Urban Logging-Chain Saw question

[Dale Coons]

I'd like to start picking up wood around the neighborhood. I'm wondering if an 18 or 20 inch saw would be adequate for occasional use and initial cutting to prep for bandsawing into bowl blanks.

I know nothing about chain saws. Also wondering what to be aware of since I expect there will be fairly long periods of non use. Electric didn't seem like a great idea since there wont always be a place to plug in.

10 or 12 inch diameter work is the biggest I could handle for the near future.

Thanks,
Dale

[charlie knighton]

i use my electric about 10 times more than i use gas, mostly get found already cut up wood or wood from tree cutters or from friends....bring back to house, then make blanks

if have sharp blade, the electic does a good job

in the winter, i use the electic in the basement, just put a piece of plywood down

[Ralph Lindberg]

Dale, that's one big electric chain-saw. I have a 12 inch that works very well, for it's limitations. I also have a 14 inch Husky and a 20/24 inch Husky. Each has a purpose and each full-fills it's needs. When I am out in the woods, the electric doesn't work so good (evil grin). For quick jobs the gas is quicker then the electric. But for working with a pile of raw wood, the electric works quite well

Different needs, different tools

[Jim Heikes]

I have a 16" and a 24" Stihl. Personally I wouldn't even consider an electric chainsaw. The initial outlay for a Stihl is relatively steep but it pays for itself in the end. My 24" is over 30 years old and still going strong.

[Dave Wagner]

I have a 16" Stihl gas one also, works great, and always starts right up. Haven't used it in a while. Try looking on your local Craigslist, etc..you might find a good deal on electric or gas chainsaw. Probably 12-16" would probalby be good for small to med size stuff.

[Roger Chandler]

You can buy a cheap middle of the road like a Poulan or Homelite, and have to replace it in a couple of years if you use it a lot. I have a friend who is a professional logger..........supplies sawmills with lumber everyday. He used to use Stihl exclusively.........had several saws that the crank shaft in the engine broke.........he now uses Husqvarna, and says he will get 4 or 5 times the life out of a Husqvarna than he did the Stihl. We are talking pro model saws, and not the lower end that you buy at a garden center.

That being said, the model 359 Husqvarna and the 357XP are very good saws [I have the 359] and are considered to be in the pro line. I have a 20" bar and it will also take up to a 24" bar.

We are talking in the $550.00 range and up, but the 357XP and 359 can be gotten for $475.00 or so at times.

[Cody Colston]

I'd recommend a gas-powered saw over an electric for the reason you hit on...mobility. An 18" or 20" bar is sufficient for cutting bowl blanks.

I had a Husquvarna 55 Rancher (now 455 Rancher) that got stolen. It was a good saw but a bit difficult to start when cold. When I went to replace it, I intended to get a Stihl Farm Boss but came home with the Stihl MS 250 C-BE instead. The Stihl is an occassional use saw with an 18" bar. What I liked for my purposes is that it has soft start...you don't jerk the starting rope, simply pull it out slowly. It also has toolless chain adjustment. It's not a heavy-use saw but for what I do, processing bowl blanks, cutting firewood and felling the occassional tree, it is perfect. I would certainly buy it again in an instant.

Chain saws are sort of like automobiles in that their users are really brand loyal. Some people will swear by Stihl and others by Husquvarna. The truth is that you will likely be happy with either of those two brands. I do suggest that you get the saw from an independent dealer and not a box store. The dealer where I bought my Stihl is also an authorized repair center for it if anything goes wrong.

[Rich Aldrich]

My family is in logging so we have a lot of experience with chainsaws. The "best" brands tend to be the ones that last the longest and have the best dealer service. When I started in 1976, McCulloch was the saw of choice. In the next two years it swung to Jonsred, then to Huskvarna. Stihl has one dealer in the area now. It is a great saw, but even with this dealer, the service is not the best.

