Is it entirely me, or does the cheap chainsaw share the blame?

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the blade

I have maples, oaks, shaggy bark chestnuts and some dogwoods. The squirrels take care of the acorns and nuts pretty well but I get a lot of new trees popping up where they've buried them. Last fall we gathered thirty contractor sized bags of mulched leaves for the township to haul away for free. Thank god for that Craftsman chipper/mulcher/vac. Bought it like new for a hundred bucks at a yard sale where the woman was selling it and other tools after her hubby died suddenly. The year prior I had two sets of 30 each contractor bags of unmulched leave to haul away.

Reply to
Meat Plow
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You *do* have the chain going the right way, correct? _________________

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Reply to
dadiOH

...

They can manage to keep a few dogwoods hanging on in town where they're more protected, but no dice on the farm. Do have one old redbud that Mom planted when she first married Dad in early 40s. It's about 18" in diameter of the main trunk and managed to get to _maybe_ 18-20 ft max tall before the borers killed the main trunk. I cut it back thinking it was dead when we moved back but never got around to pulling the trunk and to my surprise it came out w/ renewed vigor the following spring. I've now let it spring up more bush-like w/ a half-dozen suckers and in the last several years they've reached 80% of the old crown height...

Folks tried a few maples and oaks but the soil isn't acidic like they like here so they didn't make it. Hackberry and cottonwood both do reasonably well. No that there are the "cottonless" varieties, I'll probably put some out as they fluttery leaf like the aspen is really nice in the wind.

We have one really nice American elm specimen that story goes came up after the "Dirty 30s" from the roots when all the rest were killed by the dirt/drought. I keep intending every spring to save some seed pods but forgot again this year to collect. That's busy farming time so little stuff like that gets set aside for more pressing things...

Anyway, in VA I would haul away one or two full longbed pickup loads of nothing but acorns almost every year. They would be inches deep over the entire lot -- pick 'em up w/ scoop shovel w/o any gathering together required. Eventually, wised up and thinned the oaks considerably... :)

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Reply to
dpb

There really is only one chainsaw.

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Reply to
Steve Barker

36cc.http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?pid=07136069000&vertical=Se... I'm Sorry! . I've had a Stihl chainsaw for over 20 years and I can go out and start it any day of the year within 3 pulls. Best tools I've ever owned. I always carry a file with me to keep the chain sharp when I'm using it. It doesn't take much to sharpen a chain and they cut a lot better if you keep them sharp. I bought a Craftsman leaf blower and went through three of them before I finally insisted on getting my money back and then I bought a Stihl blower. Expect to pay twice as much for a good one, but if you take care of it it should be the only one you'll ever need to buy.
Reply to
jimmyDahGeek

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Since no one else asked I will.

Did you start the engine?

You say you used it very little, but did it ever hit the dirt or a stone in that time? That will dull a chain in seconds.

Reply to
Edwin Pawlowski

Yes, it will drive quite well backwards...at least enough to smoke the chain when trying to cut that way. BTDT.

Harry K

Reply to
Harry K

A Stihl 041 did it (not me). A Homelight XL12 did it (me). Brand has not effect on it, all chains and drive sprockets are designed to the same specs.

Harry K

Reply to
Harry K

36cc.http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?pid=07136069000&vertical=Se...>

price.http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?sto...>

As long as the motor is running normally, any problems cutting is due to the chain/bar. Read your manual if you don't have one and it will give you tips on running it and how to sharpen chain. Most of the problems with the big box cheapos (craftsman) are due to leaving gas in them for extended periods and then not running well (if at all) when the carb cruds up. Once running they should cut the same as the expensive ones, just not as fast.

Harry K

Reply to
Harry K

What's that noise?? What's that noise??

Reply to
Doug Miller

It was so dull I had to compare it to the diagram to be sure it wasn't on backwards...

It hasn't been used much, so I presume I "must" have gotten it into the dirt, but I don't recall doing that. Is it possible it came dull?

I realize there is no accurate answer to this, but how many cuts through 12" fresh pine should it be able to do before it needs to be sharpened, if dirt is avoided?

1? 10? 100? 1000?
Reply to
Toller

You should be cutting for half a day or a day before you are worrying about sharpening anything.

Just a few questions. First, forget the diagram. Go get and saw and look at it. The teeth have two elements: a rake and a cutting surface. The chain spins from the top to the tip to the bottom. The chain cuts on the bottom and pulls the saw towards you.

On the top of the bar, when you look at the teeth, there should be a rake in the front of the tooth, a small gap then the sharpened surface. The sharpened surface should be pointing forward, on the top of the chain.

On the bottom of the bar, the teeth should form a slight sag and be slightly away from the chain, but the guides should still be inside the bar.

Got get the chainsaw and push the safety shield all of the way away from you. Now pull it all of the way back towards you. Next, go start the chainsaw and open it up full throttle. It should make a heck of a noise and sound like a chainsaw. The blade should be spinning WAY beyond what you can see and their shouldn't be any apparent drag on the motor -- it shouldn't sound like it's working.

Also, when you gas it up, do you add oil to the chain's reservoir? How much oil gets used when you burn a tank of gas?

Try this, look at the saw, and get back to us and someone will be able to help.

Reply to
Pat

50 or so then sharpen with a chain saw file and do another 50.
Reply to
ValveJob

Not likely ___________

White pine? Yellow pine? Dry? Wet? When you start to get saw dust instead of wood flakes, sharpen it.

Reply to
dadiOH

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My own experience in Oregon cutting a lot of wood for wood stoves over the last 25 years is that its chain, chain, chain (sharpen, sharpen, sharpen) chain tightness and bar oil. Lots of bar oil.

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Reply to
jJim McLaughlin

SNIPS

16" - 30" Doug fir, properly lifted with a Peavy, or up on sawbucks, or *very* carefully ground cut 2/3, rolled and cut the other 1/3, maybe 300 rounds cut. Keep it out of the dirt.

Reply to
jJim McLaughlin

That would be a lifetime for me. I will be careful from here out!

Reply to
Toller

If you're an occasional user don't bother trying to learn hot to properly sharpen a chain, just pay a good local shop the $10 and be done with it. Before you have the chain sharpened, go to said local power equipment shop and have them make up a new chain for you of quality non anti-kickbak chain like a good Oregon type. Almost certainly the chain you get on a cheap saw is an anti-kickback type the doesn't cut worth a damn and a pro wouldn't touch with a 10' pole (saw).

Even my Shindaiwa 488 came standard with a crap anti-kickback chain which my shop recommended throwing in the garbage and replacing with real chain. I put it aside as a last ditch backup chain and when I had some time tried both the anti-kickback chain and the good "real" chain they gave me on the same 12" logs and the difference was dramatic.

Pete C.

Reply to
Pete C.

I always use Stihl oil for my Stihl chain saw and never had a problem. Last time I bought some of their oil I finally ready the bottle trying to figure out why it cost more. That was when I realized it has a Fuel Stabilizer in the oil to keep the gas fresh. It's worth paying a little more for it. That is why the saw can sit for months and start right up.

Reply to
jimmyDahGeek

If you use the quite dangerous chains which lack the anti-kickback links, then you should also have training on how to avoid injury when using these chains and wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to protect yourself in the event of a kickback.

PPE for operating a chainsaw...

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Chainsaw injury statistics...
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Reply to
Bill

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