Hi, All,
We are looking into getting a chain saw to use for cutting fire wood. Please post your picks and pans here in this thread. The chain saw would be used primarily by my husband, but, in the event the worst happened, would be used by me as well.
Thanks!
e.m.
My suggestion is a gas powered model from Sears. I’ve got about 7 chainsaws - 2 heavy duty 36″ Stihls, and 5 smaller 18″ units I purchased from Sears - they are private labled (made by Poulan). The Sears units are very reliable and easy to maintain. Be sure to pick up extra chain and bar oil.
For a one person operation, the Sears unit shud be fine. All of mine (Stihls and Poulans) work great. (The reason I got so many of’em is because I own and operate a timber farm).
Stihl. I have 1 18-inch and 1 28-inch.
Make certain that you learn how to do minor repairs on them and how to sharpen the chains. And don’t forget to stock up on the 2-cycle oil that is needed to add to the gasoline.
Stihl. And look into getting protective chainsaw clothing that stop the blade if it accidentally hits your leg. Don’t want to have need of an emergency room.
Post-Katrina I had a couple of chain saws but needed to upgrade. I selected a Stihl MS361 based on rave reviews on an arborist forum. It’s a little pricey, and one doesn’t find new ones on sale. It’s considered a ‘professional’ saw. Vibration dampning, a compression release to make starting easier, a 20″ bar, and plenty of power and speed make it easy to use.
My sister found the smaller (and much less expensive) Stihl MS170 to be an excellent value. She made it a bit more useful by selecting the largest recommended guide bar. It, too, has vibration dampning, but no compression release. With a 40% smaller engine, starting really isn’t a problem.
In addition to a good supply of 2-cycle oil as suggested by BB, I’ve stocked an extra chain and spark plug. The dealer talked me out of keeping a spare air filter as they are easy to clean. Remember, too, to get a correctly sized file to keep your chain sharp. After tiring of using a manual file (every day for weeks), I got an attachment for my Dremel tool. It does a fine job quickly, and doesn’t cost much if you already have a Dremel.
Be sure to read up on chain saw safety, too. Quite a few folks unfamiliar with safe saw operation ended up with some very nasty scars after Katrina.
Stihl or Jonsereds. Stihl has much better support in the US and I therefore second BB’s recommendation. I also wholeheartedly second the recommendation to get a good set of saw chaps and a helmet with hearing protectors and a face shield. I also strongly recommend that you take a class in proper saw operation. Having made one trip to the ER to have my knee repaired due to a touch
Thanks for the suggestions on all fronts, and keep ‘em coming. I never knew such things as saw chaps even existed. Yet another pandemic-related education, I can see!
….of the chain I can tell you that a good set of chaps is a great investment. Sorry about the truncated post.
Stihl. You’ll go through three or more of the other brands in the same time you will use up one Stihl. They cost significantly more, but boy, do they cut.
I learned my lesson years ago when my Dad (a citified Okie!) went out to Sears and bought an electric chain saw! Lasted about 1/2 a season, and was used to cut down only two smallish trees (about 6 inches in diameter!). The chain broke and the saw was relegated to junk heap. Gas powered is the only way to go…
You guys probably won’t have to do this, but I have spare bars for each of my saws. As well as spare plugs. I buy chain in 100′ rolls. One roll for the Poulon saws, the other for Stihls. Have a bench style grinder chain sharpener. I think I got it at Harbor Freight. Works great.
We use Stihl in the fire service for wildfire response.
Bulletproof and reliable.
I’ve heated totally with wood for last 5 years, harvesting selectively off my own land and making use of trees that might come down in a storm. Northern MN, so that takes a chunk of firewood. I’ve been happy with Stihl.
Saw chaps are really not all that expensive, especially in light of the injury they can prevent. I was out in the woods once with another person when a tree kicked back and the chain took a bite out of their thigh. It wasn’t pretty.
Having an experienced person teach you how to use and care for your chain saw is invaluable. Ditto for having an experienced person teach you how to drop a tree. It doesn’t always go as planned.
There are other tools that are helpful. Logsplitters are wonderful, but not cheap. I’ve put up most of my firewood with a splitting maul. There is also a neat little gizmo - I think it’s called a bear claw - that you use with a sledge hammer. Works like a charm on those pieces of wood that don’t like to split due to branches or twisted wood or forks. It works like a wedge only it has 4 ‘points’ to it. Tap it in place with a hammer so the point is set, then pick up a sledge hammer and have at it. It will split firewood easily that might be giving a splitting maul a bit of trouble. You can find them at Menards for under 10.00 last time I looked. Comes in handy with green wood, too.
Stihl, hands down. We have two of ‘em, one is 30 years old and the other 28 y.o. We’ve cut the equivalent of semi-loads of firewood with them over the years, and wouldn’t even consider anything else. Do pick up the extra parts & equipment mentioned in previous posts, and carefully go through the learning curve.
Do you think the chaps would protect against hot water? I am concerned about burning myself while heating hot water. I looked at some industrial aprons but I’m not sure.
Any suggestions?
15 year old Husquevarna. The only one that always runs, and in subzero temps it starts. Brand new Homelite didn’t last a winter. Echo was okay, but nothing special.
