SIGforum.com Main Page The Lounge Calling Chainsaw experts (or anyone really) How big a chainsaw do I need.
Main Page The Lounge Calling Chainsaw experts (or anyone really) How big a chainsaw do I need.Go | New | Find | Notify | Tools | Reply | |
| Shit don't mean shit |
I'll just add that below is THE BEST chain sharpener I have ever used. After watching this videos I bought one, and love it. | |||
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member |
I wish Stihl offered this option on their smaller consumer saws. | |||
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The Karmanator |
Really appreciate all the amazing information. I am going to go shopping tomorrow. I know I am going to need the chainsaw in the future. Right now I am going back and forth between 271 and 261. | |||
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| Member |
FWIW if you are looking to cut a bunch I bought the Husky because its got a better power to weight ratio. Heavy saws will wear you out quick!! “Everybody's got plans...until they get hit.” Mike Tyson | |||
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| Member |
I have the pruning saw attachment for my Stihl weed whacker that I use to limb a tree while it's down. I can stand upright and reach in with the saw to get rid of the branches. Of course it isn't big enough to take the tree down, that's why I have an 026 with an 18" bar on it. | |||
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Only the strong survive |
As some have said, you only need a 16 inch saw. Saw is light and will not tire you out like a heaver saw. I have a Stihl 038 Super and hardly ever use it anymore. I even went and got a 24 inch bar. What an idiot more.  The Stihl 261 is a $600 saw. I have had a Stihl 011 and now have its brother 012 which is only slightly larger than the 011. I sold my 011 for $150 which was still in good shape and cut three cords of wood every year since 1982. The Stihl 012 is slightly lighter than the 261 by a pound but the 261 is 4.0 BHP while the 012 is 2.2 BHP. There is a Stihl 012 on ebay that looks new and the bidding is at $120. I bought my 012 several years ago for $160 without a bar.   I cut up this tree in about four hours with the Stihl 012. 41 | |||
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| Ammoholic |
I'd love to hear your procedure for the Husky. It is a great saw, it just isn't always as easy to start as the Stihl. With the Stihl, choke full on, pull until it coughs, kick the choke down to fast idle setting, pull again and you are off to the races. With the Husky, particularly the 261 (Or is it 263?, I don't remember off the top of my head.), it is sometimes hard to pick up on the cough, particularly if using the compression release. This can lead to wondering, "Do I not have enough prime yet, or am I on the way to flooding it?" It can certainly be started, and runs like a top once going, but it does require (at least for me and my employees) a little more thought and care to get it started. | |||
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| Ammoholic |
Is pure-gas just non-ethanol gas (and still has the various aromatics), or is it more like the "white gas" we used to buy for the chainsaws forever ago (back in the days of leaded gas)? The thing that is really nice about 100LL is that it is stable for the long term and just doesn't gum up. If you might be putting your saw away for a week or for 6 months, it doesn't matter with 100LL. If the same is true of pure-gas, that would be flat awesome! (It is probably cheaper than 100LL too.) | |||
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| Member |
Pure gas is much better long term than gas with ethanol in it, but not long term long term.....I wouldn't go more than 6 months with it tops, without stabilizer.....it's basically the gasoline we had prior to ethanol coming on the market. | |||
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| I started with nothing, and still have most of it  |
You just described it. That's exactly how easy my Husky 340e and 353 start. They are light weight high speed saws, that do not wear you out like the "Farm" sized ones. Start easy, run great, using only no-alco gas. I'm sure the Stihl saws are great too, but I doubt they start any better as a brand. "While not every Democrat is a horse thief, every horse thief is a Democrat." HORACE GREELEY | |||
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| Member |
please tell me that you are not going to try to fell that leaning tree , in the background. Safety, Situational Awareness and proficiency. Neck Ties, Hats and ammo brass, Never ,ever touch'em w/o asking first | |||
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Member |
