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Chainsaws for Bad Shoulders?

Started by kantuckid, October 03, 2021, 08:57:32 AM

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kantuckid

Up to now, my wired together left shoulder in combo with my compression release MS241 Stihl saw have served me well-& a Stihl 170 that even lighter and starts easy anyway. 
Two weeks ago while wrestling a large pile of dry 2x6's through my planer- the few "kinky ones" I strained my 77 yr old rt shoulder. I found it hard to get my coffee mug into an elevated microwave to give you right idea... 
So I found a shoulder specialist who found no rotator cuff tear but much osteo along with probable tissue trauma. It responded well to ibuprofen but once that wore off it made sleep not possible.
Fast forward two weeks and a week ago after the doc shot it up with cortisone I was riding mtn bikes in the smokies and back to work at home, etc..
 Yes it still hurts, I have an electronic muscle STEM gizmo that negates pain while I watch the evening news->which has no pain relievers I know of?  ;D

Chainsaws with spring loaded starting devices that are also light weight might be my next smart choice? Time will tell I guess but I don't think this shoulder will be what it once was, so I'm asking which saws out there have the power & weight aspects such as my MS241 Stihl but maybe more user friendly to my rt shoulder that pulls the cord?

 Saws like the small high powered Echo & Husky saws such as 543XP, etc. always caught my eye. 
Ideas? Thanks. 
Kan=Kansas;tuck=Kentucky;kid=what I'm not

doc henderson

I have an easy start ms 250 c.  it was a saw I bought for my son, but now use it occ. and plan to get a carving bar, to try my hand at chainsaw carving. 
Timber king 2000, 277c track loader, PJ 32 foot gooseneck, 1976 F700 state dump truck, JD 850 tractor.  2007 Chevy 3500HD dually, home built log splitter 18 horse 28 gpm with 5 inch cylinder and 32 inch split range with conveyor powered by a 12 volt tarp motor

lxskllr

You might be a good candidate for a battery saw. You could also switch pulling arms. I'm right handed, but I pull start with my left. Just the way I started, and I kept up with it. Recoil's on the left, so left arm, right? Might feel especially strange for you since you've done right for, 50 years? But it's worth a shot.

Iwawoodwork

I second the thought about a cordless (battery ) chainsaw, I have 2 Wen 40 volt and am impressed with how well they cut, and how long the battery's last.  There other battery saws that maybe better, higher Volts, more ma batteries, higher chain speed, etc,  but for the price it was the best for my part time use around the mill and property.  

sawguy21

@lsxkllr How do you hold the saw? Trigger handle between the kness? Being left handed I had developed the habit of holding the big saws across my body pulling with my left until I cut my pany leg, no chain brakes in those days. Never did that again :o
old age and treachery will always overcome youth and enthusiasm

HemlockKing

Quote from: doc henderson on October 03, 2021, 09:14:56 AM
I have an easy start ms 250 c.  it was a saw I bought for my son, but now use it occ. and plan to get a carving bar, to try my hand at chainsaw carving.
+1 on the ms250. Not a pro saw but I've put probably 300
Hours on mine so far no problems and hoping for many more, I think the easy start would
Benefit you. I find it annoying because I don't need it but it really does make it easier for folks with shoulder problems 
A1

lxskllr

My bigger saws I first start on the ground textbook style. Bar's facing kinda right, foot in the handle, Right hand on the front handlebar, and pull with left hand. After the first start, I drop start them. Chainbrake on, right hand holding the front handlebar, pull with my left hand. My smaller saws I drop start from the start.

I also think I pull a little different than most by doing a strong pull, ease the cord back in, then another strong pull, as opposed to the quick pulls I think most people make. IOW, it seems like most people try to keep the piston going when they're pulling. The way I do it, the saw rests a second between pulls.

gspren

My only experience with battery saws is a "cheaper" GreenWorks with a 16" bar and it's actually impressive. Right now with the pain in my chest from my recent accident I'm not cutting but if I need to cut something out of my way it will be with the batt saw.
Stihl 041, 044 & 261, Kubota 400 RTV, Kubota BX 2670, Ferris Zero turn

John Mc

I had been wondering about battery saws for a few years now, and tried a couple owned by friends briefly. I have a bunch of Milwaukee M18 cordless tools, so when I tried a friend's Milwaukee M18 battery chainsaw and found it to be a decent saw, I started looking for deals on them.

