ElChangoGrande
New Member
Hello! I'm an amateur, my arboreal experience has been limitted to pruning and removing trees of my own and a few family members over the decades. No climbing for me, I'll only tackle trees that a straightforward, uncomplicated drop. My saw is a CS-400 with an 18" bar.
Recently, a family member has purchased a cabin, and I've been helping out up there. There are a few trees that need to come down that are simply and straightforward enough that I feel comfortable, but they are probably a bit large for my saw, so I'm looking around at some 60-70cc saws.
Also... on a whim, I watched a youtube video on cutting a trunk into a bench, I gave it a whirl up there, and it turned out a lot better than I expected. Now it took a loooooooong time to rip the 10' long, 20" diameter trunk with my saw, but hey, it worked. In fact, the bench turned out so well that they have asked me to make more for them to surround the fire pit area. But... the other trunks I have to do them with are >= 24" across, so I'm not going to even try without a bigger saw.
On to the questions: On a 60-70cc saw, with a 24-28" bar, would a ripping chain be a good or bad idea for ripping 20+ feet of trunk down the middle? I certainly wouldn't use it for crosscutting, but I don't know if ripping chains are really only for sawmill, hard-mounted types of operations. Alternatively, is there a different chain type that would be better for long, smooth, straight cuts?
Also, thoughts on a 28" bar with a skip-tooth chain to make the crosscuts in one swoop compared to a full-compliment 24" chain and probably having to come at it from both sides?
Recently, a family member has purchased a cabin, and I've been helping out up there. There are a few trees that need to come down that are simply and straightforward enough that I feel comfortable, but they are probably a bit large for my saw, so I'm looking around at some 60-70cc saws.
Also... on a whim, I watched a youtube video on cutting a trunk into a bench, I gave it a whirl up there, and it turned out a lot better than I expected. Now it took a loooooooong time to rip the 10' long, 20" diameter trunk with my saw, but hey, it worked. In fact, the bench turned out so well that they have asked me to make more for them to surround the fire pit area. But... the other trunks I have to do them with are >= 24" across, so I'm not going to even try without a bigger saw.
On to the questions: On a 60-70cc saw, with a 24-28" bar, would a ripping chain be a good or bad idea for ripping 20+ feet of trunk down the middle? I certainly wouldn't use it for crosscutting, but I don't know if ripping chains are really only for sawmill, hard-mounted types of operations. Alternatively, is there a different chain type that would be better for long, smooth, straight cuts?
Also, thoughts on a 28" bar with a skip-tooth chain to make the crosscuts in one swoop compared to a full-compliment 24" chain and probably having to come at it from both sides?
