iDRY Vacuum Kilns

Sponsors:

New chainsaw or fix old. Large fallen oak destruction.

Started by Cleanwoods6, July 20, 2017, 03:16:19 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Cleanwoods6

Hi I'm max. New to this site and pretty much chainsaws in general I've been using 10 year old stihl 025 that has multiple issues. I had it serviced 90 bucks I dont think I want to spend any more on it. Its covered in grease leaking chain lube from crappy cap, clogged air filter, broken pull start (most recent) it seemed to lack power through anything but smaller trees getting stuck in middle few times. Not sure how to avoid that. I usually tried to stop and finish cut on other side. Well to cut to chase I'm looking for advice on new saw that will last as long as possible with occasional use.  Large michigan oaks maybe 2 to 3 feet diameter. A large storm went through here leaving more trees then I've ever seen. Ill attach photos of old saw and trees I need to cut. Is there any that I can get parts for online or easier for a dumbass to work on. Any advice of any kind is greatly appreciated. Thanks kindly. Well I'm having difficulty posting photos I will work on that..

Cleanwoods6

--Photos MUST be in the Forestry Forum gallery!!!!!--

gspren

   Welcome to the Forum! It sounds like you may want/need a bigger saw but it also sounds like you need to learn how to take better care of your saw/saws, some of those problems are just routine maintenance. Regardless of your decision there will be some knowledgeable people here to help you along.
Stihl 041, 044 & 261, Kubota 400 RTV, Kubota BX 2670, Ferris Zero turn

Cleanwoods6

Hello thanks for reply. Old saw was my dad's stored in open window floorless garage no case covered in grease. It's great when it runs but pretty certain it's no match for trees that just fell.

Cleanwoods6

Would 50 cc engine be sufficient? Or should I shoot for something in 60cc range. I was thinking the stihl MS 261 C-M model to keep weight down as I am extremely inexperienced. Maybe chainsawed 5 times give or take.

kenskip1

Max, Lacks power, clogged air filter? Hello. How about giving this saw what it deserves?OK enough lecture. For your needs you did not mention your budget,I would look at Echo,CS 490 or CS 590.These are available at your local Home Depo. I just purchased a CS 550 for a great price that is now discontinued. Anyway  if you do not have a limited expenditure look at Stihl MS 271 or a Husky 550XP. I am sure someone will chime in.Ken
Stihl The One
Stihl Going Strong
Stihl Looking For The Fountain of Middle Age

Cleanwoods6

Hey thanks. I took your advice and brought ole chainsaw in to get fixed then it can either be back up/ smaller wood cutter.But still want to get something with more power when I go to pick it up. I was checking out the chainsaws while I was there and of ms 261 c-m 50 cc felt much more tolerable for my scrawny arms. MS 391 would be other I was considering with 64cc. Would the extra power be better for sawing through thick knotty oak wood?

barbender

Bigger is better with large hardwood trees, but not if you're inexperienced. Not to mention, storm damaged and windthrown timber is about the most dangerous saw work you can do. You may be best served getting some help from someone that has the experience, and watch and learn from them. All that being said, I like a 70cc saw for the bigger cuts, and a 50cc for lighter work, and when I start to get tired. It all kind of depends on your ability and intended use.
Too many irons in the fire

Canadiana

Some of this is reply us repetitive. My appologies. A dirty air filter will cause reduced power. A clogged air filter will bog a saw down bad maybe even damage an engine. A chain needs to stay sharp. Yes, STAY sharp. Sharpening technique will come with practice. The best sharpening advice i found came from the stihl website and it was a longer read than i was expecting but it all made sense. $90 for a tune up is about fair and no, i have never had mine done  by a shop. I'm too cheap. I suspect that your saw can run well again with some care. A new will not run well for a long time without care. The best videos on chainsaw use i found are by bc worksafe faller trainging. Videos are numbered approximately 1-17. Some are great and some were too beginner. I took notes while watching and i made my notes weather sealed with clear packing tape. I carry the note with me when i fall. Bucking logs is about using the saw but falling trees is about using wedges not so much just the saw. If you put some effort into an 'old' saw you might find that it becomes a source of pride. I once met a guy who told me that he uses a 35yo lawnmower. It used to belong to his late father. He never liked to mow til he lost his father. Now he feels a connection to dad when mowing. He says he has great pride in the mower. Me... well... i love a fire but cutting is more fun. 261 is a great saw. I suspect in 10 or 20 yrs it will be remembered as a workhorse. Not sure how the 50cc saws do in large oak. I'm thinking go as big as your budget
The saw is more fun than the purpose of the wood... the forest is trembling 🌳

Ianab

Saw not running right is one thing. Air filter, spark plug, fuel filter, bad fuel etc can all cause that, and those are maintenance / tune-up issues.

