Chainsaw Speed Cutting Races.

HolmenTree · January 26, 2014, 04:27:39 PM

I have been organizing, sponsoring and running chainsaw competitions for our local February winter festival for over 15 years now.
I built a portable stage / parade float with generators, P.A. system and log stands built in.
I have over $2000 in prize money plus 3 Husqvarna saws up for grabs for the men's and women's speed cutting races with a carving competition alongside. This is my yearly advertising budget for my tree service company.

Here's a sample of my 4 hour competition. It was a cold day and these 2 Husqvarna 550XPs were having issues with the -30 below C weather at the start of the men's and women's races. I'll be installing their pre-heater winter kits this year.
At the start of the video you'll notice my camera man can't spell "competition". :D
I'm on the microphone.

http://youtu.be/vx_fF0Ofa9U

Here's one more with the carvers and men/women speed cutter winners.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jLeXCclO6E&feature=yout

martyinmi · January 26, 2014, 06:51:09 PM

Awesome!!!!! 8)

I'm sure it takes a LOT of organizational skills to pull something like that off.

clww · January 26, 2014, 06:58:08 PM

Great post, Holmen!
It really looked cold, too.

HolmenTree · January 26, 2014, 07:28:58 PM

Thanks guys,
Yeah it can be trying some years organizing this but it sure is worth it. A lot of fun and breaks up our winters nice, days are getting longer by this period in mid February too.

HolmenTree · January 26, 2014, 07:39:53 PM

To add to my last post.
You may notice us directors wearing pink jerseys for our 2013 festival......was used to promote breast cancer awareness.
I'm sure glad we're getting a different color this year, even the women said the pink was a little "too pink" . :D
You can check out my webpage on our festive site.
Click on "welcome/enter". Then click on "chainsaw events" on next pages left hand panel.
www.trappersfestival.com

Oliver1655 · January 27, 2014, 06:34:29 AM

Great Stuff! Giving back to your community & helping to preserve / promote chainsaw crafts / safety / skills, in a fun atmosphere, what more can I say?

I like your trailer. How tall are the cant support posts. 8" tubing?

I noticed all the cuts were from the top instead of the top/bottom/top I am use to seeing. I am guessing for safety with novice cutters.

HolmenTree · January 27, 2014, 12:17:08 PM

Quote from: Oliver1655 on January 27, 2014, 06:34:29 AM
Great Stuff! Giving back to your community & helping to preserve / promote chainsaw crafts / safety / skills, in a fun atmosphere, what more can I say?

I like your trailer. How tall are the cant support posts. 8" tubing?

I noticed all the cuts were from the top instead of the top/bottom/top I am use to seeing. I am guessing for safety with novice cutters.

Thanks Oliver, its a great way for the community members to break up their winter and promote some fun that's for sure.
Off hand I don't have the measurements but about knee high for sure. I once had standing block chop and bowsaw/ crosscut sawing on these stands too. Yes their about 8" tubing with cargo 4" strap winches welded to the sides.
All down cuts is a little safer and helps eliminate "cutting out" disqualifications with the amount of novices I have.

trapper · January 27, 2014, 04:40:49 PM

Just followed your link and the temp in the pas is a couple degrees warmer than by me right now.
Marv

HolmenTree · January 27, 2014, 05:12:54 PM

Quote from: trapper on January 27, 2014, 04:40:49 PM
Just followed your link and the temp in the pas is a couple degrees warmer than by me right now.
Marv

It's been -30C all day but the wind is in the -40 or colder range. Bright sunny day though.

Andyshine77 · January 27, 2014, 05:28:52 PM

Really nice setup you have there!! Thanks for sharing.

HolmenTree · January 27, 2014, 05:41:46 PM

Quote from: Andyshine77 on January 27, 2014, 05:28:52 PM
Really nice setup you have there!! Thanks for sharing.

Your welcome Andy. I'm just throwing some ideas out there, also hopefully anyone reading this thread will come up here to The Pas, Manitoba next month to enter my contests.

Spike60 · January 27, 2014, 06:46:06 PM

Really enjoyed that.

Thanks for sharing!

HolmenTree · January 27, 2014, 07:40:37 PM

Quote from: Spike60 on January 27, 2014, 06:46:06 PM
Really enjoyed that.

