Gas Powered Circular Saw!?

[timbitca]

I know this forum isn't about woodworking tools, but a tool nut is a tool nut.

While browsing kijiji (or refreshing it every 5 minutes like my girlfriend says I do) I found something I had never heard of or seen before.

A gas-powered circular saw. Had me scratching my head for a good few minutes, then the logical next step was to google it.

http://www.toolsofthetrade.net/saws/a-gas-powered-circular-saw.aspx

Made from 1964-1966 by Homelite by taking it's XL-12 chainsaw and replacing the bar and chain with a circular saw.

Seems to have quite a following amongst collectors, and there are a few videos on youtube.

If I had the spare change I'd definitely make him an offer, if only for the WTF factor.

 

[Farmall450]

They make gas powered drills too.

 

[outdoorsman310]

If that was around here I would buy it. for the right price of course. I have a homelite chainsaw that looks very similar to that and it kicks ***.

 

[bobcatdan]

Gas power, the original cordless.

 

[DHCrocks]

target saw?

 

[treimers]

Brings back thoughts, that does ---

Almost 110% certain that was built in the Homelite plant
in Gastonia NC, when we lived there.

My Dad was their Production Control Manager (I believe) at that time,
and he'd have been in charge of ordering the pieces and parts necessary to build that item and their other products, and seeing that sufficient quantities of various things were on hand to make them.

I have a little Homelite 12" chainsaw in the garage that he bought
around then or maybe a little later on.

I'd love to have one of those just for fun, but have enough **** in the garage!


My Dad did the same job for McDonnell-Douglas, working on inventory management for the F-4 series Phantoms during Vietnam...

 

[ADSR]

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=247519&highlight=homelite

 

[Stuart in MN]

Here's a Youtube video of someone using one of these saws:

I remember reading about it in Popular Science or Popular Mechanics back when it was introduced.

 

[sselander]

View the slideshow, it mentions the rarity of the saw ...

"To give you a sense of how rare these things are, when he bought the saw on eBay he was bidding against 15 other people and had to pay about $600 to get it."

and I got I kick out of this ..
"One of the first things you'll notice from watching these videos is that these saws have variable speed and you can rev the motors. Don't ask me why, but I find that very appealing."