Chainsaw

[leenowell]

Hi all

I have a pile of logs/ slices of tree trunk in the garden which i have no u se for other than to chop up and use for outdoor heating.

This is going to be a one off event so thought i would hire a chainsaw but these seem to be very expensive for even a day (circa £70). I was then going to buy one on eBay which needed a service but when i asked the selle r about whether it run (as i have never used one before) he said it run but would need some tweaking to work properly and therefore was not suited for an inexperienced person.

I had assumed that provided it run, all would be well but this reply would imply otherwise and that i should be careful buying a used one if i don't k now how to set it up - i guess it could be dangerous?

So... Now looking at a new electric one from Lidl £50.

Anyone have any experience in this? Should i be afraid to buy an eBay one? Anyone any experience with the Lidl one?

Thanks in advance

Lee.

[harry]

use for other than to chop up and use for outdoor heating.

t these seem to be very expensive for even a day (circa £70). I was th en going to buy one on eBay which needed a service but when i asked the sel ler about whether it run (as i have never used one before) he said it run b ut would need some tweaking to work properly and therefore was not suited f or an inexperienced person.

d imply otherwise and that i should be careful buying a used one if i don't know how to set it up - i guess it could be dangerous?

? Anyone any experience with the Lidl one?

I have an electric chainsaw. Fine for occasional light/intermitant use. Do half an hours work & then leave it cool off for a while. Dunno about ebay.

[Muddymike]

I've been using my Lidl Electric Chainsaw for 5 or 6 years now. Its on its second chain as I wore the first away.

Mike

[Huge]

In your shoes I'd buy a cheap new electric one.

The s/h petrol ones on eBay are almost certainly all knackered & beyond economic repair.

Whatever you buy, be careful!

[Mark Allread]

Be very careful about using a chainsaw if you've never used one before. They can be easy to use but also very dangerous in a novices hands.

You'll probably need a log holder as well to keep the logs steady when you cut them. Trying to do it otherwise could really cause a problem.

You'll need to buy chainsaw oil as well to keep the chain lubricated.

I assume you are not going to bother with any PPE? If you aren't, be even more careful! Bib and brace leggings and a mask are the minimum I'd suggest.

[Huge]

This man he speaks the truth.

And a chainsaw file to sharpen it.

I wear a hard hat with an integrated face shield and ear defenders, and gloves. I keep meaning to buy some ballistic trousers, too.

[LSR]

I got one in Aldi for £30 (double-discounted), probably the same as the Lidl one (both have an "Oregon" chain I think) and it's been fine for plenty of relatively light use.

[newshound]

Slices of tree trunk? What sort of diameter and thickness?

A chainsaw works best going straight across the grain. If you have had a tree felled and left in disks 2 foot diameter and a foot thick, don't expect to cut them up with an electric one. Disks that are not too thick should be split with a splitting axe, or a wedge, or a proper log splitter.

[tabbypurr]

use for other than to chop up and use for outdoor heating.

t these seem to be very expensive for even a day (circa £70). I was th en going to buy one on eBay which needed a service but when i asked the sel ler about whether it run (as i have never used one before) he said it run b ut would need some tweaking to work properly and therefore was not suited f or an inexperienced person.

d imply otherwise and that i should be careful buying a used one if i don't know how to set it up - i guess it could be dangerous?

? Anyone any experience with the Lidl one?

Screwfix or Toolstation had a £35 one last time I looked. As said, cha insaws are dangerous tools and you _must_ know what the musts and nevers ar e.

NT

[leenowell]

Thanks very much all for your valuable thoughts. I have a mixture of branch es ( say 75mm diameter) and slices of a felled tree (around 300mm diameter and 75mm thick). All came from some tree work i had done some time ago. The tree that was felled had a load of ivy on it which is easily removed by ha nd now.

[Mark Allread]

No need for a chainsaw with any of that. The rings will split easily with a splitting axe and it will be a lot safer for you.

Branches use a bow saw if they are too long.

[Dave Liquorice]

+1 But why on earth 75 mm thick/long? 230 mm (9") would have been better. Just the right size for most wood burners. Even if the OP hasn't got one I'm sure some one would have paid to have them, split or not.

Or a powered recipricating saw, takes the effort out of cutting with far less risk than a chain saw.

[Thomas Prufer]

I think I have that one, too.

Get a suitable chain file, and learn how to use it. There will be directions with the saw. I inherited a chain that had been "professionally sharpened": freehand with an angle grinder by the looks of it (teeth blue, length differences of 2mm, ground into the base of the tooth, ...), and the cost was about what a new chain would have cost off ebay (albeit w/o postage).

Biodegradeable chain oil will gum up in the year it takes for you to use the saw again. Drain it after use.

There is no star gear thing in the tip of the bar; I add spray motorbike chain grease there. Still got a touch of blue there... The chain tensioner is somewhere between fiddly and a nasty cheap POS. The stock chain is a benign one, for "occasional users" (like me), so low recoil/kick.

Beware that they are dangerous: the whole thing can kick back, the chain can break, whipping around, the chain can come off, the a single touch of a nail, dirt, ingrown rock will dull the chain. Get on Ubend and look at a few safety videos.

All in all, it's a good value for money.

Thomas Prufer

[Mark Allread]

Yeah - I assumed a typo there as I can't see anyone ringing down to that length (75mm)

Quite! - to use them to 'heat the open air' is a nonsense and I am now beginning to wonder if it was a genuine request.

It doesn't keep you as warm though :-)

[Andy Burns]

To make those fancy "wooden stepping stones"?

[Mark Allread]

:-) Maybe. Its not something that had occurred to me before you suggested it.

OP could flog 'em on ebay as such and save all his effort and cost and

*make his fortune*.

[lee]

Ok amusingly we have all just discovered how rubbish I am at estimating siz e ??? I wasn't at home when I sent the ori ginal request so guessed!!!

So now I have measured them. They are around 350mm (14") thick and diameter ! Looking at them they are actually starting to split a bit so maybe the ax e option would work. To be honest i don't relish the thought of using a cha insaw anyway. Is this the sort of axe you mean?

Any advice on best way to split them (disks) with the axe? I assume I hit t he cracks first but for those without cracks should I aim for the grain or across the grain?

Thanks again

Lee.

[Jonathan]

ize ??? I wasn't at home when I sent the o riginal request so guessed!!!

er! Looking at them they are actually starting to split a bit so maybe the axe option would work. To be honest i don't relish the thought of using a c hainsaw anyway. Is this the sort of axe you mean?

the cracks first but for those without cracks should I aim for the grain o r across the grain?

If you have a sledge hammer already, these are cheaper and very effective:

You are right start near an existing split and work from there.

Jonathan

[lee]

I have one of the big axes already but never used it. Gave it a 2 min try just now and it worked a treat. Much better and easier than I had anticipated. Now I know what I am doing this weekend. Thanks all.

[Mark Allread]

Have fun but remember to count your toes before and after you do the splitting :)