choosing a clearing saw

Rick Alger · September 15, 2011, 04:00:05 PM

I'm looking at a job to thin 40 acres of mostly 2"-6" hardwood with some alders and softwoods. I need to buy a clearing saw. Price is an issue, but so is efficiency. What saw would you recommend?

lumberjack48 · September 15, 2011, 04:30:06 PM

I would buy a MS 261, this saw would serve you many years.

T Welsh · September 15, 2011, 04:42:09 PM

Rick, I have a Stihl FS220, older model but did the job and I still have it 20 years later. get one with a solid steel shaft. as for what brand or model your choice! If I am going to purchase a tool I want what I pay for and more.I don,t want a use one or two time tool and it fall apart on me. I am a Stihl man myself, have over 10 of them! do your home work on line and then visit dealer and get your hands on one, see how it fit,s the weight and the harness system. working 40 acres means you will have it on your shoulder for at least 8 hrs. good luck. Tim

zopi · September 15, 2011, 09:05:52 PM

For home amd farm use...290 with a full chisel chain...the yellow links...I have a 290, that I have beaten the tar out of for several years...

Might get into a 362 i. A few days though...

tjdub · September 15, 2011, 09:51:19 PM

Quote from: Rick Alger on September 15, 2011, 04:00:05 PM
I'm looking at a job to thin 40 acres of mostly 2"-6" hardwood with some alders and softwoods.

Skip the saw and rent a dozer

tyb525 · September 15, 2011, 09:58:38 PM

It's tough to selectively thin with a dozer ;) I would spring for a brush saw like SwampDonkey uses.

tim in New York · September 15, 2011, 10:02:12 PM

If its more 2" than 6", I would look at a small arborist saw. I bought a Stihl 192T a couple of years ago for brushing and small limb work and it is ideal for that kind of task and very easy on the back - a bit over 6 lbs. Used it exclusively for thinning a small maple grove of 1" to 6" hard maple over the past couple of years - it worked great.

Tim

zopi · September 15, 2011, 10:06:55 PM

If yer gonna go that route...moght spring for the 200t...192 is underpowered....I un one several hours a day.

Believe it or not, my hardest worki.g saw is the ms 180c...with picco chain....that little bugger will not stop...

John Mc · September 15, 2011, 10:10:24 PM

To clarify and focus the recommendations a bit:

By "clearing saw", I assume you are referring to the "weed-whacker on steroids" type, and not a chainsaw, correct?

Rick Alger · September 15, 2011, 10:45:36 PM

Yes, some type of large brush saw.

SwampDonkey · September 16, 2011, 06:47:31 AM

Rick your gonna need a Stihl FS550 clearing saw if your going to get anything done on your thinning job or a top end Husky clearing saw if you prefer that brand. It's not cheap, but are you getting paid for this work? That might make it much easier to let go of them green backs. It's obvious to me some fella's have not run a chainsaw thinning brush and saplings before on an area much bigger than a couple acres. They would be long expired before a 40 acre job got cut. I ain't blowing smoke at you, just bring one of them power saws up here and I'll prove it. And when you consider efficiency, you'll be asking me for my clearing saw real quick. :D You'll probably have to order the saw, it seems most fellas to the south don't see value in pre-commercial thinning and many places in the south it's probably too dang hot. Makes you wonder about chainsaw work though. ;)

submarinesailor · September 16, 2011, 06:54:18 AM

Quote from: zopi on September 15, 2011, 10:06:55 PM
Believe it or not, my hardest worki.g saw is the ms 180c...with picco chain....that little bugger will not stop...

zopi - I have it's younger brother, the 017 and it ran great for me for many years. Now it is cutting out on me as soon as it heats up. My buddy is putting a new coil in it and hopefully I'll have it back soon.

Bruce

Ed_K · September 22, 2011, 07:43:50 PM

I run a husky 240r had it 12 yrs and it's not been rebuilt yet. 1"to 4" they work best,bigger stems are hard to not pinch the blade.I use carbide tablesaw blades,but like i've mentioned in another thd don't use a blade that has slots cut into it for harmonic balance. And wear your chaps.

John Mc · September 22, 2011, 09:07:36 PM

Quote from: Ed_K on September 22, 2011, 07:43:50 PM
I run a husky 240r had it 12 yrs and it's not been rebuilt yet. 1"to 4" they work best,bigger stems are hard to not pinch the blade.I use carbide tablesaw blades,but like i've mentioned in another thd don't use a blade that has slots cut into it for harmonic balance. And wear your chaps.

