cutting logs

[Guest]

Hi guys n gals, I've got too ancient to swing the axe & too stiff to use a bow saw, so thinking about getting a small chainsaw. Does anyone have one on board, if so any reccomendations, petrol/electric ?? Or are they not a good idea, many thanks

[craftycarper]

Hi guys n gals, I've got too ancient to swing the axe & too stiff to use a bow saw, so thinking about getting a small chainsaw. Does anyone have one on board, if so any reccomendations, petrol/electric ?? Or are they not a good idea, many thanks

. I have several all I would say is always stand to the side of the chain when cutting and buy a small sthil not sure if I spelt that right but you know what I mean I think mine was around 250 new and it's lite and user friendly

[joe1978]

I have a stihl ms181 at home and it's never missed a beat.

[Quinafloat]

I have used an electric chainsaw for about 10 years. If you have the electrical capacity to run one it's an ideal solution as it can be kept inside the boat with no chance of petrol fumes. I have certainly found it adequate to the job in hand. It cost me about 80 quid at the time. Picture shows a not untypical winter collection of twigs that my chainsaw has been dealing with. A good chain saw sharpener is a must. I had to change the chain after about eight years.

[Athy]

Is it a coincidence that your boat name is almost an anagram of chainsaw?

[John V]

as others have said ...if petrol, buy quality, wear real protective gear. and yes definitely get a proper chain sharpener not a cheapy. I've done the cheapy and it's expensive!!!

[Grace and Favour]

If you're going to use a chainsaw, I would strongly suggest that you buy yourself the correct protective( Chainsaw) trousers, hard hat and visor.

 

I've only ever seen one incident where a user sawed his leg.

 

Surgeons managed to save him....but it was messy.

Edited July 14, 2014 by Grace & Favour

[Henhouse]

If you're going to use a chainsaw, I would strongly suggest that you buy yourself the correct protective( Chainsaw) trousers, hard hat and visor.

 

 

Yes Yes Yes.

 

I've been felling timber for 30 years. Safety gear is an absolute must.

[PiRSqwared]

Don't buy a cheap one such as McAllister, which is in fact a b&q brand, for example. They are made not to be repaired when they go wrong. You get what you pay for.

[blackrose]

I've got a cheap petrol chainsaw and contrary to what others are saying it's not bad at all. Its a little Ryobi with a 14" bar and it does the job fine. I think it's 6 years old now.

 

Chainsaws are inherently dangerous, so as others have said, use safety equipment and follow safety advice. The main problem I've found is finding a comfortable position. Stacking logs on top of each other to cut them isn't ideal as they shift so it's a bit dangerous and I suspect the cause of many accidents. Also your back won't thank you if you try to cut logs close to the ground, so then you need a log bench... In the end you need quite a bit of equipment, so unless you're using it a lot it may not be worth it.

 

As for sharpening the chain, I just use a round chainsaw file of the correct diameter for my chain which came with a steel angle guide. It seems to work fine and only cost a few quid.

Edited July 15, 2014 by blackrose

[craftycarper]

All this talk of sharpeners and files is so yesterday get a dremmal with a chain sharpening attachment they are brilliant I sharpen both the big 20" sthil and the 16" one from blunt in around 15 mins I used to pay £7 a time to get each one done professionally and the dremmal attachment cost a tenner it's the nuts

[X Alan W]

Depends a lot on your usage, if you are always going to cut with a supply of electric near at hand you could probably manage with an electric saw, providing that you only require a max of 14" bar. Obviously if you aim to wander off into the woods you will need a petrol 2T model. Although peoples thinking is geared towards Stihl, in the homeowner/clamshell type of saw, there are other makes that are a better bang for your buck, as although Stihl saws perform well, the price is way above some other brands that are on par performance wise. Slightly different ballgame in the Pro saw requirement, but you will not be in that market A visit to www.arbtalk .co.uk, or www.arboristsite.com or www.sawhawgz.com will maybe give you an idea as to what is good value ( be aware that as with most things the US get their kit for less money) I would guess that the engine size for your requirement ( Petrol) would be in the 33/ 38cc range. I work for a professional logging company, servicing their fellers/fallers saws but they are in the large pro league but will help if I can.

Edited July 15, 2014 by X Alan W

[Magic Potion]

Husqvarna 135 is a good, easy to use saw.

[Guest]

Many thanks for all the replies & advice. Not sure how ATHY gets an anagram out of our boat name 'explain please' not a serious request & we are up for a laugh. Cheers

[Emerald Fox]

Hah! "I had to change the chain after about eight years." - we change ours about every hour when cutting trees down! We have 4 chains - 1 to start with, 3 spares.

How to sharpen chainsaw chains - there is one good video on Youtube. I have learned how to sharpen chains but last year had two sharpened by hand in a shop, 3 Pounds/chain and their results were better than mine.

A new chain will tear through wood like a hot knife through butter, ripping out long threads of raw wood.

A new chain costs about 11 Pounds.

Don't buy toys like the rubbish they sell in Lidl, or electric chainsaws - something like a Stihl or Husqvarna 246 petrol is the way to go.

