Have read other posts on the battery powered tools so thought it would be appropriate to report on the M18 Milwaukee Chainsaw.
Last fall we thinned out about an acre of trees, mostly Tan Oak and Madrone with some small fir and pine. We cut up all the large trees but left the small trees, brush, and trimmed limbs for next time. Well next time they were covered by snow! We have now been up there for two three day weekends using the M18 to help cut up the long limbs to fit in my 8 foot trailer to haul up to a clearing for burning. The limbs are up to three inches in diameter and up to eighteen feet long. The saw is not in constant use, just throw the limbs in the trailer, pick up the saw to trim, set it down, throw some more on, trim, etc. We used it this way for a day and a half before the 12 amp battery was almost dead. One day I put a 5amp battery on to finish up and it lasted about two hours. It was nice to just pick up the saw, pull the trigger and cut, not like picking up an idling saw and have it die as you lift it, or having to start a gas saw every time to make a couple quick cuts.
After the brush was cleaned up we cut up the small trees for firewood using the Milwaukee, none over 6 inches in diameter. This was using the saw steadily for about an hour with no problems. I really liked the saw for this type of use.
Milwaukee claims the saw has the power of a 38cc gas saw, weeell I guess it depends on which 38cc saw. I know my MS170 30cc saw has more power than the M18, of course that may be because the chain on the M18 is traveling at only 6000 rpm versus the faster speed of the 170. Also the 170 has a 14" bar versus the 16" bar of the M18.
The M18 weighs about 13 pounds with the 12 amp battery, the MS170 weighs about 10 pounds with empty fuel and oil tanks. Now don't take these weights to seriously because I just used our bathroom scales!
One other thing; after the 12 amp battery died I found a 14" diameter section of Tan Oak so I wondered what the Milwaukee would do with the 5 amp battery, it cut about half way through and just stopped, I thought "what did I burn up now". Turns out nothing, I think the electronics in the battery or the saw turned off when one or the other was over heating, a safety feature. I am sure it would have cut through with the 12 amp battery.
Yes, I like the saw and have used it a couple times around the house, much easier than dragging out an extension cord to use one of our electric saws!
What are the specs on the chain? Is It standard .050 gauge 3/8lp? Is the bar the standard consumer bar they use on Poulan echo et al?
Did you weigh the saw with the battery full or empty? Just wondering how much of a difference it makes. Just kidding, I have several of the M18 Fuel tools and have been very happy with them. :D
I've got the 20v DeWalt...while not as powerfull as the Milwaukee, it's so convient to use. Pick it up and cut, no pulling a cord.
I cut back 900' of woodline last spring, all small 2-3" trees and limbs. Only used the DeWalt and the Stihl pole saw.
Ed
lxskllr, the chain is .043 gauge 3/8 LP, I believe Oregon. Probably the bar is Oregon also. One thing I forgot to mention is the 'scrench', it is in a recess in the bottom of the saw and will need a screw driver or something to pry it out. One nice thing about that is that my Stihl 'scrench' fits the bar nuts[ on the small end] so I never use the Milwaukee one.
If somehow they could get the rpms up this would be an awesome saw. I had high hopes of using the Milwaukee for quick cuts on my log building project. It soon got left in the shed. Does work great for limbing and brush cutting. I'm sure rpms are an engineering limitation. If I get time I might modify a Milwaukee saw and see what happens at higher rpm.
I got the Stihl saw they made for gals and old guys. being an old gal myself. I couldn't pull fast enough to start the big Stihl. Then I got several of the Milwaukee Fuel tools. They are very convenient!. The only complaint I have about them is there is no where to go for service or assistance. One of my batteries died under warranty and they took care of me right a way over the internet. But the closest service center is two hours away and the manuals are too sparse.
Recently I needed a pole saw and went for the Milwaukee. I was cutting and popped the chain (due to my inexperience). I took it off, cleaned everything, put the chain back on, tightened chain according to the instructions, and filled the oil tank. The chain hesitates when I pull the trigger. When I touch the limb, it quits spinning altogether. I don't know what else to trouble shoot. I am sure I probably did something "stupid." Is there anyone out there with some wisdom for me?
I would check the drive sprocket to make sure the chain is seated correctly. Randy
Often when you "pop a chain" some of the drive links get burrs on them or even bent. Try to pull the chain through the groove in the bar and it shouldn't bind, try all the chain on both sides of the bar.
