saw for the same thing, hopefully without the chimney fire. I'm gonna try and get her running next weekend. Thank you for the detailed overview.
A good fuel system cleaning and a carb kit and fuel filter, and spark plug should be all that should be necessary to get the ol saw up and running. Thanks for watching.
You will need to look at the carb to see what brand it is. The most common are Tillotson, Walbro then Zama. There is a model number on them that you will need to order the correct kit. EBAY is the easiest place to find them. Take out the fuel filter and match it up at a small engine or chainsaw shop, same with the spark plug.
@@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156 I was able to get it started and idling, but it dies when I go to pull the trigger. Also seems to make a metal clinking noise which makes the chain inch forward. Haven't tried rebuilding the card yet. I ordered a Walbro carb kit which is on its way.
I just got it running well. Just needed to play with the choke and trigger until it was working. Amazing it started up again after sitting for decades. Thanks again!
I just picked up a PM610 at a garage sale for $10. Didn't know much about it, but it looked like a good saw to me. Glad I picked it up. After watching your video, I'm looking forward to tinkering with it.
The Pro Mac 610's have served me better than any other saws that I use on a regular basis. Powerful, easy to maintain, super reliable. Don't use full synthetic oils in it though, use only partial synthetic oils. I would recommend Echo oil at 40 to 1 for general purpose cutting. The types of oil I use has been one of the reasons my saws last so long.
@@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156 Thanks for the advise. The gentleman I bought it from said it might need an ignition coil. I'm going to pull it out this weekend and tinker with it. It's one of many saws I've picked up over the past few years. Most of them run. I've got an old Homelite XL like the one you have and I've got an Echo 330EVL that I want to get running. In total I think I've got about 20 saws. Just watched your other video on Poulan's...I literally got the two I have for free. And now I'm going to take your tune up tips and see if I can get those two running. Thanks!😉👍
Thanks for the nice comments. On the Mac 610, the coils rarely fail, so I would replace the spark plug first, and if that doesn't help, disconnect the kill switch, as I have had them fail at times. @@jasonlamanna6680
@@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156 I've got to say, after watching your video and hearing that beast of yours it motivated me to pull my $10.00 treasure out of the shed this evening and try to breath some life into it. After hearing your last comment, I took the case apart to find that the last person must have pinched the spark plug wire in the case when putting it back together and it was shorting itself out. After taping the wire up and a little cleaning I was able to get a good spark. It fired up a few times, but I think I'm going to need to adjust the high and low jets. Long story short, you were right, that coil is still good! Can't wait to get it tuned right and running like yours. Thanks again!
Good to hear that you got the saw running. If the saw has been sitting for a long time, I would recommend putting in a carb kit. McCulloch used 3 different brands of carbs on the 610's, so take a look at the carb to see which one you have. Many times a saw will run for a short time after extended sitting, but the diaphram usually fails in short order. Also check the fuel filter to make sure you have adequate fuel flow.@@jasonlamanna6680
Grew up with one of these as "the" saw in our household. Not the firewood saw, not the falling saw, it was the only chainsaw on the property. It cleared the property to make room for the house, cut every bit of firewood we ever burned too. It's never asked for anything but oil and fuel in 35 years of service. My old man eventually bought a couple newer, lighter saws but the old Mac is still there.
What a neat story. The thing about the Mac 610's is that they are big enough and powerful enough to do just about any tree work that most home/farm owners need, and they are super reliable as well. That is the reason they have been my most used saws for 43 years now, and they haven't needed any major repairs either.
Hi mr obsolete I do appreciate this video. I'm all the way over here in new Zealand I have 5 pro mac 610s and one pro mac 650 one of them was my father's thay all run really well and are cheap reliable saws and very miss understood. Thay cut up my fire wood every year I'm really happy with them as I don't like spending much money especially on a fire wood chain saw👍
Thanks for watching. My Mac 610's have been my most used work saws because of the reliability, excellent performance and easy maintenence, same as you have found. Great ol saws !
Yes Sir, Stihl with an 0 in front or Huskies with a 3 or preferably a 2 are about all that interest me nowadays. Where I am in Oz I rarely see Macs or Homelites
That is the nice thing about collecting, you collect what you like. I have found that location has to do a lot with the amount of certain types of saws. Here in the PNW, there are a lot of McCullochs and fewer Homelites (older saws), and almost no Husky,s or Stihl,s, as they werent big sellers back then. Poulans were popular back east where they were made, but rare here. I collect all types of saws, but when it comes to doing work, the Mac,s and Pioneers are my choice, as they have outlasteds all my semi modern Stihl,s, Husky,s Homelites etc.
I have about 20 saws all for about the price of one new one my favorite is the super pro 81 with a 32” bar got it for 250 it was used logging at camp grisdale back in the 80’s
I just got one from my brother after it sat in a green house since 2016, I replaced the fuel line, flex sealed the fuel tank closed and cut down a few trees after the resent hurricane , crazy reliable new chain and right through fresh pine.
My wife just got a mcculloch 610 at a sale for 5 dollar the only thing that was missing was the hand guard .I LEARNED the carb put fresh pre mix in chocked two pulls .I gave her a big hug another one foe my collection . You give me the information on it thanks firend
Don’t have a McBrick yet. Have been buying McCullochs and restoring them, just finished a super 33. Sad to hear about your husky’s, I love them! 372XP possibly the best saw ever made, imo of course
Collecting saws is an excellent hobby, and a Super 33 is a saw that is not seen that often. The 372 Husky has been a huge success for Husky Some experts say it is based on a Partner chainsaw.
I’ve heard that too, that when they bought out poulan/partner and copied their designs, don’t doubt it. They sure ruined a lot of great companies, I do like my 162SE,372&395 though ! Makita is sinking Dolmar now too, sad I have a 6800i that’s been a great saw, I purchased everything I should need to rebuild it while it was still available, it shows no signs of needing it yet though . The 33 turned out great, took two carcasses to get it finished but it was worth it I just need to find some 1/2” pintail chain, it’d also be neat to get all the different . Attachments they made for that powerhead.I’ve got a ‘47 im going to do next. Anyway you’re a wealth of information, thanks for sharing it!
I love my old saws but they just sit there as my hands are shot from saws for 40 years. I can't even push a shopping cart without them going numb from the vibration no av mounts lol!! So I've had to go modern saws and wow what a difference! The old saws are cool to look at but that's about it. Makes me sad!!
I guess I must have been lucky, as the first saws I started with, and still use the most today, 43 years later, are my McCulloch Pro Mac 610's and 650. They are anti vibe saws. I guess if I started with and stayed with Homelite XL 12's and similar saws without the anti-vibe, I might be in a similar situation as you. I lucked out though by starting with, and staying with anti vibe saws. Some of the early saws were real shakers for sure. Some new stuff ain't to hot either. I have a Stihl string trimmer, that is the top of the line homeowner grade that vibrates so bad, I can only run it for 15 minutes, even when wearing fellers gloves to cushion my hands. Another piece of crapola, is my Poulan Wood Shark chainsaw. In the owner's manual it states that extended use will cause irreparable damage to the nerves in your hand and fingers. So new is not always better Anyway, thanks for watching and comment.
Mine came from my Dad. He was a McCulloch man in his younger days and his 610 was the one outside of his front door to grab on his way to the woods. I have loved it and have run probably fifty tanks through it, but Dad put hundreds and hundreds of tanks though. One thing I liked is that it held up to a pressure washer, and that made a huge difference when I was restoring it. The saw is *extremely versitile* and came to me with a 20" bar and is currently wearing a 32" bar with skip chain (hand to God). I took the tach to it and even free speed was *S L O W* compared to a modern saw, but it barely breaks a sweat spinning a chain on a big bar, it is still slow, but gets the job done. About 8800rpm before it gets buried in wood and it doesn't bog a bit. Magnificent, ugly ass chainsaws! The BIG downside is how hard to start the damn things are after they get hot. Weak ignition coils. Not a problem I've had with my Dolmars, Husqys, Echos or Stihls.
Nice that you inherited your dad's mac 610. It's funny how different people have different problems with saws. I have never had a problem hot starting any of my (5) 610's . On real hot days, I set the throttle on the high idle position and they start in just a couple of pulls. The only modern saw I had, that had a coil failure on, was a Husky. And the old STIHL's I have, that had the Bosch electronic ignition failed at a terrible rate. STIHL found a replacement ignition, and gave you a lifetime warranty on that system, to replace the crappy Bosch system.. Husky had a time where their ignitions were failing, and did the lifetime warranty replacement thing also. I find the 610's plenty fast cutting for my firewood and tree management, and don't own any modern saws anymore, as they just wear out too fast. Vintage is best for me.
I have used ebay for the few repair parts I have needed over the last 5 years.. Years ago, when dealer stocks were around, I bought the high wear items and stashed them away for future needs. Up until about 3 years ago, there was a lot of McCulloch parts available on ebay, but do to the extravagant charges for selling items there, most sellers quit, making it harder to fix these saws.@@hondo1829
@@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156 eBay is a hot mess as of about two years ago. I sold old tools and lots of other things on eBay over the years and the policy change pushed me out. Still sometimes I'll find the odd rare part or even full chassis, but those days seem to be fading fast.
Many of the sellers that sold small ,relatively inexpensive parts quit, as by the time you take out the fee's, there is next to nothing left, plus the time to find boxes, wrapping materials etc. to ship them with. That is why I quit.@@CaliforniaCarpenter7
Also, the easiest starting saw. We bought ours in 1981 for $229.00 In the owners manual is a starting sequence. After cutting 2 - 3 cords every year since, the saw starts precisely as it did on day one using the proper sequence when cold: 1) Close choke. 2) Set throttle to high idle. 3) Turn on switch. 4) Pull rope until it starts and dies. (usually 4 pulls) 5) Open choke 6) pull rope until it starts and runs at high idle. 7) Blip throttle to disengage high idle. 8) Cut wood Starts exactly the same every time
The only time my Mac,s dont start is when the carb needs serviced, other than that they start every time, doing the procedure you have posted, and that is why they are my #1 saws after 41 years of use !
Wondering if anybody knew how to adjust that high idle lever,,, mine doesn't work anymore,, it's the only problem I've ever had with it,,, it doesn't affect the idle anymore,,, it's never been apart and if I grab it when it's set to high idle and pull it'll raise the idle somewhat so it's still connected but it doesn't work properly like it once did... Anybody have a diagram so I can adjust that and repair it,, thanks !
I am not sure what saw you are referring to, but the mini macs or 610s dont have any adjustment, and if there is slight wear in any of the components, they just dont work. Replacing the parts is the only fix.@@2packs4sure
Wondering if anybody knew how to adjust that high idle lever,,, mine doesn't work anymore,, it's the only problem I've ever had with it,,, it doesn't affect the idle anymore,,, it's never been apart and if I grab it when it's set to high idle and pull it'll raise the idle somewhat so it's still connected but it doesn't work properly like it once did... Anybody have a diagram so I can adjust that and repair it,, thanks !
I know I commented a while back about pulling the tree out with your Oliver, but you, my 82 year old dad and I all love McCulloch's. I have a 605 and my dad has a few 610's and a Montgomery Ward's version of the 610 and a 510/Super Pro 40. I have a Montgomery Ward's version of the 310 also, along with a 310, 320 and the rear handle version 340. I have about 39 chainsaws and I think 34 or 35 are McCulloch's. My dad has maybe double that, we never counted. Lol!
I bought a 610 in the early 80’s and am still using it. The chain break was removed after a rolling log damaged it. I had it sitting off to the side of the pile of logs but on snagged and swung to the side and hit it saw. Other than that, it’s still a great saw and at 75 years old, I have no intention of buying a new saw.
