electric chainsaw

[SusieJennings]

Hi -
I will be moving soon to a place that needs work....pepper trees, melaleuca that need to be cut down. I can do some myself and will invest in a chainsaw. However, I have hearing problems and want as quiet a saw as I can find, and am assuming that electrics are the way to go. Are electrics efficient enough to cut a tree 10" in diameter? Any recommendations?
Thanks to all you burly tree guys -
Susie

 

[John in MA]

Electrics are the way to go if you want quiet, plus you don't have to bother with gas, tuneups, etc. A few of them are actually good. Remington has been making good ones for a long time. Stihl's E220 and Milwaukee's new chainsaw look fine, but I haven't seen them in person yet.

Good luck in finding what you want.

 

[HUSKYMAN]

For those 10 inchers I would get a Walkerized 3120xp with a 60" bar. just kidding. Go with a Remington, it should last a couple yrs if you keep the chain sharp.

 

[sonny]

Stihl makes a very good elec. saw. I dont know if you need the 220 might be over kill. They are used alot by scaffold & lumber yards that are in confined areas.

 

[John in MA]

Two years out of a Remington? Is that what you get when you run a two man bar with .404 chain on one? I friend of mine uses a 30 year old Sears electric chainsaw for firewood cutting. He doesn't oil enough and he sends his chains in for sharpening every month, but that saw runs like new. I think he's replaced the brushes and the bar once.

I'd think a Remington would last a lot longer than just a couple years.

 

[SusieJennings]

other chainsaw questions

Thanks guys....now other considerations. I am new at this, so I need your help. I don't wanna do anything stupid and get hurt.
I'm a pretty strong gal (black belt in two styles) and have always enjoyed yard work, so I think I can tackle this yard. In taking out the brazilian pepper, I know that I'll be sectioning it off piece by piece. Pepper trees grow like huge bushes, and will be easy to cut up and move out. My concern is with the melaleucas. The older ones can be quite tall, so I'll leave them for the pros to top off and dispose of. However, there are smaller ones I can tackle from the ground. Questions - how tall and thick a tree can one normally, safely handle (with an electric saw)? Is it as simple as cutting a notch and letting it fall in the right direction? Melaleucas don't have a wide limb canopy.
Thank you, oh burly men.....
Susie

 

[sonny]

I can not give advise on how to drop the trees without seeing them. I dont want to be responsable.But I can advise you on the Braz. Peppers. (DO NOT) just go & have some one grind the stumps. If you can stand it, cut it off about 2 ft. high & kill the stump. Make it a flower pot holder or something. If you just go & grind you will have millions of them thru your yard.

 

[tundraotto]

ok - my 2c worth for a change - lol. only cut a tree your comfortable cutting. not really a matter of saw size so much. one could cut a 48" oak with a electric remington if one wanted to do it bad enough - it just takes a LOT more time. Of course most people who cut those trees dont use a remington electric either - if your in an open lot - go ahead, its rather basic, youre the only one you need to worry about. If you have a house in reach of the tree - you should feel more comfortable by getting someone professional and (proven to be insured) to buck it. i would leave the stump though at about 2 feet so its easy (semi easy) to pull out with a back/track hoe. dont be afraid to call out the pros when you need them - its not worth the stress, and certainly not the potential damage.

http://www.madsens1.com/1stdayon.htm

last but not least - remember the safety clothing is not of much use with electric saws -since the infinate torque is at its maximum right from the start - so chain stopping clothing wont help all that much. and read the books and think before cutting - wind, lean, weight, limbs etc.

you'll be just fine - rednecks do it here all the time without losing any time over any of the above considerations....

 

[SusieJennings]

Many thanks, gentlemen....

 

[treeclimber165]

Oh, do yourself a BIG favor when cutting up the brush- Make all your cuts at forks, rather than making 2 foot pieces of brocolli. When you leave a bunch of stubs, it makes handling the brush almost impossible. I've had to clean up after homeowners who 'helped out' by cutting up the brush, It would have taken half the time for me to cut up all the brush properly and cleaned up too!

My mom loves her old Craftsman electric saw, won't let me come over with the 'big noisy saws'. She takes her time and handles all her own trimming, plus a couple removals (a grapefruit tree and a small maple). I taught her how to sharpen it so she wouldn't have to pay to have it done.:angel:

 

[tony marks]

susie,i advise u to study up on felling methods. u can find them here and many other places. new saw users usually get away with dangerous mistakes. but sometimes not. good luck an later

 

[Walt Galer]

Howdy Suzie,

I might mention one thing: do not pry and force the cut with these little electric's that are out on the market these days! The motors are designed
to operate off of the very limited power available from a 115V N. American household electric circuit. This means the motor is manufactured for and rated at about 8 amps. They actually will draw 15 amps if you really pull them down! The result is a promptly fried engine.

These things are a little tricky to use for falling trees. You have to wait for the saw, and not overly force the cut, even if the chain is properly sharp and cutting well.

Regards,
Walt Galer

 

[SusieJennings]

Thanks all-
I plan on going very slowly and using caution. Houses are all far away from where I'll be working, and I wear a cell phone for emergencies. I'll be planting natives after I'm done and it will look great!
Anything big and I'll call an arborist. Any good leads on one from the Florida burly-men? Too many fly-by-nighters here in Ft Myers for my comfort....

 

[oakdancer]

Single Susie???

 

[Gypo Logger]

Hi Susie, felling is fairly basic. Think of the tree as a cupboard door. Just as a door will only swing at one angle, so does the tree when the hinge wood is cut out properly. The tree should be felled within 0- 25 degrees of its natural lean. It takes years to become an accomplished faller because one must know how to handle and use a saw to get the most out of it as well as all the dangers that go with it.
I have a friend in Fla. named Mark Rice who may help if you need him although I cant volunteer him here.
Mark is at: [email protected]
John

 

[svrfsvp]

I have a Stihl electric chainsaw that my brother loaned me back in '84. It worked great for the trees I was sawing then, but I think it could stand a new chain along about now. I also have an electric Poulan that I got for woodworking many years ago, and it has held up less well than the Stihl.

The pepper trees I remember from Northern California all seemed to crown out pretty dramatically - lots of branches, starting pretty near the ground. It might make more sense to prune some of the branches off before felling, but that is yet another level of tree work, and potential hazard.

 

[SusieJennings]

Oakdancer-
Very Happily Married....

 

[Toneman]

May I suggest that you have an expierenced person knock the trees down for you. You can then cut up the tree and dispose of it. This will not only be safer for you, but it will also save you a few bucks. I have know several people who have had serious accidents by taking on too much.
Good Luck!

 

[homelite360]

i had a remmington electric. my mom uses it and i maintain it. we mostly use it for building when we got to trimg fence posts or putting poles for barns. hell of a lot faster than a circular saw. it has lasted for about 3 years now but the plastic housing that the bar studs lock into is begining to crack a litle bit. so i have to use 2 wrenches instead of one. but over all they are a great saw for what they are.