Topic: CHAINSAWS

[luckypunk]

the topic is capitalized because.....awesomeness should be capitalized.

I need a medium duty chainsaw.  anybody got recommendations

so far looking at Stihl/husqvarna/echo

any user reviews, what to look for/ avoid, ect.

[NGO]

well since moving onto a ranch...I have gained lots of experience.

I have a Homelite Super2 while it met my needs in the city over the past 15 years it would not be the thing to have on a ranch.  One limb or a small log for a camp fire...sure it is ok and does the job.

Next up is a Snapper with a 16" bar...OK two limbs and two hand full of logs.....the chain has cutting teeth spaced out further apart than "real chain saws.

Next up is a Stihl a 290 with an 18" bar.   does a good job on logs and real cutting work. Used it last year to cut 4 cords of wood. Did just fine. and it still is used today, but....

Next up is a Husky 455 rancher 20" bar with a large chain and lots of torque!!! You really can feel the difference in torque...this is one hard saw to bog down!!! I have cut 4 cords with it this year and two large 34" across cotton wood trees....(wet standing in water) this things rocks.!!! look around at pawn shops. found the Husky at a pawn shop, like new condition for $250, retails at around $400 normally.


Buy an extra bar, their is a heavy duty bar for the Husky, get it!!! a couple extra chains, extra sprockets, lugs, fuel line filter, extra air filters, extra fuel line...plus a few extra sharping files, learn how to hand sharpen, you chain will last a lot longer....motorized sharpeners will eats a chain up quick, and they won't do any bettter than you can do by hand!!! takes some practice.


You can find maintenance videos on most any saw on youtube also.


good chainsaw pants and glasses or helmet for chain saw work is a must. My brother has sew up people a lot in ER's from Chainsaw damage. and most of the old timer loggers I have met here and old time ranchers have scars to show you regarding chain saw use.

[ekuo]

For my money, only two power saws worth looking at:  Stihl 044 or Husky 272.  Both are light enough for brushing or limbing, and both have enough low end grunt to power thru fairly decent size logs.  In fact, I've felled trees upwards of 40" dbh with both using 28" and 32" bars.  

Unfortunately I don't think they make either model, and both have subsequently been replaced with newer models.  

For Stihl, I think the MS441 is their best seller for medium sized pro saws.  EPA mandated some emissions control standards, which resulted in Stihl changing up their lineup.  For Husky, I don't have a clue what their new model numbers are, but I do have a veritable 272 hanging in my garage.  

IMO, saws are like firepower:  make sure you have enough!  

Bar length and chain type is another discussion.  Depends on your usage, but for all around use I like a 28" bar with semi-skip chain in .050 Gage and 3/8 teeth.  Keep it sharp enough so the chips look like spagetti with the rakers filed down and it'll eat thru wood. 

[luckypunk]

holy crap 28"...I'm not chopping up dead hookers(I just bury them whole)

looking for 20" tops,  

just curious about some of features I've never seen before.  

Tool-less chain tensioners & easy starts

both husky & stihl seem to have these.

NGO, I saw one of the 20" Husky "farm tough" at valley tool, looked like it had been used to cut maybe twice...$275

must have been last years model, regular tensioner and decompression button, but it looked like a deal

 

[ekuo]

Well, you did indicate "medium" use...  For me, a light saw starts in the 3 cu in range with a 20-24" bar.  Medium usage is a 4 cu in saw with 28" bar.  For a dedicated falling saw, a Stihl 064 with 36" bar would do it for the trees around here. I guess it's all relative.

Length of bar isn't always about diameter of the wood you're cutting.  A 28" bar is perfect for a 6' tall person so you don't have to bend over as much.  But the longer the bar, the more torque you need to keep your chain speed up, which means a powerhead of decent size.  If you cut all day (and I mean cut ALL day for 8-10 hrs), your back will appreciate good ergonomics.  Don't, and you'll be needing a chiropractor after 2 hrs of bending over. 

Back in school I had a Stihl 036 with a 24" bar for small jobs on weekends.  For most "light" cutting jobs it was light and easy to swing around.  But for serious falling, it didn't have the torque to dog in and push hard for bucking or falling trees of any size.  And when putting in a back cut when falling, you want to minmize time at the base of the tree for safety. 

