Ice storm!

Jay Honeck wrote:

I hate to burst your bubble, but I was a professional logger for several
years and there is no such thing as a nice Homelite. :-)

If it isn't a Stihl, it isn't a chainsaw. :-)


Actually, I was talking with an experienced chain saw owner/user, as
he and I were selecting the Homelite, and we both came to the
following conclusion, after years of buying home-use yard tools:

1. The names no long mean anything. Most lawn tools are now made by
two or three companies, who sell their stuff to other brands. I've
bought top-of-the-line good-name stuff that has lasted two hours, and
I've bought no-name stuff that has lasted years of hard use.

2. Don't buy cheap.

3. Don't buy under-powered.

The Homelite had the biggest engine, and was actually the most
expensive chain saw Menard's sells. It was easy to start, easy to
run, and made quick work of what I needed to cut -- which was branches
up to 9 inches in diameter.

If I'm lucky, I'll use it MAYBE once per year, probably less. At that
rate, it will last me a lifetime.

This isn't true with chain saws. The biggest problem is that after a
couple of years, especially if not used frequently, the cheap saws tend
to get very hard to start. My Stihl often sits a year between uses as I
tend to cut and split 7-10 cord each year all in one month or so, yet it
still fires up in 3-5 pulls.

We tried every brand known to man when I was logging as the owner always
wanted to save a buck. McCulloch was the worst with Homelite close
behind along with Poulan, John Deere and several others (I think many of
the cheap saws are just rebranded as with most appliances).

Only three brands really held up at all in the woods: Stihl, Jonsereds
and Husqvarna. These are all solid saws, but the Sthihl's held up the
best. The only way we ever lost a Stihl was to drop a tree on it or run
over it with a log skidder. We NEVER wore out a Stihl engine and we had
some saws that probably had 8,000 hours on them (4-6 years of 8-5
operation 5 days a week). That is just amazing for a two-stroke engine.

I've always wondered by the aviation two-strokes were so unreliable as
Stihl certainly proved to me that two-strokes could be very reliable and
very durable.


Matt

"Matt Whiting" wrote

This isn't true with chain saws. The biggest problem is that after a
couple of years, especially if not used frequently, the cheap saws tend to
get very hard to start. My Stihl often sits a year between uses as I tend
to cut and split 7-10 cord each year all in one month or so, yet it still
fires up in 3-5 pulls.

Things change, over the years.

It is impossible to justify buying a saw at three times the cost, when you
can get a decent saw that will start reliably.

I have a Pouland that gets one or two tanks run through it, every year, or
sometimes two. It is around 6 years old, and I can guarantee that I could
go out to the cold shed, put fresh gas in it, and it would start on the
third pull.

Not everyone needs a lumberjack saw. That's the facts.
--
Jim in NC

("Morgans" wrote)
Not everyone needs a lumberjack saw. That's the facts.


But if he's got a lumberjack saw, ...he's ok? g


Montyblack

Be safe, if you are using a chainsaw on ice covered ground,
have spikes on your boots. Kevlar chaps and hearing and eye
protection, too.
If you only have a few trees, an axe will get the job done
and keep Al Gore happy [if that matters].


"Montblack" wrote
in message ...
| ("Morgans" wrote)
| Not everyone needs a lumberjack saw. That's the facts.
|
|
| But if he's got a lumberjack saw, ...he's ok? g
|
|
| Montyblack
|
|

Jim Macklin wrote:

Be safe, if you are using a chainsaw on ice covered ground,
have spikes on your boots. Kevlar chaps and hearing and eye
protection, too.

Absolutely. Chainsaws are amazing tools, but also can cause amazing
damage given one second of complacency.


If you only have a few trees, an axe will get the job done
and keep Al Gore happy [if that matters].

Axes are nearly as danagerous as chain saws, especially in the hands of
a person who uses an axe once a year or so. And if using my chain saw
bothers Algore, I'll go out and fire it up right now! :-)

Matt

Absolutely. Chainsaws are amazing tools, but also can cause amazing
damage given one second of complacency.

I know. After years of working with woodworking tools (routers,
planers, table saws, etc.) I've developed a remarkable respect for
whirling metal things.

My 16 year old son begged me to let him try the chain saw, and I
eventually relented -- but not till after a 10 minute lecture on
safety.

He did fine -- but it was like watching Mary sky-dive... Not good for
the digestion.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

"Matt Whiting" wrote

Absolutely. Chainsaws are amazing tools, but also can cause amazing
damage given one second of complacency.

Absolutely positively.

I have my own near miss chainsaw story, from long ago.

I was standing on a very steep hill, of a 45 degree angle or more. The tree
I was cutting down was not that big, but I needed to reposition myself, and
stopped cutting and took the saw out of the cut.

My complacency was that the saw needed adjusting, and I had to keep jazzing
the throttle to keep it running. Big mistake.

Of course, the chain keeps going while you are jazzing the throttle. As I
repositioned, I suddenly saw orange from my International Orange overalls
fly (required aviation content g) into the air. The saw got too close to
my leg, but the good thing is that it just touched my clothes, without even
getting down to my jeans.

Needless to say, I stopped and adjusted the saw.
--
Jim in NC

Axes are dangerous, but if all you're going to do is lop a
few branches and makes some smaller tree trunks light enough
to move, and axe can do the job for $20 or so given some
time. You also need to be able to swing it.

But a dull axe is a real pain to use. It is also dangerous
because it can fail to bite and skip off the log and if
anyone is close, make a real bad cut or kill them. Lots of
room needed.

Chain saws need to be sharp too. If you don't control the
cut, it can swing into a leg or arm and do a 1 second
amputation that will be very hard to put back. The Kevlar
vests and leggings are designed jam the chain and stall the
saw before it gets to the bone..

And you can get frame or buck saw. It all depends on how
much time you want to trade for money.


I think more chain saws are ruined by improper chain oiling
and the engines are ruined by too much or no oil in the
fuel. Also saw dust can block the cooling fins and the saw
will over-heat and destroy the piston and warp the head.


"Matt Whiting" wrote in message
...
| Jim Macklin wrote:
|
| Be safe, if you are using a chainsaw on ice covered
ground,
| have spikes on your boots. Kevlar chaps and hearing and
eye
| protection, too.
|
| Absolutely. Chainsaws are amazing tools, but also can
cause amazing
| damage given one second of complacency.
|
|
| If you only have a few trees, an axe will get the job
done
| and keep Al Gore happy [if that matters].
|
| Axes are nearly as danagerous as chain saws, especially in
the hands of
| a person who uses an axe once a year or so. And if using
my chain saw
| bothers Algore, I'll go out and fire it up right now! :-)
|
| Matt

Montblack wrote:

("Morgans" wrote)

Not everyone needs a lumberjack saw. That's the facts.



But if he's got a lumberjack saw, ...he's ok? g


Montyblack

You sure that isn't Mountblack?

Matt

"Montblack" wrote in message
...
("Morgans" wrote)
Not everyone needs a lumberjack saw. That's the facts.


But if he's got a lumberjack saw, ...he's ok? g


He's a lumberjack and he's okay
He sleeps all night and he works all day.