Looking to buy a larger chain saw…say 28″ bar or greater. Any suggestions without blowing the bank?
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Replies
I'm sure you already know there are only two serious saws that big. Stihl or Husqvarna.
Neither is cheap.
Kind of a Ford - Chevy thing. Lots of brand loyalty. Both good saws.
It's hard to find used saws that big because they are mostly purchased by professionals who just wear them out.
Our family of loggers has always used Stihls, except for my maverick brother who prefers his Huskys.
Yeah I had been looking at the Hus. with the 20" bar that is about $400. but wondered if it would be capable of powering a 28" or larger bar if they made one for it?
I recently bought a Husky. If you look in the specs page it
say's what length bar it's rated for.
I spent about that ($ 460.00 or so) and mine will only carry a 20". Seams like you'd have to spend more for that kind of power.
Thanks didn't know they had that listed...have to go look.
What are cutting that requires that length bar?
Couple big oaks on some property we are clearing.
Apart from the justification of getting to buy a new toy, er, I mean tool, why not just rent a saw for a couple of days?Just a thought, although those big saws are a lot of fun!-If you didn't learn something new today, you're not looking hard enough!
Thats what I thought of as I really don't want to spend $500+ but no one in my area rents anything larger than a 20". Every place has told me its due to legal issues with a DIYer using a saw that big.
Dang.
When I lived in the Seattle area many years back, there was a red ceder tree that was cut down and bucked into firewood. The crew that cut it down didn't have a saw big enough to handle the base of the trunk, and it sat there as the rest of the tree was taken by the neighborhood for firewood. I asked the homeowner if I could have the rest, got an enthusiastic YES, and went and rented a Stihl with a 36"or so bar. Man oh man was that a sweet machine! The rental yard gave me two brand new and pro-sharpened chains...all you had to do was get the saw started and then hold on for the ride; strait as an arrow through 65" of ceder with beautiful shavings mounding up...and the smell! Now I've got a shed full of future projects!
-If you didn't learn something new today, you're not looking hard enough!
have you considered Jonsred?
BTW, I have a stihl. love it.
"Never pick a fight with an old man. If he can't beat you he will just kill you." Steinbeck
When you look at the owner's manual, they usually say "recommended range of guide bar lengths."
That means that the saw has the power to cut hardwoods very efficiently at those bar lengths. The longer the bar, the more teeth are cutting at the same time, the more power is needed.
But...knowing that, I wouldn't hestitate to use a longer bar and chain on my saw for special jobs. I'd just make sure that the chain was very sharp, the oiler was working well and that I wasn't pushing the saw to cut fast.
BTW, felling big trees safely requires some knowledge, experience and skill. It's a lot different from dropping an average sized tree.
I've cut down many average sized trees for firewood, but only a few large diameter trees. And I was working with a logger who knew all the dangers and how to avoid them. I learned enough to know that I shouldn't attempt it without the supervision of a pro.
There's a lot of good reasons that logging is one of the highest fatality jobs. The accident rate is extremely high, even among those who have years of experience.
Stihl.
Some of the Husky saws are made by (?) same as Poulon and Sears. I'm told it's only the smaller saws but don't know for sure.
I have a big Stihl, little Stihl, a little Husky & a Poulon. Stihls are better saws.
Joe H
I think the deal is on the homeowner quality units, not the big ones, The electrolux company is owned by the same conglomerate.I am a husky fan myself.
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
I bought a small Husky at Lowes a few years ago for $90.
It had been used and returned but looked new, missing one of the bar nuts.
It quit oiling & I took it apart to see why. Pump had died, it's a plastic gear driven by a coil spring pressed onto the shaft.
I had an old Sears a friend gave me as dead. Took it apart cuz it looked like the Husky and guess what? All the parts are identical except for the color plastic. Same with the Poulon, it's green, Husky is orange & Sears is black plastic.
The pump off the old Sears saw is in the Husky & working, the starter rope & cover is on the Poulon and working, Sears is still in the parts bin.
Whatever the Husky is, ain't made in Sweden by Swedes.