Other relatively minor things like starter ropes, fuel lines and air leaks can be an issue as well, usually repairable.

Of course if the saw is down on compression, then it's worn, and you get to the decision point of "Is it worth fixing". A good pro saw it's worth rebuilding it and getting X more years, or having it as good backup. A cheap saw? The labour to fix it is likely more than the cost to replace it.

Now, as for small saws and large logs. As long as the bar is 1/2 the width of the log you shouldn't have any insurmountable problems. Getting the saw "stuck" comes down to technique, not size of the saw. You can jam a large saw just as easy as a small one, and everyone has down it at some point. This comes down to reading the log, how it's sitting, where the pressure points are, and working out a plan from there. Bore cutting, wedges, step cuts etc all come into play. If the log is 30" and your saw bar is 18", that's another level of complication, but not a deal breaker.

Small saws? As long as the bar/chain is sensible, the saw is running right, and chain is SHARP, you can get all sorts of jobs done, maybe bigger than many people would expect. I have no qualms about taking on a 36" tree with a 60cc saw and 20" bar if I have to. OK, if I was doing it for a living, then I'd use a larger saw because it would be faster, and time is money. But if I bury the bar of my saw and it's not cutting and pulling nice "chips", then it's time to stop and work out why.

Did anyone mention the chain needs to be SHARP? And to keep it that way you will either need to sharpen it regularly during the day, or carry a couple of spares.
Weekend warrior, Peterson JP test pilot, Dolmar 7900 and Stihl MS310 saws and  the usual collection of power tools :)

Al_Smith

No matter what the saw size is on a windfall you have to be careful.That thing could be like tangle of rattle snakes with limbs under tension .
Within the last month I had 60 feet blown over from straight line wind shear on a 100 foot bitter nut hickory .I cut the brush off with a pole saw and a 42cc Stihl 024 .
I could have diced up the 24" main stem  with that saw if it's all I had but opted to a larger saw for that task .

To give a perspective on the size I've got a brush pile as large as a single car residential garage and that's only half of it .The snag will yield around 1500 board feet of lumber which is about what a white oak would yield in this part of the country .
With the above average rain fall we've had this summer the corn is climbing towards the sky but working the woods is a rather unpleasant task sloppy mess .

Cleanwoods6

Hey there my new chainsaw friends and thanks for the excellent feedback. I'm definatley not planning on cutting any hanging trees and make sure theres nothing that will fly out as I cut.  These are all flat on the ground. Although we have quite a few that were up rooted  and completely changed position in the sky leaving gaping openings in canopy. So I found a date on old chainsaw of 1991. Very impressed it's still running.  It would still be nice to keep it running then have a bigger one as well. So as my lack of experience should I avoid anything bigger and heavier? Bar size maximum I mean it's either the 10 lb 50 cc or 13 lb 64 cc. I'm thinking maybe for my safety I should stick to lighter 50cc and get my nieghbor to cut the thick area closer to the stumps. He cuts firewood for pay. He would probably be good one to talk to as well.

Cleanwoods6

Plus thanks for making me realize if there's one thing I need to learn to do it l is sharpen and change blades. Especially with the oak it was probably main reason I was having a hard time. Also the air filter.. can you just rinse those out before hand and leave it out to dry?

MrWhoopee

I've cut lots of oak in that size range with my Redmax G5300 (53cc) with a 20 in. bar. No real problems, it will pull fine with the bar fully buried, as long as you don't lean on it too hard. I recently bought a used Stihl MS440 (70cc) with a 25 in. bar for about $400. It speeds things up and makes me feel more manly when cutting with friends.  ;). The Redmax is still my go to saw.
Phineas J Whoopee

Burning pine & hoarding oak

f350rd

Welcome cleanwoods, I have several saws the oldest is a poulan 361 with bow blade 1976 model still runs great, next oldest 1984 stihl 011av used to when climbing trees and used to cut anything on ground just replaced original clutch this week, 1984 038 magnum still running strong never been worked on other than normal care, saw runs great poulan 3314 someone gave to me because they said repair shop could not fix it needed to by new one all was wrong carb dirty fuel lines tubed up wrong saw runs great just purchased stihl 066 and 070. The 070 I put a 090 upper. I guess what I am trying to say take care of your saws regardless of age they will last.
EZ boardwalk 40 Modified, New Holland lx 865, cat e70b excavator, welding/machine shop, 1999 f350, 2011 f350,72" granberg chainsaw slabbing mill,
48" chainsaw mill

Thank You Sponsors!