I finally got one about a year or so ago. It cuts about like a decent 40 cc gas saw. With their 12 amp-hour battery, the battery will well outlast the bar oil in the tank, so I do have to keep an eye on that (using my 6 AH battery is a closer match). It's not particularly light, but it's handy - no starting issues and very quiet.  It is heavier than a good 40 cc saw, however.
If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.   - Abraham Maslow

kantuckid

Quote from: doc henderson on October 03, 2021, 09:14:56 AM
I have an easy start ms 250 c.  it was a saw I bought for my son, but now use it occ. and plan to get a carving bar, to try my hand at chainsaw carving.
Chainsaw carving-> may have been invented by hand docs? as were string trimmers as well ;D
Kan=Kansas;tuck=Kentucky;kid=what I'm not

kantuckid

Quote from: lxskllr on October 03, 2021, 10:05:25 AM
You might be a good candidate for a battery saw. You could also switch pulling arms. I'm right handed, but I pull start with my left. Just the way I started, and I kept up with it. Recoil's on the left, so left arm, right? Might feel especially strange for you since you've done right for, 50 years? But it's worth a shot.
I  batted both sides so know it's possible-but hard to change. i cleaned out barn and my back pack blower I just tried a slow controlled pull which worked. It's a Stihl 4-mix engine so starts with slower pulls OK than a chainsaw.
 At this point I'm not real excited about going to a battery saw.   I have a kid coming today after school to shovel my shavings away-maybe he'll develop into a chainsaw operator but he's too young for now-legally. My shoulder doc says my best solutions involve hired helpers. I told him that I'm like his ball players from the U of KY and like being my own person. He's done tommy Johns on several MLB players from U of KY and lots of student athletes. Nother shot in Dec., yesterday I jointed and table saw straight lined 50 pcs of 10' 2x6's, so we'll see how this goes? 
Kan=Kansas;tuck=Kentucky;kid=what I'm not

Don P

Stop, clean and wax the planer more often, i can relate to exactly what you did to set it off, that'll get better when that pillow of inflammation works out.

On saws the battery ones work fair for what they are but 2 stroke still wins for power to weight and ultimate power. I get my partner to warm them up and do the real work :D.

bannerd

Uncle has the same issues, shoulders are just gone.  He cuts 200 cords a year and he's 81.. he has a massey tractor and runs a hydraulic saw off the aux.  I don't remember the brand name but I want to say the saw is only five pounds.

From what he said there is not kick back on those but he's snapped a few chains.

kantuckid

Quote from: Don P on October 04, 2021, 08:45:17 AM
Stop, clean and wax the planer more often, i can relate to exactly what you did to set it off, that'll get better when that pillow of inflammation works out.

On saws the battery ones work fair for what they are but 2 stroke still wins for power to weight and ultimate power. I get my partner to warm them up and do the real work :D.
Before I began planing my pine: I cleaned all the feed rollers and beds. FWIW, I "did" machines for a living as an industrial millwright mechanic. Kinky boards-only a few- messed with my shoulder. I tried out a 14 yr old boy yesterday who says he's run a saw-he may just become my rope man!
Kan=Kansas;tuck=Kentucky;kid=what I'm not

kantuckid

Some years ago, I was at a local garage sale and this lady and I are talking wood working as I'd bought an antique spool bed from her. She said you ought to talk to my daddy who worked in the woods when he was off his horse ridden mail route. He'd made rived strips for the old style tobacco baskets and sticks plus hewed ties-yuk-that's tough work huh? The specific subject was hickory bark for chairs which he also did. She sends me his way back up a holler and he's like 97 or 98 at the time. He'd been collecting bark and I asked him how he got his. He said he used an axe and a drawknife, no power saw. Climb the hills, chop em don't and peeled them. No chainsaws to worry over... ;D
Kan=Kansas;tuck=Kentucky;kid=what I'm not

Tacotodd

Weight won't be an issue, P I T A will ;D
Trying harder everyday.

Al_Smith

I would suggest an "elasto start " pull cord if they still make them .FWIW I only drop start small displacement top handle saws .In fact did same in a tree about three years ago  .Bad footing and even with the elasto popped   a shoulder out .Left side torn bicep ,right torn rotator . BTW I'm 73 and not half the man I used to be .Father time is a very cruel task master . 

realzed

I've had rotator cuffs done on both sides and find a 261CM fine for pulling.
I'm sure there are a lot better versions - but I did add a 'D' handle grip and found it makes pulling a lot better for arthritic old hands and fingers though!
I also found it to be a lot easier if I put the saw on the ground with my foot in the stirrup, often using the decomp to boot too if I feel weak - but I do still (or should that be Stihl  :D) use the 'between the legs' pull method occasionally when it is warmed up..
The 261 fires up pretty easy either way - but mostly I've found that the most successful and surefire way to get 'her going' is a short and quick style of pull verses a longer slower type..
I swear though that every saw has it's own personality and finding what works on one best, won't necessarily lead you finding out how or what the next saw will like..

chet

Quote from: bannerd on October 04, 2021, 09:06:17 AM
Uncle has the same issues, shoulders are just gone.  He cuts 200 cords a year and he's 81.. he has a massey tractor and runs a hydraulic saw off the aux.  I don't remember the brand name but I want to say the saw is only five pounds.

