Porter-Cable model 110 electric chainsaw

[davethorik]

No affiliation, found this on local Craigslist. Thought it looked pretty awesome. I can't say I've seen one before.

https://cleveland.craigslist.org/tls/d/cleveland-porter-cable-vintage-model/6890336421.html

 

[JHuston]

Porter-Cable offered them throughout the 1950's. That looks like an early one, because the later 110 has an oil tank retrofitted to the field housing. They were also sold through Sears under the David Bradley name.
I have two 110's and the later 130, and I've used them for landscaping timbers and breaking down old lumber.
It's actually a nice little saw, worm driven and very robust. Just make sure the cord is in good shape, especially the ground!
-James Huston

 

[Bigblockyeti]

Well, I couldn't handle it, and I was around CLE again so I bought it and it's a monster! My other electric chainsaw is a much lighter Milwaukee and probably weighs half what the 110 weighs. There's some arcing from the commutator but only from one brush (or holder) and the spark from the opposite brush is small as it should be so I'm hoping no commutator or armature winding issues will be found. The worm & wheel are quiet and the chain actually looks to be in remarkable shape. There doesn't appear to be an onboard oiler so I'm assuming it has to be done with a can periodically. The bar has a couple spots where it's gotten not but blued hardly at all.

 

[JHuston]

FWIW, I have a parts cadaver for the 110; let me know if you wind up needing anything.
Properly grounded, they make very good saws for cutting landscaping timbers.
-James Huston

 

[Bigblockyeti]

Thanks for the offer, I'll do that if I end up needing anything. For most of not all of my worm drive tools, I use Skil worm drive oil, is there any reason to use anything different?

 

[Bigblockyeti]

Finally tore into the saw. I think there's supposed to be a cover over the chain drive sprocket? At any rate, mine doesn't have one. The worm wheel looks worn to the point where the teeth are thin and sharp, I suspect a replacement would be difficult to source. I refilled the gearcase after draining over night with Skil worm drive lubricant as I have with most worm drive applications. The suspect brush has been changed and all is well from a commutation standpoint, minimal arcing and good contact.

I now need to determine what chain is needed, the one it came has plenty of meat left to sharpen but almost certainly has worn links and out of spec pitch.

 

[JHuston]

The chain for that saw is going to be an odd ( and probably obsolete) size, and is likely okay. Most chains are disposed of once they can't be sharpened anymore; it would take a lot of cutting to wear out a chain, especially one that heavy. Unless you can push and pull any two links together or apart ( the rivet being worn enough to allow any slop), the chain is probably fine.
I'll look to see if I might have a passable worm gear for you.

-James Huston

 

[Bigblockyeti]

Yeah, I'm thinking the chain is salvageable, it feels ok and just needs a nice long bath in some evaporust, it's not like someone was hauling one of these into the woods to fell trees all day. That'd be great if you do have a spare worm gear, given how much I'm planning on using this saw the current gear would last a while but the two worm drives I've run to complete destruction, they were both shedding brass pretty fast into the gearbox. I really don't want that to happen to this saw. Of the pictures I've seen, it looks like there is no side cover that goes over the sprocket so that's one less thing to worry about.

 

[Farmall450]

What a neat looking saw! I bet it cuts better than the Poulan gas ones lol

 

[Bigblockyeti]

The chain speed is relatively slow and the chain fairly wide compared to a modern gas saw but hopefully when it's all cleaned up with a sharp chain I can give it a good workout along with my other electric chainsaws.

 

[Bigblockyeti]

Here's one of the David Bradley branded saws:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Antique-19...546437b1d8:g:FSIAAOSwRNhbw2kG&redirect=mobile