Need to buy a chainsaw

[2000ssm6]

funny

The 372 is surely still made, just not imported into the US....:biggrinbounce2:

I think everyone knew what I meant. Did they deliver yours under the bridge?

 

[DGG]

Welcome Deakin, I have cut a bit of mesquite. Thats a nasty hard wood for any of you folks that have never had the pleasure of cutting it. You will find that a 70cc to 80cc saw with an 18" to 20" bar will knock down allot of your cut time and far make up for the weight difference.

How much harder is it than say maple or oak? I don't know much about it. Perhaps a certain type of chain works best for mesquite. Skip chain? Thoughts?

A saw that size is now getting into the serious (money) category and I'm not sure it is necessary unless "time is money". A mid-range saw like the Husky 359 could easily be resold if it isn't up to the job. Big difference is laying out $400 or $800 +/-.

Saw rental is also an option for those who only need one occasionally.

 

[DGG]

Started checking for dealers other than Stihl. No Dolmar or Husky within 200 miles.

Is one of the three any more reliable?

Thanks again for your reply and sorry for all the questions. It may be raining where you are so time is less of a commodity. LOL

Do you think that with proper maintenance you really should have to mess around much with the dealers? For me they are more of a "parts store" than anything.

 

[Urbicide]

I tried ordering Husqvarna parts in town and it was a PIA. They don't stock any parts to speak of. You have to special order everything.. You have delays until they get enough other parts to meet the minimum order requirement. Then you get to drive across town to pick up your order and hope nothing is back ordered. I order my parts through Bailey's. They have premo customer service and are always pleasant to deal with. In a few days there will be a knock at the door and a box sitting on my door step. Kind of like Christmas.

 

[deakin]

Well what an adventure, the search is all the fun.

Mesquite is hard but without two logs right together I couldn't tell you which is harder. I am cutting grubbed mesquite, some has been down a year and some today. Here in the Panhandle during the summer it is around 115 degrees in the shade and if you have seen a mesquite there isn't much shade.

I would like to be able to cut a bunch in a small amount of time as to relieve the heat stress factor. I stuck a D6 dozer in a spring creek crossing last month and needed to cut several railroad ties to make a stable track bed. I was all day and several sharpenings before I got enough wood cut to give me a chance with the dozer. I just don't want to be under powered again and would like to make my work easier.

As for the used saw supply here what I've seen in Pawn shops and the two dealers here are junk. Home Depot specials that are to be thrown away. Some of the people that I have talked with on the ranches do just that. They buy the cheapest saw they can find. When the chain is dull in the trash it goes and they get another.

I have been a carpenter for most of my life along with many other skills. I am anal when it comes to tools. I purchase the very best that I can afford with concern to return on my money. IE I will not purchase a $1500 saw for what I intend to do with it. On the other hand I will not spend $150 on a piece that will not start no cut with power (I have the Tee shirt for this already) If a miter box will cut these chunks of mesquite with relative ease then I believe that I will find a chainsaw that will also do the job just as well.

Good stuff for my first post agreed?

Thanks guys and gals

 

[oldsaw]

Well what an adventure, the search is all the fun.

Mesquite is hard but without two logs right together I couldn't tell you which is harder. I am cutting grubbed mesquite, some has been down a year and some today. Here in the Panhandle during the summer it is around 115 degrees in the shade and if you have seen a mesquite there isn't much shade.

I would like to be able to cut a bunch in a small amount of time as to relieve the heat stress factor. I stuck a D6 dozer in a spring creek crossing last month and needed to cut several railroad ties to make a stable track bed. I was all day and several sharpenings before I got enough wood cut to give me a chance with the dozer. I just don't want to be under powered again and would like to make my work easier.

As for the used saw supply here what I've seen in Pawn shops and the two dealers here are junk. Home Depot specials that are to be thrown away. Some of the people that I have talked with on the ranches do just that. They buy the cheapest saw they can find. When the chain is dull in the trash it goes and they get another.

I have been a carpenter for most of my life along with many other skills. I am anal when it comes to tools. I purchase the very best that I can afford with concern to return on my money. IE I will not purchase a $1500 saw for what I intend to do with it. On the other hand I will not spend $150 on a piece that will not start no cut with power (I have the Tee shirt for this already) If a miter box will cut these chunks of mesquite with relative ease then I believe that I will find a chainsaw that will also do the job just as well.

Good stuff for my first post agreed?

Thanks guys and gals

Deak, when you don't live in tree country, you won't find much for saws in pawn shops. I'm in KC, and don't see much difference here than you do there, then the prices listed are almost retail and they aren't willing to deal much .

I don't know how far you want to go, but there are a lot of good 60-70cc saws. The Stihl 361 (or older 360/036) and 441 (044/440) and the Husky 357, 365/372, are great choices. 359 is good saw too, as is the Dolmar 7900 and 5100, although the 5100 may be a bit small for your needs.

Mark

 

[romeo]

How much harder is it that say maple or oak? I don't know much about it. Perhaps a certain type of chain works best for mesquite. Skip chain? Thoughts?

A saw that size is now getting into the serious (money) category and I'm not sure it is necessary unless "time is money". A mid-range saw like the Husky 359 could easily be resold if it isn't up to the job. Big difference is laying out $400 or $800 +/-.

Saw rental is also an option for those who only need one occasionally.

I would equate cutting mesquite to cutting aluminium. I can zip through 20" of oak in around the same time as 6" to 8" of mesquite with a good sized saw. The only way to split it is to beat the crap out of it with a 12lb sledge hammer. Its not a gummy wood but its very tight grained and he!! on chains. The wood is nice looking but is so hard and twisted I would call it un-millable. The other "fun" part is that its like cutting a huge rose bush, its full of stickers.
Well worth cutting though for the ol BBQ.