I cut with a Stihl loaner (rental - he charged me for it) once while my Jonsred was being repaired. Initially, it cut like crap, but with a new chain, it cut really well.

This chainsaw stuff is what made me study hard in college and get out of the business. Now I burn firewood and have a Husky 365 (4.9 HP). It is a real nice saw, but it is a lot of saw.

[Steve Vaughan]

SAFETY too! Dale, you mention not knowing about chainsaws, and all the info given here is good stuff. I'm for the gas ones myself and I've had my echo 660 for about a year or so now to replace me way old homelite 350, it does really good. Got a couple smaller ones around too.

But be safe! Learn to use the thing well, whatever you get. They can be dangerous is lots of ways. Last year I unknowingly touched my knee...never felt it...12 stitches worth. Been using a chainsaw for 40 years (not as a job) and never had that happen and it was my own ignorance that did it. I immediately bought me some chaps and will not cut without 'em. And, I be durn if I didn't find out that they work exactly as they advertise! Must be getting old or something...

[Bernie Weishapl]

I have a gas powered 18" C-man and a 18" Stihl. Both have did all I can handle. I only use my 16" electric at the shop.

[Rich Aldrich]

Steve - good point. When I cutting started, we didnt wear chaps. I wear them every time I use the saw now. Also, most of the new saws have an excellent chain brake which activates whether the saw kicks back at you or down toward the ground - it took me a while to figure out why I had to reset the chain brake when it would kick down. I also bought a good helmet with a mesh face shield and ear muffs.

[Harry Robinette]

I use a 22" Poulan that has started 2nd pull every time for 4years I know it's a miracle but it works and cuts good for me. My 18" electric gets 99% of the work cause it runs in the shop. Main thing, do some reading and heeding on chain saw SAFETY they are an extremely Dangerous piece of equipment.

[Kenneth Moar]

Good information here. I will focus on three things, if you are or can work outdoors get a gas powered saw, get all the safety equipment, chaps, hardhat/faceguard/ear protection, steel toed footware, gloves and use it always, ATGATT... all the gear all the time! Get the best saw you can almost afford, a good saw can be a delight to use, an inexpensive saw may last just
as long as the better ones but it will suck to use. Get some training on chainsaw use and maintenance.

I know I said three things but I lied, Stihl and Husqvarna have great track records, there are other excellent brands out there often popular depending on your geographic location and the type of local logging. When you get your gas powered saw use 100:1 synthetic mix oil, saws run better , cleaner and last longer. I'm out now.

Cheers

[Dale Coons]

Thanks for all the great info. I still have a question about usage--or better yet storage. Since I don't anticipate I would use a chain saw regularly, it'll be stored in the garage or shed for fairly long periods of time. Is it OK to do that, or do I need to run out the gas every time or put somethin in it or anything else like that? Do you leave the chains on? Any tips on stuff like that?

The safety equipment was something I didn't know about--so I'll have to look into that.

[Ralph Lindberg]

...--or better yet storage. Since I don't anticipate I would use a chain saw regularly, it'll be stored in the garage or shed for fairly long periods of time. Is it OK to do that, or do I need to run out the gas every time or put somethin in it or anything else like that? Do you leave the chains on? Any tips on stuff like that?

The safety equipment was something I didn't know about--so I'll have to look into that.

Stabil is your friend, and not just for the chain-saw. The additives in modern gas have a shelf life of about 30 days, after 90 to 180 it's really bad. Stabil takes that out to almost a year

[Ralph Lindberg]

........supplies sawmills with lumber everyday. He used to use Stihl exclusively.........had several saws that the crank shaft in the engine broke.........he now uses Husqvarna, and says he will get 4 or 5 times the life out of a Husqvarna than he did the Stihl. We are talking pro model saws, and not the lower end that you buy at a garden center.
.

