Scrounging Firewood (and other stuff)

[nighthunter]

There's nothing wrong with a farmboss/rancher saw, infact I have a ms291 that I love and has a lot and I mean a lot of firewood cut. I couldn't tell you the amount of cords of wood it cut because I generally lost count and stihl starts on the third pull,A farm/ranch saw will cut as good with a sharp chain as a pro saw with a dull chain and for less the money aswell

 

[spyder62]

Saw these on the way home from work. Too bad I don't have an Alaskan Mill for the saw. Pardon my ignorance but Hickory?????

Looks like NE philly

 

[LondonNeil]

lets ignore the farmboss/rancher vs pro saw snobbery for a moment, and I'll leave out the brand and saw (although you'll easily guess a few), lets look at price vs a measure of grunt (not the only measure...but the only one in the specs.) where possible i've priced the saw with an 18", although some saws can be supplied bigger barred.

£781 - 6 horses, a full on stage coach, no pony and trap here. £130 per horse
_________________________________________________________________ too costly line, wet dream saw but remember I only buck wood already down and already small enough to get in my car
£550 - 5.7 horses ------the stand out £96/horse
£515 - 3.75 horses why would anyone?
£498 - 4.5 horses £110/horse
£495 - 4.16 horses £118/horse
£483 - 3.8 horses £127/horse
_______________________________________
£410 - 2.8 horses....mleh. just ....mleh

I'd say after £550/5.7bhp the second best (on that spec alone) is quite strongly £498/4.5bhp...they do trail the winner by 10 lengths I admit.

 

[JustJeff]

The only reason I have a ms460 is because I jumped on an ad quickly and got it for $200. It was one of those once in a lifetime deals. As a homeowner and a scrounger, I can’t justify the expense of a new pro saw. Not sure what England has in the way of forestry but there’s lots here. Some guys trade their saws every couple years. That’s how I got the Husqvarna 365xt, which was an excellent saw, two years old for $325. Might not hurt to check dealers for used and leave a number in case something comes in. If I was buying new, it would be a homeowner grade saw like a 271 or similar. The echo 590 is a great saw as well.

 

[LondonNeil]

There is forestry, but not much in London or the south east. there are plenty of tree services but their saws are a big cost and they wont swap them while they still run well. I did pick up a really nice 2014 660 for under £300 (once I got the piston and couple of other bits it needed) ...its sat in a box in the garage needing to be built...actually needing to be packed in a much better box and posted to Ireland for nighthunter to build....which is the best thing as i don't have the time to build it and I want someone to have it, build it and use it. sigh.

 

[Cowboy254]

lets ignore the farmboss/rancher vs pro saw snobbery for a moment

Not snobbery in my case, Neil, just my personal experience. Depends what you want the saw to do, and of course, how much you want to spend.

 

[LondonNeil]

Sorry, I'm not calling anyone a snob, I'm just saying put the badge to one side for a moment and look at the specs, I know a pro saw would hold its value better but the homeowner saws will last a home owner like me very well too.

Jut add a new runner to the race....any guesses? Its in a photo for second.

£781 - 6 horses, a full on stage coach, no pony and trap here. £130 per horse
_________________________________________________________________ too costly line, wet dream saw but remember I only buck wood already down and already small enough to get in my car
£550 - 5.7 horses ------the stand out £96/horse
£550 - 4.83 horses ----- £113/horse happens to come with 4 free spare chains at the moment, from my local dealer.
£515 - 3.75 horses why would anyone?
£498 - 4.5 horses £110/horse
£495 - 4.16 horses £118/horse
£483 - 3.8 horses £127/horse
_______________________________________
£410 - 2.8 horses....mleh. just ....mleh

 

[spyder62]

London neil, I read a couple of weeks ago that England was banning wood stoves , fire places and fire pits. Said it would be illegal to burn any wood due to pollution I believe. Any truth here?

 

[bigfellascott]

Went out yesterday and cut 2 ute loads (no pics sorry) gum and peppermint (not that I really needed it but can't help myself) I do enjoy cutting wood despite what the bodies telling me.

 

[LondonNeil]

In many/most major cities we already have rules similar to (based on) your EPA rules. for instance in a smoke control zone you can't burn a non approved fuel (wood) in a stove unless the appliance is 'exempt' ie has passed some testng and is clean -ish. you can have a bonfire though. Now for several years we have failed to meet out EU laws on air quality by quite a margin...too many diesel cars, particulates are a problem (and NOX). So the government is forced, legally, to do something. what we do...well. some politicians call for banning, some call for banning non 'clean' stove sales and bringing forward the next set of rules or clean stoves, the latest statement from th government minister was more educated...more along the scandanavian line - educate homeowners to use dry wood, encourage clean air days (no burning on bad pollution days), outlaw sale of wet wood. In practice...enforcement will be virtually impossible, plus we rely on wood stoves as part of our government strategy to meet climate accord /carbon reduction agreements.
So i make sure i burn dry wood, hot and clean, never smolder, and try not to worry too much.

