Scrounging Firewood (and other stuff)

[Lionsfan]

View attachment 974560Not how I expected to be breaking in the new saw but it had to get done.
View attachment 974562Dropped and cut up one of the popular trees @chipper1 mentioned in the first pics of the pine on the garage.View attachment 974561Then finished the day with some mulberry.
About 3/4 of a tank. Saws seems happy with the 18" .325 setup.

Is the bar and chain .050 gauge? 72 drive links? I might buy one " For Dad" if I can run the same chain as my 550 Hva.

 

[H-Ranch]

Too right! A 'barrow load of cherry should do it.

Whew! Glad to get @LondonNeil 'barrow of cherry out of the way!
This log had some real twisty grain but I think I still have a couple of rounds to make into project wood.

 

[James Miller]

Is the bar and chain .050 gauge? 72 drive links? I might buy one " For Dad" if I can run the same chain as my 550 Hva.

Yes .050 72DL

 

[sundance]

What's wrong with the 250?
Not that I'm stihls #1 fan by any means, but they will cut wood just fine if the chain is tuned to the saw.

@chipper1 @farmer steve The 250 is really hard to start. By that I mean pull over. I put an aftermarket assembly on it late last year and seems to be working better. I'll give it a chance when I start on wood this year. I want to like it but have been very frustrated with it.

 

[James Miller]

Most restrictive deflector in saw history? I'll have to fix that after a few tanks.

 

[Lionsfan]

Yes .050 72DL

I see it has a decomp valve. How is it to start?

 

[James Miller]

@chipper1 @farmer steve The 250 is really hard to start. By that I mean pull over. I put an aftermarket assembly on it late last year and seems to be working better. I'll give it a chance when I start on wood this year. I want to like it but have been very frustrated with it.

I should get ares running also. My FIL doesn't care what his saws look like so it would be good for the pines when they fall down.

 

[James Miller]

I see it has a decomp valve. How is it to start?

I haven't used the decomp and don't find it difficult to start. It might pick up a little more compression as it breaks in but I dought the decomp will ever be needed.

 

[Lionsfan]

I haven't used the decomp and don't find it difficult to start. It might pick up a little more compression as it breaks in but I dought the decomp will ever be needed.

Dad's got a bum right shoulder, struggles with stuff that doesn't have one.

 

[chipper1]

Dad's got a bum right shoulder, struggles with stuff that doesn't have one.

The dolmars are one of the best/easiest to start. The echos seem to take quite a few pulls to get them to fire for the first time, not the case with a dolmar. I also like saws with a primer bulb for this reason.
Has he/you considered a battery saw.
The easiest starting saw I've ever owned is the stihl pole saw with the 4 mix motor, usually starts first pull, wish they were all that way.
Have you/him considered a battery saw.

 

[bob kern]

What's stopping burning have to do with making more firewood? Old proverb: "After a victory, sharpen your knife." LOL. I still have a LOT of logs in my font yard so I'll be going all spring and well into the summer I'm sure. And when that starts to dwindle down I'll go make some more new best friends to supply firewood. I've gotten several good scores by being the ant while everyone else is being the grasshopper during the heat of the summer. I much prefer cooler temperatures, but sometimes you have to take advantage of opportunities presented to you.

My buddy who inspired me to build my OWB is talking of an exit strategy for wood burning. I'm not. Can't see a time when I won't be doing firewood.

Shewee that’s a relief!! I wasn’t sure if re runs would cut it!! I agree by the way I ALWAYS have my ear to the rail for opportunities. Keeping ahead of the game means I can cherry pick good trees that are easy to access instead of settling for junk wood down in a holler!!

 

[Brufab]

My echo cs 400s usually fire on 2nd or 3rd pull cold and 1 pull warm.

 

[Lionsfan]

The dolmars are one of the best/easiest to start. The echos seem to take quite a few pulls to get them to fire for the first time, not the case with a dolmar. I also like saws with a primer bulb for this reason.
Has he/you considered a battery saw.
The easiest starting saw I've ever owned is the stihl pole saw with the 4 mix motor, usually starts first pull, wish they were all that way.
Have you/him considered a battery saw.

I tried talking him into going to all battery tools, for what he actually does. It ain't happenin'.

My 4-mix Kombi starts first pull when it's above 60*, maybe 3-4 if it's cold out.

Thinking about dropping my 550 off in East Jordan and swapping it to 3/8 chain when all is said and done. I'll still need something to run my .325 chains, and it would be a bonus if I don't have to re-start it every time dad shuts it off.