Safety trousers = nonsense; chainsaws are NOT at all dangerous if you just cut downwards, always one stick at a time, never two (no matter how thin).

A helmet with ear protectors and a visor is essential - the stuff just flies into your face.

Never lift a chain saw above your head!

[Jim Riley]

Wot no trousers? I carry some precious objects next to my femoral arteries, I wish to keep them. Risk might be low, but got my stihl pants off eBay about £50, easily paid for in the first winter.

[John Holden]

All this talk of sharpeners and files is so yesterday get a dremmal with a chain sharpening attachment they are brilliant I sharpen both the big 20" sthil and the 16" one from blunt in around 15 mins I used to pay £7 a time to get each one done professionally and the dremmal attachment cost a tenner it's the nuts

 

Fifteen minutes to sharpen two chains!

[Paul G2]

I have a Stihl 034 with a 24" bar and skip tooth chiselbit chain - which means I can fell and buck a 120' tall Douglas Fir that's 3'+ at the base in less than an hour. It's what the big boys use.

 

With that being said, as one aging boomer to another, I'd recommend an electric saw, if you have a power source. Aside from the fact that petrol saws mean you have to carry and store petrol mix, petrol saws that aren't used regularly can be hard to start and starting a recalcitrant chain saw can be hard on the joints. If you can't swing an axe anymore you're not going to be cutting anything that is very big around and an electric chain saw will do you just fine.

 

Electric chain saws are not as powerful nor as macho as petrol saws, but one will suit your purposes just fine and you'll find it's overall a lot easier on an aging bod. If you are only cutting up branches for firewood, you don't really need a hard hat but they sell them with a face shield and ear muffs and those you do need, so you might as well get one.

 

Safety is your first and utmost priority with a chain saw. If you've never used one before, have an experienced person show you the ropes and watch a couple of instructional videos before you start using one.

Edited July 15, 2014 by Paul G2

[John Holden]

 

You don't need special chain saw pants, there's no pants made that will stop a chain saw anyway.

 

Whilst I agree that chainsaw pants aren't really necessary when working on the ground if you are careful, there are some situations when it is stupid not to wear them.

They will stop a saw very quickly, all that kevlar really screws up your saw.

[carlt]

Don't buy a cheap one such as McAllister, which is in fact a b&q brand, for example. They are made not to be repaired when they go wrong. You get what you pay for.

Well my B&Q chainsaw (Performance Pro, not McAllister) is now 12 years old and it may indeed have beeen made not to be repaired because mine has never gone wrong.

 

As it has paid for itself many times over I will just buy another, if it ever does go wrong.

[magnetman]

I'd be concerned that someone who is 'too old and stiff to use bow saw' may not be able to handle a chainsaw safely have been trained in chainsaw use and can do it safely but I hate them anyway.

 

36" bow saw with a good blade (bahco, sandvik, bushman) is my favourite but I would like to find a 42" one

 

Not cut wood for a few years now but I was able to keep a Rayburn going on mainly wood with a bow saw in my 30s. i am 40 now so maybe not so fit

Sorry there should have been a ".I have" after "chainsaw safely"

[craftycarper]

Fifteen minutes to sharpen two chains!

 

. If you were close I,d invite you for a demo honestly if you use a chainsaw with any regularity the dremmal sharpener is the muts nuts my house and boat both run on logs so I am a fairly regular user and I have tried many different sharpening tools over the years but nothing is even close the actual sharpening stone is about a fiver a box off of Amazon and I probably use two from a box each year my saws get a new chain every year just to show you how much use they get

[Graham Davis]

 

Safety trousers = nonsense; chainsaws are NOT at all dangerous if you just cut downwards, always one stick at a time, never two (no matter how thin).

 

Total rubbish.

Tell that to the professional operator local to here who nearly emasculated himself last year!

He is still on crutches now.

[John Holden]

. If you were close I,d invite you for a demo honestly if you use a chainsaw with any regularity the dremmal sharpener is the muts nuts my house and boat both run on logs so I am a fairly regular user and I have tried many different sharpening tools over the years but nothing is even close the actual sharpening stone is about a fiver a box off of Amazon and I probably use two from a box each year my saws get a new chain every year just to show you how much use they get

 

I'm sorry, I was out of order comparing what an amateur might do alongside a pro saw user. When I was working I used a saw 40 or fifty hours a week and, depending on the wood I was cutting might get through a chain in a week.

 

BTW, a blunt chain is a dangerous chain, better to sharpen little and often than high days and holidays.

Total rubbish.

Tell that to the professional operator local to here who nearly emasculated himself last year!

He is still on crutches now.

 

I suspect he was not stood on the ground logging?

[Machpoint005]

 

Whilst I agree that chainsaw pants aren't really necessary when working on the ground if you are careful, there are some situations when it is stupid not to wear them.

They will stop a saw very quickly, all that kevlar really screws up your saw.

 

I'm with Jim Riley on that one - rather a knackered chainsaw than knackered prospects, every time.