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McCulloch (company)
Encyclopedia
McCulloch Motors Corporation is a manufacturer of chainsaw
Chainsaw
A chainsaw is a portable mechanical saw, powered by electricity, compressed air, hydraulic power, or most commonly a two-stroke engine...
s. The company was founded in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1943 by Robert Paxton McCulloch as a manufacturer of small two-stroke gasoline engines and introduced its first chainsaw in 1948, the Model 5-49.
McCulloch moved its operation to California in 1946. In the 1950s, McCulloch manufactured aircraft engines, which were sold to RadioPlane in the 1970s.
Bob McCulloch also started Paxton Automotive
Paxton Automotive
Paxton Automotive is a United States-based manufacturer of superchargers for automotive use. The company is the major proponent of the centrifugal type supercharger. Early products were offered under the McCulloch name. Some Paxton superchargers have been factory fitted, but most units sold have...
, manufacturing McCulloch-labeled supercharger
Supercharger
A supercharger is an air compressor used for forced induction of an internal combustion engine.The greater mass flow-rate provides more oxygen to support combustion than would be available in a naturally aspirated engine, which allows more fuel to be burned and more work to be done per cycle,...
s like the one fitted to the Kaiser
Kaiser-Frazer
The Kaiser-Frazer Corporation was the result of a partnership between automobile executive Joseph W. Frazer and industrialist Henry J. Kaiser. In 1947, the company acquired the automotive assets of Graham-Paige, of which Frazer had been president before the Second World War...
Manhattan and Ford Thunderbird
Ford Thunderbird
The Thunderbird , is an automobile manufactured by the Ford Motor Company in the United States over eleven model generations from 1955 through 2005...
.
In 1959, they produced their first kart
Kart racing
Kart racing or karting is a variant of open-wheel motorsport with small, open, four-wheeled vehicles called karts, go-karts, or gearbox/shifter karts depending on the design. They are usually raced on scaled-down circuits...
engine, the McCulloch MC-10, an adapted chainsaw two-stroke engine.
In 1964, Robert P. McCulloch founded Lake Havasu City, Arizona
Lake Havasu City, Arizona
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 41,938 people, 17,911 households, and 12,716 families residing in the city. The population density was 974.4 people per square mile . There were 23,018 housing units at an average density of 534.8 per square mile...
, with a factory and housing for its workers. In 1967, McCulloch discontinued its line of outboard boat engines which it began after the 1956 purchase of Scott-Atwater Mfg. Co. of Minneapolis, Minnesota- the manufacturer of Scott-Atwater outboard boat engines.
In the 1970s their range was expanded to add hedge trimmers, string trimmers, and leaf blowers, but started a narrow focus on lawn and garden equipment.
In January 1999, the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and sold its European division to Husqvarna AB
Husqvarna AB
The Husqvarna Group is the world's largest producer of outdoor power products including chainsaws, trimmers, lawn mowers and garden tractors. The Group is also the European leader in consumer watering products and one of the world leaders in cutting equipment and diamond tools for the construction...
. In October 1999, its North American operation was acquired by the Taiwanese company Jenn Feng Industrial Co., Ltd. Jenn Feng added electric power tools and pressure washers to the product line.
In March 2008, Husqvarna acquired Jenn Feng outdoor products division, gaining access to the McCulloch brand in the North American market. McCulloch is since a brand within the Husqvarna Group
Husqvarna AB
The Husqvarna Group is the world's largest producer of outdoor power products including chainsaws, trimmers, lawn mowers and garden tractors. The Group is also the European leader in consumer watering products and one of the world leaders in cutting equipment and diamond tools for the construction...
.
Other Related Companies
- McCulloch Aircraft CorporationMcCulloch Aircraft CorporationThe McCulloch Aircraft Corporation was the aircraft division of the McCulloch Motors Corporation. McCulloch acquired Helicopter Engineering Research Corp in 1951. It manufactured two innovative helicopter designs — the tandem-rotor MC-4 and the J-2 autogyro.Rights to the twin-rotor MC-4...
- McCulloch Oil Corporation
- Paxton AutomotivePaxton AutomotivePaxton Automotive is a United States-based manufacturer of superchargers for automotive use. The company is the major proponent of the centrifugal type supercharger. Early products were offered under the McCulloch name. Some Paxton superchargers have been factory fitted, but most units sold have...
- Scott-Atwater Manufacturing Company