Scrounging Firewood (and other stuff)

[chipper1]

Cut some pine the other day, Swedish pine.

German pine.

 

[MustangMike]

I surly hope you get the rest of your saws back. I've been very torn with buying another saw. I'm pretty much a husqy guy, but never had issues with the stihls I've had or ran. The 500i would sit nice in my line up, but would be too close to my 390xp and I don't think it would work the 36" bar that well, especially if I'm milling. The 400 would put me at that odd point of not a real 60 cc saw but not quite a 70 cc saw, so getting one would put my 562xp on the lamb. (Arguably my favorite saw) really wish I could rent the 400 and 500i and run them for a day with my saws and see how I liked them. But I haven't seen any rentals with either saw in their fleet yet. Then we have the 592xp coming out that would replace the 390xp and possibly the 394xp. Which it specs out that the 500i wouldn't be able to keep up so there wouldn't be a point to getting both.
Good problems when you can't decide if you need a new saw, and can't figure out which one you would want and which ones to get rid of.
Any way, hopefully you get your saws back and can report on how they all compare.

There was a PA GTG in the spring (listed on another site) and there was a 400 there, numerous 462s and some 500s.

562s are great running 60 cc saws, but the new ones are the same weight as a Stihl 462 which is a 70 cc saw.

The 400 seems like a real nice saw, but when you have a 261 for liming and a 462 (or 2) for bucking you just don't really need one.

 

[farmer steve]

I surly hope you get the rest of your saws back. I've been very torn with buying another saw. I'm pretty much a husqy guy, but never had issues with the stihls I've had or ran. The 500i would sit nice in my line up, but would be too close to my 390xp and I don't think it would work the 36" bar that well, especially if I'm milling. The 400 would put me at that odd point of not a real 60 cc saw but not quite a 70 cc saw, so getting one would put my 562xp on the lamb. (Arguably my favorite saw) really wish I could rent the 400 and 500i and run them for a day with my saws and see how I liked them. But I haven't seen any rentals with either saw in their fleet yet. Then we have the 592xp coming out that would replace the 390xp and possibly the 394xp. Which it specs out that the 500i wouldn't be able to keep up so there wouldn't be a point to getting both.
Good problems when you can't decide if you need a new saw, and can't figure out which one you would want and which ones to get rid of.
Any way, hopefully you get your saws back and can report on how they all compare.

You can come over and run the 400 anytime Sean.

 

[sean donato]

There was a PA GTG in the spring (listed on another site) and there was a 400 there, numerous 462s and some 500s.

562s are great running 60 cc saws, but the new ones are the same weight as a Stihl 462 which is a 70 cc saw.

The 400 seems like a real nice saw, but when you have a 261 for liming and a 462 (or 2) for bucking you just don't really need one.

Hence one of my issues, I went the 60/90cc route. Never cared for a 50cc saw. Stihls line up is all goofy displacements that are kinda in between my needs with what I already have. Couple that with they have a lot of saws with similar weight and close to the same cc, they don't all make sense. And there is the I don't really need another saw thing, just think I'm about due for a new one. Idk. See what happens after next spring if husqvarna releases the 592xp.

 

[sean donato]

You can come over and run the 400 anytime Sean.

Thanks for the offer, I may take you up on that, it's very intriguing saw to me. More power then the 562xp, and a little lighter to boot. I'm all about that. I'll get with you, after deer season is out. You know how busy this time of year gets.

 

[mountainguyed67]

24 on the 462

462 is a lot of saw for a 24”. I run a 28” or 36” on my 461 usually, I only run the 24 when I don’t have a sharp chain for the other two.

 

[chipper1]

462 is a lot of saw for a 24”. I run a 28” or 36” on my 461 usually, I only run the 24 when I don’t have a sharp chain for the other two.

How much hardwood do you cut.

 

[mountainguyed67]

How much hardwood do you cut.

Oh, good point. I cut oak probably 10% of the time, it’s just not that plentiful. Otherwise I’m cutting conifers.

