Happiness is a sharp chain for your chainsaw.

555 said:
:cool: They must be loud neighbors. :D
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A couple of my neighbors would completely agree with you when its firewood time around here. I typically burn 6 or 7 cords of white birch a year, and it keeps the oil truck away. I only use less than 45 gallons of oil per year. The Jonsered 67 cc super is a nice loud saw:D
 
Now that's a chainsaw! :)

[video=youtube;60Tamp2fHhg]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60Tamp2fHhg&feature=player_embedded[/video]
 
I work already for about 15 years with a chainsaw. My dad tought me that tool when I was about 13 or 14 years old. We own a forest at our own. So I needed to learn about it. Now, for about five years I use an old Stihl MS 028 with aluminium frame. For bigger trees I use a 50 years old Sachs-Dolmar with about a half metre long sword on it.

Keeping the chain sharp? We have a electric machine in my dads workingshag to fix it up. I on my own, own about five chains for each chainsaw. They are heavily used and never failed at work. There were a couple of hellish things that can happen with a saw. So we all wear the safety pants, the helmet and the jacket.

No beginner should go to woods and work with that tool, it might be deadly. I lost a good friend of mine about four years ago during wood-working. A darr branch broke of a tree and fell on his head, so he was dead. That was really sh*t that days. He was pretty professional, just like me and dad. We do it already since I think.

Kind regards
 
I dont do much cutting these days but when I do its with a Husqvarna 246. Not the beefiest saw but does quite well so long as you keep the rpms up. I use a round file when necessary... Wouldnt mind going back to a Stilh 660, though I'd "settle" for a 460!
 
555 said:
That's impressive. Those saws have a bad reputation from what I've heard and read. How many seasons do you get from one of these saws and do you have any trouble finding parts.

Back in the day I was a die hard USA Homelite guy who later made the switch because of the limited parts stream I was running into. Still have the saws and they still run but with months to a year of down time was getting too much to stay with the brand.
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The one that I'm running now,I bought used but it didn't look like it had many hours on it when I got it,I'm on my secong season of cutting with it and the only problems that I've had with it are the upper spring in the top handle,but Poulan had an updated spring kit for it when I replaced it and it's been good since.I'm going to have to replace the cover that holds the recoil before long,it's starting to crack around the cooling fins but that's my fault,I start it like we always did trim saws when your up a tree when I worked for Asplunhd.You can get parts online for them but I've got 2 places local that don't stock many parts but they can get parts in about 2 days if you need something,if I order the parts online they come right to my door in about the same time.We always ran Homelites,Dad was a dealer for awhile about 40 years ago or so but the Homelites today aren't what they used to be.I don't baby the Poulans and mine will start on the second pull in any weather but I'm usually not cutting if it's below 20 degrees or so out.I have a buddy that runs Huskys but he's a pro logger and he swears by them but for me,I can't see the extra expense for one that you buy from Lowes or Tractor Supply.I had a Stihl for awhile a few years back and that thing drove me nuts until I blew the engine on it one day!
 
I have an old Jonsered I put to use every now and then. Usually have a touchup with the round file every time I refuel. Have been looking to buy one of these electric sharpeners to have in my garage but out in the field a file is the way to go anyway.
 
Well, outside that file in the fields, I would prefer an extra chain taking with me to the woods. Sharping I can do at home. Just my 2 Cents. :)

Kind regards
 
Stihl ms361 for the most part. I'm lucky, my brother likes to sharpen the chains, I think he's crazy, so I always have a few fresh one hanging in the shed.
 
