Scrounging Firewood (and other stuff)

[Jeffkrib]

Mike I guess by real world weight you mean with bar and chain? I agree it is difficult to compare without including and I know the Makita weight I have is power head only, the 038 weight I found may include a bar.

Anyway, yep they are heavy. I use the 180 for 90% of my saw work. The big saw comes out for noodling unsplitables and bucking the occasional larger round that I've collected that is still too long for my small stoves (12" or less is the aim). I tend to make a pile of half a dozen pallets as a temporary work table, lift rounds to that and cut. Very occasionally a big round is easier to cut down on the ground. I'm not bucking or limbing out in the field like you guys. So weight is less important. If I were starting again, knowing now what wood I get.... I'd likely have just one saw and it would be a 241 or 261 sized machine for everything.

Unfortunately you’ve put yourself into a very difficult position Neil, it’s a big gap between a ms180 and a 7900 the only solution will be a ported 261 no pressure from us though.

 

[KiwiBro]

Unfortunately you’ve put yourself into a very difficult position Neil, it’s a big gap between a ms180 and a 7900 the only solution will be a ported 261 no pressure from us though.

I agree. Then, the 261 will be too close to the 180 in weight and ease of handling so the 180 should go, and also the 261 is too close to the 7900 so the latter should go in favour of a 395. That's pretty much my two saw plan now: ported 261 with 18 or 20" bar, 395 with 32 or 42" bar. I'm contemplating flicking the 7900 but it's such a neat saw it's even harder to let go of than the 241 was.

 

[nighthunter]

Unfortunately you’ve put yourself into a very difficult position Neil, it’s a big gap between a ms180 and a 7900 the only solution will be a ported 261 no pressure from us though.

I agree. Then, the 261 will be too close to the 180 in weight and ease of handling so the 180 should go, and also the 261 is too close to the 7900 so it should go in favour of a 395. That's pretty much my two saw plan now: ported 261 with 18 or 20" bar, 395 with 32 or 42" bar. I'm contemplating flicking the 7900 but it's such a neat saw it's even harder to let go of than the 241 was.

I would have to disagree also and go with a 880 or 3120 muffler modded making the 7900 the middle saw, there's no substitute for power and that would keep Neil happy and it will keep house next door unsold. Just my two cents

 

[KiwiBro]

hmm would a re-jetted and unlimited coiled and muff modded 3120 clear the whole block? And does Neil's car have a tow ball?
*edit* what was I thinking; he had to sell the car to buy the 3120.

 

[rarefish383]

You know how some folks get that warm fuzzy feeling when they rescue some poor lost pet? That's how I feel when I find some unloved old saw, like the Super 1050 I got for $150. Holding it by the top handle, with the 24" bar, it balances dead level. With the 36" bar just a tad nose heavy. Then there was the Mac 550 for $35, same thing. There are just so many saws that need rescued. Why go little when there is a big one with your name on it? Ask Jamesmiller how that old 1050 ran. It's not heavy when in the wood, and you never have to push on it, it does all the work for you. Just remember old saws need lovin too, and like old pets, they give every thing they got.

 

[JustJeff]

I have 2 24" Stihl E bars and really like em. Cheap, durable and light. Don't think we can get em in longer than 20" any more since they came out with the ES Light bars in those sizes.

I use the E bar as well but 20 was the longest I could find. Almost half the price of the ES.

 

[rarefish383]

Took down a little dead Oak for my friends son this morning. My photographer let us down. He only got one pic of the "Old Fat Guy" making the back cut on the stem, and one of my climber George. George is 64 and plans on climbing full time for 3 more years. He wanted some firewood, so we loaded him up first. The rest of the trunk and brush only made about half a load on my dump trailer. You can see I had my ears, glasses, and leather boots on.

 

[JustJeff]

Went over to my wife’s cousin’s today and tossed the poulan in the truck just in case. Turns out there was more wood there than I thought. And I had just finished splitting everything I had this morning! Sigh. Back to work.

 

[Philbert]

Another.

Philbert

 

[KiwiBro]

View attachment 656995
Another.

Philbert

Those were the days. When people were honest and sheep not so much.

 

[LondonNeil]

Unfortunately you’ve put yourself into a very difficult position Neil, it’s a big gap between a ms180 and a 7900 the only solution will be a ported 261 no pressure from us though.

Lol!

I'll not get a 261. I was reminded, they have a very bad rep here. Probably cured now but all the early ones had soft crankshaft at the power take off end, it would wear out in the bearing until it caused trouble. You cannot find replacement shafts for love nor money.... Lots of cheap dead 261s....oem cranks and the dealer work are more then a new saw. Very bad rep that saw.....oh and stihl denied the fault, so no warranty. Nope....2 saw plan.

 

[JustJeff]

View attachment 656995
Another.

Philbert

I have one of those. People have been honest with me. I haven’t had it out this year but with the recent influx of wood, I’m thinking of resurrecting it.

 

[James Miller]

I think in real life you will find the 044/440 is often 14 lbs or less, the 7900/7910 is about 16.6, and the 460/461 about 14.75. I checked out one of the HD used saws that can be converted to a 7910, but it was no light weight, I passed.

This is what I got for the 7910 with tanks full and a 24" bar. Only reason I weighed it was to see the difference between it an the 590 setup the same way.I picked up a 64xx HD saw one time and thought it was a pig. The 7910 feels lighter in my hands don't know why.

 

[James Miller]

Oak scrounge for my cousin today. It was 80 and humid spent an hour on a saw and decides the rest could wait.

 

[James Miller]

That 661 was rather lackluster in my opinion. Guess that' what happens when the only other ones iv ran are ported square filed GTG monsters.

 

[rarefish383]

That 661 was rather lackluster in my opinion. Guess that' what happens when the only other ones iv ran are ported square filed GTG monsters.

I like my 660, but I think the 1050 will out cut it, especially in bigger wood. The 660 is smoother, quieter, and can be easier to start. One of these days I may send it out and see if someone can turn it into a monster.

 

[dancan]

Paul (the developer) called me this morning and told me that the surveyors were out and they've marked the official centerline of the driveway plus they went in further .
I took care of the "Honey Do" list this morning and went out to see just after lunch .

So after 1 tank

2nd tank

3rd tank

4th tank

5th tank

6th tank

7th tank

All done
My buddy showed up this afternoon so he drug out and cut up half a trailer load and then threw some Zoggerwood on top .

Paul is going to start the driveway Monday and meet with the homeowners to mark out the houselot so more wood to come yet

 

[dancan]

About 20 tanks so far on this project .

 

[farmer steve]

About 20 tanks so far on this project .

that 20 inch bar on that 241 looks way shorter than the one on mine.

 

[KiwiBro]

Paul (the developer) called me this morning

We oughta start a goFundMe campaign to pay the shipping costs of Kermit (Bilke S3) up to you during the off season here. I hate gear sitting around not being used and you'll get one heck of a kick out of watching those twigs disappear inside it and firewood come out the other end.