I would recommend a Stihl pro saw if you are able to swing it. I found mine on Craigslist for like $300 and it was in excellent condition. Very powerful and smooth running saw. With a 20inch bar the bending and stooping is also alot less. It was my second chainsaw. Ny first was a Poulan 42cc piece of crap. Spend the little bit extra now and get something that will last. At least 46cc preferably 50plus should serve you well. | |||
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We Are...MARSHALL |
I've had very good results with Echo. Basically all I use around the farm. I have a cs450 that has put several big trees on the ground with no trouble. I highly recommend using some of the echo power fuel intermittently. I acquired a second smaller echo when I bought a Kubota tractor and gave it to my dad. He loves it and is about your age. Be safe. Build a man a fire and keep him warm for a night, set a man on fire and keep him warm the rest of his life. | |||
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Happily Retired |
Yup. you are on the right road. What I do is pump the bulb about eight or nine times. I set the choke to full position and hold down the throttle and then pull until she "coughs". That seldom is more than 3-4 pulls. Then I push the choke in to the "half" position. Keeping the throttle lever pulled, I then pull the rope and it will fire off after just one or two pulls. I then give her a lot of throttle for five or six seconds and push the choke all the way in. You can set her down on the ground and she will putt along waiting for you to start work. I seldom use the compression release because, as you said, it can be harder to hear that "cough". Also, my saw is not big enough to really need it. Funny thing, I also have a Stihl weed eater and I use that exact same procedure to start it as well. .....never marry a woman who is mean to your waitress. | |||
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| Ammoholic |
Thanks Bassamatic, there are some definite differences there (a lot more prime and holding the throttle open). I'll give your way a shot - I'll bet it does the trick. Appreciate it! | |||
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| Tequila with lime |
I play with chainsaws regularly on my property. I use 110 octane racing fuel that I get from Bishops Cycle Shop in Perry. It makes my saws, trimmers, etc. run extremely well and it's stable for up to two years. I did a lot of research before buying my third saw. I have a Husqy 550XP. I bought it from Bishops at the recommendation from the shop. Bishops sells both Husqy and Stihl but recommends Husqy in the 50cc range due to a better power to weight ratio and better over all power in that range. It's both faster cutting and lighter than the Stihl MS261. The faster cutting is the shop's experience in their test logs. Take posted horsepower numbers with a large grain of salt as there is no standard way for measuring them. The best test of a saws performance is to run it side by side with a comparable saw into the same piece of wood with equal bars and chains and the same fuel and measure the time. Bishops typically recommends the Husqy 545 for people lookimg for a 50cc saw. My Dad bought one and I can testify it is a hell of a saw, particularly if you just need a good, powerful saw with a goood power to weight ratio and don't want to pay for a pro-saw. The 545 will set you back about $500. As far as picking a saw size, 50-60cc with a 16-20" bar is about right for a general use saw. If you're average height, stick with 50cc. If you're taller, go with a 55 or 60cc saw. My saw is 50cc and setup with an 18" bar. A shorter fellow would probably prefer a 16" bar and a taller fellow would probably like a 20" bar. I own a 70cc saw and it's a beast that never gets used. I also own a 30cc saw for very small work. The 50cc saw is by far my favorite and most versatile. Stihl and Husqy/Jonsered are both great saws with one manufacturer being better right now in certain size ranges. Husqy and Jonsered are the same saws built on the same assembly line just with red and orange cases. Do some research to see which models are equivalent and your buying options open up. Echo makes a good, reliable saw but they tend to be underpowered compared to Husqy and For what you have there, and for no more than you use it, I would only get one saw and that saw would be something in the 50-60cc range but more towards 50cc. I would also suggest buying used but only from a reputable dealer who offers a 30 day warranty on your purchase and then onky if you will run the piss out of the saw immediately and repeatedly during that 30 days. Dealer service is more important than brand. Pick a reputable saw from a reputable and servicing dealer and you'll be fine. Get a low kickback chain and bar. You're not a pro making your living with the saw. Safety needs to be your highest priority. These