This is a Homelite Super Wiz 80, a large gear-drive saw built for heavy logging and big timber. We saw this one at a local chainsaw display.
The model was a late addition to Homelite’s long-running Wiz family, sitting above the Super Wiz 55 and 66. The approximate production period was 1970 to 1974.
Despite the “80” designation, this is not an 80 cc chainsaw. Its single-cylinder engine displaces an impressive 95.1 cc, driving the chain through a 3.57:1 reduction gearbox. The gearing produced considerable pulling power, although chain speed was much lower than that of a modern direct-drive saw.
At 23.5 pounds without the bar and chain, the Super Wiz 80 is unapologetically heavy. Homelite offered it with guide bars ranging from 19 to an extraordinary 60 inches, as well as bow and clearing-guide attachments. Its oversized fuel tank was promoted as allowing longer cutting periods between refueling.
This saw has the familiar red Super Wiz 80 finish, a wrap-style front handle and a long conventional guide bar. It also illustrates how different these early professional saws were from modern equipment. There is no chain brake, no anti-vibration mounting and no automatic chain oiler. Instead, the operator controls a manual plunger oil pump while working.
| Specification | Homelite Super Wiz 80 |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Homelite-Textron |
| Manufacturing location | Port Chester, New York, USA |
| Approximate production | Circa 1970 to 1974 |
| Model/assembly number | UT-24438; later listed as UT-24438-A |
| Engine type | Air-cooled, single-cylinder, two-stroke |
| Scavenging system | Loop scavenged |
| Displacement | 5.81 cu. in. / 95.1 cc |
| Bore | 2.1875 in. / 55.6 mm |
| Stroke | 1.5469 in. / 39.3 mm |
| Cylinder construction | Aluminum with chrome-plated bore |
| Piston rings | Two rings, 0.0625 in. thick |
| Intake | Pyramid reed valve |
| Advertised power | Not stated by Homelite |
| Speed under load | 6,000 to 6,500 rpm |
| No-load speed | 7,500 to 8,000 rpm |
| Governor | Air-vane, compression-spring type |
| Dry weight | 23.5 lb / 10.7 kg, excluding bar and chain |
| Construction | Die-cast magnesium |
| Drive system | Gear drive |
| Gear reduction | 3.57:1 |
| Gear lubricant | Homelite SAE 90 gear oil |
| Clutch | Six-shoe, double-spring centrifugal clutch |
| Clutch engagement | Approximately 2,700 rpm |
| Carburetor | Tillotson HL-117C diaphragm carburetor |
| Carburetor repair kits | RK-88HL major kit; DG-5HL minor kit |
| Air filter | Protected micro-mesh cellulose-fiber element |
| Fuel capacity | 43.4 fl. oz. / 1.28 L |
| Earlier listed fuel capacity | 48 fl. oz. / 1.42 L |
| Original fuel mixture | 16:1 with Homelite two-cycle oil or SAE 30 oil |
| Recommended fuel | Regular-grade gasoline |
| Ignition | Phelon flywheel magneto with breaker points |
| Ignition timing | 34° BTDC, static |
| Breaker-point gap | 0.015 in. / 0.38 mm |
| Spark plug | Champion J6J or UJ11G |
| Spark-plug gap | 0.025 in. / 0.64 mm |
| Starter | Fairbanks Morse automatic rewind |
| Guide-bar lengths | 19, 23, 27, 32, 44, 50 and 60 in. |
| Chain pitch | 1/2 in. |
| Original chain | Homelite No. 50 series or Oregon No. 10/10C |
| Drive sprocket | Eight-tooth, 1/2-in. pitch spur sprocket |
| Chain speed | Approximately 1,120 ft/min / 5.7 m/s under load |
| Chain oiler | Operator-controlled positive plunger pump |
| Oil capacity | 7.1 fl. oz. / 210 ml; earlier literature states 6 fl. oz. |
| Bar mount | Homelite mount pattern 16 |
| Handle options | Flush-cut or wraparound, vinyl covered |
| Bumper spike | Standard equipment |
| Optional attachments | Bow guide and clearing guide |
| Anti-vibration system | None; rigid-mounted handles |
| Chain brake | None |
The different fuel and oil capacities reflect conflicting figures in Homelite’s own literature, possibly because the specifications were revised during production. The factory’s 23.5-pound weight is preferable to the frequently repeated 22-pound figure found in secondary references.