Stihl is still Stihl far as I know, got their small one last year to make my sorry old elbow happier.
Weighs 8 pounds with no bar or chain. Why do they give that as the weight? Not good for much without them. The chain is little guy, kerf is half what the bigger saws cut.
Bet you could run a huge bar on a bigger saw if it was one of those thin chains.
Joe H
I have a small poulan and used to have an old sears, so I know the sears is made by Poulan. I think the hussies get made in different places according to whether the HO models or the pro models.I'm not criticizing Stihl. They are common here and a strong second choice. They start easy and run dependably. I have used some of them.But I can generally outwork them with my saws. I was told by a guy who services both tha the reason Stihl starts easier is that they advance timing just a hair to pre-detonate, but that takes some raw power off at the top end of the RPM thing, and that this setting is at the factory with no way for him to over-ride it.But when it comes right down to it, keeping your chain sharp and the bar clean will do more for power delivered to the tree than anything else.I like to have two saws. One is the larger heavier for felling and bucking up on the ground. The other is lighter for limbing and small brushing. The big one will kill my back and shoulders for that work.My old sears/Poulan lasted about 15-16 years and when it foinally seized, it was probably because I confused my mixes. It required an old 20/1 mix and I think I fed it the new 50/1 mix by mistake.But it was one of the last of breed before automatic brakes, electronic ignition, light weight motors, decompression starting, etc. Thank God and Poulan it did have anti-vibration though
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
My favorite and loudest and most deadly saw is still my '66 Homelite XL-12, just a 16'' bar, manual oiler and nothing fancy, butwhen sharp , it's as fast as any other saw I have run. And it won't bog or stall..it just motors away, like an old Skil sidewinder.
I have a McCollogh from doud with a 14" bar, great for little limbing, but things like a chain brake get confusing when yer used to old saws..
Then I got a 16" Poulan and other than the vibration from hell and under powered, it's a pretty good saw right off the shelf.
Then I gots a Remington ( I think) Electric 14" pole saw..that lil bugger works amazingly well,if you can keep the branch overhead from binding on the bar and locking up the works. Last time that happened I had it so stuck, I left it threre, gotthe XL-12 and felled the tree to get the saw un-glued..LOLSpheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations
They kill Prophets, for Profits.
The world of people goes up and
down and people go up and down with
their world; warriors have no business
following the ups and downs of their
fellow men.
Early eighties I had an XL12 in CO. I hated it.
All the loggers there and then used McCullough or Pioneer ( Canadian)
I think th eHomelite problems were related to altitude sickness. Everybody had problems starting the stupid things.
But on alternate sundays in novenber, it would cut like hell
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
I had ele. ignition added, solved that back in the late 80's (G). I got the saw in '74 for 75.00$Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations
They kill Prophets, for Profits.
The world of people goes up and
down and people go up and down with
their world; warriors have no business
following the ups and downs of their
fellow men.
Do you remember if around that time they were experimenting with ethanol mix of like 10% in the gas.
Late 70s I had problems with all my homelites fuel lines melting cause of the ethanol.
And until it was figured out it was a problem. In the tank the fuel line would get like chewed gum.
I took the trusty Stihl out this spring and gave it the usual 9 pulls to get it started. Yup, nine pulls, that's what it always takes since it was new. This was typical of certain models.
Anyway, after it wouldn't start, I look in the fuel tank and the rubber line is melted into a blob. This is the first time I've ever seen this.
I have noticed that all of the available gas here has 10% ethanol.
Moral of the story...drain gas from all small engines over the winter, because even the Stabil won't keep your fuel lines from deteriorating.
don't recal that, but could have been.
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
Two friends here are pro tree guys, Stihl all the way.
Husq. has cheapened out and also there are fewer repair/parts centers here.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations
They kill Prophets, for Profits.
Good to know...
Yeah, Husky has two lines now. They don't seam to market
them right. Seams like every saw comes with the option of "Pro"
model for an extra $60.00.
Basically, you get a metal gear cover and what not. I think the
cheaper version might have had screws instead of clips for the
housing cover.
All in all they haven't screwed up any thing to important.
but definitely bad marketing. Same old argument they are both very good saws.