things are a lot more dangerous to their operators than guns are. Get some chaps and a logger's helmet with built in ear muffs and face screen. When cutting, pay attention to the forces in the wood you are cutting. The forces will tend to open or close the cut. Opening the cut can result in the tree suddenly splitting out at the end and moving in an uncontrolled fashion. Closing can pinch your bar and ruin the fun. Start cutting small stuff (3-4") and learn how to judge the forces in the wood. Once you have a feel for that, work your way up to the big stuff. Pay attention to the forces your saw is exerting on the wood. A pulling chain (using the bottom of the bar) pulls your saw into the wood and is the safest way to cut. A pushing chain (using the top of the bar) pushes your saw out of the wood and back into you but doesn't throw it skyward and is the second safest way to cut. Beware the tip. The tip of the bar causes kickback that can be uncontrollable and very, very dangerous. There are a ton of chainsaw videos on youtube. You can entertain yourself with the saw comparisons if you want. I did. The better videos are the technique vids put out by Husqy and the various safety and maintenance videos. Definitely watch the ones about keeping your chain sharp. Keep your chain sharp. A dull chain is a bad time. Sharpen the chain every time you fuel. Files are available online and from most hardware stores. Keep your oiler full. Top off your chain oil reservoir every time you fuel. Have fun! These things are dangerous as hell but in a testosterone fueled manly way. Thank you President Trump. | |||
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| Only the strong survive |
^^^^^^^ My experience as well and my procedure for operation of my Stihl 012 which is 45cc. The used Stihl 012 on ebay went for $154: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Stihl-...d:g:HIcAAOSww9xZCByU 41 | |||
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| Happily Retired |
Now that right there is some sage advice. On my farm, the chainsaw is the single most unforgiving tool I own. It always has been. One mental slip and your whole life can change forever. I always wear gloves. I always wear safety glasses. I always wear steel toed boots. I don't wear ear protection but I probably should. In my opinion, cutting down a tree is much more life threatening than bucking up the wood once it's down. I take down lots of trees here and I can tell you I am just as cautious now as I was forty years ago. A guy was killed two years ago who lived just a few miles down the road from me. Classic case of a tree hanging up in other trees on it's way down, not uncommon with these branchy oak trees. Be really careful. .....never marry a woman who is mean to your waitress. | |||
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| Lawyers, Guns and Money  |
Ya.... it really sucks when that happens. I had one tree that I had to cut about 6 times before I got it loose from the other tree. Frustrating, and then you start taking stupid risks.  Huh.... now what? Stupid tree.... "Some things are apparent. Where government moves in, community retreats, civil society disintegrates and our ability to control our own destiny atrophies. The result is: families under siege; war in the streets; unapologetic expropriation of property; the precipitous decline of the rule of law; the rapid rise of corruption; the loss of civility and the triumph of deceit. The result is a debased, debauched culture which finds moral depravity entertaining and virtue contemptible." -- Justice Janice Rogers Brown "The United States government is the largest criminal enterprise on earth." -rduckwor | |||
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| Staring back from the abyss  |
I could not agree more! I saw this video probably 3-4 years ago and picked one of these up and haven't looked back. Razor sharp chain in a matter of minutes. I learned many years ago how to do it free-hand, and it was never something I looked forward to doing. But this thing is kind of like the Ken Onion WorkSharp of chain sharpeners. I now love sharpening my chains and my knives. I've recommended it to several folks I know around here, all previous free-handers, and all have thanked me greatly. I also picked up a couple dozen extra stones just in case they stopped making them for whatever reason.  Best $75 you'll ever spend. ________________________________________________________ "Great danger lies in the notion that we can reason with evil." Doug Patton. | |||
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SIGforum.com Main Page The Lounge Calling Chainsaw experts (or anyone really) How big a chainsaw do I need.
Main Page The Lounge Calling Chainsaw experts (or anyone really) How big a chainsaw do I need.© SIGforum 2024