 

[chipper1]

That makes a bit of a difference. But, 461s and the modern 70cc saws do pretty well with a 28 for firewood. For falling large, hazard, or production, many want a bit more grunt for a 28. A ported 70 does a nice job w/a 28 in hardwood.

 

[Cowboy254]

I would cut stuff too big for my saws a long time ago, when I got to where you are in this picture I would cut the rest of the way through. The cut length would be shorter because of the bar clamp cover. I would cut both sides and across the top, then take a chunk off and reach the rest of the way through. Kind of tedious really. Is this what you’re doing?

Yep, more or less. You're right, that aspect is a bit tedious but there are other considerations. I normally debark my firewood where it comes off reasonably easily and this tree has no bark so that's a saving. It is also a relatively short drive and right next to the track so I can almost pick up bits, turn around and drop them in the trailer rather than carting each piece through the scrub. There is also little competition from other wood scroungers for a log this size.

I'm also enjoying the physical challenge and using it as cross training. I have quit fooling myself that I'm stihl a young man at 46yo and needed to get a bit more serious about my health. I have been running a fair bit which I enjoy and have some goals for but some bits of my middle-aged body niggle occasionally so scrounging provides a good alternative activity.

There's a further issue though. Just as Hillary had to conquer Everest because it was there, I must scrounge this log for the same reason. I'm convinced that the two achievements are comparable

 

[LondonNeil]

I must admit I'm jealous when I see you and others like Nate in big wood like that. In reality I know I'm lucky to have all my large wood precut by the tree service they dropped it, and often it just needs splitting. However I'd like the challenge of just running the 365 for hours and hours to deal with my own Everest

 

[mountainguyed67]

There is also little competition from other wood scroungers for a log this size.

Very true, people would be in awe that I/we were working on something that big. Several were 5 feet (1.5 metres) across. We would often take the splitter with us on logs that big, instead of noodling the rest of the way.

 

[sean donato]

That makes a bit of a difference. But, 461s and the modern 70cc saws do pretty well with a 28 for firewood. For falling large, hazard, or production, many want a bit more grunt for a 28. A ported 70 does a nice job w/a 28 in hardwood.

I agree, a 28 on a 70cc in hard wood has pretty much met its limit imo. Better off with something 90 odd cc.

 

[mountainguyed67]

I cut with the same saw in hardwood, I‘ve accepted that it goes slower. Seems like the nature of the beast. It hadn’t occurred to me to get more power for hardwood, if it was 90% of my cutting instead of 10%, it probably would have occurred to me.

 

[sean donato]

I cut with the same saw in hardwood, I‘ve accepted that it goes slower. Seems like the nature of the beast. It hadn’t occurred to me to get more power for hardwood, if it was 90% of my cutting instead of 10%, it probably would have occurred to me.

Nah, nothing wrong with your combo, works well for your needs. I wish we had some of your big woods around here. Truth be told a true giant around these parts is rare.

 

[Lee192233]

Truth be told a true giant around these parts is rare

Same here, the only truly large diameter trees are willow and silver maple yard trees. Very few large hardwoods in the woodlots in my area. 36" dbh is really big.

 

[H-Ranch]

I have quit fooling myself that I'm stihl a young man at 46yo

How much counseling did that take? My mind still wants to believe that I'm a young man. And I keep right on fooling myself despite the mountain of evidence to the contrary.

Something to aspire to when I get old I guess.

 

[H-Ranch]

A ported 70 does a nice job w/a 28 in hardwood.

There's that Craigslist guy again wearing most of his PPE!

 

[MustangMike]

I run 18" on my 261, 20 + 24" on my 462s (which cover 90% of the trees I cut), and 28" bars on my two 460/440 hybrids and my 460. All of these saws are ported by either MMWS, MOFO or CFB. Almost 100% of what I cut is hardwood. If I do drop an evergreen, no one around here wants it cut up for firewood.

 

[chipper1]

Added some more Canadian Maple(hard/sugar maple) to the pile today, some sticks and some rounds.
I also cleaned up out back a little and put a full fork load of the CM 5-8" logs after these pictures were taken. I may end up offering that pile up for sale as logs depending on the firewood demand this fall and if I need more wood moved to do more grading in front of the pole barn.