Deep thoughts for those seeking a firewood saw...

[Wes]

I don't know how it is with you guys, but when I'm cutting with my 50cc saw (MS270) there are usually a few times that I wish I had a bigger saw, and lots of times when I would have liked a smaller saw. Lots of sawing where the wood is between waist- and shoulder-high makes you want a lighter saw...

I'll take a sharp chain over CCs. I just have to laugh when I'm helping my neighbors and they're burning their way through a tree with their big manly saws.

 

[Chopwood]

Sharp chain is only a file away. I square file in the woods. Run a big saw (394,066 ect...) in a big pile of wood and then go back to your 50cc saw. I don't know, but I would rather cut 3-5 blocks a minute instead of 1-2.

 

[NYH1]

I also prefer to use a smaller, lighter and easier handling saw whenever possible. I use my 021 (14" b&c) for limbing and bucking up 4 to 10 inch wood. Maybe even up to 12 inches if my 029 isn't right next to me. I use my 029 (had a 20" b&c now it's got a 18" NK b&c) for felling and bucking up 10 to 16 inch (sometimes a little bigger) trees and logs. Seeing that the average size of the firewood I cut is 8 to 12 inch cherry and it what I cut about 75% of the time I'm going to get a 353 (with a 16" b&c). There might be a 357XP or a MS361 in my future to replace/upgrade my 029 but that isn't going to happen anytime soon.

This what I'll be using next spring and summer.
021- 4 to 6 inch wood.
353- 6 to 12 inch wood.
029- 12 inches and up.

 

[GitWood]

I'll take a sharp chain over CCs. I just have to laugh when I'm helping my neighbors and they're burning their way through a tree with their big manly saws.

I'm with you there. I went cutting wood with a group of guys to cut some wood for a fundraiser. My little cs346 would out-cut them all. A couple of Stihl MS290s, a Jonsered and an older homelite. Good saws, all of which should have been able to cut circles around me. Relative to the folks on this site, I am probably only fair at filing a chain, but compared with most folks that I see running chainsaws, I am a guru.

 

[manual]

I find this interesting,
Guess this is why there are so many saws to choose from.
And so many brands.

 

[Indiana John]

Sharp chain is only a file away. I square file in the woods. Run a big saw (394,066 ect...) in a big pile of wood and then go back to your 50cc saw. I don't know, but I would rather cut five 3-5 blocks a minute instead of 1-2.

Well, maybe it's just me, but I've got way more time than I do money! I have a hard time justifying spending $600-$700 for a saw for weekend woodcutting. I heat my shop strictly with wood, and I spend more time in my shop than I do my house. I mostly use my MS250 with the 16" bar, and my 041 Farm Boss with a 20" bar. Both run full-chisel and I keep them sharp. Both these saws will eat thru dead elm and such with enough speed to keep me happy!

 

[manual]

Well, maybe it's just me, but I've got way more time than I do money! I have a hard time justifying spending $600-$700 for a saw for weekend woodcutting. I heat my shop strictly with wood, and I spend more time in my shop than I do my house. I mostly use my MS250 with the 16" bar, and my 041 Farm Boss with a 20" bar. Both run full-chisel and I keep them sharp. Both these saws will eat thru dead elm and such with enough speed to keep me happy!

Not to pick a fight,
How would feel if you hired a guy to cut your wood by the hour and he showed up with a MS025

 

[Indiana John]

I don't get your point.......
Seems like comparing apples to oranges. If I hire a pro to do work for me (never happens), I would expect him to come equipped for the job at hand. If I've got a 36" tree to be cut down, I would not expect him to bring an MS250 to do the job. Conversely if I only had a few small limbs (up to 8"), I wouldn't expect him to need a 36" saw! What I was talking about was me cutting firewood for myself, not doing pro work for others.

 

[hautions11]

I agree that it really depends on what type of wood you normally find. People with wood lots that can pick their trees have a lot more options in the size of trees they cut. For myself, the bigger saw is important due to the trees I typically get. People seem a lot more inclined to give away "big" trees. If it is small and the homeowner can get it with their Wal Mart saw. If it real big and ugly, they want to give it away to get rid of it. A couple of examples below. 38" base on the ash.

42" on the oak.

I love my 044 for 90% of the cutting and 064 for the bigger trunks.

 

[manual]

I don't get your point.......
Seems like comparing apples to oranges. If I hire a pro to do work for me (never happens), I would expect him to come equipped for the job at hand. If I've got a 36" tree to be cut down, I would not expect him to bring an MS250 to do the job. Conversely if I only had a few small limbs (up to 8"), I wouldn't expect him to need a 36" saw! What I was talking about was me cutting firewood for myself, not doing pro work for others.

Like I said not trying to pick a fight.
Just having deep thoughts.
For me time is money rather I am doing it for myself or someone else.
Now a guy could take and pile those 8" limbs and take that 36" saw and cut more then one piece at a time.

 

[Gark]

"make sure it's fun"...
That's the biggy. Make sure it's FUN for the kids. I've met some (too many) people that won't even think about firewood sawing because as kids they did fuelwood and took it as drudgery work. Seems that some kids nowadays expect their rewards immediately.

