1. Did you do a major/minor carb cleaning before the gaskets (even though that w/n the task)? 2. I feel some debris is affecting your needle/seat causing richness. Did you check for contaminated fuel? 3. I feel you'll have to go back, verify all is clean with compressed cleaner or compressed air and cleaner (with high/low screws removes). 4. The little needle/seat is a pain, I go straight for it for inspections/cleaning with some conditions. Good Luck

Good Pics! Search: Homelite XL-1 Automatic chainsaw recoil youtube 1. I saw some info there that I feel will be helpful but a link/address that I tried to post will not take me back there. 2. Are you close to a Small Engine Repair Shop or Libraries that will probably have old manuals?

One of three things IMO, the idle screw is set too low now due to a dirty carb. it won't idle. the idle screw will be the one when you pull the trigger the lever on the carb rests against it holding the butterfly slightly open to alow air in to idle. Next the low side if the carb has moved slightly from vibration, difference in barometric pressure, or dirt has started to gum up the passages (most likely). You can look on the two screws close togather should be a hi and LO either on the carb or the chainsaw housing where you see the screws. You can note where the screw slot is and try to turn it a 1/8 turn or less counter clockwise. if that don't work turn it back to the orginal setting third, the carb is gummed up from gas (especially corn gas) setting in the carb and has plugged up some of the fine passageways that alow the carb to work. removing and cleaning the carb small passages with carb. cleaner would be in order or try to cheat and spray carb cleaner down the carb and into the tank hoping it will unclog and untarnish the internal passages of the carb. (use the instructions on the can of carb. cleaner) If that works I would use some kind of gas treatment to try and prevent this in the future, but if you don't use if for awhile it may happen anyway.

Assuming that it will run for you or you don't mind getting your hands dirty to patch it up a little, it will probably do what you need. I have run home owner quality saws for more than 35 years. I suspect that my original 14" Sears saw was a Homelite. It ran for 25 years. I hear that the newer saws are lower quality but if you put some Stabil or other gas stabilizer in the gas, you will likely be OK. A 14" bar is fine for your needs and actually more convenient since it is lighter than the bigger saws. If it is older, it will probably have regular carburetor adjustment screws which is a good thing. If you run into trouble, I would guess you should look at, or just replace the fuel lines (make sure that you know where they go; and bring pieces with you when you go for new fuel line) before you even check other stuff, but a carb rebuild kit will probably be inexpensive and useful at some point. OTOH, if all this sounds like a big pain, then perhaps you would be better off with an electric saw.