I snapped the crank shaft of my old Husky 455, the repair place was astounded, said he had never seen one of the bigger Huskys do that

[Kyle Iwamoto]

Since I don't anticipate I would use a chain saw regularly, it'll be stored in the garage or shed for fairly long periods of time. Is it OK to do that, or do I need to run out the gas every time or put somethin in it or anything else like that?

The safety equipment was something I didn't know about--so I'll have to look into that.

I have a Stihl Farm Boss, and it's a pretty good non-pro saw. It's not cheap, but far from the expensive pro models.
I used to be a mechanic, and I would avoid the cheap box store saws. They run fine for a few years, but eventually die. Name brands is like asking Ford or Chevy. A Husky or Stihl is a good buy.

As far as gas. Old gas is probably the biggest repair problem. If you are going to store the saw for long periods of time, by all means empty out the gas and more importantly, start the saw and run it until you get all the gas out of the carburetor. That is probably the biggest reason of hard to start saws. The gas dries and leave that thick film of the oil behind. Stabil works, but only for so long. IMO it's not worth the hassle to save a few cents worth of gas. Just load enough gas to do your job and dump the rest out. If you're ecological like I am, do that in a friendly manner, whatever you decide. Don't dump it on the ground.

Safety first, the saftey gear is a must. Read your manual and learn what kickback is, and how to avoid it.

[Don Orr]

Dale, Before you get a chainsaw in your hands you need to educate yourself on their SAFE operation and maintanence and how to actually cut wood. They are simple machines but can be extremely dangerous if not handled properly. Also proper gear like safety shoes, chaps, eye/ear protection, etc. Look online for operator manuals or go to the library. See if there are any safety classes in your area-maybe through one of your local dealers. Pleas do not take this lightly. If you truly do not know anything about chainsaws, safety and education are your first priority. Brand is irrelevant. Your brain is your best tool and must be in full operation at all times around chainsaws. I have been running chainsaws since I was a teenager and still take safety VERY seriously at all times. I have never had an injury. Worst thing I've had happen was a cut on my finger by brushing against a non-running chain.

PLEASE have someone help you get started with this. This is really not something to teach yourself. The results could be deadly. And this is no exageration. Others may think I am sounding a little extreme, but chainsaws are dangerous.

[john taliaferro]

I likeed what was said by Don , also safty gear at the dealer at time of purchase , the best safety cd is on the stihl website .

[Jake Helmboldt]

Jonsered is the same saw as Husqvarna (just red/black instead of orange) and is more popular/common along the northern tier states. The Jonsered 3159 is literally the same same saw as the Husq 359. Dolmar/Makita, Solo, Partner, Efco are all great saws, but you don't find them as much. Dealer support will be important since you are new to chainsaws.

20" bar will be more than enough. Remember, you can cut from either side of the log, thereby doubling the diameter you can cut (i.e 20" bar = ~40" log you could cut.)

[Charles McKinley]

If you think that an eletric saw will do most of what you need, do you have a generator? for the few times you would need to cut where you don't have power? If you keep it sharp an eletric saw will get a lot of work done. Not as fast but there is a lot less matainence and I think it is safet especially for a beginner. Starting-plug in and pull the trigger.

If most of your cutting will be with smaller wood and near your home or in your shop. I think an eletric first saw will be the way to go.

As with the gas the cheapest saw will probably not be your best option.

[Jim Heikes]

You can use a gas stabilizer BUT I always store the chain saw with no gas remaining in the tank or carb. It doesn't take long for air oxidation to occur. I have never removed the chain for storage.

[Larry Edgerton]

I have done a lot of reading lately as I need a new saw for roughly the same duty, and my choice was the Husky 346XP.

[Joel Albert]

Dale,

One thing to think about with a Gas Chainsaw that is occasionally used is that regular gasoline will break down over time (alternative is to drain the tank after use). I am using a product (its more expensive) but doesn't degrade and has a 2 year life. This will help avoid issues with starting after a prolonged period of non-use.