Quote from: Ed on March 03, 2020, 08:57:21 PM
I've got the 20v DeWalt...while not as powerfull as the Milwaukee, it's so convient to use. Pick it up and cut, no pulling a cord.
I cut back 900' of woodline last spring, all small 2-3" trees and limbs. Only used the DeWalt and the Stihl pole saw.
Ed
I have a 20 volt dewalt pole saw. I have a 40 acre timber farm and do thinning for forest fire management and trimming lower branches is critical, I am committed to 20V DeWalt stuff as I have many power tools and loads of The 5AH batteries already and bought a DeWalt pole saw and used it to trim branches, it works for many hours on a single battery. Loads of power.
I have a Honda UMC 435 powerhead with the pole saw feature, but this Dewalt is so much lighter and easier to use.
Its an 8" bar, looks like DeWalts own bar, not sure of the chain, but it is a 3/8LP with a .043 gauge I think. I see Oregon sells replacement chains for it. It had an extension unit too for reaching way up there.
Oiling is done by the motor driving a pump, so if chain is moving, its oiling.
A little followup on this. My buddy Bill got one of these saws just over a year ago and he uses it a LOT around his place, it lives in the back of one of his buggies or another all the time. He cut slab wood for the furnace, hacks up stuff on his trails, trim lumber, clears branches, whatever. He loves it... except.. it keeps popping the chain to an annoying degree. The bar flexes like mad and it drives him crazy.
SO we were at Boonville and he talked to the Oregon guys, who were rumored to have 'the fix'. Well they did and they didn't have a demo battery saw to try it on, but they did find an MS201T that was the same mount, so Bill took it over to the Wooodmizer booth where they had logs and he whipped off a bunch of cookies (while the Husky guys watched from over the fence wondering what was going on :D). It worked like a dream and Bill bought it.
It's a different gauge and I didn't get the details, but the Orgon guy switched his personal battery saw over and loves it too. I can get the details for anybody interested. Apparently this is a very common complaint with that saw and several other manufacturers that use that gauge bar as they are really thin. Yes, it's true the wider cut increases the load, so this is what needs to be seen and tested, but so far, so good. If anybody wants further details I can dig them up on my next run down there.
Definitely. I am wondering if they made a switch at some point and the fix is going back to the original because I can't think of ever throwing the chain on my M18
@Old Greenhorn (https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?action=profile;u=42103)
yes please get the details on b&C I am hoping to move to the red and black platform soon for my electric tools and the saw is highly anticipated
Jim I can't really say. I do think it is 'user specific' to a certain degree. Bill is an aggressive user and as a 'for instance' last week we were clearing branches off of trees along the road up into the back of his property so we could bring the trailer out for Boonville without scratching it up too much. He was standing on tip-toes and reaching up with one hand on the saw. That's a hard position to hold and I actually watched that bar flex and bend as the branches came loose but maybe didn cut clean off. If he gave the bar a shake to get the chain rolling again after it pinched it would pop the chain. Happened 3 times in 20 minutes. Yeah, he's rough, but I watched that bar bend like cooked pasta.
Let's see how the new setup does under his abuse. All those electrics I have seen are .047 gauge. Not sure what this is yet, I never looked at the specs and I wasn't there when he bought it. I should have looked, I stepped on the bar when I was emptying the trailer this morning.
I'll find out for all you folks. I just didn't know if the fad had already passed us by.
i may be mistaken, but I could swear that when the Milwaukee M18 saw first came out, it had a .050 gauge bar that was "regular" kerf. I'm pretty sure they are all shipping now with the .043 NK bar & chain. That would probably give them better battery life, since it's not moving as much wood?
I wonder if going back to that original bar is the Oregon fix?
I've derailed a chain twice on mine, both shortly after I bought it. I quickly learned that I had to be much more careful with this saw than with my others.
A bar with a broader nose might help with the derailing. I'm just looking at pics online, but it looks like the standard A06 mount used on consumer/small saws a la poulanpro, echo... Switching to a WoodlandPro bar for my small saws is standard procedure. The quality is as good as oem, and a broader nose bar will do more work. They also don't derail as easily. I can't vouch for the nk bars, but the standard 50 gauge is a nice improvement for not much money.
