Chainsaw Advice

Stihl. I also live in a "logging community", and I see more Stihl chainsaws more than any other brand, (with Homelite coming-in a close second). I've seen some pretty beat-up Stihl saws, and eventho it looked like they had been dropped out of an airplane (4 or 5 times), landing on a hard surface, it seems like they still run and cut wood pretty well.
 
I went to the Home Depot website, and they had a bunch of no-name brand electic saws which weren't too expensive.

Now, I figure these ain't as macho or capable as a good 14" Stihl or Husqvarna. Then again, I'm not Paul Bunyan cutting down 1/2 of Washington State! Are these worth considering?

EricD asks a good question - how do I intend to cut the branches above my head.

Well, part of my house roof is totally flat, so I can walk around up there no prob. On the big branches, I'm thinking of slicing off maybe as small as 2" thick rounds at a time - a big 6" diameter branch is less than 2ft over my roof - I was just gonna let the rounds drop.

For the other stuff, I have 6 ft. ladder - could always buy another taller one. Is this a bad idea?

Bruise
 
Depends on who you ask.

If you asked the OSHA guy or my wife, your feet wouldn't leave the ground without you donning a harness, parachute, flame retardent coveralls and an up to date vaccination record.

If you ask me, I'd say that is a fine idea. But then again, I have climbed trees and trimmed branches. I've stood on a ladder, on a roof, and even on a 55 gallon drum. I have actually revved up the saw, aimed, and JUMPED up to whack one last limb that I couldn't reach from the ground. But then again, I have numerous stitches and came extremely close to lopping my arm off at the elbow. I do not recommend emulating my cutting style to anyone, even trained stuntmen with OSHA/Wife approved gear. Use the wife's train of thought:

"If you would yell at the kids for doing it, it probably isn't a good idea."

Now, as to your electric chainsaw idea. We have one here at work in the shop. We use it to cut off ends of lumber and cut up old used wood to fit into the burn stove. It is extremely lightweight, so you could use it one handed whilst standing on a ladder and holding on to something else. It is very quiet so it won't wake up your neighbor who works graveyard shift. There is no bar oil to add, no gas to mix, no spark plug to clean and gap. No yankin' and crankin' to get it fired up. Pull the trigger and you are whackin' stuff down.

You are limited to how much cord you can stretch out, but I never had any problem reaching any of my property with an electric hedge trimmer. This thing doesn't have alot of power, so limbs are about your limit. (Limbit? Limb-it? Hmmm.) Anyways, you ain't gonna drop a tree with one. But it sure beats the heck out of that pole/rope/limb saw jobbie, as you can cut up the limbs when they reach the ground.

Being who I am, I say this. ON the record I say "BLASPHEMER! How darest thou consider such a measly saw!" OFF the record, I say you'd probably clean up your household stuff just fine with an electric.
 
AS Velitrius stated, officially using a chainsaw with your feet off level sturdy dry etc. etc. ground is a no no. That said, I have used I chainsaw in a tree, on a ladder, a roof, and balancing on the top of a chain link fence. It is possible to do, but it is very important to have the right saw. If you are thinking at all of cutting above ground level make sure you buy a top handle saw. This is one of the reasons I liked the smaller echo models. The top handle saws are smaller an lighter, but also have the handle placed and balanced right for one hand use. It is much more difficult, and dangerous, to use a rear handle saw one handed.

All that said, before you go cutting limbs off a tree above your house make sure you have used the saw at least a little on the ground. This way you have some idea of haw it feels, and will react in different situations. It is not worth loosing an arm or leg over, if you think it is out of your hands call a professional. I was once called on to do an estimate for a job a homeowner thought he could do himself. He had a tree haning over his house, and wanted to cut back some branches. He ended up dropping the branches through his roof, and damaging his neighbors property too.

I would advice that you don;t actually climb the tree with a saw at all. It not only takes experience on the climbers part, but also you must have an experienced person on the ground to keep you safe. One time when I was working with a new guy my boss was supposed to be doing the ground work because he was the only one with experience. He left the new guy alone, without telling me. I cut about a 20' section off the top of a tree I was in, and it came around and almost knocked me out of the tree. The unexperinced man got scared when he saw the piece start to fall and dropped the ropes that were to direct the tree away from me and the building.

