New Mac 10-10a

[SteveinUT]

 So, I was looking at Craigslist last night and stumbled upon this. According to the seller, it came from an estate sale, so he didn't know much about it. He said he couldn't keep it running, because he was flooding it out. So, I bought it, brought it home, put a new spark plug in it, dumped the gas out and put in some Trufuel pre-mix 40:1, pulled the choke halfway out and it fired and ran on the very first pull!!! It idles like a champ, and burned through a 20" aspen log about as fast as my Husqvarna 460.

I doubt this saw ever saw much use. I haven't tested the compression, but pulling with the kill switch on, I can feel substantial compression, for whatever that is worth! Anyway, figured I'd pick ya'll's brains for anything I should know about this saw. I've surfed a little on it and found out this particular 10-10 was made between '71 and '75. It has an oil button, but if I'm reading correctly online, this saw is an automatic oiler? So, that has me baffled. I pointed the bar at a log and it wasn't leaving the tell-tale strip of oil like my Husq does, but I could see oil spattering off the chain in pretty much all directions?

I paid $100 for it, which concerned me a bit knowing it's age, until I saw this thing. It is literally like new. Anyway, I *think* it's a 20" bar, but I haven't counted the links to know for sure. Anyway, anything I should know about this thing before I cut a half-cord with it next weekend?



  

  

 

[Jhenderson]

It does have an automatic oiler. I don't remember if it's adjustable. ( I was about 12 when I ran that saw brand new) The plunger is for extra oil in a long hard cut.

[SteveinUT]

Thanks! I just ordered an owners manual off of fleabay for it, so hopefully it'll answer most of my questions. Now I just need to find a service manual for it.

[sawguy21]

Al sees that he'll be drooling all over his keyboard. ;D That is in beautiful condition, almost a shame to get it dirty. Usually something like that will have a junk carburetor and fuel tank from gas left standing.

[JohnG28]

Wow, that saw doesn't look like it's ever seen a log!

[SteveinUT]

Thanks guys! Yeah, the seller said he bought it at an estate sale and it supposedly it was stored dry. The oiler is the only thing that has me concerned because it doesn't print the line of oil on a log I point it at like my other two saws. I can see oil spitting off the chain but it doesn't sling it straight off the tip. But, the couple minutes I looked at the bar I don't remember seeing oil ports in it, so maybe this oils differently?

[Al_Smith]

The automatic oiler is inside the front mounted oil tank .It's an engine impulse activated piston pump that pumps as long as the engine is running .

You have to remove one screw in the front of the tank and remove the cover to gain access to the pump .The adjustment is a screw that limits the throw on the pump piston ,longer stroke more oil .

However before you go to all that trouble dump all the oil and fill the tank about half full of kerosine or diesel fuel .Remove the bar and chain and run the saw 5-10 minutes .It may or may not flush out any oil residue scum which turns to wax  from sitting 20-30 years .Works more times than not .--Junk yard dawg McCullocholigy 101--

[Al_Smith]

Al sees that he'll be drooling all over his keyboard. ;D 

Ha I think at last count I have 5 10-10's in the shed and never paid a dime for any of them .One as a matter of fact is perhaps one of the last ever built and it too looks brand new .

The pictured saw would most likely be somewhere in the middle of the 25 or so years that model was produced .Which is one of the longest production runs of any saw built by anybody .McCulloch must have sold them by the millions world wide .

[thecfarm]

That is a beauty. I think my Father had one like that. I think it was just a 10-10. That was more than 35 years ago too.

[SteveinUT]

Thanks for the info, Al. I'll will try that.

[mad murdock]

Congrats steveinutah, on an awesome piece of saw history 8) I have about 9 10 series Macs, 4 are 10-10's. IMO they are still the best model of saw ever built. Tho they don't have anti-vibe, the 10-10A is plenty smooth runner. I wear a good set of padded gloves if I am gonna run it a lot, and I don't have any tingling hands. I have ran them when I started logging full time in the late 70's thru mid 80's, have cut a ton of wood with them and still do. Good set of earplugs will be your friend, but they are a cutting machine!! Looks like you got the old hardnose mac bar. Don't forget to grease your clutch drum bearing once in a while, for an all metal saw they are even not too bad on weight, even by today's standards. They don't rev quite as high as a new saw, but with the bar buried they will keep up with any saw. Be respectful of the bar tip, no safety features. The manual oiler override was a McC standard for many many years, if you got into pitchy wood or just needed extra oil a pump or two in the cut never hurt, especially with a non sprocket tip bar. Happy cutting 8)

[deerslayer]

I've got a RH start Mac 10-10A but the auto oiler doesn't work. Saw runs fine and I investigated the oiler situation and decided I'm just going to sell it as a manual oiler saw. Lost interest in it. They do cut wood though! That's a really nice one you've found.

[Banjo picker]

I had one of them, and as best I can recall....I didn't care too much for it.  Banjo

[SteveinUT]

Well, the oil tank is full of diesel. I'm going to let it sit and soak over night. I'll give it a try in the AM and see if it's freed up the works.

[SteveinUT]

OK, so the on-going saga... I took the automatic oil pump apart today, cleaned it inside and out, replaced the two o-rings, reassembled and have spent the better part of the afternoon adjusting the oiler, replacing the cover, starting, testing, etc. repeatedly.

The saw IS oiling. I can see oil running off the chain and down the bar after a minute or two of running the saw with the RPMs up, I see oil draining all over the dang place from under the clutch cover, but it still doesn't sling off the tip very good. Just a small, light strip of oil on the log I aim it at. The bar groove/channel and oiling ports in the bar are clean, by the way. The bar plates are on correctly, by the way. I've got the adjustment screw adjusted out probably 1.5 to 2 turns from all the way in when I reassembled. It doesn't look like there is that much adjustment room left.

So, am I right to assume that with a 20" bar I'm just not going to get the sling of oil off the tip of the bar that I see on my other, more modern saws?

[Al_Smith]

Modern is relative .A Mac 10 series chainsaw auto pump will oil any bar you put on it.Which as a rule would be a 28" .The larger,850 etc will handle with ease at least a 32" .I had heard of but never seen up to 42" bars on those things .The longest I have is a 36" for that series . Never used it but I have one .PNW thing ,I'm in the hardwoods .

[SteveinUT]

OK. I refilled the tank with diesel again and ran it for a bit. I'll let it sit a while longer. If that doesn't work, I guess I'll tear the manual oiler apart as well and replace the oil line. Other than that, I'm running out of ideas.

[Southside]

I saw "New Mac-10" and had something completely different in mind..... :D

[SteveinUT]

No, no gangsta thug bustin caps with his Mac 10...  :D

[shinnlinger]

I have two complete 10-10 autos sitting in my barn and even a carb rebuild kit sitting next to them.  They don't run but pull over and spark.  I was thinking I might get one going or might offer them up as a forum fundraiser if there was interest. 

[SteveinUT]

I might be interested. I've already been on the prowl for one or two for spare parts.

[leeper69]

I also have two pro mac 10-10 saws one I bought new and the other from a yard sale for 50 bucks. I used the one i bought for over 15 years to cut firewood until   long after McCullough went out of business, that's over 15 years and the old thing still runs good. so dose the parts saw after replacing the fuel line. parts can still be found but are getting more expensive. I now use a Sthil ms250 due to a bad back. the 5 pound difference makes a difference after a day of cutting.

[shinnlinger]

I would say leeper is a lot closer to Utah!