Mc Culloch MAC 540

Chainsaw Massacre it isn't.

Now a little tale about me to understand my use and even love of Chainsaws. No…….I'm not into Chainsaw Massacre's but I do love to gather logs and fell trees given half a chance.

I was brought up in the wilds of the Shropshire hills. So much so, we didn't even have electricity and relied on either paraffin lamps or a rather antiquated diesel Lister generator that just about pumped out enough ...
...a lot else! I was 14 when I first handled and used a Chainsaw. A rather old and underpowered machine I seem to remember.
Because of where we lived it meant we were reliant on our Rayburn in the kitchen for all our hot water and cooking facilities, and a wood burning stove in our sitting room.

And we were fortunate that the local farmer who had owned the house we'd bought gave us permission to access his small beech tree wood ... more

Chainsaw Massacre it isn't.

Now a little tale about me to understand my use and even love of Chainsaws. No…….I'm not into Chainsaw Massacre's but I do love to gather logs and fell trees given half a chance.

I was brought up in the wilds of the Shropshire hills. So much so, we didn't even have electricity and relied on either paraffin lamps or a rather antiquated diesel Lister generator that just about pumped out enough power to power the light bulbs, a fridge and not a lot else! I was 14 when I first handled and used a Chainsaw. A rather old and underpowered machine I seem to remember.
Because of where we lived it meant we were reliant on our Rayburn in the kitchen for all our hot water and cooking facilities, and a wood burning stove in our sitting room.

And we were fortunate that the local farmer who had owned the house we'd bought gave us permission to access his small beech tree wood that was just up the hill above the house.
We spent many hours as a family lugging logs down, and finally cutting them down to manageable pieces to then finish off with an axe.
You stay warm not just once with your own logs - but several times. From collecting them, to cutting the length down, using the axe to produce your final logs, before finally moving them to the house where you can throw them on the fire.

As a family we believed in branching out………..

So while I may not live out in the wilds of the Shropshire hills anymore, I still do insist on having a Multi-fuel stove in the house. This means we still look out for fallen trees and branches in local fields, and try and track down the owners, to approach to ask for permission to go and retrieve the wood to then burn.

It's amazing how many are more than happy to allow you in to clear old wood from their fields these days, and it allows us to enjoy an afternoon using the chainsaw!

I've also had a variety of different saws over the years, and McCulloch do tend to be excellent value for money for the average user. If you plan on becoming a forestry worker, you might want to look at alternatives, but for the average person needing a saw for either garden clearance or fire wood cutting, you can't really go far wrong for the price of these machines.

A little about McCulloch >>

McCulloch was founded in 1943 by Robert McCulloch in Milwaukee, Wisconsin under the original name of McCulloch Motors Corporation and was basically renowned for their 2 stroke engine manufacturing.

In 1948, they finally manufactured their first chainsaw, which then went onto revolutionise the industry because for the first time, it allowed one person to operate it. This opened the market up to the general public, whereas you only saw them being professionally owned before then.

The next major step forward by the company was in 1972 (where it was also now known as the McCulloch Corporation). This year two main developments happened.
They produced a saw that was available for the first time not just to the main public, but the casual user.
They also introduced the first electric saws for the company, again allowing a completely new market segment to open up.
McCulloch was eventually taken over in the late 1990's by Jenn Feng - a Taiwanese firm.

The Specs for this particular model. >>

• 40cc Petrol Engine with Electronic ignition
• 18 inch Bar
• Chain speed 18.5m/s with Chain brake.
• Automatic chain oiling.
• Dry Weight 4.7kg.
• Fully assembled.
• Automatic chain tensioner.
• Large exhaust muffler for low noise level. (well as low as you can get with a chainsaw)!

Safety >>

As with all chainsaws it is essential to wear full protective equipment, and be aware of others around you. You should wear as a matter of course:

Safety Hard Hat with Face shield
Safety Googles (If you don't have a face shield).
Ear plugs/Ear Defenders
Snug Tight Fitting Clothing
Safety Footware with steel toecaps and non-slip soles.
Heavy Duty Rigger Gloves or even specialist gloves for use with Chainsaws.
Leg Chaps with a special safety mesh to help stop the chain should it fling off and try to amputate your leg or legs!

These items will not be supplied with a Chainsaw, although some might be on special offer from various locations. They are though an important aspect of the overall use of a Chainsaw, and while not absolutely necessary for the overall review - I would urge you to maintain a standard of safety. While I might joke about using these machines, they are also very dangerous and even with full safety equipment in place you can still have accidents.

General use >>

If you haven't ever used a Chainsaw before, I would urge anyone to get some basic training on them before you do use them!
It is essential to plan your work in advance, and to not be tired in anyway, and to ensure any item being sawn is well balanced and not likely to flip up, or worse still, cause the Chainsaw to flip up uncontrollably on you.

Fueling the Saw is simple; Mix the Petrol (kept in a plastic container suitable for petrol or better still a metal storage container) with the 2-stroke oil to the manufacturers mixture recommendation. Most 2-stroke oil has a small gauge on the side of the container that gives you an idea of the mix amount needed for certain ratio's.
I would really recommend you also buy a cheap plastic funnel to allow you to pour the fuel mixture into the fuel tank.
This is a powerful, all-round chainsaw aimed at the home user who might also just do a little more than just gardening maintenance - although it does that job very well indeed. This saw is powered by a reliable, easy-to-start 2-stroke petrol engine, with the typical fuel feed button that allows you to prime the carburettor for easier starting.
Their vertical cylinder design provides good balance, which is further enhanced with an anti-vibration system and automatic chain oiling.

You also have a Safety Trigger - basically these are interlocking triggers that ensure the engine is only accelerated when the operator has a firm grip on the handle.
As well as the safety trigger feature you also have a Chain Brake. This is designed to become immediately activated by any uncontrolled movement and designed to stop the chain in milliseconds. Some machines tend to have very sensitive Chain Brakes that actually become frustrating to use - but this one is about right.

The saw is light and easy to handle, and while I have arthritis I can still manage to use this for short periods because its light enough and well balanced

When stored the saw comes with a Blade cover to prevent accidental injury or damage.

Price >>

I paid £140 from local Agricultural merchants. You can now buy Chainsaws from a number of different outlets that include places like Homebase, B&Q and some Garden Centres. Even Amazon has Chainsaws available.
Prices can vary quite considerably, but for this particular model (or one like it) around £150 to £160 does seem fairly standard.

*wanders off to grab the chainsaw and do some logging……. Hi hooooo…….* 

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