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Post by lesorubcheek on Feb 10, 2010 13:18:02 GMT -5
Anybody know the scoop on the 545? 540s and 8800 are pretty well figured out, but never saw a 545 other than the reference on Mr. Acres site. What's different about it..... anybody know?
Weimedog mentioned it on a post at AS and got me thinking about it again. I asked there, but as expected, no one has anything to say about it.
Dan
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Post by mikem on Feb 10, 2010 14:11:11 GMT -5
Can't find it on Craig's(MCS) list of Homelite Ring sizes either. Mystery Homelite ??
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Post by MCS on Feb 11, 2010 9:21:51 GMT -5
Too new for my ring chart ;D I flipped back and forth between the 540 & 545 on Acres site and the only thing I can see is that the 545 followed the 540 and it says that the 545 has adjustable oil rate. Add a gimmick and change the model number and you have a new saw At 5.4 cu in, it has an edge on my XL-903 at 5 cu in
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Post by lesorubcheek on Feb 11, 2010 11:24:44 GMT -5
hmmmm, adjustable oiler. Gotta look, but I would have swore that the 540 had an adjustable oiler on it. Maybe not though. It is a very different oiler than on the 8800. Heck, there's even a different clutch-side crankcase because of the different oilers and the way they attach.
Kinda figured the 545 was like a middle of the road variant between the 540 and 8800, but it'd be cool to know the details.
Dan
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Post by MCS on Feb 11, 2010 15:14:09 GMT -5
Visually, looking at the pictures on Acres site, I can't see anything different other then the decal. Assuming the entry dates are correct there is a 3 year difference which tells me that they made some change and extended the production run. The 545 must be the "new and improved" model ;D
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Post by lesorubcheek on Feb 11, 2010 17:52:01 GMT -5
Just checked and the oiler on my 540 is adjustable. It has 3 positions, which I think was the same deal as on the 8800, but the oiler is very different between the two in the way they attach. Will need to dig out the 8800 and take some pics comparing this kinda stuff.
Dan
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Post by aviatur on Feb 11, 2010 20:20:36 GMT -5
If it's like a 240 and 245, the "45" should have both automatic and manual oiler and the "40" will only have automatic oiler.
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Post by homelitelt4 on Dec 5, 2017 19:14:37 GMT -5
It seems I am not the only one who remembers the 545. I saw one once at a dealership in Nevada and still have the old Homelite sales brochure that I got when I looked at it. I too have looked for one over the years to add to my collection of 8800s and 540s, but have never seen another one or found any separate parts lists for them. Looking at the brochure, it appears that the 545 incorporated the metal tank and handle assembly that was later used on the 8800. I remember that one of the complaints that I had heard about the 540 was that some thought it was cheap to use the plastic parts on a top of the line saw. This could explain the model change and does make sense. There is no sign of a manual oiler on the handle, so I'm guessing it used the same adjustable pump that the 540 used. It is also possible that the 545 incorporated the baffling kit that was later used on the 8800 to provide increased cooling from the fan to the cylinder and exhaust. That was also listed as an early problem with some 540s and ultimately helped lead to the redesign for the 8800. The only other thing I have found (which most likely has no influence on this) is a Forest Service document that specifies saw sizes and pay rates for fire crews that has one of the pay rate changes at 88cc. Below 88cc is a significantly lower rate than over 88cc. The 540 and 8800 are both rated at 88cc while the 545 is rated at 89cc. That's a difference that could be theoretically made by changing the spark plug. I don't remember any other differences between the saws, (the dealer had both a 540 and a 545 side by side) and the different sticker and one cc larger spec would cover getting the higher pay rate for the crew. It may seem like a stretch, but it's the only answer I've ever come up with,,, John
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Post by onlyhomelites on Dec 5, 2017 19:48:34 GMT -5
Interesting! You are the only person I know of that has actually seen a 545 in person! I wish someone, somewhere had one of these saws that they could post pictures of.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 5, 2017 20:06:33 GMT -5
It seems I am not the only one who remembers the 545. I saw one once at a dealership in Nevada and still have the old Homelite sales brochure that I got when I looked at it. I too have looked for one over the years to add to my collection of 8800s and 540s, but have never seen another one or found any separate parts lists for them. Looking at the brochure, it appears that the 545 incorporated the metal tank and handle assembly that was later used on the 8800. I remember that one of the complaints that I had heard about the 540 was that some thought it was cheap to use the plastic parts on a top of the line saw. This could explain the model change and does make sense. There is no sign of a manual oiler on the handle, so I'm guessing it used the same adjustable pump that the 540 used. It is also possible that the 545 incorporated the baffling kit that was later used on the 8800 to provide increased cooling from the fan to the cylinder and exhaust. That was also listed as an early problem with some 540s and ultimately helped lead to the redesign for the 8800. The only other thing I have found (which most likely has no influence on this) is a Forest Service document that specifies saw sizes and pay rates for fire crews that has one of the pay rate changes at 88cc. Below 88cc is a significantly lower rate than over 88cc. The 540 and 8800 are both rated at 88cc while the 545 is rated at 89cc. That's a difference that could be theoretically made by changing the spark plug. I don't remember any other differences between the saws, (the dealer had both a 540 and a 545 side by side) and the different sticker and one cc larger spec would cover getting the higher pay rate for the crew. It may seem like a stretch, but it's the only answer I've ever come up with,,, John Can you post several pictures of the brochure in sections, so we can see the whole thing? Thanks
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Post by homelitelt4 on Dec 5, 2017 20:14:37 GMT -5
Yes the 545 did get the metal tank as shown. Wish I had one!