Thanks for sharing!

Your welcome Spike60.
There was one woman competitor who almost took the clutch out of the one 550XP. She actually had lots of experience with a saw but being her 1st time at the competition she just couldn't settle down. She was up first for the womens event and the saws cooled down since last running in the men's giving her a hard time with that cold saw.
Check out the video at the 6:35 mark , she's the woman in the red coat. The opposite lady in black took first overall in the women's competition .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otg2i2DkT1Q&feature=you

CR888 · January 27, 2014, 09:25:19 PM

Hi guys this is the first time l have participated on FF. I like the 'tone' of this place and have been reading threads on here for quite a while as l enjoy all things chainsaw. Now Mr. Holmen, YOU are one of the main reasons l signed up. I really enjoy your posts and have benefited from your experiences (l stole one of mums golf balls and drilled a 'holmen' in it to assist my filing). I just wanted to say thanks....Colin

HolmenTree · January 27, 2014, 11:11:37 PM

Quote from: CR888 on January 27, 2014, 09:25:19 PM
Hi guys this is the first time l have participated on FF. I like the 'tone' of this place and have been reading threads on here for quite a while as l enjoy all things chainsaw. Now Mr. Holmen, YOU are one of the main reasons l signed up. I really enjoy your posts and have benefited from your experiences (l stole one of mums golf balls and drilled a 'holmen' in it to assist my filing). I just wanted to say thanks....Colin

Hey that's real nice Colin smiley_clapping And welcome to Forestry Forum
It's a real nice forum isn't it? Real easy going folk on here.
Post lots of pics, once you catch on the gallery here it's a piece of cake.

Willard.

lumberjack48 · February 05, 2014, 03:42:30 PM

All i had to do with any saw at -40 is put a little Heet in the gas, i've see the throat on the carb freeze shut.

I was logging next to a friend of mine, it was about -30. I seen him packing up for the day, i waved him over to see why he was leaving. He had 4 Huskys, they had all quit running. He said i think i'm going to have to buy Stihl, your saws are running good. I told him it has nothing to do with the make of the saw, its the cold weather, put a little heet in your gas. He was back to work, and a happy camper i told him.

The Husky's their sawing with sure don't seem to be getting it done

HolmenTree · February 06, 2014, 10:43:49 AM

Quote from: lumberjack48 on February 05, 2014, 03:42:30 PM
All i had to do with any saw at -40 is put a little Heet in the gas, i've see the throat on the carb freeze shut.

I was logging next to a friend of mine, it was about -30. I seen him packing up for the day, i waved him over to see why he was leaving. He had 4 Huskys, they had all quit running. He said i think i'm going to have to buy Stihl, your saws are running good. I told him it has nothing to do with the make of the saw, its the cold weather, put a little heet in your gas. He was back to work, and a happy camper i told him.

The Husky's their sawing with sure don't seem to be getting it done

lumberjack48, in my video the only time those little 50cc Huskies had troubles with the cold was right at the start of both the mens and womens races. It was 30 below and the saws just needed to cut a few cookies to get them limbered up.
As a matter of fact those 550XP Auto Tunes were cutting their very first piece of wood in the video. Right out of the box brand spanking new and on top of that they didn't have their winter kits installed either.
Pretty good advertising I'd say for Husqvarna, that video only showed a 1/4 of the competitors who ran those saws steady for over 3 hours. And they were punished hard. :D
This year I'm putting their winter covers on and open up the heat window to the carb.

I remember back in the winter of 1980 when I was logging with a Jonsereds 621 and 910. I bought the Stihl 038 which was just introduced on the market, I quickly found out the 038 was the better summer saw and the Jonsereds for the winter.
Trouble with the 038 was with its thermal efficient rubber intake manifold wasn't keeping the carb warm like the Jonsereds did with their solid cylinder to carb setup.
I tried heet or gasoline antifreeze once in my saws and found the alcohol destroyed the carb diaphrams and crank seals, some of the other guys who were using it were getting lean seizures like crazy.
The only good solution was to cover up the lower part of the rewind housing or more depending how cold it was, and get heat from the cylinder back to the carb.
90% of the wood we felled was spruce and in the winter with snow in them we had to be very careful not to get snow sucked into the saw.

shelbycharger400 · February 06, 2014, 06:07:06 PM

Heat is no longer needed due to all the ethanol in the fuel. Winter time I run pump 87 but when it gets above 75 that junk boils so I use 92 un oxygenated . I'm running a 630 and 670 jonsered. They out perform and run higher rpm than my buddy's 70 jonsereds.

