New here, buying 1st chainsaw, have some tree questions.

[Dave88LX]

Hey guys, I've been reading this forum for a few days now and just registered, seems like a ton of good info.

There are a couple trees blocking my HDTV satellite reception, and I barely get good signal on the regular channels. DirecTV dude came out today and we found the best place to put the dish if I cut down a couple smaller trees out in the woods/creek area.

First I thought I'd ask what kind of tree it was, and if I would be big jerk to cut it down if it was some kind of rare tree? I think it's a Holly tree but not for sure. Diameter is ~24 inches. Even this is a smaller tree, I don't want to limit myself by buying a 12" saw or something like that for future use with larger trees.

If it's any consolation, the previous owner planted a line of pine-type trees along the property edge as well as a couple saplings in the front yard, so the tree WILL be replaced by others!

I read this thread here:
http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?t=48290

I will look into those saws. There is a Stihl dealer ~10 miles from here, I will see what they have to offer. Hopefully they are not too inflated price-wise.

I am also looking for any instructional links/videos with how-to's and how-not-to's for cutting.

Is Holly wood useful for anything? I don't have a fireplace so no burning for me.

Thanks!

- Dave

The tree in question is the small one in the middle of the pic off to the left of the back of the garage. (Right in line with the trunk lid). There are 2 other trees to the right of that one but you can't see them. The other trees are huuuuuuuuge! (off to the left). It looks close to the garage, but it's just the camera angle.

Looks big here but you can see in the first pic it's not huge.

 

[Four Paws]

I am sure you will hear a LOT of suggestions as to which saw to buy. If this is going to be a one-time job, I would suggest hiring it out - you will likely be ahead in the long run. Drop a tree on your house and things can add up quickly - that one tree looks to have a crooked trunk and slight lean in the wrong direction. For a first timer, dropping a 24" DBH tree near a house is not advised - a wide open field or out in the woods might be more appropriate. Do you camp and burn fires? If you can keep the saw busy after you cut down your trees, then that is a plus. But, once you improve your satellite TV reception, you might choose to not venture off your couch. If you insist on buying a saw, I would suggest a Husqvarna 359 or Dolmar 5100 - both good saws, both reasonably priced.

Josh

 

[Lakeside53]

You could cut it down with a $129 Craftsman, but ... pay a professional to do it for you.

 

[RiverRat2]

+1 on hiring it done cause it is close to the house....

and if you do make sure he is bonded and insured,,,

also if you are bent on doing it yourself,,,, there are several good saws on the tradinpost and you could get in one pretty reasonable and not be out $700,,, Heck I saw a decent 385 husky and a low hour 361 Stihl with a bunch of safety gear thrown in,,, plus dealing with people here is different than with ebay,,,, Most of the guys here are purist and have their reps to uphold and would not try to sell something for what it isn't,,,, Compra????? cause we'd tar and feather em..... Ehhhh????

 

[Dave88LX]

Yeah going off memory it's ~24 inches. I'll get a definite measurement tomorrow. They are nowhere near the house and far enough away from the garage; but I definitely see where you guys are coming from. Nothing over there except woods, no real risk of dropping on anything important. I was thinking of hiring it out but the cost will probably be pretty over the top. I plan to cut more stuff throughout time, but for right now it's just these 3...plus I figure there comes a time in a man's life where he just needs to learn. :monkey: Maybe.

We do camp, I hadn't thought of that duh. Got some camping gear, haven't had a chance to go yet, went all the time as a kid though. Oh, yeah definitely not a couch potato...that building you see is the garage...48x28 detached, plennnnnnnty of work in there to keep me off my ass! Why do you think I bought the house! LOL

EDIT: Been reading up on this site too:
http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/logging/manual/felling/felling.html

Just saw the 385XP for sale in there by Four Paws up there heh.

 

[RiverRat2]

Yeah going off memory it's ~24 inches. I'll get a definite measurement tomorrow. They are nowhere near the house and far enough away from the garage; but I definitely see where you guys are coming from. Nothing over there except woods, no real risk of dropping on anything important. I was thinking of hiring it out but the cost will probably be pretty over the top. I plan to cut more stuff throughout time, but for right now it's just these 3...plus I figure there comes a time in a man's life where he just needs to learn. :monkey: Maybe.

We do camp, I hadn't thought of that duh. Got some camping gear, haven't had a chance to go yet, went all the time as a kid though. Oh, yeah definitely not a couch potato...that building you see is the garage...48x28 detached, plennnnnnnty of work in there to keep me off my ass! Why do you think I bought the house! LOL

If your gonna do it make sure you get a rope in the one with the head lean and put a slight bind on the rope to persuade the tree to commit to the correct spot for the fall,,, let us know,,,, you could always get a pro just to drop the bad one then you could fall the other two and buck all three out yourself and save some money and have your own saw,,,,,+ keep all the good wood and put a wood buning stove in that shed,,, thats how I heat mine!!!!!!