The NK bars bend a LOT more easily. I'm thinking that may have a lot to do with the derailments
Well as I promised in reply #10 above I did get the info on that bar. It's an Advacecut 16" bar, .050 gauge, 3/8 pitch, and 56 drive links. The number is 91PX056 and if you google that number it comes right up. This fits a number of saw brands.
He has used it a bit for a day or two and says it is much better and the chain no longer pops off like it did. I can say that it even feels a LOT stiffer.
Bill also picked up that little milwaukee top handle battery saw to try out. No word on how that works yet.
91PX056 is an Oregon chain designation, isn't it? That's a loop that would fit a 16" bar, but unless I'm mistaken, it doesn't necessarily tell you a specific bar.
The bar that comes with the Milwaukee M18 chainsaw is stamped: 48 09 3001
This is an .043" gauge, 3/8" low profile, 16" bar.
The Oregon replacement using the bar finder on their website is: 164MLEA041
(Same specs as above, has a 7 tooth nose sprocket)
In looking through Oregon's "bar finder", it looks as though the Stihl MS 200/200T/201/201T uses an A074 bar mount. I have no idea what the difference is between an A041 and an A074 mount.
Yeah, you are right John. I grabbed the label off the chain box instead of the bar. I'll try to get the bar number today, but not sure if the label is still around, nor do I know where the saw is right now.
I think this is a new bar and may not be out on the websites yet. The dealer (actually a full line rep) it came from had a lot of queries on it and talked to Oregon about it and got some of the early ones to field test. These are popular for use on the Stihl 201T but not sure if it's the same mount pattern.
To be continued.
After a bit more digging, I may have found a 16", .050" gauge, 3/8" low profile guide bar on the Oregon site. These bars are not listed as being for a Milwaukee M18 chainsaw, but they do use the A041 tail mount, which is what is on the Oregon recommended .043 Narrow Kerf replacement bar for the Milwaukee saw.
160SDEA041 "Standard" Oregon bar with 7 tooth nose sprocket. MSRP: $28.99
160SXEA041 "Advance Cut" Oregon bar (https://www.oregonproducts.com/en/advancecut%e2%84%a2-guide-bar%2c-16%22/p/160sxea041) with 9 tooth nose sprocket. MSRP: $43.95
I also found it listed on Amazon for $36.99 (https://www.amazon.com/Oregon-160SXEA041-AdvanceCut-Guide-Bar/dp/B00IQUS8Q4/)
I have not tried either of these myself. This was just what I turned up with a bit of web surfing.
Either of these would let you use Oregon's 91VXL chain, which is a little more aggressive than their 90PX chain which is the Oregon replacement for the OEM chain on the stock bar. (.043 gauge, narrow kerf, homeowner chain). You could also use the 91PX homeowner chain on this .050 gauge bar
You got it right John. I just got back from the mill and the bar Bill has is the 160SDEA041. He mentioned they did not have something else yet, but I think he was talking about his 201T. Bill also has the little Hatchet saw which he loves for keeping in the SxS for pruning branches on his rails, as well as the top handle which looks unused do far.
I was leaning toward ordering the 160SXEA041. I'm wondering if the larger nose sprocket means I will need another link in the chain. I suppose I could put my old 90PX056 chain in there just to test the length, but not actually run that (an .043 chain in an .050 bar). Then order the 91VXL chain based on how that length looks.
Sounds like you have a plan John, I do know Bill loves the new bar. He is also trying two new saws from Milwaukee, so maybe you could get one of these:
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/52103/IMG_20230912_104626105.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1694555843)
Or These:
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/52103/IMG_20230912_105642352.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1694555845)
Just trying to be helpful. :D ;D
.
The above issues with the bar on your Milwaukee saw sounds similar to the chain jumping the track on our Greenworks 80 volt battery 16 inch chain saw. Quite often.
We were able to find an Oregon bar that feels stiffer.
I have not had an opportunity to fully test (yet) the new bar to see if it has solved the track jumping problem.
It seems that Milwaukee may not have a monopoly on issues.
.
Yeah, I don't think any of these electric saw makers actually make their own bars. The machinery is too specialized and their volumes are too low. Probably they all buy from a major manufacturer and have them private labeled. The engineers looks at the power output of the motor and choose that low profile .047 (or is it .043, I forget) B&C to get as much power into the cut that they can. They don't see the issues in the field until it is too late, if at all. Thinking most of these saws will go the the suburban homeowner who uses it perhaps 3 hours/year. As more of these saws get 'discovered' for having a truly viable usage area by the daily working crowd, these performance issues will become more pronounced and hopefully addressed.
