The Specifications for a John Deere 50V Chainsaw

Made in the late 1970s by John Deere and Company, the orange-and-black 50V chainsaw is no longer being manufactured. It can be difficult finding manuals to help you service the machine and new parts to replace old ones, but there are specialist suppliers available who can help. The John Deere 50V is equivalent to the Echo CS-452VL chainsaw.

The 50V engine has a displacement of 2.7 cubic inches and comes with one cylinder. The cylinder bore measures 1.65 inches, the piston stroke is 1.26 inches and the cylinder is made from aluminum with a chrome-plated bore. To avoid burnout, users should keep the fuel relatively rich and the air intake relatively low. An idle rate of 2,500 is ideal, according to Chainsawr.

The John Deere 50V chainsaw has an Oregon 72LP chain with a chain pitch measuring 3/8-inch and a 72 chain type, but there is no chain brake. Chains with 60, 66 and 70 links and a gauge of 50 also fit the 50V and can still be purchased from reputable suppliers. Users should keep the chain well oiled and wiped and store it in a moisture-free environment, such as plastic bag with a small pouch of desiccant.

These chainsaws have a 30-degree ignition timing interval before TDC (Top Dead Center), a breakpoint setting and flywheel to coil air gap of 0.012- to 0.016-inch and ball crankshaft bearings. The spark plugs are NGK BM6A Champion CJ8s with a spark plug gap of between 0.024- and 0.028-inch. Their fuel tank capacity measures in at 16.9 fluid oz. and the fuel-to-oil ratio should be maintained at 50:1 with Echo oil or 32:1 for any other type of oil. Regular octane is ideal and two-cycle mix oil works best.

The bar mount pattern of the John Deere 50V or Echo CS-452VL is a 10, the shortest guide bar supplied is 16-inch and the longest, 27-inch (note that the Echo version's longest is only 24-inch). The clutch is centrifugal, with a direct-drive type and the construction is die-cast magnesium. The magneto type is a flywheel and the carburetor is a Tillotson HU-9B or Walbro WA. Each chainsaw has an automatic rewind starter and an automatic oil pump with a manual override.

The old nylon mesh element air filter, a common repair candidate, can be located on the left side of the chainsaw, approaching it as if you were about to use it, and is behind the starter motor beneath a metal cover with a thumb screw. Users should replace damaged, blocked air filters because a blocked air filter runs less efficiently. Replacing the fuel line if purchasing an old John Deere 50V, can improve its working efficiency and reduce its fuel consumption.