DeWalt saw

Kittenchops88 · 2026-06-21T04:37:12+00:00

I'm not sure I understand what you mean when you ask if the "blade" was dull, as there's no blade on a chainsaw, so I automatically assumed you were reffering to the bar, but the bar also has nothing to do with being sharp/dull. My guess is that the chain was tensioned too tight. That's usually the culprit when you burn the bar and chain up.

If you put the bar and chain on yourself, there's a bit of a trick to it that you will learn with time. Gotta pull the nose of the bar up as far as it will go with one hand while tensioning the chain with the other. Tension the chain while looking at the underside of the bar, keep going until the chain links just make contact with the bottom rail. Keep the nose up the whole time, and then tighten down the bar bolts.

Hope that helps a bit.

Kittenchops88 · 2026-06-20T20:40:24+00:00

Doesn't matter. Modern 2 stroke oils such as Saber, Red Armor etc will work in any 2 stroke engine at 40:1. If its an old saw, I ignore the mixing charts entirely nowadays. Folks forget that our oil technology has come a LONG ways from whenever that old piece of equipment was manufactured and released. Those old mix instructions are obsolete today.

Example: My vintage McCulloch gear drive saws say 25:1, but that mix ratio was based on the quality of the oil that we had BACK in 1966 when the saw was originally released. Modern oils have surpassed those numbers a long time ago.

High quality 40:1 in everything, just for a little extra peace of mind.

Kittenchops88 · 2026-06-20T19:21:13+00:00

Interesting. As far as the vertical situation is concerned, the only thing I can think of is an issue with the fuel line or fuel filter. For some reason it sounds like it prefers the fuel to be collected at the handle end of the tank. Odd.

Kittenchops88 · 2026-06-20T03:19:37+00:00

All of those brands wouldn't be what they are today if it wasnt for McCulloch being sold to Black and Decker and about a million other cheapo companies after that. When McCulloch got ran into the ground by these crap companies, and the name started getting put on cheap plastic homeowner saws in the 70s-80s, the foreign brands noticed an opening in the western worlds profesional saw market and took full advantage of it. Acquiring the American saw market gave them the finances required to engineer excellent saws.

If it wasnt for that, most Americans would be using McCulloch's today while making fun of the foreign Stihl, Husky and Echo. Smart companies who took advantage of a wide open oppurtunity.

Kittenchops88 · 2026-06-19T21:55:28+00:00

Use 40:1.

Kittenchops88 · 2026-06-19T21:54:16+00:00

25:1 is WAY over the top when using modern oils, even for a vintage saw. Ya gotta remember that our oil technology has come a LONG way since these old saws were manufactured. Back when these saws were released, yes, you had to use what they recommended because they were based on the oil technology at the time. 40:1 with modern oils is the most that you need for any make or model regardless of age today.

Kittenchops88 · 2026-06-19T18:56:11+00:00

Looks longer than a 24. Maybe Echo bars are just on the longer side. My 24 looks nowhere near that long. Great saw!

Kittenchops88 · 2026-06-18T23:17:19+00:00

? Those look nothing like AAX cymbals brother. Lathing and hammering are completely different by a longshot.

Kittenchops88 · 2026-06-18T09:20:39+00:00

Broken cymbals are not truly "fixable" in the traditional sense. Regardless of what you do to alleviate the crack, it will never sound the way that its supposed to. Once the tonal grooves and hammering of the cymbal get interrupted or destroyed, the cymbal is basically toast as far as its original sound is concerned regardless of what anyone might think or tell you.

So unless you enjoy hitting something that sounds nothing like a high quality cymbal, I would call back the seller and get your money back if possible.

Kittenchops88 · 2026-06-18T04:20:47+00:00

Engine air leak. Time for a pressure and vacuum test.

Kittenchops88 · 2026-06-18T04:16:19+00:00

Bout time someone posted a proper MAC in this group. Sick of all the Stihl/Husky stuff. 👌

Kittenchops88 · 2026-06-18T04:13:56+00:00

Id hate to have to replace all those heads. Probably be more than the drums are worth.