The Mac 610's are tough to beat for durability for sure. I made the mistake of thinking I needed newer ,lighter saws, to replace them, but they all wore out rather quickly, and so I went back to my Mac's , which are still working away after over 40 years of continual use, with no major repairs.
I have a pm610 and a timber bear. I like them a lot except one huge factor I wished you would have discussed: starting issues. Both of these saws have a tendency to flood, especially once they are warm. Many times they just won't restart. I have to pull the plug, open the throttle and pull 20 times, reinsert the plug and they start. This is the fatal flaw in my opinion.
None of my 610,s have ever had that problem. The first thing I would check is the fuel cap, maybe the vent is plugged. I have had this problem on some of my saws, and it turned out to be cheapo chinese carb kits. I had one saw I re-did the carb, and made the mistake of useing a crappy kit, just walking around with it would operate the pump diaphram, and flood the saw.
@@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156 Interesting, where would you recommend buying a carb kit? Also, is a way to check the vent simply unscrewing the cap and res crewing it on a see if it starts?
You need to see what carb the saw has, then EBAY is a good place to look for carb kits, but make sure you get an original equipment one The other place to get kits is from some of the online parts stores.. If you are out cutting and are going to shut it off, first let it idle for about 30 second, then loosen the fuel cap before you shut it off. Then try starting it again after a couple of minutes to see if it is flooded or not. If flooded the carb needs work, if not, the fuel cap vent needs to be serviced.@@JoBianco
My monkey wards saw has a bracket with a stud that slides over the end of the chain break handle and has a nut to fasten together. It will fall right off when apart. I don't know if the Mac uses the same set up. Great video, love these old saws.
The McCulloch 610's have a stud and nut, but my MW ( Mac 610) just has a plastic protrusion on the chain brake handle that fit into a slot on the metal arm. Ithink this was done as a cost cutting measure.
I noticed recently that people assume all McCulloch’s are collectible and worth a lot more than they actually are. Still some reasonable saws around I just make an offer and tell them if they don’t sell my offer doesn’t expire.
There are a fair number of McCulloch saw models that sold in great numbers and dont have any real collector value. The Mac's that are collectible usually go for a fair amount of dough though. The valuable ones are the big powerhouses like the SP 125, the big gear drives, etc., and are relatively rare because they were used in the woods, and were used up, and some models were only produced for a few years. The Pro Mac 610,s are a good example of a model with no collector value, but are still very useful and still widely used.
@@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156 agree completely. I pay more for the “all metal” Macs. First saw I ever ran was a McCulloch wished I could remember what model. It was in 1969. Loved them ever since.
I own a Timberbear and love it…don’t get me wrong, I have had to work on it, screw coming loose has been main problem, clean carb occasionally, I recently bought a second off eBay….i hope previous owner did not run it with regular gas…you got me worried about it I guess it will be seized hard to pull??? What is symptoms???
The Mac Timber Bears are a great general purpose saw. I have used mine for many years. It is important to tighten all the screws on these saws every once in a while, as they do come loose. The problem with using gas with alcohol in it doesn't affect the mechanical parts of the saw so much, but ruins the fuel lines and carb gaskets and seals. Since I have been using non alcohol fuel in all my power equipment, the amount of fuel system related repairs has dropped dramaticly. I have never had any of my Mac 600 series saws become hard to pull over or seized from sitting, even when they had been using the bad gas before storage.
Too Bad Mr McCulloch Bought The London Bridge and Moved It Brick By Brick To Lake Havasu Arizona That’s What Was The Company’s Demise 🥺😐😬 They We’re Very Innovative In So Many Ways The Old Mac of The 60’s & 70’s Were a Fixture In The Logging Community 😐 Awesome Video Mr Obsolete 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
After Robert McCulloch sold the company, Black and Decker started the road to demise, getting rid of the commercial saws, then slowly cheapening up the regular line up, and quit innovating. The end came in 1999.
Bought my 3.7 back in 1987. Twenty years later I realized how durable and excellent the 600 series were and I started looking for and buying these saws. I picked the right time because everyone was buying Stilh, Echo, Husky, etc. The 600 series Mac's were considered obsolete and too heavy. Today I have accumulated over 50 running/mothballed bagged and boxed 600 series saws. I guess I went off the deep end. The most durable best sounding saw made.
I share reasons for choosing a product. Top priority is ease of maintenance and working. If something performs better but makes me hate everything and kill my time ton work on it, i don't want it.
My Mac 610's have outlasted all other saws that I have had for actual work, and have had the least repairs of any brand saws that I have owned. That's why they are my go to work saws.
I too love my Mc Bricks. i have a 650, 610 and a 605. They don't even have points to mess with. They are reliable and offer good power. I got a used 605 that would not oil. someone put used motor oil in the bar oil tank; the line deteriorated. i had the whole saw stripped into the oil tank in an hour. i cleaned the tank and pick up with a new line and sealed the tank. 3 hours and back up.
The 600 series Macs were really one of the best farm saws ever made. Last forever, easy to work on, don't generally need much in the way of repairs and are great performers as well. Tough to beat.
I've got an early 90's PM605 that was bought for me by a girlfriend at the time. It was my first chainsaw and its stayed with me for some unknown reason throughout all my trials and tribulations of years gone by. I had a love hate relationship with the saw over the years. It was always very hard starting and you were half worn out by the time you got cutting with it. After it was warmed up however it would start on first pull and had good power. Its always been a last resort for me for that reason and grab my Stihl MS271 instead. About every 5 years or so I grab the old girl (the chainsaw, the girl friends long gone) and try and to give her a little love. I think the last time I polished her up I replaced the oil pump and got her starting up pretty good cold and told myself well it's a spare if I absolutely need a chainsaw in a pinch. Well its her time again and that's why I'm watching videos to see what up out there in the McCulloch world. Thanks for the video. I see the 610 has a warm spot in your heart also. Strange isn't it?
You have found one of the reasons to keep a Mac 600 series saw, and that it always starts, runs and cuts. I use them for all my major wood cutting for that reason, plus they never wear out and require minimum maintenence or repairs. Every saw can have their quirks, but all my 600 Macs have always been easy starters. I have purchased newer more modern saws over time, but they all wore out rather quickly, and the Macs were waiting in the background to get back to work. So no new saws for me anymore.
Turn both jets from a closed position to 1 full turn out. The saw will run with these settings, but not well. The idle jet usually runs from 3/4 to 1 1/4 turns open. The main jet usually is set 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 turns. Let the saw warm up to do the final adjustments. Adjust idle screw till you get the highest idle speed. Most Mac 600 series saws have a built in governor in the carb on the high speed jet circuit, so with no load the speed will go up and down slightly. To get the final adjustment, the saw needs to be cutting wood. You will need to run the saw in the wood, stop and let it idle, then adjust the main jet slightly richer or leaner till you get the best cutting speed in the wood.
Well the 601 is not oiling meaning saw will have to come apart, just short of splitting the crankcase. lol. To remove the oil tank lines&filter. It needs a good cleaning anyway and going to replace fuel lines and filter, plus anything else I can find or you recommend doing? while its all stripped down. Found model# 1-41 on the older Mac I ask you about. As always.. Thanks again, for all your help
The oiling problem with the Mac 610 is most likely the oil pump diaphram. If the manual oiler works, then you know the port from the oil pump to the bar oiler hole is clear. Sometimes the oil line is bad also. Best to check and clean all.
Just found your feeds. Great stuff. I have been collecting and running Mcculloch's for a bit now. I'm a fan of the PM 605 and 610's and have about 4 last time I looked.. LOL.. Do you recommend swapping the plastic recoil starter pully's for the steel ones? TYIA
The oil tank certainly should have been the same design as the SP81. On the 610 ya have to break down a lot just to get into the oil tank to replace the oil line. If it would of had a design like the sp 81 with a forward tank lid with one screw removal it would have bee so much better.
You are 100% correct. The 610 is a consumer saw, so some shortcuts were made to make it cheaper to build. Still, even with it's flaws, my 610's are my most used saws by far.
Those air filters could get misaligned & let dirt in. I sold 1 many years ago & guess what, less than a month later he was back wanting his $ back b/c of that air filter problem.
The air filter setup on the Mac 610,s is not the greatest for sure, but I have never had that problem on any of the half dozen of these saws I own, many with 40 years of use or more. I take a little extra time when installing them to make sure they are aligned properly, and the results speak for themselves.
I def give 2 thumbs up on the vid.i have 5 610s the one thing i notice is no 610s i usually see dont have spikes up front yet you can run duals.havin the dual spikes def add more control with a .375 chain and 20" bar
The 610 starters rarely fail, but the interesting thing is that the starter on the Timber Bear is the same exact starter,but made with substandard parts. McCulloch way of saving money making the saws.
..It's funny how things flip-flop over time..you were talking about how expensive the parts were for the Husqvarna and Stihl, and how reasonable the parts were for the Mac..well, nowadays, you can get all kinds of aftermarket Chinese parts for the Huskys and Stihls dirt cheap on Ebay, Amazon, etc...and the Mac parts have become not only hard to find, but people want crazy money for NOS parts when you can find them...I guess because they are considered "collector" or "hobby" saws now, and the big collectors are willing to pay big money for NOS parts, which the supply is drying up...I know what you are saying, though..I, too, love the old slow-revving, durable, high-torque saws best.. :)
Most of the replicrap Chinese saw parts are crap. I couldnt find a Stihl muffler for my 051, so I had to purchase a replicrap part, and had to modify it to work. Take a look at my video (Mr. Obsolete Saves The Railroad), and after a few heavy cuts, the muffler smoked so bad as the paint burnt off that it looks like the saw was on fire. My McCullochs have never needed much in the way of repair parts, and until a year ago, there was a lot of stuff on EBAY. Now all of a sudden parts are a lot harder to find, and way more expensive. Not sure what changed. I have built up a small stash of wear parts over the years for the Mac's that I use all the time, so it hasn't affected me so much. Parts for the real rare and collectible saws are rare and expensive. The most sought after saw is the Mac SP 125, which were only made for 3 years, and used in the logging industry, so it makes sense that any good pieces for these rare saws are very expensive.
@@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156 Last question,, looks like McCulloch used some thin glue-sealant on the chain oil reservoir, I plan to use an ultra thin layer of Ford TA-31 RTV silicone sealant since I have it handy. Ok you think or not? Thanks again !
The RTV will work, but I use motorcycle engine case sealer. It holds up to heat better and has a stronger bond. Every motorcycle brand sells it under their name, but it is the same stuff. Honda sells it as Hondabond, Kawasaki sells it as Kawasakibond, and Yamaha as Yamabond.@@2packs4sure
I just had one of these given to me. It doesn't have a brake on it and I'm not sure if it runs. If I can get it running is it worth it to buy the missing parts?
A used side cover with the brake should be easy to find and cheap on EBAY. Unless the saw has been mechanically ruined, it is easy to fix and they run and cut great. The Mac 610's are my most used saws, as they last forever, are powerful and cut great.
..you just showed that Stihl 031AV...those just happen to be my least favorite(non-compact) vintage saw to work on..they were WAY over-engineered, IMHO..and the ignition system is a nightmare, too...
Most Stihl's are hard to work on, and in my opinion, not all that great. The 031 was a gift, and hadn't had a lot of use. I was shocked that I couldn't buy starter parts or a fuel cap for this saw from Stihl. These were a huge seller for Stihl. The saw has good power, but the ergonomics aren't that good, and it feels clumbsy. My 051 had a lot of sub-par parts on it from the factory, as well as my 075, and no parts available from Stihl either, and hard to work on also. My Mac's and Pioneer's are the saws I use all the time.
