Homelite 540 & 8800 Chain Brake Handle

[onlyhomelites]

So it seems like a good number of the 540's & 8800's that come up for sale are missing some or all of their chain brake parts. These are damned hard to find. I don't have a solution for the guts of the brake, but I do have a reasonable fix for the handle itself. After some research, I determined that the Homelite 250, 252, 300 handle was VERY similiar to the 540 & 8800...so similar that the IPL's show them using the same hardware! So I bought one for the 540 I've been working on. I'm damned impressed with the fit (perfect) and the look is quite close. The handle I bought sits a bit higher, but if you didn't have a factory one to compare to, I don't think you'd ever know. Here's a video comparison of the "fix" vs. stock on a 550CS (John Deere version of an 8800):


Homelite 540 & John Deere 550CS Replacement Brake Handle Comparison (b) by Leon Crouch, on Flickr

Homelite 540 & John Deere 550CS Replacement Brake Handle Comparison (a) by Leon Crouch, on Flickr

[gooseidi]

I have a 250 and a 300, I'm going to have to try this. Something tells me the guts may be hiding in plain sight as well. Thanks for the tip.

[onlyhomelites]

You bet John, I knew this would pique your interest!

[gooseidi]

Found one!😁