 

[muddstopper]

The only saw i ever bought new is a Husky 55. 53cc. It is one of the last years they made that saw. Yea its been a while since I bought that saw. I still have it and have never had to turn a screw on it. I also like to snatch up any used 55's I find, as long as I can get them cheap. I have lost count of how many I have rebuilt, more than 2 or 3 and probably less than 20. They will pull a 20in b/c with 3/8 full comp chisel as long as you dont cut the rakers to low.. Not the most powerful saw, but I have cut some mighty big oaks with them. There is a reason why Husquvarna sold so many of that model and so many after market parts are available, they just plan work. My big saw used to be a 365 special. Good saw, plenty of power and has never let me down. I used to go for this saw when I needed a 24in bar. I bought a blown 272xp and rebuilt it. It now sports the 24in bar and I put a 20 on the 365. I havent wanted anything smaller than the 55 and cant see a need for anything bigger than the 272. I have 3 running 55's now and the parts to build about 4 more. Got two closed port 55's I have been planning on trying my hand at porting with. I also have a model 50 that I traded a rebuilt 51 for to my brother. I have replaced the ring and changed out the carb and choke setup off a 55. I guess what I am saying is that a person dont need the latest, greatest saw for personal firewood production. I guess if I was looking for another firewood saw, I would probably be searching the classified for something cheap, maybe needing a little tlc and go from there as to what I bought.

I also own a little 40cc pouland that I got gave to me not running. I spent $2 for some gas line and it ran so well i went ahead and paid $15 for a loop of chain. I plan on making it my camping saw.

 

[dancan]

Went out yesterday and cut 2 ute loads (no pics sorry) gum and peppermint (not that I really needed it but can't help myself) I do enjoy cutting wood despite what the bodies telling me.

All worries and troubles just disappear when out there dropping trees , blocking , splitting or loading firewood .
I'm focused on the task and have a feeling of personal satisfaction when I'm done for the day .
My body might be telling me otherwise but the brain is happy and refreshed

 

[JustJeff]

I like the little poulan saws. They respond well to a muffler mod and quality chain. The 5020 is a great deal as well. Not a powerhouse but pulls 3/8 full chisel if you don’t lean too hard. I cut 10 full cord with mine the first year I had it. As much as I’d like a rip snorting 50cc saw like a 550 or 261, ole yeller just keeps on working just fine. Used ones come up for $75 so it’s not worth selling, I’ll just keep running it. I’ve felled and completely cut up 30”+ trees with it.

 

[James Miller]

I got the 7910 back in action today and finished the oak trunk. then grabbed the 490 to do more limbs. Near 7 pound difference between these two . and then had an @Bobby Kirbos moment.

 

[JustJeff]

Like this one. Elm I had to cut from both sides. This was back before I knew about arboristsite and how it makes you want to buy saws and scrounge more wood than you need! Factory poulan with vanguard chain.

 

[JustJeff]

First tree I ever dropped. I hauled a$$ outta there when it started to go!

 

[bigfellascott]

All worries and troubles just disappear when out there dropping trees , blocking , splitting or loading firewood .
I'm focused on the task and have a feeling of personal satisfaction when I'm done for the day .
My body might be telling me otherwise but the brain is happy and refreshed

So true Dancan, I feel the same, I just wish I could go harder but the body isn't up to it anymore, my mate cut 9 loads the day before, I'd love to be able to do that.

 

[bigfellascott]

The only saw i ever bought new is a Husky 55. 53cc. It is one of the last years they made that saw. Yea its been a while since I bought that saw. I still have it and have never had to turn a screw on it. I also like to snatch up any used 55's I find, as long as I can get them cheap. I have lost count of how many I have rebuilt, more than 2 or 3 and probably less than 20. They will pull a 20in b/c with 3/8 full comp chisel as long as you dont cut the rakers to low.. Not the most powerful saw, but I have cut some mighty big oaks with them. There is a reason why Husquvarna sold so many of that model and so many after market parts are available, they just plan work. My big saw used to be a 365 special. Good saw, plenty of power and has never let me down. I used to go for this saw when I needed a 24in bar. I bought a blown 272xp and rebuilt it. It now sports the 24in bar and I put a 20 on the 365. I havent wanted anything smaller than the 55 and cant see a need for anything bigger than the 272. I have 3 running 55's now and the parts to build about 4 more. Got two closed port 55's I have been planning on trying my hand at porting with. I also have a model 50 that I traded a rebuilt 51 for to my brother. I have replaced the ring and changed out the carb and choke setup off a 55. I guess what I am saying is that a person dont need the latest, greatest saw for personal firewood production. I guess if I was looking for another firewood saw, I would probably be searching the classified for something cheap, maybe needing a little tlc and go from there as to what I bought.

I also own a little 40cc pouland that I got gave to me not running. I spent $2 for some gas line and it ran so well i went ahead and paid $15 for a loop of chain. I plan on making it my camping saw.

I couldn't agree more re not needing the latest and greatest, I'm happy using the old stuff I have here as it just works, no fuss, a couple of pulls on the cord and they are away. I can tune them without any fancy computer crap or any electronics that can go wrong and be a PITA to fix, parts are cheap and the saws are simple to work on - that works for me just fine.

 

[MustangMike]

I purchased my 10 mm 044 new over 25 years ago and was just using it today. It runs great. How much did I pay?

I believe the correct expression is "Quality will be remembered long after the price paid is forgotten". I really have no idea what I paid, just glad that I got it.

That said, restoring a good quality used saw is just as rewarding, if you can find one.

But always remember, quality is more important than price. My 044 is still competitive with other saws it's weight.

 

[svk]

Holy crap, 7 pages of content since I was here last.

Yesterday I took down dead 22”, 18”, and 12” cottonwood as well as a dead 14” elm for my aunt. She bought two new Oregon 91vx056 chains from her local dealership and they bruised her 19 bucks apiece plus 4.59 for a quart of bar oil. Nonetheless I saved her several hundred bucks by doing the cutting. Her Poulan 3516 did the job well. I think that 35 cc saw will outcut any of the 4218’s I’ve used, even the ones that were tuned properly. Knowing that, I’d happily pick up a couple of those when I see them for cheap compared to the 4218 which IMO is not impressive even at the low price it’s sold at.