I just subscribed, just the other day I had to find a chainsaw to use, ended up using a Stihl 251 and took another chainsaw I got running to cut the log, but I do have two McCulloch I pulled out of the garage they look like yours so tomorrow I will check to see the model, now one of them has the label and one does not but they look the same, is there a way you can tell what model if the label is missing? one has some old gas in the tank the other is empty so tomorrow I find out. Edit just looked on ebay I don't think mine are the same they both have spikes.
Most McCullochs have a metal tag riveted on them, usualy near the carburetor area, and it has the series and serial number on it. It does not specify the model number of the saw though. I would suggest looking up the Chainsaw Collectors Corner forum, and it will show a picture of the saw, the series number and all the specs.
It’s unfortunate that you had such a poor experience with your Husky. I run them in the woods production falling and wouldn’t run anything else. Zero problems. Don’t get me wrong, I love my old MACs and Homelites but not for production cutting.
I have only had two pro grade Husky's and one was old enough I couldnt get parts for it, even though it didnt need much. The 371 I had was a terrible saw, and the other small Huskys just didnt last. Since I am not a pro logger the saws I use do the job for me.
You're a bad influence. After watching, I checked market place and found a Timber Bear and a PM605 that I went out and bought. Into the pair for $90 and with minimal tinkering, they both run great. I need more saws like I need a hole in the head. I'm with bucking Billy Ray in the 28" bar camp. Its real nice to not have to crouch down to buck stuff up on the ground. I tried a modified 28" d009 bar on the PM605, and it spins it just fine. Lots of grunt for a less than 60cc saw. Might have to get a couple more of these mc brick saws😂. Too much fun
I could never figure out why McCulloch made the PM 605, as it is I think 58cc if I remember correctly and the 610's are 60cc. Looks like you got areal good deal. I almost always run 24" bars, as that is what I have, and run a 28" bar on my Pro Mac 700. I am not real tall, so that works good for me. You are right, one is just not enough ! Thanks for watching.
Greetings: I have a 650 and it almost doesn't oil at all. Where should I turn the oiling switch to better lubricate the chain? outward or inward? no matter how much I tried to lubricate it better.
@@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156 I forgot to ask how far can I unscrew the oil adjustment screw of the chain lube? Won't it fall out if I twist it really hard?
The shop manuals don't give any specific adjustment on the screw that controls the bar oil output. Remove the bar , chain and outer guide rail, start the saw and see what the oil flow is. Turn the screw out a turn or two, then see if the oil flow is improved. If not, most likely the pump diaphram is bad. The oil line and filter can be plugged at times, but doesn't occur very often. Rarely, the oil line can fail also.@@zoltanolah8780
Every saw has some feature that is not the best . The 610's have withstood the test of time, and outlast almost any other saw ever made. The reasons that they are my favorite saw is durability, ease of maintenence, fast cutting and powerful.
@@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156 I did not know the hard starting when warm was a thing/ That was about twenty-five years ago. I traded for it after wearing out two of those green hardware store saws. It was heavy, drank gas like a drag racer, and was a pain to start when warm. I bought a Stihl 029 Super in '99 and that has been my main saw since. I no longer heat with wood, so the biggest stuff I cut is destined from my smoker. Then I saw this video which prompted a complete emptying of my shed to get at the 610.
Hello Mr.Ob, hope you are well? Just saw your oil video so I suppose I'll use a 40:1 blend on the 610 I got?? My buddy also has another old Mac Looks to be a 1-52 or 250 ? Maybe. Only numbers I see is 50041 under base and one on crankcase facing clutch and its not handy right now to look. I took some pics of both saws but, not able to upload on this message. Anyway, if I can't identify the older one, I may need to pick your Brain a lil later? If thats OK I'm in no rush what so ever.. Thanks!!
If you are doing just average cutting with the Mac 610, 40:1 oil mix will be enough, but use partial synthetic oil. I would recommend ECHO Red Armor two stroke oil, as it is easy to find, and works very well in the old saws. On the older Mac, on the bottom of the crankcase their should be both the model number and serial number. Sometimes the engine cases were replaced and not stamped, making it difficult to identify. There were a whole range of models that used the same chassis, but with different displacements. On some, the starters are on opposite sides, and mufflers were different. If you are not familiar with the website (chainsaw collectors corner) I would suggest you look it up and do some research to help figure out your old saw. It has a wealth of info.
OK, thanks for your help and I'll check that website also! The 610 has the original fat 20" bar with most of the black paint still on it.lol The older saw ? Is a 24" fat Mac bar also and a round Briggs 3 1/2 hp looking muffler w/small deflector and it seems to be a complete solid ole saw and came with a custom made wooden box. The old boy must have really loved it. Try to get it going an figure out what we got this weekend.
The bars on your Mac's were made by Windsor, and are the longest lasting bars I have ever used. The muffler on the old Mac is correct for that era saw. If the old saw doesn't have spark, a lot of times their is corrosion under the coil, and it won't ground properly. A quick cleaning is takes care of the problem in most cases.@@joelhockett8137
OK, it has good spark I think? And supposed to run, just hadn't found time to fool with it yet! Looked @ chainsaw collectors corner site. it might be the later 250 but.still guessing at this point I'll look at numbers again tomorrow
Manual pump is not working and getting no oil at all to the bar? Lines and or filter possibly diaphragm also.. Lotta work to correct it either way! Justy luck
Im loving my ported pm610.its not realfast,but its.got alot of.grunt, and handles a 20 inchbar with ease and can cut bar length wood.like.its.nobodys business.m very lucky to have a small engine repqir shol23 miles from my house.that will work.on darn near anything,and hes cheap.currently i have a poulan 3500 ,a homelite xl2,and a chinese bluemax saw that he had to.do some minor repairs on for.me and rhe bill is.only $90
I run a 24" bar on both my Pro Mac 610 and 650, with excellent results. You are indeed lucky to have a real mechanic to repair your saws etc. as shops like that are rare indeed. Thanks for watching
Great video but the question that i have is I got a 610 saw or it looks like the saw you were going over on the mac .there's no id tags on this saw that I can find .I cleaned it up and got it running would really like to find out what saw I have ,do you have any tips that would help.ps it doesn't have the compression release on the side
In the chamber where the carburetor is, there should be a tag with the serial number and an IPL number and the name McCulloch on it. If the saw doesnt have a compression release on it, it is most likely a Pro Mac 610 or Timber Bear. Once you find the IPL number, take a look at the Chainsaw Collectors Corner forum, and browse through the McCulloch section to find what model it is for sure.
I'm looking toget a new vintage saw ,What is the best old saw that you can still get parts for ? I'm looking at a mcculloch mac10-10 automatic or a homelite super xl. Both forsale near me.
I got this saw afew months ago swaped it for and old echo 660evl that wasn't runing right the 610 runs perfect took off the exzorst piston is like brand new :)
The 610,s exhaust port is straight down, so carbon is rarely a problem, as it blows down and out of the muffler. The result is rarely a scored piston. These saws will run forever if taken care of !
Hey if I have a Mac 610 that’s leaking bar oil, like there will be a pool of bar oil under the saw if you set it down, would that be an oil pump issue? Like do you think replacing the oil pump would solve that?
The oil leaking is a common problem. Most of the time it is the check valve in the oil pump that doesn't seat properly. Most of the time this can be repaired by taking the pump off the saw, then flush out the ports with brake cleaner while using a small rod to operate the manual oiler piston to clear out any debris. This is a good time to flush out the port that goes to the bar to remove any debris. Sometimes the base gasket under the pump can be bad and will cause the same problem. A new pump and gasket would be the next step if the cleaning doesn't cure the problem.
Hi ! Jostein Norway here. Thx for demo and well I just also got me a 610 here ! :-) Can you help me with 2-10 I got here. Not familiar with Mcculloch... you know...most swedish here he he. On the 2-10 the is sprocket...looks old and maybe original...from start he he of saw. I can bearly read 62572-A on it and other side...SM 57. Do you know if it is 404 pitch ? Where to find chain and bar for that sprocket and that saw ? You know ? It har a bullfrog in it and i got it running he he but cant wait to get chain and bar...that i can use. We more used to 3/8 and 325...which seems not to fit. It looks like 7 grip or teeth... It is the round type spriocket... not the star kind of theet lokking sprocket...if you understand what i mean. Ansvers apreciated !
There are two types of McCulloch 2-10 saws. The most common is the small version of 54cc,s and would use a 3/8 pitch chain The other 2-10 is a big 95cc saw that used 1/2" pitch chain. If you have the smaller saw, it uses the same bar as the 10-10,s, 610s etc. and should be relatively easy to find. If you need to find a clutch, it fits the same models. Hope this helps.
@@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156 Super ! Thx allot ! I have a 10-10 and a 610 also and i will check it out. Just that my ordinary 3/8 seemed not to fitt all well. But I investigate and try the bar and chain from 610...or take a look at 10-10 bar and chain if needed. I already saw/ see/ looked he he , on my 610 and it looked similar to 3/8...but really not sure. If there could be an american pitch version and an european...but likely not. I still amateur...but very impressed with Mcculloch...i start to get know now ! :-) I guess it must be the small one i have 52 cc 2-10. But i thought it is little strange the sprocket has 7 attachments for the chain and thought 6 was more like 3/8 style... as on Stihl and Partner etc. the star like sprocket has 7 for 325 and six for 3/8 pitch. I find out of it. Very cool my old bullfrog did not hade too bad diaphragm and the primer not stuck and after a trip in my new ultrasoundcleaner...it actually fired up very well. Those carbs has not the best rumor...as i understand it. If it does me service...i will keep it as it is ! :-)
Another observation is that the round sprocket...seems to be fixed on the clutch drum. Others can be changed...as on newqer Stihl f.ecs. First time i see that. Ok. But I guess there is newer mccullochs that is changebal also as on others brands. But the one i have...i suspect is very very old. Might be a good sign he he ! Have a nice day and thx again. Keep up the good work. :-)
I have two old KIORITZ (ECHO) saws. One is about 70cc and was sold by Sears, and I believe it is the first Kioritz Echo model sold in the US in the 60's. The other is a late 70's John Deere 40v, which I have in a number of my video's. I like the Echo's and if I were to purchase a new saw, it would be an Echo. I find that the two saws I have are well made and have some nice features that other saws should have. The negative side is that parts aren't available and they have modest power compared to McCulluchs and Homelites of the same era. I enjoy using them and will do a video on my bigger saw at some point.
@@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156 agreed! My neighbor was looking for a firewood saw and has limited small engine experience and didn’t need a light weight saw. So I steered him toward a 610. But it’s on my beach right now getting a new recoil and a cleaning. But it gives me some video content anyway😂
A 610 will get the job done for sure. Since the recoil is bad, is the saw a Timber Bear version? They were late models with some cheapo parts put in the starter, and were prone to failure, the earlier saws not so much.@@LumberjackSmokestack
The best saw is the one you are familiar with. They are the best designed, preform the best. I am a Stihl man and I generally understand most Stihl saws. A friend, whose opinions I respect, has hammered that Husqvarna saws are the best, easy to fix and build. So, after five years of listening to that crap, I built a Husqvarna 372 XP this year. Most of the assembly did not fool me because it was very similar to the Stihl designs. However, some of it fooled the crap out of me. A Husky is not easier to work on if you have only worked on Stihl. I understand Stihl and if I need to know something I pull up an IPL and everything becomes much clearer. I never did understand the chain break system on a Husky but I have a friend who is a Husky tech and he threw it together in five minutes.
