Do i need another chainsaw ?

[Dacha]

Hello

I have Stihl ms170 with 12" bar. It is working well.

I use it for felling, bucking, limbing, clearing. Trees i work with are mostly 7-10 inch.

I have noticed that using chansaw started increasingly to affect my lower and middle back. I am 49 and 6ft4".

Now i have seen videos where people seem to do bucking with long chainsaw bars 24-30 inch standing straight with minimal back bending.

I am trying to figure out if it is more financialy sound to have someone do cutting work for me or get something like stihl ms311 with long bar. Is it overkill for the size of logs i am dealing with. It would be primarily for reach and ergonomics.

I have to cut like 12-15 trees like that per year for next 3 years. All hardwood if it is relevant.

 

[Michael E]

In my experience (I'm 6ft3"), a saw with a bar long enough to stand straight is very heavy and unbalanced. I have bars up to 36", but usually just bend down with a shorter bar. I'm 52 years old and glad that I don't do this for 8 hours a day...

The MS170 is lightweigt, but not very powerful. A stronger saw cuts faster. You have to find your compromise between weight and speed.

 

[WoodmanSr]

Hello

I have Stihl ms170 with 12" bar. It is working well.

I use it for felling, bucking, limbing, clearing. Trees i work with are mostly 7-10 inch.

I have noticed that using chansaw started increasingly to affect my lower and middle back. I am 49 and 6ft4".

Now i have seen videos where people seem to do bucking with long chainsaw bars 24-30 inch standing straight with minimal back bending.

I am trying to figure out if it is more financialy sound to have someone do cutting work for me or get something like stihl ms311 with long bar. Is it overkill for the size of logs i am dealing with. It would be primarily for reach and ergonomics.

I have to cut like 12-15 trees like that per year for next 3 years. All hardwood if it is relevant.

Your simple answer is NO. A bigger powerhead will aggravate what's affecting you.

I'm 6'2 with more years on you. First you might develop more core abdominal strength, do stretches, & back strengthening. Sorry what burdens you, but you'll regret thinking more saw fixes anything.

Sawing small stuff on the ground is prone to exerting back stain. I chop everything down to 2" as firewood. Little goes to waste & 50cc wearing 16" bar. When possible I cut whats suspended in air from small braches to branch crotch, but only helps half the time. If 20" or 24" in hand than push small cuts to end of job or leave on ground until later small saw cleanup.

If just yourself & needs done. Maybe build a portable saw buck, cut pole lengths you can manage, saw at waist height. But, likely does not assist you, too much lifting of heavier poles... maybe.

I say nope to bigger saw. Waste of money. I see many complimenting the one-hand electric chainsaws. Maybe give them a look for pruning.

Short jobs.. I find it easier to 1.5" to often use a hand saw. Camping style bow saw & helps fitness.

Edit (thought) - I don't own one although a log cant with leg might help. Get those 4-12" log sizes off ground 10" so a bit less bending. Plus less effort to keep tip out the ground. Couldn't hurt IMO.

 

[lone wolf]

Hello

I have Stihl ms170 with 12" bar. It is working well.

I use it for felling, bucking, limbing, clearing. Trees i work with are mostly 7-10 inch.

I have noticed that using chansaw started increasingly to affect my lower and middle back. I am 49 and 6ft4".

Now i have seen videos where people seem to do bucking with long chainsaw bars 24-30 inch standing straight with minimal back bending.

I am trying to figure out if it is more financialy sound to have someone do cutting work for me or get something like stihl ms311 with long bar. Is it overkill for the size of logs i am dealing with. It would be primarily for reach and ergonomics.

I have to cut like 12-15 trees like that per year for next 3 years. All hardwood if it is relevant.

Get a Skid steer with grapple. Or a Tractor with fork lifts.

 

[moxiemaul]

I have an old Homelite XL with 30" bar that I set up for bucking while standing. Its a 50cc saw but with a skip tooth chain it does OK not great but quite OK. I do tend to bend less often, less deeply and for less time with the long bar- so for that it works. For bucking the weight and balance tend to be helpful since its assisting the cut. That said, its working the tip from a standing position is something of a mechanical disadvantage, so getting it cutting still takes effort- but at least I'm mostly standing up. Probably its obvious, but smaller wood is easier than larger with this setup. Larger tends to need more rocking and sometimes leaning to help move the cut along.

It takes time to learn the tip. On a log right down on the dirt I'll buck it 90% leaving the bottom inch or two, then roll the log with a peavy and cut the remaining wood on each piece.

Its a workout for cutting above the waist and especially shoulders. I've felled with it, and its not horrible if putting in the cuts at knee to waist height or so- but the balance and length makes the saw awkward on a facecut, particularly if trying for a humbolt. A shorter bar makes that kind of thing a bit easier.

I have a little Echo 310 for limbing and smaller stuff- SO much easier to swing it around. It will buck larger wood but like the OP alludes to it makes for a lot of leaning down and moving around to get the cuts done.

 

[NSEric]

Buy one of these to lift the logs off the ground so you dont have to bend over.