 

[Lionsfan]

My echo cs 400s usually fire on 2nd or 3rd pull cold and 1 pull warm.

Never owned an echo myself, but I did own a Shindaiwa curved shaft trimmer that started reliably on 2nd-3rd pull cold for the 20 years that I owned it. Finally gave it to my bil who's too broke to buy a 100' roll of .085 trimmer string.

 

[chipper1]

I tried talking him into going to all battery tools, for what he actually does. It ain't happenin'.

My 4-mix Kombi starts first pull when it's above 60*, maybe 3-4 if it's cold out.

Thinking about dropping my 550 off in Boyne City and swapping it to 3/8 chain when all is said and done. I'll still need something to run my .325 chains, and it would be a bonus if I don't have to re-start it every time dad shuts it off.

I don't think mine has ever taken more that 3 pulls, and that was because I forgot to turn it on lol.
What's wrong with the 550, you have the mk1 right.
Not sure I said this here, Tuesday I was running one of the 550mk1's and shut it down and then it wouldn't start, I instantly thought oh no the dreaded hot start issue. I probably pulled it 10 times before I realized it was just out of fuel .
Why do you want the 3/8 over the 325.

 

[chipper1]

Never owned an echo myself, but I did own a Shindaiwa curved shaft trimmer that started reliably on 2nd-3rd pull cold for the 20 years that I owned it. Finally gave it to my bil who's too broke to buy a 100' roll of .085 trimmer string.

I have a shinny straight shaft trimmer, been using it for 20yrs and it starts easy too, never even changed the spark plug. My redmax backpack blower typically fires on the first pull and if I shut the choke off quick enough it will stay running, I run it all yr around and it starts like that in the winter too, sometimes it takes 2 pulls.

 

[ihookem]

What's stopping burning have to do with making more firewood? Old proverb: "After a victory, sharpen your knife." LOL. I still have a LOT of logs in my font yard so I'll be going all spring and well into the summer I'm sure. And when that starts to dwindle down I'll go make some more new best friends to supply firewood. I've gotten several good scores by being the ant while everyone else is being the grasshopper during the heat of the summer. I much prefer cooler temperatures, but sometimes you have to take advantage of opportunities presented to you.

My buddy who inspired me to build my OWB is talking of an exit strategy for wood burning. I'm not. Can't see a time when I won't be doing firewood.

Your buddy that is looking to get out of burning wood until he sees his 1st heat bill next fall and will change his mind real quick. I have natural gas and it was darn cheap for a long time so we used the gas fireplace in the family room in.. We continued till we got our January gas bill of $60. It was never more than $35 so it all but doubled in price. We decided not to run it much and this month is was $22 , so it is the gas fireplace . I started on a pile of firewood last fall and figured when it is all done it will be $1,000 of heat. I got done last week and it is now $2,000 worth of heat , and it may go up more next winter.

 

[Lionsfan]

I don't think mine has ever taken more that 3 pulls, and that was because I forgot to turn it on lol.
What's wrong with the 550, you have the mk1 right.
Not sure I said this here, Tuesday I was running one of the 550mk1's and shut it down and then it wouldn't start, I instantly thought oh no the dreaded hot start issue. I probably pulled it 10 times before I realized it was just out of fuel .
Why do you want the 3/8 over the 325.

MKII. Nothing wrong with it, I'm quite fond of it actually.

Why 3/8"?? Because it's a miserable, cold, rainy Saturday morning and I'm bored and bummed cuz I wanna' be up in the woods instead of tinkering around in the barn.

 

[H-Ranch]

Your buddy that is looking to get out of burning wood until he sees his 1st heat bill next fall and will change his mind real quick.

Ha! Probably won't affect him a lot as he could burn dollar bills! (He is pretty frugal though.) LOL. He makes so much money that it's more of a sport to him. I think his exit strategy plan is more so he can go travel in the winter whenever the urge arises without having to think about the OWB. And just be retired. He makes other people I know seem lazy by comparison. The type of guy that would build a wood processor of his own design with scrap that he picked up for free. And have it done in a week.

 

[svk]

Hey all. I’m still alive. I see I missed 22 or so pages which is way too much reading to do. Had a busy week which included my sons birthday, taught a cooking class, watched two evenings of playoff basketball, and many other things. Oh and I’ve finally got a girlfriend and she’s a keeper (fingers crossed).

Picked up a new wood burning sauna stove too. I’m doing a little refurb on my sauna and am installing a wood stove next to the electric one. More photos to come on that project.

Birthday dinner (plus homemade apple pie)


New Kuuma stove