chainsaw reccomendation or advice ?

[zxcvbob]

How about a Sachs-Dolmar? That's a German saw too, and I believe they are a little cheaper than a comparable Stihl.

-Bob

[Steve B]

After a couple of years, the Husqvana I had would not start until I made up a fresh can of gas for it every time. It would not start at all with gas that I had mixed up just the day before. I heard that that was common with that brand so I got rid of it. Now, for what little I've been doing lately, I use an axe or a saw. Great exercise for this old feller.

reply:

A 26 ton splitter works fine, too. After having my sternum split into two pieces by some kind of special bone splitter the doctor uses, it hasn't been up to splitting any wood. I mean I can still do it manually, but why? I can still do a lot of things, a lot of them pretty hard, such as metalworking. But for splitting a few tons of wood, I'll take the easy way out.

You do whatever winds your clock.

Steve

[HeyBub]

(Slaps head). You're absolutely correct on the size of an acre. 43,560 sq ft, or a square 208 ft on a side. Therefore, depending on the configuration of the plot, to use an electric chainsaw the lumberjack would need an extension cord of about 300'.

If the plot was one foot wide and 90,000 feet long, he may need an extension cord some seventeen MILES in length, but that's hardly likely.

Still, to be prepared...

[Bob_Villa]

Save all the math...and cord...buy a generator!

[Steve B]

"HeyBub" wrote

Main problem with electric cars. Cars no problem, but 250 mile cord was.

Steve

[gfretwell]

That would be true if you only had power on one corner of the lot and needed to get to the other corner. If your house is in the middle and you have the NEC required receptacles front and back 100' would get you coverage just about anywhere.

Electric is a good choice for the typical homeowner who occasionally cuts on a tree. If you are one of those "6 cords of firewood a year" guys you need a real chain saw but you probably have a hydraulic log splitter too.

[beecrofter]

Stay the hell out of the big box stores and buy from someone who stocks parts and makes repairs, your saw will be properly set up and the money tends to stay in town. You don't need anything bigger than a 16" bar, the high revving engines now

13,000 rpm cut very well and a bigger saw is just bigger aches and pains at the end of the day. The midrange of saws would be the ms290 aka farm boss by Stihl but it's a lot heavier than what you need.

[Steve B]

I bought a 16" bar Husky, and if I had it to do again, I would go no smaller than 18", and probably would get a 20. If I had it to do again, I would get a Stihl, but am happy with my Husky now I learned how to start it. Pull it and give it no gas until it has fired and is running. Probably in the directions, but I seem to have misplaced them ........ Like any tool, there's always some situation every once in a while when you need that little extra.

Steve

[Tony Miklos]

I know this defies all odds but I fired up the crapsman/Poulan today for the first time since spring. Third pull it fired up like usual and ran fine. The only thing wrong with it is the chain doesn't stay tight. That's my only complaint in about 10 years. It was a returned unit that was repaired, on clearance, for $50. It's probably only cut about a cord of wood a year. A year or two ago I replaced the clutch because the teeth were worn from me running it with the chain either too tight and/or too loose. Now they have a different way of adjusting the chain tension and I'm tempted to get a new one but the posts I read here tell me I'd be crazy to expect to get a 2nd one that actually works. Did I really get the one in a million that actually works?

[Robert Neville]

And I would go exactly the opposite way. I have a 50cc, 20" McCulloch chainsaw. I purposely wanted 20" to deal with an older willow tree that had a large trunk, and with the longer bar you need a larger engine.

Once I dealt with that tree, everything else (managing a 2 acre wooded lot) would be served with a 16" saw that would be far lighter and easier to handle..

[clare]

Personally I like a small saw with a long bar - My little Remington came with a short bar - I replaced it with a longer one - it makes it a lot more flexible (for pruning etc) and added VERY little weight.And the little monster can handle the long chain in softer woods

[Country]

Well, if I was cutting tons of wood I would use a different tool. The wood I burn to heat the house these days comes in pellets in 45 pound bags. That winds my clock.

The big willow tree in my yard does cause me some extra work after a wind storm or ice storm tho.

-C-

[cjt]

FWIW, mine starts and runs fine, but it's sloppy about oil -- it seems every time I pick it up, it has left a puddle.

[gfretwell]

Thanks Clare You guys know the chain and bar are only held on with 2 screws. You can swap out that Paul Bunyon thing you bought on a whim for a shorter one for $30 and have a choice.

Here in Florida (sand) chains and bars are a consumable.

[jimmy]

[Bob_Villa]

Craftsman is (or used to be) made by Poulan and may be good if used for short/medium duration once a week.

[Robert Neville]

My point was that chainsaws that come with longer bars stock typically have heavier engines. You can certainly swap out a shorter bar for a longer one if all you are cutting is scrub and branches, but if you need the longer bar for cutting trunk, you probably need the heavier engine.

[Roy]

I picked up a recon Poulin for $99 and it starts and runs fine.

[Steve B]

"Tony Miklos" wrote

Now they have a different way of adjusting the chain

Most everything WORKS, at least for some period of time. It's just when you really get it out and use it quite a bit that you find out how good it is. To cut one cord of wood a year is light use. I'm surprised your carb rubber and gaskets last from year to year. Poulans work, and there are a few that last a long time. Just not many.

Steve

[notbob]

I'm surprised most of the respondents to this post are smart enough to even breath!

nb