Help! I NEED a nice chainsaw but I know very, very little about them.

Brommeland said:
I heat both my house and my shop with wood and we cut several cords a year. I personally prefer Husqvarnas, but Stihls are OK too. Be sure to heed the safety advice given by previous posters - proper chaps, ear and eye protection and a hardhat can make all the difference.

However, you can very easily get killed felling a tree even if you do know what you're doing. Not knowing what you are doing raises the odds against you substantially. The guys who cut timber for a living here all use the winch on a 'dozer to snug up on a large tree before they even begin to notch it because large trees can be extremely unpredictable once they start moving..

If this is a one time clearing job, you might want to consider having a pro do it. Often times, you can find someone who will do the work and pay you for the timber. Then you just need a small lightweight saw for bucking the branches into firewood, which is waaay safer than dropping trees.....
Click to expand...

I walked the property which mom had bush hogged. It isn't much, just two or three acres. But this has been in my family for 200+ years and I don't intend to let get ahead of me. There are plenty of saplings that will be easy to fell for practice. Heck, I could spend a summer just clearing saplings. What I may do is clear out the small trees (small tree being 30 feet tall or less) and then get a professional outfit to cut the large, tall trees. But I won't cut any trees of any size for a while, just to be safe. Please don't think I am am going to go kamikaze cutting on the largest tree first. Is running a chainsaw dangerous? *BLEEP* yes!!! Will I be careful? Also yes. And I am going to, as much as possible, reduce the danger by wearing the proper safety equipment. A helmet (probably with eye and earpro) , chaps and steel toed boots. Am I missing anything? I feel like I will spend more money on safety equipment than on my first saw.

I think I may also need a gas brush cutter to cut back the blackberries that are too thick for a machete.

Btw, that husky 435 looks nice. I see that several reviewers had trouble getting it running or keeping it running. Is that something to do with saw tune?

Maybe I am doing wrong by looking for a saw but I love being outdoors. And I can't think of anywhere I would rather be than working on my family's land.
 
"Btw, that husky 435 looks nice. I see that several reviewers had trouble getting it running or keeping it running. Is that something to do with saw tune?"

One of the big problems with the 435 is that it is sold at box stores... They are shipped on the lean side from Husky and no one there is going to tune it for your location. Saws must meet EPA regs and the factory tends to ship them a little lean.

In your reading you have likely already heard this but it bears repeating- the most dangerous part of a saw is the tip. When you look at how the chain rotates around the tip you will understand this. Kickback is a very dangerous aspect of cutting, I have an uncle with a dandy scar across his eyebrow, saftey glasses prevented the loss of his eye. As fast as the chain is turning, a touch on the tip when you are not expecting it rotates the saw.
When cutting, keep left arm straight- this will gives some resistance if saw does try to kick up. When we are cutting, it is easy to get in an off balance position or let limbs and brush gather around our feet------STOP if you catch yourself. Always keep sure balance, not leaning over or on the saw, stop and clear away brush to avoid tripping with runing saw in hand. Been there, done that.

Saws are no more dangerous than motorcycles, ATV's or driving but until you build up your experience and reflexes, do go slow and learn basic saftey.

On the expense of saftey equiment VS saw :) You might own numerous saws over the years but one screw up without safety equipment to back you up and you are left with an injury that can be nasty and even permanent.

I have not seen it mentioned but avoid top handle saws ala Stihl MS200 style. They are great tools but only for experienced sawyers.

Bill
 
I have an old Stihl 040 from 1966. It was my grandfathers. No real safeties on it but it rips. When I fire it up the whole neighborhood can hear me. Shit is it loud.
 
I vote for a Stihl or Husky with at least a 20 inch bar. When you can, pick up a spare bar and several extra chains. It is easier to keep them sharp than to run them to dull and then bring them back. A longer bar is less leaning over but a lot more dangerous from kick backs. I once ran a 048 Husky with a 42 inch bar. I could sink the dogs and pull up on the handle as hard as I could and not bog that saw down. Shaps, gloves, eye and hearing protection is a good idea. Having a buddy around is good too in case something goes wrong.

A few plastic wedges and a hatchet/boys axe in your kit can be very handy. Use good fresh gas with the correct mix.

Check these chainsaw ratings and reviews , it may help you
 
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