The Pro models have a different engine to stand the heat distortion of running all day long vs hour long wind sprints.
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
I guess I spent my $60.00 well then ;)
You know I seam to remember their being a lower line that
was made in China. I wonder if that line was the one
with the lesser engine.
You can put a large bar on an under-sized power head, but there can be undesirable consequences. If you're only limbing and not using the whole bar length, not a problem.
I run a 3.9 cu in head (Stihl) with a 20" bar. Good full-bar power, but I often barely have enough bar to meet in the middle, cutting from both sides. My next saw will have a 24" bar and a slightly larger power head, if this one ever wears out.
A buddy bought an immense power head and an Alaskan mill, which after much trial and error we got cutting decently. I use my small saw to rip 8-12/4 oak boards, scraps from milling beams. Works very well. Even with compression relief, my buddy doesn't have enough shoulder to start his monster.
You want to size your saw to the job. Other than used, it won't be cheap if you're serious about cutting.
PAHS works. Bury it.
Thanks!
I can't reccomend a current brand. But If you are going to serious cutting get a modle that will pull a 36" bar; then also buy a 16" or 20" and use it most of the time. I got a Pro Mac 700 30 years ago when Mac's were the best and have never regeted it. The extra power will pull the small bar out of almost any pinch. Next get an Echo 225 with a 12" bar for limbing & lite work.
You WANT something like this:
http://www.stihlusa.com/chainsaws/MS441.html
You NEED something like MS 390 (the replacement for the FarmBoss) good saw, reasonably priced.
http://www.stihlusa.com/chainsaws/comparison.html
Yeah, but this one can take a 59" bar. MORE POWER!!!! BIGGER, ITS THE ONE EVERYONE WILL ENVY. WAHHH HAAAA HAHH. Probably to expensive. http://www.stihlusa.com/chainsaws/MS880.html
<G> That is a monster.In my short life as a "timber beast" (logger, firewood cutter, wildland firefighter, and arborist), some 15-25 years ago, my favorite all-around chainsaw was the Stihl 034AV Super. It had the best strength to weight ratio of any saw at the time. It was stolen and I did not replace it (was out of that business and still have my little arborist saw Stihl 010).Today, the MS 361 would be the closest thing to it--my "Top Pick," as it were.I've run most saws out there, all the pizz poor "p's" (Poulan, Pioneer, & Partner) and the rest. Homelite was one of the worst. Clearing fire line, we would work the saws hard and they would get so hot the gas in the tank would boil. There you are, in a forest fire, and the dern Homelite is spraying gas out of the pressure release valve.
I bought a 361 last winter when I finally gave up repairing my mid-sized saw - had them take the 20" bar off and replace it with a 24" - makes it a bit bar heavy for carrying around (bar tips toward the ground), but that's the right size for what I want to do - cuts well, runs nice, can't get used to the 'choke/throttle/on/off' being a single lever - still takes me 3-4-5 pulls to start it - don't like that aspect - nice fresh saw is nice tho - got an 077 off ebay from washington state (pro seller of sawing supplies) that I got with 36" bar - it's nice - sometimes wish it had a longer bar - heck of a saw - "there's enough for everyone"
David,Those both sound like good saws.That 24" bar on the 361 is only a bit nose heavy since the saw is so dern light (which is a good thing mostly), but you know that. The 390 would be a bit better balanced with that bar (and the 441 Mag would be perfect). Or you could just tie an old sash weight to the arse end. <g>Cheers,Brian
The budget on my fire crew was a little tight, but we could buy all the parts we needed, so we asked a regional fire cache if they had saws that weren't worth repairing that we could use for parts. We ended up with four Stihl 038's from the mid 1980's that needed new pistons and/or cylinders. With the new parts in place they became good fire saws and are still in service today, although newer saws are a bit lighter and are now the primary saws. (It's a helitack crew so they don't get used as hard as an IR crew)
One thing we really liked about the mid/late 80's Stihls is having both the high and low speed idle screws. The newer saws don't allow adjustment of the highspeed screw and don't develop the top-end power. We'd wrap the saws up, adjust the high speed screw for top speed and back it out a little on the rich side until we could just hear the speed decrease. According to the saw shop this is a little lean, but we've taken the jugs off a number of times and everythings held up well over the years with nothing more than 1:50 oil mix.
