Anyone any experience of using electric chainsaws? Are they man enough to take down a 30' leylandii ? I've discovered it would be cheaper to buy myself an electric chainsaw and do the job myself rather than pay tree surgeons to come and do it for me! The individual branches shouldn't be a problem but the main trunk is probably thicker than my waist!
Kev
Hi
Sounds as if you would be better hiring a petrol one. You would get instruction and the safety gear included.
Rob
Fair point. Any idea what a day's hire charge would be?
Kev
They're around £30 per day for a 16" plus a deposit of £50 is usually required. They will charge you for any protective gear on top of the hire charge.
Or you can buy a cheap petrol chain saw for around £99 from some where like B&Q, then sell it on eBay when you've finished.
There are some web sites that give you information on safety when using chain saws, just do a google search.
In article , Uno Hoo! writes
£68 quid when I last had one in the Summer, weekend rate (Cambridge area) that included some gear oil and all the protective gear which is essential with one of those things!.You will also need some boots a furry hat and a checked shirt and, tenth MP3 down!....
Hi Kev
I took down a much bigger silver birch last year. Used a sabre /reciprocating saw on the branches & a chain saw on the main trunk.
Individual branches were more of a problem than the main trunk. You need to think out safe access. I "V" notched them underneath about halfway through, near the trunk, with a small cut on top.
Then I roped the far end & pulled till it snapped. Easier to control the descent that way and it meant I was on terra firma at the time.
Dave
My experience with these is quite good. I bought a Lidl bargain @ £50 IIRC--now cheaper perhaps. This has worked like a dream when I've used it up to 6" dia branches. I would not hesitate to use it on bigger pieces of wood. I would not expect it to cut through 18" in one pass. I'd nibble away a bit, taking care to allow for falling tree trunks. Tree surgeons always seem to take down big garden trees in stages starting from the top, as this makes for pieces of wood you can handle. They also rope the piece they're cutting off to provide some control. The only problems I've found are that the chain loses tension whilst operating and you need to stop frequently to re-adjust. Also keep the oil level topped up. The on/off switch needs a lot of thumb pressure on mine to keep the clutch engaged, can give a painfull thumb the next day!. For occasional use, mine is very good and is still very sharp, as I found out with a finger last week when I was oiling the chain, whilst it was unplugged!
Regards Capitol
I used to have a McCulloch similar to this:
At that price why not just buy one and eBay it when you're finished. I'm sure you'll save money over renting.
David
I bought a Black & Decker electric chainsaw and it was rubbish.
The chain blunted in no time flat and the chain bar was fastened to a plastic housing, so that the heat from using the blunt blade transferred via the screws to the plastic housing and softened the fixing of the most crucial part of the machine.
I felt that it was outrageously dangerous and binned it.
I've since bought a Bosch one for about the same money and it's massively better. The blade keeps sharp for ages and the chain bar is fastened to a metal housing. It also has a much more sophisticated chain tension adjustment.
I bought a Bosch one for about £60 last year to bring down an almost dead Cherry tree. Pretty hard wood that. The Bosch sank through it like butter! Branches about 10" thick no problem. I took a lot of care and roped the appropriate bits. As an earlier poster said, cut through enough until you can get on the ground and yank the rope to snap the cut. It's a lot easier to get out of the way when you're on the ground! btw Checkout the web for info. on "kickback" when using chainsaws. The Bosch has a fast switchoff safety feature - but I always found myself "being ready for it" just in case. With conifers I suggest being *very* careful that the end of the chain doesn't touch any of those floppy branches - in fact any part of anything. That kickback is very dangerous.
They are prertry good. A small chainsaw is seldom more than a couple of BHP anyway, and 3KW is 4bhp.
They won't take down an oak, but I have done a big leylandi with a bow saw...
So you knew it needed sharpening, but carried on using it? That's not too bright is it?
I've taken down willows up to about that trunk diameter, with most of the grot done with a 12" B&D and the final cut with a bowsaw. A tree with a wide canopy is easier though because it can be cut back to an unbalance, to control the direction of fall.
Doesn't matter what saw you use, the real problems are the dangers from the sheer weight of what is going to fall and things like an unexpected spring-back as the saw cuts through a branch under strain.
If you do go for employing a professional, check he has insurance first.
Having seen someones face after a chainsaw kicked back I can recommend the wearing of all the safety gear. It only glanced off but he still lost an eye and half his face, one of the few tools I will not use.
A bit after the original posting but I've used my B&D electric chainsaw for doing exactly this.
However whether it's a good idea to *start* using a chainsaw for such a job (from the safety point of view) is another matter. I'd used my chainsaw for cutting logs etc. for a long time before I attempted to fell a tree with it.
I expect the rest of the thread addresses these issues, I'll read along.
My B&D has served me well for more than ten years, maybe it's an older modle than yours.
I don't really believe there's a big difference in chains, I have three for my B&D, the original one and two others bought since. As long as you don't try sawing soil they all stay sharp for a fair old time (like hundreds of logs worth).
A relative has used one of these to make a shed. Took 6-18" sycamore logs, sliced them into 6" disks, to make the walls. (8' cube shed). Maybe 500 cuts in total? (Then lime mortared together.)
if you touch one single stone or nail with a chainsaw the blade is dead, so check the new blade prices before you buy.
Rick
That's exactly what I've done. Bought a 1800 watt 'own brand' from B & Q for £54. It worked a treat - took the whole tree down this afternoon without difficulty - the chain never jammed once - I was amazed at how it went through even thick parts of the trunk like a hot knife through butter. Damn sight cheaper than getting the tree surgeons in! I've now got a garden full of logs and branches to get rid of though!
Thanks everyone for your advice.
Kev
In article , Rick writes
Don't do what I did with one. Two old Leylandii right next to each other. Happily going through one of them and all of a sudden like great shower of sparks caused by an angle iron stake between them, presumably put there when the trees were saplings for support and over them they grew round it and hid the damn thing!....
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.