@@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156 and continues to run. I generally have three requirements for a saw - easy to light, stays lit and re-lights. After that is weight, ease of use and reliability. Some folks throw in vibration. Believe it or not my favorite is my MS 440 with a 24 inch bar. After that is my ms MS 360. It is just as reliable as the 440 and about 5# lighter. If I need a high cut or I am having to negotiate through limbs and debris I will grab the 360 in a heart beat but if I am bucking just big rounds I grab the 440. All my saws are fitted with full chisel, full comp chains that are kept sharp. I tailor the saw to the job and not the job to the saw. I usually carry a minimum of four saws ta a cutting job. I light up all four and then take the one that best meets the requirements for the job, leaving the other three idling should I need them.
@@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156 I like the way you are not decked out in all kinds of PPE’s. I only wear a helmet when I am cutting down a tree because a limb fell and knocked the crap out of me. Normally, I just wear what is comfortable to me to dance through the tulips with with my Marine Corps cover on my head. For attire I wear what is cool or warm - shorts in hot weather and jeans in cold weather. A jacket or field jacket in real cold weather. I have chaps but they are hot when cutting in 90 degree weather. For footwear I like my Sperry Topsiders and my jungle boots in uneven ground with lots of tripping hazards. I do not go out dressed like a gladiator but I do wear leather gloves.
Being comfortable when working is one of the most important things one can do. If you are hot or cold, it distracts one from concentrating on the job at hand, and running a saw needs all your attention.@@johnclarke6647
That saw will give you years of great service when taken care of properly. By your name, I can see you are a Detroit Diesel man. I have an 8-V71 in my Autocar truck. Screaming Jimmy's are my favorite !
The original design of the Detroit Diesel engine came from the Winton car company. The big engine division was a separate part of the company, as the car line disappeared A company called EMC( Electromotive Corporation) acquired them and renamed them Clevelands. Then GM purchased EMC, and was renamed EMD (Electomotive Division, and changed the name to Detroit Diesel.@@DIESELMAN8V92
I’ve had my Timber Bear since 1992. Never had a major issue. Pops on the first or second pull with choke. Great power but a little heavy. Recoil issues over the years but nothing I couldn’t fix myself.
Amazing how the 600 series McCulloch's last forever and require mostly just normal servicing. The cure to fix the recoil problem, is to put a recoil off a Pro Mac 610. They cheapened up the starters on the timber bears, and problems are common on them.
All but one person who have left messages about the Mac 610's have replied about how much they like theses saws. The one detractor was comparing a new pro grade saw against the vintage farm/home owner saw. A pro grade saw will cut faster and is lighter, but will be in the scrap pile, while the ol Mac is still on the job.
@@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156 there metal maybe heavier but last forever anything new nowadays its cheap! its all plastic! Another thing there easy to work on! I wouldnt sell my 610 mac pro i love it! i have the original from the 1970s!
1976 was the first year for the 610 series, and was called a Farm Mac. 77 on were Pro Mac 610,s till late in production they were labelled 5700's, and the last as Timber Bears in 1999 when Mac went broke.@@midnightrider1178
@@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156 awesome yea mines prob from 1977 then its a pro mac but mostly all metal i know there some later years that had more plastic on it! Good to know tho i learn more a bout it everyday thanks for the info!
You can’t fix stupid. I listened to a video and the presenter was bitching because the control lever on avStihl has to be pushed up to turn it off. He said it was counter intuitive. I would hate for him to have to use one of the old saws that had a kill switch, somewhere along the back of the saw. You could tell he was a Husqvarna user because he kept bragging how you just had to push them down. Yep, but what happens if you inadvertently pushed it dow, accidentally. I am glad they push up because you won’t turn it off, accidentally. I have all kinds of saws, they each start and stop differently. Once you run Stihl or Husky saws for a few years, how they start and stop becomes second nature.. special tools - I have lots of special and specialized tools from seal removers to seal drivers, case splitters long Allen wrenches in Mm sizes and plenty of T27 bits. My rollaway must weigh 1,000#.
I like to see these so called experts say silly things like that, but it shows that they are not too swift, because if one is a pro, one can run any saw or piece of machinery effectively with a short learning curve. As for tools, one cant have enough.
@@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156 it has been cool to cold,here. It is supposed to get colder. Our DAV Christmas party is in ten days and it is supposed to be real cold, then. My 026 is coming around. I am going to be busy this week repairing some things and updating it to 026 Pro specs. New oil pump, climate controlled carb, intake boot, AV buffers and seals. Some of which needs to be replaced some of it just updated. All of this with my knee bothering me. I twisted it last week. I have been walking around like the hobbit ever since. I wanted to make a flat of apple jelly, today, but don’t think I can stand up for the time it takes to make it.
@@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156 I agree, just show me where the on-off switch and choke are and I will figure a way to crank it. If I ca crank a Ford 2N at age ten, I can sure crank a chainsaw. Neither one of them have electric starters, right? What was that tractor - a Farmal A? My daddy liked IHC stuff but my maternal grandfather was pure Blue(Ford) all the way. We had a ‘57 Cub on the farm until it fell apart after daddy died.
@@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156 I wish I still had the Cub but we sold the farm in ‘98 and it was still in the Butler Barn. By then I had outgrown it and had a Fire 7740 and a 5000 before that. That Cub was a toy compared to those two. I could have fixed it - it needed a new gas tank and liked to overheat. Just did not have time to mess with it back then. I was to busy living and raising a couple of kids.
The name on the the saws were spelled incorrectly at the factory, they should be PULL-ONS, as you have to pull and pull on the starter, and if a miracle happens, the saw will run !
The ones I had were not that durable, as they all had engine failures, even with proper maintenece and lubrication The other problem is that the saws from the era as my McCullochs and Pioneers is that, parts availability is virtually non exitent.
I really appreciate your sincerity. I just purchased a 610 and I look forward to hearing it work. Your honest style of review is so much appreciated. Please keep it up.
Thank you for the nice comment.
My dad purchased a Montgomery Ward 610 saw back in 1980. It sat for 20 years until I restored it. I now have 2 more of the PM 610s. I absolutely LOVE these saws. Yes they are a little heavy but man the power they put out is unbelievable. Thanks for the video!
Dependability and power are hard to beat !
Great video, thank you. I picked one of these up at an estate sale and am thrilled to hear how simple they are to work on. I am new to chainsaws and your video has me very excited to get it tuned up and back to work!
Glad it was helpful!
this content curbs my depression, Thank you sir!
I just got on the Mcculloch train. I bought two pro Mac 610's for $40 each on ebay, put carb kits in them and gas line in one and an oil pump and I'm off to cut! I also bought a mint condition Timberbear. I just put new gas line on a Homelite super xl 925 and it fired right up after 20+ years of not running. You hit the nail on the head! Antique is best!
Looks like you picked up some nice saws !
Like you say, they have no collector value so people almost give them away knowing almost nothing about them. That's a gain for collectors of these saws!
Do you have any recommendations for where to buy the parts you mentioned?
Really enjoying listening about the history and your love for the older saws as I own a few myself, BUT we are all just sitting here frothing at the mouth waiting for you to start them up. LOL
I usually keep about a dozen saws in operating condition that I use on a regular basis, so check out some of my older videos to see them in operation. On the older vintage saws, I will pick out some, do a full go through and run and cut with them, but if I do too many at a time they will end up just sitting, and will require more work next time to get them in operation. Check out the videos to see all of them in action. Thanks for watching.
Love the older saws an im kinda new to the mcculloughs but had several of the other brands. Love em.
..McCulloch..NOT McCullough.. :)..I don't know why, but that seems to be a very, very common mistake.. ?
Cool video! Makes me want to get mine out! Love the 80s styling, I always thought if you painted one red it would look like A Ferrari Testarossa!
Now i want to do.that
@KainKustomGarage I'm here from the future to let you know that you do indeed paint one to look like a Ferrari and it's pretty sweet.
I have one and is the only chainsaw I have ever owned. Have had it for 28 years. And its still going strong!!!!! Love it.
Your story is the same as many others as to the Mac 610's durability. That is why they are my main go to saws.
You have some great old chainsaws Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
You bet
Here again, trying to learn all I can from one of my chainsaw Sensei's...On these vintage Mcculloch chainsaws. Just bought a Mcculloch 140. Now, my journey begins to find a decent 610. Thanks for your free video tutorials.
610,s are easy to find, and you will be happy with the performance.
Appreciate the info just bought a 610 had been sitting a year and it fired right up also got a 650 I’m gonna get and get running and an eager beaver I need to fix up aswell essentially the same as the Mac pros nothing beats these old mccolloch chainsaws
You will be happy with these ol Mac's, especially the 650. Nice collection !
I was just given a Pro Mac 610 with Walbro carburetor. Been sitting 3 years, I filled it with fresh gas and bar oil and it fired on 3rd pull with the choke pulled out. Closed the choke, pulled one time and it started, held at fast idle for about 10 seconds and after that it idled beautifully.
Now you know why I use them !
@@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156 yep. I've had probably 15 chainsaws from Poulan, Homellight, Husqvarna, and a couple others, all made from 2000 to 2010, and honestly none were worth half of what they cost. Now I've got a small 16" Echo I got for my 51st birthday the other day, brand new, that I'll use for really light duty like kindling and keeping the trees trimmed back, but this Pro Mac 610 is my forever saw. Yeah she's heavy but if it takes me half as long to get it done, if I pull the starter 3 times vs 6+, then the weight doesn't hurt me none.
If a miracle happened and I purchased a new chainsaw, it would be an Echo. The Mac 610 will outlast and out perform most new saws of similar size.@@oldhillbillybuckkowalski
Good info! Yeah, older machines are way simpler.
The parts war! Now they keep trying to make things that are impossible to repair! Just to make you get a new one!
Thats the truth.
Great video , I have a timber bear myself from 1992 haven’t ran it in awhile but I’m getting ready to put it back in service , thanks for the motivation sir.
It is always good to put another McCulloch back in operation. It never ceases to amaze me about how many of them are still around. An excellent mid size saw that will do just about any job. Thanks for the nice comment.
Very well said. I've probably had over 15 of these since ive started collecting/working on saws. Everyone of them started up with fuel. Even if they were sitting for 25 years.
You have found the same thing I have with the Mac 600 series saws. They run the longest with the least repairs and just minimal maintenence of just about any saw ever made.
Absolutely love ya man!!! You’re a weenie!!! Toughen up!!! LMFFAO!!! Beautiful!!!! I love it!!! I came over here to see you after your comment on old Harvey’s channel iron horse… I’m surly glad I did!!!! LMFFAO!!! I love it! Toughen up!!! Awesome stuff!!!
For a non pro saw, the ol Mac 610's are tough to beat.
My dad gave me his old 610 that sat for 20+ years. He used it to cut tree service wood to burn in their fireplace until he had a chimney fire. I just put in a fireplace and going to use the saw for the same thing, hopefully without the chimney fire. I'm gonna try and get her running next weekend. Thank you for the detailed overview.
A good fuel system cleaning and a carb kit and fuel filter, and spark plug should be all that should be necessary to get the ol saw up and running. Thanks for watching.
@@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156 Thanks for the tips. Where can I find those? Small engine repair shop or online?
You will need to look at the carb to see what brand it is. The most common are Tillotson, Walbro then Zama. There is a model number on them that you will need to order the correct kit. EBAY is the easiest place to find them. Take out the fuel filter and match it up at a small engine or chainsaw shop, same with the spark plug.
@@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156 I was able to get it started and idling, but it dies when I go to pull the trigger. Also seems to make a metal clinking noise which makes the chain inch forward. Haven't tried rebuilding the card yet. I ordered a Walbro carb kit which is on its way.
I just got it running well. Just needed to play with the choke and trigger until it was working. Amazing it started up again after sitting for decades. Thanks again!
