Homelite XL12 - Best Firewood Chainsaw Ever? (Let's find out)🤔
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- Опубликовано: 31 авг 2023
- Join me as we ponder this question- Was the Homelite XL12 and its larger Brother, the SuperXL12 Automatic the best Homeowner Firewood Chainsaw Ever made? As far as Durability, reliability and ease of Maintenance, not to mention there are thousands if not millions still out there today putting in work...it's got to be one of the best! In this video, we will go over the History and progression of the saw through its 35 year run, using a number of examples from my personal collection. We'll do a little cutting and have a good ol Cacklefest with 6 saws running at the same time! (God willing) #vintagechainsaw #homelite #oldchainsaw #kainkustomgarage
Развлечения
Best saw I ever owned, bought it at Aniwa Hardware in Aniwa WI. for $130 back in 1979. My dad bought a Super XL auto 1 week later after using my XL 12 for about an hour. I now have his saw, it’s show room new, maybe 3 months wear on it. He paid $150 for it.
That's Awesome!
Great video Dan! My favorite saw of all time the XL-12. I think that bar would look great on either of the red XLs, both look to be in great shape. If I was trapped on a Desert Island off the coast of Alaska, I'd want a good old XL-12 and a couple of chains!
I totally agree! Love ya Brother 😉
i bought a "Big Red" Super XL 10 or so years ago for $10. It looked barely used. It needed a fuel line and one side of the chain was trashed by a rock. It's new enough to have a bar code on the sticker. It runs great.
That's Awesome!
Music to my ears those are my favorite saws 😊
McCuloch super pro 125 is still to this day the ultimate badass power saw. Love my super xl too. Its a great saw. It still gets it.
Right on Brother!
glad to see your good happy and healthy. one love.
Used to have a firewood business in the 60s. I had an XL 12 and cut hundreds of cords with it. It was a great saw and easy to maintain. It would cut up to 3 feet in diameter longs by double cutting with a 20 inch bar.
Awesome Brother!😉
I had a blue XL12 with the hex fuel cap and aircleaner knob in the late 60's. We were harvesting Radiata pine for posts, strainers and stays in govt plantations around Southland in the South Island of New Zealand. Reliable machine. Too many memories.. God Bless.
Thank you my Friend 😊
I rescued a low mile XL-12 from a pile of trash on the side of the road after an estate clean out of a few old barns. I found a warranty card with it from Homelite with the serial number of the saw and a purchase date of 3/27/64
No price though as it wasn’t the receipt. I snagged it because I love old mechanical things and my dad saved an identical saw from our fire department back in the 90s. He Fixed it and used it for years. So now I have two. He also has the model before the XL 12. Think it’s from 58
Great story Brother, thanks for taking the time 😁
That saw you said your dad had got for you has That bright red paint like my XL 76 Terry Industrys has! Are you sure that is not a Terry saw? Damn! Between you and I we might just have half of all the XL12 and Super XL saws on the west coast! 😳
Haha! I know right...appreciate you Tony!
My first saw was one of the old blue homlites realy good saw I went to our local southern states they sold them and parts I went there got new rope pully and a pull rope done and spring mine was a awsome saw I got it back in 1987
Right on Brother!😉
Bought a Old Blue Super Xl chainsaw with 18 inch bar back in 1998 at central tractor for 329 dollars and they were making them unto then. Not sure how much farther past that date they went. Love the saw belonged to my grandpa and we gave it to him as a gift and now we have it and not getting rid of it. Love the saw. Picked up a super xl12 for 45 dollars that runs and works great in very nice shape to have a spare but this one has the original 16 inch bar on it to.
That's Awesome man, Thanks for taking the time to tell us your story, means alot😉
Cool ol' saws!!🤙🤙😎
Have a couple blue ones myself💪
May be my favorite -- I love to cut with my xl 12 and a bow on it. Very reliable--keep the great videos coming..
Thanks, will do!😊
Great video Dan. I really enjoy these ones👍👍
Thanks Andrew!😁
They sure are sweet little saws. Yea here I can't find any but for 150 bucks I can have a runner 100 for saw then 50 shipping. I'll do it one day for sure!