[luckypunk]

ok, so maybe I am looking for a high quality light duty saw.

ekuo, how often do you need to tension a chain

[ekuo]

Chains stretch, it just happens over time.  But it depends on how much friction you are causing.  sloppy cutting will cause more friction, and more friction causes heat.  Excessive heat causes a chain to stretch. 

The proper chain tension depends on what you are cutting.  For bucking or falling, the chain can be fairly loose because you're not twisting the chain very much, or you shouldn't be.  For brushing or limbing you need your chain tighter.  But the tighter you run your chain, the more friction you create.  If you know what you are doing and have your saw set up right, once you have the tension set you shouldn't have to tighten it very often.  And chances are, your teeth will be worn down before you run out of adjustment in the tension screw.  But if you do, you can "break" the chain and remove a link to shorten it. 

[NGO]

Great price, you should be able to get him down to $250 easy. Check the chain movement , should be smooth and easy in the bar, open the chain adjustment area,,,check for damage in the chain adjustment housing area. Check the bar for "burn" marks...not enough oil or stuck chain and abuse. Look at the sprocket...you will see abuse as in deep grooves and such.
The "Farm Tough" just seems to be an slogan thing. Check the model...455 rancher is what we have. make sure it starts up and runs well. Replace the bar with the HD version...it is larger (wider) gives you more adjustment play so you get more use out of your chain.


I don't know about tool less chain tensioner...see how much plastic is involved, I guess. Tightening a chain also lets you see how the machine is doing...any rocks or debri in the chain and bar area.

You start doing a lot of cutting and you will be sharpening and tightening a chain a couple time during a day. I run the chain looser than what most manuals say to run them...chain last longer...but no so loose that it will come off and wrap around your leg.  And a chain coming off can ruin a chain and bar and inside the chain housing...


also when you fill oil and gas don't get any sawdust into the tanks, either a small brush in your back pocket or just "over flow" a little to wash out debri...this makes a mess and could be dangerous if the fuel catches fire......your filters will clog or with oil, your chain won't get enough oil flow and heat up and burn the bar and soften you chain and shorten it's life.  don't be stingy on oil flow either...oil is cheap compared to replacing a chain and bar.

After a while your bar will burr...the edge where the chain runs "mushrooms" take it off with a fine flat file..helps your bar not hang up in your cutting...they charge you $5 to do that "magical" job hahaha...

[NGO]

also buy a small "grease gun" about $30 to lube the bar sprocket at the end of the bar...much easier than those cheap plastic things that seem like they will break when you use them. Plus you can refill with bulk grease, cheaper in the long run.

Buy good chain oil...Husky makes a great chain oil...worth the money.

[NGO]

also too large plastic wedges and an axe with a hammer head on one side....

watch some youtube videos on how to make a proper hinge to direct the tree falling... this takes practice ( start small tooo )...so don't do your first hinge on a tree next to your house...unless you film it for posting on youtube.

[NGO]

 make sure you have two places to run...learn what bounce back is....it happens!!!


here is a short video on making a hinge...

Tree Felling-Simple Notch and Back-Cut Technique.wmv   there are better ones you should watch, don't try and do anything fancy when you start cutting, you will just get hurt.


learn what kickback is also....you will end up in an emergency room if you do it.

[kaen3e]

euko  great saw choices.    the stihl 044 is now replaced with the ms440 which i have and helped pay my way thru college, is now no longer in production due to epa regs.    either the stihl 44/440 series or the husky 272xp  series offer the best power to weight ratio a guy can find.   bonus there are probably better than a million of them around and parts are always ava. if a guy needs to rebuild them.    husky vs stihl = ford vs chevy  either one will do the job and last a non commercial user a lifetime

[Nomad]

 Stihl has been a standard for many years ........38-44 good choices with a 24" bar. The Rancher Model
seems to be a good saw friend has one 18" bar....
 Have had a couple of the Homelite XL12 very good saws
 As far as a husky never own one .......
 Carry a couple of saws when going wood cutting murphy has a way of showing up.....
 NGO has given lots of good information.....