Just picked one of these up for $70. Gonna enjoy it. Learned on an old 610. Cool video
The ol Pro Mac 610's are tough to beat. They are super reliable, simple to maintain, and are excellent cutters. Thanks for watching.
I just picked up a PM610 at a garage sale for $10. Didn't know much about it, but it looked like a good saw to me. Glad I picked it up. After watching your video, I'm looking forward to tinkering with it.
The Pro Mac 610's have served me better than any other saws that I use on a regular basis. Powerful, easy to maintain, super reliable. Don't use full synthetic oils in it though, use only partial synthetic oils. I would recommend Echo oil at 40 to 1 for general purpose cutting. The types of oil I use has been one of the reasons my saws last so long.
@@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156 Thanks for the advise. The gentleman I bought it from said it might need an ignition coil. I'm going to pull it out this weekend and tinker with it. It's one of many saws I've picked up over the past few years. Most of them run. I've got an old Homelite XL like the one you have and I've got an Echo 330EVL that I want to get running. In total I think I've got about 20 saws. Just watched your other video on Poulan's...I literally got the two I have for free. And now I'm going to take your tune up tips and see if I can get those two running. Thanks!😉👍
Thanks for the nice comments. On the Mac 610, the coils rarely fail, so I would replace the spark plug first, and if that doesn't help, disconnect the kill switch, as I have had them fail at times. @@jasonlamanna6680
@@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156 I've got to say, after watching your video and hearing that beast of yours it motivated me to pull my $10.00 treasure out of the shed this evening and try to breath some life into it. After hearing your last comment, I took the case apart to find that the last person must have pinched the spark plug wire in the case when putting it back together and it was shorting itself out. After taping the wire up and a little cleaning I was able to get a good spark. It fired up a few times, but I think I'm going to need to adjust the high and low jets. Long story short, you were right, that coil is still good! Can't wait to get it tuned right and running like yours. Thanks again!
Good to hear that you got the saw running. If the saw has been sitting for a long time, I would recommend putting in a carb kit. McCulloch used 3 different brands of carbs on the 610's, so take a look at the carb to see which one you have. Many times a saw will run for a short time after extended sitting, but the diaphram usually fails in short order. Also check the fuel filter to make sure you have adequate fuel flow.@@jasonlamanna6680
Grew up with one of these as "the" saw in our household. Not the firewood saw, not the falling saw, it was the only chainsaw on the property. It cleared the property to make room for the house, cut every bit of firewood we ever burned too. It's never asked for anything but oil and fuel in 35 years of service. My old man eventually bought a couple newer, lighter saws but the old Mac is still there.
What a neat story. The thing about the Mac 610's is that they are big enough and powerful enough to do just about any tree work that most home/farm owners need, and they are super reliable as well. That is the reason they have been my most used saws for 43 years now, and they haven't needed any major repairs either.
Hi mr obsolete I do appreciate this video. I'm all the way over here in new Zealand I have 5 pro mac 610s and one pro mac 650 one of them was my father's thay all run really well and are cheap reliable saws and very miss understood. Thay cut up my fire wood every year I'm really happy with them as I don't like spending much money especially on a fire wood chain saw👍
Thanks for watching. My Mac 610's have been my most used work saws because of the reliability, excellent performance and easy maintenence, same as you have found. Great ol saws !
Yes Sir, Stihl with an 0 in front or Huskies with a 3 or preferably a 2 are about all that interest me nowadays.
Where I am in Oz I rarely see Macs or Homelites
That is the nice thing about collecting, you collect what you like. I have found that location has to do a lot with the amount of certain types of saws. Here in the PNW, there are a lot of McCullochs and fewer Homelites (older saws), and almost no Husky,s or Stihl,s, as they werent big sellers back then. Poulans were popular back east where they were made, but rare here. I collect all types of saws, but when it comes to doing work, the Mac,s and Pioneers are my choice, as they have outlasteds all my semi modern Stihl,s, Husky,s Homelites etc.
I just got one for ten bucks just needed new gas and a screw for the pull cord runs awesome!!
great find
I have about 20 saws all for about the price of one new one my favorite is the super pro 81 with a 32” bar got it for 250 it was used logging at camp grisdale back in the 80’s
That is a good find as well as a bit of history.@@Slaughterk360
I just got one from my brother after it sat in a green house since 2016, I replaced the fuel line, flex sealed the fuel tank closed and cut down a few trees after the resent hurricane , crazy reliable new chain and right through fresh pine.
The Mac 610's are amazingly reliable !
My wife just got a mcculloch 610 at a sale for 5 dollar the only thing that was missing was the hand guard .I LEARNED the carb put fresh pre mix in chocked two pulls .I gave her a big hug another one foe my collection . You give me the information on it thanks firend
The part you need should be easy to find. If you do a fair amount of wood cutting, the ol 610,s really do a great job.
Don’t have a McBrick yet. Have been buying McCullochs and restoring them, just finished a super 33. Sad to hear about your husky’s, I love them! 372XP possibly the best saw ever made, imo of course
Collecting saws is an excellent hobby, and a Super 33 is a saw that is not seen that often. The 372 Husky has been a huge success for Husky Some experts say it is based on a Partner chainsaw.
I’ve heard that too, that when they bought out poulan/partner and copied their designs, don’t doubt it. They sure ruined a lot of great companies, I do like my 162SE,372&395 though ! Makita is sinking Dolmar now too, sad I have a 6800i that’s been a great saw, I purchased everything I should need to rebuild it while it was still available, it shows no signs of needing it yet though . The 33 turned out great, took two carcasses to get it finished but it was worth it I just need to find some 1/2” pintail chain, it’d also be neat to get all the different . Attachments they made for that powerhead.I’ve got a
‘47 im going to do next. Anyway you’re a wealth of information, thanks for sharing it!
Thanks for the nice comment and for watching.
I like these Macs! Even the 610s!
I love my old saws but they just sit there as my hands are shot from saws for 40 years. I can't even push a shopping cart without them going numb from the vibration no av mounts lol!! So I've had to go modern saws and wow what a difference! The old saws are cool to look at but that's about it. Makes me sad!!
I guess I must have been lucky, as the first saws I started with, and still use the most today, 43 years later, are my McCulloch Pro Mac 610's and 650. They are anti vibe saws. I guess if I started with and stayed with Homelite XL 12's and similar saws without the anti-vibe, I might be in a similar situation as you. I lucked out though by starting with, and staying with anti vibe saws. Some of the early saws were real shakers for sure. Some new stuff ain't to hot either. I have a Stihl string trimmer, that is the top of the line homeowner grade that vibrates so bad, I can only run it for 15 minutes, even when wearing fellers gloves to cushion my hands. Another piece of crapola, is my Poulan Wood Shark chainsaw. In the owner's manual it states that extended use will cause irreparable damage to the nerves in your hand and fingers. So new is not always better Anyway, thanks for watching and comment.
Oh my old saws are AV but compared to my new 555 husky there is no comparison. Also my weed eater is a new husky.
THANK YOU for showing me oil pump related bits in this video.
Glad to help
Mine came from my Dad. He was a McCulloch man in his younger days and his 610 was the one outside of his front door to grab on his way to the woods. I have loved it and have run probably fifty tanks through it, but Dad put hundreds and hundreds of tanks though. One thing I liked is that it held up to a pressure washer, and that made a huge difference when I was restoring it. The saw is *extremely versitile* and came to me with a 20" bar and is currently wearing a 32" bar with skip chain (hand to God). I took the tach to it and even free speed was *S L O W* compared to a modern saw, but it barely breaks a sweat spinning a chain on a big bar, it is still slow, but gets the job done. About 8800rpm before it gets buried in wood and it doesn't bog a bit. Magnificent, ugly ass chainsaws! The BIG downside is how hard to start the damn things are after they get hot. Weak ignition coils. Not a problem I've had with my Dolmars, Husqys, Echos or Stihls.
Nice that you inherited your dad's mac 610. It's funny how different people have different problems with saws. I have never had a problem hot starting any of my (5) 610's . On real hot days, I set the throttle on the high idle position and they start in just a couple of pulls. The only modern saw I had, that had a coil failure on, was a Husky. And the old STIHL's I have, that had the Bosch electronic ignition failed at a terrible rate. STIHL found a replacement ignition, and gave you a lifetime warranty on that system, to replace the crappy Bosch system.. Husky had a time where their ignitions were failing, and did the lifetime warranty replacement thing also. I find the 610's plenty fast cutting for my firewood and tree management, and don't own any modern saws anymore, as they just wear out too fast. Vintage is best for me.
Where's a good place to get parts for the McCullouch?
I have used ebay for the few repair parts I have needed over the last 5 years.. Years ago, when dealer stocks were around, I bought the high wear items and stashed them away for future needs. Up until about 3 years ago, there was a lot of McCulloch parts available on ebay, but do to the extravagant charges for selling items there, most sellers quit, making it harder to fix these saws.@@hondo1829
@@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156 eBay is a hot mess as of about two years ago. I sold old tools and lots of other things on eBay over the years and the policy change pushed me out. Still sometimes I'll find the odd rare part or even full chassis, but those days seem to be fading fast.
Many of the sellers that sold small ,relatively inexpensive parts quit, as by the time you take out the fee's, there is next to nothing left, plus the time to find boxes, wrapping materials etc. to ship them with. That is why I quit.@@CaliforniaCarpenter7
Also, the easiest starting saw.
We bought ours in 1981 for $229.00
In the owners manual is a starting sequence.
After cutting 2 - 3 cords every year since, the saw starts precisely as it did on day one using the proper sequence when cold:
1) Close choke.
2) Set throttle to high idle.
3) Turn on switch.
4) Pull rope until it starts and dies. (usually 4 pulls)
5) Open choke
6) pull rope until it starts and runs at high idle.
7) Blip throttle to disengage high idle.
8) Cut wood
Starts exactly the same every time
The only time my Mac,s dont start is when the carb needs serviced, other than that they start every time, doing the procedure you have posted, and that is why they are my #1 saws after 41 years of use !
Wondering if anybody knew how to adjust that high idle lever,,, mine doesn't work anymore,, it's the only problem I've ever had with it,,, it doesn't affect the idle anymore,,, it's never been apart and if I grab it when it's set to high idle and pull it'll raise the idle somewhat so it's still connected but it doesn't work properly like it once did...
Anybody have a diagram so I can adjust that and repair it,, thanks !
I am not sure what saw you are referring to, but the mini macs or 610s dont have any adjustment, and if there is slight wear in any of the components, they just dont work. Replacing the parts is the only fix.@@2packs4sure
I would say I kept all my saws for parts but I think it was more for the heck of it as well.
Wondering if anybody knew how to adjust that high idle lever,,, mine doesn't work anymore,, it's the only problem I've ever had with it,,, it doesn't affect the idle anymore,,, it's never been apart and if I grab it when it's set to high idle and pull it'll raise the idle somewhat so it's still connected but it doesn't work properly like it once did...
Anybody have a diagram so I can adjust that and repair it,, thanks !
see my other posts as to the remedy
This guy makes a lot of sense. My first saw was a Mac… wish I still had it! There’s definitely something about the old macs.
For most of their tenure, McCullochs were more advanced, more powerful and longer lasting than other saws
I know I commented a while back about pulling the tree out with your Oliver, but you, my 82 year old dad and I all love McCulloch's. I have a 605 and my dad has a few 610's and a Montgomery Ward's version of the 610 and a 510/Super Pro 40. I have a Montgomery Ward's version of the 310 also, along with a 310, 320 and the rear handle version 340. I have about 39 chainsaws and I think 34 or 35 are McCulloch's. My dad has maybe double that, we never counted. Lol!
One can not have too many Mac,s !
@@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156 nope! Definitely not! 😀😂
Good video learn a lot every time I watch .thanks enjoyed they hope you make few more.