😊👍👍
Totally #1 Dependable 30 years ago/Xl-12/ Blue - Red
Yessir!😊
Port Chester is only 25 miles from me so there’s tons of these saws around these parts. Cheap too! My fave is the Super XL. Light and powerful!
Wow that's so cool! Lotta saws came outta that factory!
the good saws!@@KainKustomGarage
I have 2 Super XL's. One early 70s blue one and a late model red one(late 80s) in almost mint condition. The red one starts on 1-2 pulls every time after sitting for weeks on end. Great saws
Yessir!😊
Iam 65 and that Blue
Super xl 12 was the first saw my Dad bought around 68 , i wish i had kept it , unfortunately my mom let a junk man clean up some stuff , the saw i think had messed up , and He had bought a Stuhl 028 wb mid 80s , that i still have , i was the head firewood getter for many years , for mom & pop , then , later for myself& my family . And still hold that title !! haha , Enjoyed the Video Dan , as always !! Thanks !! Happy New Year to Ya Sir !!
Thanks James, appreciate you Brother!😉
Yep I have several of different versions of the XL12's one is a Circle saw. I had seen videos of them but never laid eyes on one. Then one was at a estate auction So I bought it. Today a old friend I hadnt talked to in decades came by. I got it down and it fired right up. Them I had to fire up a XL 12. He loved hearing the crackle of the loud stack exhaust and seeing the blue smoke from the 1/2 pint oil to the gallon fuel mixture. Reminded him of back in the day. And I enjoyed it immensly also.
That's Awesome Brother! The sounds and smells do bring back Memories!😉
Great story.
Best firewood saw ever? Well, here in North America, yes I think so. In other parts of the world, who knows? My wife loves the sound of my old blue 1973 XL-12 and talked me into keeping it when I considered giving it away. Now it's my favourite. I use it every fall for bucking my winter's firewood, and use a newish Stihl MS180C for everyday chores. Cheers from central British Columbia, Canada, in ranching and logging country.
Awesome Paul! Appreciate you taking the time my Friend, those XL12s are a true classic 😉
I was so Happy when I bought the XL-12 and it had my name on the Serial plate Terry😊
Made just for you Terry!😊
Nice XL12 collection!! I say put that bar on the late model red saw.
Good choice!😉
Im getting into HomeLite and you're a wealth of info. I have 2 Super XLs with very little use, both a blue one and a red one. Tomorrow, im trading a backpack blower i don't use for a nice HomeLite C72 (80cc). Excited! You probably know, but Sugar Creek Supply sells the decals for the bars and entire decal kits for the saws. They have all the old saws not just HomeLite. Im in Atlanta Metro area and there are so many old saws available on Facebook. Keep em coming man! Good stuff
Great to hear! Appreciate you man 😊
Well done my friend....from Australia
Thanks Brother! I appreciate you 😁
The saw that never dies
Yes, it's the best👍🏻 You're in a good place, have so many of them. I lost mine a year ago because damaged some seals i couldn't find new. Now the only option here in CA is to pay >$100, maybe one day🙂 glad you recovered💪🏻
Thanks Brother, I appreciate you 😉
Try Leon's Chainsaw Parts and repair
Been buying from him for yrs. Good Guy
Great vid! The XL-12 is definitely top 5 for me. Great saw!! Like you, a have a few...
Good choice!😁
I remember your kackle fest with all of your XL-12 and super XL-12s. Also I agree, that 24 inch bar on the blue super with the kick stand that you made is my favorite too! And the video with the custom double barrel muffler chrome pipes! Awesome collection Dan the Man. You keep crankin out the great videos and I'll keep watchin em. Thanks again bud!
Thanks so much My Friend!😉
May I suggest a 16" Bar, fast and lite. (your back will thank you at end of day.)
Rum simi or full skip tooth chain w/ the 24". (or change sprocket)
or you boil the gas - too hot on the saw... hard on the power head
Just got my xl 12 out put some buckies 90 octane none alcoholic gas in it mixed with Lucas Simi synthetic old saw cut down 1 elm and a locust did realy good
Nice!😉
The most copied saw of its time.
I picked one up a few years back at the local Stihl dealer a newer red one.
Someone brought it in to get repaired but with the high shop rates it wasn’t worth it I guess so they just abandoned it.