beau5278 said:
The one that I'm running now,I bought used but it didn't look like it had many hours on it when I got it,I'm on my secong season of cutting with it and the only problems that I've had with it are the upper spring in the top handle,but Poulan had an updated spring kit for it when I replaced it and it's been good since.I'm going to have to replace the cover that holds the recoil before long,it's starting to crack around the cooling fins but that's my fault,I start it like we always did trim saws when your up a tree when I worked for Asplunhd.You can get parts online for them but I've got 2 places local that don't stock many parts but they can get parts in about 2 days if you need something,if I order the parts online they come right to my door in about the same time.We always ran Homelites,Dad was a dealer for awhile about 40 years ago or so but the Homelites today aren't what they used to be.I don't baby the Poulans and mine will start on the second pull in any weather but I'm usually not cutting if it's below 20 degrees or so out.I have a buddy that runs Huskys but he's a pro logger and he swears by them but for me,I can't see the extra expense for one that you buy from Lowes or Tractor Supply.I had a Stihl for awhile a few years back and that thing drove me nuts until I blew the engine on it one day!
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That's not bad. I have an in law who only got a couple of afternoons out of his.

I also had a Handle spring issue on a Homelite and was able to fix it with Hardware Store parts. The last time I ordered parts for a Homelite the dealer never got the part in, another place took about 4 to 6 months to get it in and yet another shop helped me make something do, to get the saw going again.

What happened to the Stihl, those things can be hard to start, but are built like a tank.
 
I always have an extra chain and bar with me but sometimes it just easier to dress the chain with a round file.

Just dressed 3 blades and, 1/2 a cord later, ( you know ya gotta test it to see how sharp it is), I called it a mornin'.
 
For years I had an 028- then upped to a 044. If I could have only one now it would be a well tuned Husq 359 or a MS361- great saws and lots of go for the weight- low vibes. Don't forget chaps and a hard hat screen guard- mine had several good scars from dead limbs that shook out. Dad watched as one pole axed me to my knees, I was cleaning out some standing dead and the top broke out!

Tsumura and Sugihara make good bars. Woodland Pro and Stihl RSC are good chain.

Bill
 
Standing dead wood is so dangerous, I try to do mosta my cuttin' with a partner, (always make the work easier and the time go faster, not to mention the extra eyes and hands come in handy :) ), I've seen trees shake very little but enough to snap the top 15'-20' of the tree and send it plummeting to the ground, sometime like a missle sometimes lengthwise, either way it hits hard.
 
The Stihl was an 028 and it was a pain to start,ran ok once it was running but just wouldn't start for anything,I gave it a sniff of either one day and it coughed out all the lower rod bearings so I sold the parts that were left and moved on.I've heard good things about the 044,they're suppose to really run good with a little port work.
 
I had a poulan for years and used it so infrequently that I always gummed it up

Bought a husqy to replace it and it had a cataclysmic engine failure the first day I owned it. Lowes took it back and I got a cheap electric that has served me well.

I love Stihl equipment and own 3 different ones, but they can sure be hard to start unless you have an easy start model ( which eliminates most of their pro line)
 
@beau: I talked to friend of mine, who´s also some kind lumber-nerd like me and my dad. The 044 is really a good chainsaw. But most of the guys here in germany think, that the older Stihl modells are more durable and absolute hard-duty-tools which are always worth of repairing it. As long as it gets, for sure ;)

In the Germany Forest Authority are now Husquarna chainsaws used. Before that they use Stihl.

Nevertheless; a good chainsaw is a good tool. Using the safety-tips can help to save your life.

We always used to make our firewood ourselves. Nearly about 100 kubitmetres per year. So that´s a lot of wood ;)

Kind regards
 
Humppa said:
@beau: I talked to friend of mine, who´s also some kind lumber-nerd like me and my dad. The 044 is really a good chainsaw. But most of the guys here in germany think, that the older Stihl modells are more durable and absolute hard-duty-tools which are always worth of repairing it. As long as it gets, for sure ;)

In the Germany Forest Authority are now Husquarna chainsaws used. Before that they use Stihl.

Nevertheless; a good chainsaw is a good tool. Using the safety-tips can help to save your life.