Thanks for watching and commenting. Our goal is to share info about the things we do and the equipment we use, and hope it can help or benefit others.
I bought a 610 in the early 80’s and am still using it. The chain break was removed after a rolling log damaged it. I had it sitting off to the side of the pile of logs but on snagged and swung to the side and hit it saw. Other than that, it’s still a great saw and at 75 years old, I have no intention of buying a new saw.
The Mac 610's are tough to beat for durability for sure. I made the mistake of thinking I needed newer ,lighter saws, to replace them, but they all wore out rather quickly, and so I went back to my Mac's , which are still working away after over 40 years of continual use, with no major repairs.
I have a pm610 and a timber bear. I like them a lot except one huge factor I wished you would have discussed: starting issues. Both of these saws have a tendency to flood, especially once they are warm. Many times they just won't restart. I have to pull the plug, open the throttle and pull 20 times, reinsert the plug and they start. This is the fatal flaw in my opinion.
None of my 610,s have ever had that problem. The first thing I would check is the fuel cap, maybe the vent is plugged. I have had this problem on some of my saws, and it turned out to be cheapo chinese carb kits. I had one saw I re-did the carb, and made the mistake of useing a crappy kit, just walking around with it would operate the pump diaphram, and flood the saw.
@@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156 Interesting, where would you recommend buying a carb kit? Also, is a way to check the vent simply unscrewing the cap and res crewing it on a see if it starts?
You need to see what carb the saw has, then EBAY is a good place to look for carb kits, but make sure you get an original equipment one The other place to get kits is from some of the online parts stores.. If you are out cutting and are going to shut it off, first let it idle for about 30 second, then loosen the fuel cap before you shut it off. Then try starting it again after a couple of minutes to see if it is flooded or not. If flooded the carb needs work, if not, the fuel cap vent needs to be serviced.@@JoBianco
@@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156 That's really helpful, I'l try that thank you.
My monkey wards saw has a bracket with a stud that slides over the end of the chain break handle and has a nut to fasten together. It will fall right off when apart. I don't know if the Mac uses the same set up. Great video, love these old saws.
The McCulloch 610's have a stud and nut, but my MW ( Mac 610) just has a plastic protrusion on the chain brake handle that fit into a slot on the metal arm. Ithink this was done as a cost cutting measure.
Love your video!!! Excellent and I appreciate your wonderful knowledge!
Thank you !
I noticed recently that people assume all McCulloch’s are collectible and worth a lot more than they actually are. Still some reasonable saws around I just make an offer and tell them if they don’t sell my offer doesn’t expire.
There are a fair number of McCulloch saw models that sold in great numbers and dont have any real collector value. The Mac's that are collectible usually go for a fair amount of dough though. The valuable ones are the big powerhouses like the SP 125, the big gear drives, etc., and are relatively rare because they were used in the woods, and were used up, and some models were only produced for a few years. The Pro Mac 610,s are a good example of a model with no collector value, but are still very useful and still widely used.
@@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156 agree completely. I pay more for the “all metal” Macs. First saw I ever ran was a McCulloch wished I could remember what model. It was in 1969. Loved them ever since.
I own a Timberbear and love it…don’t get me wrong, I have had to work on it, screw coming loose has been main problem, clean carb occasionally,
I recently bought a second off eBay….i hope previous owner did not run it with regular gas…you got me worried about it
I guess it will be seized hard to pull??? What is symptoms???
The Mac Timber Bears are a great general purpose saw. I have used mine for many years. It is important to tighten all the screws on these saws every once in a while, as they do come loose. The problem with using gas with alcohol in it doesn't affect the mechanical parts of the saw so much, but ruins the fuel lines and carb gaskets and seals. Since I have been using non alcohol fuel in all my power equipment, the amount of fuel system related repairs has dropped dramaticly. I have never had any of my Mac 600 series saws become hard to pull over or seized from sitting, even when they had been using the bad gas before storage.
greetings from germany... i just bought one of these vintage chainsaws, will test it next week.
You will like that saw.
Too Bad Mr McCulloch Bought The London Bridge and Moved It Brick By Brick To Lake Havasu Arizona That’s What Was The Company’s Demise 🥺😐😬 They We’re Very Innovative In So Many Ways The Old Mac of The 60’s & 70’s Were a Fixture In The Logging Community 😐 Awesome Video Mr Obsolete 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
After Robert McCulloch sold the company, Black and Decker started the road to demise, getting rid of the commercial saws, then slowly cheapening up the regular line up, and quit innovating. The end came in 1999.
Bought my 3.7 back in 1987. Twenty years later I realized how durable and excellent the 600 series were and I started looking for and buying these saws. I picked the right time because everyone was buying Stilh, Echo, Husky, etc. The 600 series Mac's were considered obsolete and too heavy. Today I have accumulated over 50 running/mothballed bagged and boxed 600 series saws. I guess I went off the deep end. The most durable best sounding saw made.
One Mac just isnt enough !
You should be a used chainsaw salesman. Forget cars. I'm sold. Gonna get me a mcculloch 610 for sure.
Good choice !
Couple of nice ones on eBay right now.
🤗🤙🏾
I share reasons for choosing a product. Top priority is ease of maintenance and working. If something performs better but makes me hate everything and kill my time ton work on it, i don't want it.
My Mac 610's have outlasted all other saws that I have had for actual work, and have had the least repairs of any brand saws that I have owned. That's why they are my go to work saws.
I too love my Mc Bricks. i have a 650, 610 and a 605. They don't even have points to mess with. They are reliable and offer good power. I got a used 605 that would not oil. someone put used motor oil in the bar oil tank; the line deteriorated. i had the whole saw stripped into the oil tank in an hour. i cleaned the tank and pick up with a new line and sealed the tank. 3 hours and back up.
The 600 series Macs were really one of the best farm saws ever made. Last forever, easy to work on, don't generally need much in the way of repairs and are great performers as well. Tough to beat.
I've got an early 90's PM605 that was bought for me by a girlfriend at the time. It was my first chainsaw and its stayed with me for some unknown reason throughout all my trials and tribulations of years gone by. I had a love hate relationship with the saw over the years. It was always very hard starting and you were half worn out by the time you got cutting with it. After it was warmed up however it would start on first pull and had good power. Its always been a last resort for me for that reason and grab my Stihl MS271 instead. About every 5 years or so I grab the old girl (the chainsaw, the girl friends long gone) and try and to give her a little love. I think the last time I polished her up I replaced the oil pump and got her starting up pretty good cold and told myself well it's a spare if I absolutely need a chainsaw in a pinch. Well its her time again and that's why I'm watching videos to see what up out there in the McCulloch world. Thanks for the video. I see the 610 has a warm spot in your heart also. Strange isn't it?
You have found one of the reasons to keep a Mac 600 series saw, and that it always starts, runs and cuts. I use them for all my major wood cutting for that reason, plus they never wear out and require minimum maintenence or repairs. Every saw can have their quirks, but all my 600 Macs have always been easy starters. I have purchased newer more modern saws over time, but they all wore out rather quickly, and the Macs were waiting in the background to get back to work. So no new saws for me anymore.
@@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156 Do you have any info you can pass along on initial carb setting? Thanks
Turn both jets from a closed position to 1 full turn out. The saw will run with these settings, but not well. The idle jet usually runs from 3/4 to 1 1/4 turns open. The main jet usually is set 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 turns. Let the saw warm up to do the final adjustments. Adjust idle screw till you get the highest idle speed. Most Mac 600 series saws have a built in governor in the carb on the high speed jet circuit, so with no load the speed will go up and down slightly. To get the final adjustment, the saw needs to be cutting wood. You will need to run the saw in the wood, stop and let it idle, then adjust the main jet slightly richer or leaner till you get the best cutting speed in the wood.
@@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156 Appreciate the knowledge. Thanks for sharing.
You bet !
Still use my 610! I think I bought it in ‘79
The ol 610's are tough ! Last forever with decent maintenence.
Well the 601 is not oiling meaning saw will have to come apart, just short of splitting the crankcase. lol. To remove the oil tank lines&filter. It needs a good cleaning anyway and going to replace fuel lines and filter, plus anything else I can find or you recommend doing? while its all stripped down.
Found model# 1-41 on the older Mac I ask you about. As always.. Thanks again, for all your
help
The oiling problem with the Mac 610 is most likely the oil pump diaphram. If the manual oiler works, then you know the port from the oil pump to the bar oiler hole is clear. Sometimes the oil line is bad also. Best to check and clean all.
Just found your feeds. Great stuff. I have been collecting and running Mcculloch's for a bit now. I'm a fan of the PM 605 and 610's and have about 4 last time I looked.. LOL.. Do you recommend swapping the plastic recoil starter pully's for the steel ones? TYIA
Welcome aboard! I have only had one starter pulley on my 610,s fail, and it was a plastic one. The metal ones are best.
The oil tank certainly should have been the same design as the SP81. On the 610 ya have to break down a lot just to get into the oil tank to replace the oil line. If it would of had a design like the sp 81 with a forward tank lid with one screw removal it would have bee so much better.
You are 100% correct. The 610 is a consumer saw, so some shortcuts were made to make it cheaper to build. Still, even with it's flaws, my 610's are my most used saws by far.
Those air filters could get misaligned & let dirt in. I sold 1 many years ago & guess what, less than a month later he was back wanting his $ back b/c of that air filter problem.
The air filter setup on the Mac 610,s is not the greatest for sure, but I have never had that problem on any of the half dozen of these saws I own, many with 40 years of use or more. I take a little extra time when installing them to make sure they are aligned properly, and the results speak for themselves.
Well this ole boy wasn't the sharpest tack in the box either.
I def give 2 thumbs up on the vid.i have 5 610s the one thing i notice is no 610s i usually see dont have spikes up front yet you can run duals.havin the dual spikes def add more control with a .375 chain and 20" bar
I use some aftermarket spikes that are larger than the ones supplied by McCulloch and usually only run one, but two is better yet..
just found one at the dump...fixed the recoil and it started right up.
Was the saw a Timber Bear? They were usually the only Mac 610 saw to have recoil problems. Good story.
@@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156 pro mac610
The 610 starters rarely fail, but the interesting thing is that the starter on the Timber Bear is the same exact starter,but made with substandard parts. McCulloch way of saving money making the saws.
I'm going to be looking for one soon...
You will be a happy camper !
I gave my McCulloch Pro 55 to my son last summer... You should have seen the look on his face....was priceless....LOL
I bet he was impressed with the power and utility of the Pro Mac 55.
If it's a job i need done now i pick up 610 or pro Mac 10 10 or mac 55 .vintage will get it done
Mac,s get the job done !
Great video!
Thanks for the visit
..It's funny how things flip-flop over time..you were talking about how expensive the parts were for the Husqvarna and Stihl, and how reasonable the parts were for the Mac..well, nowadays, you can get all kinds of aftermarket Chinese parts for the Huskys and Stihls dirt cheap on Ebay, Amazon, etc...and the Mac parts have become not only hard to find, but people want crazy money for NOS parts when you can find them...I guess because they are considered "collector" or "hobby" saws now, and the big collectors are willing to pay big money for NOS parts, which the supply is drying up...I know what you are saying, though..I, too, love the old slow-revving, durable, high-torque saws best.. :)
Most of the replicrap Chinese saw parts are crap. I couldnt find a Stihl muffler for my 051, so I had to purchase a replicrap part, and had to modify it to work. Take a look at my video (Mr. Obsolete Saves The Railroad), and after a few heavy cuts, the muffler smoked so bad as the paint burnt off that it looks like the saw was on fire. My McCullochs have never needed much in the way of repair parts, and until a year ago, there was a lot of stuff on EBAY. Now all of a sudden parts are a lot harder to find, and way more expensive. Not sure what changed. I have built up a small stash of wear parts over the years for the Mac's that I use all the time, so it hasn't affected me so much. Parts for the real rare and collectible saws are rare and expensive. The most sought after saw is the Mac SP 125, which were only made for 3 years, and used in the logging industry, so it makes sense that any good pieces for these rare saws are very expensive.
