Which Homelite saw were REALLY for Professional Use?

[w30bob]

Hi Guys,

  I'm not well versed in Homelite saws per se, and I really only like the old stuff (without hand guards or brakes)........but I keep seeing "Professional" Homelite saws and would like to know which were really for the pros.  I see 330's, 350's, 360's, 450-750, etc.  Are those all the "Pro" saws, or were the XL-9XX models for pros too?  Were there others as well?  Thanks in advance.

regards,
bob

[lesorubcheek]

Good question Bob, and don't think I can give a clear answer, but I'll try. In the early days of the belt drives and early gear (17, 4-20, 5-20,etc) and direct drives (EZ) I don't think there was much of a differentiation for a saw being for pros vs. farmer and homeowners. The first model that I can think of that kinda started targeting homeowners was the Buz and 500. They were well made saws, just a little cheapening on the handle and shroud. Lower cost probably was the biggest thing that was needed to put saws into average consumers hands. Saws back in the 50s and 60s were very expensive when you adjust their cost with time-value-of-money equivalence to today's dollar.

You move on to saws like the Wiz 55,66,77,80 and compare with like similar 6-22 or 700G-775G, and there's tons of similarities, but you see a slight cost savings with the Wiz and could say they were trying to put more of these into average peoples hands, even though Wizs I'm sure were used by professionals too. The C series and through the XPs, 1050 and up through the 2000,2100 series, all were built like tanks, just more likely a smaller saw may be used by a farmer and the bigger ones more likely the logging professionals, but I'd bet more than one farmer bought a 2000 back in the day, as likely a C-51 has been used by a professional logging outfit.

The XLs fit the same bill. I'm sure plenty of XL925s were used by both professional loggers and homeowners, but a homeowner would be more likely to spend less money. I think that calling the 350/360, 450-750 series the Pro series was as much marketing as anything else. They're all good saws, but Super 1050s and 925s were being sold alongside these, and I'm sure plenty of those ended up being used by professionals at the same time a 450 would be used by a farmer clearing a fence row. Pioneer was doing the same thing with their "P" series saws. "P" was for professional, but they had other nice saws that were equally capable of professional use being sold along with them. It was all marketing, since something called Professional must be better, right? Hey, they were good, but, back to Homelites, comparing a Pro series 650 to a 1050 or an XL925 to a 550 is gonna leave most rooms split on a vote of which would be the better saw. They're all good, just in different ways. Again, just my opinion here, best to get some for yourself and just have fun trying to decide which is better.

Dan

[blythkd]

The models you mentioned are basically 1970's and newer. I would eliminate the 330's from the discussion. Other than that pretty much the 350/360's and up were professional saws, in my opinion. So for that time period - 360, 410, 450/550, 925 and family, 650/750, 1050 and 1130. But just like Lesorubcheek stated, they're all good in their own ways, but all very well built, not plasticky or cheap.

[w30bob]

Great answers guys.......thanks! The fog is beginning to clear.....and I'm starting to see the light. Home-light that is!

;0)
bob