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Post by w30bob on Mar 30, 2022 21:28:47 GMT -5
So the other day I'm looking thru our favorite online auction website and I keep seeing these Homey 350 and 360 saws come up all the time.........and lots of parts for them. So not knowing anything about them I bought one. What the heck, I got a tree I need to take down this weekend and my plastic Huskys are no fun. Light and powerful, but no fun. So I bought a runner that was complete and it came yesterday. For some reason I thought these saws were made later, but after checking Acres I come to find they were made in the mid-70s......when I was in 5th grade. So I guess if Pops would have bought a new saw to replace his Wiz 55 back then he might have gotten something like my 350. So I took it out of the box, cleaned it up and installed the bar and chain. Put the usual fluids in it and she fired up on the third pull. Sounds good. Didn't cut anything, but I was surprised by the weight. She's a chunky puppy. I was thinking these were more junky than they are, but was surprised by the quality....and would say it's a pretty nice saw. Looks to be well made, so obviously made before Homelite began to self-destruct. The only cheap parts on it are the plastic gas and oil caps. I'm guessing these are the saws that have the intake boot go bad.........but there's repop replacements out there, right? I'll probably just throw a bar stencil on it, as the outline of the bar design is still visible when looked at from the right angle........and then just use it. Here's a couple pics......since I know you guys like pics. ;O) bob   |
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Post by blythkd on Mar 30, 2022 22:29:55 GMT -5
Nothing wrong with the fuel and oil caps but yes, the intake boot goes out on occasion. Also the rubber mounts can get cracked and need replaced. And if it's got old black fuel and oil lines, they tend to need replacing as well. Pretty much all the rubber parts are the only issues with these saws. They were built like tanks otherwise. And they'll scream with any of the latest greatest plastic stuff out there today. Homelite probably should have used the coil with the rev limiter on the 350/360 models but RPM's are unlimited.
Can you tell I'm a fan?
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Post by w30bob on Mar 31, 2022 3:40:16 GMT -5
Hi billy,
Yeah, the fuel lines have been replaced with Tygon, which isn't my favorite, but good enough for now, and the rubber isolators all looked good. It also appears Homelite learned their lesson with the thin rubber coated handles that never held up on earlier saws, and used a much thicker rubber.....that's still intact. It appears to be a well used saw, but not abused. Looking forward to giving her a good workout this weekend.
;O)
bob
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Post by blythkd on Mar 31, 2022 5:55:59 GMT -5
Oh yeah, I forgot about the rear rubber grip, it's prone to cracking and falling apart as well. Rubber was not Homelite's strong suit!
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Post by w30bob on Mar 31, 2022 8:13:08 GMT -5
Hey kid,
Yeah, seems Homelite never got the memo to switch from rubber to PFA or Teflon for their fuel lines and polyurethane for their grips. The good news is those lines are readily available now, and even casting poly grips isn't hard. Considering how good Homelite was, it's sad to have seen them fall from grace. But then pretty much every chainsaw manufacturer did, with the exeception of the big 3 now. Time marches on, I guess. I worked a lot with Tygon fuel lines on our military unmanned air vehicles, and it too degrades in time.......so we no longer use it. PFA is the way to go if you want it to last forever. All good fun!
;O)
bob
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Post by blythkd on Mar 31, 2022 11:22:48 GMT -5
Of course, I'm very familiar with Stihl and Husky, but struggling to come up with a third to make the Big 3. I'm a bit partial to Makita/Dolmar on the new side but don't see them being that big.
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Post by w30bob on Mar 31, 2022 15:29:29 GMT -5
Hi BTK,
I was referring to Stihl, Husky and Echo. They seem to be the "Big 3" when you look for a chainsaw these days, at least around here, discounting all the Chinese crap out there. So a funny thing happened today......that darn Postal gal put a few more boxes on my front step. And inside one was another Homey 350! This one in nicer physical condition, but no chain or bar....and no promise it would run. Doing a quickie cleanup and look-see, she has her original black fuel lines, which are still soft and flexible, and most likely original carb boot. So I'll put her in the rotation and see what's what when I get there. These saws are pretty cheap right now, and there's a glut of 750 saws and parts on eBay right now from a guy who seems to have found a small stash of well used ones. But looking at what parts cost for the 650/750 I think I'll just play with the smaller ones for now.
;O)
bob
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