Small chainsaw

[johno]

I am looking to buy a small chainsaw, mainly for cutting logs on a saw horse, with the very occasional foray into small tree disposal. Nothing bigger than say 6" dia. Light use. I am aware of the hazards, my partner is an ex A & E nurse, best mate is a paramedic, so well aware of hazards, thank you. Just looking for recommendations as to brand, Stihl, Husqvarna, Ryobi etc and a good place to buy from. I live in Lincolnshire. From what I have looked at I am thinking 16" bar, how does that sound? Thanks guys

[charles]

I bought one a couple of years ago for the same fort of jobs. I went to Screwfix and got their cheapest.

[Howard Neil]

Ok, so you are aware of the damage that they can do to the human body. Have you considered a course so you can learn how to prevent those injuries in the first place?

[tony sayer]

In article , johno scribeth thus

We've got one of the small 16 inch bar Husqvarna's 235/8e? and can't fault it at all. Works very well but a bit of a piggy to start sometimes but I gather all of them are like that to some extent.

Seem to remember it was £250 or thereabouts and the firm we got it from up in Cheshire do sell the blood clotting packs too!....

Seriously do allow a few quid for a decent face mask and ear defenders some proper gauntlets and a jacket and those twill trousers that bind up the blade should you slip..

Having said that out neighbours who all "get a man in" to do anything have men in who don't even use safety glasses and call themselves professionals;!...

[johno]

Yes I have, thank you. Going on a course run by local agricultural college. Like I say, I am just after advice on what brand etc

[Howard Neil]

Glad to hear it. In that case, you will learn a lot more about the various saws on the course (including taking them apart). The two serious front runners are Stihl and Husqvarna.

Wait until you have started the course before making your decision. I chose Stihl because they are better made inside and were (at the time I had my course) easier to dismantle and/or adjust. Some people involved in forestry prefer Husqvarnas because the chain stops running quicker than the Stihl and this increases the user's earning potential.

Re the size of bar, you might consider a couple of bars of different length. I chose a 13" and an 18". Each bar makes it a different saw. The small bar for logs (and light weight) and the long bar for serious trees. This also means a spare bar should your saw become jammed. You just remove the saw from the bar, attach the other bar, and use the saw to remove the weight of tree that is jamming your other bar.

[johno]

Very useful tip Howard, thank you. I will not be tackling serious trees, I will leave that for the pros! I am fortunate to have access to a lot of coppiced wood or relatively young trees. Maximum trunk dia I am likely to see is about 6"-8", which is fine for me, less splitting involved ie one split and not two or more! Thanks again for tips and advice, most welcome

[fred]

In article , johno writes

If you just wanted to dip a toe in the water you have just missed a basic Aldi 16" electric model that was on sale in late Sept. Sounds like you want more than that but thought I'd mention it as it was only 55quid and there might be a few in the clearance bins.

[Gordon Henderson]

I've had a Husky with a 13" bar for a few years now, doing just what you're doing by the sounds of it. Not had anyissue with it...

Actually, I have - thepetrol tube came off he carb once, but it was an easy fix and I put it in a local shop who gave it a service at the same time.

Starting is OK - except when hot and it's just run out of petrol - I can now recognise when it's getting low - it starts to rev higer and stop it before it's really out which saves a lot of pulling...

Gordon

[The Natural Philosopher]

Love my little Stihl.

6" is about the max though.

[The Natural Philosopher]

I'll ad an opinion across that one. For me the most dangerous thing is having a powerful heavy saw that is almost out of control. And yet to do BIG cuts you need that.

That's why I picked a small one, watched a lot of online videos and exercised paranoid common sense.I feel MUCH more confident handling it at its lower weight.

If I need a big cut..I phone a neighbour and offer him money...

You don't NEED all the safety gear, but if it gives you confidence or you think you might behave like an idiot, use it.

The BIGGEST safety asset is THINK about what you are doing THINK where it COULD go wrong, and then DONT do it THAT way if there is a chance you will topple of the ladder, hit a nail and kick back etc. Which is why I always cut to one side with my face out of the blade plane. And always wait for the blade to stop before waving the saw around to put it down especially if someone else is holding the wood, and I DO use a saw horse.

[Bob Martin]

I bought a 30cm Bosch electric chain-saw in '87 when the hurricane brought down

2 of our trees and it's still going strong. I have 2 chains and send them to a man in Lancashire for sharpening.

[ARWadsworth]

Well if you want to see a drunken bastard use his chainsaw attatchment for the first time try,

don't think I did a bad job considering I had spent 2 hours in the pub before trying it out. The saw was too small for the tree but it worked.

[Another John]

I'll second Bob's opinion, Johno: I bought a Bosch electric (the 35cm one) a few years ago --

Without a shadow of a doubt, it's one of my Top Ten Tools! Top Five even.

I also have a 2-stroke, which has always scared the crap out of me (an exaggeration, but they make you nervous, those beastly noisy beasts). If we were talking dogs, the 2-stroke is a Rottweiler formerly owned by a psychopath, whilst the electric one is a well-behaved Police Alsatian. If you're not going off into the woods, I can't recommend the Bosch electric highly enough: fabulous tool.

Cheers John

[Andy Dingley]

Up to 4", the Black & Decker Alligator "scissor action". Owing to the scissors, this is a far safer and easier design to use.

For a useful petrol saw, a Ningbo is around a hundred quid with a 45cc engine and an 18" bar. Widely sold under a range of names (and prices!) from eBay to Axminster. It's not going to last like a Stihl, but for this sort of use it's a very good deal.

Search this ng for past comments - I've certainly posted enough.

A good saw horse is a big improvement for safety - in practice, even more than trousers.

If you don't go on a course and get a ticket, at least read the Stihl manual (online).

[The Natural Philosopher]

+1 on electric if its up to 6" and near the house.

[Dave Liquorice]

Several still in the Blackburn store last saturday but no of the multitools. B-(

I was sort of tempted as I do have some quite large timber to cut for firewood and I have a feeling justa bow saw is going to be hard work...

[johno]

Thanks for all the good tips and advice, really useful. The trees I have access to are not on my land, or near any buildings so electric is not an option, I think the voltage drop and logistics of a two mile extension lead are too much of an issue :-))) Once I get the logs home electric is feasible, but a bit of hassle with long extension leads, so petrol is my chosen option. Thanks though for the suggestions. Johno

[The Natural Philosopher]

Handle them all and pick the one you feel comfortable with. Stihl Husqvarana..ryobi. All good kit.

[John Rumm]

You can get quite decent Dolmar / Makita ones for around 200 - 250. I have an oldish one I acquired from a friend when he retired. Easy to start and not too heavy. Spares easily available etc.

Another option possibly worth looking at are the 10" pruner saws (like in Adam's video). These go on a brushcutter and are designed for long reach trimming etc. They are quite good at logging as well, and have the safety advantage that the length of the pole puts the user out of the kickback radius.

If you are not used to using one for logging, then take care to have frequent rests and watch your posture, otherwise its quite easy to stress the left arm supporting the saw while cutting logs. I once ended up with rather sore muscles on the underside of my left forearm that took quite a number of weeks to fully recover after a prolonged logging bout.

Unless you like eating sawdust, then those forestry helmets with the mesh visor and ear muffs are very worthwhile.