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Welcome to the Chain Saw Collectors Corner. I have assembled information and pictures on each make of saw that I have information available. Many of these saws I have in my own collection, others are in collections of others that have been kind enough to share with us. Do not be shy about sending comments or suggestions. In this photograph taken at the Linden Washington Steam and Tractor show in


August 2001 you see myself (left and Marshall Trover discussing the finer points of the clutch on a Challenger two man chain saw built in Vancouver, B.C. Canada circa 1946. Marshall has had a display at the Linden show for several years and I travel down there with some of my saws and we have a good time talking to people about the various saws. Marshall brought all Titan saws and I had a mixture of I.E.L. models and the Challenger.


(above) Linden August 2000. Left to right, Dave Challenger from Gunn Lake, British Columbia, myself, Marshall Trover and Wayne Sutton from Amboy, Washington. I brought a mixture of saws, Hornet DJ3600 you can see at Dave's feet, a Danarm 98 and Marshall had Disstons. The Pneumatic model is on the left and a DO-100 bow saw is in front of Wayne. We estimated that between the four collectors in this picture we have over 1500 chain saws.


(above) Linden Washington August 1999. The collectors from left to right are Duane Zollo from Camas, Washington, Marshall Trover from Renton, Washington, Dave Challenger from Gunn Lake British Columbia and myself. We are standing behind Marshall's DOW Low Stump Saw circa 1936. Behind us you can see the boiler for the steam operated sawmill that is busy producing sawn lumber. To the left in front of the DOW is a Disston KB7 twin cylinder model.

Possibly one indicator of my interest in things mechaincal was the amount of time I spent working with my Meccano Set starting at an early age. I think my parents got me started in Meccano so I would not dismantle their favourite alarm clock.

My experience with chain saws dates from 1954 when I started work at the McCulloch dealership in my home town of Grand Forks British Columbia.

(above)My first job was washing the cars on display in the car lot after school. I eventually got to do repairs to used chain saws that were trade-in's on new McCulloch models. After travelling to Vancouver to attend service school at McCulloch Company of Canada I started repairing all the chain saws. I did this full time for two years, travelling out to logging operations to demonstrate saws and make sales.


(above) The first McCulloch models I worked on were the 3-25, 47, 4-30 (shown here), 73, Super 33, D-33, 5-49, and 15M pump. I also worked on other makes and models such as the IEL DB, HB, HM, Titan 40, Homelite 17, 5-20, Hornet DJ3600 and others.


(above) Testing a McCulloch model 73 after a complete tear down and rebuild. These models were built with a magnesium crankcase and the vibration was such that the screws kept falling out of them and various parts would break. We had timber in our area that only required a 24 inch bar and this was not enough load for the 7.3 cubic inch motor. One of the solutions tried by McCulloch was to make several of the castings including the crankcase out of aluminum which added a bit of weight in an attempt to combat the vibration. The faller that owned this saw wanted the power that this model produced even though it was really to much the timber being cut.


(above) My pride and joy. 1956 Austin Omnivan. McCulloch Yellow enamel paint job. I used this vehicle to travel out to the logging operations and demonstrate chain saws. When McCulloch introduced the model D-44 it was the perfect saw for our local loggers. The trees averaged 24 inches and the D-44 cut them faster than anything available at that time. We sold 56 of them in the first year. The introduction of the direct drive took a lot of education as up until then all our customers were running a gear drive saw. Filing the saw chain was much more critical on the direct drive and we had to do a lot of work with our customers. I was very fortunate in having been taught to file by Mr. Art Hill who was our Oregon Factory rep at that time and I did not have to un-learn any bad habits. I was able to help our customers and thereby lessened break downs and operator frustration.


(above) At the local Fall Fair we always had an extensive display of McCulloch product. Here I am demonstrating the Super 33 with drill attachment.


(above) One of the events held at the Fall Fair was the Power Saw Contest. This would be 1956 and I am using a D-44, one cut down and one cut up. Leaning on the log with stop watch in hand is Art Richardson, McCulloch factory rep, to his left is Eldin Bannert who used an IEL HM in those days, to his left partially hidden behind me is Gordon Clifton owner of the OK Garage and just behind me is Peter Holmquist, rep for Pioneer Chain Saws. I don't remember who made the fastest cut but I would bet it was Peter.


(above) In February 1958 I started a new job as sales representative for Consolidated Equipment & Supply Co. Ltd. I was hired to travel throughout Alberta and Northern British Columbia selling Oregon Saw Chain and chain saw accessories. I worked out of Edmonton Alberta.


(above) My first busines card and an advertisment page listing some of the products sold by the company.
We were also distributors for Ariens Lawn & Garden Equipment, Oberg and Black Diamond files, Agdor axes, and Bahco tools.


In 1959 for the Province of Alberta only we took on the distribution of Remington Chain Saws. I travelled throughout the province and set up dealers.


(above) May 1961, Toronto Ontario Remington Chain Saw Distributor meeting.
For a period of time late in 1961 and into 1962 we were also the distributors of the new PM Canadien 270 chain saw. This was an impressive saw for pulp cutting.

Early in 1963 I decided to move back to British Columbia and work for the Remington Distributror there.

Here we are lined up in front of the Vancouver office. Left to right Tony Hornby (factory rep), Nick Cawston, Bill Collister and myself.


After about a year it became evident that the company was not going to become a major player in the chain saw business in B.C. so I left. Shortly thereafter I was approached to work for the Pioneer Chain Saw distributor.



Cutting trees with Pioneer 550 during the construction of the famous "Carmi Road" between Penticton and Carmi. Working with the local Pioneer dealer we supplied the Chain Saws used on this project.


After a year of travelling a portion of B.C. selling Pioneer chain saws I was asked to switch jobs and go to the Englewood Logging Division of Canadian Forest Products and supervise the operations of Pacific Falling Contractors Ltd. There were all Pioneer Chain Saws in service there with three logging camps and three mechanics looking after over 150 saws. While there I managed to get out into the woods to see how the saws were working. I had my picture taken with this tree but I did not do the felling job. This Douglas Fir tree had enough wood in it to build 2-1/2 modern dwellings. It was felled with a Pioneer 750 equipped with 36 in. bar. I worked for a little less than 1 year at this job and learned a great deal about how chain saws are used in major logging operations and what is required to maintain them.
Len has his crying towel in hand because on one day at quitting time the bullbucker brought in 4 saws that had been pretty well destroyed
by fallers that day. thankfully no one was injured but the saws required a lot of work to get them back to working condition.


I then spent a short period of time supervising a chain saw crew doing clearing and slashing work on the reservoir being created behind the Keenlyside Dam at Castlegar B.C. The level of Kootenay Lake was being raised as much as 25 feet and the ground being flooded was cleared of all vegetation which meant lots of chain saw work.


I then returned home to Grand Forks and went into business for myself as a distributor of Remington Chain Saws.
 

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