The mechanic there told me I could have it. The P&C look like new but it needs some starter parts.
I love the history on them and really curious how vibrations are on them compared to those newer plastic non anti vibe saws like the Wild Thing which are pretty brutal😂.
Firewood season is here so I better put that one on the list to get running.
Need to watch more vids like this to get into the vintage saw groove the firewood stack is at an all time low.😂 Thanks for the motivation! 🍻
That's Awesome! Yeah, I've picked up a couple Free saws from our local saw shop for that same reason.....win for us!😉
I have a 74 SXLAuto that a friend presented to me off a scrap pile. It looked too nice to scrap. It needed a fuel line and a clutch drum. I put an electronic module on it and it runs very well.
Nice! Free is best!
Oh yeah...the auto oiler did not work. The pickup tube had swelled and fell off the regulator thing. Replaced it all with an aluminum unit from a 1970 one given to me from a relative.@KainKustomGarage
Put the bar on the red one. 👍
Yessir!
I have two XL-12s, one from 1964 and the other from 1966. I also have a Lombard Comango which is a near-identical clone. All 3 have stack mufflers and bright blue paint! They're easily my favorite saws out of the 19 saws (and counting) in my collection so far. I recently installed a 063-gauge 21" bar on the saw from 1966 and it still cuts through oak logs like butter. That saw came as a freebie from my neighbor but the others I found on eBay for under $100. It doesn't seem like they're all that common here in MA, but I could be wrong. Anyway thanks for the cool video! I love that symphony of saws at the end!
That's Awesome! Thanks for stopping by Brother!😁
They are the best - I have my original for 40+ years and still runs great. Started collecting them and have 5 more. Always on the lookout for more. Great video Dan
Couldn't agree more! Thanks man 😊
oil mix 33:1 is ok ? 372 xp 357xp 351 ?
@@Sensei948 spec was 16:1. I like 20:1. Use the E free gas (blue hose) if you can get it
Thanks for pointing out the difference between early & later my older brother bought a new 1 around 1968 it is blue with a box style muffler hex fuel cap.
Very cool!😉
The blue and red mixed saw was way Cool!!!!@@KainKustomGarage
I have two old Homelite Xl-12’s over here in the UK! Pretty rare to get them cheap here! Love them!!
Cheers!😊
Grate saw the best of the best I have 9 of them love your vids
Thanks man!😉
I would say it was a great saw when it first came out. It's crazy how long the production run was with no real changes and they remained popular. I would put the bar on the older red one.
Thanks Brian, Appreciate you Brother 😉
That era bar goes on the new saw made down south. The better saws were made in NY ST.
My dad had an XL12 blue. I don’t know if it was a super or just an XL, it had the later edition powder coated muffler, I thought it had the early style fuel and breather caps but I can’t remember, that saw was very reliable, most homesteaders had one, we also had a two in water pump with the engine of an XL for power, it was a mixture of blue and red, we were mining in Alaska and had both the chainsaw and pump up there. I brought the pump to Az after we quit mining and let it get away, dummy me!
Very cool! Great Story Clint, I appreciate it man 😉
Nice collection of xl12 saws..some ATF fluid will bring up the plastic filter covers like new..just leave it on for a while then buff it up
Thanks for the tip! Love ya man!😊
Very cool tip. keep the newer saw original. ( Always hated the plastic covers ) LOL
@@613kc 👍
Them are good old saws right there ! I have the XL 12 and the super XL 12
Heck yeah Brother!😉
Like all the info you share about them old saws , those are the good built rugged saws that would tractor all day on wood cutting, keep up ur good vids on them saws ! LoL
LMAO I thought about lining up several XL-12 saws running at once; maybe next time the neighbours get annoying ;-) These saws are very loud. Unless already def you must wear ear protection. I discovered this when my Grandfather was still running his good XL-12, still a good saw. Grampy was shaping the end of a log and I got too close to his right working near the ground, probably 10 to 15 feet away. Was only there for less than a minute and water started running out of my ears.
I know right, especially the early ones with the little straight stack muffler!