When Bill talked to the Oregon guy he shared that LOTS of folks were having this problem and calling them, so they started working on a bar and testing it. I think the final solution they are working on to make these saws sing along but not steal too much power requires a spur gear change (either pitch or tooth count, not sure yet), but they have to be sourced as of the last I heard.
All I know is that Bill has 3 different sized M18 saws and loves them all. He is a very hard user and goes through saws pretty regular right up to the 90cc class. (Just ask Spike :D). What really surprised me is how much he likes that "Hatchet" they sell, which is the 6" one handed saw. He is going to make a tunnel mount stand to go in his SxS for it.
The times, they are a-changin'. ;D
The problem with my Milwaukee 16 inch m18 is with less then 12 ah batteries put too much load on it cutting larger trees it overloads the battery and shuts down for safety. I can only see an more aggressive chain being useful for small branches that don't suck the full load from the battery long enough to overheat the battery if you use the 8 ah batteries often like I do because I have a half dozen of them and only one 12 ah.
I love my little m18 Hatchet but have a lot of respect for it.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/34694/20230226_093744~0.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1693001900)
Great info here. I keep the trails on my neighbors' property open and try to work on the buckthorn, which yields a little firewood, which gives me a little something for my effort. I'm thinking one of these saws could be very good for this work. I have a lot of trees by the house that are in constant need of trimming too. I try to hit the buckthorn in the fall and treat the stumps so they will die. Just to put a bug in youz guys ears, if possible, try to cut some of the small stuff in late fall or winter to provide browse for the deer and rabbits. And brush piles are great for the rabbits and birds. Not trying to derail the topic. Unfortunately, buckthorn is not eaten by the browsers.
Resurrecting this thread for a moment:
The 160SDEA041 bar (.050 gauge, 3/8" LP) mentioned in comment has a 7 tooth nose sprocket, the same as the stock bar (which I believe is just a rebadged Oregon 164MLEA041 bar). So it should also use 56 drive links as the stock bar does. (For this new bar, try the Oregon 91VXL chain).
The other alternate bar 160SXEA041 (also .050 gauge, 3/8" LP) has a 9 tooth nose sprocket. I'm still wondering if I'll need an extra drive link for this to work an a Milwaukee M18 chainsaw.
I have not ordered a spare bar yet. My Milwaukee saw does not get a lot of use, so I have not felt the need at the moment.
For some reason, the system won't let me tag
@Old Greenhorn - I'm wondering if he or his friend Bill have heard anything new on the new bar to fit these saws that Oregon was rumored to be working on. The only one that shows up on their website for the Milwaukee saw is the narrow kerf 164MLEA041.
I bet you did tag him. Old Greenhorn is clickable and takes me to his profile. :thumbsup:
AFAIK Bill is still using that saw with the 160SDEA041 bar. He has had no complaint and has been running it like a rented mule around his place, it already looks like it's 5 years old. ffcheesy
I will see him today and likely that saw will get used again doing some mushroom logs. He was really interested in getting a similar bar for his 201T which has the same issue (flexing bar) but not as bad.
That 9 tooth you found may be it, I dunno. When we talked to the Oregon boys last August they said their lab was working on one to work on the 201T.
But I'll ask Bill for an update in a few hours when it warms up a bit.
John, I talked to Bill today (he asked me to thank you for the reminder) and he said he will look for that guys card and call to ask about the bar. We had that saw and the top handle battery saw working also today clearing a new trail through the woods for a skidder and SxS. The bar is holding up very well and Bill is quite pleased with it, he has no complaints since the change. before the change he should have to reset the chain on the bar about 4 or more times during a session like this afternoon. One thing about those saws is he runs winter mix oil all year round in them because they don't generate heat to warm the oil like a gas saw. Summer mix in them sees not much oil usage, it's too thick. I had never considered that.
I'm still not sold on them, but they really do have some nice advantages even if I can't bring myself to admit it freely. ffcheesy But, in a week moment I could see myself picking one up. I do have one that was given to me, I just haven't used it in a while. Bill has a nice setup in his SxS where he mounted a homemade scabbard on the center console and has an inverter and a battery charger installed on the overhead rear. But the little alternator and battery in that machine will not power the inverter very long if the engine isn't running. Today I had to jump his SxS in the woods so we could both get out. He forgot to shut it off and it sucked the battery dry. ffcheesy I see a full sized battery, maybe from a skidder shoved into that SxS sometime in the future plus a solar panel on the roof. ffcheesy As I may have said in an earlier post here, I think he has all the Milwaukee saw models. That little hatchet one is handy for driving along trails and limbing branches.
