Robert's Homelite XL-12 Diagnosis, Repair & Test Run...Repair Shop Told Him It Had Low Compression!

[@oldbowsaw9001]

Bow bar--xl-12 perfect combo--My go to saw on the truck!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@robertaulicky8954]

This is the best saw I ever had. I bought it new in 1972 to run with my Wiz combo bar. I wish I had never sold the old Wiz; Leon could have fixed it!

[@justinweaver8107]

Nice ol saw. Love em.

[@TopNotchSawRepair]

Like how that newly installed electronic ignition system the shop installed. Can't believe they did that to him

[@jamesmacfadyen92]

Got a xl-12 & super 2 love em or hate em.ther good saws.long time small eng.tech.gota love old-school engineering👍

[@bonzaibarty]

Good job and disgusted with the other shop ripping off your customer

[@613kc]

Hard to make any money on an old saw. (lots of store front costs.)

[@613kc]

Leon- Glad to see you're enjoying yourself. Doing the same here. 🍻

[@613kc]

Great Video Thanks!

[@oldbowsaw9001]

Be careful not to let that original carb loose in the shop and mate up --soon you will be overrun with more carbs than you can count!!!!!!!!!--poke holes in the lid and dribble in 2 stroke mix 1 time a week--take care of vintage parts!!!!!!!!! old cat mechanic--great videos!!!!!!!!!!!

[@patrickhorne9984]

Excellent video sir- tanx

[@markluxton3402]

You can easily test a capacitor with an ohm meter setting, just not with a digital multi-meter. I have a multi-meter that has a cap test though, like yours does. I also have an ANALOG multi-meter; one with a mechanical moving needle. You can get really cheap ones that will do. The ohm setting uses a small voltage to test resistance. That tiny voltage is generally enough to test a capacitor/condenser. You just need the correct ohm setting, and you watch the needle, just as you touch your second wire. The needle should jump and quickly return to 0. Switch your wires around and test again. There may be just a tiny more of a jump...a bump really, because you gave a charge to the capacitor from your first test. After doing a few tests with known good condensers, try with some bad ones. You will learn by the needle jump and quick return, or not, if the condenser is good.

[@robertaulicky8954]

Leon, thank you so much! I should have sent you the saw before I took it to the local shops. Ignition is what I thought, too, but I was told otherwise. So they lied to me about the ignition?

[@martincyrany7544]

Nice saw. I love my blue xl12 too.

[@douglasgreen9556]

If I was you and that shop told you it needed rebuilt I would definatly go down there and show them how long it took a real saw mechanic to find the problem. That saw shop was probably hoping to sell you a new saw. People say that saw shops don’t know how work on vintage saws is crap. Almost all saws are made to run by similar components. And any good mechanic has years of experience and have worked on vintage in the past. Like he said in the video there is no excuse for what this shop told you. But I’m happy you got a second opinion before giving up on the old homelite.

[@robertaulicky8954]

@@douglasgreen9556 I posted the video on their facebook page. You should of heard the thank you I got; NOT!

[@robertaulicky8954]

@@douglasgreen9556 Basically, I did this by posting the video on their website and Facebook. I got a call.

[@tedmiller1745]

LEON, what plugs to you prefer over NGK? Funny how shops are so eager to just guess and say nope. A lot do not have the know how to service vintage saws. Another great video!

[@seniorjohnl]

I used Champion plugs religiously, at the time they were very good. More recently , post 2000 started seeing frequent failures with them, weird running issues. Still have OLD Champion's made in the 80's in mowers that run great, it's the newer ones that have problems. I use them in my own equipment but don't risk it with other peoples stuff, run NGK'S in customers units to eliminate strange ignition issues.

[@clyde4262]

👋 I love your videos, which I came across once I got a free blue Homelite XL automatic. It is a very clean original saw. It looks like it has very little use on it. I want to start it up today and see how it runs but I do not know what the oil mix should be. Can you please help before I blow it up? I already have a 50 to 1 mix for my Stihl. Would I be able to use that mix for the Homelite?

[@Tysman909]

Could replace that condensor with a high voltage capacitor. The ones I use for atom brown modules could work

[@chainsawcanuck]

It's way too common with shops here in Edmonton, I've gotten many good deals on older saws because shops have told people saw wasn't fixable or it burnt up.. When I get them they usually just need a carb kit and lines... I dont know if it mechanics being lazy or just stupid, and you are right how many saws went to the dump because of laziness

[@dennisharrison4744]

I just got 7 of them saws and a craftsman and a sears ranger it runs 3 of the homlites run

[@keithrayeski6417]

I did not know Homelite used Walbro…or could. Be nice cause finding proper parts for the tillotson HS4D carb is like searching for gold!!

[@farmerjackson709]

I had a super xl one time that would run the same. changed out everything but the spark plug. And tried the chip. Finally pulled the plug and the gap was set at like 8 thousand’s of an inch. Gapped it to 25 and she ran perfectly

[@jeffreylangenstein4222]

parts are harder to come by What would be a good replacement condenser # .

[@Tysman909]

I can tell that's ignition. I heard that before working on homelites

[@tylerrollhaus8138]

I have the exact same saw... been trying to fix it for my dad. I've redone everything but the coil is bad. You happen to know any coils I can put on that saw that will work?

[@paulingro9898]

I have 3 of them!!

[@dennisharrison4744]

Iv found most of the compresion gauges are not right I got 2 new ones both read difrent

[@justinweaver8107]

Any idea how many drivelinks a 24in chain for these are if i might ask sir.

[@robertaulicky8954]

81

[@robertaulicky8954]

The bar chain is the same length as the bow, 81

[@justinweaver8107]

@@robertaulicky8954 thank u very much sir much appreciated!!!

[@Drottninggatan2017]

Could also have been the loose condenser. At least a contributing factor. Maybe the condenser started getting bad because it had been loose for a while. What do we learn from this: Check your condensers guys. And don't trust the repair shops, they just want you out of there.

[@dennisharrison4744]

My gauge says one I'm working on says 110 psi the line on the gauge is to big inside to test small pistons I tried it on a brand new stihl it had 65 psi so I know my xl 12 is good lol

[@mikemckain6556]

It is an old saw. We would be happy to sell you a new one.

[@robertaulicky8954]

Not anymore! Leon is my new go-to guy now. Even if freight cost $101.80 to get it there.

[@mikemckain4344]

I have 3 EZ saws of different vintages. Like running all of them

[@oldbowsaw9001]

Sounds like they do not want to work on them-like 99 percent of repair places--lets sell a new saw!!!!!!!!! parts not available and we do not know any thing about antique stuff--not worth fixing!--I get them !! Run and cut with old saws!!!!!!!!!!