chain saws

[Edward Orecchio]

A question re:chain saws-I'd appreciate any thoughts regarding chains sawsielectric and gas,power,size. I use it for trimming tree parts for turning blanks -thanks

[Pat Salter]

ok, I have a scary image going through my head. Some guy with a big hunk of wood spinning in a lathe and he's triming it down with his chainsaw...... not sure if I can sleep tonight with that one.

[John Miliunas]

ok, I have a scary image going through my head. Some guy with a big hunk of wood spinning in a lathe and he's triming it down with his chainsaw...... not sure if I can sleep tonight with that one.

LOL! Good one, Pat, though that particular thought never entered my mind until you said it!

Edward, I'm no Pro, but I do the spinny thing from time to time. I also don't have steady or reliable sources for taking down the "big ones". That said, I just use a little 16" Crapsman (made by Remington, I think) to rought cut my blanks. I have no way of handling really large logs and it's only a small lathe, so the hp and size of the chainsaw is just right. An added benefit is, when it's really cold or icky outside, I have no problem in rough cutting blanks right in the shop, as there are no fumes or extremely loud noises to contend with. Works for me....

[Joe Bourbois]

John, are you saying you've got an electric chainsaw? How does that work out for you? Does it have enough power. I've been looking at what I think is the same model.

[Martin Shupe]

A question re:chain saws-I'd appreciate any thoughts regarding chains sawsielectric and gas,power,size. I use it for trimming tree parts for turning blanks -thanks

I think Ed wants to know what brand and size to buy. Personally, I have a Stihl 029 Super (gas), and it works great. I have two chains, so I can have an extra sharp one on hand.

Of course, I am sure Bill Grumbine has at least five, and his smallest will be twice the size of mine.

[Tyler Howell]

ok, I have a scary image going through my head. Some guy with a big hunk of wood spinning in a lathe and he's triming it down with his chainsaw...... not sure if I can sleep tonight with that one.

Pat that is very scary but those Spin doctors are a scary bunch.

As a city kid I've had a Milwaukee Electric with 16" bar for 15 years. Made for continuous duty, but not the power, weight, or fumes of a gas unit. It has been great for occasional use with out the Hi Maint

[Kurt Aebi]

I guess it would be more what you are comfortable using.

If you aren't sure about mixing gas and all the stuff that goes with 2-cycle engines, then electric is the way to go.

I have McCulloch 16" electric and with a sharp chain, it works well.

I have (2) 16" McCulloch gas chain saws that I have cut numerous truck loads of logs into firewood with. (More than they were made for, but they worked fine).

I have a Craftsman (made by Poulan) 14" gas chain saw that was my grandfathers and must be 30 years old - still works fine.

I have a Remmington 40" 4-Cycle chain saw that I never use due to its enormous size and weight, but it will cut oak like butter if you can hold on to it. I kept this one as it too was my grandfather's.

I guess what I am trying to say is that for cutting blanks for your lathe, just about any saw will do as long as youare confortable using it and use it safely.

If I was to buy one for doing log loads today - I'd but a Husqy or Stihl.

Good Luck

[Tyler Howell]

Kurt,

Now you're scaring me! I saw (That's a joke) that chainsaw movie.

I guess it would be more what you are comfortable using.

If you aren't sure about mixing gas and all the stuff that goes with 2-cycle engines, then electric is the way to go.

I have McCulloch 16" electric and with a sharp chain, it works well.

I have (2) 16" McCulloch gas chain saws that I have cut numerous truck loads of logs into firewood with. (More than they were made for, but they worked fine).

I have a Craftsman (made by Poulan) 14" gas chain saw that was my grandfathers and must be 30 years old - still works fine.

I have a Remmington 40" 4-Cycle chain saw that I never use due to its enormous size and weight, but it will cut oak like butter if you can hold on to it. I kept this one as it too was my grandfather's.

I guess what I am trying to say is that for cutting blanks for your lathe, just about any saw will do as long as youare confortable using it and use it safely.

If I was to buy one for doing log loads today - I'd but a Husqy or Stihl.

Good Luck

[John Miliunas]

John, are you saying you've got an electric chainsaw? How does that work out for you? Does it have enough power. I've been looking at what I think is the same model.

Yup. Killing electrons is an obsession..No. A passion! I do have a gas chainsaw, as well, but as is the usual case, it's in need of repair. If ever I had the need for a gas saw, I'm with Kurt and it would be a Husky' or Stihl.

[Brad Schmid]

Ed,

I use Stihl, Husky, and Shindaiwa saws. You don't see much general mention of Shindaiwa, but they are a quality machine in the same category as the other professional grade saws. I consider them all to be very good machines. I have never had reliability problems with any of these as I have with other brands. It's nice to know that when you pick up a saw it's going to start and run well, every time.

