Petrol chainsaw

[inthedark]

Another vote for the Stihl 170. I've had mine for years, cut tons of logs and felled some decent sized trees with it. It's only ever needed chains.

[ClemFandango]

34 minutes ago, scotslad said:

To be fair most safety issues are operator errors, poor technique/lack of common sense/training or running chains too slack, under oiled, rakers at wrong hieght (esp too low), but on a very cheap chain saws these could be issues throu design or cheap materials.

Are u going to trust the chain tensioner to hold chain 100% tight all the time, or the chain catcher to actually catch the chain if only screwed into thin cheap plastic?

Inertia brake to come on that 1 time it needs too, or the chain brake to work with no drama's (i know on my cheapy saw chain break has to be very clean or else a pain so u end up not using it. which is not a clever thing to do)

Slack chain is 1 of the most dangerous things u can do, yet see plenty of farmers etc come out with a decent make of chainsaw yet chain hanging loose, so not solely down to saw brand

 

I'm not saying buy a pro saw or even a decent make (as i've said there budget saws are generally rubbish) but plenty of decent saw makes out there for 100+ quid, saws that should be reliable ish and have some spares and repair

A 70 quid saw is just a gamble wether u get a good 1 or not, if it breaks most will either chuck it and gamble again (dunno how many can find a recipt after 2-3 yrs?) but for an extra 20-50 quid u'd get a not bad little saw

good advice. 

[mel b3]

35 minutes ago, scotslad said:

To be fair most safety issues are operator errors, poor technique/lack of common sense/training or running chains too slack, under oiled, rakers at wrong hieght (esp too low), but on a very cheap chain saws these could be issues throu design or cheap materials.

Are u going to trust the chain tensioner to hold chain 100% tight all the time, or the chain catcher to actually catch the chain if only screwed into thin cheap plastic?

Inertia brake to come on that 1 time it needs too, or the chain brake to work with no drama's (i know on my cheapy saw chain break has to be very clean or else a pain so u end up not using it. which is not a clever thing to do)

Slack chain is 1 of the most dangerous things u can do, yet see plenty of farmers etc come out with a decent make of chainsaw yet chain hanging loose, so not solely down to saw brand

 

I'm not saying buy a pro saw or even a decent make (as i've said there budget saws are generally rubbish) but plenty of decent saw makes out there for 100+ quid, saws that should be reliable ish and have some spares and repair

A 70 quid saw is just a gamble wether u get a good 1 or not, if it breaks most will either chuck it and gamble again (dunno how many can find a recipt after 2-3 yrs?) but for an extra 20-50 quid u'd get a not bad little saw

I've recently bought a cheapish Chinese saw(that had half decent reviews), it has a 24" bar ,and I want to use it for slabbing windfall oak , its 62cc but I've no doubt that it'll still be a bit underpowered though . Have you got any suggestions for a reasonably priced decent saw that will run a 24"bar ?, I'm happy to throw my new Chinese saw in the bin if I can get a good saw at a none crippling price.

[scotslad]

1 hour ago, mel b3 said:

I've recently bought a cheapish Chinese saw(that had half decent reviews), it has a 24" bar ,and I want to use it for slabbing windfall oak , its 62cc but I've no doubt that it'll still be a bit underpowered though . Have you got any suggestions for a reasonably priced decent saw that will run a 24"bar ?, I'm happy to throw my new Chinese saw in the bin if I can get a good saw at a none crippling price.

Ur talking about something way different than ur average user cutting up a few sticks/pallets

U simply won't get a cheap saw to run a 24" bar esp throu oak, and even more so if slabbing along the grain, mibee using a proper ripping chain might help rahter than the usual semi chisel.

But wot ur talking about is not 'hobby' use.

I have a few 'pro' saws around the 60-72cc and wouldn't put a 24" bar on them. even for cross cutting

 

Ur best bet would be finding a 2nd hand big saw from a reputable brand, althou like hens teeth at decent money. The only positive is with proper big saws 90cc+ there too bloody heavy to use unless u really need  to use them so are not used/abused as much as a 50-70cc saws with great big bars on them.

I've got an old 660 i got for reasonble money for that sort of work.

For new saws efco, echo, makita/dolmar might be ok but still wanting decent enough money for a saw of that size

 

Are u using an alaskan mill for the slabbbing?

 

Ps To be honest wether a saw is designed for felling or delimbing, felling trees is not really that hard on a saw (unless oversized trees and doing loads of boring)

Logging/ringing is as hard on a saw as anything really

[joejoe]

I have 2, a ryobi rc4040ca which is **** and a craftsman 16" 36cc which I believe is made by poulan pro in the USA and is excellent for its size as a home user. It cost £30 second hand. 

[mel b3]

35 minutes ago, scotslad said:

Ur talking about something way different than ur average user cutting up a few sticks/pallets

U simply won't get a cheap saw to run a 24" bar esp throu oak, and even more so if slabbing along the grain, mibee using a proper ripping chain might help rahter than the usual semi chisel.