 

[Dave88LX]

It's going to be a tough buy for the chainsaw right now; I just convinced the wife today that we needed a pressure washer so that I can get all the grease/grime/sludge off engine block, rear end housings, etc....er...I mean to wash the deck, the vinyl siding, and the garage floor so I can get some epoxy down. 7HP 3000 PSI unit, can't wait to use it. I had to 'give up' a table saw for the time being though.

But, hopefully persuasion works. I'm not a big fan of renting tools, I've rented before and haven't been to impressed with the quality especially from a safety standpoint. If I'm going to spend that much to rent one I'd rather spend a little more and own it.

Where at are you in Texas? I saw 87 in there, ran right through San Angelo...spent 4+ years at Goodfellow before coming up here last month.

 

[BC_Logger]

have a pro knock it down and you handle the clean up

tell your wife that its cheeper for you get a saw and do the clean up than to hire out

 

[RiverRat2]

Home depot former rental makita 6401 for a couple of hundred bucks

It's going to be a tough buy for the chainsaw right now; I just convinced the wife today that we needed a pressure washer so that I can get all the grease/grime/sludge off engine block, rear end housings, etc....er...I mean to wash the deck, the vinyl siding, and the garage floor so I can get some epoxy down. 7HP 3000 PSI unit, can't wait to use it. I had to 'give up' a table saw for the time being though.

But, hopefully persuasion works. I'm not a big fan of renting tools, I've rented before and haven't been to impressed with the quality especially from a safety standpoint. If I'm going to spend that much to rent one I'd rather spend a little more and own it.

Where at are you in Texas? I saw 87 in there, ran right through San Angelo...spent 4+ years at Goodfellow before coming up here last month.

7 miles north of IH 10 1 1/2 miles west of the Sabine River southeast corner of the state,,,, I bought one of those saws for 205.00 64CC 20" b&C for a beater and it does very well Its a blue dolmar actually and for another 180 bucks I can make a 79 cc saw out of it...............

 

[Dave88LX]

I could make a couple calls to get an estimate...off-hand do you know what I should expect to pay? I imagine it varies by location, but I'm just looking for a rough estimate on how the charges work.

 

[Dave88LX]

7 miles north of IH 10 1 1/2 miles west of the Sabine River southeast corner of the state,,,, I bought one of those saws for 205.00 64CC 20" b&C for a beater and it does very well Its a blue dolmar actually and for another 180 bucks I can make a 79 cc saw out of it...............

It just hit me when I think about ripping around on a 80cc dirt bike, to think about an engine that size with a blade on it!

 

[ropensaddle]

Hey could it be trimmed to establish reception
if you are cleaning up the mess I bet a tree man would
make you a deal on those trees! Cleanup is expensive
part of tree work get some estimates you may be surprised!!

 

[Ianab]

It just hit me when I think about ripping around on a 80cc dirt bike, to think about an engine that size with a blade on it!

Thats why the regulars here will often say 'go hire a pro' or 'buy the safety gear to go with that saw'.

I'd be very hesitant about recomending someone go and buy their first saw to cut down a tall 24" tree near buildings. No room for mistakes.
If the tree can be felled easily then a pro should be able to do it pretty cheap (and be insured), and leave you with the mess on the ground to clean up. (a relatively safe job - compared to felling the tree anyway) If it has to be climbed and/or craned out, thats because it's not safe to drop it conventionally. If it's a straight foward drop into an open area then the felling is only 20% of the job, cleaning up the mess is the other 80%.

Once it's on the ground practically any saw will be able to chunk it up, but do yourself a favour and buy something decent. Stihl, Husky, Dolmar, Jred etc depending on your local dealer.

Then go and practice on some smaller size trees in a safe spot and try out what you read in the manual. I started out thinning 8-12" plantation pine trees with a smaller saw, cut heaps of those and got used to handling the saw and making felling cuts accuratly. Now I have one of those 80cc toys and feel confident to take on bigger trees.

Cheers

Ian

 

[7ShawnT]

Here are my 3 cents!

1. Get an estimate from a reputable company.

2. Get an estimate from another reputable company.

3. Get an estimate from different than above reputable company.

Once you get estimates you are in a better position to make a decision.

How much is it gonna cost for someone to come in and do the job? and how much is a saw with Personal Protective Equipment gonna cost?

Than you need to ask your self, if I buy that saw for $XXX.XX and cut a few trees, how much is it gonna sit in your garage?

Also how good of personal health insurance, do you have, can you afford a trip to the hospital? how about the time off from work while your healing up? All of the PPE in the world still won't guarantee that you will live, or if you do live, that you will live happily! What if the tree kicks back, or bounce's and takes your head off? What's that worth?

For a few trees, it seems to me that it would be better to have someone else do it for you, got any friends that have some chainsaw experience? Cutting down a tree like that would not be my 1st choice for learning on.