As for electric saws, I wouldn't recommend one. They don't have as much power as gas saws. It is always better to have a little extra power than not enough. Forcing a saw to cut wood that is to big will burn it up real fast. If you only need to use the saw one or two times just buy a cheaper saw. This is another reason I like the Echo models. As far as I have seen the Stihl and Husky saws cost a lot more.
 
Just how thick a piece of wood can a large electric saw reliably cut through. Does Stihl and Husqvarna make any electric models, and are they at the top of their class like their gas offerings? In other words, who makes the best electrics?

You guys didn't mention if the electrics have any major safety advantages over their gas powered counterparts.

I can pretty much reach any part of my property I need to trim with a 100 ft. extension or two, so that part would not be a problem. And, like I said, I'm not actually planning on actually cutting down any trees, just trimming branches. Though, some of those branches are fairly major (maybe 7" diameter, I'd like to remove maybe 15' of it in length - a small section at a time).

I actually shot a video for the L.A. City street tree cutting crew - the tree surgeons. I've seen these guys haul themselves up huge trees with ropes, they swing around and surgically remove branches all over the tree. Looks really wild. Don't worry, I don't intend to emulate their style.

Those squirrels on my roof are really driving me insane though.

Bruise
 
Bruise- If you are bent on doing this yourself, get a Stihl or Husky. get some chaps, gloves, goggles, ear protection and a helmet isn't a bad idea. Get some competent instruction. I actually had a chainsaw class in college. The instructor had one arm. :eek:

It sounds as though you will have some high work to do, and that will involve a lot of other equipment. It may save you time, money and appendages to just hire someone. I've done both simple felling and technical work with chainsaws. You really need to be very, very careful.

BTW- Sears has had their chainsaws and other small gas-powered equipment made by a few different manufacturers. Last I knew of, the chainsaws were by Poulan. I also believe Jacobsen-Homelite made the Sears models for a while. I have never seen, but been told there are Briggs & Stratton made Craftsman chainsaws out there. If you happen upon one, it would be worth checking out.
 
First off I'll recommend Stihl. Second off I'll recommend you buy bigger than you think you'll need. Get something that can take a 16" bar or bigger. I prefer 20" . Its not just a matter of capacity, its also reach. If your standing and cutting a log on the ground the shorter bar has you hunched over and the saw is closer to your legs. The longer bar lets you stay back a little more. And with 16" -20" its not unwieldy and you can cut pretty much anything that might come up, not just the 7" you expect. You'll probably never cut something that requires the full length of the bar, but when your laying out that kind of money you might as well get one that will last you for life and do it all. Cheaper to have just one saw.

Now for some safety recommendations. I have to admit that I don't use all the equipment available, so while its probably a good idea I can't comment on it all. Do wear safety glasses, and have good gloves, boots, and jeans.
Most important of all is how you use the saw. Maintenance is a top priority, keep it in good working order so that it idles properly, the chain locks properly, the chain has the right tension,plenty of chain oil, and all of that. A saw thats not working right is not safe. This should all be outlined in the owners manual, or explained to you hands on by the dealer.
Now for the cutting, don't wrestle the saw. Let it cut. Don't use dull chains either.
NEVER cut anything higher than your shoulders. If you have to reach above your shoulders, get something to stand on, something sturdy.
NEVER try to run the saw with only one hand.
If your trying to cut a hanging branch, make sure your the only one in the area. Cut from the top most of the way through, you can't go all the way because as it sags it will bind the saw. Stop and cut the last bit from underneath the branch. There's all kinds of tricks like this to learn, its nice if someone experienced is there to show you.
NEVER try to hold a peice up off the ground with your foot while you cut it in half. Either lay it across another peice, or build your self a sawbuck.
There's too much to list, but its all common sense really. Keep you mind on what your doing and whats happening around you. You'll get the hang of it and find that a chainsaw is a valuable tool that can save you a lot of time and effort.
 
Don't buy an electric saw. I know a few people who use them for pruning and are happy with them but its not enough for what you want to do. Besides that, the last thing you want to be worrying about in the top of a tree is dragging a damn extension cord around :grumpy:
 
Just like with your pocket knife and kitchen kives, sharp is safer than dull. Learn to keep your chain sharp or let a dealer sharpen it for you. But at least one extra chain so you will have a sharp one handy if the other one needs sharpened.
 
I agree , it sounds like lots of trees so it's a job for a tree service .There is danger in cutting down trees near the house - they are very heavy.A tree should be no closer than it's height from the house (a 75' tree should be at least 75' from the house ). If you decide to do it yourself - safety, safety, safety !!
 
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