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Recommend me a chainsaw

Started by matariki, September 23, 2018, 03:06:53 AM

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630red

we fit loads of starter pawls and pulleys to the bigger cc saws,and when you tell the owner about the decomp button most dont know or dont use it,so i reckon its designed for easier on the user and the starter

HolmenTree

Quote from: matariki on September 27, 2018, 09:26:34 PM
Quote from: Southside logger on September 25, 2018, 01:28:15 PM
When the saw is cold I will use the decomp button, then pull the choke and SLOWLY roll the piston a few times with the starter cord - no where near fast enough to get it to start, but enough to move some air through.  Then I will give it a regular pull, doing so on that first real pull she will come to life, enough to bump out the button,  push in the choke and next pull and she is running, basically two pulls and go to work.  When warm I just skip the slow roll and still use the decomp, runs right away.  Less wear and tear on the recoil and cord this way too.  
Towards the end of the course I was on, this was the method I started to use. It worked beautifully on the Husky I borrowed from my tutor (372), this was from the warm start position. Talking to my tutor asking him what chainsaw he recommends, he told me to go for the Husqvarna 372xp. Unfortunately its a model not sold through dealerships in New Zealand, so I'm thinking of getting one off Ebay.

Has anyone bought a chainsaw off Ebay before from a dealer?
matariki, I'm a little late here. 372Xtorq is a good choice, but a MS461 for your region is a better choice.
Australia, NZ and Tasmania Stihl trumps it for service and parts availability.  Big factor is the bars and chains are not compatible on either saw. Service is second.
There's a well known  Tasmanian lady arborist by the name of Fiona Doe aka Bermy. She debated what you're doing and she picked the MS461 and she speaks very highly about it.
She's about 5 ft 1 inch and about 110 to 120 lbs so no problems for her.
Get the 461 with a 20" Stihl ES Light bar and have a 28" for a spare.
Making a living with a saw since age 16.

reride82

Quote from: HolmenTree on October 05, 2018, 10:13:15 AM
Quote from: matariki on September 27, 2018, 09:26:34 PM
Quote from: Southside logger on September 25, 2018, 01:28:15 PM
When the saw is cold I will use the decomp button, then pull the choke and SLOWLY roll the piston a few times with the starter cord - no where near fast enough to get it to start, but enough to move some air through.  Then I will give it a regular pull, doing so on that first real pull she will come to life, enough to bump out the button,  push in the choke and next pull and she is running, basically two pulls and go to work.  When warm I just skip the slow roll and still use the decomp, runs right away.  Less wear and tear on the recoil and cord this way too.  
Towards the end of the course I was on, this was the method I started to use. It worked beautifully on the Husky I borrowed from my tutor (372), this was from the warm start position. Talking to my tutor asking him what chainsaw he recommends, he told me to go for the Husqvarna 372xp. Unfortunately its a model not sold through dealerships in New Zealand, so I'm thinking of getting one off Ebay.

Has anyone bought a chainsaw off Ebay before from a dealer?
matariki, I'm a little late here. 372Xtorq is a good choice, but a MS461 for your region is a better choice.
Australia, NZ and Tasmania Stihl trumps it for service and parts availability.  Big factor is the bars and chains are not compatible on either saw. Service is second.
There's a well known  Tasmanian lady arborist by the name of Fiona Doe aka Bermy. She debated what you're doing and she picked the MS461 and she speaks very highly about it.
She's about 5 ft 1 inch and about 110 to 120 lbs so no problems for her.
Get the 461 with a 20" Stihl ES Light bar and have a 28" for a spare.


I'm with Holmen Tree on this. Although I love my 372 husqvarna for a firewood saw, having a good dealer/service agent would sway me to the MS461. You're trying to get into the business of firewood, not chainsaw repair. If you are good with two-strokes and chainsaws, then go for the 372. But, if you aren't, leave that side of the equation to a dealer. If you buy a saw off ebay, will your local dealer service it? I know here a dealer tends to favor the customers that purchase saws from them. I also second getting at least one spare bar to help you get a saw unstuck, just remove the powerhead and use your spare bar to cut out the stuck bar.

Levi
'Do it once, do it right'

'First we shape our buildings, then our buildings shape us'
Living life on the Continental Divide in Montana

Southside

I will say that dealer support was the driver that led me to become loyal to Husky. At the end of the day all I really care about is that the saw is reliable and does what I need it to do using a reasonable amount of fuel. I really don't care about the name. So there is weight to that factor. 
Franklin buncher and skidder
JD Processor
Woodmizer LT Super 70 and LT35 sawmill, KD250 kiln, BMS 250 sharpener and setter
Riehl Edger
Woodmaster 725 and 4000 planner and moulder
Enough cows to ensure there is no spare time.
White Oak Meadows

esteadle

Many folks are giving you good advice to by a good saw. 

I'm going oppo and I'm going to give you some bad advice to buy 2 bad saws. 

Get on whatever your local "Craigslist" is in NZ and find 2 used, but working Poulan 4218s. These are 42 cc saws that run an 18" bar, and S52 chains. These should cost you less than 1/2 of what you'd pay for them new. 

When you get them, plan to use the better saw as your primary and the lesser saw as backup and for parts scavenging when the good one breaks down. Learn about this saw by working on it yourself. Pull it apart when it breaks. Swap the parts. Figure out all the little nuances and quirks. 

When I look for these saws on craigslist, I always find them. Usually I can pick one up for $60 bucks or less. these saws sell for 150 new in big box stores. I run them for a year or two, and I beat the crap out of them until they run no more. Then I get another. 