So the Oregon bars are better then the Milwaukee OEM bars? I want to switch my top handle from the 14 it came with to a 12 and was getting ready to buy the Milwaukee but the Oregon combo costs less and from the sounds of this it may be a better choice. That little m18 Hatchet is my favorite saw ever. Great for cutting tops of the darn dead ash I am dealing with.
The fast chargers draw quite a bit of power so I think it's easier to just have a couple extra batteries. (2) 12 ah outlast me most uses :uhoh:.
Made a quick video showing how much I like mine
Well, these saws fill a niche and work well for what they do. But I have not yet thought to pull the trigger on one. I have used them a bunch, as mentioned, my buddy has all of them in the Milwaukee line and has installed a scabbard and an inverter and charger in his SxS and runs his hard around his homestead. SO I have had them in my hands a lot except for that smallest one which I lost track of where he out it. He keeps saying that if I used those for mushroom logs I could claim my logs are produced "with entirely renewable energy and carbon free equipment" ffcheesy Which could never be true, but sounds good.
My 'issue' with them is 3 things for real work: 1) I find those narrow gage chains are just a pain and tend to bind up quick on moving cuts, 2) They take a lot more work (on the part of the user) to get the saw through a cut, watching your video that became clearer to me, I thought it was just my impression, but I can see it now and C) they are just not as fast as a gas saw that sucks itself through the cut. So all those are holding me back.
Now I would like to have one around the yard for trimming off a log when clients are picking up a load or branching out stuff, so maybe I'll grab one of the one handed hatchet type saw for the little stuff, that would fill a hole for me. But still, when I am cutting wood, I want to get it done and there is nothing fast about battery saws in my opinion. But that's just me, and my needs. I should say they also have unique qualities, like no gas, much quieter, no pull start, etc. But they are not getting me excited. I do have a Ryobi battery saw but I haven't even charged it in over a year and I don't enjoy sharpening it with that tiny file.
I am glad they are working out for others with there needs, I am just not there yet.
They definitely don't cut like a wider kerf saw but will keep up with the CS310 I used to use. Lack of weight and narrow kerf does make you rock them on the dogs in hard stuff. I started with new chains and cut all you see piled there without filing so they are not the sharpest at this point either. Milwaukee chains seem to last much longer then others I have used. I'm waiting for the 2 battery 20 inch standard chain one before the gas saws get tossed. My saws sit for months without being used and that is where these really shine. I have switched over to all Milwaukee M18 OPE mostly because my wife has Chemical Sensitivity Syndrome and after using a gas saw I have to strip my clothing off and take a shower on my way inside so she doesn't get sick from the residual fumes. These are a win for us but as you say, not for everyone.
Quote from: 21incher on February 25, 2024, 07:11:21 PMSo the Oregon bars are better then the Milwaukee OEM bars?
I think the Milwaukee bars are made by Oregon. The difference in the bars we are talking about here is that the stock bar is a narrow kerf bar, so it's thinner and more flexible than a standard bar. The part numbers mentioned above are for standard kerf bars. Oregon makes both kinds which will fit the Milwaukee M18 saw, but they only advertise the narrow kerf one as fitting it.
What John said is spot on accurate. The design engineers at Milwaukee spec'ed out the narrow kerf because it draws less power form the battery, allowing them to claim the longest operating time. But out in the world, a LOT of users were complaining about bar flex issues and chains popping off. So Oregon had another bar chain combo that fit and worked well. If you go back a ways in this thread you will read some of my observations on how badly that OEM bar behaved.
So we had a long chat with the factory guy from Oregon about it at Boonville last August and he sold us the bar combo we have on the saw now. there are zero issues with the wider bar and chain. Battery life changes are unnoticeable, especially when you don't have to reset the chain once or twice an hour.
It's a choice and it depends on how you use the saw, but my friend Bill nearly sent that saw off into the woods a few times when the chain popped off, it was happening so often. Bill is not known for his gentle handling of saws in general, he is trying to make time and get things done. The new bar was the ticket to happiness.
