a beginner in need of some advice

[terrifictimbersllc]

Do you use a File o plate for all styles of a given pitch chain or are there different ones for round chisel vs chamfer for example?

[John Mc]

I've never seen a file-o-plate (or the husky gauge or the roller gauge with the fold-out depth gauge measuring tool) which said it was specifically for chisel vs semi chisel.

I have seen some styles of depth gauges that won't work with some styles of depth gauge tools.

[HolmenTree]

Do you use a File o plate for all styles of a given pitch chain or are there different ones for round chisel vs chamfer for example?

The one I have is for 3/8" chain and yes they come in different pitch models. The Carlton company of course says they only work on their chain but I have used it successfully on Oregon 72/73 LG. Not saying it's a perfect match for the Oregon chain but it did the job progressively lowering the depth gauges.
Can't comment on the semi chisel as I've never put the 2 together. 

[SlimJim]

WOW! Thanks for the great responses everyone. You guys have been truly helpful in giving me great starting points for my saw purchase. Right now I'm looking at the stihl MS362 C-M with an 18'' bar or a stihl MS261 C-MQ also with an 18'' bar or the Echo CS590. I can't thank you guys enough for the help. everyone was real nice and that is appreciated to the fullest!! I'll start my search into local dealers and start gathering my PPE. I think I'm gonna like it here.  ;D

Howdy-

Of these my advice is the ECHO as you can avoid the dealer stihl only parts extortion prices and the ECHO is a simpler design that you will eventually appreciate as you get more experience. (I would just step up to the cs-620 if you only want one saw though). Good luck and welcome!

[luvmexfood]

In my opinion have owning an Echo 590 is for value they can't be beat. I log small scale and do all my falling with it. 20" bar and have laid down some 36" hard maple with it. My second most used saw is a little homeowner Stihl 170. I use it a lot for limbing and clearing old skid roads out to so I can get the tractor in. Light weight and with a sharp chain is impressive. Have used it to either cut my Echo or 029 Stihl out of a bind many times. Have even bucked a few 14-16 inch oak logs with it because it was what I had in my hand at the time. Either use it or walk 200 ft to get a bigger saw. Like everyone has said. Dealer is almost important as brand of saw.

[John Mc]

BTW... alternatives to Carlton File-o-plate, which do the same thing:

sold by Husqvarna (I use the one on the left, available in both .325 and 3/8" pitch). I find it easier to hold than the Carlton File-o-plate:


 


Roller guide for tooth sharpening with attached depth gauge tool (handy because it is a guide for both filing the teeth as well as the depth gauges in one compact package. I've used it only twice, it worked fine, but others on here have more experience with it than I do):


 

The "Hard" and "Soft" options on both of the tools pictured above set slightly different heights on your depth gauge. The option for soft wood is a bit more aggressive. I always use the "Hard" setting, since more than 90% of the cutting I do is hardwoods.

[HolmenTree]

Thanks for posting that John, I may try that EM 3/8 depth gauge guide. I round file free hand so I have no need for the roller guide.

[John Mc]

I had to order it from my dealer. He didn't have it in stock, and tried to sell me one of the Oregon gauges that sits across the top of 2 or three teeth - I told him no thanks, I'll wait for the order to come in. When I explained why, he decided to stop carrying the Oregon style and started carrying this one.  I like the one on the left because the beveled edges give it some strengh, so it's not as likely to get bent kicking around in my box of chainsaw tools. A friend of mine ground the bevel off one edge of the "soft" side so he had an end of the tool that he could use as a bar rail cleaner - it wouldn't fit in the groove with the bent edge on it. (He never uses the "soft side of the gauge, so wasn't worried about that end getting bent - though it was still in good usable shape when I saw it)

At one point, the Husky part number for the 3/8 pitch depth gauge tool gauge was 505 69 81-01. For the .325 pitch is was 505 69 81-00.  I think they had a .404 and a 3/8" lo profile, but don't know the part #s for them.

[Moosemcnally]

There are a number of good brands you might consider. Almost all of the top names make some very good saws, as well as some cheap, disposable saws. Brands you may want to look at would include Stihl, Husqvarna (and Jonsered, which tend to be Husky clones with a few ergonomic differences), Dolmar, and Echo. (I'm sure there are other good options out there as well.

All of these companies make some good saws. Rather than picking a brand, I would nose around to find a dealer in your area with a good reputation for standing behind what they sell, and servicing it. If you were a highly experienced chainsaw user doing all your own repair work, the dealer might be less of an issue, but since you are newer to this, take the time to ask around and figure out who the good dealers in your area are. You may pay a bit more than what you would in a big box store, but it will be worth it -- and the bog box stores don't tend to carry the better models within a product line anyway.

If you tell us a little about the size and type of trees you will be cutting, we can help narrow down the field a bit, and recommend a size range or specific models. You'll probably want a different saw if you are cutting mainly 6" pine vs 20" Oak - you can use one saw to cut both, but if you'll tend towards one or the other end of the spectrum, that will influence the recommendation.

Well said sir!

[John Mc]

Welcome to the Forestry Forum, Moosemcnally

[WET BEHINDTHE EARS]

Well fellas I went to my local echo dealer yesterday and picked up my new 590 I had a smile the size of texas when I left that place. I wasn't able to go home to use it right away but I did fire it up and then set and stare at it for a few minutes   The dealer suggested that I run non ethanol fuel through it.  Would anyone care to share what type of fuel and oil they run?? any little helpful tidbits are appreciated as I don't wanna ruin my new because of some newbie stupid mistake

[Southside]

Congrats on the new saw.  Wait until you run it to see a big smile for sure.