 

[DGG]

Great picture! I hope the beans and corn are sitting off to the side next to the keg.

I sounds like you would be better off using a cutting torch than a chain saw. Of course considering where it lives it has to be tough. I wonder if it picks up lots of sandy grit in the bark while growing. Does it spark in the dark when being cut? Locust around here will do that sometimes. Not sure why.

Do you use any special type of chain?

 

[romeo]

Great picture! I hope the beans and corn are sitting off to the side next to the keg.

I sounds like you would be better off using a cutting torch than a chain saw. Of course considering where it lives it has to be tough. I wonder if it picks up lots of sandy grit in the bark while growing. Does it spark in the dark when being cut? Locust around here will do that sometimes. Not sure why.

Do you use any special type of chain?

Puts off a good light show when its getting dark, and its not just the bark, the wood can be sandy at the core. I don't use a special chain, just regular old stihl RS, but I do stop to file often.

 

[pallis]

A 5100 will work fine with the smaller Mesquite and has enough power to handle the occasional bigger trees that grow around watering holes and streams. Just keep the chain sharp.

 

[romeo]

A 5100 will work fine with the smaller Mesquite and has enough power to handle the occasional bigger trees that grow around watering holes and streams. Just keep the chain sharp.

Where are you from, not many New Mexicans on here?

 

[Cam501]

I tried ordering Husqvarna parts in town and it was a PIA. They don't stock any parts to speak of. You have to special order everything.. You have delays until they get enough other parts to meet the minimum order requirement. Then you get to drive across town to pick up your order and hope nothing is back ordered. I order my parts through Bailey's. They have premo customer service and are always pleasant to deal with. In a few days there will be a knock at the door and a box sitting on my door step. Kind of like Christmas.

In some ways you can blame Husky for having those minimums. There are some crap dealers but most dealers do try and work with customers as much as they can.

 

[pallis]

I'm up by Abiquiu, and moved here from Cliff about fifteen years ago. I don't see much mesquite around here, but ran into a lot of it down south.

 

[Sprig]

Thanks again for the info. What a great bunch of woodmen. We don't do much with trees here as they are few and far between.

Looking for any of the above mentioned models. I have a plan now as long as I don't fall into the just like new trap and get a bad one. What the heck I would guess that the parts would be worth something.

I re-read the posts and need to answer computeruser's question.

Most of the mesquite that I will harvest for firewood will be in the 10" or less size, and I will probably only harvest one weekend a month. With that said I will run into and harvest the 18 to 30" tree and I want all the saw that I can afford and handle. (Tim Allen style) I hope not to get hooked on the hot saw style but I want a saw that will saw all day and not let me down.

Welcome Deakin! You'll be finding your choices harder the more ya read :hmm3grin2orange:

Just wanted ta say howdy and offer you this advice. Since you admit to being a very occasional user there are several threads that are 'must reads' fer ya. First, all PPE threads, secondly learn to sharpen ones, and last but not least read up on storing your saw (old gas a no-no etc.), with those under yer belt as basics, a decent (sounds like all you need is 50cc +-) sharp saw will make you a happy camper. My personal recommendation would be any Stihl ms270 and up (NOT 270c!), I really love my little 270 (read thread if bored, 'MS270 does its duty') and think Stihl is going to well by it, but there are many choices out there and as for bang fer the buck the Dolmars (5100 in particular) have been well regarded by the knowlegable folks here.
Don't apologise for asking questions btw, thats why this place exists



Serge

 

[SawTroll]

I think everyone knew what I meant. Did they deliver yours under the bridge?

You need to jack down a couple of stages, before you continue messing with old members here.........:chainsawguy:

 

[Lou]

I think all recommendations thus far have been good (1 of them mine ). One that hasn't been suggested is a used Home Depot - Tool Rental Makita 6401 (Dolmar). These when available sell for $225 - 300, have been well maintained, and with a small additional investment can become 7900s. USE THE PHONE; we've had people drive considerable distances to find the local(?) Home Depot doesn't rent tools or has none available. Check the what to check in used saw threads too.

 

[Sprig]

I would equate cutting mesquite to cutting aluminium. I can zip through 20" of oak in around the same time as 6" to 8" of mesquite with a good sized saw. The only way to split it is to beat the crap out of it with a 12lb sledge hammer. Its not a gummy wood but its very tight grained and he!! on chains. The wood is nice looking but is so hard and twisted I would call it un-millable. The other "fun" part is that its like cutting a huge rose bush, its full of stickers.
Well worth cutting though for the ol BBQ.

Oh gee thanks a lot Romeo, now I have ranging munchies for pig an' all we is havin' tonight is burgers (mind ya they be dad's 'super-specials'), you guys fight for the crispin'??
You did, in a round-about way, answer a burning q I had about cooking with mesquite, had some buds bring me up some from NM a couple of years ago and I treated it like gold, throwing on chips on the coals, what a difference in taste *now wiping puddle of drool up* yum, some of my native buds got some for their smokers too, don't eat much fish myself but never pass over cold smoked glazed coho or trout *more drool*
IT BE A FEAST!~



Serge

 

[Lakeside53]

You need to jack down a couple of stages, before you continue messing with old members here.........:chainsawguy:

Getting a little sensitive in your old age?:hmm3grin2orange:

 

[musch]

:hmm3grin2orange:

You need to jack down a couple of stages, before you continue messing with old members here.........:chainsawguy:

:biggrinbounce2:

C'mon Troll, maybe something was lost in translation, but that was pretty funny!