Another great video from you.😊I know this is super irrelevant to the video but i find i can’t wrap my head around how people use saws from the 60’s with zero anti vibration, zero chainbrake and a single throttle trigger like the Xl-12 .I have several saws from the 60’s myself but i always use saws that are more up to code to todays standards😅
I know right! Some tuff Dudes back then😁
You can keep your plastic saws with loosey goosey Vibration isolation and no manual oiler. Im 72 and running theold saws hasnt effected me that much. I probably have 40 of those plastic saws. Huskys stills poulans newer homelites ect. Never use those. I would happily trade them for more magnesium and aluminum saw's. I bought a new husky Rancher 55 in 2000. and it never gave the good trouble free service like my old 1960's XL 12 does.
@@KainKustomGarage it's all we knew. Great job on the Video much respect. 👍 imo 1 pump of oil every 4" of diameter; keeps it wet 😉
You know what I mean...
Things like chainbrakes were designed to stop homeowners from hurting themselves. Just like the safeties on cordless power tools that require you to let go of the ladder and use both hands to start it (I disable them). Dumb and un-necessary, designed for the dumbest of the dumb, not professionals.
I've been using chainsaws since I was a teenager, some fifty years ago. Self-taught out of necessity. I had a few near-misses in the beginning and learned from them. Rule number one: always be aware of your bar tip at all times. If the tip doesn't accidently come in contact with something while you're busy sawing, there can be no kickback. It's that simple.
Yes it’s a good one!!!
Thanks Dan!! Enjoy your videos!!
Put the blade on the blue one. Just saying.
Thanks Bill!😁
My XL12s and SXLAOs start way easier than my Mac 10-10s. Love the sound of old horizontal reed saws.
Yessir! 😉
Iv got a old sears ranger seems realy good but I got bunch of the xl12 and super xl
Nice!😉
Tan actuly looks good
Kane I'm your neighbor over here in Idaho I sure like all your old saws have a bunch of the old XL's and supers I have a couple that look in really great shape the cylinder and piston are scored but the rest of saws perfect where can I get piston ring kit for the saws or a top end and kit that won't break the bank
Many times a saw with scoring will still run ok. as long as the piston rings are not stuck or broken. I buy new parts on E bay. And Leons Chainsaw sells parts also. Using 1/2 pint oil to the gallon the extra oil helps seal and heal the scoring a bit.
Very cool Gary! 😊
YES
I find around here in Newfoundland Canada the most common old saws we see is the pioneer 1074 and they’re usually dirt cheap, I picked up a few for $40 and put a new $20 carb on the best one and it runs like a top
Nice, those are good saws! 😁
@@KainKustomGarage my dad grew up using a pioneer 1074, it’s still at my grandmothers too, been a lot of wood cut with it and still works perfect
I believe they did get electronic ignition very late on.
Like to find the blue paint and redu a couple of mine
Sound like the space shuttle taking off lol
🤣🤣
Nice collection Dan , What do ya normally find wrong , fuel lines or spark , i have a couple , and time now to piddle with them . I do enjoy ya vids , very good info too , Thanks Dan
Thanks James, usually the Carb diaphragms go bad, occasionally points need cleaned, Fuel lines hit and miss😉
Thank You Dan !!@@KainKustomGarage
Thank You Dan !! I do appreciate Ya Sir !!@@KainKustomGarage
Lol I’ve had a few people tell me the xl12s are quite different from my pioneer 1110 but form every picture and video angle they seem at very least insanely similar 😂 I really want to get my hands on one or two of these to race against my old Canadian made pioneer(I also really wanna put one of those lol straight pipes on the ok pioneer)
That would be an interesting comparison 🤔
The homelite XL 12 was the most copied chainsaw ever made. I have a couple pioneer and 2 canadians old and heavy but they are good saws.
fyi Mac 610 most produced in #'s. XL-12 was the most copied and rebranded chainsaw in the word!
Lube the clutch bearing if you can.
I got 3 XL12 4 of the super XL saws iv got one on its way to run think I'm going to have 2 XL12 3 super xL that will run
Nice!
❤❤❤
So how many cc is the regular XL?
nice
Love ya Bill!😉
I just picked one up from my father in law estate sale imma try to clean up and get running so any info would be greatly appreciated
Nice! I have a few videos on here about those saws
I going to say no man them saws were slow. Everyone had couple in there garage
slow yes. But they would run a generator or pump all day and night
(back country) /Fire fighting.