Does anybody have an opinion on what tubing will survive better in my 610 oiler tank,, regular style fuel line or silicone fuel line?
Thanks
I use silicone line as it lasts the longest.
@@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156 Thanks !!
your welcome@@2packs4sure
@@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156 Last question,, looks like McCulloch used some thin glue-sealant on the chain oil reservoir, I plan to use an ultra thin layer of Ford TA-31 RTV silicone sealant since I have it handy.
Ok you think or not?
Thanks again !
The RTV will work, but I use motorcycle engine case sealer. It holds up to heat better and has a stronger bond. Every motorcycle brand sells it under their name, but it is the same stuff. Honda sells it as Hondabond, Kawasaki sells it as Kawasakibond, and Yamaha as Yamabond.@@2packs4sure
I just had one of these given to me. It doesn't have a brake on it and I'm not sure if it runs. If I can get it running is it worth it to buy the missing parts?
A used side cover with the brake should be easy to find and cheap on EBAY. Unless the saw has been mechanically ruined, it is easy to fix and they run and cut great. The Mac 610's are my most used saws, as they last forever, are powerful and cut great.
..you just showed that Stihl 031AV...those just happen to be my least favorite(non-compact) vintage saw to work on..they were WAY over-engineered, IMHO..and the ignition system is a nightmare, too...
Most Stihl's are hard to work on, and in my opinion, not all that great. The 031 was a gift, and hadn't had a lot of use. I was shocked that I couldn't buy starter parts or a fuel cap for this saw from Stihl. These were a huge seller for Stihl. The saw has good power, but the ergonomics aren't that good, and it feels clumbsy. My 051 had a lot of sub-par parts on it from the factory, as well as my 075, and no parts available from Stihl either, and hard to work on also. My Mac's and Pioneer's are the saws I use all the time.
I just subscribed, just the other day I had to find a chainsaw to use, ended up using a Stihl 251 and took another chainsaw I got running to cut the log, but I do have two McCulloch I pulled out of the garage they look like yours so tomorrow I will check to see the model, now one of them has the label and one does not but they look the same, is there a way you can tell what model if the label is missing? one has some old gas in the tank the other is empty so tomorrow I find out. Edit just looked on ebay I don't think mine are the same they both have spikes.
Most McCullochs have a metal tag riveted on them, usualy near the carburetor area, and it has the series and serial number on it. It does not specify the model number of the saw though. I would suggest looking up the Chainsaw Collectors Corner forum, and it will show a picture of the saw, the series number and all the specs.
@@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156 Thanks very much I will do that.
It’s unfortunate that you had such a poor experience with your Husky. I run them in the woods production falling and wouldn’t run anything else. Zero problems. Don’t get me wrong, I love my old MACs and Homelites but not for production cutting.
I have only had two pro grade Husky's and one was old enough I couldnt get parts for it, even though it didnt need much. The 371 I had was a terrible saw, and the other small Huskys just didnt last. Since I am not a pro logger the saws I use do the job for me.
You're a bad influence. After watching, I checked market place and found a Timber Bear and a PM605 that I went out and bought. Into the pair for $90 and with minimal tinkering, they both run great. I need more saws like I need a hole in the head. I'm with bucking Billy Ray in the 28" bar camp. Its real nice to not have to crouch down to buck stuff up on the ground. I tried a modified 28" d009 bar on the PM605, and it spins it just fine. Lots of grunt for a less than 60cc saw. Might have to get a couple more of these mc brick saws😂. Too much fun
I could never figure out why McCulloch made the PM 605, as it is I think 58cc if I remember correctly and the 610's are 60cc. Looks like you got areal good deal. I almost always run 24" bars, as that is what I have, and run a 28" bar on my Pro Mac 700. I am not real tall, so that works good for me. You are right, one is just not enough ! Thanks for watching.
Greetings: I have a 650 and it almost doesn't oil at all. Where should I turn the oiling switch to better lubricate the chain? outward or inward? no matter how much I tried to lubricate it better.
For more oil, the screw would be turned out. Most likely the oil pump needs to be replaced. The diaphram's wear out over time.
@@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156 Thank you very much!
@@zoltanolah8780 you are most welcome
@@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156 I forgot to ask how far can I unscrew the oil adjustment screw of the chain lube? Won't it fall out if I twist it really hard?
The shop manuals don't give any specific adjustment on the screw that controls the bar oil output. Remove the bar , chain and outer guide rail, start the saw and see what the oil flow is. Turn the screw out a turn or two, then see if the oil flow is improved. If not, most likely the pump diaphram is bad. The oil line and filter can be plugged at times, but doesn't occur very often. Rarely, the oil line can fail also.@@zoltanolah8780
Just found a 605 PM. Anyone know anything about it??? Also got two 10-10's
The PM 605 is a 58cc saw that was sold from 1985 to 1995.
Like my 610 but I don’t like the location of the bar oil fill.
Every saw has some feature that is not the best . The 610's have withstood the test of time, and outlast almost any other saw ever made. The reasons that they are my favorite saw is durability, ease of maintenence, fast cutting and powerful.
This made me go dig into my shed and pull my old 610 out!
Now that is a good thing to do for sure. Put it back in to operation!
@@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156 I did not know the hard starting when warm was a thing/ That was about twenty-five years ago. I traded for it after wearing out two of those green hardware store saws. It was heavy, drank gas like a drag racer, and was a pain to start when warm. I bought a Stihl 029 Super in '99 and that has been my main saw since. I no longer heat with wood, so the biggest stuff I cut is destined from my smoker. Then I saw this video which prompted a complete emptying of my shed to get at the 610.
Hello Mr.Ob, hope you are well?
Just saw your oil video so I suppose I'll use a 40:1 blend on the 610 I got??
My buddy also has another old Mac
Looks to be a 1-52 or 250 ? Maybe. Only numbers I see is 50041 under base and one on crankcase facing clutch and its not handy right now to look. I took some pics of both saws but, not able to upload on this message. Anyway, if I can't identify the older one, I may need to pick your Brain a lil later? If thats OK
I'm in no rush what so ever.. Thanks!!
If you are doing just average cutting with the Mac 610, 40:1 oil mix will be enough, but use partial synthetic oil. I would recommend ECHO Red Armor two stroke oil, as it is easy to find, and works very well in the old saws. On the older Mac, on the bottom of the crankcase their should be both the model number and serial number. Sometimes the engine cases were replaced and not stamped, making it difficult to identify. There were a whole range of models that used the same chassis, but with different displacements. On some, the starters are on opposite sides, and mufflers were different. If you are not familiar with the website (chainsaw collectors corner) I would suggest you look it up and do some research to help figure out your old saw. It has a wealth of info.
OK, thanks for your help and I'll check that website also! The 610 has the original fat 20" bar with most of the black paint still on it.lol The older saw ? Is a 24" fat Mac bar also and a round Briggs 3 1/2 hp looking muffler w/small deflector and it seems to be a complete solid ole saw and came with a custom made wooden box. The old boy must have really loved it. Try to get it going an figure out what we got this weekend.
The bars on your Mac's were made by Windsor, and are the longest lasting bars I have ever used. The muffler on the old Mac is correct for that era saw. If the old saw doesn't have spark, a lot of times their is corrosion under the coil, and it won't ground properly. A quick cleaning is takes care of the problem in most cases.@@joelhockett8137
OK, it has good spark I think? And supposed to run, just hadn't found time to fool with it yet! Looked @ chainsaw collectors corner site. it might be the later 250 but.still guessing at this point
I'll look at numbers again tomorrow
Manual pump is not working and getting no oil at all to the bar? Lines and or filter possibly diaphragm also..
Lotta work to correct it either way!
Justy luck
Good morning, I have a pro Mac 5700-20, it looks like a 610. Do you know if they are basically the same? Thanks, enjoy your videos very much.
The only basic difference is the displacement. A 610 is 60cc, and the 5700 is 57cc.
@@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156 thank you sir, I’m assuming most parts will interchange?
They are the same@@fitzpreacherfarm6826
Im loving my ported pm610.its not realfast,but its.got alot of.grunt, and handles a 20 inchbar with ease and can cut bar length wood.like.its.nobodys business.m very lucky to have a small engine repqir shol23 miles from my house.that will work.on darn near anything,and hes cheap.currently i have a poulan 3500
,a homelite xl2,and a chinese bluemax saw that he had to.do some minor repairs on for.me and rhe bill is.only $90
I run a 24" bar on both my Pro Mac 610 and 650, with excellent results. You are indeed lucky to have a real mechanic to repair your saws etc. as shops like that are rare indeed. Thanks for watching
@@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156 do you run skip chain, or full house?
I run skip tooth chisel bit round tooth chains@@thehonestwoodcutterbradywe8011
Oooh ported 610!
Great video but the question that i have is I got a 610 saw or it looks like the saw you were going over on the mac .there's no id tags on this saw that I can find .I cleaned it up and got it running would really like to find out what saw I have ,do you have any tips that would help.ps it doesn't have the compression release on the side
In the chamber where the carburetor is, there should be a tag with the serial number and an IPL number and the name McCulloch on it. If the saw doesnt have a compression release on it, it is most likely a Pro Mac 610 or Timber Bear. Once you find the IPL number, take a look at the Chainsaw Collectors Corner forum, and browse through the McCulloch section to find what model it is for sure.
I'm looking toget a new vintage saw ,What is the best old saw that you can still get parts for ? I'm looking at a mcculloch mac10-10 automatic or a homelite super xl. Both forsale near me.
Both are very good choices. McCulloch parts seem more available, but if the saws are in good condition they don't need much in the way of repairs.
@@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156 thank you
Clark Griswold
I got this saw afew months ago swaped it for and old echo 660evl that wasn't runing right the 610 runs perfect took off the exzorst piston is like brand new :)
The 610,s exhaust port is straight down, so carbon is rarely a problem, as it blows down and out of the muffler. The result is rarely a scored piston. These saws will run forever if taken care of !
@@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156 don't worry I will
good vid well done i got 2or 3 //610s
Hey if I have a Mac 610 that’s leaking bar oil, like there will be a pool of bar oil under the saw if you set it down, would that be an oil pump issue? Like do you think replacing the oil pump would solve that?
The oil leaking is a common problem. Most of the time it is the check valve in the oil pump that doesn't seat properly. Most of the time this can be repaired by taking the pump off the saw, then flush out the ports with brake cleaner while using a small rod to operate the manual oiler piston to clear out any debris. This is a good time to flush out the port that goes to the bar to remove any debris. Sometimes the base gasket under the pump can be bad and will cause the same problem. A new pump and gasket would be the next step if the cleaning doesn't cure the problem.
I forgot to mention that if the oil cap doesnt vent, the same problem occurs.
greetings from germany. i have 4 of these saws and by none does the autmatic oiler works.
is that by your saws also ?? bernd
All the oilers work on my 600 series saws. Watch my next video, and I explain why they don't work. Thanks for watching.
Hi ! Jostein Norway here. Thx for demo and well I just also got me a 610 here ! :-) Can you help me with 2-10 I got here. Not familiar with Mcculloch... you know...most swedish here he he. On the 2-10 the is sprocket...looks old and maybe original...from start he he of saw. I can bearly read 62572-A on it and other side...SM 57. Do you know if it is 404 pitch ? Where to find chain and bar for that sprocket and that saw ? You know ? It har a bullfrog in it and i got it running he he but cant wait to get chain and bar...that i can use. We more used to 3/8 and 325...which seems not to fit. It looks like 7 grip or teeth... It is the round type spriocket... not the star kind of theet lokking sprocket...if you understand what i mean. Ansvers apreciated !