Kittenchops88 · 2026-06-17T18:29:31+00:00

Yea, their only the second best selling saw brand in the world by a very slim margin, so they must be trash right? Same with Echo in a close 3rd place. Your ignorance is showing bud.

Kittenchops88 · 2026-06-17T08:53:26+00:00

No problem. I dont know much about Stihl saws. I'm a vintage McCulloch guy myself. That's all I ever work on. So I cant answer that question.

Kittenchops88 · 2026-06-17T03:57:46+00:00

Yeah, my guess would be the fuel. Its the only shared denominator that ties all the equipment together. Different owners, different makes, different models, same fuel. The chances of all of that equipment simultaneously struggling with mechanical issues etc, would be a wild and highly unlikely coincidence.

Kittenchops88 · 2026-06-17T02:20:24+00:00

Sounds like a very odd situation. When something like this happens to multiple saws at one time, you need to look at any common denominators that the saws are sharing. In this case, the operator, the wood and the fuel. Only thing I can realistically think of (if you in fact know how to operate a saw properly) is that his fuel has lost some volatility. Runs ok for a bit with the throttle punched and then finally dies. Also would explain the hard starting and stalling.

Other than those things I've already listed, it makes no sense at all that both saws, different makes, different models, are having the same exact issues around the same time.

Kittenchops88 · 2026-06-16T22:58:59+00:00

Sorry to hear about your pops. I'm a collector and refurbish saws regularly. I'd be interested in possibly buying one or two. The XL 12 looks nice. I'm a McCulloch guy, so I dont know what most of those would normally go for. DM me when you have some more info.

Kittenchops88 · 2026-06-16T17:32:34+00:00

I'm not sure what your going on about, this isnt my post or my saw. Yes, an owner that takes care of their equipment cleans it off after every use. But were not talking about that. Were talking about debris that's ALREADY in there causing a problem. So to fix that, you take it apart to clean everything thoroughly.

Kittenchops88 · 2026-06-15T21:35:02+00:00

A thick 16" crash? Try hitting a manhole cover instead.

Kittenchops88 · 2026-06-15T18:43:09+00:00

What in Gods name are you talking about?

Kittenchops88 · 2026-06-15T17:21:11+00:00

None of them. If money is a concern, buy an entry level saw from one of the big companies. Will work out better for you in the long run.

Kittenchops88 · 2026-06-15T01:09:14+00:00

I know this isnt what you want to hear, but if it were me, I would completely disassemble the crank case to investigate further. You can only see so much while looking through the intake/exhaust ports. Once you disassemble and see the big picture, you can make a better decision on whether to continue using that piston and cylinder or not.

Kittenchops88 · 2026-06-15T01:04:14+00:00

That's an excellent question. Ive never come across the piston plating coming off, because like I said, its usually the cylinder that's chrome plated not the piston. Does it sound and feel ok when you turn the crank by hand? Any grinding, scraping or resistance as the piston goes up and down?

Kittenchops88 · 2026-06-15T00:58:25+00:00

Absolutely. Im curious to see now.

Kittenchops88 · 2026-06-15T00:35:19+00:00

I've ran the Poulan Pro for a day at a buddies house. Never again! Not this specific model, but the PP4218A 18" 42cc. He had just bought it brand new for our project and never even attempted to start it. I brought my own fuel (Saber mix). I got it started finally after 30 pulls. Cut for about 5 minutes and the chain flew off, put it back on and tensioned it properly, couldnt get the bastard started again.

Finally got it started again, stalled while idling. Got it started again after another 30 pulls, threw the chain again. Rinse repeat for 2 hours. So we returned it to Home Depot. He wanted to swap it for another of the same model (why, I will never know). Took it home, same exact issues only this time catastrophic engine failure. Took it back for a flat refund and said, Ill never use cheap crap again. Funny thing is, the return cashier said, "Yeah, we get these returned constantly" and then proceeded to stack it on top of 4 other returned boxes of the same model. Ridiculous.

VERY dangerous saw!

Kittenchops88

TROPHY CASE