The PM Canadien 271 was a serious timber saw built by Power Machinery Ltd. in Vancouver, BC, and introduced in 1962. It used the same basic 95 cc engine and chassis as the direct-drive Canadien 270, but added a reduction gearbox for heavier cutting.
These pictures show an amazing restoration by Alex (eBay seller szabsa) of a chainsaw that was in very poor condition. It now looks like new, as you will see below, but first, here’s a snapshot of what it looked like before.
Here’s a video of the completed saw running.
The saw was restored at the request of a collector, and is not for sale, and was not listed on eBay.
Here are all the shots of the completed saw.
At an advertised 24 lb for the powerhead and gearbox, nobody would call it light today, although it was reasonably compact for an early-1960s professional gear-drive saw.
Its cast-magnesium body was cream, rather than bright white (as restored versions are sometimes seen in), with a contrasting red top cover. The factory’s own 271 literature was issued as a supplement to the 270 manual, confirming just how closely related the two models were.
The gearbox was the 271’s party trick. It could be arranged for either a 3:1 reduction, fitted as standard, or a faster 2:1 ratio by reversing two gears. Period advertising (example at the end of this post) translated that into chain speeds of about 1,200 or 1,700 feet per minute, letting the operator trade speed for pulling power.
With its heavy 1/2-inch chain and factory bars available as long as 42 inches, the 271 was intended to keep chewing when buried in substantial timber. It lacked modern comforts such as anti-vibration mounts and a chain brake, but that adds to its appeal as a wonderfully overbuilt old Canadian muscle saw.
| Specification | Canadien PM 271 |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | PM, Power Machinery Ltd. |
| Manufacturing location | Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada |
| Model name | Canadien 271 |
| Type | Professional one-man gasoline chainsaw |
| Production years | 1962 – unknown |
| Relationship to PM 270 | Based closely on the direct-drive 270, but fitted with a gear-reduction transmission |
| Engine type | Air-cooled, two-stroke, single-cylinder |
| Displacement | 5.8 cu. in. / approximately 95 cc |
| Bore | 2.3125 in. / 58.7 mm |
| Stroke | 1.375 in. / 34.9 mm |
| Cylinder construction | Aluminum cylinder with cast-iron sleeve |
| Intake system | Piston ported |
| Weight | 24 lb / 10.9 kg for powerhead and gearbox |
| Construction | Sand-cast magnesium housings |
| Drive type | Gear drive |
| Gear ratios | 3:1 standard; convertible to 2:1 by reversing the idler and sprocket-shaft gears |
| Advertised chain speeds | Approximately 1,200 or 1,700 ft/min, equivalent to about 6.1 or 8.6 m/s |
| Clutch | Three-shoe centrifugal clutch |
| Standard drive sprocket | 7-tooth, 1/2-inch pitch |
| Optional sprockets | 9-tooth .404-inch pitch and 6-tooth 9/16-inch pitch |
| Standard chain pitch | 1/2 in. |
| Documented chain gauge | .058 in. |
| Listed chain type | Oregon 31C |
| Recommended round file | 1/4 in. |
| Standard advertised bar | 18 in. / 46 cm |
| Documented bar range | Collector records list 15 to 36 in.; period Mobilco advertisement offered optional bars up to 42 in. |
| Maximum period-advertised bar | 42 in. / 107 cm |
| Carburetor | Tillotson HL-series diaphragm carburetor, commonly listed as HL-109A on the related 270 powerhead |
| Air filter | Flocked wire-screen element |
| Starter | Fairbanks Morse automatic rewind starter |
| Chain oiler | Automatic with manual assist |
| Oil-tank vent | Located in the chain-oil tank cover |
| Magneto | Wico flywheel-type magneto |
| Ignition type | Breaker-point ignition |
| Ignition timing | 35 degrees before top dead center |
| Breaker-point gap | 0.020 in. / 0.51 mm |
| Flywheel-to-coil gap | Fixed, not adjustable |
| Spark plug | Champion J6J |
| Spark-plug gap | 0.025 in. / 0.63 mm |
| Crankshaft bearings | Ball bearings |
| Fuel capacity | 2.5 Imperial pints / approximately 1.42 L / 48 US fl. oz. |
| Original fuel-to-oil ratio | 16:1 |
| Recommended period fuel | Regular gasoline |
| Gearbox lubricant | SAE 10-20 lubricating oil; SAE 30 permitted in consistently hot conditions |
| Period gearbox service interval | Change gearbox oil at least once every two months |
| Handle system | Rigid wraparound handle, without anti-vibration isolation |
| Bucking spike | Western-style spike |
| Chain brake | None |
| Original color scheme | Cream body with red top cover |
Alex said, “The engine was in pretty poor condition, so the steel cylinder liner was machined, and a new piston and new rings were made for it. It’s now like new again.”
And here’s a better look at the before images.
THE “HANG ON” CHAIN SAW
Push it into a really big hard cut and you will see the value of a Gear Drive Chain Saw such as this NEW CANADIEN 271. Here is a Chain Saw that is truly light (power head and gear box weigh only 24 lbs.) with ample power and a slow chain speed. Being a modern saw, it has a choice of two chain speeds either 1,200 or 1,700 feet per minute according to the work you are doing. This is the Chain Saw so many loggers prefer not only because it cuts so well but also because of its downright 100% dependability.
£144/10/0
Complete with 18″ bar and Oregon Chain. Plus freight from nearest Capital … Terms available. Other Bar Sizes up to 42″ at proportional extra cost.
Make sure you visit Alex on eBay to see other great chainsaw restorations that are available for sale.
