Power and Sharpening

[SawDog]

Hello All, in my spare time I do allot of trail maintenance for mountain bike trails. It usually deal with allot of blown down trees and whatnot.

I had a small husky saw that I have recently replaced with a Stihl MS361 with a 25" bar.

I am doing a project in december up in Maine where I will be clearing out an 50' 50' area of land (felling and bucking almost everything) in order to build a cabin.

I was wondering how long my chain will work well before it needs sharpening (i know it really matters on the hardness of the wood but maybe someone has an average idea knowing the wood in central Maine)

Also was the 361 with the 25" bar the right choice i have cut some hard wood with it using the full length of the bar and it seemed to preform well but would bog down if i pushed to hard...is this a problem or just normal...

 

[forestryworks]

25" is pushing it on the 361

18-20" is a better length

anything longer, get a bigger saw or have your 361 modded

also, don't push too much on the saw, let the saw do the work

 

[BostonBull]

Depends on a lot of things. If your cutting deadwood or live, soft wood or hard, etc etc. You can tell when the chain gets dull. Just keep it sharp, especially with a 25" on a 361. That is the max you can run on one of thoe saws, and I only do it when I have to.

Good luck,.

 

[Thillmaine]

Foresty in Central maine

Central maine has a very diverse forest. Oaks, hemlocks, spruce, balsalm fir, white pine, ash, soft and hard maple, along with cherries, elms, and of course poplars. Totally depends on wheer you are in central maine, the soil is typically acidic and low in nitrogen, so pine and oaks usually flourish. But in other parts gravely, sandy soils dominate, where poplars, alders, elms, will be found.Find out exactly where and I can probably give you a better idea. I would say pending nothing goes wrong on an average site you would be able to cut for 2 hours to half the day before you need to sharpen. (once again totally site dependant)

 

[Spotted Owl]

To many variables at any place/job to be able to give a time frame on how long a chain will stay sharp. Watch the out put, bigger is better. If you have to push, if there is smoke, if it just won't go it's probably the chain. If you start cuttin crooked turn the bar over and sharpen the chain. If your gonna run a 25 on your saw you might think about skipping the teeth. It will cut a hair slower but your saw won't have to work quite as hard as the full comp you have now.

Above all to keep your chain sharp, no dirt, rocks and the like. Cut as clean of wood as possible, avoid stumpin until the vary last thing it's the hardest of the chain. Turn the oiler to wide open keep the Rs up and have a good time

Oh ya one thing I don't see in your photo are a pair of chaps. GET SOME AND USE THEM. Chaps have saved my legs more times than I care to admit, not from me being stupid either. Get all your PPE, use your wedges even if you don't need them, just for practice for when you do need them.

One more thing, have fun, it's blast when your out there running saw.....


Owl

 

[PB]

I don't know exactly where you will be, but near Bangor, it is mostly pine, spruce, fir, hemlock, cedar, birch with some red maples, oak, and ash mixed in. The diversity is different in all places in Maine, if it is closer to Augusta, you can expect more hardwoods, but the further you go north the more softwoods you will find. If need help, let me know.

 

[slowp]

I take couple of swipes with a flat file on the rakers about every 3rd sharpening.

 

[SawDog]

thanks guys your advise is very helpful!

it will be near bethel, maine if that helps narrow the wood type.

also if anyone lives near that area I would like the number of a person who I could call on to fell trees that are large, dangerous, or close to powerlines as I am not experienced enough to do so.

So if im cutting four to five days in a row, 8 hours a day, I should have at least two chains per saw and a way to sharpen right?

 

[PB]

thanks guys your advise is very helpful!

it will be near bethel, maine if that helps narrow the wood type.

also if anyone lives near that area I would like the number of a person who I could call on to fell trees that are large, dangerous, or close to powerlines as I am not experienced enough to do so.

So if im cutting four to five days in a row, 8 hours a day, I should have at least two chains per saw and a way to sharpen right?

You should be into more hardwoods there, but I have never been there so i can't say for sure. At least two chains and a few files, and more than one saw if you have them.

 

[Stihlboy088]

I second the chaps, plus more PPE. A 361 will push a 25'' bar but thats exactly what it's doing "pushing it" and yeah throw a loop or two of skip tooth to your chain wardrobe. remember to take down your rakers too. Your guy's wooded area's are similar to ours oaks, maples, ash, and tons of pine. i have an older 360 pro, pretty sure 361 one is the new version i really like running 16"-18" and 20" bars on it and i haven't heard anything bad about that 361 saw yet so have fun cuttin'.

Dave,

 

[Husky137]

You might want to rethink the 8 hours a day. Fatigue leads to mistakes and accidents. Don't try to rush things.

 

[windthrown]

Well, I have been running my 361 here with an 18 inch full comp RM (Stihl Rapid Micro) chains on it lately. They get dull pretty fast. Maybe 2 tanks of gas and they are not cutting as well, so I throw on another loop. We are felling, limbing and bucking a lot of firs. Also cutting oak snags for firewood as I find them. That is hard wood though, and doing 80% of my chain dulling I am sure. The firs are nothing; it just blasts right through them. If you go full skip, it gets dull a lot faster than full comp.