Are table saw blades rated for the RPMs that a clearing saw turns?

sawguy21 · September 22, 2011, 11:54:58 PM

Definitely not, he is asking for trouble. The average table saw spins at 3450, a clearing saw like Swamps will do three times that. If he hits a stone or grounds the blade it may well shatter and ruin his whole day. The carbide tips are not designed for that kind of work and will really fly at that speed.

SwampDonkey · September 23, 2011, 03:43:08 AM

A proper saw and blade for the job and you don't need chaps. A brush saw blade that is used professionally on thinning operations is only $20 and parts don't break off it. An under powered saw in the bigger stuff is harder on the clutch, shaft and front end angle gears. I get about 2 years out of a front end, and shaft rarely goes and the clutch lasts at least 4 years. As far as owning a saw 12 years and not having a rebuild, I guess it all depends on the ground cut. If you cut 100 acres over 12 years or 100 acres a year. ;)

I lent my old saw, 2003 model, out to a fellow at the end of one season and he thought he was going to blow it up. It worked so good. I used it for another year after that and still have it. I had bought a new one in 2006 and the old one was a spare parts saw after that. As far as I know the power unit still works fine, it did the last time I used it in 2009. I need to pick up a new fuel line filter for by 2006 saw though.

Bro. Noble · September 23, 2011, 10:26:42 AM

I bought an FS130 mostly to use as a trimmer and with a brush blade. I did get a chisel saw blade which I havn't tried yet but will use on stuff about 1-2". The instructions on maintaining the blade weren't very clear, a tutorial on sharpening and setting would be appreciated as well as any other tips on using and sharpening these blades.

Thanks

John Mc · September 23, 2011, 12:39:02 PM

There is a special tool you use to put the correct "set" in each tooth on the blade. I have to confess, I'm not sure if I'm using mine correctly, but the blade seems to cut OK when I'm done. Hopefully, someone else will provide a good description on how it is used.

To sharpen the teeth, I use a 7/32 file with the same Oregon jig I use to hold the file when sharpening a chainsaw:

The only difference is that I use an angle 15 degrees from perpendicular to the blade, rather than the 25˚ angle I use when filing a chainsaw. It does not take much to get one of these blades sharpened... much quicker than sharpening a chainsaw.

SwampDonkey · September 23, 2011, 06:45:31 PM

The set tool is pretty pricy to. The file guide by Stihl has a "make do" set tool on the end. It's not really stiff enough steel though to set teeth. I have used it though. The proper one is all designed to be pretty much fool proof. You just pull down on it and the tool comes to rest at the proper set. The one on the file guide will often slip off the blade if your not careful. The blades we get all come sharpened and set. In hardwood the set will go out quicker than softer woods. I never really use a set gauge much though, the reason being I've usually got the blade beat to crap on rocks and dirt mounds unless I'm on field plantation. The file guide by Stihl also has the marks for the angles. What you need to keep an eye on is the tip of the tooth has to be in a straight line profile with the 15 degrees and not round over the corners. Even the very the edge of the tooth on the upper and lower surface of the blade should be square to and not rounded over from hitting rocks or you won't cut much. You'll feel like you are using an axe and over long use like that will beat the heck out of the saw.

Here is the file guide most of us use in the woods. I've had this one for years.

I usually file the blade right on the saw. The tip of your saw teeth point to the left when your holding the saw. What I do is put the power unit of the saw on to ground. I then lift the blade end up to my chest level, teeth pointing to chest (blade nut to your left). Hold the blade with gloves on and lift the handle end of the file guide to 90 degrees with the file touching the tooth. Locate a tooth pointing away from your body (toward the handle bars) and use the 15 ° mark closest to the handle on the guide to begin. I rub the tooth on the forward stroke using that line on the guide to line up with the tooth width, the file itself lines up with the cutting tip of the tooth. Step to the opposite side of the blade, again with the teeth facing toward you, now use the 15 degree mark closest to the set guide. Blade nut to the right now. You may find that the file cuts quicker when using the first mark. My palm of my left hand usually rests on the blade near the blade guard to act as a break.

If you wanted to make a wooden vise to sharpen the blade, all we do is cut off an aspen about 3 feet high on a 45 slant and run the blade on the top of the stump to cut a slit for the blade to rest into. Simple. Now that was just using the round file. If you hit something to round of the edges of the blade or the tooth gets too much hook to it, it's time to dig out the flat file and file the claw off and then refile. You can usually only do this once, maybe twice, and then the blade is pretty much used up. When I file off the claw I usually file at 15 degrees free hand down flush so there is no hook left. Then file a notch like it was when taken out of the carton.

Uses 7/32 file in the guide.