I'll try not to initiate any kind of brand war, I'll just tell you how I use the saws. I have different size bars on each saw with appropriate engine sizes so I use them pretty much based on that fact. Pretty straightforward Large-Very Large=Husky, up to 20"=Stihl, up to 16"=Shindaiwa. Why would I do this? weight mostly...

I like to use the Shindaiwa alot because it's light. It's actually a little lighter than the Husky's and Stihl's in the same class, and the advertised power to weight is slightly better (this feels to be true in practice also). Don't get me wrong, I still love the other two saws.

If you take a look at the various manufacturer websites, they have a good bit of information that will help you choose a size, but if your working mainly with small to medium timber, I would recommend (only my opinion) something in the 16"-18" bar length range and probably 37cc to 50cc engine range. I don't think you can go wrong with any of the 3 saws I mentioned.

Regarding electric saws, I attend a woodturning "get together" once a month where one of the guys has a Makita electric chainsaw. It sure is nice to use inside the shop! No fumes, little noise.

good luck with whatever you choose.
Cheers,
Brad

[Steven Wilson]

I use a 14" electric (Remmington) for trimming turning blanks in the shop and a Stihl 290 "Farm Boss" with a 20" bar for bucking and gross blank prep in the field. During the spring I keep the Stihl, chaps, and supplies in the Suburban and grab blanks when I can by driving around town, looking for storm damage. Our local dump is also a good place for grabbing blanks. Anyhow, the small electric is great for working on blanks in the shop; trimming blanks, creating flat spots for face plates, etc.

[Bill Grumbine]

Electric chainsaws are great until you need to cut something that is 10 feet further than your extension cords will reach. If you live in the city like Tyler, or use one for a secondary saw, I think they are fine. If you have enough $$$ to buy one big enough to do serious bowl blank cutting, it is probably going to cost as much as a gas saw. The smaller ones aren't going to have the power to do much in the way of cutting with the grain.

Contrary to Martin's comment, I only have two saws, and one of them is smaller than his. I have an 026, which is a very lightweight but powerful professional model, with a 20" bar, and an 046 Magnum with a 28" bar. That thing is a real beastie!

I got to see the 029 (I think it might be the 290 now) a few weeks ago, when a student brought his along for some sawing instruction as part of a bowl class. It was a bit bigger than my 026, and handled very nicely. We cut wood for about an hour or so, going through the woodpile and looking for some nice logs. I pointed out to the gentleman that had he bought blanks of the same size and species, he would have spent about half of what he spent on his saw, and that was for an hour's work! He will recoup his invesment in very short order at that rate, and he will be able to pick the wood.

If you buy a good one, like a Stihl or a Husky, you will not have to spend a lot of time fiddling with it to make it run. I've been running both of mine for almost five years now, and all I have had to do is put chains, gas, oil, and filters on them. The spark plugs are still doing just fine, and they start right up even in temps close to zero! Oh yeah, I had one little part break on the big one, but the Stihl dealer fixed it right up to the tune of $1.58.

Whatever you buy, buy it from someone who knows the saw, and who is close enough to service it for you.

Bill

[Bud Duffy]

Ed i have two Johnsered saws one with a 30inch bar and the other with a 20 inch bar they work real good for me and i also have a Remington 18 inch electric that works fantastic,i have owned Huskys and Stihl in the past they were great saws to. The reason i have the Johnsered's now is that a friend was just starting a new line of saws and made me to good af a deal to pass up however, i have not been disapionted in them at all. So i guess the morale of the story is like the others say its what you are comfortable with and what is readly available in your area because there are always service issues to deal with on any chain saw. So i would go to a couple saw shops and try the old hands on approach,see what feels good to you! Good luck Bud

[Jim Becker]

I use a 14" electric (Remmington) for trimming turning blanks in the shop and a Stihl 290 "Farm Boss" with a 20" bar for bucking and gross blank prep in the field.

I have an identical setup, although my Remington electric is 18". The Stihl .029 Farm Boss has been awesome, especially compared to the "Homelite" that I mangaged to burn up cutting the very first tree. A real POS. I would have saved myself about $180 had I bought the good machine the first time around. The electron-burning machine is great around the shop and even for quick work triming down the occasional piece of firewood that is too long for the stove. It cuts very well with plenty of power...it also has a "thin kerf" chain which helps it remain efficient.

[Edward Orecchio]

ok, I have a scary image going through my head. Some guy with a big hunk of wood spinning in a lathe and he's triming it down with his chainsaw...... not sure if I can sleep tonight with that one.

I like the sounds of that idea! No, just kidding though there are times when some of my project like like I did