From what he said there is not kick back on those but he's snapped a few chains.
I ran hydraulic saws for many years. The attached hoses negate any advantage it has over a chain saw for ease of use. And in really cold weather they are down right horrible until and if the warm oil might soften the hoses up. In my opinion not worth the advantage of not having to pull a recoil.
I am a true TREE HUGGER, if I didnt I would fall out!  chet the RETIRED arborist

doc henderson

Al you must of been one hell of a man in your day, to still be even half that man.  I only have about 8 good pulls in me, then rest and cuss.  I think good fuel and oil mix and use the saws as often as you can goes a long ways.  i have a few I have to pick up and use although they may not be my favorite.  all the bigger saws have a comp. release.  I have a torn labrium... old sailing injury. :)
Timber king 2000, 277c track loader, PJ 32 foot gooseneck, 1976 F700 state dump truck, JD 850 tractor.  2007 Chevy 3500HD dually, home built log splitter 18 horse 28 gpm with 5 inch cylinder and 32 inch split range with conveyor powered by a 12 volt tarp motor

Skeans1

Quote from: Al_Smith on October 06, 2021, 08:27:10 PM
I would suggest an "elasto start " pull cord if they still make them .FWIW I only drop start small displacement top handle saws .In fact did same in a tree about three years ago  .Bad footing and even with the elasto popped   a shoulder out .Left side torn bicep ,right torn rotator . BTW I'm 73 and not half the man I used to be .Father time is a very cruel task master .
Those elasto start handles will cause more injuries then help, you're not getting the direct pull it's a jerk motion. Have you ever tried drop starting with those handles it's painful.

Tacotodd

Get something small and inexpensive. An Echo CS400 with a 16" bar/chain. This would be my choice for what I would choose. For what they are they run really well. I know this for a FACT. My buddy has 1 that I've done small maintenance to. For what it is, it's surprising, and appears to be superior in build and materials considering what they do/don't cost. His little saw is SURPRISINGLY a little runner. 
Trying harder everyday.

kantuckid

I was actually making do fairly well after my cortisone shoulder shot a week ago last thursday- Rode mtn bikes all that next weekend and worked last weekend OK. This Monday a jointed my last 30 10' 2x6's and ripped them on tablesaw while my new 14 yr old shoveled like 25 loads of shavings over the bank. So this Tuesday things changed...Wife and I had twin annual dermatology appts. then went to Cane's Chicken where we buy tailgaters of chicken and freeze it for cheap and easy meals. They are back to non-entry so this cute little girl brings out my order and hands this large paper shopping bag to my left arm hand through open drivers window. I try to switch it to rt hand after opening door handle cause it will not drag through the driver door window opening and cutie has already walked away. When I transfer the heavy, mostly awkward bag to my rt hand it pulls my shoulder as I manage to open that door. I'm nearly in tears when I toss it in the rear seat. Yesterday I was barely able to clean up my pine saw rip strips off floor and cut into kindling. 
 Then yesterday a.m. as I shake the stink bugs from our UTV- Mule/wet seat towel and the shoulder comes apart yet again. I can now barely hold a cell phone to my rt ear-"a good thing?" :D But can also barely bathe or dry myself- "a bad thing". yuk. Got another quicky shoulder appt in a few minutes...
Per Al above: I am what I call "the little bit that's left-of a helluva boy" Seriously. Ate an apple yesterday and the only lower molar I have left while meanwhile having recently spent over a 1000 bucks for state of the art various dental xrays missed the molar above that lonely lower one which has split off a chunk of whats very obviously to my non-dentally trained small mind and was badly rotted. I even saw a specialist last visit who went over the pics of my jaws. His name is actually!-> Dr. cutcut- ha! :D   I type this with my rt elbow at rest, sad tale to grow old but great to see the sun come up and our oldest is here visiting as he's leaving TX test pilot job to fly for Duke Energy living within 50k of Charlotte, NC AP and been apt hunting there. Currently foods even better here cause big boys in town...
Kan=Kansas;tuck=Kentucky;kid=what I'm not

Al_Smith

Quote from: doc henderson on October 07, 2021, 10:17:58 AM
Al you must of been one hell of a man in your day, to still be even half that man.  I
It wasn't anything I've done just good genes .However forgetting my age and still thinking I'm 23 instead of 73 has caused me to be recovering from hernia surgery as I type this post .Things happen I guess when you fail to heed the words of "Dirty Harry" ----a man has to know his limitations----
Now about this gents saw ,first I've never seen a 261 but assume it's a later version of an 026 ,a three cuber .Weather it's got a decomp or not I can't say If an elasto start pull cord is out of the question then about the only thing left would be a D-handle . Of course a viable option could be a battery saw .Some who own them seem to like them .I've never seen one or operated one .I suppose if you have enough batteries they could get the job done .

Al_Smith

On the subject of heavy saws my departed pappy ran a McCulloch PM 610 until he was over 80 years old .For 60 cc's that is one heavy saw and it got too much for him .I took out a little all metal Poulan,2 cuber  I had restored which he could handle .He passed at 86 years old ,14 years ago .Both those saws reside in my shed .

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