We did use an 029(?) for a while as a light saw for small lightning strikes. On one trip we were redirected to a section of a larger fire in thick pinion-juniper to dig line and as you can imagine that little saw had a time with the hard wood of the PJ. We were racing with another crew and the saw was our choke point so we'd stop more often to touch up the chain and we'd trade off on breaks so it was cutting constantly. That was a fun fire.
I still have found memories of the sound of saws at night! It's unique to fire fighting and something you never forget.
Good times
Beer was created so carpenters wouldn't rule the world.
I absolutely loved small lightning strike fires. Getting paid to hike and camp and work hard. I'd rather carry that 029 than a pizz pump.I liked everything about the firefighting, except for the fire I was on in '87 in N. Cal. with two fatalities. That sucked.Yellowstone in '88 got scary at times...but was mostly great.
Im in NW OR where theres logging.
Mostly sthil with the rest husky.
But its all commercial model saws.
I gave some old ones away my old ones were the low torque ones.
056, 045, 086,051.
The newer one i have is a 064 and i like my 029.
I have the tree climbers model 020 and my very ols homelite tree saw..
With smaller trees loggers needed faster saws, If one is falling alder one can cut faster then the tree can barber chair.
Nothing beats the older saws for old growth logs or shake bolts
Did not see anyone mention a skip tooth chain yet.
36" bar with skip tooth chain on a 3.6 Homelite cuts DFir, alder, and cottonwood with no problem, only have used it on those woods.
Usually just have a 20" bar on the saws, just put on a long one for the occasional 48" dia job. .
find a Jonsered dealer. You'll never regret it.
Funny your post got ignored. I was just about to post a simlar link. MONSTER SAWS is what they are.
A little heavy, but as pro-grade as one can get.The best reward for a job well done is the opportunity to do another.
Good saws, but like he said, try to FIND a dealer...!
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
Right. The only time I ever used those saws was back in the late 80's while working up in the Poconos. Closest parts were some 75-or-so miles away in Stroudsburg I think. From what I've learned since then, we were lucky to have somebody that close. The best reward for a job well done is the opportunity to do another.
We've got a Jonsered dealer about 5 klicks from my house; they're not hard to find up here. I wouldn't buy anything else. Toughest, beefiest saw I've ever used. Power out the ying-yang.
My 25(?)-year-old model 72e has never required any repair more serious than replacing a worn-out bar. AFAIK, the engine is original. I've owned it for 18 years. Cannot kill that beast. I even backed over it with a car once and the car got hurt worse than the saw....
Dinosaur
How now, Mighty Sauron, that thou art not broughtlow by this? For thine evil pales before that whichfoolish men call Justice....
My old 52 has only one dog on the starter mechanism. Brought it into the shop when I broke the dog asked what to do about it .
Shop said run it till the saw blows up. The part was worth more than the 15 year old saw was at that point. Still drops start on 3 drops no matter how long I let it sit.
Like I said "Bullet Proof".
They can't get your Goat if you don't tell them where it is hidden.
Still drops start on 3 drops no matter how long I let it sit.Like I said "Bullet Proof".
Five drops from cold for my Jonsered; winter or summer no difference. Always been that way. Restarts on one pull after it's warmed up. And when it starts, everybody looks up respectfully no matter how many other saws are running. Sounds like a B-52 in a squadron of Cessnas. (Well, it is a 70cc engine, and you don't see too many of those.)
OTOH, I have damn-near wore my arm out trying to start the much newer company-owned Stihls at the ski mountain where I work in the winter. They run okay once they finally get going, but...??
Dinosaur
How now, Mighty Sauron, that thou art not broughtlow by this? For thine evil pales before that whichfoolish men call Justice....
I thought I was the only one who was tired of pullin on Stihls.Love
the saws but hate bringing them to life.
Get a Jonny. You will never regret it.