Just picked up an old Blue XL-12 in a pile of someones garbage pile, it at least has a moving piston but I have no Idea how to start getting it running.
Squirt some fuel in there and see if She fires!😉
I hardly find ANY chainsaws at yardsales,and when I do it's a plastic cased poulan.lol.I did come across a super XL a few years ago and didn't buy it.
I know right, they seem to come in waves...lol
I think once you get to a certain number in your collection. The old chainsaws find you. LOL I search Facebook marketplace and buy some. Mostly I get them from estate sales. And they usually dont even list the older saws on the Auction sale bill. and ive bought many for $10 or less and got them running.
😊😮👍🏼😎
😁👍👍
What do you mean "back in the day"? I still use several, have 2 needing a part or repair but running, and I have parts enough to assemble one or two more. My newest one with electronic ignition came to me very dissembled and I am not sure what carb should go with it. I have one on a clearing saw who's coil died and I can't find the part. That carb takes the same rebuild kit. I don't really want to guess, and the Canadian service manuals are hard to find. I know iit runs because I tested it years ago after putting the engine back together. Have no idea why it was apart. I think a mentally challenged person took it apart.
Anyway I am tempted to just try a known working XL-12 carb., maybe with a new kit installed. I think it had a pyramid type reed valve...and I think I saw one a few months ago lol
Biggest difficulty I have been having is getting the manual pumps to pump. This is stopping the use of two XL-12 right now....of course I can't really use more than the three working now.
I learned about these saws first when my Grandfather gave me a box of Homelite XL-12's and Lombard saw parts. Made a saw of many colours that ran, and I had no real training. Then when my Grandfather died 20 years ago, I got his blue XL-12 in working order, and an older blue one that can still be restored with cleaning and carb kit.
I told people how much I liked this saw, and the universe started bringing me parts and saws needing attention. I haven't had to build more working saws from what I have, since I am getting older and my current XL-12's work great ;-) Red one with manual oiler and automatic oil says XL Automatic??? Runs like a very scared cat lol
I think all my XL's are Canadian versions. Some parts have been swapped and there are also labels missing and too worn to read. Learning to identify still, exactly what is what.
Awesome Story man, thanks for taking the time Brother 😁
From blue to red around the evil dead 2 movie, when ever that was. Good zombie slayer though
Hellz yeah!
I got my saw off the feebay I had to pay a bit more "150$"but I am sick of the newer carburators
Nothing wrong with the old stuff😉
that chainsaw bar would look 😊😊 better on a blue chainsaw I know so I dont think 🤔😊 OMG 9 23 2O23
Now ya got me thinking 🤔
My grate uncle said that he bought his Homelite super XL 1975 for $150
Awesome, thanks for the info man😉
Buddy of mine got 3 I think I thought about getting off of him
The best ? .. WELL..For 2 maybe 3 cords.." MAYBE " but I bleed Stihl, the 031 or 026 are better . NOW for cords 5 + the mac 10 10 is the goat . The xl 12 was the Ford escort of it's day . Just my opinion ....😊😊
I use my old saws. I take 4 different ones when I go to cut firewood. Use a tank of gas thru each one. then next time I take 4 different ones. that way the 40 some older running saws all get used.
I hear that Brother! I like the Ford Escort Analogy 😁
👍👍👍👍🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🙏🙏🙏🙏
ki price chainsew
What? No bows!
I know right, need to find one!
Was tan one realy a color lol
Nah, painted that one Desert Tan😊
I got 10 for $30 so far got 3 to run I don't give much for them supose get one for $10 here soon some time I get them give to me I got 2 saw guys get them for Me instead of scraping them
Heck yeah!
hi dan how could i talk to you thanks
Hi Wayne, you can email me at kainkustom@charter.net 😊
Those dipshit bean counters on Wall Street would never let quality like that out the door these days
I know right!
Those saws will run a 100 years.
Halfway there!👍👍
wth happened to homelite? they went from great to plastic junks!
I know right!
I really wish my grandpas old eager beaver 🦫 chainsaw didn’t get burned up in a fire that sucker was ole and very cool saw top handle id of got it fixed and used it