Starting an old homelite XL12 saw

[2ndhalf]

Just heaing the name brings back memories. My dad only cut with those for years. He would pick them up for next to nothing at yard sales or auctions and would have multiple XL12s some for parts and some for primary use.

He has since switched to Stihl

 

[IXLR8]

I have an old Homelite ZIP saw that my grandfather bought around 1960. Starts a bit hard now, the carb needs cleaning/rebuilding, but once it is running.... it will cut thru anything like cutting thru butter. Love that old saw, maybe it is part nostalgia, maybe it is because it was my grandfathers. But it works great.

 

[joecoin]

Pull choke out squeeze throttle wide open, push lock button in on side of handle, and go!!!---If it sets a long time, you may have to either use starting fluid or dump a few drops of gas down the carb!---I have, and use super xl---super xlao, 410, and the big ole 8800! Have good luck with all of them.--If they sit a long time, ( 2 months or more) you have to prime them, because they don't have the bulbs that the new plastic saws do. thanks; sonny580

How do you prime them?

 

[goeduck]

I have an old Homelite ZIP saw that my grandfather bought around 1960. Starts a bit hard now, the carb needs cleaning/rebuilding, but once it is running.... it will cut thru anything like cutting thru butter. Love that old saw, maybe it is part nostalgia, maybe it is because it was my grandfathers. But it works great.

Can you post a picture? Those were very cool saws.

 

[Sonny580]

Either remove spark plug and dump a bit of gas in ---OR ( as I do) remove air filter and dump a bit of gas in the carb with saw bar pointing down. this lets the gas into the cylinder. thanks; sonny580

 

[turnkey4099]

Can you post a picture? Those were very cool saws.

Yep. The XL12 'used hard and put away wet' was dad's saw I sorta inherited when I retired from the AF. Used it a few years but finally upgraded to am MS310 Stihl. I couldn't keep screw tight in the XL23, named it 'old shaky'.