Red Good · February 06, 2014, 07:22:16 PM

That is just too funny , I spent 3 years working in The Pas for your major sponsor !! Northland Leisure , a couple of friends of mine had taken over RAG and I worked for them for a bit and then I went to work for Robbie .Some of my best professional memories are working there and for him , learned a ton from him . Lived in a cabin on the Eastside of Rocky Lake for a while and later rented a house in town . Good times at the Festival as well . Thanks for the videos looks very professional . Red

HolmenTree · February 06, 2014, 07:23:38 PM

The 70 Jonsereds was a solid built classic late '70s saw but they were no hotrod . The Husky design 630/670 were fine saws . I loved my 630 back in the day, even in today standards..

HolmenTree · February 06, 2014, 07:33:03 PM

Quote from: Red Good on February 06, 2014, 07:22:16 PM
That is just too funny , I spent 3 years working in The Pas for your major sponsor !! Northland Leisure , a couple of friends of mine had taken over RAG and I worked for them for a bit and then I went to work for Robbie .Some of my best professional memories are working there and for him , learned a ton from him . Lived in a cabin on the Eastside of Rocky Lake for a while and later rented a house in town . Good times at the Festival as well . Thanks for the videos looks very professional . Red

Wow what a small world Red!
Rob V. no longer runs NorthLand Leisure, my sponsor Trevor [new owner took over about 5 years ago] , he dropped the Harley D dealership as well. To let others know here. our area sports some of the best lake trout and walleye fishing on the planet. Rocky Lake is a great lake. Too bad for our tourist industry that our $ has been so high for years and the recession you folks experienced down south.

Red Good · February 06, 2014, 09:34:01 PM

He used to stop and see me in Regina when he was riding thru , and I talked to him and Shirley both about a month ago . It really is a very small world . I really miss the fishing in a big way . :} :}

lumberjack48 · February 08, 2014, 04:47:18 PM

I used duck tape for my winter kit, covered half the rewind and taped the gap between the air cleaner and head, and a cap full of heet in 2 1/2 gals, never had a carb or cylinder issue. I spent my first 8 yrs strip cutting with snow up to the arm pits in some swamps.

On the 034, 044, i found out leaving the window closed between the carb and head i had no icing up in that area. This is my experience running Stihl 8 winters.

If i wasn't in this shape I'd be at the contest. A good sawing contest makes my teeth tickle. ;D

HolmenTree · February 09, 2014, 01:57:10 PM

Quote from: lumberjack48 on February 08, 2014, 04:47:18 PM
If i wasn't in this shape I'd be at the contest. A good sawing contest makes my teeth tickle. ;D

It would be real nice to have you up here for the festival lumberjack48.

Yesterday I got my 2 timbers or cants as some people call them milled up for next weekends contest. I made them 10"X14"-16 ft long to give those little Husky 550XP's some extra wood to chew on.
Not the best milling day, close to -40 below windchill had me wearing a wool balaclava under my helmet and muffs.
I had both the Husky 395XP and Stihl 090AV each with their turn on the mill. The 395 with .404 square ground chisel bit chain and the 090 with round filed .404 chisel full skip.
The square ground really impressed me seeing this is the 1st time I've milled with it. The 395 was keeping up with the 090 in speed plus the square held an edge way better then the round filed and a smoother finish. I'll never mill again with round filed.

HolmenTree · February 19, 2014, 01:40:49 PM

Well another winter festival is done for another year. Everything went well despite the -39 below windchill from out of the north west which did cut my entries and audience by half from last year. But still had 26 men and 11 women who braved the elements to compete in last weekend's competition.
Here's some pics starting with loading my cants ,entering the festival's opening parade with my float then my family hamming it up for the camera and then onto the competition. Three Husqvarna 435's and $2000 in cash was awarded for the 4 hr competition.
Four of my photos are upside side down and I tried all morning to rotate them but no success . When our festival photographer has my videos ready I'll post them in due time.