[Nimrod]

My neighbor Maynard knew I was using a Homelite Super XL AO as my daily saw and that I spent a part of last winter making one running Homelite XL 12 out of one my neighbor Jim gave me, one Green Country Pete gave me, and an incomplete basket case saw the local parts guy sold me for $5. Yesterday, when Maynard was given a Super XL AO he passed it on to me. Free is always a good price.

I was like a kid with a new toy. I spent this morning scoping out the new saw. I may be able to get it back up and running without putting much money in it. First I cleaned a bunch of carbon out of the exhaust port. Then I checked compression, 125 psi which isn't great but the saw will run with that. The saw has spark. I blocked the carb port and the exhaust port but it won't hold pressure. Probably one or both of the crankcase seals need to be replaced. I have one new one on hand. I need to take it apart to give it a thorough cleaning so I'll check the crank seals at the same time. At some time in the distant past someone was thinking of fixing up the saw and got as far as getting a carb kit. I'll rebuild the carb. The only concern I have is why so much carbon built up in the exhaust port. I hope the saw was running really rich in it's previous incarnation. Looks like the most I will have to buy is one crank seal and a fuel line and filter.

The Super XL AO Maynard gave me is blue and the one I've been using is red. Otherwise they are identical. The main difference between the Supers and the XL12 are the Supers have a 58cc engine and the XL 12 is 54cc, same stroke but bigger bore. Also the technology had advanced by the time these Supers came out (1972) and they have automatic bar/chain oiling. For the traditionalists you could install a manual pump on the Super in addition to the automatic one. The XL 12 (1963) only has the manual oil pump.


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[Snowfan]

Free is a good price. I paid the same for a 2014 Husqvarna 440. My brother-in-law gave it to me. He said he used it about 4 years ago. It still had gas oil mix in it.
I took it to my Husqvarna guy. He cleaned it out, checked it out, put new gas and bar oil in it and charged me $40. He told me it hadn't been used much. Very clean. Air filter was clean. Chain looked almost new.

 

[Nimrod]

I got it apart. The plate carrying the coil, condenser, and points was broken. I have a replacement on hand from one of the XL12 parts saws. Most of the parts are the same between a Super XL and an XL12.

There was no crankshaft seal on the clutch side. The bearing makes grinding noises so I need to order a new one and a seal.

Here's what it looks like, just not quite as clean.

 

[HDRider]

Glad to hear you can still get parts.

I guess they only make corded electric chain saws now?

My very first chain saw was a Homelite. Good little saw

 

[gilleyb1958]

I got my first Super XL in 89. Best saw I ever had. Rebuilt it twice because of my error with ethanol.
That saw does not like that at all. Still have it and it looks near new and has several hundred hours on it.
It's a backup now.

FIL is the one that suggested I get it in the first place. That's the only brand he ever used. He would run them till they quit
then put it in his barn and go buy another. He had 5 total, said take these and see if you can make anything out of them. 3-XL12 and 2-Super XL.
Out of all those I got one of each going. Parts were easy to get then.
Some were beyond repair mostly as in getting run over by a tractor.
I could take them apart like dismantling a rifle.

Have a Stihl now as my main saw. It's a little lighter. Don't do it as much now but the Super XL 20" bar will hog through hedge better than this Stihl 16" will.