Dinosaur
How now, Mighty Sauron, that thou art not broughtlow by this? For thine evil pales before that whichfoolish men call Justice....
I should have included the Jonsereds in my first list. We've owned them and now actually have a dealer in town.
They are very good saws, but they are also very heavy. I guess that's why I don't really like to use them.
But, If you don't mind the weight, they are great saws. I suppose they weigh that much because they are built to last!
I found this the other day when messing around Googling Jonsered.
http://www.portable-electric-power-generators.com/p_3m_product.htm
Seems to me the weights aren't that much different for same power output.
John,The h.p. to weight ratios are very closer for all of the smaller saws, but if you look at the two largest Jonsereds, they weigh an extra pound or two, compared with Stihl or Husky--in the same class-- and they produce slightly lower power output (in spite of the extra weight).Personally, my chainsaw chaps are orange, and the Jonsered red just clashes. ;o)Bass
>...and the Jonsered red just clashes. ;o)<
Nothing like having a style-minded logger. ;)
Time to work...
I should have included the Jonsereds in my first list. We've owned them and now actually have a dealer in town.
They are very good saws, but they are also very heavy.
I don't know about the 'very', but the big displacement ones are heavier than most other brands. If I'm in the woods thinning and have to walk relatively long distances while carrying it, I notice that weight in a negative sense. But if I'm simply felling and bucking in one spot I prefer having the extra weight because I don't have to do much more than lay the bar where I want it to cut and it goes through all by itself. Very relaxing....
I don't run the 36" bar on mine because I rarely meet anything bigger than I can handle with a 16" (most of this area was logged off less than 60 years ago so our forest is pretty young). With that bar on it, my saw is perfectly balanced and its extra beef works to my advantage.
I suppose they weigh that much because they are built to last!
Yeah, that, too!
Dinosaur
How now, Mighty Sauron, that thou art not broughtlow by this? For thine evil pales before that whichfoolish men call Justice....
If you like a beefy saw, we still have some two handled McCullochs & Wrights from the old days...the kind with the handle on the end of the bar and two handles on the engine. They must weigh 100#.
When I was a kid, there were trees around here big enough to require a saw like that. Now a 28" bar will get you through most anything!
I'm going to be stopping by the Jonsered dealer tonight for something else and I think I'll take a close look at the new models.
You got a pic of one of those? I've heard about them but never seen one.
Dinosaur
How now, Mighty Sauron, that thou art not broughtlow by this? For thine evil pales before that whichfoolish men call Justice....
When I first came to Or. in 1970 those were found in a lot of barns and loggers sheds.
Gear drive, heavy and just being replaced by the newer generation of saw. Shortly after that the European saws hit here and that was pretty much the end of McCullough around here.
They can't get your Goat if you don't tell them where it is hidden.
They are at my parents place 75 miles from here. I'll get you a pic next time I come up.
The power head swivels on the bar to keep it level.
They have the Lake States Logging Congress in town and they often have these old machines on display. A mandatory day off for me!
too bad - I've got one (a 'Mall') upstairs in the barn - we could have drug it out for the fest - I have a 48" bar on it - here's a link to a pict of something similar of the same brand, tho my powerhead is different - sorry about the huge link, I don't know how to do 'tiny url' - http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://bp0.blogger.com/_4pPwn3qLQV8/RgvnqdHuXjI/AAAAAAAAAOA/uunZcPKrxeg/s200/MALL%2B6%2BSAW%2B004.jpg&imgrefurl=http://vintagechainsawcollection.blogspot.com/2007/03/another-mall-6-2-man-saw.html&h=150&w=200&sz=13&hl=en&start=2&um=1&usg=__YstN8td9n8o7KioWrDeX6BfTivU=&tbnid=oH3ooFB78cjobM:&tbnh=78&tbnw=104&prev=/images%3Fq%3DMall%2Bchainsaw%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dsafari%26rls%3Den%26sa%3DN"there's enough for everyone"
"We've got a Jonsered dealer about 5 klicks from my house"I think that is really the answer to ORM's question - the three brands mentioned are certainly capable of good performance - which one has a local dealer with a parts inventory and service? - that's the brand to get - "there's enough for everyone"
which one has a local dealer with a parts inventory and service? - that's the brand to get -
Logical, to a certain extent. But look at it this way: I've owned that Big Red buzzard for 18+ years, and only needed to go to the dealer for OEM parts twice in all that time. (You can get chains or bars anywhere.)
