how old are you and chainsaw experience

[CJ-7]

I first used my dad's saw, a Sears and sawbuck, at age 16 (39 years ago, how time flies when you are having fun) dropping 8 red oaks alone clearing our future home site. Lucky I didn't kill myself. Been playing with them off and on since then, just had an electric for years until I started hitting the message boards, picked up an Stihl 018 and a Poulan Pro 310 for around the house. No big wood to cut, they are fine for my needs.

 

[Gypo Logger]

Im 49 and a 1/2. Been self employed in the the forest industry since 1983 and have used up at least 60 saws in that time.
Most of my experience is in silvaculture and selective logging, meaning I only select the most valuable ones.
I always work safely in the woods and have had only 8 lost time injuries in 2 decades.
Gypo

 

[dbabcock]

Zyp on a unicycle, skidding a log, wearing only chaps. Just about right.:blush:

 

[Happyjack]

33, My dad sold wood on the side when I was a kid. I went into the woods with him, and watched him drop trees with his 041 from the cab of his truck. After he was done cutting I helped carry the small pieces to the truck. I guesse I was 5 or so.

I just started using a chain saw 2yrs ago. He bought me an 021 for x-mass and I read up a little on the Stihl web site and traded it in for an 026. I just cut wood for fun and man do I love to cut wood! I just picked up an MS440 24" bar from ebay (yeah it was a gamble), but I came out ahead ! It's a great saw paid $320.00 and another $30 to have it checked out by the Stihl dealer. I ran the serial # by Stihl and they said it was a 2001 saw.

I mostly take down trees for my friends and bring the split wood to my Pop. I am a weekend warrior. However I have been doing a lot of volenteer wook for the Westwoods Trails, wich is local town owned hiking trails 500 acres. They were looking for people to cut down the dead Hemlocks. They are infected with a disease and the trail comitte is worried they will fall on some one, so they want them cut down and bucked up. The trees are anywhere from 10" to 36". So far I've dropped 253 trees. We have to keep track.

This is a great site and I've learned so much. I read all the safety info I can get my hands on and also read (The Fundamentals of General Tree Work) by Beranek. It's a great book!

 

[Jumper]

First started to fiddle around with saws in 1992 with an older Jonsered that had belonged to my late uncle-used that for a few years , mainly firewood and helping a friend clear a lot of a bunch of pine when he built a new house up in the Valley. Needed a job last year and transitioned into being a ground guy with a local arborist.

 

[Jumper]

Middle Age

PS I am 43

 

[Dave]

40 years old, ran a saw at 14, started climbing at 25. Hmmm,15 years of climbing, you'd think I'd have gotten to the top by now.

 

[Nickrosis]

Originally posted by mryb
41 & 25 yrs. exp...Rick

:bday:

 

[dbabcock]

On the more serious side. I'm 48 and have been using saws actively since I was about 13. As I posted before, my first experience was with dad's David Bradley back in about 1967. Bought my first saw in 1987, the 266, and I still have it today.

So I guess the short answer is 35 years experience, although certainly not professionally or on a day to day basis.

 

[Fish]

I graduated High School last year, been using a saw for a long
while..... Never fixed one yet....
I was the only 3rd grader that drove to school.

 

[Fish]

I graduated High School last year, been using a saw for a long
while..... Never fixed one yet....
I was the only 3rd grader that drove to school.

 

[Fish]

Sorry about the double posts, I stutter.

 

[Gypo Logger]

Oh, I remember that Fish. You got kicked out of grade 3 for getting the teacher pregnant.
Gypo

 

[jokers]

From reading through the replies I see that I have a few things in common with Rick, we are both 41 with 25 years experience and we are both creeps, LOL. I have worked full time professionally as a logger and in ROW clearance, but now that I have found an easier way of making money, which is necessary due to my old age, these are only part time activities and I stay involved because I really like chainsaws. Who`d a thunk? Russ

 

[che]

Nothing like reading a thread to make you feel old as the hills.

I'm 48....started helping my husband cut wood about 12 years ago when we moved to this farm (his father was killed in a rollover and instantly we were cattle ranchers.) About 6 years ago I started picking up the saw, but felt pretty worthless compared to what he could do. A few years ago (3?) I started working alone with alot of online advice, first with the Jonsered 2036 (sometimes too small), then with a big Sachs-Dolmar ???(usually TOO big), and now with the Shindaiwai 488.......J-U-S-T RIGHT!

Che

 

[fun_chopper]

I am just a youngin'

I started cutting at 12 and never gave it up that makes 13 years! WOW not bad for a 25 year old! Started with an eletric Homelite (my grandfather made me) then graduated to a 33cc Echo,, then up to "Tiny" Stihl 041 AV and most recently a Stihl 036Pro (nice fast smooth saw)

 

[fun_chopper]

PS

I didnt mention my collection so far a rare 1960 Stihl Contra, Stih 041,031,and 041 super (all fully restored)

 

[seesaw]

Like a lot of you, been around it all my life. 35 years young. Grandpa cut for heat, dad cut for hire and fireplace wood. I'm a suburban boy that relys on the gas company.
Did have an interesting period back in the early 90's. A college buddy of mine owns an eviromental testing company in town. He knew me to be savy w/a saw and good managing people. He landed a job w/Prudential Insurance clearing some land. In our parts, insur. companies own a lot of farm land. He asked me if I would lead a crew of "sawyers". The pay was fabulous so I said OK. He didn't tell me it was clearing 3 miles of beaver dams in a stream! Turns out that Prudential figured they were losing approx. 3 acres of land to erosion due to the hard work of the beaver families. The Army Corps of Engineers got involved to make sure that the redirection of the stream we had planned was up to snuff. Turned out that I taught three sheep-skinned engineers something about eb and flow! We busted nine dams and cleared 25 feet of timber up bank along the three mile stretch.We cleared the dams and banks, dragged all the timber out, and rip-wrapped the banks as we went to prevent further erosion. Spent most of my days in the water busting dams and directing traffic for the clearing crew. Talk about bad conditions to be operatinga saw! We were waist deep in the drink and cutting most of the day. We started in September and concluded with the Army's approval the following March. Wet and Cold! We met an "early completion bonus" date and made out very well.
Would I do it again...no way. Would I trade the expirience....even less of a chance.
Now it's just storm cutting and the occasional side job. Still cut a bunch for my garage and pit out back. Have to have something to look at when I'm drinking in the back yard!!
Thanks for having me!

 

[xander9727]

I'm 32 and have been using a chainsaw since I was 14. My first saw was an 020av. I got it used and replaced the carburator. I had the saw for 6 years until my brother loaned it to a "friend". I now own eight saws, a vermeer chipper, a promark stumpgrinder and alot of climbing and rigging equipment. A parachuting accident cut my military career short but I can still climb (I don't do to good at dragging brush all day). I started climbing when I was eighteen and did alot of technical and tactical rock climbing in the military. I got back into tree work when I started college to keep busy in the summer. I enjoy saws, especially modified saws, all of mine are modified. I only run stihls for now but, my next climbing saw will probably be a husky.

 

[eyolf]

Xander:

(I don't do to good at dragging brush all day)

Heh, heh. That's a good one. LOL.

Relax, man. If you served with pride and can hire young bucks to do the grunt work...by all means...