But wot ur talking about is not 'hobby' use.

I have a few 'pro' saws around the 60-72cc and wouldn't put a 24" bar on them. even for cross cutting

 

Ur best bet would be finding a 2nd hand big saw from a reputable brand, althou like hens teeth at decent money. The only positive is with proper big saws 90cc+ there too bloody heavy to use unless u really need  to use them so are not used/abused as much as a 50-70cc saws with great big bars on them.

I've got an old 660 i got for reasonble money for that sort of work.

For new saws efco, echo, makita/dolmar might be ok but still wanting decent enough money for a saw of that size

 

Are u using an alaskan mill for the slabbbing?

 

Ps To be honest wether a saw is designed for felling or delimbing, felling trees is not really that hard on a saw (unless oversized trees and doing loads of boring)

Logging/ringing is as hard on a saw as anything really

I've got an alaskan mill ,and the saw ,but I haven't had the chance to use them yet . I've been slabbing a few bits of 12" thick oak ,with my ms170 ,I've been doing it freehand ,and it's amazing what you can do.

[Cant hit them all]

you can get stihl clone saws like a 070 or a 660 for around 300 to 350 for a brand new saw delivered to your door and there not bad saws  

[GingerCat]

Gotta say my husky 135 had had a few decent trees down and has down 5 years without issue. 

Brother in law is a tree surgeon and rates it, given his ample selection of saws he mus know what hes talking about

[morgan]

What ever saw you buy, learn how to sharpen it properly. One of those little guides with the rollers on, that straddle the bar is very useful, especially if you have a 3/8" chain. Some guides also have a raker guide or you can get a separate tool.

If your chain is sharp, the saw has to do a lot less work and puts much less stress on cheaper and hobby saws. As well as being much safer.

https://www.worldofpower.co.uk/husqvarna-5056981-09-combination-gauge-325-1-5mm-h25.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIotuc0ZCf2gIVp7vtCh1l0w97EAQYAiABEgI1G_D_BwE

Don't know anything about the shop or best price, but this is the type of tool.

 

Edited April 3, 2018 by morgan

[Cant hit them all]

best file i used to day is the stihl easy file it a 2 in 1 file to takes the racker down and sharpens the cutting tooth at the same time its expensive but worth it and I am a pro chainsaw user  with 15 different saws of sizes  

[Ricko]

It all depends how often you'll you use one, it's always worth considering hiring one if you're only using it a couple of times per year. Secondhand saws can be more mither than they're worth.

I can't speak highly enough of synthetic fuels i.e. Aspen etc for the occasional user, most of the saws I get given or asked to repair have carburettors that are bunged up or the delicate diaphragms are damaged by people leaving regular fuel in.

In terms of safety, look up 'barbers chair' when felling trees, a fella was killed working near my mates workshop by this happening.

[victorismyhero]

I have a stihl 039, leaks chain oil like a landrover (landrovers dont leak, they mark their territory), and has a terrible vice.....when starting it sometimes backfires, rips the starter out of your hand (ouch) but in doing so it also wrecks the starter ring (that anoying plastic pulley which the cord goes round) the starting pawls rip the grips off the inside...they jam it up and then it swallows the starter cord and stalls.....and you have to replace the pully et al before you can continue....I keep a supply of relevant "bits) in store now....

 

64cc with 18 inch bar  seems to cut anything I let it chew on.

 

BTW, if you dont know what a "barber chair" is, when its likely to happen, and how to prevent it happening

OR

dont know what a "widdow maker" is (in reference to felling) then you really should NOT be felling at all........

AND......   ALWAYS wear the safety kit (at minimum bib and braces/boots and hat/face shield (ear muffs are also a damn good idea...1 they stop you going deaf .....what was that you said and 2....they keep your hard hat firmly in place) None of this "oh I'm only going to..........."   THAT is when you lose a leg or whatever gets in the way......

[Cant hit them all]

the 039 is not a pro model saw more aimed at semi professional / farm work / firewood saw. stihl only makes 8/10 true professional saws. of of around  25 models of saws they sell. the newer stihl gear is junk these days low on power as got to meet emissions electronic self tuning carburetors flimsy plastics they break almost weekly 

 

[victorismyhero]

1 hour ago, Cant hit them all said:

the 039 is not a pro model saw more aimed at semi professional / farm work / firewood saw. stihl only makes 8/10 true professional saws. of of around  25 models of saws they sell. the newer stihl gear is junk these days low on power as got to meet emissions electronic self tuning carburetors flimsy plastics they break almost weekly 

 

which is exactly what its used for...a bit of felling/coppicing/thinning in our woodland retreat in wales and apart from its aforementioned vice, does so quite adequately. at least its an "older model so no emissions **** attached....

[Cant hit them all]

yh if you want a stihl buy one with a 0 series saws  alot better built proper work horse and built to a lot better standard than todays models