OTOH, Poulan-Weedeater have dealers everywhere. I bought the biggest (32cc) whip/brushcutter they make about 8 years ago, and it's been in and out of the shop more times than I can remember ever since. A real P.O.S. Sometimes I think I spend more time dicking with the engine to keep it running than I do using it.
Dinosaur
How now, Mighty Sauron, that thou art not broughtlow by this? For thine evil pales before that whichfoolish men call Justice....
5 to start? Try a newer one. 3 to get it our of summer retirement 2 for cold and 1 for warm thereafter until the next summer.
I'll get a newer one when this one quits.
(Long way of saying 'Not this century.')
;o)>~
Dinosaur
How now, Mighty Sauron, that thou art not broughtlow by this? For thine evil pales before that whichfoolish men call Justice....
>Funny your post got ignored.<
Seems no one but you recognized the name. Maybe piffin too.
There used to be 2 dealers in the area and I knew one personally. You don't need much dealer support on something that doesn't/won't break so if one doesn't mind doing the mail order thing you're set.
I still have and use my Jonsered 52 (49cc.) Bought rebuilt (previous owner bought it brand new , took it to the Blue mountains and let it sit a week in sub freezing weather then filled it with straight gas) from the dealer my then wife worked for back in 1973.
Saw Cost me $100.00. Has a longer bar (24") than recommended with a chisel tooth chain on it.
Bar is still too short for comfortable cutting (bucking) for any time at all. Does fine for felling I wanted to tackle. Most common here is Stihl and Husky although some the pros still use Jonsered in the woods. Jonsereds are Bullet proof but heavy.
Stihl 031 or 041 were the most common saws used by those who did a lot of cutting, they would handle a bar of 28" so you could buck without bending over.
They can't get your Goat if you don't tell them where it is hidden.
Jeez, you're talking about saws nearly as old as I am (strong testament). Mine's only 15 year old 2051 with the turbo air cleaner. A search of the web foudn one new at a dealer in Poland for 815pln.
Why fool around with those *low-powered* versions? This - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOGJLoVi-Bg is what you need!
Artificial limbs extra ...
Jeff
find a timber faller in your area and buy one of his retired saws. i've sold old saws for $100 quite a few times.when you make a living with a saw even it still runs well for occasional use they cost you too much time once they wear. smaller saws can cut big trees. sharp chain and cut at the saws capacity. did a mention a sharp chain?
Get one of these! ;-]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sf_zD45iRx0&NR=1
This thread is weaving all over the place so I'll throw my opinion out while I can.
I started sawing with an old Homelite Super XL almost 25 years ago. Next saw, fifteen years later was a Stihl 025. Then bought a Stihl 066 to go with my sawmill and a Stihl MS390 (039) to do firewood. I sold the 066 for $500 and the buyer got one hell of a deal.
I am currently running a 24" bar on the 390 because I have some large logs to work with (some 28-36" sugar maple and white pine). This saw does NOT work well with a bar over 20". It bogs frequently in a bar-length cut. The "odd-numbered" Stihls are reputed to be "Homeowner" grade saws - anything where the first two numbers of the newer saws or the last two numbers of the older saws is an odd number, e.g. 025, 029, 031, 039, MS290, MS170, etc,) the "even" saws are pro saws and have a much higher power-to-weight ratio (e.g. 044, 088, MS440, MS361). If you're going to be cutting any more than a couple of trees with a long bar you can get away with a smaller saw but it will be a lot of work and take a while. Buy some new chains too.