There are two types of McCulloch 2-10 saws. The most common is the small version of 54cc,s and would use a 3/8 pitch chain The other 2-10 is a big 95cc saw that used 1/2" pitch chain. If you have the smaller saw, it uses the same bar as the 10-10,s, 610s etc. and should be relatively easy to find. If you need to find a clutch, it fits the same models. Hope this helps.
@@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156 Super ! Thx allot ! I have a 10-10 and a 610 also and i will check it out. Just that my ordinary 3/8 seemed not to fitt all well. But I investigate and try the bar and chain from 610...or take a look at 10-10 bar and chain if needed. I already saw/ see/ looked he he , on my 610 and it looked similar to 3/8...but really not sure. If there could be an american pitch version and an european...but likely not. I still amateur...but very impressed with Mcculloch...i start to get know now ! :-) I guess it must be the small one i have 52 cc 2-10. But i thought it is little strange the sprocket has 7 attachments for the chain and thought 6 was more like 3/8 style... as on Stihl and Partner etc. the star like sprocket has 7 for 325 and six for 3/8 pitch. I find out of it. Very cool my old bullfrog did not hade too bad diaphragm and the primer not stuck and after a trip in my new ultrasoundcleaner...it actually fired up very well. Those carbs has not the best rumor...as i understand it. If it does me service...i will keep it as it is ! :-)
Another observation is that the round sprocket...seems to be fixed on the clutch drum. Others can be changed...as on newqer Stihl f.ecs. First time i see that. Ok. But I guess there is newer mccullochs that is changebal also as on others brands. But the one i have...i suspect is very very old. Might be a good sign he he ! Have a nice day and thx again. Keep up the good work. :-)
The clutch can be changed to the more modern one with the replaceable sprocket with no modification, just bolts on.@@motordiverse1276
On the last of the Mac 610,s they went to .325 pitch chain.@@motordiverse1276
Awesome
How i can get this sparepart? I'm from Indonesia
There is a place in washington state here in the USA that has lots of parts they can be contacted at CUSTOMCHAINSAWPARTS on EBAY>
How much the price for engine started you think?
I never know about Ebay
25 dollars US or less@@butahuruf1655
Have you ever tried any old echo saws. I really like mine
I have two old KIORITZ (ECHO) saws. One is about 70cc and was sold by Sears, and I believe it is the first Kioritz Echo model sold in the US in the 60's. The other is a late 70's John Deere 40v, which I have in a number of my video's. I like the Echo's and if I were to purchase a new saw, it would be an Echo. I find that the two saws I have are well made and have some nice features that other saws should have. The negative side is that parts aren't available and they have modest power compared to McCulluchs and Homelites of the same era. I enjoy using them and will do a video on my bigger saw at some point.
I guess if you have only used Stihl you would think these are good. They are not. Echo cs670 and huskies xp range are wayyyy better.
Well those saws won’t win a beauty pageant lol but sure sound like a great old powersaw.
The McBricks wont win any beauty contests, but the performance and durability are what is important to me.
aS A YOUNG MAN TOOK A WISPER LIGHT SAW OUT OF A TRASH CAN FIXED USED FOR A COUPLE YEARS IN SEVERE TREE SERVICE
The good old McBrick.
The ol McBricks are not a thing of beauty, but the performance and durability make up for it !
@@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156 agreed! My neighbor was looking for a firewood saw and has limited small engine experience and didn’t need a light weight saw. So I steered him toward a 610. But it’s on my beach right now getting a new recoil and a cleaning. But it gives me some video content anyway😂
A 610 will get the job done for sure. Since the recoil is bad, is the saw a Timber Bear version? They were late models with some cheapo parts put in the starter, and were prone to failure, the earlier saws not so much.@@LumberjackSmokestack
@@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156 not a Timber Bear. But was an eBay purchase and when it arrived you could tell it had been abused.
SEARS.
The best saw is the one you are familiar with. They are the best designed, preform the best. I am a Stihl man and I generally understand most Stihl saws. A friend, whose opinions I respect, has hammered that Husqvarna saws are the best, easy to fix and build. So, after five years of listening to that crap, I built a Husqvarna 372 XP this year. Most of the assembly did not fool me because it was very similar to the Stihl designs. However, some of it fooled the crap out of me. A Husky is not easier to work on if you have only worked on Stihl. I understand Stihl and if I need to know something I pull up an IPL and everything becomes much clearer. I never did understand the chain break system on a Husky but I have a friend who is a Husky tech and he threw it together in five minutes.
The best chainsaw is the one that works best for your cutting, regardless of brand.
@@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156 and continues to run. I generally have three requirements for a saw - easy to light, stays lit and re-lights. After that is weight, ease of use and reliability. Some folks throw in vibration. Believe it or not my favorite is my MS 440 with a 24 inch bar. After that is my ms MS 360. It is just as reliable as the 440 and about 5# lighter. If I need a high cut or I am having to negotiate through limbs and debris I will grab the 360 in a heart beat but if I am bucking just big rounds I grab the 440. All my saws are fitted with full chisel, full comp chains that are kept sharp. I tailor the saw to the job and not the job to the saw. I usually carry a minimum of four saws ta a cutting job. I light up all four and then take the one that best meets the requirements for the job, leaving the other three idling should I need them.
You have worked out a good program for your wood working needs. I do a lot of the same things when out doing a bigger wood cutting job.
@@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156 I like the way you are not decked out in all kinds of PPE’s. I only wear a helmet when I am cutting down a tree because a limb fell and knocked the crap out of me. Normally, I just wear what is comfortable to me to dance through the tulips with with my Marine Corps cover on my head. For attire I wear what is cool or warm - shorts in hot weather and jeans in cold weather. A jacket or field jacket in real cold weather. I have chaps but they are hot when cutting in 90 degree weather. For footwear I like my Sperry Topsiders and my jungle boots in uneven ground with lots of tripping hazards. I do not go out dressed like a gladiator but I do wear leather gloves.
Being comfortable when working is one of the most important things one can do. If you are hot or cold, it distracts one from concentrating on the job at hand, and running a saw needs all your attention.@@johnclarke6647
I have one in almost new condition. with a bunch of new OEM wear item parts.
That saw will give you years of great service when taken care of properly. By your name, I can see you are a Detroit Diesel man. I have an 8-V71 in my Autocar truck. Screaming Jimmy's are my favorite !
The engines that won WW2,
the 71 series is a great engine.
My Detroit is an 8V71 N =318HP !@@DIESELMAN8V92
The original design of the Detroit Diesel engine came from the Winton car company. The big engine division was a separate part of the company, as the car line disappeared A company called EMC( Electromotive Corporation) acquired them and renamed them Clevelands. Then GM purchased EMC, and was renamed EMD (Electomotive Division, and changed the name to Detroit Diesel.@@DIESELMAN8V92
I’ve had my Timber Bear since 1992. Never had a major issue. Pops on the first or second pull with choke. Great power but a little heavy. Recoil issues over the years but nothing I couldn’t fix myself.
Amazing how the 600 series McCulloch's last forever and require mostly just normal servicing. The cure to fix the recoil problem, is to put a recoil off a Pro Mac 610. They cheapened up the starters on the timber bears, and problems are common on them.
Is a montgomery ward 3.7 the same saw?
Same saw, different color.
i have problem with my when star leak gasoline is normal?
No.
@@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156 hi can i get your number please
I don't have a number, so I can only be contacted by comments on the channel.@@chucho1184
@@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156 how can i fixed or u know whats the problem please
Most likely the fuel line needs to be replaced@@chucho1184
Io ho 2 610 mcCulloch e sono ottime solo un po pesanti da utilizzare
Si !
I love this chainsaw!
All but one person who have left messages about the Mac 610's have replied about how much they like theses saws. The one detractor was comparing a new pro grade saw against the vintage farm/home owner saw. A pro grade saw will cut faster and is lighter, but will be in the scrap pile, while the ol Mac is still on the job.
@@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156 there metal maybe heavier but last forever anything new nowadays its cheap! its all plastic! Another thing there easy to work on! I wouldnt sell my 610 mac pro i love it! i have the original from the 1970s!
1976 was the first year for the 610 series, and was called a Farm Mac. 77 on were Pro Mac 610,s till late in production they were labelled 5700's, and the last as Timber Bears in 1999 when Mac went broke.@@midnightrider1178
@@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156 awesome yea mines prob from 1977 then its a pro mac but mostly all metal i know there some later years that had more plastic on it! Good to know tho i learn more a bout it everyday thanks for the info!
You are most welcome.@@midnightrider1178
You can’t fix stupid. I listened to a video and the presenter was bitching because the control lever on avStihl has to be pushed up to turn it off. He said it was counter intuitive. I would hate for him to have to use one of the old saws that had a kill switch, somewhere along the back of the saw. You could tell he was a Husqvarna user because he kept bragging how you just had to push them down. Yep, but what happens if you inadvertently pushed it dow, accidentally. I am glad they push up because you won’t turn it off, accidentally. I have all kinds of saws, they each start and stop differently. Once you run Stihl or Husky saws for a few years, how they start and stop becomes second nature.. special tools - I have lots of special and specialized tools from seal removers to seal drivers, case splitters long Allen wrenches in Mm sizes and plenty of T27 bits. My rollaway must weigh 1,000#.
I like to see these so called experts say silly things like that, but it shows that they are not too swift, because if one is a pro, one can run any saw or piece of machinery effectively with a short learning curve. As for tools, one cant have enough.
@@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156 it has been cool to cold,here. It is supposed to get colder. Our DAV Christmas party is in ten days and it is supposed to be real cold, then. My 026 is coming around. I am going to be busy this week repairing some things and updating it to 026 Pro specs. New oil pump, climate controlled carb, intake boot, AV buffers and seals. Some of which needs to be replaced some of it just updated. All of this with my knee bothering me. I twisted it last week. I have been walking around like the hobbit ever since. I wanted to make a flat of apple jelly, today, but don’t think I can stand up for the time it takes to make it.
@@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156 I agree, just show me where the on-off switch and choke are and I will figure a way to crank it. If I ca crank a Ford 2N at age ten, I can sure crank a chainsaw. Neither one of them have electric starters, right? What was that tractor - a Farmal A? My daddy liked IHC stuff but my maternal grandfather was pure Blue(Ford) all the way. We had a ‘57 Cub on the farm until it fell apart after daddy died.
The IHC tractors we use are 1. 1942 H 2. 1952 Cub, 3. 1963 Cub.@@johnclarke6647
@@mrobsoletesvintagehomestea9156 I wish I still had the Cub but we sold the farm in ‘98 and it was still in the Butler Barn. By then I had outgrown it and had a Fire 7740 and a 5000 before that. That Cub was a toy compared to those two. I could have fixed it - it needed a new gas tank and liked to overheat. Just did not have time to mess with it back then. I was to busy living and raising a couple of kids.
Weenies….haaaaa!!
They can get a Poulan, they are light. Will probably build some muscle trying to get them started.
The name on the the saws were spelled incorrectly at the factory, they should be PULL-ONS, as you have to pull and pull on the starter, and if a miracle happens, the saw will run !
Hey guess what, old Stihl's and Huskies were durable too.
The ones I had were not that durable, as they all had engine failures, even with proper maintenece and lubrication The other problem is that the saws from the era as my McCullochs and Pioneers is that, parts availability is virtually non exitent.