I have a couple big Stihl saws I use for big stuff, but when I want to get some quick stuff done, I pick up a small, lightweight, agile crap saw and I use it as hard as I feel like. My logging buddies laugh at me, but they stop laughing when I ask how much they paid for theirs, and I tell them I could buy 8 of these pieces of junk for that much. And they run. They start. They cut like any other saw with a good sharp chain. 


lxskllr

There's a lot to be said about a cheap saw. I've done a fair amount of cutting with my PoulanPro, and only got a Stihl this year for a big job. Even on the big job, I used the Poulan to buck a log that was 30% buried in the ground. I had the bar jammed into the dirt getting that log cut. I wouldn't have like doing that with the Stihl. The PoulanPro was paid for on the first job I bought it for ~8 years ago, and everything else has been a bonus afaic. It's now running kind of rough. I'm hoping it'll straighten out with some good run time, but if it doesn't, oh well.

I certainly wouldn't center my business on a PoulanPro, but it makes a fantastic limbing saw, and a "I don't want my Stihl anywhere near that" saw. Takes the strain of the major equipment for a fairly low price.

barbender

Those 42cc Poulans should work dandy on the 3-4' diameter wood she will likely be cutting.😁
Too many irons in the fire

esteadle

Quote from: barbender on October 05, 2018, 06:29:22 PM
Those 42cc Poulans should work dandy on the 3-4' diameter wood she will likely be cutting.😁
Manuka and Kanuka don't get all that big. 
Kanuka and Manuka - ecological charateristics and values
• Kanuka generally has faster growth rates and reaches a larger size so it is commonly seen as trees, 10-15 m tall and more, and 15-40 cm diameter.
• Manuka generally stops at about 6-8 m height and 7-10 cm diameter, or less on the poorest soils (e.g. 1–2 m on the Te Ahumata plateau).

She ain't cutting 3-4' diameters. 
She's trimming and bucking bushes at the landing. 

lxskllr

In any case, I wouldn't want to limb with my 48" log cutter. Makes for a long day. If *one* saw is a hard number, then I'd take the bigger saw and deal with it, but something like a Poulan is good way to shave dollars, and still have a workable saw.

bandmiller2

Matariki, the guys have covered which saw all good advice. Chainsaws are like a trophy wife they like to be doodled over and kept clean. Saw maintenance is the secret to a saws long happy life. Very important to remove the bar and clean the groove and blow out the air filter. Good filing or grinding will add years to the saws life. Good luck on your venture, take it from an old man  be careful and save your back. Frank C.
A man armed with common sense is packing a big piece

Tallest

I don't have a whole a lot to add.  A lot of what you decide to go with, and what your success will cause you to stay with, will come down to personal preference.  I also think having a good relationship with your dealer/service location is almost as important, if not more-so, than what brand you choose.

I would also strongly echo (yes, that's foreshadowing ;)) those who have recommended 2 saws.  I would get a light weight one (max 40-45 CC) and a slightly heaver than mid-range one (60-80cc).

I personally like Echos a lot. The CS310 and the CS352 are both solid options. And if you paired one of those the CS620 or CS680 you would have 95% of your bases covered. And even if you don't like or have access to Echos, the principle holds true across whatever brand.

Best of luck!
Matthew

sawdusty1

Don't drink the Stihl Koolaid, get a Husqvarna 555.
Woodmizer LT15
Husqvarna 550xp
Husqvarna 372xp
Husqvarna 350
Husqvarna 55 Rancher
Husqvarna 181se
Kubota L4701

Inaotherlife

I don't know much. But I'd want to try and start with two saws.
And if on a budget, I'd probably put a bigger saw on the backburner and buy a couple of Echo CS 590's.... or really an Echo CS 590 and a lightweight like a Stihl MS 241 CM.

I'd imagine lots of reaching and stuff to stumble over when dealing with cleanups, and a lightweight compact saw like a 241 might get a lot more play than in some other situations.

I'm not in the firewood business, but my most used saw is a super lightweight Echo CS 361P, and it is a joy to use.
I would've bought the Stihl MS 201 C, but over twice the price.
These little 35cc saws can be highly productive in certain situations.
Aarre testasi kaksi kevytsahaa | Aarre 2016 - YouTube

Of course, nothing wrong with what esteadle suggested by getting a couple of really cheap saws. Especially if that's the difference in getting the ball rolling to start making some money.
You'd have them and some extra chains paid for in no time and then you could start adding to the mix.

mike_belben

Im cutting punky clearing wood from a pile in my buddies pasture again for his OWB.  I put a 16" stihl bar and chain (that i had) on my 372xp using some little springs for bar stud adapters.  Up to 20" wood i think its the cats meow and only takes a few minutes to file.  

When small logs are piled up you work twice as hard to cut with a long bar because the dogs are backed out and you cant lever off them so its all muscle.  With a 16 i can bury the sprocket nose, crank one handed off the dogs and just rip through wood without getting jammed up in the log under it when the pile shifts, which it does constantly.  Im standing on a log pile and cutting every piece i can get a straight shot at.  Then put saw down, toss the rounds out and go again.   for bucking on a pile, short bar with sharp chain and big power.  Youll be spitting out wood. 

Running a few pulls when cold like barbender said is a good practice especially when its very cold outside or saw has sat a while.  The whole purpose of a choke is to create extra suction through the low and mid speed metering orifices inside the carb, thus bringing up more gas for a cold start.  (If your saw was prone to flooding -indicating a bad tune job- this would make it worse.  Youd want to lock throttle open, choke off and yank away to clear liquid fuel out. 
Praise The Lord

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