Quote from: 21incher on February 29, 2024, 08:52:35 PMT.... I'm waiting for the 2 battery 20 inch standard chain one before the gas saws get tossed. .........
Well, when that time times would you give me a call instead of selling them locally like you did with your trailer? ffcheesy You are not that far, I can take a run down and relieve you of that burden, because that's what buddies do, right? :wink_2:
Quote from: Old Greenhorn on March 03, 2024, 09:17:24 AMQuote from: 21incher on February 29, 2024, 08:52:35 PMT.... I'm waiting for the 2 battery 20 inch standard chain one before the gas saws get tossed. .........
Well, when that time times would you give me a call instead of selling them locally like you did with your trailer? ffcheesy You are not that far, I can take a run down and relieve you of that burden, because that's what buddies do, right? :wink_2:
Sorry, I couldn't read your mind ffcheesy. 14 people in line within a couple hours so they seem to be in demand. Thinking a big garage sale this summer zzzz_smiley. Gave away a couple of the lasers to veterans, so the extras are gone.
Well I haven't had a chain jump on any of them yet. I use the pole saw for all the thin saplings and vines that seem to be the biggest cause of jumps. Maybe I have just been lucky. Guess I'll stick with the Milwaukee chains for now because I bought a spare Milwaukee bar for each. I am careful with those saws because it costs too much to replace them. A friend has the Harbor freight 80 volt one that is affordable and cuts just as good.
For sure it's the usage and the operator. Bill is a young strong guy and tends o be a tad rough on his gear. Almost all of the chain popping issues I witnessed were standing in a truck bed trimming branches overhead as far as he could reach. But twice I saw it happen while hacking up slabs into the dump truck. He does tend to power through and if he gets it bound, he will push the saw sideways out of reflex to cut the cut to open up. That will always cause problems, but since the bar change out, he is a very happy camper. At around or under 2 years old, that rear handle saw already looks like he bought it in 1980. ffcheesy Run hard and put up wet.
Well I tried out the top handle saw and it is pretty nice but a couple things that don't impress me.
That little Deadman switch is a pain to keep down with thick gloves on.
The chain seems to move faster then the 16 inch saw but it also stalls easier then the 16. The variable speed trigger must be 100% depressed tight for full speed that was awkward with heavy gloves
It eats the 12 ah battery pretty fast compared to the 16. The 16 really has more grunt and cuts a little slower but the battery lasts a lot longer cutting.
I will give it a couple hours to see if maybe it just needs some break in time. The chain it came with is amazingly sharp for a Milwaukee chain right out of the box.
Quote from: 21incher on March 03, 2024, 03:36:17 PMThe chain it came with is amazingly sharp for a Milwaukee chain right out of the box.
Milwaukee does not make their own chains. It's a rebadged Oregon chain.
I think you jinxed me Tom ffcheesy. Today I had a chain jump. Was trying to clean a bunch of big poison ivy and grape vines off a firewood tree. Caught one of those juicy poison ivy vines wrong and bam. First time for everything :veryangry:.
Here's a picture of a little friend that hung out with me this afternoon. About 3 ft long and I have never seen a snake out this early in the season up here. Usually mid April they become active. This one liked the quietness of the electric saws and hung out for a couple hours a couple feet away from me. Followed me like a dog. Was real friendly all last year also if it's the same one.
20240307_134053.jpg
Quote from: 21incher on March 07, 2024, 02:08:09 PMI think you jinxed me Tom ffcheesy. Today I had a chain jump. Was trying to clean a bunch of big poison ivy and grape vines off a firewood tree. Caught one of those juicy poison ivy vines wrong and bam. First time for everything :veryangry:.
Here's a picture of a little friend that hung out with me this afternoon. About 3 ft long and I have never seen a snake out this early in the season up here. Usually mid April they become active. This one liked the quietness of the electric saws and hung out for a couple hours a couple feet away from me. Followed me like a dog. Was real friendly all last year also if it's the same one.
20240307_134053.jpg
Well I found out why it looked like that snake was hanging out with me and following me around. Turns out last fall that tree was dropped over a good size hole in the ground. Today doing the final cutting and raking up found the hole and watched 5 good sized garter snakes come and go from it. They would come out stretch out in the sun and then disappear down the hole. At one point 5 were stretched out right next to where I was working. Wonder how many there actually are down there. May have to send the borescope down to see how deep it goes.