My must-haves: a case of two-cycle oil, lots and lots of spark plugs and a couple of files. Chains dull pretty quickly and frequently people replace it when it just needs a sharpen. Easy to do, takes a bit of time, light a fire in the fireplace, put on some jazz, and go at it. Make sure that you understand mixing gas. It’s never bad when you put too much oil in, but fouls the plugs. Not a big deal. Too little is bad.
Fouled plugs can be brushed with a wire brush and set on the back of the woodstove to “recharge”. Important for any combustion engine, from the car to the weedwhacker: spark plugs have little thin metal washer-type things on them, when you take them out of the package. These are spacers. Do not disregard and make sure that they are on there when you install the plug. They are calibrated to position the spark plug with the right amount of space in the hole so that nothing comes into contact and that it fires properly.
The starting directions are your best friend. Actually read them and actually do it that way. If it says prime 8 times, pull 5 times, put the choke on, pull 6 times, yadda yadda, then do exactly that. Stick all the paperwork and manual that comes with it. Stick it in a ziploc bag and hang on to it somewhere.
Get a little teeny 1 gal gas can, premix the container and reserve it for the chain saw. It’ll last a while.
Next week, we’ll review looking at the plug and evaluating the color and gap to make sure it’s doing what it does properly… : ]
And don’t forget steel-toed shoes, eye/ear protection, and sturdy gloves.
I’ve had good use out of my McCullough; some friends have had mixed result with off brands.
Make sure to pick up gasoline stabilizer.
I would suggest stocking up on firewood for at least one, but preferably two years. If you are out cutting firewood, the sound travels for over a mile, especially when there are no other traffic, lawnmowing, etc sounds to mask it, and would have a high likelihood of attracting unwanted attention.
Thanks for all this great info guys. I was planning on getting dh one for x-mas (I know, terribly romantic isn’t it?) but didn’t have a clue. I have a neighbor who cuts all his own for his wood stove and he offered to help teach us what to do. I helped my grandad as a kid but it’s been a long time. And honestly they scare the bejesus out of me!
Will is correct, I look up often to see a coyote watching me.
I use the Sweedish sisters Jonsured and Husqvarna. Just like most other things, when you get into quality equipment instead of homeowner junk you will probabilily have good success with most any of the brands. When shopping for your saw, check out the rated engine speed (number of revolutions per minute) newer chain saws use chain speed instead of relying on pure horsepower to cut (thats why the don’t weigh in at 20 pounds like they used to). As prevously posted you will need bar oil to run your saws, check out your local Wal-Mart $3.98 a gallon for Poulan oil (they are often out of it because people come in and buy it by the case). Buy your two cycle mix oil in larger containers instead of the just add to size, you will be suprised at how much less expensive it is for the same product in a quart or gallon container, however, you will be responsible to mix at the correct proportions. Another thing to stock is a second saw, you will always have a backup and any one that says they haven’t needed a second saw to get thier saw unpinched is lying.
Tall in Ms: I would disagree with your dealer and stock a extra air filter, (cheap insurance) eventually it will get tierd and come apart when you remove it. Other small parts you may want to have on hand are bar nuts, an oil cap and a gas cap (Again cheap insurance that you wont be spending the day looking for that part that you lost in the leaves). A grinder or at the very least a flat file is a must to “dress” your bar when it starts getting a edge to it.
Good luck with your purchases. Be safe out there.
Husqvarna and Jonsereds are both excellent saws, but parts and service are a lot more difficult in most areas of the US. Stihl has service centers everywhere, not that they often need service. Spares of easy to lose parts are an excellent idea, too. I would evaluate how often you intend to use the saw before investing in a bench sharpener or other expensive accessories; having a number of spare chains and a spare bar are probably a good idea to start. If you find that you have a lot of dull chains then you can invest in a bench sharpener.
I have a Stihl 064, a McCullogh (gift from a friend) and a Poulan. The only time I run anything but the Stihl is when I’ve pinched it or when I’m trimming limbs up in a tree.
Fatboy – at 08:52 - You are correct on the air filter. I erred in taking my dealer’s advice out of context. We were discussing short-term disruptions due to hurricanes, not the type of long term problems that we’ve discussed here on the wiki. I should get a spare. thx.
And it IS chain speed, not engine speed, that counts. Sprocket size and engine speed combine to determine chain speed.
Will – at 07:00 - I’ve noted that all of the 2-cycle oil I’ve purchased lately includes fuel stabilizers. I rotate my stabilized fuel annually, but keep untreated fuel for everyday use and depend on the stabilizer in the 2-cycle oil to keep fuel stored in the saw in good shape.
While I really like my Stihl, a friendly stranger with a big ole Poulan Pro impressed me with his saw’s ability to handle some really big stuff post-Katrina.
Oops! lost my cookies. anonymous – at 11:06 was me.
Another tip
Gooogle “how to maintain chainsaws” or “how to sharpen chainsaws.” Good gouge from a number of sites.
Stihl for all the good reasons. Extra bar oil, 2 cycle oil, spark plugs and chain sharpener. Worked 8 weekends in a row with our church group cutting trees and cleaning out houses after Katrina and Rita, the Stihls were the only chainsaws that kept up.
We all upgraded our chains from the stock cut blade to the more agressive blades, ask your dealer about this upgrade, it was worth it.
Take care,
closed for speed -restart thread if needed