I have been hearing good things about the Dolmar/Makita saws, and the Dolmar 7900 has a reputation as a top-grade saw that has incredible power and can easily handle up to a 32"+ bar. A new one is going to be up in the $800 range but with any large saw, especially this time of year and fuel costs being what they are, you could theoretically go out, get yourself a gently-used big saw; Husky 385Xp, Stihl MS460 or 660, Dolmar 7900, Solo 681, Jonsered 2095(?) or similar, do what you gotta do and then re-sell the saw. It's like paying a rental fee but getting the saw you need and the resale value shouldn't drop much if at all unless you kill the saw.
Just a thought, if you have oaks that big, call a local sawmill, they will pay you
to take them out.
SandMan
Hey! That kind of logical suggestion is unwelcome on a high testoterone topic like chainsaws, BUDDY!
Can't you feel the need to grit teeth and scowl, while severing limbs with total disregard for the consequences???
AARRRGGH!
"Can't you feel the need to grit teeth and scowl, while severing limbs with total disregard for the consequences???"
Tree limbs ... or are we talking arms and legs??? ;o)
Jeff
Tree limbs ... or are we talking arms and legs??? ;o)
Think Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
I was responding to his first post on BT so it was incumbent upon me to give him a proper welcome. ;-)
Here's one I saw at a farm show.
I'd hate to be running that thing for very long....
View Image
He that is afraid to shake the dice will never throw a six.
Thanks, Ron. That's a nice photo. You do run across interesting stuff, I must say!
Dinosaur
How now, Mighty Sauron, that thou art not broughtlow by this? For thine evil pales before that whichfoolish men call Justice....
Somewhere buried in my shop is a similar saw to that one, but a little older. Mine is a Disston from the late 1940's. It has a two cylinder Mercury Marine engine and a 60" bar if I recall correctly. It is complete but hasn't run in over twenty years. I have vague plans for restoring it and hanging it from the shop ceiling if I ever get the shop that organized.=====Zippy=====
my bet is that the trees Mike (the OP) is cutting are Live Oaks. Does anyone know if they have any value as finished woods? I've got a lot of Water Oaks here (grow like weeds) and there's not much value in them and wondering if LOs are the same.
Live Oaks were coveted by shipwrights for the prow's "knees". Basically a large sweeping curve, due to the continuous grain, it was mucho strong.
Dunno any that are building 3 masted Schooners these days..(G)Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations
They kill Prophets, for Profits.
The world of people goes up and
down and people go up and down with
their world; warriors have no business
following the ups and downs of their
fellow men.
That came to mind when I was writing that message but my guess is there's too much water in them to make them very valuable to a woodworker. MIL has some awesome LOs at her house and they are the most impressive trees I've seen and probably my favorite if I had to chose.
ya want a big dang saw here ya go! http://fayar.craigslist.org/tls/822968822.html
and it's only 75.00,i'm not a buyer cause i'm not man enough to pick it up.
if i saw that at a garage sale i would buy it just for the conversation factor, larry
if a man speaks in the forest,and there's not a woman to hear him,is he still wrong?
Edited 9/4/2008 11:13 pm by alwaysoverbudget
http://springfield.craigslist.org/tls/829795822.html
this may interest you
Stihl.
We've got maybe 15-20 saws, all Stihl. Each one has developed a "signature" - the 022 with a 18" bar that I always carry in my truck to clear roads starts on the first pull every single time - the 044 that I often use starts on 5 pulls, every single time. The largest one in the fleet has a 9' - yes, 9' bar. It gets used a few times a year for clearing old-growth redwoods that come across a road. Heavy sucker, very scary to lift up into place, but once it's in place that thing just slices through. One of our guys is a chainsaw geek and does all our servicing - I'm happy with the Stihls.
Boy, I never knew this thread could have so many replies. Very cool
I too have one of those monster saws that was my grandfathers from the 40s. Its buried in my shop and I want to say it has a stainless steel body and a 40" blade? Maybe I am wrong as its been years since I've seen it. I do know it hasn't been run since the early 80s.
Only on person has mentioned a Makita. I know I have had great performance from the sawzall and circular saws I own from that line but what about that big chainsaw they have for about $500. Any thoughts?
Red,
I would love to see a pic of the one with the 9' bar! That must take quite the man to operate (or should I say TWO men?)
Mike