 

[precaud]

I wish I had a need for a monster saw... I definitely fall into the 'small saw' camp because we don't have hardwoods here, and the pinon tress I get are rarely bigger than 20" at the base, with most in the 12" to 16" range. With my 011AVT I limb and fell only standing dead pinon trees, cut into 7' lengths, haul away and stack. Next season it gets bucked to 16"-18" with a Makita UC4000 electric and split by hand. (The Makita is torquey, very quiet, and I don't have to breathe 2-cycle exhaust...) Chains get sharpened every day before use. I did 5 full cords this year, and only wished I had a bigger saw once or twice.

 

[SawTroll]

.... when you take everything into account from the tree to the wood stove, the time difference in using a larger saw for everything is not even significant. .....

That is often the case, yes - but a larger saw is more fun.......:greenchainsaw:

 

[Monkeyhanger]

1. ...match you saw to the hauling limits of your kids. If they're really young, 6" rounds may be all they can carry...

2. As the kids grow up, they can start sawing and they can carry bigger rounds to the truck...

Hi,

when I'm out cutting firewood the last thing I want is to have to watch out for the kids as well as myself. I find it is always dangerous even after the trees have been dropped. I have had to get a new helmet after being hit by a falling branch while taking a break. The branch that hit me was broken off by a tree that was dropped days before... I was lucky though, got away with just having to buy a new helmet. Can't say I like the feeling of being kicked in the head from above!

As for the kids helping around here you have to be 18 years or older to use a chainsaw, again I don't want to have to worry about them being safe. So for me kids, wives, dogs and other bystanders are a definate "no go" when I'm falling trees or where trees have recently been "dropped".

However I normally cut hardwoods such as beech, ash, oak etc. in fairly dense stands so it is just too risky to have anybody that doesn't really know whats what in the way.

As far as saws go Freakingstang summed it up quite well.

Bye

 

[computeruser]

As for the kids helping around here you have to be 18 years or older to use a chainsaw...

Out of curiosity, how is that law/regulation/custom enforced?

Glad we have no such law around here or I never would have made as much money as a 16 year old as I did...

 

[oldsaw]

Or, just buy a 70cc saw from the get-go and not have to worry about it again.

Why did this post continue on from here? This is the correct answer. If you are going to work with your saw, you need a saw that can work. I would have a 70cc saw with a 20" bar, unless I knew I'd get by with a 16" on the job. Keep a 28" bar with a skip chain in the car (I don't have a truck) for the occasional big stuff and you would be set. One saw, three bars, and you're set...except for the "back up" saw. If you are going to be serious, you would need another saw that could use the same bars, but that is another discussion...sort of.

Mark

 

[blis]

Out of curiosity, how is that law/regulation/custom enforced?

Glad we have no such law around here or I never would have made as much money as a 16 year old as I did...

heck, i was 14 when i first used chainsaw... and i aint even 18 and yet i've bought my first own saw already opcorn:

 

[STIHL-KID]

Comedy Show In The Woods!!

I went firewood cutting with a co-worker two years ago........what a comedy show! This guy claimed he was an avid outdoorsmen and agreed to cut wood with me using his friend's Wal-Mart Poulan special with 14" bar. I told him sure, if you want to limb with that kinda saw. Anyway, he went out with me and tried to cut everything with that little Poulan (1-2 ft diameter pine). Boy, that little saw was suckin' some gas and gettin' hot. He eventually dulled the chain and gave up. I finished everything up with my Stihl 031AV. I told him maybe he should go buy his own saw that is adequete for woodcutting. Welp, he did.......... a Stihl MS180 Mini Boss!!!! Geez, the torture that little saw took was crazy. I watched that new Stihl saw become heavily overworked on our next outting. Over a short period of time that new saw was running like crap. I asked him how he mixes his fuel....... So right there I learned that he guessed on the amount of oil/fuel mix. Good thing I used my own fuel can. Poor little saw never had a chance! I immediately pulled the plug on our firewood outings and no longer involve that guy in my after work activities. I'm sure other people on here have some stories about idiots in the forest. opcorn:

 

[Monkeyhanger]

Out of curiosity, how is that law/regulation/custom enforced?

Hi,

if you're cutting firewood in a wood or forest that you don't own yourself means that you are working with a forester/ranger and he WILL enforce that rule. Get caught and he won't let you go anywhere near a tree again as long as he is responsible for that area.

When you consider that a chainsaw is probably THE most dangerous power tool you can lay your hands on then I can't really disagree with the 18 year old rule. Then again I've also seen a lot of people over 18 that shouldn't be let anywhere near a chainsaw, with some of the over 18's I've seen I would be surprised if they were capable of using a handsaw safely!

It gets worse though. Although I have had professional training in falling/removing fallen trees (with axes, handsaws, chainsaws and explosives), have used chainsaws since early 1987 and also worked professionally clearing wind-throw in forests, I have to take a 2 day safety course for beginners this year before I can get a firewood lot allocated. Of course I also have to pay for this myself.

Bye

 

[blis]

Hi,

..............

It gets worse though. Although I have had professional training in falling/removing fallen trees (with axes, handsaws, chainsaws and explosives), have used chainsaws since early 1987 and also worked professionally clearing wind-throw in forests, I have to take a 2 day safety course for beginners this year before I can get a firewood lot allocated. Of course I also have to pay for this myself.

Bye

lucky me, i dont live in germany