Hello, I have received this Mercury KB6-A Reed Prentice. I have found several references to this saw in the Timberman magazine. My particular example is serial number 3023. That did not mean much to me until I pulled out my Army Service manual for a G-36 (Mercury Disston KB6-AX). It states that the serial numbers for the Mercury motors started at 3001 which was for the KB6-A.

Since this was the first production model that makes this saw the 23rd produced. It has many features that are only found in this early version. I have a KB6-A serial number 4619 and it shows all the castings that were carried forward to the KB6-AX but are different on this early 3023 version. This early version has a differnt fan housing casting, gas tank casting, transmission casting, clutch lever, tranny throw out bearing, cylinder castings. They look similar but are cruder and missing the Mercury logo and the high rise tunnel that runs for the plug wires is similar to later KB6-A but no other versions.

So here are some pictures of the saw as I received it. It was frozen up from being run without oil. I had a set of the early pistons and replaced these heavily damaged ones. I had to come up with an early style starter complete, early style fan cover, cylinder shroud, clutch cable (had to borrow from my newer 6-A which is the only version it was used on). In need of one of these style cables for my other 6-A now.

The feet were broken off the fan housing and I had to cut feet off a later fan housing and weld those on and modify them to match the original configuration which gave poor support and let to them breaking off. Much welding on the tranny also. The two starter bosses were both damaged and had to be welded up and re-shaped. The bar plate was broken off and had to be welded back on.

The helper handle is the same one used on the air powered and electric saws and had been in production for several years so the serial number is higher.

The last picture shows the crank case after restoration.

















---------- Post added at 06:00 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:56 PM ----------

I got the restoration completed and here it is. I reread the short section of the Mercury history book and it had some interesting points. Reed Prentice had submitted two different gas chainsaw motors to the government for evaluation and the review board said the best bet for Reed Prentice would be to contact Kiekhaufer for a supplier of motors to use with their bars and chains and helper handles, which is what they did as seen here. But the deal fell through and Disston became the supplier of choice. Kiekhaufer had stated they only wanted to make the motors and let, in this case, Disston put the whole package together for the military.

Many little differences for this early 23rd unit produced saw versus even later saws of the same model. Small screws are brass, gas tank casting is different. Tranny casting is different with holes that proved to be a weak point. Clutch cable is different. Starter is slightly different. Fan housing casting is different. Flywheel cover has no cross bracing.

















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