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Post by undee70ss on Dec 5, 2017 20:15:53 GMT -5
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Post by homelitelt4 on Dec 5, 2017 20:22:02 GMT -5
One of the main differences between the 540 saws and the 8800 saws is the metal tank/handle assembly. On the side of the airbox on the 540 (which is a plastic tank/handle assembly) are the two access holes for the carb adjustments. On the 8800 below the carb idle adjustment screw is a cover plate that opens up to access the ignition switch wiring. On the 8800 the design change was made to isolate the wiring for the switch from the interior of the carb box. In the pictures on the 545 you can see the seam and the attaching screw that holds the cover plate closed. This was only used on the metal tank assembly. Also, they use different caps for the oil and fuel tanks. One type of cap is a flat gasket, the other is an o-ring seal... and while they may be interchangeable, I have had leaks most likely caused by this. If you look at these pictures of the 540 and 8800 you can see the cap on the 540 is recessed and uses the o-ring seal, while the cap on the 8800 is surface mount and uses the cork gasket. In the pic of the 545, you can also see it is a surface mount cap...
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Post by lesorubcheek on Dec 5, 2017 20:52:05 GMT -5
Welcome John. Beautiful information! You obviously know these saws inside and out. Great to read your posts. The 545 is one of the big unanswered mysteries of Homelites, at least for me... hopefully someone out there knows the facts. The other big item is over Solo's involvement with them. I was sorta beat up a little while back on AS over the issue whether all the parts for these were Solo and came from Germany. Obviously some of the key parts were German, but many parts are marked as made in the US, at least o their packaging. Magnesium moldings are by Lunt which did almost all Homelite stuff after Alcoa, and they were US. It'd be great to find out details of Homelite and Solo's cooperative efforts here... why it happened, why unlike the 290/340, there isn't a Solo equivalent for these.... so on and so on.
Dan
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Post by homelitelt4 on Dec 5, 2017 21:00:41 GMT -5
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Post by onlyhomelites on Dec 5, 2017 21:00:43 GMT -5
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Post by undee70ss on Dec 5, 2017 21:07:46 GMT -5
No one for sure even knows if the Homelite 545 even ever existed. I know of no one who owns one, never seen one for sale. If they did make them, there are very few IMO.
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Post by homelitelt4 on Dec 5, 2017 21:32:44 GMT -5
I don't know much about Solo or any other brand being involved with these saws, but Textron was pretty diverse and might have contracted out some of the parts sourcing. All of the 540s I have say made in the USA,,, so I'll leave that at that. The 540 family includes the 545, the 8800 and the DM54 demolition saws. I seem to remember an 8800 based demolition saw, but I'd have to dig a bit on that one. One of the interesting things to note is that when John Deere bought Homelite, they continued to produce the 8800 in John Deere yellow with a different model number for several years. Again I'd have to dig a bit through my old notes for the model number, but I bought up all of the parts John Deere had left a few years ago.
Regarding the 540/545/8800 chainsaws,,, while there are some parts that are interchangeable between them, you can't just take any part you want and interchange them. The cylinders are different, the mufflers are different, the oil pumps are different, the main case and the handle/tank cases are different,,, etc. Ignitions are interchangeable, clutches, carbs, air filter and most box parts are interchangeable, etc... One of my 540s that I've had apart uses a thin ring set which is completely different from the 8800 which uses a thicker set of rings. The pistons appear nearly identical and would most likely swap, but you would have to have the matching ring set.
The 540 design was the first. It broke new ground in its compact size, lighter weight, and front exit exhaust. The RPM capability of the 540 was much greater then the XL saws it replaced such as the 870s and the 925/955 series. It used a new design for vibration isolation, and carb box/air filter mounting that put it at the top of what was available from most other manufactures at the time. Many others followed the lead and most of the large saw designs today are quite similar.
Was this a joint effort between manufactures? Don't know! Did it threaten to take a large part of the marked away from others,,, Yes! If Homelite had continued to update their larger saws (100cc and up) this would have left everyone else in the dust. Why did Textron sell Homelite to John Deere? Again, don't know. Why did John Deere run the entire operation in the ground,,, most likley because they did not consider it to be of any significance related to their major product lines of heavy equipment. They wanted something in the showroom as an accessory for the customers to see when they came in for big ticket items, and didn't really care where those accessories came from. Perhaps it was some sort of a tax shelter thing where they could force one segment of the company into the red, to cover for profits in another division... Don't know!
All I can say for sure is that I still believe my 540s and 8800s are the equal of any other saw I have had the chance to run and that it's truly sad that a great American company was run into the ground and sold off to become just another big box retail store brand name.
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Post by sweepleader on Dec 5, 2017 21:52:36 GMT -5
The company I work for sells a device that is entirely manufactured in the far east, except for 4 screws. It is an electric appliance that sells for about $500 and is for professional use. It comes over on the boat in two parts with all the working parts installed. We add the screws and put it in a retail package and the laws allow it to be marked and marketed as "Made In USA".
I don't much like it but that is apparently how the law reads. Chainsaws could easily be the same way, all the parts made and mostly assembled anywhere then add a few screws and a box and it is a US product all of a sudden.
Who knows where something is actually made anymore?
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Post by Deleted on Dec 5, 2017 22:00:36 GMT -5
Thanks for the great pictures. I have a mid 80s catalog, but this 90s catalog is really nice. I never knew that Solo made some of these later saws. I will have to be on the watch for them
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