I can't speak specifically to Echo but if you are not running that saw every week then yes go with the non-ethanol fuel for sure.  I run the normal stuff but my saws run pretty much daily. Ethanol will attract water to your fuel and cause a whole range of issues inside if it sits around for any period of time. 

Also, I run 32:1 oil in all my saws, old and brand new.  Yes they smoke just a tad bit more but the additional lubrication creates piece of mind and really does not cost anything compared to a burnt engine or failed bearing. 

[John Mc]

Run non-ethanol premium fuel, if you can get it. As Southside Logger mentioned, you can get by with 10% ethanol gas if you are using it regularly, and keep the fresh fuel moving through. If you are not sawing to make a living, that frequent use is not likely to happen. I can't begin to count the number of times I've put down a saw thinking that I'd be picking it up in the next day or two (or week at most) only to find life got in the way, and it's been a month or more. I use non-ethanol, with a stabilizer added because it's available in my area without too much hassle, and because it's cheap insurance (though even non ethanol gas can cause a problem if it sits too long in any carburetor).

Whatever fuel you use, use FRESH fuel, not something that has been sitting on your garage a month or more. Again - you might get away with that old stuff, but why take the chance?

As far as what oil to use:  make sure you are using a 2-cycle oil designed for use in chainsaws. Marine 2-cycle oil (for example) is designed for use in a water-cooled engine. It generally won't hold up well to the temperatures a chainsaw engine sees. There are probably some pretty good "no-name" or aftermarket brands of oil out there. If you can figure out what the good ones are, go for it. If you are not sure, buy some Husqvarna or Stihl oil (or some other name brand - I've never used Echo oil, but if they do sell some, it's probably fine). They are not going to put their name on junk oil and risk giving their saws a bad name. I prefer the full synthetic oils myself, but a good brand of regular oil will work.

As far as what ratio to mix, that topic has been beaten to death here in many threads, many times over. I really don't want to start the "Oil Wars" all over again. Most modern manufacturers recommend 50:1 (with a good quality oil). I've run right around there for many years with no premature saw failures. Often when I'm mixing up fuel, I'll only use 0.9 gallons of fuel mixed with a bottle designed to give 50:1 with 1 gallon of fuel. That give me about 45:1.  Since I'm eyeballing the mix when I pour from a larger container (filling to a line I drew on my smaller "mix fuel" can), I figure this gives me a bit of a safety margin.

The above assumes you are not doing chainsaw milling or some other extreme use which can really stress a saw.  As important as the fuel you use and the oil mix: make sure the mixture is set properly on your saw (assuming it's not an auto-tune saw). They generally come from the factory set right on the edge of being too lean. If you don't know how to properly set it, take it to the dealer (he should have checked it out before you took it away) or have someone experienced do it for you. It's also a good idea to have th emixture rechecked after a few tanks of gas have run through the saw

[21ftnitro]

Hi there wetbehind the ears. I'm new in the (real chainsaw world myself ). I never new that I new so little until i got on this forum. These guys have a huge welth of knowledge. I also purchased the cs590.  I have a lot of other echo stuff and it all runs great. This was my first serious chainsaw.  I have used other little cheapos. A word of caution. These saws come with a fairly agressive  Oregon super 70 chain. I found out real fast what kick back is and how fast it can happen. These saws are powerful and i nearly got in trouble with mine but luckly they have a realy good enirtia activated anti kick back system. If your like me and you really haven't used a 50+ cc saw, start out slow. Anddyshine77 has an awsome carb tunning video were he actually uses a 590 for the demo. I found it on you tube under tunning the carb on a chainsaw. You will probably find that the high speed screw is already opened up as far as it will go do to the limiter caps. So you will have to remove those first. I used the wood screw method. Theres a video on this as well. I think you are go to like this saw. I dont have a lot to compare it to but i sure cuts a lot faster than than your average 2 or 3 hundred dollar saws. There is nothing wrong with staring at your power tools. I do it every night.

[WET BEHINDTHE EARS]

awesome info guys! once again you guys have helped me out. thanks for being patient with me and answering my new guy questions. I'm sure I'll have many more questions as time goes on. I really do appreciate all the help that everyone has given. this site is a blessing. you guys rock!

[vinc5d]

awesome info guys! once again you guys have helped me out. thanks for being patient with me and answering my new guy questions. I'm sure I'll have many more questions as time goes on. I really do appreciate all the help that everyone has given. this site is a blessing. you guys rock!

No problem, would love to help others as much as I can! if you ever need any help with it I am sure I would give you a hand.  ;D so would many others on here, good luck with the saw, mine runs like a top! 

vinc5d

[prsv07]

I just noticed your posting.   I can see that there is a lot of good advice.    Although not a pro, I have been using various chainsaws for ~ 25 years.     For all around cutting you couldn't go wrong with a Stihl MS291.    Don't get anything smaller for cutting a lot of wood.  You can read the various user reviews for Stihl and Husqvarna to decide which brand .  Stihl actually has dealers that can give you good advice if you tell them your needs.  After you have used the saw for a while, you will be better able to judge if you need a bigger saw(you probably will).  Just get started with a good saw(not Home Depot cheapo) and be careful to observe all the safety precautions.   You can very quickly end up in the emergency room or even dead with improper chainsaw technique.   NEVER get sloppy about safety precautions.

Also closely follow the recommendations about fuel and starting procedure.  Otherwise you will be facing the hard-to-start chainsaw syndrome which is very irritating to say the least.