We always used to make our firewood ourselves. Nearly about 100 kubitmetres per year. So that´s a lot of wood ;)

Kind regards
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You guys can probably still get real Husqvarna saws in Germany,and I guess there are still some sold by dealers over here but most are bought at chain stores like Lowes and Tractor Supply and sadly,they're not the same saw.Stihl still has a dealer network but from what I understand their consumer grade saws have gone downhill considerably.
 
Husqvarna outlawed internet sales to protect dealers but then they have VERY few full line dealers.... they allow the likes of Lowes to sell their lower grade saws which constitutes a "protected dealer region". Any and every saw should be tuned for the local conditions when sold, but Lowes does not do this. So folks buy a lower grade Husky from Lowes and run it on factory settings(often times lean) and they burn up- then people decide that Husky is trash.

I used to have an online dealer for mine and a local saw mechanic that tuned them on arrival. Guy was so good, I did not bother buying my own tach. Swing by and drop him 5.00 and he tuned them quite nicely- even after the exhaust hole in the muffler grew a skosh ;)

He even had an old like new rotary engine Sachs Dolmar hanging over the door. From his dealer days.

We have one decent dealer of John Deere/Husqvarna in town that stocks some pro grade saws. and even a Stihl dealer 30 miles away that stocks Huskys.

Bill
 
All I can tell you about Stihl is, that it´s a typical german company. Here (in Bavaria) are some guys that just repair theese saws and maintain them. You can get new parts for pretty old saws at a low prize range. The repairing is pretty cheap. The service is made by guys that do that job for a lot of decades. They are professionals. To new Stihl saws I can say, that the quality didn´t change over the years. During winter 2009 / 2010 my old Stihl MS028 went down and I gave it to repair service about two kilometres away from here. I got a new one, because I had to do a lot of work, that had to be done while ground was frozen. I got a new one with all that nice gimmicks like heated grip, toolless chain-tensioning and such things. The quality was good. Pretty good. Sure; the frame was plastic, my old saw is still aluminium frame. I could try it out about a week.

Don´t want to change right now. Til mine is completelly down.

Husquarna are still the original ones. Can´t imagine which one you can buy for low-bugdet there in the US. Here they are nearly as expensive as Stihl saws.

I never would change my Stihl to a Dolmar or a Johnsered. Though I already heard that Johnsered made good saws in the past. From nowadays I can´t tell you.

Kind regards
 
Humppa,
I will not try to quote the company names but corporate mergers led to the same company owning Husqvarna and Poulan. The parent company decided it needed a low cost line of saws for homeowner that only occasionally need a saw for yard work. They used the Poulan name and began making smaller <55cc saws under the Poulan and Husqvarna name in the same factory. Then they market them through "box stores"- you buy and item in a box and take it home- for added convenience and mass sales.

I have owned both the home owner line and the professional line. Worlds of difference. Stihl has followed suit in the past few years on having now three lines of saws. Homeowner, Landowner(farms and ranches) and Professional. It is a good approach to cover the market but if a person buys the lower grade line and then burns it up- they assume the company makes all light duty junk. People often like to place their own responsibility on others- they buy the low line and blame the company. The lines are engineered with the idea of how many "use hours" that line should be expected to give during its service life.

Gernerally- Husky models starting with the number 1 or 2 are homeowner saws. Saws starting with "3" are landowner or professional grade. But, again, EVERY saw purchased should be tuned by a competent mechanic to assure the proper mix or fuel and air. 2 cycles do not have valves and different atmoshperic locations need different tuning.-------no different that reprofiling or sharpening the edge on a new knife.

Oh yes, Jonsered saws are made in the same factories as Husqvarna.

Bill
 
SLiMBiLT said:
I've never had the best results with a file or the Dremel attachment and am on the verge of springing for one of these:

http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?p=67753&cat=51&ap=4
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All right, my buddy just got one of these from Lee Valley and it is hands down the best sharpener for in the field or home sharpenin'.

The whole shebang cost $130 shipped and I've already revived 3 chains I thought unsalvagble, brought all three up to "holy s**t that's sharp" sharpness, I would highly recomend this system.
 
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