Shawn

 

[rreidnauer]

Yep, they're holly, and pretty sad ones at that. Doesn't look like 24" though, more like 16~18", but it could just be the camera view.

If you're gonna go the cut yourself route, get a 16" around 45cc. More than enough for most jobs, you don't need a 385 to be starting out. If your not real mechanically inclined, buy a Stihl. Otherwise, one of the other recommended saws. Most of all, take care of your saw, and it will take care of you. Drain and run out the fuel when done, keep the chain(s) sharp, clean up the saw and air filter when done. Use quality gas and oil at the recommended ratio. (too much can be nearly as bad as too little) Follow maintenance schedules.

+1 on using a rope, even for a fairly straight forward tree, until you learn the effects of lean and wind. Learn how to avoid getting yourself into a bar binding situation. (a common newbie mistake) And always anticipate the unexpected.

 

[Austin1]

Well I say if you are on a chainsaw sight such as AS deep down inside you probably want a saw! If there is no danger of it hitting the house then go for it! But if you have never felled a tree in your life then find a friend that has and see if he or she will help you out. If you are completely new take your time get some videos on tree felling and most of all work safe! You will learn a lot from doing this and if you burn wood in a stove or fireplace you have next years wood all bucked and chopped up in a few day's. If as you say it won't hit the house you will lean from this then get addicted to saw's that might mean a divorce but that is the chance you take!:hmm3grin2orange:
Oh and as far as saw's go it was mentioned before something in the 45cc to 52cc range should work well.

 

[Lou]

Think you are better off with professional. If you only looking at 1 or 2 trees and are convinced to DIY, what about a rental? Quite a few places locally (Home Depot, while there see if any used 6401s for sale) to rent a saw.

Rental or purchase DO NOT operate without steel toed boots, helmet w/ear protection, chainsaw chaps, and a good pair of gloves.

 

[Log Splitter]

Based on the closeup (last pic) of the base of the tree I'd think you are dealing with a 16 incher max. I've never seen a 24" Holly, I'm not saying they don't ever get that big, but I don't think yours is based on looking at the picture.

Holly's are not as widespread as they were before most of the country got logged over, but they are not rare by any means. Down at my treefarm in Louisiana about the only use for them is the bucks in rut like to make scrapes under the lower branches. The larger trees get sold for pulpwood, but they don't bring much money. I view them as weeds, but like sweetgum, there is no way to eliminate them short of clearcutting and starting over.

It is really hard to tell from your pictures how far the holly is from your building, and which way the 'natural lean' is of the tree. Assuming there is no risk of it falling on the building you might be able to safely flop it yourself. Get a good accurate measurement of the trunk diameter, and get a saw with a bar at least that long. That way you make felling the tree as 'non-technical' as possible. It looks like you have an old snag that should go as well, be careful cutting dead trees as they can be rotten in the middle (sometimes causes a 'surprise' when it goes) and they can also drop 'bombs' on you from above. Be sure you have a clear escape path, and cut at a comfortable height (standing up) when you first start out. You can always go back and cut the stump lower after the tree is down.

You should practice with the saw on some smaller trees first before you 'graduate' up to a 16 incher. Get some PPE - hardhat, chaps, and gloves at a minimum.

Let's us know what saw you buy and take some pictures of the action when it happens.

 

[RiverRat2]

Wow,,,, Too much Doom and Gloom!!!!!!

Here are my 3 cents!

1. Get an estimate from a reputable company.

2. Get an estimate from another reputable company.

3. Get an estimate from different than above reputable company.

Once you get estimates you are in a better position to make a decision.

How much is it gonna cost for someone to come in and do the job? and how much is a saw with Personal Protective Equipment gonna cost?

Than you need to ask your self, if I buy that saw for $XXX.XX and cut a few trees, how much is it gonna sit in your garage?

Also how good of personal health insurance, do you have, can you afford a trip to the hospital? how about the time off from work while your healing up? All of the PPE in the world still won't guarantee that you will live, or if you do live, that you will live happily! What if the tree kicks back, or bounce's and takes your head off? What's that worth?

For a few trees, it seems to me that it would be better to have someone else do it for you, got any friends that have some chainsaw experience? Cutting down a tree like that would not be my 1st choice for learning on.

Shawn

There is a year old Stihl 361 on the trading Post w/two tanks through it according to the seller,,, with all the safety stuff for 5 bills

 

[Dave88LX]

Very valuable advice, I greatly appreciate it. Turns out I have a friend in the area with a saw that's been doing this for a while, and he's going to come over this weekend and help me out with them. Works out for the best I guess...I get to save money on a saw and have someone that knows what they're doing come and show me (hopefully) the right way to do things. I guess with the ~$300 I save I can put that towards insulation and drywall for the garage, or epoxy for the floor. :biggrinbounce2:

I would definitely like to get a saw at some point later and learn, but I guess that will wait for now!

Thanks again everyone, much appreciated. I'll still get some pics and dimensions though for the hell of it.